By Alex Ball, Sophomore, Urban Farming and Food Systems Intern
Hi everyone! My name is Alex and I’m the UW Farm Campus Food Systems intern for summer and fall quarters here at the UW Farm. I’m also going into my second year at UW, planning to declare the Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health major in the School for Public Health, during Fall quarter.
This is my first time writing for the UW Farm newsletter. I would like to talk about an unanticipated memorable experience – harvesting fruit from our asian plum trees. The 'Beauty' and 'Early Golden' trees were planted in 2012 by a student as part of a capstone project in the Program on the Environment.
We began harvesting both of our varieties, about 3 weeks ago. As the name indicates, 'Early Golden' came first, turning a deep egg yellow when ripe, and was followed by 'Beauty,' which turned a reddish-purple with a slight hint of yellow.
I first harvested from the trees on a sunny Tuesday morning with the rest of the UW Farm team, and something about plucking delicious fruit straight from a tree and putting it into our baskets brought an undeniable joy. We talked, enjoyed each other’s company, and had fun climbing the tree to reach the ones that were higher up.
The shade was also a welcome break from the heat. I can truly say that it was one of the most satisfying experiences I have had on the UW Farm as an intern thus far. I look forward to continuing our plum harvest deeper into the season, and awaiting the apples to come farther in autumn!
Beyond giving delicious produce and a fun harvest, fruit trees are extremely beneficial to a farm. These fruit trees are perennial crops, so they do not require yearly planting and need minimal upkeep once established, thus providing a reliable, large supply of high-demand produce.
Fruit trees also provide habitat for birds and insects that play a part in an integrated pest management system on the farm. In open fields, trees can also serve as windbreaks and reduce erosion. Fruit trees in general offer an assortment of benefits: shade, nutrition, and fun. If you have spare time on our hands come volunteer and join a harvest!
I hope that everyone’s enjoying the beautiful summer, and enjoying some fresh local fruit!
This Week's CSA Veggie Key:
Recipe of the Week:
Patty Pan Frittata
By Max Fischer, Junior, Nutrition Education Intern, Food Systems Nutrition and Health Major, School of Public Health
2 Medium Sliced Scallions (make sure to separate white and green parts)
1 Patty Pan Squash (in this week's CSA!)
Salt, Pepper, and other seasonings
4 Large Eggs (or any other vegan substitute)
1/4 Cup Crumbled Goat Cheese (or any other crumbled cheese/cheese replacement)
1 Small Diced Tomato (in this week's CSA!)
Optional: 1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan (or a vegan replacement) & 1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce of Choice, Thyme
Steps:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. While the oven is preheating, press 5-inch squares of parchment paper into 8 cups of a muffin tin.
*This step varies depending on the size of the muffin tins. I had to make 10 cups as my tin was smaller.
In a skillet over medium heat, stir in the patty pan, scallion whites, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook until vegetables are softened (roughly 5 minutes). Afterward, place it in a bowl to the side.
Beat the eggs in a medium bowl, slowly adding the goat cheese, diced tomato, optional parmesan, and hot sauce. Slowly add the patty pan mixture until it is thoroughly blended.
Ladle the mixture into the prepared muffin cups, leaving some space at the top for the frittata to grow.
Place the filled muffin tin into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
Finally, remove the tin from the oven and let it cool before topping each frittata with the scallion greens.
Summer squash is a large grouping of vegetables that includes zucchini, crookneck, yellow straight neck, and of course patty pan. It has a mild flavor profile so it is often used to compliment other flavors or seasonings. It is often prepared through grilling, boiling, steaming, frying, sauteing, and even served raw in some cases (University of Kentucky). They come in varying sizes, the largest one ever recorded measuring 8 feet 3.3 inches long! Usually, however, the smaller and medium-sized ones tend to have the most flavor (Washington State University).
For more extensive information on Patty Pan and other Summer Squash visit: USDA Summer Squash Guide
196g Summer Squash (roughly 1 medium squash)
Source: USDA
News and Noteworthy:
Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance Volunteer Request for Annual Fundraiser
The Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance is seeking volunteers for this year's Taste of the Valley Farm Dinner and Auction! Join them for the opportunity to participate in this truly special event. They will need help with a variety of jobs Saturday, July 29, including flower arrangement, dessert dash coordination, raffle ticket sales, and vendor assistance. They also are looking for help Friday and Sunday with set-up and tear-down. Food will be provided for volunteers during the event, and they invite all event crew to a campfire with s’mores Saturday night!
The UW Farm donates regularly to the UW Food Pantry. During peak season we also donate to nearby food banks. The links below are resources to help you or someone you know with food access.
Every year, we have the capacity to grow more food and increase our educational and research program at the UW, but not without your support. Every contribution goes to work immediately, helping us better serve students. Your support can sustain our momentum and help seed new opportunities for student internships, academic work, and future growth. Please consider making a gift to the Farm online
The Weekly Dirt is produced once a week by the University of Washington Farm, a program of the UW Botanic Gardens, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment. It is published nearly year-round for educational purposes and the majority of the content is written or contributed by students and farm staff.
This issue's contributors:
Managing Editor: Althea Ericksen, UW Farm Intern, Communications Coordinator
Around the Farm: Alex Ball, Sophomore, Urban Farming and Food Systems Intern Contributing Editors: Perry Acworth, Farm Manager; Chrina Munn, AmeriCorps Volunteer 2022-23 Photo Credits: Perry Acworth. Other photos retrieved from the internet and noted in sections
This is my first time writing for the UW Farm newsletter. I would like to talk about an unanticipated memorable experience – harvesting fruit from our asian plum trees. The '
rn thus far. I look forward to continuing our plum harvest deeper into the season, and awaiting the apples to come farther in autumn!
