BGF News - July 10, 2018-Vol. XL, No.6

In this week’s box:

Basil: Genovese or Italian Large Leaf
Bean Mix: Carson (yellow) & Empress (green)
Carrots: Rainbow mix

Cucumber: Diva/Marketmore  (green, English), Suyo Long (long green, Asian)

                     or Lemon (round, yellow)
Green-top Onions:
Head Lettuce: Kiribati
Squash Blossoms

Summer Squash: Slik Pik (yellow), Zephyr (yellow & green), Golden Glory (yellow zucchini), 

                                Patty Pan (saucer-shaped, green/yellow/white) or 8 Ball (round, green)

and at least one of the following:

Eggplant: Orient Express

Okra: Bowling Red & Candle Fire

Snow Peas: Oregon Giant

           

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

For those with the Herb option: Thai basil, savory, sorrel

   

Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 

Roasted Parmesan Garlic Zucchini Spears

Baked Squash Blossoms**

Roberta's Roasted Green Onion Tops** see below

Tangy Cucumbers & Sweet Onions** see below

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.00"

Well, the past week has taken us through the full weather range, from hot and wet to delightfully cooler to hot and dry. It must be July on the farm! The crew was off for the July 4th holiday, but the rest of the week has been focused on weeding the cole crops (broccoli, cabbage ect), transplanting chard and lettuce, wrangling the tomatoes and harvesting summer squash and cucumbers. The high tunnel tomatoes were already trellised, but still require regular pruning and adding trellis lines. We are rather behind schedule on the field tomatoes and just got the end posts in yesterday, with interior posts and support lines to follow later this week. The garlic is telling us it is time to harvest, so that is another big task on the to-do list. 

Setting end posts for the tomato trellis

First harvest of our new Kiribati lettuce

Speaking of lettuce, we are super excited about the lettuce going out in today's delivery. It is a new variety that we are trialing and we think it is some of the prettiest, and more important, the sweetest summer lettuce we've every grown. It is from the Micronesian island of Kiribati and so far is handling the heat very well. We hope you enjoy it. 

We are also pleased to be sending out squash blossoms this week. We are so inundated with summer squash right now that we are enforcing a bit of a squash sabbatical which means you get to dig into the delight that is squash blossoms. If you haven't had them before, don't be intimidated, they are very easy to cook with and if you aren't up for stuffing them (which is simply divine), just chop them up and throw them into some scrambled eggs or an omelet. 

We are also sending out some extra cucumbers this week as bacterial wilt disease has started to run through the plants. This is spread by the cucumber beetles and for chemical-free producers, always heralds the end of the cuke season. So we wanted to be sure that you get your fill of cucumbers before the plants just suddenly wilt and die. It doesn't mean this is the last delivery of cukes, just that the end is in sight.

The CSA member Ice Cream Social is this Sunday, July 15th from 2 – 5pm at the farm. Come on out for an afternoon filled with fresh country air, homemade ice cream, farm-fresh desserts and a rousing match of water balloon volleyball. You should have received an "Evite" invitation via email last week. It would be very helpful to us if you would RSVP by this Friday so we know how much ice cream to make. We hope to see you on Sunday at the farm!

*Team Blue Gate-Market Opportunity*

Want to see another side of your farm? Join Team Blue Gate,  our group of volunteers who work with  Jill in the BGF tent during the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market season. We ask that interested individuals commit to at least 2 market dates over the course of the season and to be there for set-up, selling and tear down (basically 6am-12:30 or so). In appreciation for their time and efforts, volunteers earn a BGF T-shirt and a $30 credit at the booth that day. We have an awesome group and everyone seems to enjoy it, but we do have some open dates coming up. If you are interested in joining us, you can go to the online calendar here: 2018 BGF Market Team  and sign up for whenever works with your schedule.

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. We don't pre-wash basil as it degrades the quality. Basil should be rinsed just before using.

Carrots: These "mid-season" carrots are a little different than the candy-sweet gems of cool weather carrots. They are a little more strongly flavored, a little earthy. This makes them perfect for cooking and more complicated recipes, as some might not love them for fresh eating. 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.

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.

 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, then place in a plastic bag 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."

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 bag in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.

Squash Blossoms: 

Squash blossoms are very perishable.  Arrange them on paper towel lined tray, refrigerate and use within one day.  Blossoms will keep for 1 week at 50ºF (10°C) and 2 to 4 days at 40ºF (4°C).  Chilling injury will occur if held for several days at temperatures below 50ºF (10°C). You can also freeze, can, pickle, or dry squash blossoms.  If cooked, blossoms will store in the freezer for 6 to 8 months.  Open and inspect squash blossoms for insects before using them.  Pull off and discard the green calyxes surrounding the bottom of the blossom.  Clean blossoms by gently swishing them in a bowl of cold water.  Shake them dry.  Trim or snip out the anthers or style.  A few suggested uses for the squash blossoms:  as a garnish raw on crêpes, green salads, fruit salads, soups, and quesadillas; stuff blossoms with rice or minced meat and fry in batter; stuff blossoms with soft cheese, cooked and crumbled sausage, then bread and fry or bake; dip blossoms in a flour and cornstarch batter and fry until brown and crunchy; chop them up and add to quiche.

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 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)

Roberta's Roasted Green Onion Tops

Use scissors to slice the tops uniformly so they cook evenly. Then coat the tops with olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Cook at 350 degrees for 10 - 20 minutes depending on the size and how crispy you want them. 

We eat them as appetizers with cheese or use as an ingredient in eggs, etc.

Recipe Source: CSA member Roberta P.

Tangy Cucumbers and Sweet Onions

1 large Suyo Long cucumber or 2 medium cucumbers, peeled

1 small to medium sweet onion

2/3 c. cider or seasoned rice vinegar

¼ c. water

2 – 4 tbs. sugar (to taste)

¼ - ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 tbs chopped fresh fennel leaves (or dill), optional

Thinly slice cucumbers and onions. Separate onions into rings.

In a medium bowl with a tight fitting lid, combine remaining ingredients. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add cucumbers and onions to bowl and stir to coat. Seal lid and place in refrigerator for at least an hour before using. We eat this as a side dish, with the vegetables simply lifted out of the vinegar mixture when serving.  It can also be used as a condiment on sandwiches & burgers, as a salad topping or chopped into egg, chicken or ham salad.

Recipe Source: Blue Gate Farm

BGF News - September 12, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.14

BGF News - September 12, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.14

In this week’s box:

Beans: Mix or Maxibel (filet-style)

Baby 'Shanghai Green' choi

Cabbage: Super Red
Carrots: Mix
Baby Choi: Shanghai Green or Joi
Head Lettuce: asst
Shallots: Ambition (tan) and/or Prisma (purple)
Sweet Peppers: asst
Summer Squash: asst
Tomatoes: see descriptions in 8/1 newsletter

And at least one of the following:    
Broccoli: Belstar
Cucumber: Lemon
Eggplant: Orient Express or Orient Charm
Okra: Bowling Red
Spinach Mix
Squash Blossoms 
Tapestry Salad Mix  
      

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

For those with the Herb option: sweet basil, par-cel, sorrel

 
Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Choi with Shallots and Mushrooms
Sesame, Carrot and red Cabbage Stir Fry
Sweet Pepper Pasta with Sausage

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.00"

Last week I commented on the changing color of our landscape, this week the difference is even more marked, with about half the trees starting to change color. There aren't many reds in our area so we are about to be surrounded in glowing golds and yellows from the trees as well as the flowers. The photo below is the other thing we've started seeing recently New England Aster. In fact, I saw the first one blooming on August 27th. Why is that significant? Because my grandpa always called these frost flowers and he said that four weeks after you see the first one blooming will be the first frost. YIKES! If that little bit of lore holds true, our first frost would be around the 24th of September...2 weeks from now! Just for reference, our first average frost date for this area is around October 10th. We're really hoping that specific specimen was just a little precocious, though we have seen others blooming since then. Surely it is just the lack of rain that is pushing them earlier???

New England Aster or frost flower

Regardless, the season is definitely progressing and so are we. I had predicted that the summer squash were about finished a couple of weeks ago...and yet, there are still squash in your boxes. Crazy plants just refuse to die, so we hope you aren't completely over them by this point, they will end soon enough. If you can't bear any more meals with them, try the chocolate cake recipe from 7/23 it uses up a fair amount of grated summer squash and is a favorite that freezes well. Or just grate it up (the squash, not the cake) and freeze it for later additions to cakes, breads or soups. The beans are finally starting to slow down and will probably be pulled out in the next week or so. They've had a good run as well. I wish the tomatoes were having as good a season. This is the least impressive tomato year we've ever had. The vines aren't dying (yet) but production, which was never great, is slowing. We'll continue to send tomatoes out in boxes, but it will probably be just a couple tomatoes in each. The crew is doing their darndest to keep the tomatoes producing, including lots of scouting for pests such as tomato fruitworm and our main nemesis, the tomato hornworm. Just today they found 120 of the hornworms, from tiny latchlings to giant tomato-eating monstrosities!

BGF Team Hornworm (I wish I had made a video instead!)

 
In the past week we cleared the early kale and broccoli crops but the later plantings are doing quite nicely and we expect kale to return to the boxes next week. Fall greens are doing quite well and you will start seeing those appearing in today's delivery. We had a final clearing of the high tunnel cantaloupe yesterday. Those crazy little melons, while small, certainly exceeded our expectations this year and deserve a return for next year. We've still got a bit of fall planting to do in the field, but we did get some more radishes sown this week and LOTS of weeding.

 

Upcoming events:

Farm Crawl is Sunday, October 1st from 11am-5pm.  Details can be found at www.farmcrawl.com.  Every year we invite CSA members not only to come out and tour the farms, but also to be part of the BGF team. So here is your chance for 2017. In the past, individuals/families have helped out with greeting visitors, sharing information, helping out at the chickens, parking and other various tasks. And, even better, you can still "Do the Crawl"! We are asking for volunteers to come for a 2 hour shift, so there is still time to visit the other farms. If you (and/or your family) would be interested in helping out at the farm please let us know. If you join us, we will set you up with some very fine BGF gear.

Final Summer CSA delivery: Our final delivery of the 2017 summer season will be Tuesday, October 24th

VegEmail sales begin: Tuesday, November 7th

A little detail on your produce this week:

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. 

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.

 

Squash Blossoms: Squash blossoms are very perishable.  Arrange them on paper towel lined tray, cover with another cloth and then lightly wrap with plastic, refrigerate and use very soon.  Blossoms will keep for 1 week at 50ºF.  Open and inspect squash blossoms for insects before using them.  Pull off and discard the green calyxes surrounding the bottom of the blossom.  Clean blossoms by gently swishing them in a bowl of cold water.  Shake them dry.  Trim or snip out the anthers or style.  A few suggested uses for the squash blossoms:  as a garnish raw on crêpes, green salads, fruit salads, soups, and quesadillas; stuff blossoms with rice or minced meat and fry in batter; stuff blossoms with soft cheese, cooked and crumbled sausage, then bread and fry or bake; dip blossoms in a flour and cornstarch batter and fry until brown and crunchy; chop them up and add to quiche.

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 Blue, Luci & Indigo)

Posted by BlueGate at 6:18 AM No comments:

BGF News - September 5, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.13

BGF News - September 5, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.13

In this week’s box:

Butternut Squash

Basil: sweet
Beans: Mix or Romano
Cherry Tomatoes
Head Lettuce: asst.
Sweet Onions: Ailsa Craig
Sweet Peppers: asst
Summer Squash: asst
Tomatoes: see descriptions in 8/1 newsletter

Winter Squash: Butternut 
And perhaps one of the following:    
Cantaloupe: Minnesota Midget
Cucumber: Lemon
Eggplant: Orient Express or Orient Charm
Okra: Bowling Red
Squash Blossoms
Watermelon: Sugar Baby (red interior) or Cream of Saskatchewan (white interior)

           

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

For those with the Herb option: Thai Magic basil, thyme, peppermint

 
Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Baked Eggs on Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic Roasted Peppers and Butternut Squash

What’s up on the farm?

 Precipitation in the past week: 0.00"

As the morning light arrives this morning, it is not just the cool temperatures that show us that the seasons have changed. The color of the landscape is slowly shifting into its fall wardrobe. The the vibrant green of many of the trees has gone dull and are starting to shift to yellow. The sumac and ivys have started to turn red and the fall blooming wildflowers are a riot of yellows in the ditches and field margins. It is a beautiful time of year on the farm!

So what have we been up to in this beautiful weather? Irrigating and cultivating mostly. We continue to clear spent crops and are still sowing the final few in the fields. This week we will likely pull the last of the cantaloupe from the high tunnel as they are mostly dead. They sure provided some lovely melons over the course of the season. That bed will be renovated and planted with crops that will overwinter in the tunnel for our VegEmail sales (more on those later). We are harvesting the first of the winter squash today and the crop is looking outstanding! In fact, between the squashes and the potential popcorn harvest, we may be facing a bit of a storage issue. It is a good problem to have!

Speaking of storage, a couple of you have asked over the course of the season about the containers/packaging you receive in your boxes. I kept meaning to include that information in the newsletter and week after week, I got distracted by other things (I forgot). So now, in the final 3rd of the season, here's are the details:
Egg cartons: yes, if they are clean, we are happy to have them back for reusing
Pint & quart containers (cherry tomatoes):  yes, please return and we will reuse
Plastic bags: no, thank you. Please feel free to reuse at home
Paper bags (cherry tomatoes or potatoes): no, thank you, we don't trust them for a 2nd use.
Twist ties: no, thank you, they tend to fall apart on the 2nd use.

Finally, this is the time of the season when we start getting questions about our Winter CSA. After more than 10 years, this year we are doing something different. Instead of offering the regular Winter CSA program in November & December, we will be starting up our VegEmail sales in early November. They will run on a similar schedule as the CSA with deliveries every 2 weeks, but go from November to May. Every 2 weeks we will email out a link to the order form and you can simply request whatever you want from the available choices. If you are away or too busy one week, then you just don't place an order. We're hoping the added flexibility helps to engage more folks and keep fresh healthy food heading into homes for the entire winter and spring.

Save the date! 
Farm Crawl 2017 is coming up fast! Seven independent family farm operations, all within an easy drive of each other in south-central Iowa, are jointly hosting open houses. Enjoy a leisurely autumn day “crawling” from farm to farm (Okay, you don't actually crawl, you drive yourself between farms).

Come visit south Marion County/north Lucas County (one hour south of Des Moines) to see each of our individual operations. Tour the farms, visit the animals, meet the farmers, see demonstrations, sample the goodies, purchase locally grown & produced products, and have lots of fun in the beautiful Iowa countryside! Visit special guest vendors at many of the farms.  FREE admission onto all of the farms.

The seven farms include: Blue Gate Farm, Coyote Run Farm, Crooked Gap Farm, Pierce’s Pumpkin Patch, Schneider Orchards, White Breast Pottery and Weaving, and Trojan Iron Works.

 

A little detail on your produce this week:

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.  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.

Melons: If your cantaloupe seems a bit short of ripe, keep it at room temperature for a few days or until there is a sweet smell coming from the stem end. Once the melon ripens, store it in the refrigerator. Handle watermelons carefully. When harvested at their peak ripeness, they can crack or split easily if bumped or roughly handled. Refrigerate watermelons right away. (Watermelons do not ripen off the vine and do not emanate a ripe smell.)
Cut melon should be covered in plastic wrap, chunks or slices should be kept in an airtight container, and both should be refrigerated. Eat all melons within a week.

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.

Squash Blossoms: Squash blossoms are very perishable.  Arrange them on paper towel lined tray, cover with another cloth and then lightly wrap with plastic, refrigerate and use very soon.  Blossoms will keep for 1 week at 50ºF.  Open and inspect squash blossoms for insects before using them.  Pull off and discard the green calyxes surrounding the bottom of the blossom.  Clean blossoms by gently swishing them in a bowl of cold water.  Shake them dry.  Trim or snip out the anthers or style.  A few suggested uses for the squash blossoms:  as a garnish raw on crêpes, green salads, fruit salads, soups, and quesadillas; stuff blossoms with rice or minced meat and fry in batter; stuff blossoms with soft cheese, cooked and crumbled sausage, then bread and fry or bake; dip blossoms in a flour and cornstarch batter and fry until brown and crunchy; chop them up and add to quiche. 

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 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 Blue, Luci & Indigo)

Labels:

Posted by BlueGate at 6:18 AM No comments:

BGF News - August 29, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.12

BGF News - August 29, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.12

In this week’s box:

Beans: Mix, Romano or Maxibel (green, filet-style)

Broccoli: Belstar
Collards
Edamame
Head Lettuce: Coastal Star, Magenta or Muir
Potatoes: Kenebec or Carola
Scallions
Sweet Peppers: asst
Summer Squash: asst
Tomatoes: see descriptions in 8/1 newsletter

And perhaps one of the following: 
Cantaloupe: Minnesota Midget
Cucumber: Lemon
Eggplant: Orient Express (Asian-type, purple), Orient Charm (Asian-type, lavender) or
    Listada de Gandia (Italian, striped)
Okra: Bowling Red
Squash Blossoms
Watermelon: Sugar Baby (red interior) or Cream of Saskatchewan (white interior) 

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

For those with the Herb option: sweet basil, garlic chives & tarragon

Packing potatoes is closely supervised

 

Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Finger Licking Edamame
Roasted Potatoes with Scallions
Green Beans with Peppers
Colcannon  (try it with your collard greens or left over kale from last week!)

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.00"
 

Counting our blessings. While our drought worries continue, they are nothing compared to what our friends and former neighbors are facing in Houston this week. We were living in Houston in 2001 during Tropical Storm Allison when we had 24" of rain over a 3 day period. By the time Harvey departs the Houston area later this week they are talking about the possibility of twice that much rain. The Alley Theater, our long-time home-away-from-home is again underwater, as are so many other buildings and homes. It is truly impossible to fathom without being there. Our hearts go out to all living in that disaster zone. We are so lucky to be here, to be healthy (surgery recovery is going well) and to have the privilege of growing good food here on the farm. We don't say it enough, thanks for being a part of our farm family!

With the fall field crops mostly all in the ground, we spent a fair amount of time cultivating this week. We also went after that last pesky row of potatoes, some of which are headed out in boxes today. Though we did other things, I feel like we spent half of our week harvesting beans. The rains from a week ago really kicked both the old and new plantings into gear so we are doing our best to keep them picked. We considered doing an "All Legume Box" this week, but decided you might like a few other things to go along with them. Not all is rosy on the legume front though. The weather did a real number on the edamame crop this year, after losing the first sowing to the furry eaters, the second sowing did ok and the 3rd sowing didn't even germinate. The pods on succession 2 were filled out and needed to be harvested, but the total yield was lower than we hoped. So we are sending all of them out today, with just enough for everyone to get a sample. They are pretty tasty added to a variety of pasta dishes, where you can enjoy them without needed a huge quantity. They are fairly dusty from the dry soil and morning dews, so you will want to give them a quick rinse before tossing them into your cooking pot. While harvesting the edamame, we took a look at the nearby collards and decided it was time to box some up for you. They are green & lush, though a bit "over-popular" with the local insect gangs. We hope you can overlook the leaf damage, it is certainly a badge of "no-chemicals-used-here".

Some of the mid-season crops are starting to look a bit tired. The summer squashes are really showing their age and are slowing down in their production. The Romano beans, while producing like crazy, look like they are on their final hurrah. Tomatoes are just having a rough year all around. They aren't really slowing down, they just never really took off this year with all of the crazy weather. We will continue to send them out as long as we have them. The fall crops are coming along surprisingly well, given our rain shortage, but that nice +1" ten days ago or so really gave them a boost. The Napa is putting on the most impressive show, but the lettuces, spinach and choi are looking nearly as good. We finally have a crop of chard coming along as well. We built it a little deer & rabbit-proof tunnel and as long as we can keep the blister beetles at bay, we should have some in boxes by the end of the season. The winter squash continue to do well and are at risk of taking over our El Norte field. Some of the Musque de Provence squashes we've seen hiding under the mounds of foliage are so big they look like overstuffed footstools! Now how are we going to get those into boxes???

A little detail on your produce this week:

Edamame (vegetable or green soy beans): Store beans on or off the branches in a bag in the crisper drawer and use within 1 week.  To use, separate beans from branches and cook in salted, boiling water in the pods or shelled, depending on how you plan to use them. In case this is a new vegetable for you, the pods of edamame are not edible, so be sure to shell them before eating.
 

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.  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.

Melons: If your cantaloupe seems a bit short of ripe, keep it at room temperature for a few days or until there is a sweet smell coming from the stem end. Once the melon ripens, store it in the refrigerator. Handle watermelons carefully. When harvested at their peak ripeness, they can crack or split easily if bumped or roughly handled. Refrigerate watermelons right away. (Watermelons do not ripen off the vine and do not emanate a ripe smell.)
Cut melon should be covered in plastic wrap, chunks or slices should be kept in an airtight container, and both should be refrigerated. Eat all melons within a week.

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.

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. 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.) Potatoes store best if they haven't been washed, so we send them out in their "dust jackets". Just before using, scrub potatoes well and cut off any sprouts or green skin. (Clean delicate new potatoes gently.) Peeling is a matter of preference.

Squash Blossoms: Squash blossoms are very perishable.  Arrange them on paper towel lined tray, cover with another cloth and then lightly wrap with plastic, refrigerate and use very soon.  Blossoms will keep for 1 week at 50ºF.  Open and inspect squash blossoms for insects before using them.  Pull off and discard the green calyxes surrounding the bottom of the blossom.  Clean blossoms by gently swishing them in a bowl of cold water.  Shake them dry.  Trim or snip out the anthers or style.  A few suggested uses for the squash blossoms:  as a garnish raw on crêpes, green salads, fruit salads, soups, and quesadillas; stuff blossoms with rice or minced meat and fry in batter; stuff blossoms with soft cheese, cooked and crumbled sausage, then bread and fry or bake; dip blossoms in a flour and cornstarch batter and fry until brown and crunchy; chop them up and add to quiche. 

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 Blue, Luci & Indigo)

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