Blue Gate Farm News – Volume IV,  Number 21  –  September 18, 2007

 

In this week’s box:

Beans: Yellow/Green Mix or Maxibel

Cherry Tomatoes*: Juliet/Golden Rave Mix (red/yellow oblong mix) or Blondkopfchen (small, round yellow)

Eggplant*:Ping Tung Long or Mediterranean    

Hot Peppers*: Poblano (very dark green with pointed ends)

Onions*: Cippolini

Sweet Peppers: mix of Golden Marconi, Mini Bells, Purple Beauty, Red Knight or La Rouge Royal

Tomatoes*: asst. heirlooms

* from the upper garden

 

For those with the Cheese option: Chipotle Chevre

For those with the Herb option: Basil: Thai Magic, Rosemary, Anise Hyssop

 

Featured Recipes (on back):  Mediterranean Salsa

                                                  Dal                            

Rain this week: 1.70”                                                                                    

 

What’s up on the farm?

Gosh, I feel like we had an entire Fall’s worth of weather in just one week and here we are back to summer again. With all the predictions of freezing weather at the end of the week, much of last week was taken up by harvesting any usable produce, even those that were not quite ripe and preparing for a freeze. So you will notice a number of peppers in your boxes this week that are quite green, normally I would consider these not quite ripe, but I was afraid we would lose them with the low temps so we harvested them all. Hopefully you will enjoy your bounty of peppers. With all the fall crops recently sown and just breaking through the soil, there was a lot of tender, young plants that required protection. Fortunately we made it through with only minor cold damage, mostly on the basil. Those of you with herb share may notice some dark spotting and a few of the basil leaves, that is the cold damage and it is merely cosmetic.

 

We’ve had a couple of questions regarding the end of the season so we wanted to give you an update. Currently we are thinking that we will do the final delivery for the summer season on Oct. 16th. This isn’t set in stone as it depends heavily on what the weather and crops are doing, so it is possible that it could move a week either way. Regardless, we will keep you informed as that date approaches.

 

New in the boxes this week is eggplant. We lost 200 row feet of eggplant in the herbicide drift and were left with only the test plants in the high tunnel, so that is why they are so few and so late in the season. Hopefully we can get them into your boxes one more time before the season ends. Here’s a little insight into the care and handling of this culinary treat. 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.

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean

 

Mediterranean Salsa

1    medium eggplant (about 1-1/2 pounds)

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1    clove garlic, minced

2    tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

2    medium tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

      Grated peel of 1 Sunkist lemon

      Juice of 1/2 Sunkist lemon

1    teaspoon Worchestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

      Freshly ground black pepper to taste

      Several drops Tabasco pepper sauce, or to taste

 

  1. Place the whole unpeeled eggplant on a baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes (eggplant will soften and collapse).
  2. As eggplant bakes, in a small skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until tender. Set aside.
  3. When eggplant is finished baking, cool slightly to handle. Slice off stem end. Cut in half lengthwise and peel (the skin slips off easily); remove and discard all clumps of seeds. Chop remaining pulp finely.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggplant with remaining ingredients. Cover and chill before spooning into a medium serving bowl. Serve as a spread on toast or crackers. Garnish with lemon cartwheel slices and parsley sprigs, if desired.


Note: For smokey flavor, grill whole eggplant in a covered grill over medium-high heat until completely softened, turning 2-3 times.

 

Recipe Source: unknown

 

Dal (Middle Eastern Lentil Soup)

 

2 cups masoor dal (red lentils), or brown lentils

2 bunches bianco di maggio onions, tails removed, cleaned, and sliced in thin crescents

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

pinch cayenne

Salt & Pepper

cooking oil

Rinse the lentils, then cover in a large saucepan with 8 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add tumeric and simmer on low for about an hour until soft, partially covered. Heat the oil over a medium flame, then add the onion pieces with the cumin. Cook the onions, stirring often, until onion is well browned but not burned. Add the salt, pepper and cayenne, if using. Add the onions to the dal once it's cooked through. Stir and eat with yogurt and or other dishes.

Recipe Source: Marquita Farms website <http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/Onions.htm>