La Finquita del Buho

We joined a CSA.

Community Supported Agriculture.

This means we share in the joys of farm fresh produce for the next 29 weeks.

Our CSA: "the little farm of the owl" is in Hillsboro, Oregon. Every Sunday we will drive out to the farm and pick up our fresh produce and some days we will help out on the farm and some days we will merely soak in the fresh air, gawk at the chickens and baby goats, and gaze at the beautiful orchard and vegetable gardens. Last Sunday was opening day at the farm. Joey and I missed it. We were back East checking out a potential college. Sammy and Michael got to tour the farm and enjoy fresh brick oven pizza. They also brought home a couple armfuls of fresh produce.

This week's bounty: radishes, leeks, miscellaneous greens including sorrel and spinach and shallots.

Tonight I made a couple of delicious recipes.

First, with the Sorrel, I made a pesto:

1 cup Sorrel (stems & ribs removed), coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons pine nuts

1/4 tsp. salt

4 tablespoons olive oil

I just whizzed (as Jamie Oliver would say) everything together in the blender and it is delicious! And the most beautiful color of green.

I served it on fresh grilled (with a little olive oil) Grand Central Como Bread, but it would be great on pasta or fish.

With the spinach and shallots I made a quiche:

olive oil

4 oz. pancetta

1 large shallot, diced

2 cups spinach leaves, roughly chopped

5 eggs, beaten

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

one 9" pie crust

Fry the pancetta in a little olive oil, add the diced shallot. Cook for about 3 minutes on medium high. Add the spinach and saute. Turn off heat. Combine eggs, cream and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Add pancetta, shallot, and spinach. Mix thoroughly. Pour into pie crust. You can use a pie pan or a quiche pan. Cook for approx. 30 minutes at 375 degrees. I usually pre-bake the pie crust at 400 for about 8-9 minutes as the pie crust usually takes longer than the filling requires.

Yum!

Now I just need to use the radishes and leeks.

I can't wait to see this weekend's harvest!