BGF News - August 22, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.11

BGF News - August 22, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.11

In this week’s box:

Basil: sweet
Beans: Mix or Romano
Carrots: Mix
Garlic: Northern White
Head Lettuce: Coastal Star, Magenta or Muir
Kale Mix
Onions: Cipollini or Ailsa Craig
Sweet Peppers: asst
Summer Squash: asst
Tomatoes: see descriptions in 8/1 newsletter

And at least one of the following:
Broccoli: Belstar
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 & half shares]: one dozen free-range eggs (assorted colors)

For those with the Herb option: lemon basil, lemon balm &savory

 
Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Zucchini Butter
Roasted Pepper and Tomato Bruschetta
Slow Roasted Peppers in a Balsamic Glaze
15 Squash Blossom Recipes
Braised Green Beans and Summer Vegetables 

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 1.70"

The words I'm sure everyone has been waiting to hear, "we finally got some rain!" It took a week, but over the past 7 days, we got more than an inch of and a half of glorious rain. This is a game changer for some of our crops and it is definitely lowering the stress level of this farmHer. That said, it doesn't come close to addressing our deficit, but it sure made some farmers and plants very happy!

We got some big projects done this past week, including harvesting nearly all of the remaining potatoes. Luckily the yield was much better than the early potatoes we dug a few weeks ago. Certainly not a record yield, but a respectable showing. The crew was fairly sure we were trying to kill them that day , even though we used the tractor and potato plow to do the digging. They didn't seem to be believe me when I told them that it was MUCH harder when we dug them all by hand. We still have one row left that we couldn't get the potato plow into without running over the cabbages (bad farmHer planning). We did hook up the old horse-drawn plow to the tractor and ran that through the row to at least give us a start at digging, but I'm considering letting the crew hand dig the rest of that row just for the experience of it. :) 

Digging for buried (potato) treasure

Resorting to the old "horse-drawn" plow

We also pulled all of the onions this week and racked them up in the barn loft to dry. The number of onions was pretty good but they are definitely smaller than we'd like to see. Given how little moisture they received, we are probably lucky we have any at all. Amidst these bigger harvesting projects this week, we prepped some high tunnel beds for new crops, shelled the last of the 2016 popcorn, cleaned another round of garlic, sowed kale, chard and Napa for high tunnel transplanting and did some more weeding. We also took a few breaks while harvesting the bounty of beans yesterday to check in on the eclipse.

 

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.

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. 

Sweet Peppers: Place whole, unwashed peppers in a plastic bag, seal, and refrigerate for a week or more. Rinse peppers just before use then 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. 

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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