• We’re proud to announce that Mano Farm has achieved USDA organic certification status through our certifying agency, Oregon Tilth. This is a major achievement for us. Most importantly, it will allow us to sell our farm-grown seed varieties as certified organically grown to the general public through our fledgling seed company, All Good Things Organic Seeds.
•  There are two types of melons on the table — take either one or the other. The netted one is called “Rocky Ford” and is green-fleshed, and the white one is called Honey Pearl and is white fleshed.
• The large, white bulb is a sugar beet. We grew a lot of these last year and these are the off types from a breeding project that we’re working on. By next year we hope to offer a certified organically grown sugar beet that’s adapted to this climate. You can use this beet like you would any other. We’ve enclosed a recipe for chocolate sugar beet bread.
• There are four spicy pepper varieties on the table this week: The Poblano (1,000 - 2,000 SR), Jalapeño (2,500 - 8,000 SR), Aji amarillo (30,000 - 50,000 SR) and Cayenne (30,000 - 50,000 SR). The “SR” unit is shorthand for the Scoville scale, developed by American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville to indicate the amount of capsaicin (the active component of chili peppers) present in each variety. This ranking would make the Aji and the Cayenne the spiciest and the Poblano the mildest. However, various climatic factors influence the capsaicin content of different pepper varieties, and we’d definitely rank those Jalapenos closer to the Aji’s and Cayennes. Enjoy your cooking and be careful!

Vegan Mexican Chocolate Sugar Beet Bread

1.     Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.     Dry ingredients:

·      3 ¼ cups pastry flour

·      2 tsp cinnamon

·      1 ¼  tsp baking soda

·      1 tsp baking powder

·      1 tsp salt

·      ½ tsp nutmeg

·      ½ tsp ginger powder

3.     Wet ingredients:

·      Mix separately: 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed in 9 tablespoons of water. Set aside.

·      2 cups grated sugar beet (if you’re short, then you can substitute with either a summer or winter squash)

·      1 cup oil (sunflower or safflower preferred; soy or canola also works fine; use less oil and more apple sauce if desired)

·      ¾ cup cane sugar (turbinado, sucanant also work great)

·      ¾ cup apple sauce

·      2/3 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed preferred)

·      ¼ cup coconut milk

·      2 tsp vanilla

·      grated lemon peel (or lemon extract): add to preferred taste

Mix the wet ingredients together, and then mix the dry ingredients into wet. Pour flax into the dry/wet mixture and mix. Pour into a greased baking pan (I like to use coconut oil) with dimensions of approximately 9.5 by 13.5 by 2 inches deep. Glass baking pans with gas ovens cook things the most evenly; electric ovens and metal baking pans are less ideal. However, work with what you’ve got. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on oven. Stick a knife in the bread; if it comes out clean, it’s done. Cool considerably, as I’ve noticed vegan pastries that use flax need the co