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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