Going "vegetable-centric"

Sonoma has been sweltering through a heat wave as we head into July. 

It seems the same is true in many other places. 

Really hot days do not usually inspire us to be active, 

instead being the perfect recipe for lazy afternoon naps. 

But of course, we know we have to be out at the farm early to tend to the plants, 

ensure they are irrigated and surviving the heat. 

So far, everything is holding up, perhaps better than we are! 

We will keep an eye on things as this weather continues.

we expect to be overflowing
with squash

tomatoes are going crazy

All the plants at the farm have just exploded in this heat!

The chefs at the girl & the fig are making full use of the bounty 

of fresh local produce, from our farm as well as our local farmers. 

One of our favorite local suppliers is Paul's Produce. 

Their peppers are featured in this week's plats du jour, 

and frequently when you order our signature fig salad, you are eating Paul's arugula!

By the way, in addition to their farm blog on Paul's site, 

check out Art on a Farm written by Candi, Paul's wife & partner.

 on left is entree first course of
 blistered garden padron peppers and summer radishes 

fig salad photo by Steven Krause for
Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country

At this time of year, and throughout the summer,
as we experience the "vegetable explosion,"

 it seems as if everyone is inspired to eat more vegetables, get creative with recipes. 

Sometimes, you just want to eat your meal from the basket of 

what you've picked either from the farm or purchased at the Farmers Market. 

It seems like more and more people are making vegetables 

the focus of their meals-if not fully vegetarian, perhaps the star of the dish. 

Food & Wine Magazine has a great article about 

"vegetable-centric eating, with recipes from culinary stars."

At the girl & the fig, our produce is never an after thought or simply a side show. 

One of our most popular dishes and an especially creative
vegetarian delight is our panisse cake, 

now served with eggplant purée, grilled chard, toybox squash, and basil pistou.

Eggplants growing at our farm

We figure if you are reading this blog, then you 

love food, and finding out more about it. 

Not only do we enjoy sharing our journey from our farm to your table, 

but we like sharing ideas, recipes and tips with you—as well as 

other blogs we've discovered that we think you might appreciate. 

So, in the interest of food and new discoveries, 

check out American Food Roots, which "explores 

American culture, history and identity through the foods we eat."

Each week we share with you what we are growing at our farm

in our part of Sonoma Wine Country, a place 

that has an unabashed love affair with food & wine

What are you growing to eat where you live?

Small but mighty

planting micro greens

We are growing micro greens in the greenhouse behind "the fig."

Besides how good they taste, "the advantages of these tiny leaves 

less than 14 days old are many, their proponents say. 

They make vibrantly hued garnishes to salads, sandwiches and soups. 

And whether they're spinach, pea, beet or purple mustard, 

micro greens are rumored to pack even more nutrients that their adult versions." 

In this recent story on NPR, a researcher with the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

revealed startling results of the first scientific analysis of the nutritents in microgreens.

our arugula micro greens

"The researchers looked at four groups of vitamins 

and other phytochemicals – including vitamin C, vitamin E, and 

beta carotene — in 25 varieties of microgreens. 

They found that leaves from almost all of the microgreens had 

four to six times more nutrients than the mature leaves of the same plant."

Bull's Blood Beet micro greens

Beets are one of our most beautiful and especially healthy vegetables, 

supporting cardiovascular health and possibly lowering cholesterol. 

So the recent nutritional study means the popular Bull's Blood Beet

scarlet micro greens that adorn a salad are not just looking pretty! 

When these mature, their deep red (albeit) tiny leaves are sweeter than radicchio.

micro greens are different than sprouts 

And then there's the taste. 

They can have surprisingly intense flavors 

considering their small size, though not as strong as mature greens and herbs. 

Micro greens range in size from one to one and a half inches long, 

including the stem and leaves. A micro green has a single central stem 

which has been cut just above the soil line during harvesting. 

It has two fully developed cotyledon leaves and usually one pair very small, 

partially developed true leaves. The typical stem and leaf configuration

 for micro greens is about 1” to 1½” in height, and ½” to 1“ in width across the top. 

Small but mighty indeed!

Here's a list of varieties and descriptions of micro greens  

And the video below shows you step by step how to plant these babies. 

Micro greens don't last long, so our chefs check the greenhouse 

and harvest them as soon as they can.

So, they might be incorporated into a salad or garnish 

any of our dishes, whatever inspires the wizards in the kitchen. 

You'll just have to see what's on the menu each day or better yet, 

stop into our restaurants at the girl & the fig or the fig café and winebar. 

Have you tried growing micro greens? 

Let us know how you use them or any tips for growing.