BGF NEWS - June 18, 2024 - VOL. 52, NO. 3

In this week’s box:

Baby Carrots

Basil Tips

Choi: Prize

Garlic Scapes (the green, curly things)
Green Garlic
Head Lettuce, assorted varieties
Lemon Thyme

Napa

and perhaps one of the following: (see **NOTE below)
Broccoli
Cauliflower: Japanese

Peas- Snow or Sugar Snap

Herb It! option: will start in a couple weeks as the annual herbs mature

Featured Recipes:  

Oven Roasted Carrots with Thyme

Garlic Basil Vinaigrette

BGF Eggroll in a Bowl **see recipe below

What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 0.25"

We're never really ready for the first stretch of 90+ degree days but nature is rarely accommodating enough to wait for us. The heat is on and most of the rain has continued to miss us, so we've been pushing to get the rest of the irrigation system in place and to make a couple of upgrades. We're about 3/4 of the way done.

The heat also means that it takes us longer to get tasks done as we need to take more water and shade breaks. Plus there's the ever popular alpaca "showers" to contend with.

We've also been doing a lot of cultivating this week, trying to take advantage of the dry conditions while we can. After the extended wet season, the soil has baked into a flat adobe-like surface and we've really struggled to break it up. That added to the high temperatures has made for some challenging conditions for the crew.

The higher temps are also bring our cool season crops to an end. This will be the final delivery of choi for a while and we will clear the misome later this week. But never fear, there are good things coming soon! The basil is finally putting on some growth and needed to be pinched back, so we are sending out a little "tease" of basil tips this week. The beans, peppers and eggplants are blooming and we are seeing the first little tomatoes, summer squashes and cucumbers setting on.

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.


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.

Carrots: These baby carrots are sweet and tender, we don't even peel them, just give them a quick scrub and they are ready to go! Remove the leafy green tops, leaving about an inch of stems. Refrigerate dry, unwashed carrots in a plastic bag for two weeks or longer. Peel carrots or scrub carrots well with a stiff brush just before using. Trim off any green spots, which can taste bitter. When slicing or chopping carrots for cooking, be sure to make all the pieces relatively the same size; this will ensure an evenly cooked dish. Greens can be added to soup stock for flavor.

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.

Green Garlic: This is freshly harvested garlic that hasn't had time to 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 for best keeping quality.

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.

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)

BGF Egg Roll In A Bowl

Yield: serves 4

• 1 pound ground pork sausage
• 4-6 cups shredded napa cabbage
• ½ - 1 cup grated or matchstick carrots
• 4 cloves garlic or 4-6 garlic scapes, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

 

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often to crumble, until cooked through. Do not drain.
2. Add the cabbage, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce to the skillet with the sausage. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until cabbage has softened a bit.
3. Remove from the heat and top with scallions and drizzle with sesame oil.
4. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: Blue Gate Farm, adapted from http://www.bunsinmyoven.com

BGF NEWS - June 14, 2022 - VOL. XLVIII, NO. 2

In this week’s box:

Choi: Prize (bundled greens with white stems)

Garlic Scapes (green, curly bundle)

Head Lettuce

Lemon Balm (small, green, lemon-scented bunch)

Napa Cabbage

Strawberries

Tapestry Salad Mix

Vivid Choi: green bundle with pink & purple stems

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

Asparagus (last of the season)

Snow Peas

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

Featured Recipes:  
Lemon Balm Simple Syrup (delicious on strawberries!)

Garlic Scape Pesto

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Sausage Egg Roll in a Bowl (tasty without the sausage too)

BGF Summer Herb Spritzer (see recipe below)

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 1.10"

It appears that while last week's theme was rain, this week's is the HEAT! No one is excited about this one, not the farmers, the crew, the animals nor least of all the early crops! This is going to bring a quick end to many of our early greens, so we are packing your boxes with as many as we can as it will be the last or only chance for you to try them, at least until fall. This includes the salad mix, Prize choi and Napa cabbage. 

Bolting greens, at least they're pretty

We were hoping to get at least another week's growth on them, but they are already starting to bolt (or flower) which will end their use as a food crop.

Hilled potatoes starting to bloom!

This past week we have been clearing the last of the early crops from the big high tunnel and all of our warm-weather crops are now tucked in and growing, including the last of the basil and sweet peppers. 

Cultivating kittens

Much of last week was focused on cultivating crops whenever it was dry enough to do so. As well as getting the potatoes hilled for the first time. We were pleased with the rain for the crops' sake, but the weeds sure do take advantage of it. 

This week everything is growing like crazy, including our monster head lettuces! My secret use of them is to snack on them like potato chips, I just pull off whole leaves and dip into a nice dish of homemade vinaigrette (see recipe above).   The big surprise last week was the sudden ripening of the strawberries, and while we do love strawberries, they take a lot of time to harvest so we are spending quite a bit of time trying to stay ahead of those. Luckily (and sadly) the season is short so be sure to enjoy them while they are here!

A little detail on your produce this week:

Asparagus: Keeps best stored upright in a glass with about 1" of water, in the refrigerator. Delicious raw or cooked. 

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.

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.

Napa Cabbage: 

Store Napa whole wrapped in a cotton or linen towel then in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. These Napa are fairly immature and wont have a large formed head but are still tasty and can be used in any cabbage recipe.

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.

Strawberries keep best in your refrigerator in a vented container. Use within 3-4 days.

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 Summer Herb Spritzer

Besides pesto, this is one of our favorite ways to use herbs during warm weather. It is deceptively simple and delightfully refreshing! All you need is:

1 sprig of your favorite herb. Our favorites for this are lemon balm, lemon basil, lemon thyme, mint and anise hyssop.

ice cubes

plain seltzer water

Glass jar with leak-proof lid (or a martini shaker)

Place washed herb in the jar, add ice enough to fill 1/3 of jar. Secure lid and shake it, shake it, baby! A few vigorous shakes will do it, you are just trying to bruise the leaves and release the aromatic oils, not pulverize them.

Remove lid and top with seltzer. Enjoy! You could add a bit of your favorite sweetener, but I've never found it necessary.

BGF NEWS - June 15, 2021 - VOL. XLVII, NO. 3

In this week’s box:

Arugula

Garlic Scapes, curly green bundle

Head Lettuce, assorted varieties

Lemon Thyme

Napa Cabbage

Spinruts (baby Hakurei turnips)

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

Broccoli:(Gypsy) small, early heads

Snow Peas

Sugar Snap Peas

For those with the Herb option: Herb share will begin in a couple of weeks (waiting for basil)

Featured Recipes:  
Stir-fried Napa Cabbage Spicy Garlic Dressing (use scapes for garlic)

Roasted Sweet Turnips with Thyme

Garlic Scape and Arugula Pesto

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.00"

The theme for this week (again) was Hot and Dry! We were really hopeful that we would catch some of the rain in the state this past Friday, but all we got was wind and a bit of a temperature drop (which was appreciated). Our early season crops are really struggling to survive the conditions and we are starting to lose some of them. We thought about trying to market pre-cooked greens for this week's VegEmail sales but decided snarky farmer humor might be lost on some. The CSA boxes today are really greens-heavy. We would have liked to give the arugula and napa cabbage in this week's delivery another week or so to grow a bit more, but they were starting to protest the weather so it was a "now or never" harvest decision. We probably won't have these crops available again until fall, so now is the time to enjoy them!

The weather conditions have pushed us to do something we've never had to do before, we ran irrigation lines on our popcorn and winter squash, just to try and get the seeds to germinate. The squash is responding better than the popcorn at this point. Here's hoping it's successful. One positive thing about the dry conditions is that we have ample opportunity to cultivate and try to stay ahead of the weeds.

While most of the past week was focused on irrigation and cultivating, we did get some new crops in the ground because farmers, by nature, are optimists (we just hide it well)! We transplanted okra, basil and several varieties of flowers into the field and high tunnel, as well as replacing holes in some earlier crops, including the tomatoes that we lost a few weeks ago to some bold, furry pest. 

So what's looking good in the field? Lots of things! We are harvesting peas and garlic scapes several times a week. The early broccoli is heading up nicely and are seeing blooms on squashes, cucumbers and tomatoes and fruit set on peppers and zucchini. Heavier CSA boxes are on the way!

Finally, we always want to make it perfectly clear that it takes many hands to bring your produce to you every week. We are SO very lucky to have an incredible team of hardworking young women on the farm five days a week.

Today's lettuce harvest

They are fierce weed warriors, gentle care-takers of all things living and occasionally, clever practical jokers. I can't imagine the farm without them. I'd like to introduce you to them so we're starting a new section of the newsletter so you can get to know them a bit.

Crew Corner: Danielle, Crew Chief

To all of our veteran CSA members: thank you for joining us for yet another growing season. To those of you who have just started this journey, I bid you a warm WELCOME!

In the six years I have worked at BGF, there have been many improvements and updates in the tools we use and our harvest processes.   That is one of the things I love most about this job, Jill is always learning what is best for the land and the vegetables we grow and we are constantly trying new methods or tweaking our old ones.  In fact, each year before the growing season begins, we discuss what new efficiencies we can employ and what new varieties of plants we should grow for all of you. As this job is very demanding physically, it can be very disconcerting to see plants and produce lost to drought or little furry eaters after all of the effort we put forth to bring you vegetables that are nutritious and chemical-free. Last year was the beginning of our flower trials, which went quite well, and I am thrilled to say we have expanded this year!  One of my favorite things to do is harvest an array of flowers each week and use my creativity to build bouquets for our customers who place their orders through Veg-Email.

A little detail on your produce this week:

Broccoli: Wrap broccoli loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak broccoli, 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 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.

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.

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.

Napa Cabbage: Store Napa cabbage whole in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To prepare the entire head at once, cut it in half lengthwise, remove the core, and chop as desired. Or, separate and wash individual leaves as needed.  

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.

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. Large leaf greens can benefit by being wrapped in a linen or cotton towel inside the bag if excess moisture is a concern.

** 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)

Indigo, Luci & Sky

Basil Tips: assorted varieties Celery: Chinese Pink Chard: Bright Lights Mix Garlic Scapes (the curly green things) Head Lettuce: assorted varieties Napa Cabbage Scallions (green onions) Summer Squash: 8 Ball (green,round), Golden Glory (bright yellow zucchini), Patty Pan(scalloped white, green or yellow), Slik Pik (thin, yellow) or Zephyr (green & yellow) Strawberries: one last taste! and perhaps one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail...) Broccoli: Gypsy Snap or Snow Peas For those with the Egg option [Full shares]: one dozen free-range eggs For those with the Herb option: Herb share will begin in a couple of weeks as herbs mature Featured Recipes: Sausage Egg Roll in a Bowl Celery Leaf Pesto and other celery leaf recipes Parmesan Summer Squash saute ** see recipe below

BGF NEWS - JUNE 23, 2020 - VOL. XLV, NO. 4

In this week’s box:

Basil Tips: assorted varieties

Celery: Chinese Pink

Chard: Bright Lights Mix

Garlic Scapes (the curly green things)

Head Lettuce: assorted varieties

Napa Cabbage

Scallions (green onions)

Summer Squash: 8 Ball (green,round), Golden Glory (bright yellow zucchini),  Patty Pan(scalloped white, green or yellow), Slik Pik (thin, yellow) or Zephyr (green & yellow)
Strawberries: one last taste!

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

Snap or Snow Peas

For those with the Egg option [Full shares]: one dozen free-range eggs

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

Featured Recipes:  

Sausage Egg Roll in a Bowl

Celery Leaf Pesto and other celery leaf recipes

Parmesan Summer Squash saute ** see recipe below

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.60"

Happy Summer to you! As we pass into the official start of summer it always makes me wonder what this growing season will bring us. So far, it has been a pretty decent stretch, since those late spring freezes. We've had fairly moderate temps and somewhat normal rainfall. Crops have been sown or transplanted mostly on schedule and we're trying (as always) to stay ahead of the weeds. That has been more successful with some crops than others. Today we did "rescue weeding" of the beans, which means hand weeding because the weeds had gotten ahead of us and were too big to cultivate out. This is our least favorite kind of weeding, as it is the most time consuming and means that we've gotten behind on a crop. That said, it does happen every year to one crop or another. Besides lots of weeding and cultivating, this past week we cleared the last of the high tunnel lettuce crops and transplanted in the final crop of peppers. While cleaning up the perimeter of the big high tunnel we ran into this little guy (seriously, he was only about 12" long). I know not everyone gets as excited about snakes as I do but they play such an important role in pest control that even if one startles me, I am always happy to see them. Protecting species like this is yet another reason why it is important to us to be a chemical-free farm.

This week we also sowed the next succession of carrots, beets and beans and resowed a poorly germinated bed of butternut squash. Did I mention we also spent some time weeding and cultivating? That is the trade off to getting regular rains, it also waters the weeds! Luckily our crops too, have been enjoying those rains. The summer squashes are really putting on some nice growth and blooming like crazy! We should be be right at the edge of a bountiful squash season. The basil is finally starting to look like a solid crop and needs pinching back to encourage better growth, so you are getting the benefit of that practice. You aren't getting a lot of basil with today's delivery, really just a teaser to whet your herbal appetite, but that is all that the plants are up for right now. In a couple of weeks we expect to be sending out a bounty of basil bouquets. 

Pink celery

Another crop that has come along nicely is our Chinese pink celery. It is such a beautiful crop 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 sauteed in butter and cooked with eggs or other vegetables. It would also go nicely in the in the Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe. Regardless of how you use it, we hope that you enjoy it. 

A crop that hasn't been so excited about the recent weather is the Napa Cabbage. It is a challenging crop in the spring as it prefers decreasing temperatures rather than the increasing heat of summer. It was starting to look a little "peaked" so even though you just had it 2 weeks ago, we decided to send it out while it is still a quality crop rather than lose it in the field. 

European cabbage

Don't worry, our European cabbages are looking really good, so this isn't the end of cabbage season. Our main season broccoli crop is also looking great and just starting to form heads, even as the early broccoli has moved on to producing mainly side shoots. So if you get broccoli this week and wonder why you are getting a bag of florets, that's why. They are the side shoots after the main head of broccoli has been harvested. We think they are easily as desirable as the main heads as they tend to be tender and "pre-trimmed" to a smaller size.

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 or clamshell, 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.

Broccoli: Wrap broccoli loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak broccoli, 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 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.

Garlic Scapes: One of our favorite crops of the year. These curly green "springs" 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.

Napa Cabbage: Store Napa cabbage whole in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a week or more. 

Peas: best kept in a plastic bag or glass container in your refrigerator. Use within a week.

Scallions (green onions): are best kept upright in a glass with about 1" of water in it. 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.

Strawberries keep best in your refrigerator in a vented container. Use within 3-4 days.

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 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 & Sky)

Indigo, Luci & Sky

Parmesan Summer Squash Saute

2 tbs butter or olive oil

2-3 cups sliced summer squash (1/4” slices)

1 medium onion or several green onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3-4 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in sauté pan. Add onion, garlic and summer squash. Brown quickly. Sprinkle parmesan over squash slices and cover until melted. Slide cooked squash out of pan onto a serving plate.

Note: Don’t overcook squash, flavor and texture are best if squash is slightly firm.

Recipe source: Gloria Beebout (Blue Gate Farm mom)