4/1/26 Know Your Farmer: Elle
We’re going to continue our show-and-tell of the humans farming your food & flowers and tending this land. This week we take a look at someone who was. Elle’s last day farming on the land was yesterday. We are torn between being sad and happy.
Elle loves farming and yet a big part of her heart is in food justice. She came to us from Farm to Pantry and she’s leaving for the Berkeley Food Network, a non-profit network of food pantries in the East Bay. She had recognized that she had spent all of her twenties thus far in Sonoma County, and she wanted the experience of living elsewhere.
Elle is super positive and it’s a joy to work across from her. She tends plants with love, watches out for the animals of the farm deeply and cares immensely for all the humans.
Elle has been working on the farm part time for two and a half years. She loves working in veg and she spends a day a week doing flowers which bring her much joy. This winter Elle has been fully in charge of the nursery and it has thrived under her diligent care. Prior winters we’ve had issues with fungus and pests but she kept the water just perfect, the air flow and plants moving in and out. She had an eye on fixes and was thrilled for more opportunity to stretch her building skills.
Going back, Elle grew up in Sacramento, and spent time cooking and gardening with her mom as a child. She attended CalPoly SLO, majoring in Environmental Science. Her love for regenerative farming was sparked by a study abroad trip to Ecuador, where she lived and learned on a regenerative bamboo farm. After this, she spent the rest of her time in college gardening at the Student Experimental Farm, where she and her friends got to explore sustainable farming methods - from planting a food forest to raising chickens and ducks.
Elle then moved to Santa Rosa to work with Farm to Pantry - a great non-profit that aims to reduce food waste in Sonoma County by harvesting excess produce from farms and orchards tterand redistributing to food insecure community members. Unfortunately, after tearing her ACL in a recreational soccer league (and ending her lucrative soccer career), Elle had to take a break from farming/physically demanding jobs.
Singing Frogs holds a special place in Elle’s heart, because it was where she was able to reconnect with the land and begin farming again, about 10 months after ACL surgery.
Outside of farming, Elle enjoys hiking and camping with her partner, Brian, and her dog, Lupine (Lou). She loves cooking with farm veggies, and is always on the hunt for the best gluten-free food! Elle is also passionate about the intersection of politics, farming, and food justice, and envisions a world where everyone has access to sustainably farmed food that is nourishing to people and planet.
Goodbye Elle! We’ll keep in touch but miss your smile and encouragement in the fields.
1st Wednesday Farm Walks
We will start up our farm walks again May 1st.
This Week on the Farm!
This week on the farm we have finished planting out our strawberry patch for the year! We also planted 2 beds of outdoor tomatoes! Planting these summer crops and this early heat wave have our crew super excited for some summer salads and getting nice long days with lots of sun!
This Week’s Box
Red Butter Lettuce
Spinach
Radicchio
Fava Greens
Salad Turnips
Easter Egg Radishes
Jelly Potatoes
Family: Fennel &
Baby Bok Choy
Produce Notes & Recipes
Is it spring or what? It’s a box of light spring greens and roots!!
It makes me think of the allegorical plant created in the mind by Barbara Kingsolver to describe seasonal eating. The Vegetuannal describing in general how vegetables come into season… “First come the leaves: spinach, kale, lettuce, and chard” (for us that’s late winter and early spring). "Then more mature heads of leaves and flower heads: cabbage, romaine, broccoli, and cauliflower” (April - May). "Then tender young fruit-set: snow peas, baby squash, cucumbers” (May-June), “followed by green beans, green peppers, and small tomatoes (July). Then more mature, colorfully ripened fruits: beefsteak tomatoes, eggplants, red and yellow peppers (late July – August).”
And so… an abundance of greens are in your box as well as spring roots (Easter Egg Radishes and Salad Turnips). We apologize for having both of these roots in one box but the heat wave brought them both to fruition NOW. So enjoy them, I would put them together, one with more spice and one more mild. Easily, I would choose to thinly slice them on the Red Butter Lettuce with a light miso or lemon dressing.
Or have them with some bitter greens which include their amazing tops (a mustard green) and maybe even mix in the Raddichio! Here’s an idea.
Roasted Radish & Turnip Salad (Edible Magazine)
This delicious warm spring salad uses all the parts of the turnips and radishes we see first to market. A sweet maple-mustard vinaigrette helps to balance the bitterness of the greens. Add a poached egg to make a delicious breakfast salad or an easy dinner.
For the Roasted Radishes and Turnips:
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and cut into quarters, greens removed and reserved
1 bunch salad turnips, trimmed and cut into quarters, greens removed and reserved
2 Tbs olive oil
Pinch of kosher salt
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
For the Vinaigrette:
1 Tbs maple syrup
1 Tbs finely chopped shallot
1 Tbs whole grain mustard
½ tsp dried thyme, or 2 Tbs fresh thyme
Pinch of kosher salt
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup sunflower oil or salad oil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a 13x9-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the quartered radishes and turnips on the baking sheet, toss with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast them in the preheated oven until tender and starting to brown, about 20 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, wash, dry and cut the greens into bite-size pieces. Taste the radish greens and decide how many you want to use. Some radish greens are mild, while others are spicy.
Whisk together the maple syrup, shallot, mustard, thyme, salt, pepper and cider vinegar in the bottom of a bowl. Add the oil slowly while whisking to emulsify the vinaigrette. Then add the greens to the salad bowl.
When the radishes and turnips are finished cooking, toss them together with the greens and vinaigrette. Let the heat from the radishes and turnips wilt the greens. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Other ideas for using the Radicchio, it’s a variety we’ve grown for many years with it’s upright, slightly open heads.
Shaved & bright (raw): Slice thin, toss w olive oil, lemon, salt; add fennel, citrus, or apple to balance bitterness.
Grilled wedges: Quarter, brush w oil, grill until lightly charred; finish w balsamic and flaky salt.
Warm wilt (pan): Sauté w garlic and olive oil 2–3 min; splash vinegar and honey at end.
Roasted: Roast halves at 425°F w oil and salt; finish with honey and vinegar or parmesan.
Pasta: – Sauté with garlic and anchovy/butter, toss w pasta and parm; it’s bitterness mellows into richness.
Beans or grains: Fold into warm farro, lentils, or white beans w olive oil and herbs.
Fava Greens are in this week’s box. Last CSA you had Bell Bean Shoots, well these are just a little more developed. Fava greens (the tender top growth of the plant) are very lightly flavored but with a subtle fava essence, delicious raw or quickly wilted like spinach.
Quick sauté: Olive oil and garlic, 2–3 min; finish with lemon and salt.
Raw salad: Chop fine; toss w citrus, olive oil and something crunchy (almonds, fennel).
Wilt into eggs: Fold into scrambled eggs or a frittata at the end.
Layer on toast: Pile on ricotta toast w lemon zest and chili flakes.
Add to soup/beans: Stir in at the end like spinach for brightness.
Fava Greens Pesto
Fava greens (4 cups packed, tender tops)
Olive oil (1/2 cup)
Garlic (1 small clove)
Lemon juice (1–2 Tbs) plus a little zest
Parmesan (1/3 cup grated)
Nuts or seeds (1/4 cup – almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds)
Salt + pepper
Optional but nice: blanch fava greens 20–30 sec, then cool (keeps it bright + softens fibers). Or use raw for more character.
Blend greens, nuts, garlic, lemon, and parmesan.
Stream in olive oil until smooth but still textured.
Season with salt, pepper, and extra lemon to taste.
Extra Shares
Flower Share: Focus on post-tulip early spring flowers
Lettuce Share: Panisse & Little Gems 🥬
Bunched Greens Share: Rainbow Kale