In this week’s box:
Beans: Yellow & Green MixCelery: Kelvin
Cherry Tomatoes: Jubilee Mix
Cucumbers: Corinto, Generally, Marketmore or Dragon
Garlic
Head Lettuce, assorted varieties
Peppers: Asst. sweet (see 8/13 newsletter for descriptions)
Potatoes: Adirondack Red
Roselle
Summer Squash: Golden Glory, Patty Pan, Safari, Slik Pik, or Zephyr
Tomatoes: slicers (see 7/30 newsletter for descriptions)
and perhaps one of the following: (see **NOTE below)
Cantaloupe: Minnesota Midget or Hannah's Choice
Cauliflower: Japanese or Twister
Okra: Candle Fire, Bowling Red & Okinawa Pink
Watermelon: Early Moonglow (yellow)
Herb It! option: Sweet Basil, Fennel & Lovage
Featured Recipes:
Roselle
Summer Squash: Golden Glory, Patty Pan, Safari, Slik Pik, or Zephyr
Tomatoes: slicers (see 7/30 newsletter for descriptions)
and perhaps one of the following: (see **NOTE below)
Cantaloupe: Minnesota Midget or Hannah's Choice
Cauliflower: Japanese or Twister
Okra: Candle Fire, Bowling Red & Okinawa Pink
Watermelon: Early Moonglow (yellow)
Herb It! option: Sweet Basil, Fennel & Lovage
Featured Recipes:
What’s up on the farm?
Precipitation in the past week: 0.15"
Well, we knew it would happen, that typical August weather would return and we would all be surly about it. Sure enough, here we are. Ah well, it is August for one more week. We were pleased to get some big tasks checked off our list last week before the heat returned. The majority of the fall transplants are planted in the field and being irrigated heavily. We also got the next round of fall crop seeding done including salad mix, arugula and other greens.
Our biggest task was getting the last of the potato crop harvested. The experience was a bit disappointing this year. With the crazy weather swings, the potatoes just didn't size up like we expected and yield was way down.
We also had a previously unknown onslaught of grubs that burrowed into a high percentage of potatoes. This doesn't make them inedible, but they are definitely ugly. Rather a let down after last year's record-breaking crop. But never fear, there are plenty of potatoes to come in boxes. We're sending the first of the red baby potatoes out to you today.
While we're on the subject of ugly vegetables, let's talk about the tomatoes. We are currently harvesting some of the ugliest tomatoes we've ever grown and it is certainly not something we are proud of. You'll remember that just about a month ago we had nearly 6 inches of rain over a four day period. At that time we had tomato plants full of little green, immature tomatoes. All of that rain caused splits in the skins of those little green fruits. Most of them healed, but it left scars on the skins. Then we got a couple more rains, and those scars split and healed over again. Now those fruits are ripe and they are covered with scaring. This describes about 98% of our ripe slicing tomatoes right now, the cherries and mini romas have fared much better. This is all to say, if we want to include tomatoes in the deliveries right now, they are going to be ugly. We're really sorry, we wish it was a better situation, but it is what it is. Luckily ugly doesn't affect flavor and we think they taste delicious.
Speaking of delicious, now that we are solidly into melon season, may be wondering how we could possible get a big, round fruit into your box. You probably haven't ever considered that melons can masquerade as a small, pink piece of paper, but for us, they do!
Since most of our melons are too big to fit in a box alongside your other items, we use these sheets of bright pink paper marked with a "C" for cantaloupe or "W" for watermelon to serve as a place holder. When you find of one these, you get to trade it in for the appropriate fruit. It will take some time before we get to everyone, so keep your eye out over the next few weeks!
Finally, this week you will find an additional item in your box that may seem unusual. If you follow our VegEmail emails, you may have noted that we have been celebrating Customer Appreciation all month. Well, our CSA members are the foundation of our customer base, so we wanted to be sure you know that you are appreciated too. Truly, we LOVE being your farmers and we couldn't do this crazy farming thing without you! Thanks for investing in the farm and trusting us to feed your families for a whole season! If you've never had our Purple Basil Salt before, it goes great with nearly any vegetable, but particularly anything tomato. We also like it on eggs, popcorn and meats.
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 glass or plastic container 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.
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.
Celery: Separate leaves and stems for best storage. Leaves (with thin stems) can be stored like herbs in a glass of water in your refrigerator or in a zip-top plastic bag. Main stems keep best wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in your crisper drawer.
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.
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. Green top alliums (scallions, shallots, garlic and onions) should be stored in the refrigerator, upright in a glass with a bit of water or wrapped in plastic in your produce drawer.
Herbs: Generally, except for basil, set unwashed bunches of fresh herbs (with stems) upright into small jars filled with 1 to 2 inches of water, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Rinse fresh herbs right before use. To release their scents and flavors, rub them between your hands before mincing or chopping. If you have no idea what to do with fresh herbs, there is one great default answer "compound butter." Finely mince leaves and knead them into a stick of room temperature butter. Roll the butter into a log in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Then simply slice off the amount you need to add delicious, ready-to-use flavor to vegetables, bread or meats.
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 glass or plastic container 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.
Okra: These lovely, horn-shaped vegetables are a warm weather treat. Extremely cold sensitive, wrap with a dishcloth or paper towel and 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.) 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.
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.
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, photos 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)
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, photos or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.
If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.
Best from the farm,
Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)
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