BGF NEWS - September 27, 2022 - VOL. XLVIII, NO. 17

In this week’s box:

Basil: Sweet (the farewell tour!)

Beans: Provider (green) & Carson (yellow) Mix

Chard

Cherry Tomatoes: Jubilee Mix (see description on 8/2)
Head Lettuce: asst
Leeks

Potatoes: Kennebec

Spaghetti Squash

Sweet Peppers: asst.
Tomatoes-Slicers: asst. (see description on 8/2)

and perhaps one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)

Broccoli Florets and/or Cauliflower Florets (with edible leaves)

Herb It! option: Nunum basil, peppermint, curly parsley
Bread Share: Tomato Basil

Featured Recipes:  

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Burst Cherry Tomatoes

10 Leek and Potato Recipes

Swiss Chard and Cannellini Beans

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.20"

This week might not be going according to our plan. An important date for all our fall crop planning is the First Average Frost Date. Here on the farm that tends to be around October 10. If the forecast for Tuesday night holds, we may get our first frost a full 2 weeks ahead of schedule. The FarmHer is not amused! So regardless of whether we actually get frost or not, what will Tuesday night's low temps mean? It will likely be a quick end to our basil, beans, peppers and tomatoes. 

The last peppers of the year?? 

Other crops that are likely to be offended include all our flowers, roselle and some of of our more tender herbs.  We did a big gleaning harvest on Monday ahead of the cold to claim any produce that was mature enough and we were afraid of losing. Most of our greens and recently planted fall crops are pretty comfortable with temps down to freezing, so we aren't too worried about those, but we may see some cosmetic damage.  The okra and pole beans just missed the cold weather experience, as we pulled them on Monday.

Pole beans headed for the compost pile.

Adios, okra, thanks for a great season!

With the cooler and weather and light rain last week we took the opportunity to hang out in the packing barn and clean garlic. We've gotten through more than 200 lbs so far and we're probably  a bit over half way done. Then we need to take on the onions and shallots.

We also took advantage of the dry, windy conditions this weekend and started shelling the first of this season's popcorn. The wind helps blow the chaff away as it exits the sheller. So far it looks to be our best popcorn crop yet!

And once again, we have to apologize for the less-than-spectacular winter squash. This time it's the spaghetti squash that we aren't proud of, so please use it soon because again, we don't think they will store long. And this brings to an end our season of winter squash shame.

 

Important Dates Ahead:

Tuesday, Oct 18, Final 2022 CSA delivery

Saturday, Oct 29, final Saturday weekly VegEmail delivery

Tuesday, Nov 8, first bi-weekly winter VegEmail delivery

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.)

Leeks: Loosely wrap unwashed leeks in a plastic bag and store them in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. They will keep for at least a week. 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

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. If you store them in the fridge, be sure to let them sit out at room temperature for a day 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.

Spaghetti Squash: A true winter squash, store spaghetti squash like you would an acorn or butternut squash, at room temperature or a bit cooler (basement) with good air circulation. To prepare, bake in the oven or the quicker version is to microwave 5mins/1lb until fork goes through. Cut squash in half and scoop out & discard the seeds.  Scoop out the flesh of the squash and flake off “spaghetti” into strands and use as a pasta replacement or as a vegetable side dish.

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

BGF NEWS - September 20, 2022 - VOL. XLVIII, NO. 16

In this week’s box:

Beans: Provider (green) & Carson (yellow) Mix
Butternut Squash

Cherry Tomatoes: Jubilee Mix (see description on 8/2)
Head Lettuce: asst
Kale Bouquet: asst varieties

Scallions

Sweet Peppers: asst.
Tomatoes-Slicers: asst. (see description on 8/2)

Turnips: Hakurei

and perhaps one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)

Broccoli Florets (with edible leaves)
Eggplant: Orient Express, Asian Delight or Listada (last time)
Okra: Candle Fire and Burgundy (last time)

Herb It! option: sweet basil, sorrel, anise hyssop
Bread Share: Rosemary Raisin Bites

Featured Recipes:  

Turnip, Apple & Butternut Squash Soup

Braised Kale and Turnips

BGF Squash and Sausage Bake **BGF favorite!** see below

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 1.5" (farmer & crop happy dance!)

The big news of the past week was the glorious rain on Saturday. Luckily we missed the hail that hit both north and south of us. The fall crops are already looking better and the recently sown oat cover crop is starting to germinate.

While the fall crops are stepping into the spotlight, many of the summer crops are calling it quits. This is the last week for both okra and eggplant. They have stopped putting on new fruits and the cooler weather later this week will likely finish them off. The field basil will likely be offended by the mid 40° temps that are forecast, so it will probably be farewell for it too, but we hope to pull the high tunnel basil through for another couple of weeks.

The ground cherries are done, the bed cleared and will shortly be in oats. The tomatoes are still producing, but they have slowed down quite a bit and probably only have a couple of weeks left. It is a time of change around the farm for sure! If you aren't doing enough you're likely to get "recycled"!

We are sending out Butternut squash this week and we're feeling a bit embarrassed about it. It was a rough season in our squash patch and the majority of them failed. Winter squash is such an iconic fall vegetable and we wanted folks to get to enjoy them but these are not squash we are proud of, merely the survivors. While they are edible, nearly all our butternuts had imperfections, so please use your squash in the next week or so as we don't think they will keep very long.

In the past couple of weeks, folks have started asking about the end of the season, so I guess it's time to talk about it and a couple of other dates of interest. The final CSA delivery is Tuesday, Oct 18th, so we still have 4 deliveries after today. After that date,we would be more than happy to continue to supply you with produce (and our other products) through our custom-order VegEmail program. Currently VegEmail is delivered weekly on Saturdays to the same location you pick up your CSA box. In November we will switch to our winter VegEmail schedule, which delivers every 2 weeks on Tuesday evenings, still to the same locations. 

I hope this answers your questions about the season transition. If you have any other questions about the CSA or about VegEmail, don't hesitate to ask.

Important Dates Ahead:

Tuesday, Oct 18, Final 2022 CSA delivery

Saturday, Oct 29, final Saturday weekly VegEmail delivery

Tuesday, Nov 8, first bi-weekly winter VegEmail delivery

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.)

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.

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.


Tomatoes: always store whole tomatoes at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Once cut, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.


Turnips: keep best if separated from their greens. Greens are stored in a plastic bag and can be cooked like mustard or collard greens. 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.

Winter Squash: Store winter squash in a cool, dry, dark place with good ventilation for up to a month, depending on the variety. Once squash has been cut, you can wrap the pieces in plastic and refrigerate them for five to seven days. To make it easier to prep winter squash for your recipe, try the prebaking method: pierce the squash to allow heat to escape while it is in the oven, then bake the squash whole at 350° F until it is just barely tender to the poke of the finger, 20 to 30 minutes. This softens the shell and makes cutting and peeling much easier.

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

BGF Squash & Sausage Bake

2 1/2 pounds butternut squash or other winter squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup canned coconut milk

3 sage leaves (can sub rosemary or thyme)

2/3 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano

2 links Italian sausage, precooked, cut into rounds (this recipe is also tasty without the sausage)

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

Toss squash with coconut milk, sage, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Bake, covered, 30 minutes.

Stir in half of cheese and sausage. Sprinkle remainder of cheese on top. Roast, uncovered, until squash is tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving (cream will thicken).

Cooks’ notes: •Butternut squash can be cut 1 day ahead and chilled in sealable bags.


Recipe Source: Blue Gate Farm, adapted from www.epicurious.com

BGF NEWS - September 13, 2022 - VOL. XLVIII, NO. 15

In this week’s box:

Basil: Sweet

Beans: Provider (green) & Carson (yellow) Mix
Carrots: Rainbow Mix

Cherry Tomatoes: Jubilee Mix (see description on 8/2)

Choi: Prize 

Cipollini Onions 

Delicata Squash 
Head Lettuce: asst

Sweet Peppers: asst.
Tomatoes-Slicers: asst. (see description on 8/2)

and perhaps one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)
Broccoli Florets (with edible leaves)

Eggplant: Orient Express, Asian Delight or Listada de Gandia
Okra: Candle Fire and Burgundy (probably the last time)

Herb It! option: Cardinal basil, lemongrass, savory
Bread Share: DM- Asian Milk Bread, Knox- 7 Grain Bread

Featured Recipes:  

Roasted Delicata Squash

Bok Choy, Carrots and Green Beans

Lemon, Garlic Bok Choy

Parmesan Roasted Delicata Squash

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 1.00" It rained!!!

The big news of the week is that it finally rained on the farm! We got one glorious inch over the day on Saturday and it was wonderful! The fall crops already look better, between the rain and the cooler temperatures. Now if we can just keep the rain coming!

In honor of the fall-like weather,we are sending out Delicata squash in today's boxes. Unfortunately it's a "one and done" offering as we have just enough for everyone to get them this week. And just a heads up, because the vines died before many of the squash were fully cured, they won't store as long as winter squash normally do, so please plan to use them in the next week or so. 

We are probably saying goodbye to the okra and maybe the eggplant this week. We cleared the high tunnel eggplant so that we could get the late fall kale in and the plants in the field are waning quickly. It's time to say, thanks for all the weeks of production and farewell. Basil will likely be following soon as it is very cold sensitive and 50° will definitely annoy it. So crank up those pesto recipes before it's too late!

This past week we continued cultivating and clearing spent beds, sowed the last flats of transplants of the year (I think??) and transplanted the final crop of head lettuce in the field. We made it through ten succession plantings of lettuce this year and finally accomplished our goal of including lettuce in every week's delivery (at least so far). We have been working towards that for a number of years and I'm so pleased we finally made it! But don't worry, we're still trying to improve on it.

This week's efforts also included clearing a couple more high tunnel crops and sowing/transplanting fall/winter crops in their place. 

On Monday we spent some time sowing cover crop oats in all of our empty beds. This serves several purposes, including keeping the soil covered over the winter, preventing erosion. Then in the spring, it adds organic matter and helps condition the soil when we till it in.

Work continues on the new porch roof on the packing barn and the end is in sight! Today the steel started going on and Jill's dad had a new helper up top!

And a final note for this week, we had our first sighting of New Endland Asters on the farm this week. They may just look like a pretty fall flower to most people, but Jill's grandpa called them Frost Flower, and always said that they are a sign that it's 4 weeks until the first frost. That would time out just about right, as our first average frost date is October 10. 

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.)

Choi (a.k.a. - pac choi, bok choy or pok choy) is a structural-looking leafy-green vegetable. It 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.

Delicata squash is a winter squash with green stripes, pale yellow skin, and sweet, orange-yellow flesh. Although considered a winter squash, delicata squash is in the summer squash family. Like summer squash the skin of the delicata is edible, although the seeds are usually removed. Delicata squash has a sweet flavor and is best enjoyed right after harvest unlike other storage variety squash. Delicata squash is most commonly baked, but can also be sautéed or steamed. Delicata squash is perfect for stuffing. The seeds of the squash can also be eaten, toast after cleaning the pulp. Delicata squash is a good source of dietary fiber and potassium.Store delicata squash in a cool, dry place like a basement or cellar for a few weeks. In the refrigerator or on the counter use within a week or two.

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."

Onions: can be stored on the countertop for quick use or in a mesh bag in a dark spot with good air circulation for longer storage. Cipollini onions are sweet, mild onions that are good in any recipe calling for onions but they really shine when roasted or on the grill!

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.

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

BGF NEWS - September 6, 2022 - VOL. XLVIII, NO. 14

In this week’s box:

Beans: Provider (green) & Carson (yellow) Mix

Beets: Cylindra
Beijing Express

Cherry Tomatoes: Jubilee Mix (see description on 8/2)
Garlic: Northern White or Music

Head Lettuce: asst
Hot Peppers: Wenk's Yellow Hots (bagged)

Onions: Red Carpet 

Sweet Peppers: asst.
Tomatoes-Slicers: asst. (see description on 8/2)

and perhaps one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)

Broccoli Florets

Cauliflower: Snow Crown or Song
Eggplant: Orient Express, Asian Delight or Listada de Gandia
Okra: Candle Fire and Burgundy

Herb It! option: sweet basil, ginger mint, par-cel
Jam It! option: Blueberry Lemonade & Peach Fire Jam

Spice It Up! option: Ramp Salt

Bread Share: Loaded Blueberry Muffins

Featured Recipes:  

Beet Salsa

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Okra Salsa

Bell Pepper Salsa

Mezair (Cutting Board Salsa), a BGF favorite! see recipe below

Watermelon Salsa another BGF favorite, see recipe below

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.00" Nada, zip, zilch.

Welcome to our annual Salsa Box! Or Sauce Box if you prefer. Every year when the tomato harvest is at it's heaviest, we "stuff" as many of them into the boxes as possible to give folks the opportunity to stock up on some salsa or sauce. We try to include recipes to appeal to lots of difference salsa tastes, but always include our two favorites: Mezair (a fresh Kurdish salsa) and watermelon salsa, plus our go-to pesto recipe with the secret ingredient (a tomato). As many of you may know, the "FarmHer-in-charge" isn't particularly fond of cilantro so we always substitute parsley/par-cel or mint and sometimes sorrel in our salsa recipes. If you have the same issue, we encourage you to try one of these alternatives. If you do like cilantro, well, that's ok too.

On the farm front, not too much new to tell this week. Here's the Readers Digest Version: It didn't rain. We cleared spent beds and planted new ones. We harvested and cultivated. Some crops are slowing down and others are ramping up. 

There was one notable event in the past week. We sucked it up and went out and harvested the winter squash plot. It hadn't been looking good in a while and I was afraid we wouldn't find enough to send out, but it was a bit better than we feared. This led to our annual "Squash the Boss" game. Where the crew tosses  the usable squash at to me and I load it into the trailer for hauling to the barn.

There's always a bit of laughing during the task and the occasional "Uufftt" sound and this year was no different. After we loaded the usable squash, we went back and made piles of the bad ones to send to the neighbors pigs. It's good, productive entertainment every year!

Oh, and in addition to the "normal" activities of the farm, this past week we (well, mostly my dad) broke ground on the new porch roof on the back of the packing barn. This will cover our outside wash sink and really help out with both rain and sun protection. A huge thanks to my dad all for his time and expertise!

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.

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 & 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.)

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."

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.

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. 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

Mezair
(Cutting Board Salsa, from Kurdistan)

1 lg clove garlic
2 to 3 jalapeños, seeded (or other hot peppers)
½ c. lightly packed, chopped flat-leaf parlsey
3 to 4 tbs chopped fresh mint
1 pound ripe tomatoes
¼ tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon

On a large cutting board, mince the garlic and the peppers. Add the parsley and mint and chop. Slice and then chop the tomatoes, adding them to the other ingredients. Mix as you continue to chop by turning the salsa with the flat of your knife or cleaver. Mix in the salt. Transfer the salsa to a small serving bowl and blend in the lemon juice, The salsa will be quite runny.

Makes approximately 2 cups salsa.
Recipe source: Flatbreads and Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

Larissa's Watermelon Salsa

3c watermelon, seeded & diced
1/2 c. sweet pepper, seeded & diced
2 TBS lime juice
1 TBS cilantro or parsley, chopped
1 TBS green onion, chopped
1-2 TBS hot pepper, seeded & diced
1/2 tsp garlic, finely minced
salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients & refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Recipe Source: BGF friend, Larissa C.