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