Author: Horton Road Organics

 

A lot of people at market ask for advice on the best ways to store their veggies at home. People generally know that greens last better in the fridge, but does everything need a plastic bag? And how long can they actually be expected to last? In response to these questions I put together a chart listing the ideal storage environment for several of the crops we grow at Horton Road. I was personally surprised by the shelf life potential for several of the vegetables listed below. For example, did you know that topped carrots can last up to 6 months?… And beets, which only last 2 weeks with their tops, can last up to 10 months with the tops removed! Hopefully you can refer to this chart the next time you question which vegetables to buy in bulk and which will last the longest. Cheers!

Crop	Temperature (°F)	Humidity	Shelf life	Ethylene producer	Ethylene sensitive
bean	41-46	95-100	8-12 days	low	yes
beet	32 (bunched) 33-35 (topped)	98	10-14 days bunched, 4-10 months topped	low	no
broccoli	32	98-100	2-3 weeks	low	very sensitive
carrot	32-34	98-100	5-6 mo (topped)	low	yes
cauliflower	32	95-98	up to 3 weeks	low	yes
celery	32	>95	5-7 weeks	low	yes
chard	32	95-98	1-2 weeks	low	very sensitive
corn	32	95-98	4-6 days	no	no
cucumber	50-54	95	up to 14 days	low	very sensitive
eggplant	50-54	90-95	up to 14 days	yes	yes
garlic	68-86	60-70	1-9 months	low	no
lettuce	32	98-100	up to 2 weeks	low	no
onion	32 (long-term storage) 68-86 short term	65-75	6-9 months if cured	low	no
parsley	32	95-100	2-3 weeks	low	no
peppers	45	90-95	2-3 weeks	yes	no
potato	45-50	95-99	2-12 months	low	no
radish	32	90-95	3-4 weeks (topped), 1-2 weeks bunched	low	no
salad mix	32-36	95-100	7-14 days	low	no
spinach	32	95-98	2 weeks	low	no
tomato	66-70	90-95	depends on harvest maturity	yes	yes
winter squash	50-55	50-70	2-3 months	low	slightly
zucchini	41-50	95	up to 2 weeks	yes	yes

Humidity: Some crops last longer when kept moist, others prefer to remain dry. Crops such as salad mix, lettuce, and even carrots benefit a humid storage environment. Keeping these items in a plastic bag (with a hole cut in the bottom) often works best.

Shelf life: The shelf life listed above is a best-case-scenario based on maintaining the “ideal” storage environmental.

Ethylene production/sensitivity: Ethylene is a natural gas that certain crops give off as a result of ripening. The shelf-life of many crops is shortened with ethylene exposure. It can therefore be beneficial to keep some fruits and vegetables separate from others. Examples or ethylene producers include: apples, tomatoes, avocados, pears, apricots, and peaches.

Sources: Direct Market Success. 1st ed., FamilyFarmed, 2016.

Reiden is a first year apprentice at Horton and can be found at the Amazon Park farmers market every Thursday. Having been born on the Oregon coast and then spending most of her life living elsewhere, Reiden is happy to once again be back in the familiar and beautiful coastal range. 

What’s in Box #13?

Salad Mix: More delicious greens for you this week. For best storage, keep greens in the fridge, in a plastic bag or other covered container, with just a little bit of moisture to prevent wilting.

Cherry Tomatoes: Sungold variety. The first ones of the season. They taste like a little burst of sunshine. A sweet treat that we have been waiting for, impatiently.

Swiss Chard:  Bright Lights variety. Delicious greens. you can use the stems too, they will just take longer to cook.

Sweet Onion: Candy variety. These are harvested fresh and have not yet been cured for storage. So, please keep them in the fridge for longer storage.

Sweet Corn:  We’d love to hear any feedback you have on this season’s corn.  We are trialing a few new varieties this season and it is always helpful to know what you think. This one is called Temptress and is a white variety.

Carrots: Merida variety. This is also a new carrot that we are trialing. They seem to be doing well so far – let us know what you think!

Celery: Tango variety. Save the leaves to use for stock.  This may be the perfect week for it since you have the carrots and onion too.

Recipes:

Avocado Pasta

Avocado pasta is a great way to highlight the cherry tomatoes for the zing that they bring to this creamy dish that is wonderful on a warm summer evening. ~ Heather

Ingredients:

12 ounces spaghetti
2 avocados (seeded and peeled)
½ cup fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes (Halved)
½ cup corn kernels (Drained and rinsed)

Cook pasta according to directions on the package, either cool in the refrigerator or toss with ice and drain post cooking to cool the pasta. In a food processor combine avocados, basil, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil until smooth. Then add salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl, combine sauce, pasta, corn and cherry tomatoes then serve and enjoy!

damndelicious.net/2014/06/20/avocado-pasta/?utm_campaign=yummly&utm_medium=yummly&utm_source=yummly

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Dilled Celery, Asian Pear & Hazelnut Salad

6 servings
Source: The Herbal Kitchen (Jerry Traunfeld)

The combination of dill and crunch of the celery reminds me of dill pickles. For this reason I enjoy making this salad as a side dish with grilled burgers in the summer. I have also found that this salad only lasts only one day at most refrigerated. I recommend making it fresh right before consuming. –Reiden

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard and salt in a small bowl. Whisk rapidly as you pour in the oil in a small stream. Toss celery and dill with the dressing in a large bowl, then gently toss in the Asian pear & hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

Ingredients:
1.5 T sherry vinegar
2 t whole-grain mustard
1 t kosher salt
¼ olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced celery
¼ cup chopped dill
1 medium unpeeled Asian or Bosc pear, cored & cut into thick matchsticks
½ cup chopped hazelnuts

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Alice Waters’ Swiss Chard Gratin

Ingredients
• 3 bunches chard, washed and stemmed (save half the stems) *Since we make large bunches of chard, this recipe will probably work with what is on your box this week.
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• Salt to taste
• 4 teaspoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Thinly slice the reserved chard stems, add them to the water, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the leaves and continue cooking until tender, about 3-4 minutes longer. Drain and allow to cool, then gently squeeze out the excess liquid and coarsely chop.
2. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoons of butter and toss the breadcrumbs, then spread them out on a small baking sheet. Toast, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, then add the onion. Sweat until translucent, 5-7 minutes, then stir in the chard and a couple pinches of salt. Cook for 3 minutes, then sprinkle the flour over the chard and stir well to coat. Add the milk and nutmeg and bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes as the mixture thickens. The chard should be just moist, but not overly wet, or else the gratin won’t brown properly. Taste and season with salt.
4. Butter a baking dish and spread the chard mixture evenly in the dish. Dot with the remaining butter and top with the breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees until golden and bubbling, 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve.

Link:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/11/print/alice-waters-swiss-chard-gratin-recipe.html

On the farm there is a plethora of vegetables to harvest. Salad mix, radishes, kale in the morning, zucchini and corn in the afternoon always makes for a full day. By now I’ve been harvesting quite a few crops and I have enjoyed some more than others but they all hold a dear spot in my heart. In the salad mix there is mizuna, a bright green and subtle tasting salad leaf, which I have the joy of harvesting. Each new patch I cut is crisp and enjoyable. I have a fondness for its pointy leaves and its tenderness in the morning. This plant is a breeze to cut and looks beautiful in the mix! The most interesting vegetable I like to harvest is celery! From the smell, taste and technique, I enjoy each and every step. It’s simple really, to harvest celery, all that is needed to be done is to cut it from its roots, wash it and pack it! Quick and easy is one if this crops specialties! Another crop I enjoy is beets! They have such a beautiful dark red color and bright green leaves, it is truly a sight to behold in the morning. As I pluck them from the soil I tenderly remove the greens and examine their beauty. Hearty and beautiful beets are a great addition to any CSA box.  Last but not least, tomatoes! My absolute favorite vegetable to eat and soon to be harvested! Its fragrance is like none other, smells perfectly of itself and when they are ready, they jump right into your hands! Bright oranges, yellows and reds show the varieties wonderfully and make it a tasty treat both for the eyes and taste buds. Granted this is only a small part of what all is harvested, these crops have helped make my Horton Road experience that much more special!

 

Heather is from California and moved to Oregon to experience the life of a farmer. She is enjoying apprenticing at Horton Road Organics and getting her hands dirty and full of vegetables! During her down time she likes to hang out with her cat or ride her horse. She’s excited to see what other opportunities come her way this year!

What’s in Box #12?

Salad Mix: More delicious greens for you this week. For best storage, keep greens in the fridge, in a plastic bag or other covered container, with just a little bit of moisture to prevent wilting.

Eggplant: Galine variety. This veggie will really soak up the flavor of anything used as a marinade. Delicious grilled or roasted. No need to peel before cooking.

Lettuce:  Magenta variety. A unique lettuce – beauitful red leaves with the crispness of a head of iceberg lettuce.

Potatoes: Desiree variety. Pink skins with a creamy middle. Versatile and hold together well in soups and salads. Not quite cured yet, so keep in the fridge for best storage.

Sweet Corn:  We’d love to hear any feedback you have on this season’s corn.  We are trialing a few new varieties this season and it is always helpful to know what you think.

Green Onions: Parade variety. A perfect addition to so many dishes. We are overloaded right now! These are on the larger side.

Beets: Red Ace variety. The greens are starting to die back, so you are getting just the roots. Roasting will bring out the sweetness and you can always pickle some too!

Recipes:

Grilled Corn Salsa

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a53802/best-corn-salsa-recipe/

There are so many ways to eat the late summer staple of sweet corn, but which recipe to choose? I often like my corn grilled and then chilled as it is tasty in the heat of August, but still has that amazing grilled flavor. Enjoy this grilled corn salsa recipe and make substitutions as you see fit. The dressing here that is recommended is a nice blend of sweetness from the lime and spice from the pepper flakes and garlic. However, omitting the dressing is also an option. ~ Derek

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Herbed Red Potato Salad

https://cookieandkate.com/2015/herbed-red-potato-salad-recipe/

This recipe is a twist on the American classic. Unlike the classic version, however, this recipe doesn’t use mayo so it’s great as a lighter side option. Horton Road Organics’ Desiree potatoes are perfect for this dish! ~ Taylor

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Rustic Eggpant Parmesan
I love traditional Eggplant Parmesan but in the heat of summer I prefer something lighter and not fried. This rustic Eggplant Parmesan is fresh and delicious and truly lets your eggplant shine! Definitely don’t skip over salting and draining your eggplant slices to ensure a tender texture after cooking. ~ Laura

Formerly on http://www.ruralintelligence.com/food_section/food_articles_recipes/recipe_rustic_eggplant_parmesan

1 medium eggplant
3 medium tomatoes
1 pound mozzarella cheese
¼ cup fresh basil
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

1. Slice eggplant into ½ inch rounds, sprinkle with coarse salt and leave to drain in a strainer or on paper towels for at least 30 min
2. Slice tomatoes and mozzarella into ½ inch rounds
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
4. Layer eggplant, tomato and mozzarella in a baking dish, top with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh basil, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste
5. Let bake for 20-30 min or until eggplant is tender/cheese is melting
6. Serve with pasta or your grain of choice for an entrée, as is for an appetizer

Swiss chard… just hearing those words brings to mind bright, beautiful colors and an earthy, sweet flavor. But aside from being quite the showy vegetable on the stand or in your box, swiss chard brings a lot to the table.

First, as a farmer, swiss chard is a pretty awesome crop in that the same plant can be harvested many times. Here at Horton Road we only plant chard twice a season, one bed each time, and that provides all the chard the farm will sell all season long. Swiss chard can do this in part because it is a very versatile plant that can handle a fairly wide range in weather and also since we harvest and eat the leaves of the plant, the more we pick, the more the plant works to replace its foliage. The variety of swiss chard we grow is called Bright Lights, and as you have seen produces an amazing array of colorful stems and hues of leaves. Despite the differences in color all chard shares a comparable taste and nutrition.

Swiss chard is closely related to the beet, accounting for its similar earthy, sweet flavor, and most likely evolved/was bred from a wild beet variety in such a way that its leaves are the primary edible versus the root.

Swiss chard’s origins can be traced to southern Europe many thousands of years ago, and so surprisingly is not native to Switzerland. It seems that swiss chard has been known by many names across the years so tracing it’s exact history is a bit tricky but references have been found dating back at least as far as the ancient Greeks. Swiss chard made it to North America accompanying the colonizers who traveled to this continent’s shores from Europe.

Swiss chard is packed full of important vitamins and minerals, most notably: vitamin A, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium. Swiss chard keeps best in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer in your refrigerator and should be enjoyed in a couple days time for best quality. Chard stems can be eaten and cooked and will keep longer than the leaves if stored separately. Enjoy!

Fall planting of swiss chard at Horton Road.

Info for this post gleaned from the following sources:
https://extension.illinois.edu/veggies/chard.cfm

The Swiss Chard

http://www.cliffordawright.com/caw/food/entries/display.php/topic_id/6/id/36/

Laura is a first-year apprentice at Horton Road.