BGF NEWS - July 2, 2024 - VOL. 52, NO. 5

In this week’s box:

Arugula or Tapestry Salad Mix

Beans: Yellow & Green Mix

Collards

Daikon

Garlic: Music

Ginger Mint

Head Lettuce, assorted varieties

Summer Squash: Golden Glory, Patty Pan, Safari, Slik Pik, or Zephyr

and at least one of the following: (see **NOTE below)

Broccoli: some heads, some florets with edible leaves
Cauliflower: Japanese
Cucumbers: Corinto, Marketmore or Dragon

Eggplant: Orient Express

Peas: Snow

Herb It! option: Sweet Basil, Peppermint, Sage

Jam It! option: Apple Pie Jam & Ginger Peach Jam
Spice It Up! option: Nasturtium Salt

Featured Recipes:

Daikon Salad

Mint Simple Syrup
Zippy Sesame Beans **BGF Favorite, see recipe below

What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 1.6"

On July 1st I got up as the sun rose, got dressed, pulled on a sweatshirt and got to work. In a sweatshirt...in July! The temperatures this week are spoiling us (it's delightful). We're going to forget all our hard-earned acclimation to the heat. All it takes is one cool day and we'll have to relearn it all over again. That's ok, we'll take it! 

In the window between rains last week we were able to cultivate both high tunnels, the big east plots and do some touch up hand weeding. It's amazing how fast crops (and weeds) grow at this time of the year with warm soil and adequate moisture. The beans put on some great growth this week and we were able to start harvesting the first succession. The eggplant, cucumbers and squashes also came along nicely and we are starting to harvest those as well. The cooler temps will slow them down just a bit but we anticipate good harvests of them going forward.

Our big task was getting the tomatoes pruned. We've got a little less than 700 plants and they were looking really good. Once the pruning is done, the plants always look a little forlorn until they grow into their new haircuts, but it's a critical step. It makes trellising much easier but more importantly it helps prevent disease by increasing air flow and decreasing the chance of soil splashing up on the plant.

It's hard to believe that as we just get rolling into summer, it's time to start thinking about fall crops already. This weekend we sowed fall broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi and head lettuce. We'll start sowing more fall leafy greens later this week. 

A little detail on your produce this week:

Basil hates the cold and will turn black with exposure. Keep long stemmed basil in a glass/vase of water on your counter top (out of direct sunlight). Stems that are too short (trimmings/tops) should be placed in a glass or plastic container with a dry paper towel. Then put inside of a paper bag (for insulation) and put in the warmest part of your refrigerator (usually the door) or on the top shelf towards the front.

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 soaked in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.) Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using.

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.

Daikon: Peel if you like (though not necessary). Daikon will last up to 2 weeks stored in the fridge in plastic bag or wrapped in damp towel in fridge.

Eggplant: 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. The shape of an eggplant determines how it is best prepared. Slice a straight, narrow eggplant into rounds for grilling or broiling, and cut a rounded, bulbous eggplant into cubes for stews and stir-fries.

Green Garlic: This is garlic that hasn't had time to fully cure yet. You will notice that the wrappers are soft and the garlic itself is very juicy. You can use it in any recipe calling for garlic. The flavor is so fresh and green that we like to use them in recipes that really highlight the flavor, like pesto or garlic butter. Store in a jar or other glass container in the refrigerator if you want to maintain the fresh quality or store on the counter to allow it to dry down. 

Herbs: Generally, except for basil, set unwashed bunches of fresh herbs (with stems) upright into small jars filled with 1 to 2 inches of water, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Rinse fresh herbs right before use. To release their scents and flavors, rub them between your hands before mincing or chopping. If you have no idea what to do with fresh herbs, there is one great default answer "compound butter." Finely mince leaves and knead them into a stick of room temperature butter. Roll the butter into a log in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Then simply slice off the amount you need to add delicious, ready-to-use flavor to vegetables, bread or meats.

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.

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!

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, photos 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)

Zippy Sesame Beans

1 lb fresh green beans (whole)

2 tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced (or green garlic)

1 tsp sea salt

fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 tbs seasoned rice vinegar

¼ c. sesame seeds, toasted

Place beans in a large pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes. You don’t want to cook them, they should still crunch, just blanch until bright green. Drain and allow to cool to room temperature or slightly warm. While beans are cooking, mix garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl, and allow to sit at room temperature until beans are cooled. Place beans in a large bowl and toss with garlic/olive oil mixture. Add vinegar and half of sesame seeds, toss again. Place beans in serving dish and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds. We like this dish served at room temperature as a salad or as a somewhat messy appetizer, but it is also good served warm or chilled. This is a great party or potluck dish. If you have leftovers, you might want to add another splash of rice vinegar before serving them again, just to liven up the flavor a bit.

Recipe Source: Blue Gate Farm

BGF NEWS - June 28, 2022 - VOL. XLVIII, NO. 4

In this week’s box:

Baby Leeks

Celery: Chinese Pink

Choi: Beijing Express

Garlic Scapes

Ginger Mint

Head Lettuce

Kale Mix  (large mixed leaf bundle)

Snap Peas

Snow Peas

 

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

Cauliflower: Song

Cucumber: Marketmore or Suyo Long

Summer Squash: 8 Ball, Golden Glory, Slik Pik, Zephyr or Patty Pan.

For those with the Herb It! option: Genovese basil, bronze fennel, lemon thyme

Featured Recipes:  
Kale with Leeks

Pea and Mint Pesto

Grilled Garlic Scapes and Summer Squash/

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 1.2"

Rain, sweet rain, was the theme last week! We got just exactly what we needed, just as the crops were really starting to ask for it. Perfect timing though it made for a very soggy Friday harvest!

Since we talked about the crops last week that were about to make an appearance, this week they are doing just that! We harvested the first of the cucumbers, summer squash and cauliflower this week and are sending them out into as many boxes as possible today. There won't be enough for everyone yet, but we promise to keep track and do our best to ensure that everyone gets all the offerings over the course of the season. 

We're pretty excited about some of the other items going out today as well. Beijing Express, is a new choi for us and the seed company recommends its use as a replacement for romaine in Cesar salads, which I though was interesting. 

Another crop that has come along nicely is our Chinese pink celery. It is such a beautiful celery and tasty too! It isn't really the kind of celery that you stuff with peanut butter, as the ribs are so fine, but it is lovely sliced on a salad or sautéed in butter and cooked with eggs or other vegetables. We hope you enjoy these new appearances this week.

Besides harvesting, the main tasks this past week were cultivating, cultivating & cultivating! Trying to stay ahead of the weeds this time of year is a never-ending battle. We also started pruning the tomatoes ahead of trellising them. We got a little over half-way through the nearly 900 plants. We hope to complete that task later this week so we can start trellising early next week.

A little detail on your produce this week:

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 soaked in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.) Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using.

Celery: Store upright in a glass of water, loosely covered with a plastic bag, in the refrigerator.

Choi (a.k.a. - pac choi, bok choy or pok choy) 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.

Cucumber: Store unwashed cucumbers wrapped in a cotton towel then 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.

Garlic Scapes: One of our favorite crops of the year. These curly green things are the emerging flower stalk from a hardneck garlic plant. We remove them to redirect more of the plant's energy into the bulb, but it also provides us with a delightful fresh garlic treat. These keep very well in a plastic bag in your produce drawer and can be used in any recipe calling for garlic. They make a great pesto and can be minced and added to room-temperature butter, which is then stored in log shape, in the freezer for a last minute dollop of goodness for vegetables, breads or meat. We also enjoyed them tossed whole in olive oil and grilled as a side dish.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

Luci & Sky

BGF NEWS - June 21, 2022 - VOL. XLVIII, NO. 3

In this week’s box:

Arugula

Choi: Fun Jen (frilly, bright green leaves)

Garlic Scapes

Head Lettuce: asst.

Misome (round, dark green leaves)

Scallions

Sugar Snap Peas

Snow Peas

Turnips: Hakurei (Japanese salad turnips)

For those with the Herb It! option: Herb share will hopefully begin next week

For those with Bread Share: 7-Grain Hamburger Buns

Featured Recipes:  

White Bean and Kale Ragout with Turnips

What to do with Garlic Scapes

Garlic Scape and Arugula Pesto

Grilled Scallions with Sesame Oil (recipe below)

Sesame Noodles with Mustard Greens (recipe below) *BGF favorite!

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.00"

Happy 1st day of summer! It seems somehow appropriate that the weather is extra "summer-y" today! We missed out on all the rain in the past week, so with the extra heat, the theme for this week is water all the things...the crops, the animals and the crew, as often as possible! 

Amid water and shade breaks, we were able to get a lot of cultivating done thanks to the dry conditions. We also did a bit of transplanting, sowed more beets, beans and edamame and got another round of hilling done on the potatoes. We are starting to see nice blooms on the potatoes which indicates they are starting to set potatoes under those hills. 

Blooming potatoes

Freshly cultivated El Norte plot

At this past week's delivery one of our new members asked me if they were only going to get greens all season. I know it may feel like that right now, but I want to assure everyone that it is simply the nature of eating seasonally and the season is about to change. Early season crops are mainly greens and we try to embrace that with interesting and unique varieties. But there are many weeks to go in the CSA season and many more crops to come. This week we are having an explosion of peas! Given the heat, it will probably be short lived so we are celebrating by sending out both sugar snap and snow peas to everyone this week. It's unusual that we have enough of both at the same time to do so! Pea Party!! 

We are also seeing the first of the summer squashes set on. They tend to be the harbingers of the mid-season crops and I predict we will send those out in some boxes next week. Root crops like beets and carrots are still at least a couple of weeks away and we are probably at least a month away from tomatoes since they were planted so late due to the cool spring. Other new additions in the coming weeks will be basil, celery, beans, cabbage, broccoli and onions. I hope that gives everyone (especially new members) some hope that there is more variety to come, much, much more!

A little detail on your produce this week:

Choi (a.k.a. - pac choi, bok choy or pok choy) 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.

Garlic Scapes: One of our favorite crops of the year. These curly green things are the emerging flower stalk from a hardneck garlic plant. We remove them to redirect more of the plant's energy into the bulb, but it also provides us with a delightful fresh garlic treat. These keep very well in a plastic bag in your produce drawer and can be used in any recipe calling for garlic. They make a great pesto and can be minced and added to room-temperature butter, which is then stored in log shape, in the freezer for a last minute dollop of goodness for vegetables, breads or meat. We also enjoyed them tossed whole in olive oil and grilled as a side dish.

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.

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.

Turnips: keep best if separated from their greens.  Greens are stored in a plastic bag and can be cooked like mustard or collard greens (you can add them in with your Braising Greens Mix).  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.

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)

Luci & Sky

Grilled Scallions with Sesame Oil

Serves 2

8 scallions, greens trimmed to 5 inches, cut in half lengthwise

toasted sesame oil

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler or lightly oiled grill to medium-high heat. Arrange the scallions on a shallow baking sheet or aluminum foil.

Use a pastry brush to coat the scallions with a thin layer of sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper. Broil or grill until golden

brown on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes.

Recipe Source: “The Real Dirt on Farmer John Cookbook”

Sesame Noodles with Mustard Greens

2 lbs Chinese noodles, such as vermicelli or soba noodles
1 bunch mustard greens (or other cooking greens), trimmed and sliced into ribbons
3 carrots, sliced thinly on the bias
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
6 green onions, sliced thinly on the bias
1 cooked chicken breast, sliced into small pieces (about 1-1/2 cups)
5 Tbsp grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Sambal Olek (chili paste)
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

………………………………………………..

Mix together the dressing ingredients (grapeseed oil through peanut butter) and set aside.

Put on a large pot of water to boil.

In the meantime, heat a skillet over high heat. Saute the yellow onion and carrot together just until it begins to soften. Add the mustard greens and season with salt. Cook until the greens are wilted and cooked through. Add most of the green onions, reserving a few for garnish. Turn off the heat and let cool.

When the water boils, add the noodles and cook for just a few minutes until the noodles are done. Remove, drain and rinse with cold water. Toss noodles with vegetables, sliced chicken, sesame seeds and sauce. Top with the remaining green onions. Serve warm or cold.

Recipe Source: http://www.undercovercaterer.com

BGF News - June 12, 2018-Vol. XL, No.2

In this week’s box:

Basil Tips (in the small plastic bag)
Braising Mix: Osaka Purple Mustard, Senposai & Tokoyo Bekana (bunch of large leaves)

Baby Choi: Shanghai Green or Joi Choi

Garlic Scapes (green curly things in a twist tie)

Head Lettuce or Lettuce Bouquets: asst varieties

Ginger Mint

Wild Things Mix: Amaranth & Lambsquarters (bunched, with small leaves)

and perhaps one of the following:
Summer Squash: Slik Pik (yellow), Zephyr (yellow & green) or Patty Pan (round, green)
Tapestry Salad Mix (zip-top bag) (please see note in "A Little Detail..." below)

Summer Squash 'Zephyr'

           

For those with the Egg option [full shares only]: one dozen free-range eggs (assorted colors)

For those with the Herb option: Herb share will begin in a couple of weeks as herbs mature

Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
BGF Wild E'Scape Dip **
Cold Sesame Noodles with Mustard Greens ** (we like scapes in place of scallions in this)
Lemon Garlic Bok Choy
Peppermint Syrup
Roasted Parmesan Summer Squash

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 1.75"
 

What a strange weather week on the farm. We were lucky to miss the worst of the storms, though we did have enough wind to damage both fan units on the big tunnel. An easy trade off, since our friends at Grinnell Heritage Farm lost 2 high tunnels in the same storm! We also missed the big rain events, but the totals for the week added up nicely. The drying time between the rains was perfect for us to get some good weeding & cultivating work done in the fields and a rainy Monday gave us the prime opportunity to spend most of our crew hours in the high tunnels getting them well weeded and maintained. We also pruned and trellised all but the last planting of  tomatoes in the tunnels. 

The crew does like their braising greens!

It looks like we will get a couple days of "normal" temperatures and then the summer heat returns for the an extended stay. This is going to finish off our early season greens so we are sending out some extras in the boxes today, so you get a chance to try them. The braising greens and Wild Things can be used interchangeably (or mixed together). In most any recipe. They are both best as cooked greens. We hope you will take the opportunity to try our new "E'scape" dip as we are loving it! It's a great way to get folks to eat some healthy greens and is awesome on a good crusty bread, but would also be good as a side dish, on a baked potato or on pasta.

Wild E'scape Dip! One of our new favorite recipes!

The summer crops are coming along nicely and this nice moisture along with the heat will really push them forward. The basil plantings in the field and high tunnel are coming along nicely. They have put on enough growth that they were ready to be pinched back to help them produce more full growth. So you are the lucky recipients of a little early basil harvest! There was a lot of soil splashing around during last night's rain, so your basil is a bit dirty. It ruins the quality of basil to wash it before storing, so we didn't. Just rinse it off prior to using.  We harvested the very first summer squash this week but there lots more that are coming. We love summer squash season as they are just such an easy vegetable to use: grilled, sauted, roasted, fried...they are all delicious! 

Amid the weeding and rains, we also got some additional crops sown including successions of fennel, beets, beans, lettuce, chard, tetragonia and edamame. We transplanted more melons and basil. We are seeing the first fruit set on the peppers and the earliest tomatoes, so there are lots of good things to come!

A little detail on your produce this week:

Basil hates the cold and will turn black with exposure. Keep long stemmed basil in a glass/vase of water on your counter top (out of direct sunlight). Stems that are too short (trimmings/tops) should be placed in a plastic bag, with a dry paper towel. Then put inside of a paper bag (for insulation) and put in the warmest part of your refrigerator (usually the door) or on the top shelf towards the front.

Braising Greens: A combination of greens that are used mostly in cooked dishes.  Store like other greens, in a plastic bag, with the top folded over and placed in the produce drawer of your refrigerator. 

Choi (a.k.a. - pac choi, bok choy or pok choy) is the large, structural-looking 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.

Garlic Scapes: One of our favorite crops of the year. These curly green things are the emerging flower stalk from a hardneck garlic plant. We remove them to redirect more of the plant's energy into the bulb, but it also provides us with a delightful fresh garlic treat. These keep very well in a plastic bag in your produce drawer and can be used in any recipe calling for garlic. They would be perfect in last week's garlic salt recipe, make a great pesto and can be minced and added to room-temperature butter, which is then stored in log shape, in the freezer for a last minute dollop of goodness for vegetables, breads or meat.

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.  

Herbs (other than basil): Most herbs keep best in a glass of water in the refrigerator, loosely covered with a plastic bag. You can keep them in a glass or base on your kitchen counter for a couple of days if you change the water daily.

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!

* 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 and you want to read more about our daily adventures or see pictures of the farm?  Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm and/or share your recipes, experiences and questions with other BGF members at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That’s about it this week, if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know. 

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and Luci & Indigo)

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