In this week’s box:
ArugulaChoi: Fun Jen (frilly, bright green leaves)Garlic ScapesHead Lettuce: asst.Misome (round, dark green leaves)ScallionsSugar Snap PeasSnow PeasTurnips: Hakurei (Japanese salad turnips)
For those with the Herb It! option: Herb share will hopefully begin next weekFor those with Bread Share: 7-Grain Hamburger Buns
Featured Recipes:
Grilled Scallions with Sesame Oil (recipe below)Sesame Noodles with Mustard Greens (recipe below) *BGF favorite!
Arugula
Choi: Fun Jen (frilly, bright green leaves)
Garlic Scapes
Head Lettuce: asst.
Misome (round, dark green leaves)
Scallions
Sugar Snap Peas
Snow Peas
Turnips: Hakurei (Japanese salad turnips)
For those with the Herb It! option: Herb share will hopefully begin next week
For those with Bread Share: 7-Grain Hamburger Buns
Featured Recipes:
Grilled Scallions with Sesame Oil (recipe below)
Sesame Noodles with Mustard Greens (recipe below) *BGF favorite!
What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 0.00"
Happy 1st day of summer! It seems somehow appropriate that the weather is extra "summer-y" today! We missed out on all the rain in the past week, so with the extra heat, the theme for this week is water all the things...the crops, the animals and the crew, as often as possible!
Amid water and shade breaks, we were able to get a lot of cultivating done thanks to the dry conditions. We also did a bit of transplanting, sowed more beets, beans and edamame and got another round of hilling done on the potatoes. We are starting to see nice blooms on the potatoes which indicates they are starting to set potatoes under those hills. 
Blooming potatoes
Freshly cultivated El Norte plot
At this past week's delivery one of our new members asked me if they were only going to get greens all season. I know it may feel like that right now, but I want to assure everyone that it is simply the nature of eating seasonally and the season is about to change. Early season crops are mainly greens and we try to embrace that with interesting and unique varieties. But there are many weeks to go in the CSA season and many more crops to come. This week we are having an explosion of peas! Given the heat, it will probably be short lived so we are celebrating by sending out both sugar snap and snow peas to everyone this week. It's unusual that we have enough of both at the same time to do so! Pea Party!! 
We are also seeing the first of the summer squashes set on. They tend to be the harbingers of the mid-season crops and I predict we will send those out in some boxes next week. Root crops like beets and carrots are still at least a couple of weeks away and we are probably at least a month away from tomatoes since they were planted so late due to the cool spring. Other new additions in the coming weeks will be basil, celery, beans, cabbage, broccoli and onions. I hope that gives everyone (especially new members) some hope that there is more variety to come, much, much more!
Precipitation in the past week: 0.00"
We are also seeing the first of the summer squashes set on. They tend to be the harbingers of the mid-season crops and I predict we will send those out in some boxes next week. Root crops like beets and carrots are still at least a couple of weeks away and we are probably at least a month away from tomatoes since they were planted so late due to the cool spring. Other new additions in the coming weeks will be basil, celery, beans, cabbage, broccoli and onions. I hope that gives everyone (especially new members) some hope that there is more variety to come, much, much more!
Happy 1st day of summer! It seems somehow appropriate that the weather is extra "summer-y" today! We missed out on all the rain in the past week, so with the extra heat, the theme for this week is water all the things...the crops, the animals and the crew, as often as possible!
Amid water and shade breaks, we were able to get a lot of cultivating done thanks to the dry conditions. We also did a bit of transplanting, sowed more beets, beans and edamame and got another round of hilling done on the potatoes. We are starting to see nice blooms on the potatoes which indicates they are starting to set potatoes under those hills.
|
| Blooming potatoes |
|
| Freshly cultivated El Norte plot |
At this past week's delivery one of our new members asked me if they were only going to get greens all season. I know it may feel like that right now, but I want to assure everyone that it is simply the nature of eating seasonally and the season is about to change. Early season crops are mainly greens and we try to embrace that with interesting and unique varieties. But there are many weeks to go in the CSA season and many more crops to come. This week we are having an explosion of peas! Given the heat, it will probably be short lived so we are celebrating by sending out both sugar snap and snow peas to everyone this week. It's unusual that we have enough of both at the same time to do so! Pea Party!!
We are also seeing the first of the summer squashes set on. They tend to be the harbingers of the mid-season crops and I predict we will send those out in some boxes next week. Root crops like beets and carrots are still at least a couple of weeks away and we are probably at least a month away from tomatoes since they were planted so late due to the cool spring. Other new additions in the coming weeks will be basil, celery, beans, cabbage, broccoli and onions. I hope that gives everyone (especially new members) some hope that there is more variety to come, much, much more!A little detail on your produce this week:
Choi (a.k.a. - pac choi, bok choy or pok choy) is a member of the cabbage family and is a traditional Asian stir-fry vegetable. Both the stems and leaves of choi can be used and are especially tasty in cooked recipes. If cooking them, separate the leaves and stems, and begin cooking stems first to avoid overcooking the more tender greens. You can also use the leaves like any green-leafy vegetable and the stems like celery. We tend to use choi leaves as a sandwich wrap, or just roughly chop the whole thing and sauté with garlic and/or onion. Cook until stems are tender and dress with a little seasoned rice vinegar. Store choi loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your produce drawer.
Garlic Scapes: One of our favorite crops of the year. These curly green things are the emerging flower stalk from a hardneck garlic plant. We remove them to redirect more of the plant's energy into the bulb, but it also provides us with a delightful fresh garlic treat. These keep very well in a plastic bag in your produce drawer and can be used in any recipe calling for garlic. They make a great pesto and can be minced and added to room-temperature butter, which is then stored in log shape, in the freezer for a last minute dollop of goodness for vegetables, breads or meat. We also enjoyed them tossed whole in olive oil and grilled as a side dish.
Choi (a.k.a. - pac choi, bok choy or pok choy) is a member of the cabbage family and is a traditional Asian stir-fry vegetable. Both the stems and leaves of choi can be used and are especially tasty in cooked recipes. If cooking them, separate the leaves and stems, and begin cooking stems first to avoid overcooking the more tender greens. You can also use the leaves like any green-leafy vegetable and the stems like celery. We tend to use choi leaves as a sandwich wrap, or just roughly chop the whole thing and sauté with garlic and/or onion. Cook until stems are tender and dress with a little seasoned rice vinegar. Store choi loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your produce drawer.
Garlic Scapes: One of our favorite crops of the year. These curly green things are the emerging flower stalk from a hardneck garlic plant. We remove them to redirect more of the plant's energy into the bulb, but it also provides us with a delightful fresh garlic treat. These keep very well in a plastic bag in your produce drawer and can be used in any recipe calling for garlic. They make a great pesto and can be minced and added to room-temperature butter, which is then stored in log shape, in the freezer for a last minute dollop of goodness for vegetables, breads or meat. We also enjoyed them tossed whole in olive oil and grilled as a side dish.
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.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.
Turnips: keep best if separated from their greens. Greens are stored in a plastic bag and can be cooked like mustard or collard greens (you can add them in with your Braising Greens Mix). Trimmed roots can go into a lidded container or zip-close bag. These aren't your grandma's turnips. These are a sweet, Japanese salad variety that is particularly tasty for fresh eating. They will still work great in cooked dishes, but we love to eat them raw, often right out of hand, like an apple. One of the farm crew's favorite mid-field snacks.
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? 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)
 |
| Luci & Sky |
Grilled Scallions with Sesame Oil
Serves 2
8 scallions, greens trimmed to 5 inches, cut in half lengthwise
toasted sesame oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the broiler or lightly oiled grill to medium-high heat. Arrange the scallions on a shallow baking sheet or aluminum foil.
Use a pastry brush to coat the scallions with a thin layer of sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper. Broil or grill until golden
brown on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes.
Recipe Source: “The Real Dirt on Farmer John Cookbook”
Sesame Noodles with Mustard Greens
2 lbs Chinese noodles, such as vermicelli or soba noodles
1 bunch mustard greens (or other cooking greens), trimmed and sliced into
ribbons
3 carrots, sliced thinly on the bias
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
6 green onions, sliced thinly on the bias
1 cooked chicken breast, sliced into small pieces (about 1-1/2 cups)
5 Tbsp grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Sambal Olek (chili paste)
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
………………………………………………..
Mix together the dressing ingredients (grapeseed oil through peanut butter)
and set aside.
Put on a large pot of water to boil.
In the meantime, heat a skillet over high heat. Saute the yellow onion and
carrot together just until it begins to soften. Add the mustard greens and
season with salt. Cook until the greens are wilted and cooked through. Add most
of the green onions, reserving a few for garnish. Turn off the heat and let
cool.
When the water boils, add the noodles and cook for just a few minutes until
the noodles are done. Remove, drain and rinse with cold water. Toss noodles
with vegetables, sliced chicken, sesame seeds and sauce. Top with the remaining
green onions. Serve warm or cold.
Recipe Source:
http://www.undercovercaterer.com
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