Fresh local produce shares available into December

With summer CSA (community supported agriculture) season winding down, many subscribers are left in search of cool weather shares. Once you get used to that fabulous fresh produce (honey, eggs, etc.) there’s no going back. One customer savvy and accommodating CSA, Abundant Harvest, is accepting subscriptions for late fall shares in both Portland and Hillsboro. The subscriptions are available at a reasonable cost and participants can look forward to extending their season of fresh local produce into December.

When the owners of Abundant Harvest, Mishelle and Steve Radtke, married soon after graduating from the University of Oregon, they had no farming aspirations. Within a couple of years, they bought a “sweet little house” in SE Portland.  The oversized lot provided them an opportunity to plant their first vegetables, herbs and flowers and served as their impetus toward becoming stewards of the land.

As their gardens flourished, it was apparent Steve had a knack for working the land and coaxing things to grow. So prolific was their garden, they shared their bounty with family, friends and neighbors. Accolades on the delights of their harvest led Steve to what Mishelle refers as “his true calling”.

They made the difficult decision to sell their house and for Steve to leave his position at Oregon Natural Step to begin a farm apprenticeship. He spent two years in what he calls, “Farm School”, being educated by Shari Sirkin at Dancing Roots Farm in Troutdale.  

Eager to be certain that farming was the right path for them, Steve and Mishelle decided, in 2006, to lease land for a time. They sought someone who shared their goals and vision. The farm owners, at Dos Sequoias Farm, and New Earth Farm, were able to provide the Radtkes field space and Abundant Harvest was born. Their next step is to purchase their own land for the creation of a sustainable farm.

Abundant Harvest grows fruits, vegetables and flowers without synthetic herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers. So, if you’d like to lengthen your season of freshly grown local produce and support local family farms at the same time, contact the Radtkes. For more information, email the farmers from their website or leave a phone message at 971-205-2203. A couple of recipes, from their newsletter, are below and you’ll find many more on the Abundant Harvest website.

PESTO
2 cups fresh packed basil                                   
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup  pine nuts (or walnuts), chopped fine                      
 ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
¼  – ½ cup of virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in food processor. Add oil slowly while processing.  Serve over pasta.  Note: Some people make larger batches of pesto and freeze it into ice cube trays to have it all winter long.

TZATZIKI(pronounced “Tat Zee Kee”)
Try this recipe to use up some of your cucumbers.

 16 ounces (2 cups) of thick Greek yogurt      

4 to 10 cloves of garlic, finely chopped                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 teaspoons of lemon juice 

 2 or more cucumbers

Simply grate whole cucumbers, lightly salt and set aside for 20 minutes. Drain off the liquid that accumulates. Combine oil and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Fold the yogurt in slowly, making sure it mixes completely with the oil. Add the garlic, according to taste, and the cucumber. Stir until evenly distributed. Garnish with a bit of green and serve well chilled.

Add mint or dill: Slight variations include 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh dill and/or fresh mint. Tasty additions!

If you enjoyed this article, found it interesting or learned something, please subscribe and whenever I write about Portland Fresh food events, festivals, classes or recommendations you’ll be one of the first to know.