The Jordan Ranch Lifestyle team is hosting a holiday movie night this Friday, December 19th, from 5:30-7:30pm on the farm! The field will be transformed into a cozy outdoor cinema for a viewing of the beloved Christmas classic, Elf. You’re encouraged to bring your own blankets and lawn chairs so you can settle in and enjoy the show. One of our farmers will be on site before the movie starts to answer any farm-related questions. For more details about this free event, head here. 

We harvested the first Tokyo Bekana in the high tunnel this week! Tokyo Bekana is a Chinese cabbage variety that does not produce a head. The leaves are buttery soft and have a mildly sweet cabbage flavor. Due to its soft texture, Tokyo Bekana leaves can be used as a salad green. Try combining it with some of our lettuce! If you’d like to enjoy it cooked, it can be substituted into any recipes calling for Napa cabbage or Bok Choy. We recommend trying it in this stir-fry or this slaw. 

Our broccolini has been incredibly popular at the Farm Stand! We planted another round of it in the field this week so we can have more for you later in the winter season. Our cauliflower has also been very popular over the past couple of weeks! We used some to make this cauliflower curry recently and it was really delicious, especially with some of our cilantro for garnish. Make sure to snag some from the Grab-and-Go coolers for your weekend meals!

In Season: Tokyo Bekana, Broccoli, Parsley, Cilantro, Dill, Collard Greens, Cauliflower, Curly Kale, Red Russian Kale, Tuscan Kale, Bok Choy, Lettuce Heads, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Hakurei Turnips, Amara Mustard Greens, Wasabina Mustard Greens, Radishes, Green Onions, Lunchbox Peppers, and Bell Peppers

Before the rain arrived, we were able to get the majority of our third round of fall crops transplanted. Each prepared bed receives drip irrigation to ensure our crops obtain adequate moisture. Once the irrigation tape is in place, it’s time to plant! This round includes interesting new crops like Purple Moon and Clementine cauliflowers in addition to trusted favorites like Green Magic broccoli and Dinosaur kale.

We’re excited to share that cauliflower is back in season at the Farm Stand! This member of the brassica family can be eaten both raw and cooked. Since cauliflower has a relatively mild flavor, it pairs well with a variety of spices and herbs. Farmer Anna prefers to give it a good roast in the oven until it begins to caramelize around the edges. She also loves to use it as a substitute for potatoes to make a cauliflower mash with butter and parmesan. Yum!

Tokyo Bekana (above) is another new addition to the Self-Serve Farm Stand. This loose headed Asian cabbage has incredibly tender leaves with a mild flavor that can be eaten raw or cooked. To use it in recipes, simply chop up the leaves and stems to your desired size. Or, leave it whole and grill it to draw out its nuttiness. For a simple side dish, try stir-frying it with some of our Hakurei turnips. Or, add some chopped Tokyo Bekana to your next salad.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Napa Cabbage, Mustard Greens, Curly Kale, Dino Kale, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Tokyo Bekana, Bok Choy, Hakurei Turnips, Green Beans, and Dill

Coming Soon: Radishes and Lettuce Heads

November 18th, 2021

We’re adding three more leafy greens to our verdant lineup this week: curly kale, Lacinato kale, and rainbow chard. And, we hope to harvest the first Napa cabbages next week! We’ve been working hard to increase the diversity of crops on the farm so it feels great to be able to harvest twelve different varieties of greens. Each leafy green variety differs in terms of taste and texture. We hope you’ll try them all so that you can expand your palate and perhaps find a new favorite! Here’s a handy guide featuring all of the varieties we’re currently harvesting:

• Kales (Lacinato, Curly, & Red Russian) -- earthy and vegetal taste; baby leaves are tender and perfect for salads; adult leaves are sturdier and perfect for sautéeing.
• Rainbow Chard -- mildly sweet and earthy taste; the soft-textured leaves and crunchy stems are great for sautéeing and adding to soups.
• Tokyo Bekana -- mild cabbage-like flavor; the buttery soft leaves can be used as a salad green or added to soups and stir-fries
• Arugula -- mild peppery flavor; the tender leaves are great for adding to salads, sandwiches, or a batch of pesto.
• Lettuces -- mild vegetal flavor; the tender leaves are great for adding to salads and sandwiches.
• Gai Lan -- earthy and sweet taste; both the leaves and stems are great for adding to stir-fries and soups. 
• Tatsoi -- mild spinach-like flavor; the tender leaves can be added to a salad mix or sautéed.
• Bok Choy -- fresh and grassy flavor; the leaves and stems can be added to stir-fries, soups, or used for a batch of kimchi.
• Collard Greens -- earthy and alkaline flavor; the leaves and stems are great for braising, adding to soups, and as a wrap for sandwiches and burgers. 
• Mustard Greens -- sharp and peppery flavor (this mellows when cooked); the leaves are great for braising, sautéeing, and adding to soups. 

It’s hard to tell who likes our flower rows more, us or the pollinators! These flowers serve a dual purpose: they provide a source of food for our local pollinators and they bring a bit of farm beauty to your home in the form of cut flower bouquets. In addition to all of the delicious veggies we’ll have at the farm stand this weekend (list below), we’ll also have the following cut flowers for you to craft your own bouquets: marigolds, zinnias, and sunflowers.

As a reminder, our farm stand takes place on the farm every Saturday from 10am-noon and every Wednesday from 4-6pm. We’re the perfect option for your holiday meal-planning and shopping and would love to see you there!

Currently In Season: Cherry Tomatoes, Slicer Tomatoes, Kale, Rainbow Chard, Tokyo Bekana, Arugula, Lettuce Mix, Tatsoi, Baby Bok Choy, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Gai Lan, Hakurei Turnips, White Icicle Radishes, Shishito Peppers, and Eggplant.

November 11th, 2021

‘Tis the season for all things green on the farm! We currently have 9 different leafy greens in season at the moment, including the newest on our harvesting list, gai lan (pictured below). Gai lan, also called Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale, yields thick bluish-green leaves with thick stems. If you look at the image above, you’ll see all of these leafy greens laid out. Here are the varieties from left to right: collard greens, arugula, Tokyo bekana, gai lan, kale, tatsoi, baby bok choy, mustard greens, and lettuce.

Our slicing tomato varieties are just starting to yield mature fruits which means both slicing and cherry varieties are in season. Tomatoes can easily be preserved for enjoyment during the winter months through canning or the more simple route, freezing. When preparing them for freezing, you can either cook them down into a paste or sauce first, or roast them until caramelized. We highly recommend picking up extras at the next farm stand because they won’t be in season for much longer depending on how low our overnight temperatures get!

Our fall succession of snap peas is coming right along. Snap peas are yet another crop we can plant in both spring and fall in our growing climate. As you can see in the photo, the snap pea plants have just reached the bottom of the trellis. At this point, they’ll continue their vertical climb up the trellis using their tendrils. We expect them to start flowering within the next week or two!

Currently In Season: Cherry Tomatoes, Slicer Tomatoes, Kale, Tokyo Bekana, Arugula, Lettuce Mix, Tatsoi, Baby Bok Choy, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Gai Lan, Hakurei Turnips, Shishito Peppers, Eggplant, Yellow Squash, and White Icicle Radishes

September 9th, 2021

In order to prevent further damage from the squash vine borers, we decided to go ahead and harvest all of our butternut squashes. Upon harvesting, our butternuts were moved to the greenhouse in order to undergo the curing process. This allows the skin to toughen up so that these squashes can be stored for up to six months. It also allows the natural sugars present in the squash to concentrate, yielding a sweeter and more balanced flavor.

We made the first harvest from our fall crops this week in the form of our baby arugula, baby kale, and baby mustard greens. We also harvested some Tokyo Bekana (pictured above and below), a non-heading Chinese cabbage variety with buttery soft leaves and a mild flavor. Due to its soft texture and mild flavor, Tokyo Bekana can be used as a salad green. It would be particularly delicious in a mix with the baby arugula and baby kale. If you’d like to enjoy it cooked, try wilting it with a bit of garlic, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.

The first mature luffas were harvested this week! These luffas were allowed to fully ripen and dry out on the vine. Once they reach this stage, they’re easy to spot because they have turned brown. After harvesting, we can easily peel away the skin to expose the fibrous “skeleton”. The luffa can then be used as a natural sponge. At the end of their season, we’ll be harvesting some young luffa for you to taste! Young luffa can be cooked in a similar manner to summer squash and zucchini.