Blue Gate Farm News – Volume VII,  Number 3  –  June 17, 2008

 

In this week’s box:

Asparagus (next group in alphabetical order)

Garlic Scapes (the curly green things that smell like garlic-last of the season)

Lettuce (assorted heads)

Radishes: Cherryette and Easter Egg Mix (last of the season)

Baby Turnips (Golden Ball & Purple Top

 

For those with the Cheese option: chive blossom chevre and feta

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

For those with the Herb option: Mint, Sage & Tarragon (see Herb Book for info and recipes)

 

Featured Recipe(s) (see below):  Orecchiette with Baby Turnips and their Greens

 

 

Rain this week: .35” (from 6/10 - 6/16)

 

What’s up on the farm?

 

Well the rain has finally slowed down and this weekend we were able to get back into the gardens.  So now the real battle against the weedy jungle has begun.  We got an extra work day on Saturday as the DM Downtown Farmers Market was cancelled due to the floods.  Listening to the reports around the state and chatting with other farmers has made us realize how lucky we’ve been through all this.  Jill’s sister lives in Cedar Rapids and while their home wasn’t flooded, their lives have certainly been challenging.  Several of the CSA’s around the state report whole fields of vegetables under water, with the likelihood of total loss.  A couple of CSA’s had to suspend deliveries because they couldn’t get off their farms due to high water surrounding them.  We have lost a few tomato, pepper, cucumber and squash plants to the storms, as well as a couple of rows of potatoes to the too-wet soil, but we doubt you will even feel their absence.  The peas (snow and snap) may be a failure, but they are doing their best to catch up before the summer heat does them in, so we haven’t given up on them yet.  Otherwise, things are starting to look better, the tomatoes and peppers are even starting to set fruit, and that is always an exciting benchmark.

 

We had an exciting visit Friday on the farm…we had our very own, private parade!  A re-enactment group is spending the summer riding sections of the Mormon trail and one of the routes goes right past our farm.  So we were treated to a casual procession of 6-8 horse and mule drawn wagons and carts making their way down our mud road.  It was great fun to see that the old-fashioned wagon wheels handled the mud much better than even the big off-road truck tires do.  Blue could hardly contain herself; she so badly wanted to investigate those strange animals much more closely.

 

Care and handling of turnips: remove leaves and refrigerate the unwashed greens in a loosely wrapped plastic bag.  Store turnips dry and unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.  

 

Just a reminder that the Ice Cream Social is Sunday, June 29th.  We will be taking a survey next week to get an idea of how many will be joining us. We hope everyone will be able to come!

 

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean

 

 

Orecchiette with Baby Turnips and their Greens

(serves 2)

sea salt
2 small bunches baby turnips (about 15 turnips total) or 1 bunch broccoli rabe
4-6 oz. orecchiette or penne pasta
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch hot pepper flakes (or more to taste)
¼ c grated pecorino cheese (see above for recommendations)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon sea salt per every 2 quarts of water.

If using turnips, use a knife to separate the turnip from its green, leaving about ¼-inch of green still attached to the turnip. Cut the thin root off the turnips, then scrub them to remove dirt. Cut each into halves or quarters. Cut the stems into 1-inch pieces and leave the leaves whole.

When the water is boiling, first cook the turnips until tender, then remove and set aside. Next, cook the stems and finally the leaves, removing both after they are done. Add the pasta and cook according to directions on the box {Rustichella orecchiette takes about 10 minutes}.

While the pasta is cooking, have a glass of wine. Then heat the oil over a medium-low flame in sauté pan. Add the garlic and hot pepper and cook until pale golden. Add the turnips and their greens and heat through and season with salt. Add the cooked pasta and toss with another splash of raw olive oil and a little pasta cooking water. Serve with grated cheese on top.

Recipe Source: http://inpraiseofsardines.typepad.com/blogs/2006/01/imbb22_orecchie.html