Volume XXI, Number 15 – September 10, 2013
In
this week’s box:
**all new-pre-cooked vegetables this week!** (just kidding, it only feels like it)
Arugula
Beans: mix
Cherry Tomatoes (Golden Rave, Juliet, Blondkopfchen
& Black Cherry)
Hot Peppers: Wenk's Yellow Hots (lt yellow to bright
orange) and/or Georgia Flame (dark red)
Sweet Onions: Ailsa Craig
Sweet Peppers: Ace (green to red), Golden Marconi
(long, pointed, green to yellow), Islander (purple to orange) or Sunray (green to yellow)
Tomatoes: asst varieties, see descriptions in the 7/30 newsletter
and perhaps one of the following:
Broccoli
florets
Cucumbers:
Suyo Long (Asian-style, long & bumpy) or Diva (English-style,
torpedo-shaped, smooth)
Mini
Bell Peppers (small, sweet, red, yellow & green) bagged to differentiate from hot peppers
Melons:
Cream of Saskatchewan
or Moon & Stars
Okra:
Burgundy
Summer
Squash: Sebring (yellow zucchini) or 8-Ball (small, round, green)
Tapestry
Salad Mix
For those with the Cheese option: Plain Chevre and
Cracked Black Pepper Chevre
For
those with the Egg option [full & half]: one dozen free-range eggs
(assorted colors)
For
those with the Herb option: sweet basil, curly cress, lemon balm
Featured Recipe(s) (see below): Arugula &
Cherry Tomato Pizza
Heirloom
Tomato Panzanella
Precipitation in the past week:
0.00” (thanking our lucky stars for even
more irrigation!)
What’s up on the farm?
Boy, we are good and ready to kiss this hot weather goodbye! It was a bit alarming when we read the water meter for August. Over the course of the month, we put more than 60,000 gallons of water on the ground, drip by drip. Thank goodness drip irrigation is the most efficient method of watering, but holy cow that is a heck of a lot of water and we are just barely keeping up with it. Some of the new crops are doing pretty well with the current situation, like head lettuce, arugula and broccoli, mostly crops that were transplanted last month. The direct seeded crops are struggling more, as the soil moisture is dissipating before the seed coats can soften enough and the tiny first roots start growing. Most challenged seems to be carrots, spinach and turnips. We finally installed tiny 180ۜ° sprinklers on the salad beds to try and keep the beds moist enough to germinate and grow, as we just couldn't keep up with hand watering those beds with the heat and wind. The germination on the first sowing was wildly uneven, which is why only some of you will receive salad this week. The salad greens that germinated earliest need to be cut, but there just wasn't enough that took off early for everyone to get some, so we will put that on the "perhaps one of the following" rotation list and we will continue to work through the membership list on a weekly basis until everyone gets some or until the salad really takes off and we can hit the whole CSA at one time.
The beans and summer squash
are likely coming to an end, as the plants are just too stressed to continue,
no matter how much water we pour on them. We thought the melons were done too,
but a few more fruits miraculously appeared in the beds so we are sending them
out in a few random boxes this week. We are also sending out the gleanings of
the cucumber beds that we cleared this past week. They aren't beautiful, but
they should still taste good as we bid them farewell for the year.
A little detail on your produce this week:
Really nothing new this week,
just a reminder to store arugula like other greens, bagged in the produce
drawer.
FYI, cheese share members, the black pepper chevre is
amazing stuffed into little peppers or tomatoes and roasted!
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 at our blog at http://beyondthebluegate.blogspot.com/
and on Facebook (just search Blue Gate Farm) and “Like” us.
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)
Arugula & Cherry Tomato Pizza
Pre-baked pizza crust/shell (you can also use english muffins, pita, Italian
bread, tortillas or make your own)Olive oil
Parmesan cheese
3 cups Arugula from your garden -- coarsely chopped
15–20 Cherry Tomatoes from your garden -- halved
2 tsp Lemon juice
2 tsp Olive oil
Pinch Kosher salt
Fresh ground Black Pepper, to taste
Optional toppings: Pine nuts, Olives, Feta Cheese, chopped fresh Basil from your garden
• Take the pizza crust and brush with olive oil. Warm pizza crust per package instructions. Remove from oven.
• Cover with parmesan cheese. Bake for 2 minutes until cheese is lightly brown.
• While the cheese is melting, toss the arugula, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil and optional toppings together. Season with salt & pepper.
• Gently cover the pizza with the topping while crust is still warm. Serves 4 as a light lunch.
Recipe Source: www.sloatgardens.com
Heirloom Tomato Panzanella
4 to 6 servings
2 pounds ripe heirloom
tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup minced red onion (or
sweet onion)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive
oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon
juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh lemon
balm or tarragon
1 teaspoon sea salt,
preferably gray salt
Several grinds black pepper
Panzanella Croutons, recipe
follows
2 cups trimmed arugula
Wedge Parmesan, for shaving
Drain the tomatoes in a sieve to remove excess liquid
while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive
oil, lemon juice, basil, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Add the croutons and toss
well.
Divide tomato mixture among 4 plates. Top each serving
with an equal amount of the arugula. With a vegetable peeler, shave the
Parmesan over the salad. Serve immediately.
Michael's Notes: I've used basil and tarragon here,
but you can use any herbs you like. Parsley and marjoram come to mind as good
alternatives.
Panzanella Croutons:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups crustless cubed
day-old bread (1/2-inch cubes)
Sea salt, preferably gray
salt, and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons finely grated
Parmesan
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and preheat a cookie
sheet in it.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat
and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30
seconds to 1 minute. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the butter.
Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Immediately
sprinkle with the cheese and toss again while warm to melt the cheese.
Bake, stirring once or twice, until the croutons are
crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 8 or 9
minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.
Michael's Notes: I use a serrated knife to remove the
crust from day-old bread, then switch to a chef's knife to cut the cubes
because it doesn't tear the bread. Also note that I recommend grating the
Parmesan finely so that it will stick to the bread better.
Recipe source: FoodNetwork.com Michael Chiarello
