In this week’s box:
Basil: Genovese or Lettuce LeafBeans: Green/Yellow MixGarlic- fully cured, no need to refrigerateJubilee Cherry Tomato Mix *descriptions in 7/20 newsletterKale MixPeppers: Sweet *descriptions in 8/3 newsletterPotatoes: Austrian RedRoselleScallionsSummer Squash: 8 Ball (round, green), Golden Glory (yellow zucchini), Patty Pan (green or yellow, round scallop), Safari (dk green zucchini with light stripes), Slik Pik (lt. yellow, long), Zephyr (yellow & light green)Tomatoes: slicers *descriptions in 7/27 newsletter and perhaps one of the following:Broccoli: Gypsy (side shoots w/ edible leaves)Cauliflower: Song or Snow CrownCucumbers: Armenian (long, smooth, light green), Marketmore (traditional English) or Suyo Long (long, Asian-type)Red Okra: Burgundy and Candle Fire
For those with the Herb option: Sweet Thai basil, rosemary, curly parsley
Basil: Genovese or Lettuce Leaf
Beans: Green/Yellow Mix
Garlic- fully cured, no need to refrigerate
Jubilee Cherry Tomato Mix *descriptions in 7/20 newsletter
Kale Mix
Peppers: Sweet *descriptions in 8/3 newsletter
Potatoes: Austrian Red
Roselle
Scallions
Summer Squash: 8 Ball (round, green), Golden Glory (yellow zucchini), Patty Pan (green or yellow, round scallop), Safari (dk green zucchini with light stripes), Slik Pik (lt. yellow, long), Zephyr (yellow & light green)
Tomatoes: slicers *descriptions in 7/27 newsletter
and perhaps one of the following:
Broccoli: Gypsy (side shoots w/ edible leaves)
Cauliflower: Song or Snow Crown
Cucumbers: Armenian (long, smooth, light green), Marketmore (traditional English) or Suyo Long (long, Asian-type)
Red Okra: Burgundy and Candle Fire
For those with the Herb option: Sweet Thai basil, rosemary, curly parsley
What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 0.1 "
Given that it is August, I guess we were due for some August weather. You can really start to see the changing of the season around the countryside now. The corn is fully eared and tasseled and as tall as it's going to get. The brilliant green of the growing season is waning and there is a slight golden cast to lawns, leaves and fields alike. We spent the past week weeding and cultivating and trying to keep up with harvesting. This is the height of the tomato season and I think we will celebrate it next week with our annual Salsa Box, so there's your "warning" for the tomato-y bounty to come. We're still harvesting potatoes, not quite halfway through the rows and we're very pleased with the yield. Now the question becomes, "Where are we going to store them all?" It's a good problem to have!
Our fall transplants are growing on well and we hope to get them all into the field later this week. There are several steps we have to complete ahead of that, including mowing to kill the cover crops in those beds and then tilling them in. It's a bit of a task, but well worth it to continue to improve our soils.
Roselle
You'll notice an unusual lack of lettuce in today's delivery. Between the deer and the weather, our current lettuce crop didn't last as long as we had planned and the new one isn't ready to harvest yet. It will hopefully be back in boxes in a couple weeks. In the meantime, we are introducing a crop that will likely be a new one for many folks. It is called Roselle, a member of the hibiscus family and a relative of okra. It produces an edible flower bud in areas with very long growing seasons that is the main ingredient in the popular Zinger teas, but here we are raising it as a tasty summer green that can be used raw or cooked. It has a tart, lemony flavor reminiscent of sorrel and is tasty added to other greens, pesto, eggs and salads. We were introduced to it by a farming family from Burundi, where it is a common crop. We've learned it is also popular in Thailand and Burma. This is our veggie adventure for this week and we hope you enjoy it! Fun Farm Facts: Since we're talking about the alpacas today (see below). Percy's birthday is this Saturday (August 14th). He was born during the annual Perseid meteor shower and we named him for that event. Side note, the Perseids are happening now and the best viewing is forecast to be the early morning hours of the next 3 days, August 11,12 & 13.
Crew Corner: The Fleece Crew
Meet the Fiber Force: Abi, Percy & Boris. This portion of the crew doesn't make the newsletter very often, but we thought you might enjoy meeting this mostly quiet team. Boris & Abi came to the farm in 2013 when a friend of the farm decided to retire from alpaca breeding. Percy was born here on the farm in 2015 and is definitely the character of the three of them. The alpacas are mostly pasture ornaments, though they do participate in the ecosystem of farm through fleece "donations" to our yarn & fiber business and adding fertility to our fields.
A little detail on your produce this week:
Precipitation in the past week: 0.1 "
Given that it is August, I guess we were due for some August weather. You can really start to see the changing of the season around the countryside now. The corn is fully eared and tasseled and as tall as it's going to get. The brilliant green of the growing season is waning and there is a slight golden cast to lawns, leaves and fields alike. We spent the past week weeding and cultivating and trying to keep up with harvesting. This is the height of the tomato season and I think we will celebrate it next week with our annual Salsa Box, so there's your "warning" for the tomato-y bounty to come. We're still harvesting potatoes, not quite halfway through the rows and we're very pleased with the yield. Now the question becomes, "Where are we going to store them all?" It's a good problem to have!
Our fall transplants are growing on well and we hope to get them all into the field later this week. There are several steps we have to complete ahead of that, including mowing to kill the cover crops in those beds and then tilling them in. It's a bit of a task, but well worth it to continue to improve our soils.
 |
| Roselle |
You'll notice an unusual lack of lettuce in today's delivery. Between the deer and the weather, our current lettuce crop didn't last as long as we had planned and the new one isn't ready to harvest yet. It will hopefully be back in boxes in a couple weeks. In the meantime, we are introducing a crop that will likely be a new one for many folks. It is called Roselle, a member of the hibiscus family and a relative of okra. It produces an edible flower bud in areas with very long growing seasons that is the main ingredient in the popular Zinger teas, but here we are raising it as a tasty summer green that can be used raw or cooked. It has a tart, lemony flavor reminiscent of sorrel and is tasty added to other greens, pesto, eggs and salads. We were introduced to it by a farming family from Burundi, where it is a common crop. We've learned it is also popular in Thailand and Burma. This is our veggie adventure for this week and we hope you enjoy it!
Fun Farm Facts: Since we're talking about the alpacas today (see below). Percy's birthday is this Saturday (August 14th). He was born during the annual Perseid meteor shower and we named him for that event. Side note, the Perseids are happening now and the best viewing is forecast to be the early morning hours of the next 3 days, August 11,12 & 13.
Crew Corner: The Fleece Crew
This portion of the crew doesn't make the newsletter very often, but we thought you might enjoy meeting this mostly quiet team. Boris & Abi came to the farm in 2013 when a friend of the farm decided to retire from alpaca breeding. Percy was born here on the farm in 2015 and is definitely the character of the three of them. The alpacas are mostly pasture ornaments, though they do participate in the ecosystem of farm through fleece "donations" to our yarn & fiber business and adding fertility to our fields.
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 soaked in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.) Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using.
Cucumber: Store unwashed cucumbers in a sealed plastic bag in the vegetable crisper bin for about a week. Keep cucumbers tucked far away from tomatoes, apples, and citrus—these give off ethylene gas that accelerates cucumber deterioration. You can do a lot of fancy things to the skin of a cucumber, but when it is young, fresh (and unwaxed), it really only needs to be thoroughly washed. However, if the skin seems tough or bitter you can remove it; if the seeds are bulky, slice the cucumber lengthwise and scoop them out.
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.
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 soaked in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.) Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using.
Cucumber: Store unwashed cucumbers in a sealed plastic bag in the vegetable crisper bin for about a week. Keep cucumbers tucked far away from tomatoes, apples, and citrus—these give off ethylene gas that accelerates cucumber deterioration. You can do a lot of fancy things to the skin of a cucumber, but when it is young, fresh (and unwaxed), it really only needs to be thoroughly washed. However, if the skin seems tough or bitter you can remove it; if the seeds are bulky, slice the cucumber lengthwise and scoop them out.
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.
Potatoes: Keep unwashed potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place, such as a loosely closed paper bag in a cupboard or basement. 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 starches to sugars so allow to sit at room temperature for a day before using if you store in the fridge. 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.
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.
Scallions (green onions)- are best kept in the fridge, upright in a glass with about 1" of water in it, more like flowers than vegetables. Loosely cover the tops with plastic and you will be amazed at how long they will keep. We like to throw a handful of chopped scallions into nearly any savory dish, right near the end of the cooking time.
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.
Tomatoes: prefer to reside on your counter and not in the refrigerator unless they have been sliced.
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)
Scallions (green onions)- are best kept in the fridge, upright in a glass with about 1" of water in it, more like flowers than vegetables. Loosely cover the tops with plastic and you will be amazed at how long they will keep. We like to throw a handful of chopped scallions into nearly any savory dish, right near the end of the cooking time.
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.
Tomatoes: prefer to reside on your counter and not in the refrigerator unless they have been sliced.
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 |
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