In
this week’s box:
Arugula
Basil: Genovese or Italian Large Leaf
Beans: Mix (Carson & Empress)
Beets: Chioggia
&/or Golden
Leeks: Carentan &/or King Richard
Tomatoes, slicers
and
perhaps ONE of the following:
Eggplant: Orient
Express (long, thin, purple), Broccoli:
Packman, Okra: Bowling Red, Patty
Pan Squash, Mini Bell Pepper Mix or
Cherry Tomato mix
For
those with the Cheese option: Basil Feta and [NEW] Caprine Curds (cheese
curds)
For
those with the Egg option [full and half]: one dozen free-range eggs (assorted
colors)
For
those with the Herb option: Basil- Red Rubin, Curly Cress, Parsley
Featured Recipe(s) (see below): Pasta with Arugula and Goat
Cheese Sauce
Leek and Goat Cheese Pie
Cream
of Chicken & Leeks on Buttered Toast
Precipitation in the past week:
trace
What’s up on the farm?
One week into
September and already things are looking up (except for the rain, which is
still missing). The new crops continue to progress nicely, and more retiring
crops have been removed from the field. The only crop we continue to struggle
with is the salad beds, which are stubbornly not germinating. We think it is a
combination of heat, dry soil and ever-drying winds, not to mention the massive
flock of goldfinches that have developed a taste for lettuce seed. We have
added mini irrigation sprinklers to the beds to try and aid in keeping the soil
surface damp, and if a few finches get wet in the process, so be it. The crew has been working hard at keeping the
weeds in check and keeping ahead of the onslaught of tomato hornworms which are
attempting to strip the entire tomato plot to twigs. The chickens are the only ones who are a fan
of this scenario.
The cool news of
the week is that after receiving a phone call about a swarm of bees in an area
tree, Jill's dad traveled over with appropriate equipment (diesel truck, skid
loader, chain saw, ratchet straps and protective bee suit) and brought back a
large section of a Mulberry tree complete with a colony of honey bees. So BGF
now has its very own Honey Tree, which resides at the northwest corner of the
pasture fence.
The biggest news
of the week, however, is that Sean finally came home over the weekend and is
doing very well, even walking about the farm with the aid of a cane. The big
goal now is to keep him cruising along that path. Thanks to everyone who has shared prayers,
good thoughts and wishes for his recovery, I think we are finally seeing the
progress we have been hoping for.
Honey Share: we did our 2nd honey extraction last night so
Honey Share members can look forward to a delivery next week. Please send us an
email or tell us at tonight's delivery if you would like liquid or comb honey
for your next installment.
Recycling: We know that many of our CSA members are very ecologically-minded and since
we try to recycle and re-use whatever we can here at the farm, we thought we
would send out a request. Many of you already return your clean egg cartons to
us to be re-used so we'd like to offer a new opportunity. We are in need of
glass Starbucks Frappacino bottles, specifically the small-size (9.5 oz) botles
AND lids. We sterilize them and reuse for honey
packaging. Now, we are not asking you to go out and purchase them, but if
anyone is ALREADY drinking them, we would be happy to take bottles and lids off
your hands. You can bring them along to the CSA pickup or drop them at our booth at the
market, whichever is easier.
Farm Crawl: We still have slots available for individuals/families who are
interested in being part of Team BGF for Farm Crawl. You can sign up for as
little as 2 hours (or more if you'd like) and we will provide food, fun and
some kind of BGF "swag". Just
a reminder that Farm Crawl is Sunday, Oct 7th from 11am-5pm.
A little detail on your produce this week:
Arugula: Store in a plastic bag in the
produce drawer. A great pesto, pizza, salad and pasta ingredient.
Is a weekly
newsletter not enough for you and you want to read more about our daily
adventures? Follow us at our blog
at
http://beyondthebluegate.blogspot.com/
and on Facebook at
Blue Gate Farm.
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)
Pasta with Arugula and Goat Cheese Sauce
4 servings
a bunch of fresh arugula
4 springs fresh parsley
1 8 ounce container low-fat yogurt or sour cream
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
S and P to taste
1 pound fusilli noodles
Grated parmesan cheese, as garnish
1. Before preparing sauce,
fill a large casserole with water, and bring the water to a boil.
2 Wash and clean well the arugula and parsley. Dry thoroughly.
Trim and chop both the arugula and the parsley.
3. Place the arugula and the
parsley in a food processor. Add the yogurt or sour cream, goat cheese, salt,
and pepper. Blend the ingredients thoroughly. Keep the sauce at room
temperature until ready to use.
4. Add a pinch of salt to the
boiling water, and cook the fusilli noodles following the instructions on the
package. When the noodles are cooked, drain them, and place them in four
serving dishes. Pour the sauce evenly over the top of each serving and add some
cheese to each dish. Serve immediately.
Recipe Source: A Complete
Menu Cookbook for All Occasions
Leek and Goat Cheese Pie
Adapted from a recipe in “Home
Made“, by Yvette Van Boven
2 medium-sized leeks,
thoroughly washed
1/2 cup white wine
Pat of butter
Salt and pepper
1 package (2 sheets) puff
pastry
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Thaw puff pastry on the
counter whilst you prepare the leeks.
Remove the leek’s dark green
stalks and layer of outer leaves. Halve them lengthwise and cut each into three
pieces. Simmer leeks in wine and butter seasoned with salt and pepper, about
twenty minutes. Remove from liquid and pat dry.
Fold each piece of puff
pastry in half, layer one atop the other, and roll the dough into a rectangle.
Use the back of a knife to score the pastry like a picture frame, making a one-inch
border. Nestle leeks into the dough. Sprinke with goat cheese
and brush the edges with egg white. Bake in a preheated 400 degree
oven for approximately twenty-five minutes.
Cream of Chicken & Leeks
on Buttered Toast
1 1/4 pounds boneless,
skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise (you want them pretty thin)
salt and pepper
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely
chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely
chopped
1 small onion, peeled and
halved, root end left intact
1 lemon, sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
a few sprigs fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin
olive oil
2-3 medium sized leeks,
halved lengthwise, sliced into 1/2-inch half moons, and thoroughly rinsed
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
4 sliced good quality bread,
toasted, lightly buttered, and halved into triangles
Season the chicken with salt
and pepper and place in a deep skillet. Add the carrot, celery, onion, lemon,
bay leaf, thyme and parsley. Add in just enough water to cover the chicken.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low boil and poach chicken until cooked
through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and shred or chop. Strain the
stock and reserve.
Meanwhile, in another
skillet, heat the butter and extra virgin olive oil. Add the leeks and cook
until softened, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then
sprinkle in the flour. Cook for 1 minute. Add in 1 1/2 cups of the reserved
chicken stock. Stir in the cream, then cook until the sauce until slightly
thickened, about 5 minutes. Add more stock if the sauce gets too thick. Stir in
the mustard and then add the chicken.
Place the toast on a plate,
and top with the chicken and leeks.
Recipe Source: http://www.tasteandtellblog.com
