BGF News - July 25, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.7
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| 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
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| Mini Roma & Cherry Tomato Mixes |
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 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.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" |
| Pre-cooked cooked cherry tomatoes |
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| 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)
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