Blue Gate Farm News – Volume IV, Number 14
– July 31, 2007
In this week’s box:
Beans:
or
Cherry Tomato Mix*: Juliet
& Golden Rave second half of CSA
Cucumbers: Diva (short,
green) *, Lemon (round, yellow) * or Suyo Long (long, green) *
Hot Peppers: Hungarian Wax from Coyote Run Farm
Patty Pan Squash: asst.
Onions: Red Burgermaster from Coyote Run Farm
Swiss Chard: Bright Lights *
Tomatoes: asst. heirlooms from Coyote Run Farm
* from the upper
garden
For those with the Herb
option: Basil: Dark Opal, Parsley, Rosemary
For
those with the Honey option: choice of liquid or comb
Featured Recipes (on back): Tomato and Creamy Cheese Summer
Salad "Pizzas”
Sweet Cucumber Salad
Rain this week: .5 ”
What’s up on the farm?
These little rain
interludes are helping us a lot, while we could sure use more, at least we
aren’t running the irrigation system full time. It has been a week of
harvesting and (big surprise) weeding here on the farm. While we were waiting
for info on the safety of the upper gardens, other than disposing of produce,
we pretty much let them go, so now we are making up for the neglect. There are
weeds in there that are taller than Jill…lots of them! They are nearly
impossible to pull at this stage so we have resorted to a bladed weedwacker.
Even with that, the progress is slow, but its progress. We can even see the
soil in several places now.
The summer squash
season is beginning to wind down (do I hear sighs of relief?) The squash bugs
and cucumber beetles have finally gotten the best of the 8-Ball zucchini and
the Sebring are starting to fail. The patty pans are still going pretty strong,
but the bugs will find them eventually as well. Oh well, its all in the spirit
of seasonal eating.
Blue has been
celebrating the recent hot weather with lots of trips to the pond. Her favorite
activity is chasing frogs. She’s not much of a swimmer, but she’ll jump in up
to her chest to try to catch them. Then she likes to come home and try to sit
on our laps…yuck!
In your boxes this
week you’ll notice that the chard is back on, plus we got a fun, spicy bonus
from our good friends at Coyote Run. The Hungarian Hot Wax is a medium-hot
pepper (about the same heat as a jalapeno.) Store like a bell pepper in the
crisper drawer of the fridge and they will keep up to a week. If you like a
little less heat, remove membranes and seeds when preparing (and please wear
gloves or plastic bags over your hands) if you like more heat, leave them in…and
enjoy!
More next week…
Best from the
farm,
Jill & Sean
Tomato and Creamy Cheese Summer Salad
"Pizzas"
Grilled Bread:
4 large, 1/2-inch-thick
slices of chewy whole grain bread
1 clove garlic, split
About 5 tablespoons good
tasting extra-virgin olive oil
Topping:
1/2 of a medium red onion,
thin sliced
4 tablespoons wine or cider
vinegar
2 tight-packed tablespoons
fresh basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon each (not
packed) fresh marjoram and Italian parsley leaves
2 whole large scallions
1-1/2 cups fresh, high
quality whole milk ricotta, or other fresh creamy cheese
1/4 to 1/3 cup shredded young
sheep cheese, Asiago or Fontinella
2 large ripe delicious
tomatoes, cored and vertically sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup coarse-chopped arugula,
or other tart green (try the swiss chard here)
Salt and fresh-ground black
pepper
3 tablespoons good tasting
extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1. Toast the bread slices on the grill, or hold each with tongs and toast it
over a stove burner. Rub each slice with the garlic and drizzle with the first
quantity of olive oil. Set them out on a large platter.
2. In a small bowl toss the onion with the 4 tablespoons vinegar. Set aside
for about 20 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
3. Chop together the herbs and scallions, blending all but 1 tablespoon of
them into the ricotta. Season the mix with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the
ricotta over each slice of bread, then sprinkle each one with the shredded
cheese.
4. Divide the tomato slices between the toasts, then tuck pieces of arugula
between them. Scatter the onion and its vinegar over the tomatoes, along with
the remaining herbs. Season everything with salt and pepper then sprinkle on
the olive oil and the balsamic. Serve at room temperature.
Recipe Source: Lynne Rossetto Kasper Splendid Table Website
Sweet Cucumber Salad
2 Cucumbers, thinly sliced 1
Tbs Soy Sauce
1/8 cup Rice Wine Vinegar Fresh
Ground Pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil Fresh
Chopped Dill (as garnish)
1 Tbs Sugar
Place sliced cucumbers in a bowl. Add
remaining ingredients. Stir thoroughly to coat cucumbers. Garnish with fresh
chopped dill.
Allow the salad to marinate
an hour or more before serving.
Recipe Source: www.cooksgarden.com