BGF NEWS - August 29, 2023 - VOL. 50, NO. 12

IN THIS WEEK’S BOX:

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

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

Edamame: Chiba Green

Garlic: Northern White

Hot Peppers: Wenk's (small bag)

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

Kale: asst.

Onions: Red

Peppers: Sweet, see 8/15 newsletter for descriptions

Tomatoes: So many tomatoes! see 8/1 for descriptions. 

 

and perhaps one of the following:

Okra: Bowling Red & Candle Fire

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

Herb It! option: Sweet Basil, Roselle, Parsley

Bread Share: Tomato Basil

Featured Recipes:

Edamame Salsa

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Okra Corn Salsa

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.

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.

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

BGF Balsamic Tomato Salsa

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

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 

BGF NEWS - August 15, 2023 - VOL. 50, NO. 10

IN THIS WEEK’S BOX:

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

Celery: Tango

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

Edamame: Biei

Eggplant: Orient Express, Asian Delight and/or Listada

Garlic: Northern White

Head Lettuce: asst.

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

Peppers: Sweet, see descriptions below

Potatoes: Kennebec

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: Minnesota Midget

Okra: Bowling Red & Candle Fire

Herb It! option: Cardinal basil, peppermint & rosemary

Bread Share: Giant Cinnamon Rolls

Featured Recipes:

Greek Potatoes and Celery

Thai Sesame Edamame

Balsamic Tomato Salad (FarmHer recommended!)

WHAT’S UP ON THE FARM?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.05"

Week 10! It's hard to believe we are half way through the CSA season already. It always comes as a bit of a shock to me but here we are!

This week was ALL about potatoes! Well, not really, but it felt like it. We pushed hard to get all the remaining potatoes harvested before the rain, and then it didn't rain. Oh well, at least the crop is in, and what a crop it is! Given the drought and the fact that we don't irrigate potatoes we really expected a disappointing harvest. We were pleasantly surprised and honestly a little alarmed at what came in. Not only did the potatoes look good but we brought in 2,990 pounds, beating last year's total by 800 pounds!!  Holy potatoes, Batman! So needless to say, we are sending out potatoes this week, just so we don't have to store them all :)

We also harvested all of the onions and shallots for the season. Those weren't all quite as prolific as the potatoes, but it was a solid showing during a tough season. Now we just have to get them all cured so that we can store them.

We're pleased to report that the peppers are recovering from the hailstorms and we started harvesting ripe sweet peppers a little over a week ago. It's always a bit of a slow start but now that they are rolling it's time to meet the sweet peppers:

Ace- green to red bell, thin walled
Carmen-green to red Italian pepper (long, pointed)
Delite Mix-red, orange and yellow mini peppers

Escamillo-green to yellow Italian pepper (long, pointed)
Golden Star-big, thick-walled, blocky green to yellow bell 

Islander- purple to reddish-orange bell

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

The tomatoes, however, are still suffering from the hailstorms. 

You will likely notice cosmetic damage on the them again this week. We are sending out the best fruits we have, and this is it. Sadly the plants are showing disease stress from all the earlier hail damage so it will probably be a short tomato season. Enjoy them while you can!

A couple of other fun things heading out in boxes this week include edamame and celery! This is the best looking crop of edamame we've had in years and although they take a bit of work on your end, we hope you enjoy them. It's the first time we've grown traditional celery and we are very pleased with it so far. We think the taste is really wonderful, not the wishy-washy stuff you get in the grocery store, but also not so strongly flavored that you can't enjoy it plain as a snack. Don't forget that the leaves are useful too, use in place of parsley or cilantro in recipes.

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.

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.

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.

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 a few 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.

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 - September 1 , 2020 - VOL. XLV, NO. 14

In this week’s box:

Basil: sweet

Edamame: Midori Giant

Jubilee Cherry Tomato Mix (see 7/21 newsletter for details)

Kale: asst.

Peppers: asst. (see 8/11 newsletter for details)

Shallots: Ambition (tan) and/or Camelot (red)

Tomato: Slicers (see 7/28 newsletter for details)

and at least one of the following: (please see **NOTE  after "A Little Detail...)     

Beans: Mix
Broccoli: Gypsy

Cantaloupe: Minnesota Midget

Cauliflower: Goodman

Eggplant: Orient Express

Mini Bell Peppers: bite-sized, sweet red, yellow & orange peppers

Summer Squash: see descriptions in "A little detail"

For those with the Egg option [Full Shares]: one dozen free-range eggs

For those with the Herb option: Cardinal basil, mountain mint & lemon balm 

Featured Recipes:  

Thai Sesame Edamame
Marinated Cherry Tomatoes
Peperonata
Tomato Basil Vinaigrette

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: trace (x2)

Well, technically it did rain on the farm this week, though it was just a couple of brief showers that didn't even show up in the rain gauge. So irrigating is still the name of the game. The new crops are germinating and the transplants are settling in fairly well, but we are seeing "end of the season fatigue" in many of our mid-season crops. The squashes (summer and winter both) are mostly gone, fallen to the cucumber beetles and squash bugs. The beetles then moved over to the beans and are ravaging that crop as well. We were able to get a bit harvested, but they aren't perfect. It was likely the final harvest for the beans, but we are foliar feeding and watering them to give them the opportunity for another flowering if they are willing. 

Tomato Blight

The tomatoes are still putting on a productive show (notice the quart of cherry tomatoes this week!) but most of the plants are slowly succumbing to blight. This is a normal occurrence here, but a little earlier than we would prefer to see it. We're not at the end of tomato season yet, but it is coming sooner than later so celebrate those tomatoes now! 
The peppers could care less about blight and are producing just fine. We lost a sowing of head lettuce during the heat last week, it all bolted before it was harvestable size, but we hope to be back in lettuce from other plantings in a couple of weeks. The new greens crops are also on their way, so not all is lost! 

Edamame!

The bright spot this week are the shallots and edamame! This was the best looking edamame we've ever grown are we are excited to send it out this week. We hope you enjoy it! The shallots are another favorite crop. They are like the grown-up cousin of onions and garlic, with a rich, refined taste. They are best used in recipes that show off their qualities, like vinaigrettes or cooked with vegetables or eggs.

Meet the Crew: Luci

This week we are moving on to the four-legged crew members. Luci is a Jack Russell Terrier and at 11 years old is the oldest of our pack. She loves all things on the farm, except Sky who is an ever-present pesky little sister. Her favorite activities are supervising harvests, riding in the Ranger and when the crew clocks out for the day (the time sheets are kept within reach of the treat bucket, and Luci is VERY convincing). Her least favorite things are thunderstorms and fireworks.

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 or clamshell, 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.

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/cauliflower in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and too 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.

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.

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.  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.

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 "fancy" 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. 

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! Our varieties: 8 Ball (green,round), Golden Glory (bright yellow zucchini),  Patty Pan(scalloped white, green or yellow), Slik Pik (thin, yellow) or Zephyr (green & yellow)

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

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 Luci, Indigo & Sky)

Indigo, Luci & Sky

BGF News - August 29, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.12

BGF News - August 29, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.12

In this week’s box:

Beans: Mix, Romano or Maxibel (green, filet-style)

Broccoli: Belstar
Collards
Edamame
Head Lettuce: Coastal Star, Magenta or Muir
Potatoes: Kenebec or Carola
Scallions
Sweet Peppers: asst
Summer Squash: asst
Tomatoes: see descriptions in 8/1 newsletter

And perhaps one of the following: 
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 shares]: one dozen free-range eggs (assorted colors)

For those with the Herb option: sweet basil, garlic chives & tarragon

Packing potatoes is closely supervised

 

Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Finger Licking Edamame
Roasted Potatoes with Scallions
Green Beans with Peppers
Colcannon  (try it with your collard greens or left over kale from last week!)

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.00"
 

Counting our blessings. While our drought worries continue, they are nothing compared to what our friends and former neighbors are facing in Houston this week. We were living in Houston in 2001 during Tropical Storm Allison when we had 24" of rain over a 3 day period. By the time Harvey departs the Houston area later this week they are talking about the possibility of twice that much rain. The Alley Theater, our long-time home-away-from-home is again underwater, as are so many other buildings and homes. It is truly impossible to fathom without being there. Our hearts go out to all living in that disaster zone. We are so lucky to be here, to be healthy (surgery recovery is going well) and to have the privilege of growing good food here on the farm. We don't say it enough, thanks for being a part of our farm family!

With the fall field crops mostly all in the ground, we spent a fair amount of time cultivating this week. We also went after that last pesky row of potatoes, some of which are headed out in boxes today. Though we did other things, I feel like we spent half of our week harvesting beans. The rains from a week ago really kicked both the old and new plantings into gear so we are doing our best to keep them picked. We considered doing an "All Legume Box" this week, but decided you might like a few other things to go along with them. Not all is rosy on the legume front though. The weather did a real number on the edamame crop this year, after losing the first sowing to the furry eaters, the second sowing did ok and the 3rd sowing didn't even germinate. The pods on succession 2 were filled out and needed to be harvested, but the total yield was lower than we hoped. So we are sending all of them out today, with just enough for everyone to get a sample. They are pretty tasty added to a variety of pasta dishes, where you can enjoy them without needed a huge quantity. They are fairly dusty from the dry soil and morning dews, so you will want to give them a quick rinse before tossing them into your cooking pot. While harvesting the edamame, we took a look at the nearby collards and decided it was time to box some up for you. They are green & lush, though a bit "over-popular" with the local insect gangs. We hope you can overlook the leaf damage, it is certainly a badge of "no-chemicals-used-here".

Some of the mid-season crops are starting to look a bit tired. The summer squashes are really showing their age and are slowing down in their production. The Romano beans, while producing like crazy, look like they are on their final hurrah. Tomatoes are just having a rough year all around. They aren't really slowing down, they just never really took off this year with all of the crazy weather. We will continue to send them out as long as we have them. The fall crops are coming along surprisingly well, given our rain shortage, but that nice +1" ten days ago or so really gave them a boost. The Napa is putting on the most impressive show, but the lettuces, spinach and choi are looking nearly as good. We finally have a crop of chard coming along as well. We built it a little deer & rabbit-proof tunnel and as long as we can keep the blister beetles at bay, we should have some in boxes by the end of the season. The winter squash continue to do well and are at risk of taking over our El Norte field. Some of the Musque de Provence squashes we've seen hiding under the mounds of foliage are so big they look like overstuffed footstools! Now how are we going to get those into boxes???

A little detail on your produce this week:

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.
 

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.  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.

Melons: 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. 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.

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. 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.) Potatoes store best if they haven't been washed, so we send them out in their "dust jackets". Just before using, scrub potatoes well and cut off any sprouts or green skin. (Clean delicate new potatoes gently.) Peeling is a matter of preference.

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. 

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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