CSA Week 14, Farm stand updates, Ag Day and Stone Soup Dinner!

We always have a bit of a pared down crew in the fall, so it can sometimes feel like we don’t have time for anything other than harvesting. Fortunately, we have some really great people working here so that we can still manage to tackle some bigger projects. Last Thursday we had everyone out in the field in the afternoon as we took down a fence that was no longer needed (after which Lise gleefully mowed in the old crops that had been inside the fence). That fence then got moved over to protect our fall carrots and beets. We have had an electric fence around that field all season, but we saw some evidence that deer had been in there, so we moved fast to nip it in the bud and put up some extra protection before the deer could get a taste for our beautiful fall carrots.

It’s the week after Labor Day, which means that this Saturday September 12th, 10am - 2pm is the 21st Annual Ag Day Farmers’ Market in Concord Center. Come visit us and celebrate Concord’s rich farming past and present! Veggie racing on the Scimone Farm Speedway, music from Leonard Solomon and the Veggie Hall of Fame are all back this year. While it is always a busy day in town on Ag Day, the CSA and farm stand will also still be open!

We’re also excited that the annual Stone Soup Dinner is coming up soon on Sunday, September 20th. Stone Soup, Inc. generously donated funds raised from previous dinners to the addition on our farm house. The dinner is at Verrill Farm’s pavilion and features produce from Concord farms prepared by Concord chefs, as well as live music! Tickets are available here: https://www.stonesoupconcordma.com/tickets.

In the CSA this week:

• Tendersweet cabbage - This variety has a flat head shape and is great for fresh eating!

• Spaghetti squash - This unique type of squash has stringy flesh that looks like angel hair pasta. One way to prepare it is to cut in half, scoop out the seeds and bake face down in a dish in about an inch of water. (See last week’s blog post for another preparation method!).

• Garlic

• Heirloom and Hyloom tomatoes

• Slicing tomatoes

• Colored peppers or Cucumbers - We replaced some cucumber plants in the tunnel at the beginning of August (which is later in the season than we’ve ever tried to plant them), and it’s now bearing fruit!

• Green and purple peppers

• Beets

• Radishes

• Curly Kale - It’s quite tender as it’s from our new planting!

• Arugula or Baby bok choi

• Mustard greens

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Sunflowers

• Cherry tomatoes - All 15 varieties are producing! Sungold, Black Cherry, Honey Bee, White Cherry, Yellow Mini, Cherry Bomb, Jasper, Citrine, Midnight Pear, Moonbeam, Valentine, Apple Yellow, Clementine, Mountain Magic and Nova.

• Green beans

• Tomatillos

• Shishito peppers

• Hot peppers - Varieties include Aji Rico, Pantera (jalapeño), Hungarian Hot Wax, Red Ember (cayenne), and Hot Paper Lantern (habañero - extremely hot!).

• Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, parsley, sage, mint, thyme, chives

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm.

In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA above, we will have:

• Scallions

• Pickling cucumbers

• Potatoes - Constance Gold. From MX Morningstar Farm in Hudson, NY. Certified Organic.

• Cherry tomatoes - Sakura variety from our high tunnel as other varieties from the field.

• Flowers - A great supply of dahlia bunches with eucalyptus, sunflowers, and mixed bouquets.

• Sweet corn - From Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

• Note on mushrooms: We are taking a few weeks off from mushrooms but will stock them again in the fall!

PYO Flower Field

The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking include: scabiosa, celosia, ammi, gomphrena, ageratum, strawflower, cosmos, zinnias, rudbeckia, sunflowers, verbena, fireworks gomphrena, starflower (great for drying!), decorative basil, and shiso. Please do not pick from plantings that don’t have a variety sign in front of them.

Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes Melted in Garlic Butter

by Chandra Ram, from Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 1 pound uncooked spaghetti

• 6 tablespoons salted butter

• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 2 pounds mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes (about 6 cups)

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, if needed

• Kosher salt, to taste

• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped

• Parmesan cheese, grated

• Crushed red pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high; add spaghetti, and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Set aside.
   

2. While spaghetti cooks, melt butter in a large high-sided skillet over medium. Add garlic, and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic to a small bowl. Add tomatoes to skillet; reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are softened and beginning to burst, about 20 minutes. (Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet if mixture begins to look dry.) Stir reserved browned garlic slices into tomatoes; season with salt to taste. Remove from heat.
   

3. Transfer cooked spaghetti to skillet; toss to coat with sauce, adding reserved cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time as needed, to create a silky sauce. Sprinkle with basil, and serve with grated Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper.

Cabbage Caesar Salad

By Melissa Clark, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

• 1 small baguette or chunk of sourdough bread (about 8 ounces), preferably day-old, torn or cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• ½ cup grated Parmesan, divided, more for garnish 

• Salt and pepper

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste

• 4 anchovy fillets (or 1 teaspoon drained capers)

• 1 fat garlic clove, finely grated or minced

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (or coconut aminos)

• ¼ cup mayonnaise

• 8 cups shredded cabbage

Preparation

1. Make the croutons: Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed sheet pan, toss bread pieces with 3 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons cheese to coat evenly. Spread in an even layer, sprinkle lightly with salt and bake until crunchy and evenly browned, 10 to 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. Taste a crouton and add more salt if needed. Use a spatula to scrape up any crunchy cheese stuck to the pan and stir into the warm croutons. Let croutons cool on the baking pan.

2. Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a blender or using an immersion blender, combine the lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and a pinch each salt and pepper, and pulse a few times to break up the anchovies.

3. Add the mayonnaise and the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil, and blend until smooth. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed.

4. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, croutons, remaining 5 tablespoons cheese and enough of the dressing to coat the cabbage. Toss well, adding more dressing as needed. Top with more cheese and pepper, and serve.

CSA Week 13 and Farm stand updates

Winter squash harvest is one of the most highly anticipated harvests of the season, especially for the many former volleyball and softball players who have worked here - there is a lot of throwing and catching involved! We start by clipping the squash off the plants, and then tossing or rolling the squash into windrows (which are rows in the field where the squash is consolidated before they are collected). There’s more throwing in the next step too. We set a bulk crate onto a tractor and drive it through the field while some folks toss squash from the windrow to others next to the bulk crate. Those people next to the bulk crate then set it gently into the bin, which is then brought to our barn for storage or curing.

Last week we tackled spaghetti squash and kabocha, and if we have some dry days this week, our next top priorities will be delicata, pie pumpkin and butternut. There are varying amounts of time that squash requires to cure before they’re ready to eat. Some types of squash, like spaghetti squash, are immediately ready to eat. Others, like butternut and tetsukabuto, take 6-8 weeks of curing before they’re. This week we’ll be enjoying last week’s spaghetti squash harvest!

Our other major activity last week was planting next year’s strawberries. This year was a complete crop failure, in large part because of severe deer predation, but also because of a couple of very cold nights in May that damaged the strawberry blossoms. We have addressed the deer issue by planting all of the strawberries inside the 8’ lettuce fence we set up this past spring. While we can still have crop losses due to cold overnight temperatures in May, they hopefully won’t be a fatal blow to more robust plants!

In the CSA this week:

• Spaghetti squash - This unique type of squash has stringy flesh that looks like angel hair pasta. Step one in this week’s recipe has a good description of how to cook a spaghetti squash, and from there you can either continue with the recipe, or you can simply serve it with olive oil or butter and some herbs.

• Garlic - We’re now starting to take down the garlic that has been hanging in the farm stand to cure. We’ll set aside about 25% of all the heads for seed, which we’ll plant in October for next year’s garlic. This cured garlic will have a more intense flavor than the uncured garlic we had earlier. It should be stored in a cool, dark and dry space - not in the refrigerator.

• Scallions

• Heirloom and Hyloom tomatoes

• Slicing tomatoes

• Colored peppers - Sweet bells and Bull’s Horn varieties.

• Green and purple peppers

• Beets

• Curly Kale - It’s quite tender as it’s from our new planting!

• Arugula

• Baby bok choi

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Cherry tomatoes - All 15 varieties are producing! Sungold, Black Cherry, Honey Bee, White Cherry, Yellow Mini, Cherry Bomb, Jasper, Citrine, Midnight Pear, Moonbeam, Valentine, Apple Yellow, Clementine, Mountain Magic and Nova.

• Green beans

• Tomatillos

• Shishito peppers

• Hot peppers - Varieties include Aji Rico, Pantera (jalapeño), Hungarian Hot Wax, Red Ember (cayenne), and Hot Paper Lantern (habañero - extremely hot!).

• Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, parsley, sage, mint, thyme, chives

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm.

In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA above, we will have:

• Cucumbers - Picklers, slicers, and thin-skinned.

• Zucchini

• Summer squash

• Potatoes - Constance Gold and Dark Red Norland varieties. From MX Morningstar Farm in Hudson, NY. Certified Organic.

• Cherry tomatoes - Sakura variety from our high tunnel as other varieties from the field.

• Flowers - Mixed bouquets and dahlia bunches with eucalyptus!

• Peaches - From Ed at Long Run Produce in Boxborough, MA. Certified Organic.

• Pears - Sunrise variety. From Ed at Long Run Produce in Boxborough, MA. Certified Organic.

• We’re hoping to get another batch of Ed’s organic grapes this week (they sold out in one day on Saturday!)

• Sweet corn - From Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

• Note on mushrooms: We are taking a few weeks off from mushrooms but will stock them again in the fall!

PYO Flower Field

The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking include: scabiosa, celosia, ammi, gomphrena, ageratum, strawflower, cosmos, zinnias, rudbeckia, sunflowers, verbena, fireworks gomphrena, starflower (great for drying!), decorative basil, and shiso. Please do not pick from plantings that don’t have a variety sign in front of them.

Spaghetti Squash Gratin With Basil

by Martha Rose Shulman, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash, about 3 pounds

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• Salt

• freshly ground pepper

• 3 large eggs

• ½ cup low-fat milk

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (¼ cup basil leaves)

• 2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (½ cup)

• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino romano

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pierce the squash in several places with a sharp knife. Cover a baking sheet with foil, and place the squash on top. Bake for one hour, turning the squash every 20 minutes until it is soft and easy to cut into with a knife. Remove from the heat, and allow the squash to cool until you can handle it. Cut in half lengthwise, and allow to cool further. Remove the seeds and discard. Scoop out the flesh, and place in a bowl. Run a fork through the flesh to separate the spaghetti-like strands, then chop coarsely. Measure out 4 cups squash. (Use whatever remains for another dish, or freeze.)

2. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant. Add the squash. Cook, stirring often, for five minutes until the strands of squash are a little more tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk, salt (about ½ teaspoon), pepper and basil. Stir in the squash mixture and the Gruyère, and combine well. Scrape into the baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan or pecorino over the top, and gently press down to moisten.

4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until nicely browned and sizzling. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Tip: Advance preparation:The baked spaghetti squash will keep for four days in the refrigerator. The gratin can be made up to a day ahead and reheated. The recipe can be made through step 2 several hours before completing the gratin and baking.

Newly planted strawberries were immediately irrigated!

CSA Week 12 and Farm stand updates

Tomatoes - whether it’s harvesting, binning up or sorting - take up a large chunk of every day this time of year. They could be one person’s full time job, though it’s more of a team effort here! We are harvesting from both the field and the high tunnels now, and the field tomatoes have really taken off. In the field we grow heirlooms, hybrids and “hyloom” tomato varieties. What’s the difference between these types you might ask? Here’s a little primer:

Heirlooms are open-pollinated (they are pollinated by hand, wind, insects, birds or other natural means) and will grow true to their parent plants if grown in isolation from other varieties. In addition, heirlooms must have been passed down through several generations. Hybrids, on the other hand, are are the result of crossing specific parent plants by hand to produce offspring with selected traits such as uniformity, disease resistance, productivity and enhanced flavor (it is important to note that hybrids are not genetically modified). The seeds produced by hybrid plants will not grow true to their parent. A “Hyloom” has been cross-bred from two different heirloom varieties to combine desirable traits from both, and its seeds will also not grow true to it’s parent. They maintain the great taste and funky shapes that heirlooms are known for!

Hybrids and Hylooms are particularly important on organic farms because they are typically more disease-resistant and productive than heirloom varieties, so we do grow a lot of these types (alongside some heirlooms too). Tomato season may be fleeting, but right now they are abundant and this is a great week to enjoy these productive fruits!

In the CSA this week:

• New Potatoes - Constance Gold or Dark Red Norland varieties. From MX Morningstar Farm in Hudson, NY. Certified Organic.

• Garlic - We’re now starting to take down the garlic that has been hanging in the farm stand to cure. We’ll set aside about 25% of all the heads for seed, which we’ll plant in October for next year’s garlic. This cured garlic will have a more intense flavor than the uncured garlic we had earlier. It should be stored in a cool, dark and dry space - not in the refrigerator.

• Scallions

• Colored peppers - Sweet bells and Bull’s Horn varieties.

• Heirloom and Hyloom tomatoes - We are at the peak right now, so we’ve got several recipes below in case you are tired of tomato, basil & mozzarella salads (though some of us never get tired of them!)

• Slicing tomatoes

• Green and purple peppers

• Zucchini

• Summer Squash

• Beets

• Curly Kale - It’s quite tender as it’s from our new planting!

• Arugula or Mustard greens

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Cherry tomatoes - All 15 varieties are producing! Sungold, Black Cherry, Honey Bee, White Cherry, Yellow Mini, Cherry Bomb, Jasper, Citrine, Midnight Pear, Moonbeam, Valentine, Apple Yellow, Clementine, Mountain Magic and Nova.

• Green beans - A new planting!

• Husk cherries - These faintly tropical tasting fruits in the tomato family are found inside papery husks.

• Tomatillos

• Hot peppers - Varieties include Aji Rico, Pantera (jalapeño), Hungarian Hot Wax, Red Ember (cayenne), and Hot Paper Lantern (habañero - extremely hot!).

• Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, parsley, cilantro, sage, mint, thyme, chives

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm.

In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA above, we will have:

• Cucumbers - Picklers, slicers, and a limited amount of thin-skinned.

• Chard

• Frisée

• Cherry tomatoes - Sakura variety from our high tunnel as well as mixed pints from the field

• Flowers - Mixed bouquets and dahlia bunches with eucalyptus!

• Apples - William’s Pride variety. From Ed at Long Run Produce in Boxborough, MA. Certified Organic. Limited quantities.

• Sweet corn - From Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

• Note on mushrooms: We are taking a few weeks off from mushrooms but will stock them again in the fall!

PYO Flower Field

The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking include: scabiosa, celosia, ammi, gomphrena, ageratum, strawflower, cosmos, zinnias, rudbeckia, sunflowers, verbena, fireworks gomphrena, starflower (great for drying!), decorative basil, and shiso. Please do not pick from plantings that don’t have a variety sign in front of them.

Croxetti with Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes

by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, sliced into ½-inch wedges

• ¾ cup torn fresh basil

• 3 tablespoons salt-packed capers, preferably Sicilian, rinsed and chopped if large

• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus more for sprinkling

• ¼ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 pound croxetti or other flat pasta, such as maltagliati or pappardelle, cooked until al dente

Directions

1. Heat garlic in oil in a saucepan over low heat until pale gold, about 10 minutes. Strain; reserve oil and garlic. Let cool.

2. Combine tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, the capers, lemon zest, red-pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Pour garlic oil and chips over tomato mixture. Marinate, covered, tossing occasionally, for 30 minutes.

3. Add warm pasta to bowl, and toss gently. Top with remaining 1/2 cup basil. Season with pepper. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

Baked Eggs in Whole Roasted Tomatoes

by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 6 large tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Coarse salt and ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 6 large eggs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top third off tomatoes and use a small spoon to remove core and seeds. Arrange in a baking dish, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme and garlic. Roast until tomatoes are tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes.

2. Crack an egg into each tomato and season with salt and pepper. Bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 9 minutes more.

Cook's Notes

For better aim, crack the egg into a teacup first, then pour it on the tomato.

Heirloom Tomato and Pepper Toasts with Whipped Ricotta

By Jeremiah Langhorne, from Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes

• 1 7/8 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 5/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided

• 2 cups whole-milk ricotta

• 2 ounces heirloom or baby peppers (such as Jimmy Nardello or shishito)

• 1/4 cup garlic oil or extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 (16-ounce) levain or other rustic bread loaf, cut into 3/4-inch slices

• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (such as J.Q. Dickinson)

• 1/8 teaspoon fennel pollen or toasted and crushed fennel seeds

• 1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

• 1/2 lemon

• Hot sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Cut tomatoes into 1/2-inch-thick pieces; place on a plate, and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.

2. Combine ricotta, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth and light, about 30 seconds.

3. Toss together peppers and 1 tablespoon garlic oil. Brush both sides of bread slices with remaining 3 tablespoons garlic oil.

4. Preheat grill to high (450°F to 500°F). Place peppers on oiled grates; grill, uncovered, turning often, until speckled with char, about 3 minutes. Place bread on grill, and grill, uncovered, until well toasted, about 1 minute and 30 seconds per side. Remove any charred, thick skin from peppers. Season with remaining 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt; cut into bite-size pieces, and set aside.

5. To assemble toasts, spread about 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture on each bread slice. Divide tomatoes and peppers evenly among toasts; sprinkle with flaky sea salt and fennel pollen. Top toasts with basil, chives, a squeeze of lemon, and, if desired, a dash of hot sauce. Serve immediately.

CSA Week 11 and Farm stand updates

Last week we tackled one of our big late-summer projects: undersowing cover crop seed in the fall brassicas field. Because crops like cabbage and kale will stay in the ground past the time when it’s possible to sow cover crop, we seed clover and ryegrass underneath and in the aisles of these crops before they’ve been harvested. By seeding earlier, we’re ensuring that the cover crop will have time to get big enough to control soil erosion over the winter and contribute organic matter to the soil. To facilitate this process, the crew hand weeded much of the cabbage and kale, and Catherine took a final pass with the cultivating tractor. We then sowed the clover and ryegrass using a push seeder and raked it in to increase seed-soil contact. Melissa irrigated on Saturday and voila! We’re already seeing germination in the clover.

In other farm news, work has begun on the farm house apartment addition! As such, Melissa and her family have temporarily relocated off-farm for the duration of the construction. Moving during the peak of farming season is no small feat (nevermind the heat!), but we are so excited and grateful to be able to start this new chapter on the farm thanks to the non-profit Concord Housing Foundation and the many community members who contributed to make the project happen!

In the CSA this week:

• Dark Red Norland New Potatoes - From MX Morningstar Farm in Hudson, NY. Certified Organic. Farming is a small world: Max Morningstar started the farm with Jess Camp who Lise and Melissa farmed with in Ipswich from 2006 to 2008. Jess now works at MDAR so is still in the farming world and has come to visit us in Concord!

• Beets

• Heirloom and Hyloom tomatoes

• Slicing tomatoes

• Fresh onions - Red Long of Tropea variety.

• Green and purple peppers

• Zucchini or Summer Squash

• Celery

• Swiss chard or Curly Kale (from our new planting!)

• Arugula

• Lettuce

• Frisée - A bitter salad green that can also be used wilted or sautéed.

• Watermelon - Available only in the regular size CSA this week.

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Cherry tomatoes - All 15 varieties are producing! Sungold, Black Cherry, Honey Bee, White Cherry, Yellow Mini, Cherry Bomb, Jasper, Citrine, Midnight Pear, Moonbeam, Valentine, Apple Yellow, Clementine, Mountain Magic and Nova.

• Shishito peppers - These mini green peppers are great for searing and then sprinkling with a little salt - a very tasty snack or appetizer! Please note that while they’re mostly mild, you will come across the occasional spicy one.

• Tomatillos - Look low on the plant for fruit that fills out its husk.

• Hot peppers - Varieties include Aji Rico, Pantera (jalapeño), Hungarian Hot Wax, Red Ember (cayenne), and Hot Paper Lantern (habanero, extremely hot!).

• Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, parsley, dill, cilantro, sage, mint, thyme, chives

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm.

In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA above, we will have:

• Cucumbers - Picklers, slicers, and a limited amount of thin-skinned.

• Colored Peppers - Sweet

• Cherry tomatoes - Sakura variety from our high tunnel as well as mixed pints from the field

• Flowers - Mixed bouquets and dahlia bunches with eucalyptus!

• Peaches - We will have some Tuesday but will likely sell out before the end of the week. From Ed at Long Run Produce in Boxborough, MA. Certified Organic.

• Apples - William’s Pride variety. From Ed at Long Run Produce in Boxborough, MA. Certified Organic.

• Sweet corn - From Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

• Note on mushrooms: We are taking a few weeks off from mushrooms but will stock them again in the fall!

PYO Flower Field

The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking include: scabiosa, celosia, ammi, gomphrena, ageratum, strawflower, cosmos, zinnias, rudbeckia, sunflowers, verbena, fireworks gomphrena, starflower (great for drying!), decorative basil, and shiso. We’ll also be opening a new bed of snapdragons this week! Please do not pick from plantings that don’t have a variety sign in front of them.

Cumin Tomato Salad With Jammy Eggs

By Ashley Lonsdale, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

• ½ pound cherry tomatoes, halved

• ½ small red onion, finely chopped

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper

• 8 large eggs

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 bird’s-eye chile (or other hot pepper), thinly sliced

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

Preparation

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, large enough to fit the eggs. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes and red onion with the lemon juice, salt and a dusting of pepper. Set aside. 

2. Carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes. Fill a medium bowl with ice and just enough water to cover. When the eggs are done cooking, use a slotted spoon to transfer them immediately to the ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, peel the eggs, quarter them lengthwise and arrange them on a platter. Season the eggs with salt.

3. Make the dressing: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the cumin seeds and chile and sizzle them for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully stir in the cilantro, which may sputter. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Mix the warm dressing with the tomatoes and pour over the eggs. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

CSA Week 10 and Farm stand updates

Last week featured some very hot days, which meant popsicle breaks for the crew as well as lots of tractor cultivation and weeding. High temperatures are great for cultivating because weeds that are churned up by the tractor or pulled by hand die in the heat before they have a chance to re-root. On the tractors, Lise cultivated all of our fall cabbage and kale, while Catherine was able to hit some newer plantings of sunflowers and beans. Meanwhile, the whole crew spent a lot of time in our fall carrot beds thinning and weeding, an incredibly important process for getting nice large carrots. Both activities will continue in earnest this week!

In the CSA this week:

• Arugula - This succession of arugula is a bit “hole-y” because during the heat of summer, we can’t use row cover to protect from insects. It’s still tender and delicious!

• Sweet corn - From our friends at Verrill Farm. Not organic.

• Heirloom and Hyloom tomatoes - From our field and high tunnel plantings. Field varieties include: Abigail (pink), Cherokee Carbon (purple), Dr. Wyche’s Yellow, Marmalade Skies (orange), Pruden’s Purple (pink), and Woodstock (green bicolor). From the high tunnel: GinFiz (bicolor yellow with blush).

• Slicing tomatoes - From our field and high tunnel plantings. High tunnel varieties include Lemon Boy Plus (yellow), Marmalade (orange), Bonbolya (pink), Contessa (red beefsteak), and Estiva and Caiman (both red slicers). From the field: Galahad (red).

• Watermelon - All are red icebox sized with seeds.

• Fresh onions - Red Long of Tropea and Ailsa Craig varieties. Both types are milder and sweeter than cured onions.

• Green and purple peppers

• Zucchini or Summer Squash

• Celery - This celery is from our next planting, so it’s a bit smaller this week.

• Curly kale

• Mustard Greens

• Lettuce

• Frisée - A bitter salad green that can also be used wilted or sauteed.

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Shishito peppers - These mini green peppers are great for searing and then sprinkling with a little salt - a very tasty snack or appetizer! Please note that while they’re mostly mild, you will come across the occasional spicy one.

• Cherry tomatoes - The cherry tomato beds are looking more and more plentiful by the day! Keep an eye on the lowest parts of the plant to find ripe tomatoes.

• Beans - Green beans or Dragon Tongue

• Hot peppers - Varieties include Aji Rico, Pantera (jalapeño), Hungarian Hot Wax, Red Ember (cayenne), and Hot Paper Lantern (habanero, extremely hot!).

• Sunflowers

• Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, parsley, dill, cilantro, sage, mint, thyme, chives

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA above, we will have:

• Apples - William’s Pride variety. Arriving Tuesday from Ed at Long Run Produce. Certified Organic!

• Sweet colored peppers - From both the field and the high tunnel.

• Cherry tomatoes

• Cucumbers - Mostly picklers, but we’ll have a limited amount of slicers and thin-skinned as well.

• Flowers - In addition to mixed bouquets, we’ll have our first dahlia bunches of the season, featuring eucalyptus from the high tunnel!

• Salsa Verde - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Mild. Limited availability - We are almost out of our supply but will more to come this fall after we have this year’s batch made!

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Seasonal Medley Mushrooms and Shiitake Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Maple syrup - 12 oz. bottles from our friend Jim at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, MA. Not Organic.

• Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

PYO Flower Field

The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking include: scabiosa, celosia, ammi, gomphrena, ageratum, strawflower, cosmos, zinnias, rudbeckia, sunflowers, verbena, fireworks gomphrena, starflower (great for drying!), decorative basil, and shiso. Please do not pick from plantings that don’t have a variety sign in front of them.

Jake’s Pico de Gallo

Farm Crew member Jake shared with us what he was doing with his tomatoes this week!

• 3 large heirloom tomatoes

• 4 small onions

• 4 cloves garlic

• 3 limes

• salt

• cilantro (optional)

Finely chop garlic and onion (and maybe cilantro) and add juice of lime to marinate. Chop and add tomatoes, salt to taste and mix with a spoon to avoid smashing tomatoes to bits. Enjoy in tacos and fajitas, or as a dip for your chips!

Tomato Bruschetta

Adapted from Ali Slagle, NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

• 8 large basil leaves

• Grilled or toasted crusty bread, for serving

Preparation

1. Core and chop the tomatoes, then transfer to a colander over a bowl or in the sink. Add the salt and gently stir. Let drain for up to 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, make the garlic oil: In a small saucepan, warm the olive oil and garlic over low heat until the garlic is softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t brown. Set aside to cool.

3. Roll the basil leaves up and thinly slice crosswise.

4. When the oil is cool and the tomatoes are well drained, combine the tomatoes, garlic oil and basil in a medium bowl. Season with additional salt, to taste. Spoon over toasted bread.

Spicy Watermelon Salad With Pineapple and Lime

By Alexa Weibel, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon fresh lime zest, plus 2 tablespoons juice

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• ¼ cup finely chopped red onion

• 1 ¼ pounds fresh watermelon, chilled

• 1 ¼ pounds fresh pineapple, chilled

• 4 ounces feta, crumbled (about ⅔ cup)

• 1 packed cup small cilantro sprigs, or ⅓ packed cup torn fresh mint

• Tajín, for sprinkling (optional)

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, stir together oil, vinegar, lime zest and juice, honey and jalapeño. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the red onion and toss to coat. Let marinate, 10 minutes.

2. While the onions marinate, chop the watermelon and the pineapple into 1-inch cubes, discarding any seeds. Add watermelon and pineapple to the vinaigrette and toss to coat; season to taste. Refrigerate until serving.

3. When ready to serve, add feta and herbs to salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Tajin, if using, and serve immediately.