Hello, February! The Latest News from Farm & Larder and Bella Luna Farms

Greetings from the farm—and welcome to February! This is always a month of contradictions here in the Northwest, as we see both days of wintery rain, sleet or snow and then a few early glimpses of spring and blue skies, too.

As they start to emerge from their winter slumber, the fragrant yellow flowers of the witch hazel tree and delicate snowdrops make us smile each time we pass by. In the garden, we are taking advantage of the longer afternoons, getting compost prepped for spring planting, pruning apples and plum trees, gathering herbs from the greenhouse, checking seed starting supplies and finishing up the last seed, root and tuber orders. Spring is in the offing and we can hardly wait!

After the successful move of our headquarters to a larger workspace just down the road, our Farm & Larder deliveries resume again this week, and we couldn’t be more excited to share the season’s best from the farm with you!

In addition to packing and moving, we spent much of January meeting with chefs, bakers, local artisans and more to plan a full roster of workshops and classes for our Classes on the Farm series. This upcoming spring and summer will be packed with many farm- and food-based experiences, covering everything from cooking and cocktails to gardening and wood-fire cooking, and more! Keep your eyes peeled on our Classes on the Farm page as the full calendar will be posted soon. We sincerely hope you’ll enjoy us for one, or maybe even a few, classes, as we think everyone will find something that they will enjoy.

We’ll leave you with one of our favorite soup recipes, fit for those chilly February weekends that call for a relaxing day indoors, staying warm and cozy—happy cooking and happy hibernating!

Caldo Verde Kale & Potato Soup
This rich, traditional Portuguese soup—called caldo verde (green broth)—is given a modern spin by a medley of potatoes and fresh kale.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion or large leek, finely diced
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large russet potato, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 bunch curly or Lacinato kale, tough stems removed, leaves finely chopped
12 ounces cooked linguiça or other garlicky pork sausage, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper|
Minced fresh chives, for garnish (optional)

Method:
1. Heat butter in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion (or leek) and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, adding olive oil as necessary to keep the mixture loose and moist.

2. Add potatoes and stock and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add kale and continue to cook until the russet potato slices have completely broken down (you can press them with a spoon or potato masher for an even thicker texture), the Yukon Golds are tender, the greens have softened, and the soup has thickened to a creamy consistency, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in sausage. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve garnished with chives, if desired.