BGF News 10/8/2013

Volume XXI, Number 19

In this week’s box:

Carrots: Bolero, St. Valery, Amarillo & Rainbow

Cherry Tomato mix

Head Lettuce: Bronze Arrowhead (red) and Concept (green)

Kale Mix: Red Russian, Beedy's Camden, Toscano & Vates

Potatoes: Desiree

Scallions

Sweet Peppers

Tomatoes: asst varieties, see descriptions in the 7/30 newsletter

and perhaps one of the following:         

            Broccoli florets

            Broccoli raab

            Mini Bell Peppers (small, sweet, red, yellow & green) bagged to differentiate from hot peppers        

            Okra: Burgundy           

            Tapestry Salad Mix

For those with the Cheese option: we are experiencing a one week delay, expect a special cheese delivery next

            week (sorry for the inconvenience!)

For those with the Egg option [full & half]: one dozen free-range eggs (assorted colors)

For those with the Herb option: sweet basil, lemon thyme, par-cel

For those with the Honey option: final delivery next week, liquid honey only 

Featured Recipe(s) (see below): Warming Winter Kale & Potatoes

Tuscan Bean & Kale Soup

Heirloom Tomato Pasta with Scallions & Mozzarella

Precipitation in the past week: 0.39”  

   
What’s up on the farm?

This past week was a whirlwind of harvesting and preparation for Farm Crawl. We had a passel of family in for the weekend from Chicago, Denver and Australia and they were a helpful lot. Nearly the whole farm was mowed, trimmed, buffed, polished, tidied and tucked…there's nothing like inviting more than a thousand of your closest friends, neighbors and folks you've never seen before to come to your farm on a cold, rainy fall day. And what a day it was! Despite the weather, we had more than 1,280 people at BGF on Sunday. The other seven farms reported similar attendance and were similarly amazed at the enthusiasm of the crowds. If you were among the hearty "Crawlers", thanks for coming out to enjoy the rural countryside, if you weren't able to join us, you can put it on your calendar for next year, first Sunday in October!

Now back to your regularly scheduled program (farm)! Now that the big excitement is done, we are back to the seasonal tasks at hand. We will start clearing the warm weather crops from the high tunnels later this week and then the last rounds of sowing and transplanting will begin. We won't start the big clearing jobs in the field until we get a hard freeze, and we aren't seeing much sign of that in the immediate future.

The end is near! Next week is the final delivery of the Summer 2013 CSA season. It hardly seems possible that we started on this veggie adventure 20 weeks ago, but there it is. Please make a special effort to remember your empty box next week so you aren't stuck with it for the winter. We will pack your produce in bags so there wont be an empty box for you to worry about. If you are interested in joining us for the Winter season, you can read more details below.

The Winter CSA is scheduled to start on Tuesday, November 5^th. For those of you new to the group, we offer a separate season extension for the months of November & December.  The schedule is a little different as we do bi-weekly deliveries, with a larger produce volume at each delivery.  This works well because the cool weather produce has extended storage ability.  There will be a total of four deliveries spaced every other Tuesday on the following dates: 11/5, 11/19, 12/3, 12/17. Delivery locations will be the same as they are now. The base membership for produce is $240.  Add-on options include: eggs @ $16 (four deliveries) and preserves @ $12 (two deliveries).  We have to limit the number of members we can accommodate for the Winter membership due to significant challenges provided by the weather.  We will open the sign-up period to our veteran Winter CSA members first and then any open slots will be made available to current CSA members on a first come-first served basis.  If you have participated in the Winter CSA in the past, you have until Tuesday, October 15th to send us an email indicating your interest and option choices.

A little detail on your produce this week:

Carrots: remove greens and store roots in a plastic bag in the produce drawer of your refrigerator. No need to peel (most of the nutrients are just beneath the skin) just a quick scrub and they are ready to enjoy.

Head Lettuce: We like to wrap heads in a clean dish towel and then place in a plastic bag in the produce drawer. They can last several weeks that way.

Is a weekly newsletter not enough for you and you want to read more about our daily adventures or see pictures of the farm?  Follow us at our blog at http://beyondthebluegate.blogspot.com/ and on Facebook (just search Blue Gate Farm) and “Like” us.

That’s about it this week, if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know. 

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and Blue & Luci)

Warming Winter Kale & Potatoes

Serves: 4

1lb potatoes
8oz kale
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onions, chopped
salt to taste      

1. Boil the potatoes until tender, cool in cold water and cut into thick slices.
2. Wash the kale, drain and remove the stems and midribs. Stack the leaves up and shred quite finely.
3. Saute the onion in the hot oil in a large skillet until it just begins to brown. Add the kale and toss it until it just begins to wilt.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir fry for 5 more minutes.
5. Add the potatoes and cook until they are heated through. Season to taste and serve.

Recipe Source: Riverford Organic Vegetables Website  <www.riverford.co.uk>

Tuscan Bean & Kale Soup

1 c. diced carrots, celery, and onions
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3 cans garbanzo beans (15.5 oz.), rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes (30 oz.) (or chopped, fresh tomatoes)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh)
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. ground coriander
salt and pepper, to taste
3 c. herbed tomato sauce
3-1/2 c. water
2 c. fresh kale greens, chopped

Saute carrots, celery, and onions in small amount of water until soft.  Add garlic, saute an additional minute.  Add garbanzo beans; stir.  Add diced tomatoes with juice and herbs and spices.  Cook 2 minutes.  Add tomato sauce and water.  On high heat, bring to simmer.  Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.  Add kale.  Cook, stirring as needed, an additional 10 minutes.  Remove bay leaves before serving.  Sprinkle individual servings with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Recipe Source: The Rosemary House

Heirloom Tomato Pasta with Scallions & Mozzarella

3 garlic cloves, minced

extra-virgin olive oil

3 large heirloom tomatoes (the gnarlier the shape and crazier the color, the better)

kosher salt

bunch of scallions, thinly sliced lengthwise

bunch of basil, torn into large pieces

5 or 6 oz of fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), or one large piece cut into 1″ squares

1 lb pasta (I used fresh spinach spaghetti, but plain penne or linguine would work just as well)

 sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring pasta water to a boil in a large pot, add a healthy dose of kosher salt, then cook the pasta according to package directions. When it reaches al denté, drain. While  the pasta is cooking, start the sauce.

Chop the tomatoes into big, 1″ chunks. Over medium heat, swirl a tablespoon of olive oil to coat the bottom of a large sauté pan. Cook the minced garlic until it starts to turn golden, then add all the tomatoes and their juices. Let cook for 2 minutes, then add scallions. Let cook for a couple minutes just until the scallions start to get a bit soft. Sprinkle vegetables with kosher salt, then add basil (reserving a few sprigs) and cooked pasta.

Add fresh mozzarella, kosher salt and pepper, another drizzle of olive oil to get all the pasta strands lightly coated, and give it all a big toss. Serve in bowls garnished with a few sprigs of basil and freshly-grated parmesan.

Recipe Source: http://camillestyles.com/

BGF News 10/1/2013

Volume XXI, Number 18  –  October 1, 2013

In this week’s box:

Basil: Genovese or Large Leaf  (probably the final hurrah)

Braising Greens: Tatsoi & Mizuna

Cabbage: Gonzales (mini, green), Storage 4 (large, green) or Super Red

Eggplant: one last time!

Leeks: Carentan

Sweet Peppers: Ace (green/red), Golden Marconi (long, pointed, green/yellow), Islander (purple/orange) or      Sunray (green/yellow)

Sweet Potatoes: Beauregard

Tomatoes: asst, see descriptions in the 7/30 newsletter

and at least one of the following:                       

Broccoli florets

Broccoli Raab

            Mini Bell Peppers (in plastic bag)         

            Okra: Burgundy

            Tapestry Salad Mix

                       

For those with the Egg option [full]: one dozen free-range eggs (assorted colors)

For those with the Herb option: lemon basil, garlic chives, sorrel

Featured Recipe(s) (see below): Garlic Rosemary Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Roasted Cabbage with Lemon

Braised Mixed Greens

Pasta with Garlicky Broccoli Rabe

Precipitation in the past week: 0.08" (better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick)

What’s up on the farm?

Warm days, cool nights and some occasional rain, I guess fall is really here. With that, come some other season-specific markers. We are starting to see flights of geese moving across the skies. They're not all headed the same direction yet, but they are definitely on the wing, as are the pelicans, which are always fun to see flying high overhead. The trees are just starting to change around here. Mostly some light yellows showing, though there is the occasional shock of red where a Virginia Creeper vine has climbed a tree and is singing out in all its scarlet glory. Our chores have changed with the season as well. The chickens are going to bed at a very civilized 7:15 now, as the sun sets and aren't rising until nearly 7am. This allows us more flexibility in the evenings and to actually eat breakfast before doing morning chores. Many people are dismayed at the diminishing daylight hours, but we celebrate it!

We spent a number of hours last week harvesting sweet potatoes and what a harvest it was, the best yield we've had to date. The crew even found a moustache-shaped tater amongst the crates, you can see the evidence on the farm's FaceBook page. So today you get to say your first hello to the sweet potatoes. They have cured for about a week, so they should be all ready to enjoy. We plan to send them out to you again for the final delivery, so go ahead and enjoy these soon. You also get to try out your hellos on a new braising green mix. Mizuna & Tatsoi are both Asian greens that are mild and really shine as a lightly cooked greens mixture, but can be enjoyed raw as well.

And now for the goodbyes…this is likely the final appearance for the basil and eggplant. They are both very sensitive to cold and the coming temps will do them in. They've had a good run this year and we hope you have enjoyed them. The okra is also about to call is quits. Since mid-summer we have sent okra out to nearly the whole CSA membership, but not quite. We are still hoping to get some to everyone, but these tropical crops are living on borrowed time.

Speaking of time, most of ours right now is focused on harvesting and Farm Crawl! The weather is supposed to be perfect on Sunday, a crisp, clear fall day and we will be ready! We hope you will pack up your friends and family (but leave those "fur-kids" at home) and come Crawl with us!

Farm Crawl is this coming Sunday, October 6th from 11am-5pm.  Details can be found at www.farmcrawl.com

The end is near! We have recently gotten several questions about the end of the summer CSA season. We anticipate the final delivery will be Tuesday, Oct 15.

The Winter CSA is scheduled to start on Tuesday, November 5^th. For those of you new to the group, we offer a separate season extension for the months of November & December.  The schedule is a little different as we do bi-weekly deliveries, with a larger produce volume at each delivery.  This works well because the cool weather produce has extended storage ability.  There will be a total of four deliveries spaced every other Tuesday on the following dates: 11/5, 11/19, 12/3, 12/17. Delivery locations will be the same as they are now. The base membership for produce is $240.  Add-on options include: eggs @ $16 (four deliveries) and preserves @ $12 (two deliveries).  We have to limit the number of members we can accommodate for the Winter membership due to significant challenges provided by the weather.  We will open the sign-up period to our veteran Winter CSA members first and then any open slots will be made available to current CSA members on a first come-first served basis.  If you have participated in the Winter CSA in the past, you have until Tuesday, October 15th to send us an email indicating your interest and option choices

A little detail on your produce this week:

Sweet Potatoes: Keep unwashed sweet potatoes in a cool, dark place, such as a loosely closed paper bag in a cupboard or cool basement, and use them within two to three months. Do not store in the refrigerator; cold temperatures can darken sweet potatoes and adversely affect their taste. Scrub sweet potatoes gently before cooking. Peeling is a matter of preference. If you will be puréeing or mashing sweet potatoes, bake or boil them whole and then remove the skins. Our favorite way to eat them is the simplest, just bake until soft, split open and top with butter, cinnamon, honey and a pinch of salt. Delightful!

Broccoli Raab (rapini): Although it has broccoli's name, broccoli raab is not related to broccoli. Lots of broccoli-like buds appear here and there but a head never forms. The stems are generally uniform in size (hence cook evenly) and need not be peeled. Clean it as you would other greens, removing the bottom portion of the stems which appear tough (sometimes the stems are tougher than other times depending on the age of the rapini). They stems can be removed up to where the leaves begin, and sautéed before adding the leaves to the pan. This vegetable is a source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium. To maintain crispness, refrigerate, unwashed, loosely wrapped in a plastic bag or wrap for up a week. The leaves, stems, and flower heads are cooked (broil, stir-fry, braise, saute, or steam) and eaten just like regular broccoli and have a flavor similar to broccoli but much more pungent. It is quite tasty with a nutty flavor and has a slightly bitter taste.

Is a weekly newsletter not enough for you and you want to read more about our daily adventures or see pictures of the farm?  Follow us at our blog at http://beyondthebluegate.blogspot.com/ and on Facebook (just search Blue Gate Farm) and “Like” us.

That’s about it this week, if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know. 

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and Blue & Luci)

Garlic Rosemary Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Crispy baked sweet potato chips brushed with garlic-infused olive oil and sprinkled with fresh rosemary and sea salt.

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 medium sweet potato, very thinly sliced (using a mandoline slicer or food processor is best)

1 tsp. rosemary, minced

coarsely ground sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Position rack in the center of oven.

Whisk together olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Brush two baking sheets with half of oil mixture. Place potato slices on sheets in a single layer and brush tops with remaining oil. Sprinkle with rosemary and salt.

Place baking sheets on center oven rack. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until edges begin to curl and brown. (Note that the baking time depends on the thickness of the chips--even a slight difference in thickness can impact the time, so keep an eye on them!) Allow chips to cool completely on baking sheets.

Notes: Make the garlic oil mixture before you start slicing the potato for a more intense garlic flavor.

Recipe Source: http://ohmyveggies.com

Roasted Cabbage with Lemon
Makes 3-4 servings as a side dish

1 medium-sized head of green cabbage
2 T olive oil
2-3 T fresh squeezed lemon juice (I used 2 T for the cabbage in these photos, but next time I'd use even more lemon)
generous amount of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
lemon slices, for serving cabbage (optional)

Preheat oven to 450F. Spray a roasting pan with non-stick spray or olive oil.

Cut the head of cabbage into 8 same-size wedges, cutting through the core and stem end. Then carefully trim the core strip and stem from each wedge and arrange wedges in a single layer on the roasting pan (leave some space around them as much as you can.)

Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice (use the larger amount of lemon juice if you like a lot of lemon like I do.) Then use a pastry brush to brush the top sides of each cabbage wedge with the mixture and season generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Turn cabbage wedges carefully, then brush the second side with the olive oil/lemon juice mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Roast cabbage for about 15 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is nicely browned. Then turn each wedge carefully and roast 10-15 minutes more, until the cabbage is nicely browned and cooked through with a bit of chewiness remaining. Serve hot, with additional lemon slices to squeeze lemon juice on at the table if desired.

Recipe Source: www.kalynskitchen.com

Braised Mixed Greens

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for finishing

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, 1 slivered, 1 halved

1 lb greens, such as chard, broccoli rabe, spinach, kale, washed and chopped

A few leaves or a few handfuls of sorrel, 5 or 6 lovage leaves or a handful of chopped cilantro and parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 ½ cups cooked beans (borlotti, cannelloni, etc), home cooked or canned

3 to 4 slices chewy country bread

Shaved parmesan or crumbled gorgonzola

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the onion starts to soften a bit, after 3 or 4 minutes, add the slivered garlic. Cook for a minute more, then add the greens and any herbs. Season with ½ teaspoon salt. 2. As the greens cook down, turn them in the pan to bring the ones on top closer to the heat. Once they've all collapsed, add ½ cup water or bean broth, lower the heat and cook. Partially covered, until tender. Depending on the greens as long as 20. Just make sure there is some liquid in the pan for sauce. When the greens are done, add the beans, heat them through, then taste for salt and season with pepper. 3. Toast the bread and rub it with the halved garlic. Arrange on plates and spoon on the greens and beans. Drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with the cheese, if using, and serve.

Serves 3 – 4

Recipe Source: http://www.treehugger.com

Pasta with Garlicky Broccoli Rabe

1 pound pasta, whatever shape you like (but chunky ones will match up better with the rabe)
1 bunch broccoli rabe, heavy stems removed, remaining stems and leaves cut into 1- to 2-inch sections (I attempt to match my pasta in length)
1/2 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more or less to taste
About 1 heaping teaspoon Kosher salt (or more to taste)

To serve: Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Bring a huge pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and five minutes before its cooking time is up, add the broccoli rabe. It will seem like too much for the water, but with a stir or two, the rabe should wilt and cook alongside the pasta. Drain rabe and pasta together and pour into serving bowl. In the same pot or a tiny one, heat the olive oil with the garlic, pepper flakes and Kosher salt over moderate heat, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the garlic becomes lightly golden. Pour mixture over pasta and toss to evenly coat. Shower with freshly grated cheese and eat at once.

Recipe Source: www.smittenkitchen.com