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Our 13-acre farm in Indianola includes two cultivated acres, orchard, pastured poultry, open fields and habitat for birds and other wildlife. Biodiversity is key to our success. We provide our customers with a wide array of vegetables while maintaining a balanced ecosystem in our gardens.

Farmers Rebecca Slattery and Louisa Brown use careful crop rotations, homemade compost, beneficial insectaries and patient observation to avoid pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Though not certified organic, our practices are stricter than the national organic standards. Deep ecology and sustainability are our aims—“moreganic.”

Don’t miss, “The Season”, a blog of life through the growing season on Persephone Farm written by Bill Richards. “Our season runs from March 1, when our four apprentices arrive from around the U.S., to the final slaughter of our turkeys and lambs in Nov. Over that time, you will get to know Persephone farm through words, photos, videos and sound bites, and we will discuss issues of food economics and politics through the lens of our farm. Join us in this annual adventure.”

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Fava Bean Bonus

As Persephone split share subscribers, we got a bag of fat fava beans for the second week in a row. These are mysterious, possibly magical beans. Until last year I only knew of fava beans as the side dish favored by Hannibal ‘The Cannibal’ Lecter in the oscar winning “The Silence of the Lambs“. Creepy! Don’t let that turn you off to fava beans, turns out they are delicious and it’s a treat to get them fresh from the farm down the street. A bit of googling and chatting with apprentices, Caitlin and Greg inspired my fava bean lunch…

Fava beans with Walla Walla onions

Fava Beans with Walla Walla Onions

Fava Beans with
Walla Walla Onions

Shell the beans, drop into boiling water and boil for 2 minutes. Drain the water and, so you can handle them, rinse a bit with cool water. Then remove the outer skin of each bean. Just pinch the fat end of the bean and cut the small end with a paring knife. Pinch a bit more and the bright green inner bean slides out. Easy enough. Although you can eat the outer skin, the inside is the good stuff. Heat up a bit of good olive oil, add some sliced Walla Walla onions (also in this week’s box) and gently saute until they soften a bit. Add the fava beans and heat them up. Then you’re done. I added some of Judith’s fresh chèvre, and salt and pepper (oh and some Parmesean cheese too). It was lovely.

Here’s some more info on fava beans. Did you know they were the only beans Europeans ate before they discovered America and all its legumes? So says this NPR article by Bonny Wolf.

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Right away subscribers found rabe in their boxes.

“Perhaps more than any other vegetable, broccoli rabe is known by various names, including rapini, broccoli raab (pronounced rob), raab, rape, rapa, broccoli di rape and rappi. In the U.S., it is most commonly called broccoli rabe or rapini. It is not, however, the same thing as broccolini or baby broccoli, which are much sweeter.”

So says, San Diego food writer Susan Russo in an article on npr.org (June 7, 2010).

She writes about growing up eating broccoli rabe every Sunday. It was a staple in the Italian-centric area of Rhode Island where her family resided. She says “You don’t have to be Italian to eat broccoli rabe” and shares favorite recipes that sound pretty darn good. Pictures included.

Broccoli Rabe, Fennel And Hot Sausage Pizza
Lemony Broccoli Rabe And Cannellini Bean Crostini
Broccoli Rabe And Mushroom Frittata With Grape Tomato Salsa

Read the article and recipes here.
Susan is a farmers market fan, her web site is Food Blogga.

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A bounty of beautiful leeks were in subscriber’s boxes last Wednesday. Before becoming a subscriber last year I don’t recall ever having fresh leeks in our fridge. This year, I’ve vowed to be more ambitious with the veg, not just stir fries. With the wet, chilly weather we’ve been having it seemed appropriate to try making soup. I know, potato leek soup, that sounds like winter comfort food. Well, it’s spring in western washington, soup is on! So in the Central Market parking lot, a quick iPhone google turned up this winner:

Potato and Leek Soup by Emeril Lagasse
82 reviews, 5 stars, it must be good. And it was. I followed the recipe, but many reviewers made substitutions and still loved the results. We still have leeks left to stir fry, I think a quiche is too advanced for this cook. I must admit this is the first (but not the last) time I’ve made soup that didn’t involve opening a can.

~Leslie (CSA Subscriber)

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Seven Lovely Lambs Arrive

Suffolk lambMonday the lambs arrived! This year, from Ann Morse, who bred our little herd of seven Suffolks on her Bainbridge Island farm. They are beautiful animals. Read about their arrival on Bill’s blog, The Season.

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