BGF News - September 4, 2018-Vol. XL, No.14
In this week’s box:
Basil: Genovese or Italian Large Leaf
Beans: Mix: Carson (yellow) & Empress (green)
Cherry Tomato Mix
Head Lettuce: Kiribatis (bright green), Magenta (red/green ) or Rutilai (dark red)
Hot Peppers: Wenk's Yellow Hots (in small bag)
Onions: Cipollini or Red Carpet
Purslane
Sweet Peppers: Ace or Revolution (red bells), Islander (purple to orange bell), Quadrato D'Asti
Giallo (yellow bell), Golden Marconi (long, pointed yellow) or PASS (flat, yellow)
Tomatoes: asst varieties, see descriptions on the 7/24 post
and at least one of the following:
Broccoli: side shoots
Cantaloupe: Minnesota Midget or Rocky Ford (green interior)
Cauliflower: Sicilian Purple (purple) or Goodman (white)
Okra: Burgundy & Candle Fire
Watermelon: Sugar Baby (dk green stripe w/ red interior) or Cream of Saskatchewan (lt green,
striped with white interior)
For those with the Egg option [full shares]: one dozen free-range eggs (asst. colors)
For those with the Herb option: lemon basil, par-cel, rosemary
Featured Recipes: ** indicates a BGF favorite
Okra Salsa
Purslane Salsa
Mezair (Cutting Board Salsa) **see below
Watermelon Salsa **see below
BGF Pesto **see below
Basil: Genovese or Italian Large Leaf
Beans: Mix: Carson (yellow) & Empress (green)
Cherry Tomato Mix
Beans: Mix: Carson (yellow) & Empress (green)
Cherry Tomato Mix
Head Lettuce: Kiribatis (bright green), Magenta (red/green ) or Rutilai (dark red)
Hot Peppers: Wenk's Yellow Hots (in small bag)
Onions: Cipollini or Red Carpet
Purslane
Sweet Peppers: Ace or Revolution (red bells), Islander (purple to orange bell), Quadrato D'Asti
Giallo (yellow bell), Golden Marconi (long, pointed yellow) or PASS (flat, yellow)
Broccoli: side shoots
Cantaloupe: Minnesota Midget or Rocky Ford (green interior)
Cauliflower: Sicilian Purple (purple) or Goodman (white)
Okra: Burgundy & Candle Fire
Watermelon: Sugar Baby (dk green stripe w/ red interior) or Cream of Saskatchewan (lt green,
striped with white interior)
For those with the Egg option [full shares]: one dozen free-range eggs (asst. colors)
For those with the Herb option: lemon basil, par-cel, rosemary
Featured Recipes: ** indicates a BGF favorite
Okra SalsaPurslane Salsa
Mezair (Cutting Board Salsa) **see below
Watermelon Salsa **see below
BGF Pesto **see below
What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 3.3"
Welcome to our annual Salsa Box! Or Sauce Box if you prefer. Every year when the tomato harvest is at it's heaviest, we "stuff" as many of them into the boxes as possible to give folks the opportunity to stock up on some salsa or sauce (and pesto). We try to include recipes to appeal to lots of difference salsa tastes, but always include our two favorites: Mezair (a fresh Kurdish salsa) and watermelon salsa, plus our go-to pesto recipe with the secret ingredient (a tomato). As many of you may know, the "FarmHer-in-charge" isn't particularly fond of cilantro so we always substitute parsley/par-cel or mint and sometimes sorrel in our salsa recipes. If you have the same issue, we encourage you to try one of these alternatives. If you do like cilantro, well, that's ok too.
It has been a very different week on the farm, weather-wise! This may finally be the drought-breaker we've been waiting for. I spent some time this week doing some precipitation auditing. Between July 1 and August 19th we received less than 0.25" of rain. That is just crazy dry! Since the 19th we've had more than 4.7 glorious inches! We've been extra fortunate to get all of that spread out over many days, unlike others who received 11" in 3 days! The fall crop seeds are germinating, the grass is green and we've had to start mowing again. In between rains, the crew transplanted more head lettuce, cauliflower, chard and kale. Nearly all the fall field transplanting is now complete, with just high tunnel crops still to go. It is definitely a time of transition in the fields. Now if we can just keep the rabbits and deer from feasting on everything or the fields from flooding, we should be in pretty good shape for the late season.
Precipitation in the past week: 3.3"
Welcome to our annual Salsa Box! Or Sauce Box if you prefer. Every year when the tomato harvest is at it's heaviest, we "stuff" as many of them into the boxes as possible to give folks the opportunity to stock up on some salsa or sauce (and pesto). We try to include recipes to appeal to lots of difference salsa tastes, but always include our two favorites: Mezair (a fresh Kurdish salsa) and watermelon salsa, plus our go-to pesto recipe with the secret ingredient (a tomato). As many of you may know, the "FarmHer-in-charge" isn't particularly fond of cilantro so we always substitute parsley/par-cel or mint and sometimes sorrel in our salsa recipes. If you have the same issue, we encourage you to try one of these alternatives. If you do like cilantro, well, that's ok too.
It has been a very different week on the farm, weather-wise! This may finally be the drought-breaker we've been waiting for. I spent some time this week doing some precipitation auditing. Between July 1 and August 19th we received less than 0.25" of rain. That is just crazy dry! Since the 19th we've had more than 4.7 glorious inches! We've been extra fortunate to get all of that spread out over many days, unlike others who received 11" in 3 days! The fall crop seeds are germinating, the grass is green and we've had to start mowing again. In between rains, the crew transplanted more head lettuce, cauliflower, chard and kale. Nearly all the fall field transplanting is now complete, with just high tunnel crops still to go. It is definitely a time of transition in the fields. Now if we can just keep the rabbits and deer from feasting on everything or the fields from flooding, we should be in pretty good shape for the late season.
A little detail on your produce this week:
Cantaloupe: If your cantaloupe seems a bit short of ripe, keep it at room temperature for a few days or until there is a sweet smell coming from the stem end. Once the melon ripens, store it in the refrigerator. It is best not to cut a cantaloupe until you are ready to eat it. If you need to return cut melon to the refrigerator, do not remove the seeds from the remaining sections as they keep the flesh from drying out. Use within 3-5 days.
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."
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.
Tomatoes: prefer to reside on your counter and not in the refrigerator unless they have been sliced. A light "squeeze" is the best test for ripeness.
Cantaloupe: If your cantaloupe seems a bit short of ripe, keep it at room temperature for a few days or until there is a sweet smell coming from the stem end. Once the melon ripens, store it in the refrigerator. It is best not to cut a cantaloupe until you are ready to eat it. If you need to return cut melon to the refrigerator, do not remove the seeds from the remaining sections as they keep the flesh from drying out. Use within 3-5 days.
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."
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.
Tomatoes: prefer to reside on your counter and not in the refrigerator unless they have been sliced. A light "squeeze" is the best test for ripeness.
Watermelon: Handle watermelons carefully. When harvested at their peak ripeness, they can crack or split easily if bumped or roughly handled. Refrigerate watermelons right away. (Watermelons do not ripen off the vine and do not emanate a ripe smell.) Cut melon should be covered in plastic wrap, chunks or slices should be kept in an airtight container, and both should be refrigerated. Eat all melons within a week.
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.
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)
Mezair
(Cutting Board Salsa, from Kurdistan)
1 lg clove garlic
2 to 3 jalapeños, seeded (or other hot peppers)
½ c. lightly packed, chopped flat-leaf parlsey
3 to 4 tbs chopped fresh mint
1 pound ripe tomatoes
¼ tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
On a large cutting board, mince the garlic and the peppers. Add the parsley and mint and chop. Slice and then chop the tomatoes, adding them to the other ingredients. Mix as you continue to chop by turning the salsa with the flat of your knife or cleaver. Mix in the salt. Transfer the salsa to a small serving bowl and blend in the lemon juice, The salsa will be quite runny.
Makes approximately 2 cups salsa.
Recipe source: Flatbreads and Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Larissa's Watermelon Salsa
3c watermelon, seeded & diced
1/2 c. sweet pepper, seeded & diced
2 TBS lime juice
1 TBS cilantro, chopped
1 TBS green onion, chopped
1-2 TBS hot pepper, seeded & diced
1/2 tsp garlic, finely minced
salt, to taste
Combine all ingredients & refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Recipe Source: BGF friend, Larissa C.
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)
1 medium ripe tomato
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, tomato 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.
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)
Mezair
(Cutting Board Salsa, from Kurdistan)
1 lg clove garlic
2 to 3 jalapeños, seeded (or other hot peppers)
½ c. lightly packed, chopped flat-leaf parlsey
3 to 4 tbs chopped fresh mint
1 pound ripe tomatoes
¼ tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
On a large cutting board, mince the garlic and the peppers. Add the parsley and mint and chop. Slice and then chop the tomatoes, adding them to the other ingredients. Mix as you continue to chop by turning the salsa with the flat of your knife or cleaver. Mix in the salt. Transfer the salsa to a small serving bowl and blend in the lemon juice, The salsa will be quite runny.
Makes approximately 2 cups salsa.
Recipe source: Flatbreads and Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Larissa's Watermelon Salsa
3c watermelon, seeded & diced
1/2 c. sweet pepper, seeded & diced
2 TBS lime juice
1 TBS cilantro, chopped
1 TBS green onion, chopped
1-2 TBS hot pepper, seeded & diced
1/2 tsp garlic, finely minced
salt, to taste
Combine all ingredients & refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Recipe Source: BGF friend, Larissa C.
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)
1 medium ripe tomato
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, tomato 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.
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