IN THIS WEEK’S BOX:
Bean Mix: Empress (green) & Carson (yellow)Cucumbers: Corinto, Generally, Lemon, Marketmore, Nokya or Sashimi Edamame: Chiba GreenGarlic: Northern WhiteHot Peppers: Wenk's (small bag)Jubilee Cherry Tomato Mix: see 8/1 newsletter for descriptionsKale: asst.Onions: RedPeppers: Sweet, see 8/15 newsletter for descriptionsTomatoes: So many tomatoes! see 8/1 for descriptions. and perhaps one of the following:
Okra: Bowling Red & Candle FireSummer Squash: 8 Ball, Golden Glory, Patty Pan, Safari, Slik Pik, or Zephyr
Herb It! option: Sweet Basil, Roselle, Parsley
Cucumbers: Corinto, Generally, Lemon, Marketmore, Nokya or Sashimi
Bread Share: Tomato Basil
Featured Recipes:Mezair (Cutting Board Salsa) BGF Favorite **see below, BGF Balsamic Tomato Salsa, new BGF favorite **see below
WHAT’S UP ON THE FARM?
Precipitation in the past week: 0.08"
Welcome to our annual Salsa Box! Or Sauce Box if you prefer. Every year when the tomato harvest is at it's heaviest, we "stuff" as many of them into the boxes as possible to give folks the opportunity to stock up on some salsa or sauce. We try to include recipes to appeal to lots of difference salsa tastes, but always include our favorite: Mezair (a fresh Kurdish salsa). As many of you may know, the "FarmHer-in-charge" isn't particularly fond of cilantro so we always substitute parsley/par-cel or mint and sometimes sorrel in our salsa recipes. If you have the same issue, we encourage you to try one of these alternatives. If you do like cilantro, well, that's ok too.
Featured Recipes:
Precipitation in the past week: 0.08"
We are very thankful for cooler temperatures this week, last week was a bit rough on the farm with the temps hovering around 100°. 
The farm crew was sent home early most of the week and what time we did have was largely taken up harvesting and trying to keep everything/everyone alive. We did get some spent crops cleared and some of the fall crops cultivated. The irrigation system ran nearly non-stop.This week we have gotten most of the remaining field fall crops transplanted and the next series of seeded crops sown. The "to-be-planted" list is getting shorter and shorter!
We weren't the only ones offended by the high temps, as predicted, the heat pretty much finished off the cucumbers and summer squash for the season. They produced admirably throughout a challenging season, so we can't complain too much, but we are sorry to see them go.
The harbingers of fall are starting to appear around the farm, The trees have lost their vibrant greens and are now looking faded and almost hazy. The fall yellows are blooming throughout the countryside, native sunflowers and goldenrod, often topped with the dance of butterflies and other pollinators. 
But the real standout sign for me was sighted a couple of days ago, the first blooms on the New England Aster. My grandpa always called these "frost flowers" and claimed that the first frost was due 2 weeks after the first frost flower bloomed. I'm hoping this was just a "scout" for the local aster population and that we are still many weeks away from first frost, but you just never know.
Speaking of fall milestones, I've started getting questions about the end of the CSA season. We are now on week 12 of a 20 week season. We anticipate the final delivery of the season will be Tuesday, Oct 24. Don't worry, we won't leave you trapped at the mercy of grocery stores after that. VegEmail continues throughout the winter to ensure you have access to local foods throughout the year!
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.
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.
Garlic & Onions: Fully cured garlic and onions don't require refrigeration. For longest storage, keep in a dark place with good airflow. Once cut, store in the refrigerator.
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.
Summer Squash/Zucchini: Refrigerate unwashed zucchini and summer squash for up to a week and a half in a perforated plastic bag or in a sealed plastic container lined with a kitchen towel. These do not need to be peeled to use, just slice them up and go!
A few other details: All of your GREENS will keep best if stored in a plastic bag, with the top folded over and placed in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.
** NOTE: You will notice over the course of the season that some box contents listed above say "Perhaps one of the following..." These are items that we can’t harvest in sufficient quantities for the whole CSA to receive at one time. We do track who gets what and we will do our best to ensure that everyone eventually receives each item. On some items this may take several weeks, so please be patient.
Is a weekly newsletter not enough for you? 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)
Mezair
(Cutting Board Salsa, from Kurdistan)
1 lg clove garlic
2 to 3 jalapeños, seeded (or other hot peppers)
½ c. lightly packed, chopped flat-leaf parlsey
3 to 4 tbs chopped fresh mint
1 pound ripe tomatoes
¼ tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
On a large cutting board, mince the garlic and the peppers. Add the parsley and mint and chop. Slice and then chop the tomatoes, adding them to the other ingredients. Mix as you continue to chop by turning the salsa with the flat of your knife or cleaver. Mix in the salt. Transfer the salsa to a small serving bowl and blend in the lemon juice, The salsa will be quite runny.
Makes approximately 2 cups salsa.
Recipe source: Flatbreads and Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
3-4 tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 Wenk's Yellow Hot pepper, seeded and minced
1 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
2tbs finely chopped fresh basil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
2tbs finely chopped fresh basil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Stir it all together for a chunky salsa, but I really love it pureed right in the mixing bowl with my immersion blender. You can use a blender or food processor as well. I think this version really melds the flavors beautifully.
Recipe source: BGF, based on the Balsamic Tomato Salad recipe from Smitten Kitchen
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