Everett, Wash.
Published: Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Get fresh

You go, greens

Local lettuces the ultimate in fresh greens year-round

By Sarah Jackson / Herald Writer

 Lettuce never looked so luscious.

Red leaf, green leaf, romaine and arugula, their colorful, curly and crisp leaves would be enough to make even the most dedicated carnivore crave a green salad.

This is the ultimate in freshness.

Here at Anselmo Farms in Machias, halfway between Lake Stevens and Snohomish, salad is a year-round affair, thanks to a tidy little greenhouse and some tender loving care.

"Greens are a huge seller" said Anselmo Farms owner Marie Oliver, 43. "Some people will tell us they can hang onto a bag of our lettuce for two weeks."

These luxurious green ruffles are bagged, but they are not chopped, triple-washed, trucked or handled on an assembly line.

It's Oliver who hand picks and rinses the whole-leaf greens before she tucks them gently into gallon-size zip-close plastic bags.

"Nothing is harvested mechanically," said Oliver, who took over Anselmo Farms from her parents last year. "Everything is done by hand."

Such personal attention to crops had many people turning to small local growers like her last fall after a deadly strain of E. coli was traced to a large California spinach grower.

"We couldn't grow enough spinach," Oliver said.

Soon, Anselmo Farms' indoor lettuces will bolt and go to seed as the days get warmer and it's too hot to grow in the greenhouse. If the weather cooperates, that's just about the time the farm's outdoor lettuces will be ready for picking.

It's a system that allows the farm to produce fresh lettuces almost 365 days a year, along with other seasonal produce, all sold at the Ballard Sunday Farmers Market and the farm's year-round covered produce stand.

Right now, Anselmo Farms is gearing up for its peak season, which means not only an expanded selection of greens - including spinach, collard, mizuna and mustard greens - but also a bevy of fresh vegetables.

As the season unfolds, the farm stand will sell sugar snap peas, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, beets, celery, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, onions, winter squash, pumpkins, ornamental gourds, sweet corn and huge whole-head lettuces.

"We grow everything that will grow on this side of the mountains," Oliver said, laughing about their attempt at watermelons last year, ultimately undone by wire worms.

"We're trying sweet potatoes this year," she said. "Everyone wants sweet potatoes."

This year, Anselmo Farms is also growing 45 kinds of garlic.

"Some of them are getting to be huge," Oliver said of the heads in the ground now, which should be ready to harvest starting in June. "Some of it's so hot, it's like your head will explode when you eat them."

The Anselmo Farms produce stand is always fully stocked, complete with tropical fruits such as oranges and bananas from a local wholesale grocer, along with any other items the farm can't provide fresh.

"In peak season, everything's ours, except the fruit," Oliver said.

Customers can take advantage of the local bounty right now by signing up for the farm's community supported agriculture program.

Participants pay $300 up front and can immediately start buying $400 in produce either at the farm stand or at the Ballard market.

"They can buy whatever they want, and can take as long as they want to spend it," Oliver said. "We have had great success with this plan, and our customers really seem to enjoy it."

It helps defray some of the farm's spring expenses, such as seed, fertilizer and equipment.

While Anselmo Farms may be a bit of a drive for many customers, it's worth it to support local farms, especially organic ones, said Susan Dakis of Granite Falls.

"I've been coming here forever," Dakis said, after making a beeline to the refrigerated bags of organic lettuce on a recent spring day. "I try to eat organic fruits and vegetables."

Though the 10-year-old farm has been officially certified organic for years, Oliver is going through the Washington State Department of Agriculture certification process again now that the farm is in her name.

Farming is an exhausting enterprise, but Oliver enjoys being outside and working with plants. The property, not far from the Pilchuck River, covers 28 acres with 10 acres planted.

"It's an honest day's work," she said. "Of course, I'll be crippled by the time I'm 45 from bending over all day."

This year Anselmo Farms will expand its organic reach by selling wholesale to Tiny's Organic, a produce home-delivery service that serves urban areas from Tacoma to Everett.

"They want odd things like purple carrots, purple cauliflower and purple potatoes," Oliver said of Tiny's, based in Wenatchee. "They want their boxes to stand out from the other home-delivery services."

It truly pays to farm year-round, Oliver said, because it allows her to work the farmers market every week and it keeps farm-stand fans in touch, too.

"We have very loyal customers," she said. "They come all year."

Reporter Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037 or sjackson@heraldnet.com.

Recipes

Scalloped kale and potatoes

Kale, a frilly, leafy green from the cabbage family, is said to be even more nutritious than spinach or broccoli. Thanks to its cold resistance, it grows year-round outdoors in Western Washington. It tastes best lightly cooked, sauteed, baked into egg dishes or used as an accent with other stir-fried vegetables.

If you want to stretch your kale repertoire, however, try this recipe from "Quick Vegetarian Pleasures" by Jeanne Lemlin. Marie Oliver of Anselmo Farms in Machias shared this recipe with The Herald after it was recommended by one of her regular customers.

1 pound fresh kale or one 10-ounce package frozen kale, thawed

1/2 cup water

5 medium-large potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, grated

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

11/4 cup milk

If using fresh kale, thoroughly rinse it and shake off the excess water. Pull the leaves from the stems and discard the stems. Stuff the kale into a medium pot and add about 1/2 cup water. Cook until the kale just wilts, about 7 minutes. Drain and cool the kale. Squeeze out the remaining water with your hands. Roughly chop the kale and set aside. (If using frozen kale, simply squeeze it dry with your hands and set aside.)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Generously butter a 10-by-10-by-2-inch baking dish or other large shallow baking dish. Spread half the potato slices on the bottom of the dish. Spread all of the kale, then sprinkle on the garlic and half of the cheese, butter, salt and pepper. Top with the remaining potato slices, cheese, butter, salt and pepper.

Carefully pour in the milk and gently shake the dish to distribute. Bake 50 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the top is nicely browned.

Serves 2 to 3 as a main course.

Arugula salad with pomegranate dressing

Willie Green's Organic Farm in Monroe specializes in fresh greens, including salad mixes, braising greens and baby spinach, arugula and lettuce.

Last season, the family farm raised nearly 3,000 pounds of greens a week, sold primarily to the wholesaler Charlie's Produce, serving local stores, restaurants and farmers markets.

Here is a recipe from Willie Green's that relies on arugula and pomegranate juice - two of the trendiest health foods around.

1/2 pound arugula, chopped

1 gala apple, cored and sliced

1 seedless tangerine, peeled and divided into sections, the white pith removed

Seeds from 1/2 pomegranate

Pomegranate dressing (recipe follows)

Divide the arugula on four salad plates. Arrange the apple and tangerine on the plates. Dress with pomegranate dressing, garnish with seeds and serve at once.Pomegranate dressing

3 tablespoons pomegranate juice

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon tangerine zest

1/2 teaspoon pomegranate molasses or honey

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk the dressing ingredients together and drizzle over salads.Jeff's famous orange vinaigrette

Here's another recipe from Willie Green's Organic Farm in Monroe, a small family farm owned and operated by Jeff Miller, a classically trained chef turned farmer.

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lime

Zest of 1 orange

2 heaping tablespoons orange juice concentrate

1 tablespoons sugar

1 small shallot minced

2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, minced

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2-3 teaspoons water, if needed

Place the vinegars into a small bowl. Add the egg yolk to the vinegar and stir until well blended. Drizzle the olive oils into the vinegar mixture, while whisking, to emulsify the dressing. Add the zest, orange juice concentrate, sugar, shallot, tarragon and cranberries.

Season with salt and pepper. Add water, if needed, to bring to desired consistency.

Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours to allow the flavors to blend.Mache with lemon-champagne dressing

Mache is an up-and-coming green, also known as lamb's lettuce, field salad and corn salad. Its fingerlike, velvety leaves have a mild taste.

Commonly sold in bunches with the roots attached, mache is highly perishable and delicate, so it usually costs more than other lettuces.

Here's another recipe from Willie Green's Organic Farm in Monroe, a simple but elegant showcase for mache.

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt, to taste

1/2 pound mache, trimmed

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, champagne vinegar and lemon juice. When thoroughly combined, gradually add the olive oil, whisking to emulsify completely. Salt to taste and toss with mache. Dressing will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.Smokey blue sensation

If you're a fan of blue cheese, here's a recipe for deliciousness from The Herald's own food and features editor, Melanie Munk.

It's the perfect showcase for Rogue Creamery's Smokey Blue cheese, smoked over Northwest-grown hazelnut shells in Central Point, Ore., and sold locally at Central Market in Mill Creek, The Cheesemonger in Edmonds and other stores.

8 cups sturdy mixed greens, chopped or torn

1/4 cup dried cranberries or craisins

1/2 cup candied pecans, roughly chopped

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

Red wine or balsamic vinaigrette

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and toss with vinaigrette to taste.

Makes 6 servings.

Find local food, farms

It's getting to be farmers market season and that means you won't have to go far for local produce. If you plan it right, you could visit a different local farmers market Wednesday through Sunday. Here's a look at the opening dates for seasonal markets in Snohomish County:

Snohomish Farmers Market, 3 to 8 p.m., Thursdays, opens May 3.

Bothell Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays, opens May 4.

Edmonds Museum Summer Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, opens May 5.

Everett Farmers Market, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays, opens May 6.

Lynnwood-Hall's Lake Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, opens May 20.

Mukilteo Farmers Market, 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, opens June 6.

South County Community Farmers Market, 4 to 8 p.m., Wednesdays, opens June 6.

Learn more

Puget Sound Fresh is a handy online guide to farmers markets, farms, produce stands, U-pick operations and community supported agriculture programs. See www.pugetsoundfresh.org or call the Cascade Harvest Coalition at 206-632-0606.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA