Every Monday morning Lise and I make a to-do list and it is important to write small if we don't want it to spill over multiple pages! We prioritize and start on the top item right away. Lucky for us we have Rachel and two of our part time workers Lauren and Kathleen who come ready to get field work done every Monday morning. Today they tackled projects including hoeing the lettuce beds, harvesting carrots, and hand weeding celery. It's a great feeling to start the week by addressing our most urgent concerns with the largest crew we can gather!
Each of our part time field crew members help us on the farm a couple of mornings a week. Lauren recently moved to Boston after spending the past two years in Ecuador in the Peace Corps. When she's not at the farm she is at her research job which addresses mental health in Boston's communities, playing soccer, or working at the Needham Farmers Market. Kathleen joined us for the summer and we are grateful for her help and friendly conversation. She lives right here in Concord and teaches during the school year. On CSA mornings we get all the crops in on time thanks to the hard work of Matt, a recent high school graduate and competitive swimmer who joins us for the early morning harvests. Lucky for us we also have help from our neighbor Emma, a high school student in Concord. Many of you have probably met Emma in the farm store on Tuesdays where she keeps things clean and lends her cheery assistance anywhere it's needed. These four folks have quickly become an integral part of the farm and we are lucky to have them!
In the CSA this week:
- Cucumbers- We will have mainly Jackson Classic this week, a small light green cucumber with a thin skin an small seeds. They are known as a pickling variety but also great for eating fresh as a snack, salad, or on a sandwich!
- Red Potatoes
- Beets
- Fresh Onions - This week we will continue to harvest this summer treat. The bunches are mixed with a couple of the white Ailsa Craig and purple Red Long of Tropea. These should be kept in the fridge and used within a week or so.
- Purple Haze carrots
- Cabbage- red, green and caraflex, and napa
- Summer squash
- Zucchini
- Nelson carrots
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Lettuce
- Red Russian Kale or Arugula
CSA PYO:
- Green beans! Great raw or lightly steamed.
- Herbs: Basil (including Thai), parsley, dill and cilantro. Many of the herbs require braving the weeds right now but we are working on it! We prioritize weeding on crops based on need and potential benefit so with the next plantings of herbs almost ready we've been focusing on other weeding.
In the store:
In addition to the items listed above for the CSA, the store will also likely have scallions, yukina savoy, mustard greens, and a few pints of blueberries for sale.
Zucchini Linguine with Herbs
Food & Wine, October 2009
• 4 pounds small zucchini
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced lengthwise
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh linguine or spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon or chervil, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon chopped lemon thyme
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 8 ounces young pecorino cheese, freshly grated (2 cups), plus more for garnish
1. Using a mandoline, julienne the zucchini lengthwise, stopping when you reach the seedy centers. You should have 12 packed cups of zucchini strands.
2. In a very large, deep skillet, melt the butter. Add the zucchini and scallions, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is just softened, about 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the water.
4. Add the pasta to the skillet along with the chopped tarragon, thyme, lemon zest and pecorino cheese and toss well. Add the reserved pasta water and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to plates, garnish with tarragon and grated cheese and serve.