BGF News - October 9, 2018-Vol. XL, No.19

BGF News - October 9, 2018-Vol. XL, No.19

In this week’s box:

Arugula (in bag)
Chard
Cherry Tomato Mix

Choi: Joi, Shanghai Green or Vivid

Garlic: Music

Lettuce Mix
Potatoes: Kennebec

Sweet Peppers: Ace or Revolution (red bells), Islander (purple to orange bell), Quadrato D'Asti 

            Giallo (yellow bell), Golden Marconi (long, pointed yellow) or PASS (flat, yellow)

Tomatoes: asst varieties, see descriptions on the 7/24 post

 and perhaps one of the following:

Beans: Mix
Broccoli: side shoots (entire shoot, including leaves, is edible)

Cauliflower: Sicilian Purple (purple) or Goodman (white)
Spinach: Mix

           

For those with the Egg option [full & half shares]: one dozen free-range eggs (asst. colors)

For those with the Herb option: par-cel, savory, thyme

  
Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Swiss Chard Potatoes Colcannon
Spinach Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Tomato and Arugula Quiche
Bok Choy with Ginger Vinaigrette

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 8.5" and counting!

Wow, I guess it's safe to say the drought is truly over. We spent the past week dodging raindrops while getting the farm ready for our biggest event of the year, Farm Crawl! This was the 12th year for the Crawl and the first year when we were up to our eyeballs in mud. Due to the weather, we only had about 400 in attendance, but despite the wet, muddy conditions everyone seemed to have a great time. We are SO thankful to everyone who helped us put on the event and to those who braved the elements to join us!

Repainted & reinstalled barn quilt

Folks "crawling" despite the weather

New salad beds under water

Besides the farm crawl prep, we did get a few other tasks accomplished this week. We cleared most of the peppers from the big high tunnel. We couldn't clear them all because all the rain has flooded the north end of the tunnel. So we pulled all we could reach and will finish the task and prep the bed as soon as things dry out a bit. That is the final bed to be sown for the year. Last week we got the rest of the tunnel beds sown with the final crops of spinach, arugula and salad mix. We do still have half a bed of Napa cabbage to transplant, and then the pepper bed to sow to spinach, beets and broccolini but that should be the end of the seed sowing for the season.

The harvest today was a little rough due to all the extra rain (3" just last night). That pounding rain threw mud everywhere. We double washed all the greens, but you may find more dirt that normal on today's produce. Please just plan on giving them a quick rinse before using.

Final Delivery Note: as next week is our final delivery of the 2018 CSA season we want to give you a couple of bits of information that will make everyone's lives easier. First, please do your best to remember your empty box, that way you won't be stuck with an empty box sitting around your house all winter. We will pack your produce for the final delivery into plastic bags so you won't have to worry about returning that box either.

VegEmail Sales:  Starting the first week of November we will send out an email with a link to an order form that lists all of the produce/products that we have available for sale that week. If you see things you would like to purchase, just fill out the order form and then meet us that following Tuesday at Peace Tree in DM or the Grand Theater in Knox. Payment is due at the pickup. We will do it (nearly) every 2 weeks from Nov to the start of market in May (though we are planning to take New Year's Day off). If you were a member of the CSA in the past year or ordered during the Jan-May VegEmail season earlier this year then you are on the email list. 

If you can't wait until November to get your fresh produce, we hope you'll come visit us at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. We're there every Saturday until the end of October.

Final 2018 CSA delivery: Next week, Tuesday, October 16th

VegEmail sales begin: Tuesday, November 6th

Fall  Indoor Farmers Market: November 15-17

Winter Indoor Farmers Market: December 14-15

A little detail on your produce this week:

Choi (a.k.a. - pac choi, bok choy or pok choy) is a member of the cabbage family and is a traditional Asian stir-fry vegetable.  Both the stems and leaves of choi can be used and are especially tasty in cooked recipes.  If cooking them, separate the leaves and stems, and begin cooking stems first to avoid overcooking the more tender greens. You can also use the leaves like any green-leafy vegetable and the stems like celery.  We tend to use choi leaves as a sandwich wrap, or just roughly chop the whole thing and sauté with garlic and/or onion.  Cook until stems are tender and dress with a little seasoned rice vinegar. Store choi loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your produce drawer.

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.

Tomatoes: prefer to reside on your counter and not in the refrigerator unless they have been sliced. A light "squeeze" is the best test for ripeness. 

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)

BGF News - October 2, 2018-Vol. XL, No.18

BGF News - October 2, 2018-Vol. XL, No.18

In this week’s box:

Basil: Genovese or Italian Large Leaf (likely the final delivery)
Cherry Tomato Mix

Kale Mix

Scallions

Sweet Peppers: Ace or Revolution (red bells), Islander (purple to orange bell), Quadrato D'Asti 

            Giallo (yellow bell), Golden Marconi (long, pointed yellow) or PASS (flat, yellow)

Tapestry Salad Mix or Spinach Mix
Tomatoes: asst varieties, see descriptions on the 7/24 post

Turnips: Hakurei
Winter Squash: spaghetti

 and at least one of the following:

Beans: Mix
Broccoli: side shoots (entire shoot, including leaves, is edible)

Cauliflower: Sicilian Purple (purple) or Goodman (white)

Okra: Burgundy & Candle Fire (final delivery)

Watermelon: Sugar Baby (dk green stripe w/ red interior) or Cream of Saskatchewan (lt green,

                         striped with white interior)

           

For those with the Egg option [full shares]: one dozen free-range eggs (asst. colors)

For those with the Herb option: purple basil, lemongrass & rosemary

  

Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 

Francis Lam's Ginger Scallion Sauce

Pasta with 15-minute Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
White Bean and Kale Ragout
Tomatoes with Green Onions and Basil

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.35"

It is a bit of a challenge to come up with inspired seasonal recipes when the seasons can't decide what season it is! It's a funny time of the year, when the farm crew starts the day with insulated coats, hats and scarves and then you can track their progress throughout the day by the trail of discarded clothing! The crops are feeling somewhat the same with the swings in temperatures. The warm weather crops are feeling the chill and the cool weather crops are stressed by the warmth of the day. The basil is usually the first to protest the dropping fall temperatures and this year is no different. The field basil is done, and even the high tunnel basil is showing some discoloration due to Saturday morning's low temperatures. That means one thing, time to stock up on pesto for winter use! This will almost certainly be our final delivery of basil for the year. However all is not "farewells" as we are welcoming kale, spinach and salad mix back into the rotation.

Kale is back!

Sometimes the peppers get sassy!

Much of our focus this week is on preparations for Farm Crawl, though we did manage to also clear the okra and one bed of high tunnel peppers and sow additional spinach, salad mix and arugula. It's looking like a rather rainy week ahead, so its a good thing we have mostly stayed on top of our cultivating this fall.

Upcoming events:

Farm Crawl is Sunday, October 7th from 11am-5pm.  Details can be found at www.farmcrawl.com.  Every year we invite CSA members not only to come out and tour the farms, but also to be part of the BGF team. So here is your chance for 2018. In the past, individuals/families have helped out with greeting visitors, sharing information, helping out at the chickens, parking and other various tasks. And, even better, you can still "Do the Crawl"! We are asking for volunteers to come for a 2 hour shift, so there is still time to visit the other farms. If you (and/or your family) would be interested in helping out at the farm please let us know. If you join us, we will set you up with some very fine BGF gear.

Final 2018 CSA delivery: Our final delivery of the season will be Tuesday, October 16th

VegEmail sales begin: Tuesday, November 6th

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.

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 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.

Tomatoes: prefer to reside on your counter and not in the refrigerator unless they have been sliced. A light "squeeze" is the best test for ripeness. 

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.  

Winter Squash:  Store winter squash in a cool, dry, dark place with good ventilation for up to a month, depending on the variety. Once squash has been cut, you can wrap the pieces in plastic and refrigerate them for five to seven days. To make it easier to prep winter squash for your recipe, try the prebaking method: pierce the squash to allow heat to escape while it is in the oven, then bake the squash whole at 350° F until it is just barely tender to the poke of the finger, 20 to 30 minutes. This softens the shell and makes cutting and peeling much easier.

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)

BGF News - October 17, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.19

BGF News - October 17, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.19

In this week’s box:

Basil

Long Island Cheese winter squash

Choi: Shanghai Green
Head Lettuce Bouquets
Kale mix
Leeks
Potatoes: Carola and/or Kennebec
Radish Mix
Sweet Pepper: asst
Winter Squash: Long Island Cheese
And perhaps one of the following:     
Broccoli: Belstar or Gypsy
Cucumber: Lemon
Spinach Mix 
Summer Squash: asst

           

For those with the Egg option [full shares]: one dozen free-range eggs (assorted colors)

For those with the Herb option: Thai Magic Basil, sorrel, lemongrass

Kind of a "leek-y" harvest.

Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Soup
Stir Fried Bok Choy with Basil Lemon Sauce
Kale & Potato Gratin
Lemon, Leek & Basil Cream Sauce
Sauteed Radishes with Greens

 

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 1.60"


Note: Half-Egg Share folks, in my post-surgical haze last week, I mistakenly switched up your egg delivery week and sent them out a week early. Ugh! Hope this didn't cause anyone an egg-jam in the fridge. So now we'll just roll with the "new schedule" and you will get eggs again next week and the #'s will all work out evenly. Sorry for the mix-up!
 
This past week has been much calmer than the previous one. Some rain, no emergencies, some harvesting, some cultivating and yes, even just a bit of planting. We cleared the final summer crop from the high tunnel, amended that bed and resowed (almost) the last of the fall seeds. We still have two successions of arugula and salad mix to go, but then we are truly done sowing seeds for 2017. The serious business of clearing spent crops is also underway with the tomatoes and their trellis all done. We've started pulling and storing the irrigation lines as well, which is an undeniably sign that this season's growing time is mostly past, though if this warm weather and rains keep up, things will just keep growing, albeit slowly. We thought for sure that last week was the final harvest of the summer squash, but before we could pull the nearly dead plants out, they flowered and fruited again. In 13 seasons of growing, we've never had summer squash this late, so we will send what we have of them out in some boxes this week. Same story goes for the last of the lemon cucumbers. Speaking of stories, you will require one for the radishes in this week's delivery. Yes, that crazy, bunch of big, weird-shaped, multicolored roots are indeed radishes. We grow heirloom varieties that, while not as "picture-perfect" as those you find in the grocery store, they tend to stay tasty even when large. We taste-tested several before harvesting to be sure the quality was still good, and they were. So carve 'em up like a thanksgiving turkey and enjoy! 
An additional heads-up on today's potatoes. These have been stored in our walk-in to keep them in best condition for long term storage, so please let them sit out at room temperature for at least 24 hours before using, or they will taste very sweet.

Final Delivery Note: as next week is our final delivery of the 2017 CSA season we want to give you a couple of bits of information that will make everyone's lives easier. First, please do your best to remember your empty box, that way you won't be stuck with an empty box sitting around your house all winter. We will pack your produce for the final delivery into plastic bags so you won't have to worry about returning that box either.

VegEmail Sales: This year instead of a Winter CSA, we are trying something new. We tested out this system late last winter and it worked well, so this fall we are rolling it out for the whole "backside of the calendar." Starting the week of Nov 7th we will send out an email with a link to an order form that lists all of the produce/products that we have available for sale that week. If you see things you would like to purchase, just fill out the order form and then meet us that following Tuesday at Peace Tree in DM or the Grand in Knox. Payment is due at the pickup. We will do it (nearly) every 2 weeks from Nov to the start of market in May. If you were a member of the CSA in the past year or ordered during the Jan-May VegEmail season earlier this year then you are on the email list.
 

Upcoming events:

Final Summer CSA delivery:
Our final delivery of the 2017 summer season will be Tuesday, October 24th

VegEmail sales begin: Tuesday, November 7th

A little detail on your produce this week:

Broccoli: Wrap broccoli loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak broccoli, 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 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

 

Choi (a.k.a. - pac choi, bok choy or pok choy) is the large, structural-looking vegetable.  It is a member of the cabbage family and is a traditional Asian stir-fry vegetable.  Both the stems and leaves of choi can be used and are especially tasty in cooked recipes.  If cooking them, separate the leaves and stems, and begin cooking stems first to avoid overcooking the more tender greens. You can also use the leaves like any green-leafy vegetable and the stems like celery.  We tend to use choi leaves as a sandwich wrap, or just roughly chop the whole thing and sauté with garlic and/or onion.  Cook until stems are tender and dress with a little seasoned rice vinegar. Store choi loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your produce drawer.

Leeks: Loosely wrap unwashed leeks in a plastic bag and store them in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. They will keep for a couple of weeks. To use- Cut the leek about 1 inch above the white part, where the leaves begin changing from dark to light green. (Save the unused greens; they’ll give great flavor to your next vegetable stock.) Fan the leaves under running water to dislodge any dirt collected there, then pat thoroughly dry. You can julienne a leek by cutting it lengthwise, or slice it crosswise. If you want to clean a leek that you will be cooking whole, make a slit down one side to within an inch or two of the root end. Then spread the leaves under running lukewarm water to clean the leek. During cooking the leek will stay whole. When serving, arrange the leek with the cut side down.

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.

Winter Squash:  Store winter squash in a cool, dry, dark place with good ventilation for up to a month, depending on the variety. Once squash has been cut, you can wrap the pieces in plastic and refrigerate them for five to seven days. To make it easier to prep winter squash for your recipe, try the prebaking method: pierce the squash to allow heat to escape while it is in the oven, then bake the squash whole at 350° F until it is just barely tender to the poke of the finger, 20 to 30 minutes. This softens the shell and makes cutting and peeling much easier.

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)

Labels:

Posted by BlueGate at 6:18 AM No comments:

BGF News - September 26, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.16

BGF News - September 26, 2017-Vol. XXXIII, No.16

In this week’s box:

Choi: Shanghai Green or Joi
Head Lettuce: asst.
Kale Mix
Onions:Ailsa Craig
Potatoes: Kennebec and/or Carola
Summer Squash: asst.
Sweet Peppers: asst.
Tapestry Salad Mix 
Tomatoes: asst.
And at least one of the following:     
Broccoli: Belstar
Cucumber: Lemon
Eggplant: Orient Express or Orient Charm   
Mini Cauliflower: Pusa Megna and/or Giant Purple of Sicily
Okra: Bowling Red
Spinach Mix

For those with the Egg option [full shares]: one dozen free-range eggs (assorted colors)

For those with the Herb option: sweet basil, ginger mint, orange thyme

 
Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 
Irish Colcannon
Fried Potatoes, Peppers and Onions
Gingered Kale and Bok Choy

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week:  2.75"
 

It happened again this past week...it rained...a lot! There were actually puddles on the lane and in the gardens. It was glorious! The crew got to spend most of Thursday morning tucked into the nice dry barn trimming and cleaning garlic, so there wasn't much complaining about the weather. Then we got just a bit more this morning, again, no complaining. We are still behind for the year, but this rain was another big help for the fall crops. Even with all the irrigation water, crops were still growing more slowly than normal, until this week. Add some unseasonable high temps to the rain and suddenly our different plantings of salad mix are all putting on huge growth and are all ready for harvesting at the same time...about 3 days ago. So you may find the salad mix contains leaves that are a little larger than in the past. We are trying to get caught up so that we don't lose those crops. You should still find them tender and tasty. The head lettuce was also unimpressed with the temperature spikes after the cool weather we were all enjoying earlier in the month. I think the 90° temps have brought an early end to our summer head lettuce trial, but it was fun while it lasted. We have continued clearing spent crops and weeding the fall vegetables. The rest of the week will likely be dedicated to prepping the farm for our biggest event of the year, Farm Crawl! We hope to see you there!

Upcoming events:

Farm Crawl is this Sunday (10/1) from 11am-5pm.  Details can be found at www.farmcrawl.com.  Every year we invite CSA members not only to come out and tour the farms, but also to be part of the BGF team. So here is your chance for 2017. In the past, individuals/families have helped out with greeting visitors, sharing information, helping out at the chickens, parking and other various tasks. And, even better, you can still "Do the Crawl"! We are asking for volunteers to come for a 2 hour shift, so there is still time to visit the other farms. If you (and/or your family) would be interested in helping out at the farm please let us know. If you join us, we will set you up with some very fine BGF gear.

Final Summer CSA delivery:
Our final delivery of the 2017 summer season will be Tuesday, October 24th

VegEmail sales begin: Tuesday, November 7th

A little detail on your produce this week:

Broccoli: Wrap broccoli loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak broccoli, 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 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.

Choi (a.k.a. - pac choi, bok choy or pok choy) is the large, structural-looking vegetable.  It is a member of the cabbage family and is a traditional Asian stir-fry vegetable.  Both the stems and leaves of choi can be used and are especially tasty in cooked recipes.  If cooking them, separate the leaves and stems, and begin cooking stems first to avoid overcooking the more tender greens. You can also use the leaves like any green-leafy vegetable and the stems like celery.  We tend to use choi leaves as a sandwich wrap, or just roughly chop the whole thing and sauté with garlic and/or onion.  Cook until stems are tender and dress with a little seasoned rice vinegar. Store choi loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your produce drawer.

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.

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)

Labels:

Posted by BlueGate at 6:18 AM No comments: