In this week’s box:
Beans: Empress, Fortex and Golden Goal
Garlic: hardneck
Head Lettuce: asst.
Jubilee Cherry Tomato Mix (see 7/21 newsletter for details)
Kale: Asst.
Peppers: asst, see descriptions below
Spaghetti Squash
Summer Squash: see descriptions in "A little detail"
Tomato: Slicers (see 7/28 newsletter for details)
and at least one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail...)
Broccoli: Gypsy
Cantaloupe: Minnesota Midget
Cauliflower: Goodman
Cucumbers: Suyo Long, Lemon, Marketmore or Striped Armenian
Eggplant: Orient Express
Okra: Bowling Red & Candle Fire
Snap or Snow Peas
For those with the Egg option [Full & Half Shares]: one dozen free-range eggs
For those with the Herb option: sweet basil, ginger mint, thyme
Beans: Empress, Fortex and Golden Goal
Garlic: hardneck
Head Lettuce: asst.
Garlic: hardneck
Head Lettuce: asst.
Jubilee Cherry Tomato Mix (see 7/21 newsletter for details)
Kale: Asst.
Kale: Asst.
Peppers: asst, see descriptions below
Spaghetti Squash
Summer Squash: see descriptions in "A little detail"
Tomato: Slicers (see 7/28 newsletter for details)
and at least one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail...)
Broccoli: Gypsy
Cantaloupe: Minnesota Midget
Cauliflower: Goodman
Cauliflower: Goodman
Cucumbers: Suyo Long, Lemon, Marketmore or Striped Armenian
Eggplant: Orient Express
Okra: Bowling Red & Candle Fire
Snap or Snow Peas
For those with the Egg option [Full & Half Shares]: one dozen free-range eggs
For those with the Herb option: sweet basil, ginger mint, thyme
What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 0.2"
Well the biggest news this week is that we didn't have storm damage, unlike so many people around the state. It was just about a year ago that we were hit with a tornado that did extensive damage around the farm so we are most relieved to have skipped that experience this round. We are so sorry for all our farmer friends and others who are now trying to figure out how to dig out from the storm. We did have plenty of wind and a tiny bit of rain. It sure looked impressive as it rolled in. We were in the field trying desperately to get transplants planted ahead of the rain. This was the kind of planting we refer to as "whomping it in!" Which means we are not doing any extra steps, just basically stuffing plants into small holes as fast as we can. Four of us "whomped in" over 600 napa cabbage and lettuce transplants in about 40 minutes and then made a mad dash for the barn amid wind and rain. I wanted to get a picture, but was too muddy to touch my phone! Then after all that, we only got 0.2" of rain, not even enough to really water in the new plants so the irrigation will have to take over again.
The irrigation system has been working hard this week, as has the crew. A big focus this week has been clearing all the spent beds to prep for fall crops. I'm embarrassed to say that we had to resort to weed whackers and mowers in some beds, but you do what you have to do. We made good progress and are looking forward to the getting all the new crops in.
Some fun things this week include the appearance of spaghetti squash and sweet peppers in today's delivery. The peppers have been a bit slow to color and we really prefer to send them out ripe so we waited until now. We grow quite a variety of peppers and hope that we can get all of them into your boxes before the end of the season, so here's a little sweet pepper introduction so you will know what you are receiving (hot peppers will follow soon).
Ace- green to red bell, thin walled
Bianca- ivory to red bell
Meet the Crew: Emme
One of my favorite parts of being part of the crew at Blue Gate Farm is that I have the opportunity to "be the change [I] wish to see in the world." I am passionate about local food, ecological health and the relationship between the two. I often feel overwhelmed by the state of our planet and global food supplies, and that all of our problems are too big to fix. Being able to make a living while growing eco-friendly, chemical-free food for local consumers still feels like a dream. There are days, however, when the physical demands of the type of labor we perform remind me that I am indeed awake.But my love for the work is not purely philosophical.
It is a workout - physically, mentally and emotionally. Some days,
it takes a lot of work to convince myself that I can do the actual
work. It feels good to complete the tasks - physically, mentally and
emotionally. Growing nutritious food has become both a cause and effect
of my own wellness plan, and that is a connection that I believe will remain
intact long after my last date of employment on the farm.
I am fiercely proud that I have been able to be part of the
farm for four seasons now. I am infinitely grateful to have members like
you making this great livelihood possible. Each week as I pack your
boxes, I hope that the food brings you similar joy as it does to me.
A little detail on your produce this week:
Precipitation in the past week: 0.2"
Well the biggest news this week is that we didn't have storm damage, unlike so many people around the state. It was just about a year ago that we were hit with a tornado that did extensive damage around the farm so we are most relieved to have skipped that experience this round. We are so sorry for all our farmer friends and others who are now trying to figure out how to dig out from the storm. We did have plenty of wind and a tiny bit of rain. It sure looked impressive as it rolled in. We were in the field trying desperately to get transplants planted ahead of the rain. This was the kind of planting we refer to as "whomping it in!" Which means we are not doing any extra steps, just basically stuffing plants into small holes as fast as we can. Four of us "whomped in" over 600 napa cabbage and lettuce transplants in about 40 minutes and then made a mad dash for the barn amid wind and rain. I wanted to get a picture, but was too muddy to touch my phone! Then after all that, we only got 0.2" of rain, not even enough to really water in the new plants so the irrigation will have to take over again.
The irrigation system has been working hard this week, as has the crew. A big focus this week has been clearing all the spent beds to prep for fall crops. I'm embarrassed to say that we had to resort to weed whackers and mowers in some beds, but you do what you have to do. We made good progress and are looking forward to the getting all the new crops in.
Some fun things this week include the appearance of spaghetti squash and sweet peppers in today's delivery. The peppers have been a bit slow to color and we really prefer to send them out ripe so we waited until now. We grow quite a variety of peppers and hope that we can get all of them into your boxes before the end of the season, so here's a little sweet pepper introduction so you will know what you are receiving (hot peppers will follow soon).
The irrigation system has been working hard this week, as has the crew. A big focus this week has been clearing all the spent beds to prep for fall crops. I'm embarrassed to say that we had to resort to weed whackers and mowers in some beds, but you do what you have to do. We made good progress and are looking forward to the getting all the new crops in.
Some fun things this week include the appearance of spaghetti squash and sweet peppers in today's delivery. The peppers have been a bit slow to color and we really prefer to send them out ripe so we waited until now. We grow quite a variety of peppers and hope that we can get all of them into your boxes before the end of the season, so here's a little sweet pepper introduction so you will know what you are receiving (hot peppers will follow soon).
Ace- green to red bell, thin walled
Bianca- ivory to red bell
Carmen-green to red Italian pepper (long, pointed)
Golden Marconi-green to yellow Italian pepper
Islander- purple to orange bell
Paradicsom Alaku Sarga Szentes- squat green to yellow Hungarian pepper
Lunchbox Mix: bite-sized peppers in yellow, red & orange
Quadrato D'Asti Giallo-large, thick walled green to yellow bell
Revolution
Meet the Crew: Emme
One of my favorite parts of being part of the crew at Blue Gate Farm is that I have the opportunity to "be the change [I] wish to see in the world." I am passionate about local food, ecological health and the relationship between the two. I often feel overwhelmed by the state of our planet and global food supplies, and that all of our problems are too big to fix. Being able to make a living while growing eco-friendly, chemical-free food for local consumers still feels like a dream. There are days, however, when the physical demands of the type of labor we perform remind me that I am indeed awake.But my love for the work is not purely philosophical.
It is a workout - physically, mentally and emotionally. Some days,
it takes a lot of work to convince myself that I can do the actual
work. It feels good to complete the tasks - physically, mentally and
emotionally. Growing nutritious food has become both a cause and effect
of my own wellness plan, and that is a connection that I believe will remain
intact long after my last date of employment on the farm.
I am fiercely proud that I have been able to be part of the
farm for four seasons now. I am infinitely grateful to have members like
you making this great livelihood possible. Each week as I pack your
boxes, I hope that the food brings you similar joy as it does to me.
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 or clamshell, 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.
Beans:Fresh beans are an easy "store." Just leave them in their plastic bag and keep them in the produce drawer. Can last up to 2 weeks.
Broccoli & Cauliflower: Wrap loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak, 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/cauliflower in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and too wilted to enjoy.) Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using.
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.
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.
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: best kept in a plastic bag or glass container in your refrigerator. Use within a week.
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.
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 or clamshell, 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.
Beans:Fresh beans are an easy "store." Just leave them in their plastic bag and keep them in the produce drawer. Can last up to 2 weeks.
Broccoli & Cauliflower: Wrap loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak, 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/cauliflower in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and too wilted to enjoy.) Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: best kept in a plastic bag or glass container in your refrigerator. Use within a week.
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.
Spaghetti Squash: A true winter squash, store spaghetti squash like you would an acorn or butternut squash, at room temperature or a bit cooler (basement) with good air circulation. To prepare, bake in the oven or the quicker version is to microwave 5 mins/lb until fork goes through. Cut squash in half and scope out the seeds. Scoop out seeds, then scoop out the flesh of the squash and flake off “spaghetti” into strands and use as a pasta replacement or as a vegetable side dish.
Spaghetti Squash: A true winter squash, store spaghetti squash like you would an acorn or butternut squash, at room temperature or a bit cooler (basement) with good air circulation. To prepare, bake in the oven or the quicker version is to microwave 5 mins/lb until fork goes through. Cut squash in half and scope out the seeds. Scoop out seeds, then scoop out the flesh of the squash and flake off “spaghetti” into strands and use as a pasta replacement or as a vegetable side dish.
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! Our varieties: 8 Ball (green,round), Golden Glory (bright yellow zucchini), Patty Pan(scalloped white, green or yellow), Slik Pik (thin, yellow) or Zephyr (green & yellow)
Tomatoes: always store whole tomatoes at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Once cut, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
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)
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! Our varieties: 8 Ball (green,round), Golden Glory (bright yellow zucchini), Patty Pan(scalloped white, green or yellow), Slik Pik (thin, yellow) or Zephyr (green & yellow)
Tomatoes: always store whole tomatoes at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Once cut, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
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)
 |
| Indigo, Luci & Sky |
No comments:
Post a Comment