In this week’s box:
Broccoli: Belstar or ImperialCucumber: asst
Head Lettuce: asst
Potatoes: Adirondack Red
Senposai or Vivid ChoiScallionsSummer Squash: asst
and at least one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)
Beans: Provider (green) & Carson (yellow) Mix
Cauliflower: Snow Crown or SongEggplant: Orient Express, Asian Delight or Listada de Gandia
Okra: Bowling Red and Candlefire
Snap Peas
Herb It! option: Sweet basil, peppermint, anise hyssopBread Share: Rosemary Raisin Bites (a farmer favorite!)
Head Lettuce: asst
Potatoes: Adirondack Red
Senposai or Vivid Choi
and at least one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)
Beans: Provider (green) & Carson (yellow) Mix
Okra: Bowling Red and Candlefire
Snap Peas
Herb It! option: Sweet basil, peppermint, anise hyssop
Bread Share: Rosemary Raisin Bites (a farmer favorite!)
What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 0.00" (now hiring rain dancers!)
Whew, this past week was one we don't mind saying goodbye to ! The heat and continuing lack of rain is really starting to wear on the crops and the farm crew! Then last Thursday evening the controller unit for our walk-in cooler failed. Not helpful! As of writing this Monday evening, the replacement was supposed to be here today, but looks like it was delayed until tomorrow. We are lucky that with the air conditioner, we are able to keep the walk-in under 60° so cool enough for short term storage of many of the things we are harvesting right now (eggplant, squash, okra & cukes) but we really need it to be about 42° for others. We are fortunate to have several extra refrigerators around the farm which are currently stuffed with broccoli & cauliflower, which needs those cooler temperatures.
We hand dug our first small potato harvest at the end of last week, with our Adirondack Reds. This beautiful potato has red skin and flesh, which turns a light shade of pink when cooked. It’s excellent for baking, boiling, mashing, roasting, and potato salad. It's only the second year we've grown this variety and it looks to have done MUCH better this year than last. We're hoping the rest of the potatoes are doing the same! In addition to potatoes in this week's box, you'll find head lettuce that is smaller than what we've sent out so far this season. The heat is causing early bolting in some of our varieties and slower establishment in our most recent plantings. The bugs are also causing some significant damage which requires peeling off of ugly leaves. This is all contributing to smaller heads that we normally like to send out, but we want you to at least have enough to put a few leaves on your sandwiches. We're also sending out the last of our Senposai and Vivid choi today. The bugs love our chemical-free produce as much as you do, so you will probably notice a little more insect damage on those leaves than normal. We don't love it, but wanted you to have one more shot at it before we clear it out for fall crops.
Besides trying to deal with the heat and the walk-in last week we "caught up" trellising tomatoes, cultivating and clearing spent crops, is this starting to sound familiar? This is the theme of our lives at this time of the season.
We also spent some time appreciating nature as we went along our daily tasks.
A couple of highlights included a Giant Swallowtail resting in the high tunnel basil and finding a tomato hornworm (Enemy #1 of our tomatoes) that was covered with parasitic wasp cocoons.
These tiny (nonstinging) wasps are one of the best natural controls for the voracious hornworms and we are always thrilled to find evidence of them.
Finally, the greatest of challenges this past week was saying farewell to our Luci. At 13 years old, our companion and "protector" had finally done all she could do. She may have been little in stature, but her big personality, fierce bark and huge heart will be desperately missed.
A little detail on your produce this week:
Precipitation in the past week: 0.00" (now hiring rain dancers!)
Whew, this past week was one we don't mind saying goodbye to ! The heat and continuing lack of rain is really starting to wear on the crops and the farm crew! Then last Thursday evening the controller unit for our walk-in cooler failed. Not helpful! As of writing this Monday evening, the replacement was supposed to be here today, but looks like it was delayed until tomorrow. We are lucky that with the air conditioner, we are able to keep the walk-in under 60° so cool enough for short term storage of many of the things we are harvesting right now (eggplant, squash, okra & cukes) but we really need it to be about 42° for others. We are fortunate to have several extra refrigerators around the farm which are currently stuffed with broccoli & cauliflower, which needs those cooler temperatures.
We hand dug our first small potato harvest at the end of last week, with our Adirondack Reds. This beautiful potato has red skin and flesh, which turns a light shade of pink when cooked. It’s excellent for baking, boiling, mashing, roasting, and potato salad. It's only the second year we've grown this variety and it looks to have done MUCH better this year than last. We're hoping the rest of the potatoes are doing the same! In addition to potatoes in this week's box, you'll find head lettuce that is smaller than what we've sent out so far this season. The heat is causing early bolting in some of our varieties and slower establishment in our most recent plantings. The bugs are also causing some significant damage which requires peeling off of ugly leaves. This is all contributing to smaller heads that we normally like to send out, but we want you to at least have enough to put a few leaves on your sandwiches. We're also sending out the last of our Senposai and Vivid choi today. The bugs love our chemical-free produce as much as you do, so you will probably notice a little more insect damage on those leaves than normal. We don't love it, but wanted you to have one more shot at it before we clear it out for fall crops.
These tiny (nonstinging) wasps are one of the best natural controls for the voracious hornworms and we are always thrilled to find evidence of them.
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 or cauliflower in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.)
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: 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.
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."
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.
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: Besides basil, most herbs keep best standing upright in a glass of water in your refrigerator with a loose plastic bag over the top. To use, simply pull a stem between your fingers and the leaves usually shear off. Chop with a sharp knife and add to your favorite recipes.
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.
Potatoes: Keep unwashed potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place, such as a loosely closed paper bag in a cupboard. They will keep for weeks at room temperature, longer if you can provide their ideal temperature of 40 to 50 degrees. Beware: the low temperature of your refrigerator will convert the starch to sugars. So refrigerated potatoes should be brought to room temperature for at least 24 hours before using. Moisture causes potatoes to spoil, light turns them green, and proximity to onions causes them to sprout. (You can still use a potato that has sprouted, however; simply cut off the “eyes” before use.) Scrub potatoes well and cut off any sprouts or green skin. (Clean delicate new potatoes gently.) Peeling is a matter of preference. Cut potatoes according to your recipe. If baking a whole potato, be sure to prick the skin in at least two places to allow steam to escape.
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!
Herbs: Besides basil, most herbs keep best standing upright in a glass of water in your refrigerator with a loose plastic bag over the top. To use, simply pull a stem between your fingers and the leaves usually shear off. Chop with a sharp knife and add to your favorite recipes.
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.
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.
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)
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| Luci & Sky |
