In this week’s box:
Asian PearsBasil: Genovese and/or Italian Large LeafBeets: Ace, Chioggia and/or Golden mixCabbage: Farao (a few cosmetic flaws, but still good!)Cherry Tomato Mix *descriptions in 7/20 newsletterFennelHead Lettuce: assorted varietiesLeeksPeppers: Sweet *descriptions in 8/3 newsletterTomatoes: slicers *descriptions in 7/27 newsletter
and perhaps one of the following:Bean MixBroccoli: Belstar and/or ImperialEggplant: Orient Express (thin, dark purple, Asian-style), Orient Charm (thin, neon purple, Asian-style) or Listada De Gandia (purple/white striped, Italian-style)Red Okra: Burgundy and Candle FireSummer 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)Watermelon: Cream of Saskatchewan (striped outside, cream inside) or Sugar Baby (solid green outside, red inside)
For those with the Herb option: Thai basil, anise hyssop & parsley
Asian Pears
Basil: Genovese and/or Italian Large Leaf
Beets: Ace, Chioggia and/or Golden mix
Cabbage: Farao (a few cosmetic flaws, but still good!)
Cherry Tomato Mix *descriptions in 7/20 newsletter
Fennel
Head Lettuce: assorted varieties
Leeks
Peppers: Sweet *descriptions in 8/3 newsletter
Tomatoes: slicers *descriptions in 7/27 newsletter
and perhaps one of the following:
Bean Mix
Broccoli: Belstar and/or Imperial
Eggplant: Orient Express (thin, dark purple, Asian-style), Orient Charm (thin, neon purple, Asian-style) or Listada De Gandia (purple/white striped, Italian-style)
Red Okra: Burgundy and Candle Fire
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)
Watermelon: Cream of Saskatchewan (striped outside, cream inside) or Sugar Baby (solid green outside, red inside)
For those with the Herb option: Thai basil, anise hyssop & parsley
What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 1.00"
The signs of fall are becoming more numerous. The nights are reliably cooler and the breeze through the windows is glorious. The trees are fading into an ombre of green and yellow (the reds are later). The migratory birds are starting to group up for travel. The ditches and field margins are filled with yellow blooms and there are spider webs everywhere you turn, glowing with dew at sunrise. We've also spotted the first of the wild asters blooming around the farm. My grandpa called them "frost flower"
and said they were the sign that the first frost would follow in 2 weeks. (We've found 4 weeks to be more likely, and about on schedule for our area.)The more practical and pertinent signs are that all the warm weather crops are slowing down and many are starting to die off. The summer squash haven't died yet, though they look like it. We will likely pull them in the next week. The beans are being harassed by insects sowing #2 is pretty devastated. We're waiting to pull them because I'm concerned that the bugs will move over to sowing #3 if we do, but even that bed has slowed way down. The basil is still putting out a good effort, but the cooler nighttime temps will offend it soon, so this might be the last delivery of basil.
The tomatoes have also slowed way down. The recent rains, after so much dry weather, damaged a lot of the fruits and the vines are dying back fairly quickly, especially the slicers. I anticipate at least another couple of weeks of tomatoes, but we'll probably only have enough for a couple per box.
Fruit tree harvest has begun in earnest. Our yellow peaches & plums came off last month, but now we are harvesting the native white Iowa peaches, Bartlett and Asian pears. It is keeping us hopping between the trees and the fields! Speaking of the Asian pears, we are sending out a "little" treat today. One of our young Asian pears produced a bounty crop of gold-ball sized fruits that are delicious, but small. Those of you who were with us last year will remember the "mouse apples" as we called them. Well, they're a bit bigger this year, but not much. So while it may seem silly, we're sharing them for the sheer tiny, tasty joy of it.
Back in the fields the fall crops are coming along nicely and we hope to start harvesting some of them in the next 2 weeks.
The only one that didn't do well was the turnips. All the wet weather hit at just the wrong time for them and a fungal disease slammed through the entire bed, ruining them. We had to clear them before they infected neighboring crops, so off they go, for the neighbor's pigs to enjoy. It's tough to lose a whole crop like that, but it happens. We've resown two new beds and are hopeful they have enough time to size up before winter hits.
Precipitation in the past week: 1.00"
The signs of fall are becoming more numerous. The nights are reliably cooler and the breeze through the windows is glorious. The trees are fading into an ombre of green and yellow (the reds are later). The migratory birds are starting to group up for travel. The ditches and field margins are filled with yellow blooms and there are spider webs everywhere you turn, glowing with dew at sunrise. We've also spotted the first of the wild asters blooming around the farm. My grandpa called them "frost flower"
and said they were the sign that the first frost would follow in 2 weeks. (We've found 4 weeks to be more likely, and about on schedule for our area.)
The more practical and pertinent signs are that all the warm weather crops are slowing down and many are starting to die off. The summer squash haven't died yet, though they look like it. We will likely pull them in the next week. The beans are being harassed by insects sowing #2 is pretty devastated. We're waiting to pull them because I'm concerned that the bugs will move over to sowing #3 if we do, but even that bed has slowed way down. The basil is still putting out a good effort, but the cooler nighttime temps will offend it soon, so this might be the last delivery of basil.
The tomatoes have also slowed way down. The recent rains, after so much dry weather, damaged a lot of the fruits and the vines are dying back fairly quickly, especially the slicers. I anticipate at least another couple of weeks of tomatoes, but we'll probably only have enough for a couple per box.
Fruit tree harvest has begun in earnest. Our yellow peaches & plums came off last month, but now we are harvesting the native white Iowa peaches, Bartlett and Asian pears. It is keeping us hopping between the trees and the fields! Speaking of the Asian pears, we are sending out a "little" treat today. One of our young Asian pears produced a bounty crop of gold-ball sized fruits that are delicious, but small. Those of you who were with us last year will remember the "mouse apples" as we called them. Well, they're a bit bigger this year, but not much. So while it may seem silly, we're sharing them for the sheer tiny, tasty joy of it.Back in the fields the fall crops are coming along nicely and we hope to start harvesting some of them in the next 2 weeks.
The only one that didn't do well was the turnips. All the wet weather hit at just the wrong time for them and a fungal disease slammed through the entire bed, ruining them. We had to clear them before they infected neighboring crops, so off they go, for the neighbor's pigs to enjoy. It's tough to lose a whole crop like that, but it happens. We've resown two new beds and are hopeful they have enough time to size up before winter hits.Member Spotlight: David DeckerI invited David to be our next spotlight as another of our long-time members but especially because he is our most active poster on the BGF Community page, sharing great recipes, drool-worthy photos and lots of inspirational insight on seasonal eating as you'll see below.
Greetings,
all! I am David Decker; I work with benefit election portals at Principal
Financial Group by day, and by night I’m a foodie, technophile, and dance
teacher.
I have split a CSA share with my friend Nicole McLuen for many years. In fact,
it’s a big factor in how we became friends (and fellow foodies). Shortly after
we first met, we determined that we both liked picking up fresh produce at the
farmer’s market. Later when she offered to split a Blue Gate Farm CSA share
with me, I jumped at the opportunity, and it’s been a journey of enjoying
cooking, food, and each other ever since.
Over the years, I’ve learned to set myself up for success with my CSA produce:
- Keep produce
visible –
Whether in the fridge or on the counter (following those awesome BGF
storage suggestions), I make sure my CSA produce often enters my gaze – in
clear containers, at the front of fridge shelves or drawers —whenever
possible – so it’s visible/available for use/inventory. In sight, in
mind ;)
- Batch
prepping -
I've formed a habit of batch prepping some of the food soon after picking
up CSA shares. This means making the produce “recipe-ready” or
ready-to-eat. Examples of this include:
- Roasting – Roast veggies -- squash,
peppers, broccoli, onions, carrots, etc. -- so that they are ready to
throw into a grain bowl (with some pre-cooked grains and some leftover
roasted meat), for a quick lunch or evening meal.
- Washing/Cutting
for snacking –
Those delectable turnips, carrots, peppers, etc.… can be cut up into
snacking size – to pair with hummus or baba ganoush.
- Freezing – I freeze fennel fronds for
future use in a chicken or egg salad. Don’t think I will use that BGF
celery up in time? I'll put it in my freezer stock bag (see below).
- Recipe
clipping –
I’ve accumulated a stash of recipes I can reference for using up seasonal
veggies. I use the app Paprika (available for iOS, Android, Mac &
Windows) to clip web recipes into my own archive whenever I find them
during the year. The app allows me to manually type in my own recipes as
well.
- Seasonal
recipe favorites –
I have some cherished seasonal recipes I look forward to making each year
– Alice Water’s Turnip Soup,
shingled fried Eggplant Parmesan, Roasted Tomato Sauce, and (so not
authentic, but still delicious) Kimchi. When their key ingredients show
up in my CSA, I’m excited to incorporate these recipe gems into my meal
plans.
- Veggie-forward
breakfasts – Breakfast is a great opportunity
to make a pan of veggies (make extra to have leftovers for a 2nd day’s
breakfast while you are at it) and serve with a couple over-medium (or
poached, hard-boiled, scrambled, omelet-ed) eggs.
- Find a sense
of play –
Providing oneself with tools and permission for creativity/improvisation
go a long way. I reference the book The Flavor Bible ( GoodReads | Amazon ) which
provides ingredient pairing ideas for that CSA veggie I’m not yet inspired
to use. I then do a web search for recipes with those
ingredient pairings; those recipes become springboards—suggestions for the
direction I'll go a-cookin'.
- Collect
stock ingredients –
I save veggie scraps and CSA veggies that are reaching the end of their
fresh-stage-of-usefulness in a container (or Ziplock bag) in my freezer
(carrots, carrot or fennel fronds, celery, parsley stems, tomato cores,
onions, garlic skins/cloves, asparagus stalk, or mushroom stems) – to make
into a stock. The stock can then be used to braise veggies for breakfast,
cook grains, make risotto or soup.
I
find seasonal produce to be a great source of inspiration for my cooking. While
I supplement my spring/summer/fall veggie supplies with VegEmail pickup and
farmer’s market purchases, BGF CSA is my foundation for seasonal produce.
Sidenote: I typed this member
spotlight while enjoying a snack of BGF mini peppers, cucumber, and broccoli
with some homemade hummus (BGF garlic) and baba ganoush (BGF eggplants). Late
summer delights! Enjoy it while you can; ‘tis the season!
Member Spotlight: David Decker
I invited David to be our next spotlight as another of our long-time members but especially because he is our most active poster on the BGF Community page, sharing great recipes, drool-worthy photos and lots of inspirational insight on seasonal eating as you'll see below.
I have split a CSA share with my friend Nicole McLuen for many years. In fact, it’s a big factor in how we became friends (and fellow foodies). Shortly after we first met, we determined that we both liked picking up fresh produce at the farmer’s market. Later when she offered to split a Blue Gate Farm CSA share with me, I jumped at the opportunity, and it’s been a journey of enjoying cooking, food, and each other ever since.
Over the years, I’ve learned to set myself up for success with my CSA produce:
- Keep produce
visible –
Whether in the fridge or on the counter (following those awesome BGF
storage suggestions), I make sure my CSA produce often enters my gaze – in
clear containers, at the front of fridge shelves or drawers —whenever
possible – so it’s visible/available for use/inventory. In sight, in
mind ;)
- Batch
prepping -
I've formed a habit of batch prepping some of the food soon after picking
up CSA shares. This means making the produce “recipe-ready” or
ready-to-eat. Examples of this include:
- Roasting – Roast veggies -- squash,
peppers, broccoli, onions, carrots, etc. -- so that they are ready to
throw into a grain bowl (with some pre-cooked grains and some leftover
roasted meat), for a quick lunch or evening meal.
- Washing/Cutting
for snacking –
Those delectable turnips, carrots, peppers, etc.… can be cut up into
snacking size – to pair with hummus or baba ganoush.
- Freezing – I freeze fennel fronds for
future use in a chicken or egg salad. Don’t think I will use that BGF
celery up in time? I'll put it in my freezer stock bag (see below).
- Recipe
clipping –
I’ve accumulated a stash of recipes I can reference for using up seasonal
veggies. I use the app Paprika (available for iOS, Android, Mac &
Windows) to clip web recipes into my own archive whenever I find them
during the year. The app allows me to manually type in my own recipes as
well.
- Seasonal
recipe favorites –
I have some cherished seasonal recipes I look forward to making each year
– Alice Water’s Turnip Soup,
shingled fried Eggplant Parmesan, Roasted Tomato Sauce, and (so not
authentic, but still delicious) Kimchi. When their key ingredients show
up in my CSA, I’m excited to incorporate these recipe gems into my meal
plans.
- Veggie-forward
breakfasts – Breakfast is a great opportunity
to make a pan of veggies (make extra to have leftovers for a 2nd day’s
breakfast while you are at it) and serve with a couple over-medium (or
poached, hard-boiled, scrambled, omelet-ed) eggs.
- Find a sense
of play –
Providing oneself with tools and permission for creativity/improvisation
go a long way. I reference the book The Flavor Bible ( GoodReads | Amazon ) which
provides ingredient pairing ideas for that CSA veggie I’m not yet inspired
to use. I then do a web search for recipes with those
ingredient pairings; those recipes become springboards—suggestions for the
direction I'll go a-cookin'.
- Collect
stock ingredients –
I save veggie scraps and CSA veggies that are reaching the end of their
fresh-stage-of-usefulness in a container (or Ziplock bag) in my freezer
(carrots, carrot or fennel fronds, celery, parsley stems, tomato cores,
onions, garlic skins/cloves, asparagus stalk, or mushroom stems) – to make
into a stock. The stock can then be used to braise veggies for breakfast,
cook grains, make risotto or soup.
I find seasonal produce to be a great source of inspiration for my cooking. While I supplement my spring/summer/fall veggie supplies with VegEmail pickup and farmer’s market purchases, BGF CSA is my foundation for seasonal produce.
A little detail on your produce this week:
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- 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: 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.
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- 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: 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.
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.
Leeks: Loosely wrap unwashed leeks in a plastic bag and store them in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. They will keep for a couple of weeks. To use- Cut the leek about 1 inch above the white part, where the leaves begin changing from dark to light green. (Save the unused greens; they’ll give great flavor to your next vegetable stock.) Fan the leaves under running water to dislodge any dirt collected there, then pat thoroughly dry. You can julienne a leek by cutting it lengthwise, or slice it crosswise. If you want to clean a leek that you will be cooking whole, make a slit down one side to within an inch or two of the root end. Then spread the leaves under running lukewarm water to clean the leek. During cooking the leek will stay whole. When serving, arrange the leek with the cut side down.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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 |
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