In this week’s box:
Basil: SweetBeans: Provider (green) & Carson (yellow) Mix
Cherry Tomatoes: Jubilee Mix (see description on 8/2)
Cucumber: Suyo Long, Armenian, Marketmore or Lemon
Head Lettuce: asst
Onion (Sweet): CandyPotatoes: Yukon Gold
Sweet Peppers: asst.
Tomatoes-Slicers: asst. (see description on 8/2)
and at least one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)
Cantaloupe: Hannah's Choice or Minnesota Midget
Cauliflower: Snow Crown or Song
Eggplant: Orient Express, Asian Delight or Listada de Gandia
Okra: Candle Fire and BurgundySummer Squash: asst.Watermelon: Cream of Saskatchewan
Herb It! option: Cardinal basil, sorrel & lemon balm
Bread Share: Tomato Basil Bread
Cherry Tomatoes: Jubilee Mix (see description on 8/2)
Cucumber: Suyo Long, Armenian, Marketmore or Lemon
Head Lettuce: asst
Onion (Sweet): Candy
Tomatoes-Slicers: asst. (see description on 8/2)
and at least one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)
Cantaloupe: Hannah's Choice or Minnesota Midget
Cauliflower: Snow Crown or Song
Eggplant: Orient Express, Asian Delight or Listada de Gandia
Okra: Candle Fire and Burgundy
Bread Share: Tomato Basil Bread
What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 0.80" It's raining!!!
With no rain last week we progressed very quickly to being right on the line between moderate and severe drought, according to the US Dought Monitor. We were seeing lots of heat and drought stress on most of the crops, even with the irrigation running throughout the daylight hours. 
But now, as I sit here writing this...it's raining. The relief is remarkable. It is too late for most of the summer squash and cucumber plants, they were just done, but for others of the long season crops as well as all the fall crops we recently planted, it is glorious!
Knowing that the rain was coming, we pushed really hard to get the last of the potatoes and all the onion crops harvested and stored on Monday, as well as aggressively harvesting the melons and tomatoes, to guard against them splitting with all the anticipated moisture. We also got the next round of fall crops sown, including salad mix, radishes and arugula as well as transplanted head lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and purple peacock. The final transplant sowing for the fall high tunnels was completed this weekend, including chard, kale, lettuce, choi, senposai and misome.
But let's circle back to the current crops, the recent
heat didn't seem to offend the peppers too much, in fact they are finally ripening and are headed to you this week. That means it's time to introduce them.
Ace- green to red bell, thin walled
Carmen-green to red Italian pepper (long, pointed)
Golden Marconi-green to yellow Italian pepper (long, pointed)
Golden Star-big, thick-walled, blocky green to yellow bell Lunchbox Mix: bite-sized peppers in yellow, red & orange
Red Knight-large, thick walled green to red bell
Snowball-Ivory to red bellTequila- purple to reddish-orange bell
And now let's talk about melons! We've been sending out the little Mexican Midget cantaloupe for a few weeks as they ripen, but all the sudden the switch was flipped and we suddenly have LOTS of ripe fruits! We will start sending out Hannah's Choice cantaloupe this week, as well as the first of the Cream of Sasketchewan watermelon. These are a white fleshed melon, so don't be disappointed when you cut into it and it isn't red. It's our favorite melon to eat as we think the flavor is better than most red melons. We hope you think so too!
Precipitation in the past week: 0.80" It's raining!!!
With no rain last week we progressed very quickly to being right on the line between moderate and severe drought, according to the US Dought Monitor. We were seeing lots of heat and drought stress on most of the crops, even with the irrigation running throughout the daylight hours.
Knowing that the rain was coming, we pushed really hard to get the last of the potatoes and all the onion crops harvested and stored on Monday, as well as aggressively harvesting the melons and tomatoes, to guard against them splitting with all the anticipated moisture. We also got the next round of fall crops sown, including salad mix, radishes and arugula as well as transplanted head lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and purple peacock. The final transplant sowing for the fall high tunnels was completed this weekend, including chard, kale, lettuce, choi, senposai and misome.
But let's circle back to the current crops, the recent
Ace- green to red bell, thin walled
Carmen-green to red Italian pepper (long, pointed)
Golden Marconi-green to yellow Italian pepper (long, pointed)
Golden Star-big, thick-walled, blocky green to yellow bell
Lunchbox Mix: bite-sized peppers in yellow, red & orange
Red Knight-large, thick walled green to red bell
Snowball-Ivory to red bell
Snowball-Ivory to red bell
Tequila- purple to reddish-orange bell
And now let's talk about melons! We've been sending out the little Mexican Midget cantaloupe for a few weeks as they ripen, but all the sudden the switch was flipped and we suddenly have LOTS of ripe fruits! We will start sending out Hannah's Choice cantaloupe this week, as well as the first of the Cream of Sasketchewan watermelon. These are a white fleshed melon, so don't be disappointed when you cut into it and it isn't red. It's our favorite melon to eat as we think the flavor is better than most red melons. We hope you think so too!
A little detail on your produce this week:
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.)
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: 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."
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.
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.
Onions: Fully cured onions don't require refrigeration. For longest storage, keep in a dark place with good airflow. Once cut, store 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. These do not need to be peeled to use, just slice them up and go!
Tomatoes: always store whole tomatoes at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Once cut, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
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.
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.
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.)
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: 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.
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!
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? 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)
 |
| Sky, Wallace & Gromit |
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