BGF News - July 9, 2019-Vol. XLII, No.6
In this week’s box:
Beets: Ace (red), Chioggia (red/white striped) and/or Golden (yellow)
Chard:Bright Lights
Cucumbers: Lemon (round, yellow), Marketmore (English-type) or Suyo Long (long, Asian)
Lettuce: Kiribati (light green) & Cantarix (red oakleaf) or Magenta (burgundy/green summercrisp)
Purslane
Scallions
Summer Squash: 8 Ball (green,round), Golden Glory (bright yellow zucchini), Patty Pan (scalloped white, green or yellow), Slik Pik (thin, yellow) or Zephyr (green & yellow)
and perhaps one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)
Eggplant: Orient Express (dark purple) and/or Orient Charm( neon lavender)
Okra: Bowling Red (dark red) and Candle Fire (light red)
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: Sweet basil, anise hyssop & lovage
Purslane
Featured Recipes: ** indicates a BGF favorite
Chard:Bright Lights
Cucumbers: Lemon (round, yellow), Marketmore (English-type) or Suyo Long (long, Asian)
Lettuce: Kiribati (light green) & Cantarix (red oakleaf) or Magenta (burgundy/green summercrisp)
Lettuce: Kiribati (light green) & Cantarix (red oakleaf) or Magenta (burgundy/green summercrisp)
Purslane
Scallions
Summer Squash: 8 Ball (green,round), Golden Glory (bright yellow zucchini), Patty Pan (scalloped white, green or yellow), Slik Pik (thin, yellow) or Zephyr (green & yellow)
and perhaps one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)
Eggplant: Orient Express (dark purple) and/or Orient Charm( neon lavender)
Okra: Bowling Red (dark red) and Candle Fire (light red)
Snow Peas: Oregon Giant
Okra: Bowling Red (dark red) and Candle Fire (light red)
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: Sweet basil, anise hyssop & lovage
 |
| Purslane |
Featured Recipes: ** indicates a BGF favorite
What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 0.25"
Happy 2nd week of July! We hope you had a festive 4th with good food, friends and family.
Suyo Long cucumbers
We spent most of the past week cultivating. At this point, every crop on the farm (except the indigo, the plant, not the dog) has had at least one session with a hoe or cultivator. This has been a huge task and it isn't done, it never is during the growing season. We're finally ready to lay down some straw mulch in the solanum crops (tomatoes, peppers & eggplant) to help maintain even soil moisture and control additional weeds. We also got another succession of beets and beans sown and the beans are already germinating thanks to the warmth and a bit of rain. At the same time we went through all our winter squash beds and resowed seed wherever there were missing plants. While the squash is behind it's normal growth for this time of year, due to the delayed planting, it is looking really good. We're hoping for a good harvest of a variety of squashes and pumpkins this fall.
Speaking of delayed crops, nearly everything continues to be 2-3 weeks behind in the gardens, but they are coming along. The first of the eggplant is headed into boxes this week as is the first okra. We also sampled the first three ripe cherry tomatoes, delicious! It will take a bit for everyone to see these as they come on slowly to start, but we anticipate everyone getting the chance to enjoy them soon.
A little detail on your produce this week:
Precipitation in the past week: 0.25"
Happy 2nd week of July! We hope you had a festive 4th with good food, friends and family.
We spent most of the past week cultivating. At this point, every crop on the farm (except the indigo, the plant, not the dog) has had at least one session with a hoe or cultivator. This has been a huge task and it isn't done, it never is during the growing season. We're finally ready to lay down some straw mulch in the solanum crops (tomatoes, peppers & eggplant) to help maintain even soil moisture and control additional weeds. We also got another succession of beets and beans sown and the beans are already germinating thanks to the warmth and a bit of rain. At the same time we went through all our winter squash beds and resowed seed wherever there were missing plants. While the squash is behind it's normal growth for this time of year, due to the delayed planting, it is looking really good. We're hoping for a good harvest of a variety of squashes and pumpkins this fall.
Speaking of delayed crops, nearly everything continues to be 2-3 weeks behind in the gardens, but they are coming along. The first of the eggplant is headed into boxes this week as is the first okra. We also sampled the first three ripe cherry tomatoes, delicious! It will take a bit for everyone to see these as they come on slowly to start, but we anticipate everyone getting the chance to enjoy them soon.
 |
| Suyo Long cucumbers |
Speaking of delayed crops, nearly everything continues to be 2-3 weeks behind in the gardens, but they are coming along. The first of the eggplant is headed into boxes this week as is the first okra. We also sampled the first three ripe cherry tomatoes, delicious! It will take a bit for everyone to see these as they come on slowly to start, but we anticipate everyone getting the chance to enjoy them soon.
A little detail on your produce this week:
Beets- Cut off greens, leaving an inch of stem. Refrigerate the unwashed greens in a closed plastic bag and use with your chard mix as beets and chard are closely related. Store the beet roots, unwashed, with the rootlets (or “tails”) attached, in a plastic bag in the crisper bin of your refrigerator. They will keep for several weeks, but their sweetness diminishes with time. Just before cooking, scrub beets well and remove any scraggly leaves and rootlets. If your recipe calls for raw beets, peel them with a knife or vegetable peeler, then grate or cut according to your needs baby/young beets usually don't need to be peeled.
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.
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: 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 (not in plastic) 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. The shape of an eggplant determines how it is best prepared. Slice a straight, narrow eggplant into rounds for grilling or broiling, and cut a rounded, bulbous eggplant into cubes for stews and stir-fries.
Head Lettuce: We prefer to store heads wrapped in a cotton or linen dish towel, then placed in a plastic bag. This helps maintain a little bit of moisture, while keeping the leaves from touching the plastic to extend their "drawer-life". Wash lettuce just before using. The inner-most leaves of the head are the sweetest, so save those for salad use and take advantage of the bigger, outside leaves for use on sandwiches or wraps.
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.
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 are best kept in a plastic bag or glass container in your refrigerator. Use within a week. They are delicious raw on salads or in stir-fries.
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.
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. These do not need to be peeled to use, just slice them up and go!
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.
Head Lettuce: We prefer to store heads wrapped in a cotton or linen dish towel, then placed in a plastic bag. This helps maintain a little bit of moisture, while keeping the leaves from touching the plastic to extend their "drawer-life". Wash lettuce just before using. The inner-most leaves of the head are the sweetest, so save those for salad use and take advantage of the bigger, outside leaves for use on sandwiches or wraps.
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.
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."
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.
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 are best kept in a plastic bag or glass container in your refrigerator. Use within a week. They are delicious raw on salads or in stir-fries.
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.
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. These do not need to be peeled to use, just slice them up and go!
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 & Sky)
** 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.
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