IN THIS WEEK’S BOX:
Baby Choi
Cabbage: assorted large or baby cabbages
Cherry Tomato Mix: the final hurrah!Garlic: MusicGreen PeppersHead Lettuce: assorted varietiesOnions: CandyPotatoes: Kennebec
Herb It! option: Sweet basil (final), lovage & garlic chivesBread Share: Tavern Fare
Featured Recipes:
WHAT’S UP ON THE FARM?
Precipitation in the past week: 0.05"
What a change a week makes! This time last week we were in short sleeved shirts and sweating then on Friday, we were harvesting while wearing our insulated Carhartts. Now we are likely waking up to our first frost.
It happens every year about this time (Oct 10 is our first average frost date). We get our first Frost Advisory and I spend the next several days obsessing over the weather websites, just hoping that they will nudge that low temp forecast up a little higher. If hoping could make it so, we would be frost free until the end of October. I can hope...but I'm not holding my breath.
So this is the time that we rush around the farm harvesting everything that we might lose to the frost. Peppers, basil, flowers, bouquet fillers ect. It's generally the only time we harvest green peppers as I maintain that, even though some people like them, they just aren't ripe yet! But harvest them we did! So for a little change of pepper pace, we are sending them out to you today. The cabbages were also part of a field clearing, so they aren't our typical cabbages, but we're still on that theme of use it or lose it!
Another task we accomplished before the frost, last week, actually was clearing the tomato plot. It is a BIG task that no one really enjoys, but it is MUCH more pleasant to do it before the vines all freeze, which makes for a slimy mess. It's still a messy job, but it's better done earlier and even better when it's done! So the plants are out, the hundreds of steel posts put away and the thousands of feet of trellis twine wound up. We still have to clear the fabric mulch and pull all the roots, but we'll get to those next. We did have to take a short break before pulling the plants for everyone to do a little "grazing" through the cherry tomato plants. Then they all bade farewell to their favorite varieties (and ate them).
Finally, new T-Shirts are coming!Since most of our members aren't currently ordering through VegEmail, we wanted to let you know that we've recently kicked off a little fundraiser to help offset the budget-busting irrigation costs we've experienced this season. We have a brand new T-shirt design that is available through the VegEmail order form. It's a pre-order item, and we will be accepting orders for them through the end of October and plan to have them available for pick up at the late November VegEmail delivery. If you'd like to order one this week, here's the link to the current order form: VegEmail order form
Precipitation in the past week: 0.05"
Finally, new T-Shirts are coming!
Upcoming Dates to Note:Tues, Oct. 24: Final CSA deliverySat, Oct. 28: Final Saturday VegEmail delivery Tues, Nov. 7: Fall VegEmail schedule begins, delivery every 2 weeks.
A LITTLE DETAIL ON YOUR PRODUCE THIS WEEK:
Cabbage: Store dry, unwashed cabbage in the refrigerator, preferably in the vegetable bin. The outer leaves may eventually get floppy or yellowish, but you can remove and discard them to reveal fresh inner leaves. Cabbage can keep for more than a month. Once it’s cut, seal it in a plastic bag and continue to refrigerate for several weeks. Rinse the cabbage under cold running water just before use. Peel away a few of the outer leaves, then cut the cabbage according to your needs with a big, sharp knife, and then chop, sliver, or grate.
Garlic & Onions: Keep at room temperature with good air circulation if you're using in a week or two. For long term storage keep cool (not cold) and dark with good air circulation.
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. 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 a few places to allow steam to escape.
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)
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