In this week’s box:
Basil: Genovese or Large Leaf
Bean Mix: Carson (yellow) & Empress (green)
Carrots: Rainbow Mix
Choi: Black Summer
Garlic: Northern WhiteHead Lettuce: assorted varietiesJubilee Cherry Tomato Mix descriptions in 7/20 newsletterSummer Squash: 8 Ball (round, green), Golden Glory (yellow zucchini), Patty Pan (green or yellow, round scallop), Safari (dk green zucchini with light stripes), Slik Pik (lt. yellow, long), Zephyr (yellow & light green)Tomatoes: slicers *see descriptions below and perhaps one of the following:Broccoli: Gypsy (side shoots)Cauliflower: Song or Snow CrownCucumbers: Marketmore (traditional English) or Suyo Long (long, Asian-type)Eggplant: Orient Express (thin, dark purple, Asian-style) or Orient Charm (thin, neon purple, Asian-style)Red Okra: Burgundy and Candle Fire
For those with the Herb option: Amethyst basil, dill & sorrel
Featured Recipes:
BGF Garlic Roasted Green Beans *see recipe below*BGF Pesto *see recipe below*
Garlic: Northern White
Head Lettuce: assorted varieties
Jubilee Cherry Tomato Mix descriptions in 7/20 newsletter
Summer Squash: 8 Ball (round, green), Golden Glory (yellow zucchini), Patty Pan (green or yellow, round scallop), Safari (dk green zucchini with light stripes), Slik Pik (lt. yellow, long), Zephyr (yellow & light green)
Tomatoes: slicers *see descriptions below
and perhaps one of the following:
Broccoli: Gypsy (side shoots)
Cauliflower: Song or Snow Crown
Cucumbers: Marketmore (traditional English) or Suyo Long (long, Asian-type)
Eggplant: Orient Express (thin, dark purple, Asian-style) or Orient Charm (thin, neon purple, Asian-style)
Red Okra: Burgundy and Candle Fire
For those with the Herb option: Amethyst basil, dill & sorrel
Featured Recipes:
BGF Garlic Roasted Green Beans *see recipe below*
BGF Pesto *see recipe below*
What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 0.00 "
The story of the week has to be the heat. It affects nearly everything we do right now. Even though we do keep working regardless of the weather, we do take the health and safety of our crew and livestock very seriously. There are LOTS of water and shade breaks for everyone!
The heat is also affecting the crops, especially the greens. We are seeing premature bolting in some of the varieties in our current lettuce bed. We're hoping the other varieties can hold out until the next crop is ready, but there may be a break in lettuce availabilty in a couple of weeks. The peas have also given up the fight, but it was an impressive pea crop this season, so we'll just bid them a fond farewell.
We do have a new warm weather green, called Malabar Spinach, coming on that we are so far, super happy with.
The first carrot harvest is headed to you today. Carrots are kind of a crazy crop for us, sometimes they do great and sometimes they bomb, mostly due to certain critters liking them as much as we do. We're pretty happy with today's harvest, though there were some interesting characters in the bunch! We started harvesting the first of the potatoes this week too and they also look good, you'll probably see them in your boxes next week.
Since he is on farm full time this summer, Sean has returned to beekeeping. Late last week he was able to capture a swarm that had landed in a small plum tree. It was a pretty easy "re-homing" for everyone and you can see a short video of the transfer on our facebook page.
We are sending out the first of the slicing tomatoes this week and we should have just enough for everyone to get a "taste" but don't worry, there are many more to come! And some of them have a bit more "character" than others, just close your eyes and enjoy the delicious taste :)While we "met" the cherry tomatoes last week, here's an introduction to the rainbow of slicing tomatoes that are starting to appear in your boxes this week:
Azoycha: Lemon-yellow medium-sized fruits with sweet, yet rich flavor.Black Krim: purple/red slicing tomato with excellent full flavor Cosmonaut Volkov: medium-large red slicer with a full-rich flavorRutgers : large, red with excellent flavor for fresh eating or canning
As you can see, we raise a variety of colors of tomatoes, so color isn't your best indication of ripeness, touch is. A ripe tomato should yield to a gentle squeeze of your fingertips. If it feels hard, it's probably not quite ripe. Just leave it out on your counter for a day or 2 and try again.
Fun Farm Facts: Before starting the farm, Jill & Sean lived in Houston, TX where Sean was the General Manager of the Alley Theater and Jill was the Managing Director of Illuminations Arts, a Deaf/hearing theater company. Not your typical pathway to farming!
Crew Corner: Indigo
Dog crew member #2 is Indigo, our 7 year old Blue Heeler. Heelers are traditionally very smart, independent working dogs with a crazy level of internal drive. Then there is Indigo. He is 98% companion dog and about 2% working dog. He loves the farm crew and is everyone's buddy. His favorite task is supervising bean harvesting & packaging (also known as snack time). He loves to play ball and romp and tumble with Sky, but meals and treats will always take priority over playtime.
A little detail on your produce this week:
Precipitation in the past week: 0.00 "
The heat is also affecting the crops, especially the greens. We are seeing premature bolting in some of the varieties in our current lettuce bed. We're hoping the other varieties can hold out until the next crop is ready, but there may be a break in lettuce availabilty in a couple of weeks. The peas have also given up the fight, but it was an impressive pea crop this season, so we'll just bid them a fond farewell.
We do have a new warm weather green, called Malabar Spinach, coming on that we are so far, super happy with.
The first carrot harvest is headed to you today. Carrots are kind of a crazy crop for us, sometimes they do great and sometimes they bomb, mostly due to certain critters liking them as much as we do. We're pretty happy with today's harvest, though there were some interesting characters in the bunch! We started harvesting the first of the potatoes this week too and they also look good, you'll probably see them in your boxes next week.
Since he is on farm full time this summer, Sean has returned to beekeeping. Late last week he was able to capture a swarm that had landed in a small plum tree. It was a pretty easy "re-homing" for everyone and you can see a short video of the transfer on our facebook page.
While we "met" the cherry tomatoes last week, here's an introduction to the rainbow of slicing tomatoes that are starting to appear in your boxes this week:
Azoycha: Lemon-yellow medium-sized fruits with sweet, yet rich flavor.
Black Krim: purple/red slicing tomato with excellent full flavor
Cosmonaut Volkov: medium-large red slicer with a full-rich flavor
Dr. Wychee Yellow: Large orange tomato with meaty, rich tasting flavor.
Granadero: Red plum tomato with thick-walled fruit; ideal for fresh tomato sauces, salsas, and salads
Green Zebra: Small, 2 1/2" olive yellow with green stripes and a sweet zingy flavor
John Baer: meaty red heirloom slicer
Marmalade: round, orange fruits with sweet tomato flavor
Matina: Red, golf-ball sized fruits with big, well-balanced flavor
Paul Robeson: Large, brick-red fruits with dark green shoulders. Has a sweet, rich, smoky flavor.
Pantano Romanesco: A large, deep red Roman heirloom. The flesh is very rich, flavorful & juicy.
Redfield Beauty: 3”– 4” flat pink fruits with excellent, full flavor.
San Marzano II: Red paste tomato with old world taste
White Queen: Medium-sized, smooth white-skinned tomato with sweet, juicy flesh, low acid.
As you can see, we raise a variety of colors of tomatoes, so color isn't your best indication of ripeness, touch is. A ripe tomato should yield to a gentle squeeze of your fingertips. If it feels hard, it's probably not quite ripe. Just leave it out on your counter for a day or 2 and try again.
Fun Farm Facts: Before starting the farm, Jill & Sean lived in Houston, TX where Sean was the General Manager of the Alley Theater and Jill was the Managing Director of Illuminations Arts, a Deaf/hearing theater company. Not your typical pathway to farming!
Crew Corner: Indigo
Dog crew member #2 is Indigo, our 7 year old Blue Heeler. Heelers are traditionally very smart, independent working dogs with a crazy level of internal drive. Then there is Indigo. He is 98% companion dog and about 2% working dog. He loves the farm crew and is everyone's buddy. His favorite task is supervising bean harvesting & packaging (also known as snack time). He loves to play ball and romp and tumble with Sky, but meals and treats will always take priority over playtime.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.
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.
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.
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 soaked in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.) Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using.
Carrots: These "mid-season" carrots are a little different than the candy-sweet gems of cool weather carrots. They are a little more strongly flavored, a little earthy. This makes them perfect for cooking and more complicated recipes, as some might not love them for fresh eating. Remove the leafy green tops (and store separately), leaving about an inch of stems. Refrigerate dry, unwashed carrots in a plastic bag for two weeks or longer. Peel carrots or scrub carrots well with a stiff brush just before using. Trim off any green spots, which can taste bitter. When slicing or chopping carrots for cooking, be sure to make all the pieces relatively the same size; this will ensure an evenly cooked dish. Greens can be added to soup stock for flavor or made into a tasty pesto!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 soaked in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.) Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using.
Carrots: These "mid-season" carrots are a little different than the candy-sweet gems of cool weather carrots. They are a little more strongly flavored, a little earthy. This makes them perfect for cooking and more complicated recipes, as some might not love them for fresh eating. Remove the leafy green tops (and store separately), leaving about an inch of stems. Refrigerate dry, unwashed carrots in a plastic bag for two weeks or longer. Peel carrots or scrub carrots well with a stiff brush just before using. Trim off any green spots, which can taste bitter. When slicing or chopping carrots for cooking, be sure to make all the pieces relatively the same size; this will ensure an evenly cooked dish. Greens can be added to soup stock for flavor or made into a tasty pesto!
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.
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. 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: 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 container 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.
Tomatoes: prefer to reside on your counter and not in the refrigerator unless they have been sliced.
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. Large leaf greens can benefit by being wrapped in a linen or cotton towel inside the bag if excess moisture is a concern.
** 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? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.
That's about it for now. If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.Best from the farm,Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)
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 container 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.
Tomatoes: prefer to reside on your counter and not in the refrigerator unless they have been sliced.
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. Large leaf greens can benefit by being wrapped in a linen or cotton towel inside the bag if excess moisture is a concern.
** 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? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.
That's about it for now. If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.
Best from the farm,
Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)
 |
| Indigo, Luci & Sky |
BGF Garlic Roasted Beans
(based on a recipe from Angela Tedesco,
Turtle Farm)
1 lb fresh beans, washed and dried
4 tbs olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbs seasoned rice vinegar
¼ c. sesame seeds, roasted
¼ c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss beans with 1 tbs.
olive oil. Spread in single layer on baking sheet and roast 15 minutes,
stirring after 8 minutes. Stir garlic and salt together, add vinegar and
remaining oil. When beans are roasted, toss with dressing and top with sesame
seeds and Parmesan. Season with
additional salt and pepper if desired.
Blue Gate Farm
Pesto
2 cloves Garlic (garlic lovers can add more) green garlic or garlic scapes are also good.
2 c. Basil (any variety, a mix is particularly nice)
1-2 leaves Sorrel (optional)
½ c. Olive oil
6-10 oz fresh tomatoes,
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)
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.
Also, if we are making a large batch for the freezer, for best quality, we omit the cheese and seeds. Freeze as is and then add those items in when we are ready to use.
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