BGF News - July 25, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.7

BGF News - July 25, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.7

Rainbow Carrot Mix

In this week’s box:

Basil Tips (the new field basil needed a trim, so you get the tasty results)
Beans-Mix (yellow & green) or Romano (flat, yellow)
Carrots: Mix
Cucumbers : Diva/Marketmore (green Euro.), Suyo Long (long, green Asian), Lemon (round, yellow)
Head Lettuce: Coastal Star (green romaine), Magenta (red) or Muir (green)
Onions: Red Carpet
Purslane
Scallions
Summer Squash: 8 Ball( round, green), Slik Pik (long, light yellow), Patty Pan (dk green, lt. green or
    yellow "flying saucer-shaped") or Golden Glory (yellow zucchini)
...and at least one of the following:
Broccoli: Belstar
Eggplant: Orient Express (Asian-type, purple), Orient Charm (Asian-type, lavender) or
    Listada de Gandia (Italian, striped)
Okra: bowling Red
Tomatoes-Mini Roma Mix: Golden Rave & Juliet or Cherry Tomato Mix

Mini Roma & Cherry Tomato Mixes

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

For those with the Herb option: thyme, mountain mint, tarragon

Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
 Purslane Basil Pesto
Carrots Moroccan Style 
Purslane Pasta With Cherry Tomatoes**  see below
BGF Chocolate Zucchini Cake** see below 

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.25"
 

What a difference a few days makes! After a week of suffocatingly hot temperatures, dropping back down to seasonal temps is absolutely delightful! The crew, livestock and crops are all much happier now, though we are still desperately dry. While these weren't the highest temperatures we've seen at the farm, the extended length of the heatwave and high humidity was really hard on things. We discovered just how hot it got in High Tunnel #2 when we went to harvest the first of the ripe tomatoes. Those closest to the soil were actually cooked, right on the vine. At first we thought it was only the cherry tomatoes, but we did find some of the ripening slicers in a similar condition. We've never seen this before and the tomatoes in High Tunnel #1 and the field didn't suffer the same fate so evidently the bigger tunnel trapped and held more heat. This bodes very well for our winter crops, but we'll have to look into adding some shade cloth for next summer.

Pre-cooked cooked cherry tomatoes

We did lots of field maintenance this week, cultivating, hand weeding and adding more irrigation to a wide variety of crops. A chunk of our time was also dedicated to wrangling the melons and winter squashes that are determined to take over the gardens (a good problem to have). The most fun part of our week was hosting our annual CSA Ice Cream Social on Sunday. It is always a pleasure to share the farm with our members and when you add in homemade ice cream, cute kids and water balloon volleyball, the day is sure to be a hit! Thanks to everyone who came out and shared the beautiful afternoon with us. Special thanks to the crew for all their hard work and to the Heartsill family for the water balloon volleyball fun!

Water balloon volleyball was a big hit!

You likely noticed that tomatoes are on the "possible" list today. The tomatoes are all growing and setting fruit, but we are just seeing the very first of the small tomatoes ripening. There will be many more to follow in the coming weeks. We have 18+ kinds of tomatoes growing this year, including a couple of new-to-us  varieties and we are all looking forward to a bountiful season to come. The first of the okra is also heading out today, just in one lucky box, but the plants are looking great and we anticipate many beautiful tasty, red pods to come. The peppers (sweet and hot) are coming along nicely too, the plants are loaded with immature fruits… good stuff coming, maybe even next week!

A little detail on your produce this week:

Basil hates the cold and will turn black with exposure. Keep long stemmed basil in a glass/vase of water on your counter top (out of direct sunlight). Stems that are too short (trimmings/tops) should be placed in a plastic bag, with a dry paper towel. Then put inside of a paper bag (for insulation) and put in the warmest part of your refrigerator (usually the door) or on the top shelf towards the front.

  Carrots: Remove the leafy green tops, leaving about an inch of stems. Refrigerate dry, unwashed carrots in a plastic bag for two weeks or longer. To use scrub carrots well (no need to peel) with a stiff brush just before using. Trim off any green spots, which can taste bitter. When slicing or chopping carrots for cooking, be sure to make all the pieces relatively the same size; this will ensure an evenly cooked dish.

Okra: These lovely, dark red, horn-shaped vegetables are a warm weather treat. Extremely cold sensitive, store in their plastic bag in the warmest part of your fridge, or place the plastic bag in a small paper sack and store in the crisper drawer and use within the week. Traditional southerners will cut into rounds, bread in cornmeal and fry, but our favorite version is our dear friend Annie's method, "All I do is rinse off the pods and lay them in a saucepan with a little water in the bottom. Ten to fifteen minutes is all it takes...twenty if the pods are really big and "woody" feeling. I put salt on them and eat as finger food. It reminds me of young sweet corn."

Purslane: This succulent plant is a valued green in many parts of the world, though here in the US, it is mostly known as an invasive weed. It is rich in vitamin E, vitamin C and beta carotene, and quite high in protein.  Most noteworthy of all, it is considered a better source of essential omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy plant.  Enjoy raw or cooked in any recipe calling for greens, it is also ideal for juicing and green smoothies. Makes a terrific replacement for lettuce on tacos. Store in a paper towel (or cloth)-lined plastic bag in your crisper drawer and use within a week. 

Scallions (green onions)- are best kept upright in a glass with about 1" of water in it, more like flowers than vegetables. Loosely cover the tops with plastic and you will be amazed at how long they will keep. We like to throw a handful of chopped scallions into nearly any savory dish, right near the end of the cooking time.

Summer Squash/Zucchini: Refrigerate unwashed zucchini and summer squash for up to a week

and a half in a perforated plastic bag or in a sealed plastic container lined with a kitchen towel.

 

Tomatoes: prefer to reside on your counter and not in the refrigerator unless they have been sliced.

 
A few other details: All of your GREENS will keep best if stored in a plastic bag, with the top folded over and placed in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.

* NOTE: You will notice over the course of the season that some box contents listed above say "Perhaps one of the following..."  These are items that we can’t harvest in sufficient quantities for the whole CSA to receive at one time.  We do track who gets what and we will do our best to ensure that everyone eventually receives each item.  On some items this may take several weeks, so please be patient.

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 on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm and/or share your recipes, experiences and questions with other BGF members at Blue Gate Farm Community.

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 & Indigo)

Labels:

Posted by BlueGate at 6:18 AM No comments:

Purslane Pasta With Cherry Tomatoes
• 6 cups of cooked pasta.
• 3 cups of raw and fresh Purslane leaves
• 2 cups of cut in half cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup of green onion, minced (or shallots)

For Dressing
• Half cup of olive oil
• ¼th cup vinegar (better try your favorite herbal vinegars )
• 1 clove of garlic
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 2/3 cup of wild green ( fresh and chopped) or parsley, lemon balm or basil
• Prepare the dressing with all the above by whizzing all the above in a food processor or in a blender.

• Add pasta, cherry tomatoes, Purslane and onions in a bowl
• Add the dressing and let it sit for whole night in a fridge.
• Very good to serve in cold.
Additionally you can add cheese, pepperoni or something else which you would prefer in your pasta to make it variable endlessly.

Based on a recipe from Prodigal Gardens

BGF Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2-3c. grated zucchini

2 c. flour

1 ½ c. sugar

1 tsp salt

½ c. oil

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1/3 c. cocoa

2 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together, pour into greased & floured 9 x 13” pan.

Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.

When cool, frost with Hershey’s Cocoa Frosting

1 stick butter

2/3 c. cocoa

3 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. milk

1 tsp vanilla

In a medium mixer bowl melt butter, add cocoa and stir until combined. Alternating between powdered sugar and milk, add to cocoa and butter, mixing between. When thoroughly combined, beat in vanilla. Makes +/- 2 cups.

 

BGF News - July 18, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.6

BGF News - July 18, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.6

In this week’s box:

Beans: Carson (yellow) with a few Provider (green) beans tossed in
Broccoli: Belstar (a bit small and off-color from the heat but still tasty)
Cucumbers: Diva/Marketmore (green Euro.), Suyo Long (long, green Asian), Lemon (round, yellow)
Fennel
Garlic: Northern White
Head Lettuce: Coastal Star or Muir
Kale:asst
New Potatoes: Red Gold
Summer Squash: 8 Ball( round, green), Slik Pik (long, light yellow), Patty Pan (dk green, lt. green or yellow "flying saucer-shaped") or Golden Glory (yellow zucchini)
...and perhaps one of the following:
Eggplant: Orient Express
Romano Beans: Marvel of Venice (flat, yellow beans)

           

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

For those with the Herb option: Lemon basil, savory, chives

Coastal Star lettuce surrounded by Muir

 
Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Roasted Green Beans with Fresh Garlic**
Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes
Pasta with Fennel and Salami
Fennel Frond Pesto

The BGF crew with this morning's fennel harvest

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week:  trace
 

I am going to start sounding like a broken record when commenting on the weather. We did get a few rumbles of thunder last night to accompany a scattering of raindrops, but not even enough to wash the dust off the leaves. With our increasing heat, I am thankful for our irrigation system and planning to run additional lines to our mid-season and late potato crops this week. We dug a 300' row of early potatoes yesterday and were very disappointed with the low yield. Hopefully we can improve on that for the future harvests. We continued our weeding and cultivating efforts this week though the crew has decided that one of our biggest challenges (besides the heat) in the coming weeks will be keeping the vigorous winter squash plants from taking over the farm. The fall transplants germinated nicely in the cabin basement and have now moved outside to the high tunnel to continue on their journey. Later this week we will start sowing additional fall crops that go directly into the field. One exciting development this week was the ripening of the first tomatoes. We've had a few cherry tomatoes fully ripen and are starting to see color on some of the large high tunnel tomatoes. I anticipate starting to send a few tomatoes out in boxes as early as next week.

We had an interesting visit on the farm last week by a production team from the IPTV program Iowa Ingredient. They had contacted us about doing a feature on cucumbers. While we always plant them, cukes are a particularly tough crop for us as there are a couple of very prolific insect pests for which there are no organic/chemical-free control. We shared this information with the producer and also shared that, though we had 300 row feet of cucumbers planted and they currently looked great, it was possible that by the time the crew came out to film, all those plants would be dead. We were about 50% correct. By last Thursday when the team arrived at the farm, the majority of the field cucumbers were dead. Luckily we also have about 100 row feet of assorted cucumbers in the high tunnel that were lush, vigorous and producing like crazy. So the camera rolled, the cukes were harvested and the program is scheduled for next spring. In the meantime, you should continue to get lovely cucumbers in your boxes but be aware, that eventually the same fate will befall the high tunnel plants and the virulent cucumber beetles will win.

Though things are a bit challenging on the farm right now, never fear, not all is gloom and doom. The beans are really coming into into their season, with the yellow Carson beans leading the charge. The long green Fortex pole beans are starting to put on a good show and will be combined with the Carsons for our mixed beans. Provider beans (also green) will be added to them as they try to recover from excessive attention from the rabbits. Our farm-favorite bean, the beautiful yellow Romano bean called "Marvel of Venice" is ripening nicely and we will be sending those out in a few boxes this week. These are a "ribbon-shaped" flat bean that can be used in any bean recipe, but we think they really shine when used in place of asparagus in recipes and cooking style. Also growing nicely are peppers (hot and sweet), melons, okra and winter squash and we anticipate those appearing in boxes in the coming weeks.

Immature Cream of Saskatchewan melon

Save the Date: CSA member Ice Cream Social- THIS Sunday, July 23rd from 2 – 5pm at the farm. Come on out for an afternoon filled with fresh country air, homemade ice cream and farm-fresh desserts. We will send out an e-invitation tomorrow, so keep your eyes open for it. We hope everyone can join us!

*Team Blue Gate-Market Opportunity*

Want to see another side of your farm? Join Team Blue Gate,  our group of volunteers who join Jill in the BGF tent during the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market season. We ask that interested individuals commit to at least 2 market dates over the course of the season and to be there for set-up, selling and tear down (basically 6am-12:30 or so). In appreciation for their time and efforts, volunteers earn a BGF T-shirt and a $30 credit at the booth that day. We have an awesome group and everyone seems to enjoy it, but we do have some open dates coming up. If you are interested in joining us this year, you can go to the online calendar (http://signup.com/go/XpWdQM)  and sign up for whenever works with your schedule.

 

A little detail on your produce this week:

Broccoli: Wrap broccoli loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak broccoli, head down, in cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt to a 8 cups of water) for 5 minutes. Any [organic] critters will float to the top where you can rescue them or allow them to suffer a salty death. (Note: If you soak broccoli in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.) Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using. 

Eggplant prefers to be kept at about 50° F, which is warmer than most refrigerators and cooler than most kitchen counters. Wrap unwashed eggplant in a towel (not in plastic) to absorb any moisture and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Used within a week, it should still be fresh and mild. Many people like to peel, salt, and drain their eggplant to draw out any bitter flavor; however, bitterness develops only in eggplant that has been stored for a while, so with farm-fresh specimens this is generally not necessary. Many recipes call for salting in order to make the vegetable less watery and more absorbent—much like draining tofu. Salting is not an essential step, but it can greatly enhance the taste and texture of your dish and is well worth the extra effort.

Fennel: Cut off the stalks where they emerge from the bulb. To use the feathery foliage as an herb, place the dry stalks upright in a glass filled with two inches of water, cover the glass loosely with a plastic bag, and store in the refrigerator for up to five days. The unwashed bulb will keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for at

least a week. To use: Remove any damaged spots or layers. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and check the inner core. If it’s tough, remove it with a paring knife. Fennel should be washed carefully, because dirt can lodge between the layers of the bulb. Chop or mince the leaves.

Potatoes: Keep unwashed potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place, such as a loosely closed paper bag in a cupboard. They will keep for weeks at room temperature, longer if you can provide their ideal temperature of 40 to 50 degrees. Beware: the low temperature of your refrigerator will convert the starch to sugars. Moisture causes potatoes to spoil, light turns them green, and proximity to onions causes them to sprout. (You can still use a potato that has sprouted, however; simply cut off the “eyes” before use.)

Potatoes store best if they haven't been washed, so we send them out in their "dust jackets". Just before using, scrub potatoes well and cut off any sprouts or green skin. (Clean delicate new potatoes gently.) Peeling is a matter of preference.

Summer Squash/Zucchini: Refrigerate unwashed zucchini and summer squash for up to a week

and a half in a perforated plastic bag or in a sealed plastic container lined with a kitchen towel. These do not need to be peeled to use, just slice them up and go!

A few other details: All of your GREENS will keep best if stored in a plastic bag, with the top folded over and placed in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.  

* NOTE: You will notice over the course of the season that some box contents listed above say "Perhaps one of the following..."  These are items that we can’t harvest in sufficient quantities for the whole CSA to receive at one time.  We do track who gets what and we will do our best to ensure that everyone eventually receives each item.  On some items this may take several weeks, so please be patient.

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 on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm and/or share your recipes, experiences and questions with other BGF members at Blue Gate Farm Community.

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 & Indigo)

Labels:

Posted by BlueGate at 6:18 AM No comments:

BGF News - July 11, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.5

BGF News - July 11, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.5

In this week’s box:

Beans: Carson (yellow) with a few Provider (green) beans tossed in
Cabbage: Golden Acre (round) or Wakefield (cone-shaped)
Cucumber: Diva/Marketmore (green Euro.), Suyo Long (long, green Asian), Lemon (round, yellow)
Head Lettuce Bouquets
Summer Squash
Sweet Onions: Ailsa Craig
Turnips: Hakurei (a little rough on the outside, but sweet and delicious)
...and perhaps one of the following:
Broccoli: Belstar (a bit small and off-color from the heat but still tasty)
Eggplant: Orient Express
            

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

For those with the Herb option: Sweet basil, fennel, par-cel

A bounty of nearly-ripe beans

Beautiful, sweet Ailsa Craig onions

Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Grilled Cabbage Steaks 
Roasted Parmesan Summer Squash
Turnip & Onion Gratin
BGF Tangy Cucumbers and Sweet Onions** (recipe below)

 

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week:  trace (time to get out your rain dancing shoes)
 

I was about to write "it has been a hot dry week here on the farm," and it has, but I nearly forgot it has been two weeks since our last delivery and the weather was downright delightful for part of that earlier week. However, the dry part holds true. Time and time again we have watched storms form all around us, then part and pass us by. It happened again this morning, I woke up around 3AM to a severe weather notification on my phone. Ran out in my pajamas to close up the high tunnels and the barn and then just a sprinkle. Sigh. Ah well, at least it isn't flooding. NOAA recently classified our area as being in a moderate drought. For us, this translates to working on and running the irrigation system nearly non-stop. While the irrigation isn't a rain replacement, it does keep things from dying due to the lack of rain. Besides irrigating, the crew has spent a lot of time recently pruning and trellising tomatoes in the high tunnels and in the field. We are growing around 800 tomato plants and each one must be pruned and trellised. That makes for a lot of post pounding, twine weaving and leaf trimming. Despite the field tomatoes tough early start with the deer, they seem to be pushing through and starting to set fruit. The high tunnel tomatoes are doing quite nicely and some are already more than six feet tall and the fruits are just starting to show a bit of color. We've also been transplanting more head lettuce, sowing additional beans and edamame and doing lots of cultivating and weeding.

While it's hard to imagine, this is the time of year we start thinking about fall crops. Just this past Sunday we filled the sunroom with dozens and dozens of flats destined to become the future cool weather crops. Included on the seeding list were: broccoli, cauliflower, European cabbage, Napa cabbage, chard, kale and head lettuce. I just noticed that I forgot to start fennel. Will have to do that later this week. The real challenge to these crops is that it is too warm for them to germinate in this weather, so after sowing in flats they spend one night in the warm sunroom then are transported across the farm to the cabin where they will stay in the nice cool basement until they start to grow. This will take anywhere from 2 days to a week. Then they move back out to the high tunnel to grow until they are big enough to be transplanted into the fields.

 We were pleased to harvest some nice cabbages this week. They have started sizing up and even though there is some cosmetic insect damage on the outer leaves, the heads themselves are really lovely. Cabbage is one of those great flexible vegetables that goes effortlessly from the salad plate to the skillet, grill or roasting pan. Jill's all time favorite cabbage recipe goes back to her days working at an area summer camp where "walking salad" was often a snack option. Individual cabbage leaves are spread with peanut butter and rolled up like a burrito. End of recipe. They are quick, healthy and delicious and this farmer thinks it tastes far superior to the celery version. We hope you'll give it a try!

Box return reminder: This is your friendly reminder to please make an effort to remember to return your empty box each week. I know it can be a challenge and nearly everyone forgets at least once. That said, it saves us a great deal of time when packing boxes if we don't have to make up temporary boxes for a number of members. If you would like to eliminate the worry of "the empty box" you are welcome to take a cue from some of our other members. Simply bring along a bag (or a small cooler) into which you unload your items and we will take your empty box back to the farm with us, then you don't have to worry about returning it the following week. We are hoping that we can get through the whole season this year without every having to deploy "The Box of Shame!" (This terrifying specter makes an appearance whenever a member is at risk of becoming a serial box forgetter. Please save us all the horror and remember to return your box.

*Team Blue Gate-Market Opportunity*

Want to see another side of your farm? Join Team Blue Gate,  our group of volunteers who join Jill in the BGF tent during the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market season. We ask that interested individuals commit to at least 2 market dates over the course of the season and to be there for set-up, selling and tear down (basically 6am-12:30 or so). In appreciation for their time and efforts, volunteers earn a BGF T-shirt and a $30 credit at the booth that day. We have an awesome group and everyone seems to enjoy it, but we do have some open dates coming up. If you are interested in joining us this year, you can go to the online calendar (http://signup.com/go/XpWdQM)  and sign up for whenever works with your schedule.

Save the Date: CSA member Ice Cream Social- Sunday, July 23rd from 2 – 5pm at the farm. Come on out for an afternoon filled with fresh country air, homemade ice cream and farm-fresh desserts. We will send out an e-invitation next week, so keep your eyes open for it. We hope everyone can join us!

A little detail on your produce this week: 

Broccoli: Wrap broccoli loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak broccoli, head down, in cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt to a 8 cups of water) for 5 minutes. Any [organic] critters will float to the top where you can rescue them or allow them to suffer a salty death. (Note: If you soak broccoli in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.) Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using.

Cabbage: Store dry, unwashed cabbage in the refrigerator, preferably in the vegetable bin. The outer leaves may eventually get floppy or yellowish, but you can remove and discard them to reveal fresh inner leaves. Cabbage can keep for more than a month. Once it’s cut, seal it in a plastic bag and continue to refrigerate for several weeks. Rinse the cabbage under cold running water just before use. Peel away a few of the outer leaves, then cut the cabbage according to your needs with a big, sharp knife, and then chop, sliver, or grate.

 Eggplant prefers to be kept at about 50° F, which is warmer than most refrigerators and cooler than most kitchen counters. Wrap unwashed eggplant in a towel (not in plastic) to absorb any moisture and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Used within a week, it should still be fresh and mild. Many people like to peel, salt, and drain their eggplant to draw out any bitter flavor; however, bitterness develops only in eggplant that has been stored for a while, so with farm-fresh specimens this is generally not necessary. Many recipes call for salting in order to make the vegetable less watery and more absorbent—much like draining tofu. Salting is not an essential step, but it can greatly enhance the taste and texture of your dish and is well worth the extra effort.

Green top onions: not the pencil-thin scallions, but nearly grown (though not-yet-cured) onions are an early summer treat. Keep sweet mild onions in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a week or two, but beware the fatal moisture accumulation that causes them to spoil. To prolong their storage, wrap in a paper or cloth towel before storing in plastic.

Summer Squash/Zucchini: Refrigerate unwashed zucchini and summer squash for up to a week

and a half in a perforated plastic bag or in a sealed plastic container lined with a kitchen towel.

Turnips: keep best if separated from their greens.  Greens are stored in a plastic bag and can be cooked like mustard or collard greens (you can add them in with your Braising Greens Mix).  Trimmed roots can go into a lidded container or zip-close bag. These aren't your grandma's turnips. These are a sweet, Japanese salad variety that is particularly tasty for fresh eating. They will still work great in cooked dishes, but we love to eat them raw, often right out of hand, like an apple. One of the farm crew's favorite mid-field snacks.

A few other details: All of your GREENS will keep best if stored in a plastic bag, with the top folded over and placed in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.  

* NOTE: You will notice over the course of the season that some box contents listed above say "Perhaps one of the following..."  These are items that we can’t harvest in sufficient quantities for the whole CSA to receive at one time.  We do track who gets what and we will do our best to ensure that everyone eventually receives each item.  On some items this may take several weeks, so please be patient.

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 on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm and/or share your recipes, experiences and questions with other BGF members at Blue Gate Farm Community.

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 & Indigo)

Labels:

Posted by BlueGate at 6:18 AM No comments:

BGF Tangy Cucumbers and Sweet Onions

1 large Suyo Long cucumber or 2 medium cucumbers, peeled

1 small to medium sweet onion

2/3 c. cider or seasoned rice vinegar

¼ c. water

2 – 4 tbs. sugar (to taste)

¼ - ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 tbs chopped fresh fennel leaves (or dill), optional

Thinly slice cucumbers and onions. Separate onions into rings.

In a medium bowl with a tight fitting lid, combine remaining ingredients. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add cucumbers and onions to bowl and stir to coat. Seal lid and place in refrigerator for at least an hour before using. We eat this as a side dish, with the vegetables simply lifted out of the vinegar mixture when serving.  It can also be used as a condiment on sandwiches & burgers, as a salad topping or chopped into egg, chicken or ham salad.