BGF News - June 26, 2018-Vol. XL, No.4

In this week’s box:

Basil: Italian Large Leaf or Genovese (some is dirty from rain splash, rinse just before using)

Cabbage: Golden Acre

Fennel: bulb & fronds
Green Garlic: Northern White
Head Lettuce: Muir (green) or Magenta (red) or Romaine (green)

Summer Squash: Slik Pik (yellow), Zephyr (yellow & green), Golden Glory (yellow zucchini), 
                                Patty Pan (saucer-shaped, green/yellow/white) or 8 Ball (round, green)

and perhaps one of the following:

Cucumber: Diva/Marketmore  (green, English), Suyo Long (long green, Asian)
                     or Lemon (round, yellow)

Eggplant: Orient Express

Okra: Bowling Red & Candle Fire
Snap Peas: Sugar Sprint
Snow Peas:Oregon Giant

           

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

For those with the Herb option: Lemon basil, Mountain Mint, oregano 

  

Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 

Sauteed Cabbage with Fennel** (see recipe below) 
Grilled Summer Squash “Burgers” **
BGF Pesto **
Fennel Frond Pesto

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 3.35"

In farming, it seems like 75% of what we talk about is the weather. Even with growing in the high tunnels, there is just no escaping it. Last week was all about the heat. This week is all about the rain! Sunday's 2.25" was the most rain we've had in one day all year long. Southeast Iowa has missed the big rain events much of Iowa has been experiencing. While no one wants the awful flooding that is occurring, we were a little jealous of their moisture. This week will help that.  Looking at the forecast for the rest of the week, we are about to heat up again so now we just have to try to stay ahead of the weeds (and the squash!)

Fancy new clothes for the big high tunnel

We did get some major weed slaying done last week. All the onion crops were rescued and we even pulled out the scythe to clear a couple of fallow beds that didn't get seeded to cover crops in time. One of our best accomplishments was getting the new shade cloth installed on the big high tunnel. It was a bit of a tussle, as it is a 30' x 96' piece of fabric, but up it went and the high tunnel crops (and the farmers) are all happier for it.

Shade cloth installed

This week we focused on weeding the oats out of the tomato plot. We use organic straw to mulch and it feels like our supplier must have left half of the oats on when he combined last year. And now they are ALL germinating in our tomatoes. Ugh! So the whole crew spent a full day trying to get that situation under control before we start trellising. We've also got more head lettuce going into the field this week and if it will dry out enough, more beans, beets and edamame being sown as well. We are starting to see a few more of the mid-season crops sizing up for harvest. The first of the cucumbers and eggplant are heading out in boxes today. We anticipate many more of them to come, but some folks will get a bit of a preview this week. Okra is also starting, but not sure there will be enough to send out this week. There are many more fun & tasty things to come!

**Save the Date** CSA member Ice Cream Social- Sunday, July 15th 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!

*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, you can go to the online calendar here: 2018 BGF Market Team  and sign up for whenever works with your schedule.

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. We don't pre-wash basil as it degrades the quality. Basil should be rinsed just 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.

Cucumber: Store unwashed cucumbers in a sealed plastic bag in the vegetable crisper bin for about a week. Keep cucumbers tucked far away from tomatoes, apples, and citrus—these give off ethylene gas that accelerates cucumber deterioration. You can do a lot of fancy things to the skin of a cucumber, but when it is young, fresh (and unwaxed), it really only needs to be thoroughly washed. However, if the skin seems tough or bitter you can remove it; if the seeds are bulky, slice the cucumber lengthwise and scoop them out.

 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, then place in a plastic bag 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.

Green Garlic: Store loosely wrapped in plastic in your produce drawer and use like you would garlic scapes or bulb garlic.  The flavor is so fresh and green that we like to use them in recipes that really highlight the flavor, like pesto or garlic butter, though it is also darn tasty on homemade pizza!

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."

Peas: We grow snow peas (flat pod with little bumps showing immature peas inside) and sugar snap peas (rounded pods with mature peas inside).  Both have edible pods and can be used interchangeably in recipes.  They are particularly good in stir-fries and salads, though we tend to eat them fresh as a snack.  Peas keep best in their plastic bag in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.

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.

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)

Sauteed Cabbage with Fennel - serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 c. fresh fennel bulb, chopped
1 small/medium sweet onion, chopped (or garlic scapes)
4 cups shredded cabbage
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a very large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion and cabbage and saute until cabbage is cooked through but still crunchy, about 5 minutes.
Place cabbage mixture in a large serving bowl, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Recipe Source: Blue Gate Farm

Grilled Summer Squash “Burgers”
(2-4 servings)

Summer squash (or eggplant), cut into burger-sized slices 1/2 to 5/8 inch thick
1/2 cup your favorite Italian salad dressing
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 -2 tsp. Italian seasoning (optional)

4-6 fresh basil leaves

2-4 slices provolone cheese

Crusty bread or large rolls

Cut zucchini into slices, making sure the slices are the same thickness. Combine salad dressing with garlic and herbs, if using. Put zucchini slices into ziploc bag, pour in marinade and let zucchini marinate 4 hours or longer, can be as long as all day.

To cook zucchini, preheat grill to medium-high.

Place zucchini on grill. After about 4 minute, check for grill marks, and rotate zucchini a quarter turn. Cook 3-4 more minutes on first side.

Turn zucchini to second side, place 1-2 basil leaves on top side and cover with provolone. Cook about 4 minutes more, or until zucchini is starting to soften quite a bit, with the outside slightly charred and browned. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve hot on bread or rolls.

This recipe is also tasty with eggplant.

Recipe Source: BGF, adapted from http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com

Blue Gate Farm Pesto

2 Tbs Sunflower seeds-toasted (can substitute pine nuts)

2 cloves Garlic ( or garlic scapes, garlic lovers can add more)

2 c. Basil (any variety, a mix is particularly nice)

½ c. Sorrel (optional)

½ c. Olive oil

1 tsp Salt (if using pre-salted sunflower seeds, can reduce salt amount)

½ c. Parmesan cheese, fresh grated (not the stuff in the can)

Place sunflower seeds and garlic into food processor then pulse several times. Add basil and sorrel, drizzle with half of oil. Pulse several times.  Add remaining oil, Parmesan cheese and salt if desired.

Pesto should be stored for a week or less in the refrigerator in a sealed container.  If storing longer, freeze in snack-sized, zip-top bags (about 1 1/2 TBS per bag), pressed flat. Once frozen, they can be stored upright in a larger plastic bag. To use a little, just break off the amount needed and return the rest to the freezer.

note: once tomatoes are ripe, we like to add 1 medium sized tomato into the food processor as part of this recipe. It makes an out-of-this-world pesto and increases your yield!

BGF News - June 19, 2018-Vol. XL, No.3

BGF News - June 19, 2018-Vol. XL, No.3

In this week’s box:

Collards

Garlic Scapes (green curly things in a twist tie)

Head Lettuce or Lettuce Bouquets: asst varieties

Kale Mix  (large mixed leaf bundle)

Purslane
Summer Squash: Slik Pik (yellow), Zephyr (yellow & green), Golden Glory (yellow zucchini), 
                                Patty Pan (saucer-shaped, green/yellow/white) or 8 Ball (round, green)

Turnips: Hakurei
and perhaps one of the following:
Snap Peas: Sugar Sprint
Snow Peas:Oregon Giant

A bounty of summer squash

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

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

  
Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Easy Sausage Zucchini Casserole
Lemon Collard Greens Pasta
Purslane Salad with Yogurt Dressing

BGF's Favorite Kale Salad ** (see recipe below)

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.45"

As I write this, storms are making their way east towards us, sweeping away the week-long heat wave that has been slowly roasting the farm. The heat-loving plants (including the weeds) have been putting on big growth this week and we are scrambling (and sweating buckets) to stay ahead of it all. The squash have just exploded and are growing at an alarming rate. We normally harvest squash every two days, but right now it feels like we should be checking them a couple times a day.
Amid the squash-harvesting, we have really been pushing this week to stay ahead of the weeds, but in some cases "rescue-weeding" has been necessary, especially with the onion-family crops, but we are nearly there. Now if the weeds would just stay "weeded" we would be in awesome shape!

The potatoes plants are huge and we finally got a window with dry enough soil and big enough plants that we could hill them. Until several years ago, we did this by hand and it made for a hard, hot and thoroughly unpleasant several days. Then we moved our potato plot to some new ground that could be worked with the tractor and we've never looked back since. A job that used to take days of back-breaking work now takes about an hour, including setting up the equipment. We also acquired a new-to-us potato plow last week, so we are hoping that the harvest tasks see the same improvement.

The mid-season crops are coming along nicely. We are seeing the first of the fruit set on tomatoes, okra and cucumbers. Peppers and eggplants are a little farther ahead. We have nice small heads on the cabbages and noticed the first of the broccoli heading just yesterday. The melons and winter squashes have germinated pretty well and are starting to put on some good growth. The first sowing of beans have been popular with the rabbits, but are just starting to show the first flowers. The 2nd sowing is looking good, but don't mention that to the rabbits.

Baby broccoli

A little detail on your produce this week:

Garlic Scapes: One of our favorite crops of the year. These curly green things are the emerging flower stalk from a hardneck garlic plant. We remove them to redirect more of the plant's energy into the bulb, but it also provides us with a delightful fresh garlic treat. These keep very well in a plastic bag in your produce drawer and can be used in any recipe calling for garlic. They would be perfect in last week's garlic salt recipe, make a great pesto and can be minced and added to room-temperature butter, which is then stored in log shape, in the freezer for a last minute dollop of goodness for vegetables, breads or meat.

Peas: We grow snow peas (flat pod with little bumps showing immature peas inside) and sugar snap peas (rounded pods with mature peas inside).  Both have edible pods and can be used interchangeably in recipes.  They are particularly good in stir-fries and salads, though we tend to eat them fresh as a snack.  Peas keep best in their plastic bag in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.

Purslane: Considered an invasive weed in many gardens, purslane is a valued green in many parts of the world. The plant 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.   We particularly like it in salads, cooked with eggs and as a lettuce replacement in tacos. Store in a paper towel-lined plastic bag in your crisper drawer and use within a week.

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!

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 Luci & Indigo)

BGF's Favorite Kale Salad  

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 tablespoons dried cranberries
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
3 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 bunches kale (about 1 pound), center ribs and stems removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, (if using salted, cut down on the 1tsp salt above)
Parmesan cheese shavings

Place cranberries in small bowl; add balsamic vinegar, seasoned rice vinegar, honey oil and salt and allow to soak several hours (overnight is even better).

Place kale in a large bowl, add cranberry mixture and toss to coat. Let marinate 20 minutes at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese shavings and sunflower seeds just before serving.

Recipe Source:  adapted from an epicurious recipe by Dan Barber

BGF News - June 12, 2018-Vol. XL, No.2

In this week’s box:

Basil Tips (in the small plastic bag)
Braising Mix: Osaka Purple Mustard, Senposai & Tokoyo Bekana (bunch of large leaves)

Baby Choi: Shanghai Green or Joi Choi

Garlic Scapes (green curly things in a twist tie)

Head Lettuce or Lettuce Bouquets: asst varieties

Ginger Mint

Wild Things Mix: Amaranth & Lambsquarters (bunched, with small leaves)

and perhaps one of the following:
Summer Squash: Slik Pik (yellow), Zephyr (yellow & green) or Patty Pan (round, green)
Tapestry Salad Mix (zip-top bag) (please see note in "A Little Detail..." below)

Summer Squash 'Zephyr'

           

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

For those with the Herb option: Herb share will begin in a couple of weeks as herbs mature

Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
BGF Wild E'Scape Dip **
Cold Sesame Noodles with Mustard Greens ** (we like scapes in place of scallions in this)
Lemon Garlic Bok Choy
Peppermint Syrup
Roasted Parmesan Summer Squash

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 1.75"
 

What a strange weather week on the farm. We were lucky to miss the worst of the storms, though we did have enough wind to damage both fan units on the big tunnel. An easy trade off, since our friends at Grinnell Heritage Farm lost 2 high tunnels in the same storm! We also missed the big rain events, but the totals for the week added up nicely. The drying time between the rains was perfect for us to get some good weeding & cultivating work done in the fields and a rainy Monday gave us the prime opportunity to spend most of our crew hours in the high tunnels getting them well weeded and maintained. We also pruned and trellised all but the last planting of  tomatoes in the tunnels. 

The crew does like their braising greens!

It looks like we will get a couple days of "normal" temperatures and then the summer heat returns for the an extended stay. This is going to finish off our early season greens so we are sending out some extras in the boxes today, so you get a chance to try them. The braising greens and Wild Things can be used interchangeably (or mixed together). In most any recipe. They are both best as cooked greens. We hope you will take the opportunity to try our new "E'scape" dip as we are loving it! It's a great way to get folks to eat some healthy greens and is awesome on a good crusty bread, but would also be good as a side dish, on a baked potato or on pasta.

Wild E'scape Dip! One of our new favorite recipes!

The summer crops are coming along nicely and this nice moisture along with the heat will really push them forward. The basil plantings in the field and high tunnel are coming along nicely. They have put on enough growth that they were ready to be pinched back to help them produce more full growth. So you are the lucky recipients of a little early basil harvest! There was a lot of soil splashing around during last night's rain, so your basil is a bit dirty. It ruins the quality of basil to wash it before storing, so we didn't. Just rinse it off prior to using.  We harvested the very first summer squash this week but there lots more that are coming. We love summer squash season as they are just such an easy vegetable to use: grilled, sauted, roasted, fried...they are all delicious! 

Amid the weeding and rains, we also got some additional crops sown including successions of fennel, beets, beans, lettuce, chard, tetragonia and edamame. We transplanted more melons and basil. We are seeing the first fruit set on the peppers and the earliest tomatoes, so there are lots of good things to come!

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.

Braising Greens: A combination of greens that are used mostly in cooked dishes.  Store like other greens, in a plastic bag, with the top folded over and placed in the produce drawer of your refrigerator. 

Choi (a.k.a. - pac choi, bok choy or pok choy) is the large, structural-looking vegetable.  It is a member of the cabbage family and is a traditional Asian stir-fry vegetable.  Both the stems and leaves of choi can be used and are especially tasty in cooked recipes.  If cooking them, separate the leaves and stems, and begin cooking stems first to avoid overcooking the more tender greens. You can also use the leaves like any green-leafy vegetable and the stems like celery.  We tend to use choi leaves as a sandwich wrap, or just roughly chop the whole thing and sauté with garlic and/or onion.  Cook until stems are tender and dress with a little seasoned rice vinegar. Store choi loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your produce drawer.

Garlic Scapes: One of our favorite crops of the year. These curly green things are the emerging flower stalk from a hardneck garlic plant. We remove them to redirect more of the plant's energy into the bulb, but it also provides us with a delightful fresh garlic treat. These keep very well in a plastic bag in your produce drawer and can be used in any recipe calling for garlic. They would be perfect in last week's garlic salt recipe, make a great pesto and can be minced and added to room-temperature butter, which is then stored in log shape, in the freezer for a last minute dollop of goodness for vegetables, breads or meat.

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.  

Herbs (other than basil): Most herbs keep best in a glass of water in the refrigerator, loosely covered with a plastic bag. You can keep them in a glass or base on your kitchen counter for a couple of days if you change the water daily.

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!

* 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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BGF Wild Escape Dip

After talking to a restaurant owner about what we have coming this week, I started brainstorming new recipes. This is what happens when I get "bored." A new jam flavor (Strawberry Lemonade) and a made up recipe for ripe-and-ready crops on the farm. This is my new favorite tasty treat, which I am eating for supper as I prep for market tomorrow.

BGF Wild E'scape Dip

1 bunch garlic scapes, chopped

1 bunch Wild Things Greens, chopped

drizzle olive oil

6oz cream cheese

1/4c sour cream

1/4c mayo

1/3c parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325°

Saute greens in olive oil until soft & reduced. Cool.

Place scapes in a food processor & pulse until minced.

Add greens, cream cheese, mayo, cheese, pepper flakes and salt & pulse until combined.

Put mixture into an oven safe dish.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until top turns golden and starts to bubble.

Serve with a baguette or crackers.

BGF News - June 5, 2018-Vol. XL, No.1

BGF News - June 5, 2018-Vol. XL, No.1

"Vivid" Choi

In this week’s box:

Asparagus 

Choi: Vivid (leafy bundle with pink/purple stems)
Garlic Scapes (green curly things in a twist tie)

Head Lettuce: Muir (green) or Magenta (red) or Romaine

Kale Mix  (large mixed leaf bundle)

Lemon Balm (lemon-scented, small leafy bundle)

Turnips: Hakurei
and perhaps Tapestry Salad Mix (zip-top bag) (please see note in "A Little Detail..." below)

           

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

For those with the Herb option: Herb share will begin in a couple of weeks as herbs mature

 
Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Lemon Balm Pesto**
Sauteed Japanese Turnips
Garlic Scape Pesto** see recipe below

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past month: 1.7"
 

Welcome to the first delivery of the 2018 CSA season and the start of weekly newsletters!  The boxes are a little light at this time of the season and you will notice the abundance of greens and not quite as much variety as we expect later in the season.  This is part of the joy of eating fresh, seasonal foods.  As the season continues the weight and variety of the contents will increase with the arrival of heavier crops including beans, tomatoes, potatoes and squash.  One thing that does remain somewhat consistent is the presence of some cosmetic damage caused by our local insects.  This is another of the indications that we are truly a chemical-free farm.  We try to keep the insect population under control, but they are simply a fact of life in a naturally grown system.  We hope you can overlook some minor leaf damage and we will do our best to keep it to a minimum.  Also we do our best to provide you with clean produce, but you may find a little dirt here and there or, yikes, possibly an insect.  We do wash the produce and sort it to the best of our ability, but we are processing a significant volume and it is possible that at some point you will find a little “nature” in your box.  If and when it happens to you, we apologize ahead of time and hope you will forgive the oversight.  Remember, while we do clean the produce, it is always good practice to wash your vegetables before using.

A big thank you to our pick-up site hosts: Peace Tree Brewing Co - Des Moines and the Grand Theater in Knoxville.  Over the course of the season please consider supporting these independent, local businesses who offer us a great place to deliver your produce.

It is a busy time on the farm. The quick turn from early spring to high summer weather pushed us into high gear for transplanting, weeding and mulching. Most of our earlier sown crops are looking pretty good, although the rabbits are causing some significant damage, which means our dogs are getting lazy. So far the little furry eaters have shown a decided preference for lettuce and broccoli. The first crop of broccoli (nearly 400') is gone, but there is a beautiful 2nd crop in another field that is coming along nicely.  We're going to have to work on making the crops less appealing to the bunny and deer. The early and extended hot weather is also causing issues for the cool weather-loving crops. Salad mix, spinach and arugula all struggled and we lost multiple sowings of each. The spinach is done until fall, but we will try again with the salad and arugula if the temperatures will stay around "normal" for the season.

Garlic Scapes

The garlic is "scaping"! For those of you who are new to the CSA, scapes are the emerging flower stalk on a hardneck garlic plant. We remove them to redirect more of the plant's energy into the bulb, but it also provides us with a delightful fresh garlic treat. It is one of our favorite crops of the season and we hope you enjoy their curly, garlicky goodness as much as we do. They are a short season treat though, so we will likely have them in boxes for the next two weeks and then they will be done and we will go on to the next stage of garlic happiness. 

Other things on the farm are rolling forward. We've cleared most of the early crops from both high tunnels and are nearly done switching over to warm season crops in there. The field tomatoes, eggplant, okra, squash, melons and basil are all in. Still one planting of peppers to transplant and then ongoing plantings of lettuce and sowings of  beans, beets and edamame to go. The majority of the irrigation system is installed and running daily. Amid planting, sowing, irrigation work and harvesting, we've also managed to get a fair amount of cultivating done and the weeds are being discouraged almost daily (they do seem to have a lot of encouragement from somewhere though). It seemed like just a couple of weeks ago we were so wet that we couldn't work soil and now we are starting to choreograph our rain dance. Such is the life of a vegetable-grower in Iowa.

All in all things are looking very lush and green here at the farm. We hope you enjoy this first delivery and are looking forward to this season as much as we are.

3/4 of the farm crew. Pretty sure these ladies could just about run the farm without me!

We hope you enjoy the weekly online newsletter. One of the goals for this format is so you can go to the blog/newsletter at any time and search for specific vegetables, that should allow you to see any archived recipes for that item. It also allows us to include photos and links to more recipes and information. As we mentioned in the recent newsletter, in addition to the regular BGF Facebook page, we also have a Facebook page for CSA members. You can find it here: Blue Gate Farm Community. If you have a Facebook account we encourage you to post recipes, photos and questions about your weekly produce box adventures. If you don't have an account, don't worry, you can still see/read anything on the page, but you won't be able to post anything. We will keep an eye on the page and try to answer questions in a timely manner, but really this is to encourage the "Community" aspect of CSA and to provide you all a venue to share and connect with each other.

A little detail on your produce this week:

Asparagus: Keeps best stored upright in a glass with about 1" of water, in the refrigerator. Delicious raw or cooked.

Choi (a.k.a. - pac choi, bok choy or pok choy) is a member of the cabbage family and is a traditional Asian stir-fry vegetable.  Both the stems and leaves of choi can be used and are especially tasty in cooked recipes.  If cooking them, separate the leaves and stems, and begin cooking stems first to avoid overcooking the more tender greens. You can also use the leaves like any green-leafy vegetable and the stems like celery.  We tend to use choi leaves as a sandwich wrap, or just roughly chop the whole thing and sauté with garlic and/or onion.  Cook until stems are tender and dress with a little seasoned rice vinegar. Store choi loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your produce drawer.

Garlic Scapes: One of our favorite crops of the year. These curly green things are the emerging flower stalk from a hardneck garlic plant. We remove them to redirect more of the plant's energy into the bulb, but it also provides us with a delightful fresh garlic treat. These keep very well in a plastic bag in your produce drawer and can be used in any recipe calling for garlic. They would be perfect in last week's garlic salt recipe, make a great pesto and can be minced and added to room-temperature butter, which is then stored in log shape, in the freezer for a last minute dollop of goodness for vegetables, breads or meat.

Lemon Balm: a member of the mint family, lemon balm has a bright, lemony flavor that pairs well with other greens, potatoes, eggs and poultry. We like it as the main ingredient in pesto or as a refreshing iced tea. Store upright and loosely covered in a glass of water in the refrigerator.

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)

BGF Garlic Scape Pesto **1 bunch tender scapes, cut into pieces, and processed in a food processor until finely chopped
1-3 sorrel leaves, rough chopped and processed with the scapes

Add the following and process until well blended:
1/3 cup olive oil (add more if you like a thinner pesto)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup sunflower seeds

optional, toss in some basil for additional pesto flavor if you have it.

This can be served now or frozen for future use. I freeze it in small (1/2 c.) zip-top plastic bags, flattened. Then you can just break off whatever amount you need. Delicious as a pasta or pizza sauce, dip, sandwich spread or add a little seasoned rice vinegar and it becomes a tasty salad dressing.