BGF NEWS - August 22, 2023 - VOL. 50, NO. 11

IN THIS WEEK’S BOX:

Basil: Sweet

Bean Mix: Empress (green) & Carson (yellow)

Carrots: Rainbow Mix

Chard: Rainbow

Cucumbers: Corinto, Generally, Lemon, Marketmore, Nokya or Sashimi 

Eggplant: Orient Express, Asian Delight and/or Listada

Jubilee Cherry Tomato Mix: see 8/1 newsletter for descriptions

Peppers: Sweet, see 8/15 newsletter for descriptions

Scallions

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

Tomatoes: see 8/1 newsletter for descriptions

 

and perhaps one of the following:
Cantaloupe: Hannah's Choice

Okra: Bowling Red & Candle Fire

Watermelon: Sugar Baby (red) or Early Moonbeam (yellow)

Herb It! option: Purple basil, garlic chives, lovage

Bread Share: 7-Grain

Featured Recipes:

Simple Garlic Basil Carrots

Ginger Soy Glazed Beans and Peppers

Easy Panzanella Salad

Roasted Ratatouille Pasta

WHAT’S UP ON THE FARM?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.00"

You probably won't be surprised to hear that it's HOT on the farm this week...and all over the Midwest. Our recent temperatures coming into this week have been so pleasant that it rather ruined us for 90°-100° weather. Ah well, it is late August and as of the end of this month, the average temperatures do start to drop, so there's hope! The fall crops that we've been working so hard to get planted would really appreciate some cooler temps, as would the other crops, crew,  animals, farmers and everyone else, I'm sure. We are back to our irrigation rotation for sure and just trying to keep everyone alive out here.

The heat will probably be the death knell for some of the crops that were already slowing down like cucumbers and summer squash. While we're sad to see them go, they have stuck around longer this season than they do many years, so we appreciate that. The current crop of lettuce is definitely offended by the weather and has been added to the "clear it" list of crops along with the early turnips. The early bean crop is done and was cleared last week, but the later successions are going strong for now. 

We made an early morning push to get all the carrots and beets harvested over the past few days to be sure they would be tucked happily in the cooler for the hottest weather.

The new crop of cantaloupe is sadly failing fast. There are just too many stresses on it right now, but the watermelon is going crazy! 

All the sudden they are ALL ripening at the same time! We'll do what we can to get them out to you as soon as possible, but it is a bit of a logistical challenge moving nearly 50 watermelons to our pick-ups along with the CSA boxes. Time to roll out the cargo van again!

The one thing that is LOVING this heat is the popcorn! Most of the ears were done filling, so it's growing season is done and now we move to drying time and this is the weather for it! I swear you can almost see the husks turning brown. Looks like it will be an early popcorn harvest this year.

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.

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.

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.

Cantaloupe: 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. It is best not to cut a cantaloupe until you are ready to eat it. If you need to return cut melon to the refrigerator, do not remove the seeds from the remaining sections as they keep the flesh from drying out. Use within 3-5 days.

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.

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. The traditional way to enjoy them is to pull the cooked pod through your teeth, popping the beans into your mouth.

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.

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.

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!

Tomatoes: always store whole tomatoes at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Once cut, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Watermelon: 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.

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)

BGF NEWS - August 30, 2022 - VOL. XLVIII, NO. 13

In this week’s box:

Basil: Sweet

Chard: Rainbow Mix

Cherry Tomatoes: Jubilee Mix (see description on 8/2)
Head Lettuce: asst

Shallots: Ambition (tan) &/or Camelot (purple)

Sweet Peppers: asst.
Tomatoes-Slicers: asst. (see description on 8/2)

Baby Turnips: Hakurei

and at least one of the following: 
Beans: Provider (green) & Carson (yellow) Mix

Broccoli Florets

Cantaloupe: Hannah's Choice or Minnesota Midget
Cauliflower: Snow Crown or Song
Eggplant: Orient Express, Asian Delight or Listada de Gandia
Okra: Candle Fire and Burgundy

Watermelon: Cream of Saskatchewan 

Herb It! option: lemon basil, garlic chives, bronze fennel
Bread Share: Italian Herb

Featured Recipes:  

Roasted Baby Turnips with Dijon Shallot Vinaigrette

Chard with Caramelized Shallots

Penne with Peppers, Fresh Tomato and Basil

BGF Pesto **see below**

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.1" (ugh!)

While we were again very pleased to miss the hail that fell around central Iowa this week, we were very disappointed to also miss almost all of the rain. We did have a couple of brief showers, but it didn't add up to much of anything so we are continuing to irrigate on a daily basis. The drought and decreasing daylight hours are really starting to affect our midseason crops, tomato and eggplant ripening has slowed way down, melons are pretty much done. Peppers are also slowing a bit, but not nearly as much as the others. We had planned to do our annual "Salsa Box" this week, but I wasn't confident that we would have enough tomatoes to really do it justice, so we are postponing it for a week in hopes of greater tomato volume. 

We spent much of the past week taking advantage of our dry conditions and catching up on weeding and cultivating many of the crops on the farm. We continue to clear spent crops like early plantings of kale and lettuce plus melons and replace them with cool weather crops like Purple Peacock, head lettuce, komatsuna, misome, and more arugula. 

We also renovated the spent cucumber bed in the big high tunnel and planted kale and Napa Cabbage. These are crops that we will harvest throughout the winter.

Speaking of crops that are finishing up, we're not there yet, but basil season will be coming to an end in the next month. This is your heads up that now is the time to take advantage of bounteous basil and make a couple batches of pesto to freeze for winter use. Believe me, you will thank yourself for it in January! Our favorite pesto recipe is at the end of the newsletter, including our preferred way to freeze it.

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.

Beans: Fresh beans are an easy "store." Just leave them in their plastic bag and keep them in the produce drawer. Can last up to 2 weeks.

Broccoli & Cauliflower: Wrap loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak head down, in cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt to a 8 cups of water) for 5 minutes. Any [organic] critters will float to the top where you can rescue them or allow them to suffer a salty death. (Note: If you soak broccoli or cauliflower in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.)

Cantaloupe: 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. It is best not to cut a cantaloupe until you are ready to eat it. If you need to return cut melon to the refrigerator, do not remove the seeds from the remaining sections as they keep the flesh from drying out. Use within 3-5 days.

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.

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.

Shallots: the grown-up cousins of onions, shallots have a rich flavor that really shines in soups, sauces, salad dressings and egg dishes. Store like onions in a cool, dark place with good air circulation.

Tomatoes: always store whole tomatoes at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Once cut, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Turnips: keep best if separated from their greens. Greens are stored in a plastic bag and can be cooked like mustard or collard greens. 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.

Watermelon: 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.

A few other details: All of your GREENS will keep best if stored in a plastic bag, with the top folded over and placed in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.  

** NOTE: You will notice over the course of the season that some box contents listed above say "Perhaps one of the following..."  These are items that we can’t harvest in sufficient quantities for the whole CSA to receive at one time.  We do track who gets what and we will do our best to ensure that everyone eventually receives each item.  On some items this may take several weeks, so please be patient.

Is a weekly newsletter not enough for you? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That's about it for now.

If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)

Sky, Wallace & Gromit

Blue Gate Farm Pesto

2 Tbs Sunflower seeds-toasted (can substitute pine nuts)
2 cloves Garlic (garlic lovers can add more) green garlic or garlic scapes are also good.
2 c. Basil (any variety, a mix is particularly nice)
1-2 leaves Sorrel (optional)
½ c. Olive oil
1 medium tomato
1 tsp Salt (if using pre-salted sunflower seeds, can reduce salt amount)
½ c. Parmesan cheese, fresh grated (not the stuff in the can)

Place sunflower seeds and garlic into food processor then pulse several times. Add basil and sorrel, drizzle with half of oil. Pulse several times. Add remaining oil, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and salt if desired.

Pesto should be stored for a week or less in the refrigerator in a sealed container. 

 For longer storage, freeze in snack-sized, zip-top bags (about 1 1/2 TBS per bag), pressed flat. Once frozen, they can be stored upright in a larger plastic bag. To use, just break off the amount needed and return the rest to the freezer. Even if you are using the full bag, it is much easier to remove from the bag if you do so while it is still frozen.

Also, if we are making a large batch for the freezer, for best quality, we omit the cheese and seeds. Freeze as is and then add those items in when we are ready to use.

BGF NEWS - August 23, 2022 - VOL. XLVIII, NO. 12

In this week’s box:

Acorn Squash: Thelma Sanders

Beans: Provider (green) & Carson (yellow) Mix

Cherry Tomatoes: Jubilee Mix (see description on 8/2)
Garlic: Northern White

Ground Cherries

Head Lettuce: asst
Leeks

Malabar Spinach: red stems, glossy green leaves

Sweet Peppers: asst.
Tomatoes-Slicers: asst. (see description on 8/2)

and at least one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)
Cantaloupe: Hannah's Choice or Minnesota Midget

Cauliflower: Song or Snow Crown
Cucumber: Suyo Long, Armenian, Marketmore or Lemon

Eggplant: Orient Express, Asian Delight or Listada de Gandia
Okra: Candle Fire and Burgundy

Summer Squash: asst.

Watermelon: Cream of Saskatchewan 

Herb It! option: Sweet basil, stevia, lemon thyme
Bread Share: Apple Bread

Featured Recipes:  

Leek and Tomato Tart

Sweet Pepper Pasta Toss with Kale

Acorn Squash with Leeks and Lemons

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.25"

This past week brought the distinct feeling of seasonal change. The temps and humidity were down, the nights were cooler and we got just enough rain to set up some foggy mornings. The "song" of the Canada Geese is heard regularly overhead as young geese are guided through practice flights.

Visually, it's the start of "yellow season" on the farm, huge swaths of golden flowers including a myriad of native sunflowers and the first of the goldenrod, along with the start of yellow leaves on a number of trees (a bit early this year due to the drought.) Not that summer is over, we will undoubtedly still have some hot weather, but we have sure been enjoying this little preview of fall.

So we took the cue from nature and dove in with some late summer/early fall chores. The cucumbers are all cleared as are the main plantings of the summer squash and zucchini. We will be sending the last of those crops out in today's delivery.

Before the insect apocalypse

We're also sending out the entirety of the acorn squash crop. We had just enough "mostly good" squash for everyone to get a taste, but not any more than that. Between the drought and the insects, they just crashed. It's really too bad, this is a great little squash that I think is the best flavored of the acorn varieties, but use it soon as I don't expect them to hold very well in storage. We hope you'll forgive the less than impressive specimens and just enjoy them as an appetizer for other fall crops.

Besides clearing spent crops, we also planted some including additional cauliflower, kale and chard. More fall greens were sown and we're still cultivating and harvesting lots of crops!

Finally we are sending out Malabar Spinach this week, it is a great spinach replacement that loves the summer heat. Leaves and stems are edible and we think the stems are awesome as quick pickles. We hope you enjoy this fun and unusual vegetable!

A little detail on your produce this week:

Beans: Fresh beans are an easy "store." Just leave them in their plastic bag and keep them in the produce drawer. Can last up to 2 weeks.

Broccoli & Cauliflower: Wrap loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak head down, in cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt to a 8 cups of water) for 5 minutes. Any [organic] critters will float to the top where you can rescue them or allow them to suffer a salty death. (Note: If you soak broccoli or cauliflower in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.)

Cantaloupe: 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. It is best not to cut a cantaloupe until you are ready to eat it. If you need to return cut melon to the refrigerator, do not remove the seeds from the remaining sections as they keep the flesh from drying out. Use within 3-5 days.

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 (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.

Garlic: The garlic is now fully cured and can be stored on the counter for short term use or in a dark area with good air circulation (like a basement) for longer storage.

Ground Cherries: These are a husked fruit, related to a tomatillo. The husks and fruit start out light green and ripen to a golden/apricot color inside when ready to eat and the husks will be completely dry and papery. They store for several weeks to a month on the counter if the husks is still sealed, and they wont ripen outside of the husk. To enjoy, remove husks and eat as a snack, in salads , desserts or combined with cherry tomatoes in a pasta dish. We also like them on pizza!

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.

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.

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!

Tomatoes: always store whole tomatoes at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Once cut, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Watermelon: 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.

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.

A few other details: All of your GREENS will keep best if stored in a plastic bag, with the top folded over and placed in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.  

** NOTE: You will notice over the course of the season that some box contents listed above say "Perhaps one of the following..."  These are items that we can’t harvest in sufficient quantities for the whole CSA to receive at one time.  We do track who gets what and we will do our best to ensure that everyone eventually receives each item.  On some items this may take several weeks, so please be patient.

Is a weekly newsletter not enough for you? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That's about it for now.

If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)

Sky, Wallace & Gromit

BGF NEWS - August 16, 2022 - VOL. XLVIII, NO. 11

In this week’s box:

Basil: Sweet

Beans: Provider (green) & Carson (yellow) Mix
Cherry Tomatoes: Jubilee Mix (see description on 8/2)
Cucumber: Suyo Long, Armenian, Marketmore or Lemon
Head Lettuce: asst
Onion (Sweet): Candy

Potatoes: Yukon Gold

Sweet Peppers: asst.
Tomatoes-Slicers: asst. (see description on 8/2)

and at least one of the following: (please see **NOTE after "A Little Detail..." below)
Cantaloupe: Hannah's Choice or Minnesota Midget
Cauliflower: Snow Crown or Song
Eggplant: Orient Express, Asian Delight or Listada de Gandia
Okra: Candle Fire and Burgundy

Summer Squash: asst.

Watermelon: Cream of Saskatchewan 

Herb It! option: Cardinal basil, sorrel & lemon balm
Bread Share: Tomato Basil Bread

Featured Recipes:  
Skillet Potatoes with Peppers and Onions

Baked Feta and Cherry Tomato Pasta

Green Beans with Parmesan-and Basil

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.80" It's raining!!!

With no rain last week we progressed very quickly to being right on the line between moderate and severe drought, according to the US Dought Monitor. We were seeing lots of heat and drought stress on most of the crops, even with the irrigation running throughout the daylight hours. 

But now, as I sit here writing this...it's raining. The relief is remarkable. It is too late for most of the summer squash and cucumber plants, they were just done, but for others of the long season crops as well as all the fall crops we recently planted, it is glorious!

Knowing that the rain was coming, we pushed really hard to get the last of the potatoes and all the onion crops harvested and stored on Monday, as well as aggressively harvesting the melons and tomatoes, to guard against them splitting with all the anticipated moisture. We also got the next round of fall crops sown, including salad mix, radishes and arugula as well as transplanted head lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and purple peacock. The final transplant sowing for the fall high tunnels was completed this weekend, including chard, kale, lettuce, choi, senposai and misome.
But let's circle back to the current crops, the recent

 heat didn't seem to offend the peppers too much, in fact they are finally ripening and are headed to you this week. That means it's time to introduce them.
Ace- green to red bell, thin walled
Carmen-green to red Italian pepper (long, pointed)
Golden Marconi-green to yellow Italian pepper (long, pointed)
Golden Star-big, thick-walled, blocky green to yellow bell 

Lunchbox Mix: bite-sized peppers in yellow, red & orange

Red Knight-large, thick walled green to red bell
Snowball-Ivory to red bell

Tequila- purple to reddish-orange bell

And now let's talk about melons! We've been sending out the little Mexican Midget cantaloupe for a few weeks as they ripen, but all the sudden the switch was flipped and we suddenly have LOTS of ripe fruits! We will start sending out Hannah's Choice cantaloupe this week, as well as the first of the Cream of Sasketchewan watermelon. These are a white fleshed melon, so don't be disappointed when you cut into it and it isn't red. It's our favorite melon to eat as we think the flavor is better than most red melons. We hope you think so too!

A little detail on your produce this week:

Beans: Fresh beans are an easy "store." Just leave them in their plastic bag and keep them in the produce drawer. Can last up to 2 weeks.

Broccoli & Cauliflower: Wrap loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak head down, in cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt to a 8 cups of water) for 5 minutes. Any [organic] critters will float to the top where you can rescue them or allow them to suffer a salty death. (Note: If you soak broccoli or cauliflower in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.)

Cantaloupe: 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. It is best not to cut a cantaloupe until you are ready to eat it. If you need to return cut melon to the refrigerator, do not remove the seeds from the remaining sections as they keep the flesh from drying out. Use within 3-5 days.

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 (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.

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. So refrigerated potatoes should be brought to room temperature for at least 24 hours before using. Moisture causes potatoes to spoil, light turns them green, and proximity to onions causes them to sprout. (You can still use a potato that has sprouted, however; simply cut off the “eyes” before use.) Scrub potatoes well and cut off any sprouts or green skin. (Clean delicate new potatoes gently.) Peeling is a matter of preference. Cut potatoes according to your recipe. If baking a whole potato, be sure to prick the skin in at least two places to allow steam to escape.

Onions: Fully cured onions don't require refrigeration. For longest storage, keep in a dark place with good airflow. Once cut, store in the 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!

Tomatoes: always store whole tomatoes at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Once cut, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Watermelon: 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.

A few other details: All of your GREENS will keep best if stored in a plastic bag, with the top folded over and placed in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.  

** NOTE: You will notice over the course of the season that some box contents listed above say "Perhaps one of the following..."  These are items that we can’t harvest in sufficient quantities for the whole CSA to receive at one time.  We do track who gets what and we will do our best to ensure that everyone eventually receives each item.  On some items this may take several weeks, so please be patient.

Is a weekly newsletter not enough for you? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That's about it for now.

If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)

Sky, Wallace & Gromit