BGF News - October 24, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.20

BGF News - October 24, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.20

A "little" cold weather collard harvest to finish out the season

In this week’s box:

Arugula
Carrot Mix

Collards: Champion

Garlic: Music

Hot Peppers: Wenk's (orange, jalapeno-like) & Helios (orange habanero) (in the sm. plastic bag)

Kohlrabi: Vienna Purple &/or Vienna White

Napa Cabbage 

Onions: Patterson

Sweet Peppers: asst.
Winter Squash: Butternut

 And perhaps one of the following:     
Broccoli: Belstar or Gypsy
Cauliflower: Goodman
Spinach Mix 

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

For those with the Herb option: chives, peppermint & lemon thyme

 
Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Asian Kohlrabi Leaves
Kickin Collard Greens
Napa Cabbage & Carrots with Rice Wine-Oyster Sauce
Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
Garlic Soup

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 1.40"
 

Welcome to the final delivery of the 2017 Summer CSA. It is hard to believe that twenty deliveries have gone by so quickly. And now at the end, suddenly it seems like we are getting all the seasons at once, our tardy summer rains, crisp fall days and freezing winter winds! I believe this is the latest first frost/freeze that I can remember since moving to the farm in 2005 and given the fall we've had, the delay is MUCH appreciated! We still have a significant number of crops growing in the fields so now we are in a push to either harvest it or protect it with row cover for later harvest.  The crew has been busy the past few work days setting up the hardware for the row cover supports, now we just need a couple of days with  little to no wind to get the fabric installed. I'm sure you can imagine the excitement of wrangling 5' x 100'  pieces of fabric in a stiff breeze. It makes you really appreciate a still day!

Washing carrots after 1.40" of rain, "What a difference a spray makes..."

In addition to row cover prep, we've been clearing more spent crops including the summer squashes, basil, sweet peppers and okra. In the high tunnel, the basil has been replaced with chard for cool weather harvesting.
We had a special treat mid last week when the staff of Practical Farmers of Iowa spent the day with us, helping out on a number of seasonal tasks including weeding the new strawberry plot, harvesting winter squash, caging fruit trees and prepping 140 pounds of seed garlic for planting. WE can't thank them enough for all their help, humor and friendship!

PFI staff "cloving out" seed garlic

Final Delivery Note: Today is the final delivery of the 2017 CSA season. Thank you for joining us on this Veggie Adventure. We hope you have enjoyed the journey! Starting in November, we will publish a monthly newsletter updating you on the current goings-on around the farm. We will start sign-ups for the 2018 CSA season in January. Special thanks to our delivery hosts, Peace Tree Brewing Co. and the Grand Theater for giving us a home away from home.

VegEmail Sales: This year instead of a Winter CSA, we are trying something new. We tested out this system late last winter and it worked well, so this fall we are rolling it out for the whole "backside of the calendar." Starting the week of Nov 7th we will send out an email with a link to an order form that lists all of the produce/products that we have available for sale that week. If you see things you would like to purchase, just fill out the order form and then meet us that following Tuesday at Peace Tree in DM or the Grand in Knox. Payment is due at the pickup. We will do it (nearly) every 2 weeks from Nov to the start of market in May. If you were a member of the CSA in the past year or ordered during the Jan-May VegEmail season earlier this year then you are on the email list.
 
  Upcoming events:

Final outdoor Farmers Market: This Saturday, October 28th

VegEmail sales begin: Tuesday, November 7th 

Fall indoor farmers market: November 17-18, at Capitol Square in DM

Winter indoor farmers market: December 15-16, at Capitol Square in DM
 

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

Kohlrabi: If you plan to use it soon, wrap the whole unwashed kohlrabi—stem, stalks, leaves, and all—in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator. Otherwise, remove the stalks and greens from the bulb and use them within a week. Store the bulb in another plastic bag in the fridge and use it within two weeks. Rinse kohlrabi under cold running water just before use. Unless the skin seems particularly tough, kohlrabi does not have to be

peeled. Just trim off the remains of the stalks and root. Grate, slice, or chop kohlrabi as desired. There are lots of great kohlrabi recipes out there, but our favorite is the most simple, just slice and serve chilled with a sprinkle of sea salt.

Napa Cabbage: Store Napa cabbage whole in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To prepare the entire head at once, cut it in half lengthwise, remove the core, and chop as desired. Or, separate and wash individual leaves as needed.  

Peppers: Place whole, unwashed peppers in a plastic bag, seal, and refrigerate for a week or more. Rinse peppers just before use. For sweet peppers, cut around the stem with a small knife and lift out the core. Slice down the side to open it up and then cut out the inner membranes. Store unused portions in a sealed bag or container in the refrigerator.

 

Winter Squash:  Store winter squash in a cool, dry, dark place with good ventilation for up to a month, depending on the variety. Once squash has been cut, you can wrap the pieces in plastic and refrigerate them for five to seven days. To make it easier to prep winter squash for your recipe, try the prebaking method: pierce the squash to allow heat to escape while it is in the oven, then bake the squash whole at 350° F until it is just barely tender to the poke of the finger, 20 to 30 minutes. This softens the shell and makes cutting and peeling much easier.

 

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 Luci & Indigo)

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