Thank you to everyone who came out to the Ag Day farmers' market in Concord Center. We had a great day as usual! This year was the first time we had enough staff that we could keep the store and CSA open while also attending the market. Thank you to Wyatt, Ethan, Rebecca, Micah and Susan for doing such an awesome job keeping things running smoothly back at the farmstead!
This week marks a turning point in the season, as we only have one last lettuce and greens succession, as well as our fall-planted strawberries, to get into the ground. After that we shift entirely away from planting fruits and vegetables and into harvesting and clean-up mode. That means mowing in crops that have stopped producing, pulling up plastic mulch and drip tape, taking down overhead irrigation and disking in debris. We also have cover crop to seed in the areas from where we have cleared vegetable crops. September 15th is typically the last day we attempt to seed peas as cover crop - after that it's usually too cold for significant growth before we start getting really hard frosts. We do still seed cover crops up until October 15th, but only hardier crops like winter rye.
In the CSA:
- Acorn squash
- Salanova lettuce mix - we stop growing this lettuce mix during the hot summer months, as these greens prefer cooler temps, but it's back, probably for the rest of the regular season!
- Scallions
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Eggplant
- Peppers
- Golden Beets
- Red Ace Beets
- Carrots
- Napa cabbage
- Baby bok choi
- Kale
- Collards
- Swiss Chard
- Lettuce
CSA PYO:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Tomatillos
- Husk Cherries
- Green Beans
- Dragon Tongue Beans
- Hot peppers - jalapeno, serrano, cayenne, ancho, habanero
- Sunflowers
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Dill
In the store: Everything available in the CSA will also be available in the store. In addition, we will have radishes, spaghetti squash, eggs from Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds, mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and sweet corn from Verrill Farm.
Farm store hours:
- Tuesdays & Thursdays 11am - 6pm*
- Wednesdays and Fridays 2pm - 6pm
- Saturdays 10am - 3pm*
*Hours in bold with an asterix are also CSA pick-up hours.
Acorn Squash with Kale and Sausage
adapted from Self, November 2013
- 2 medium acorn squash, halved down the middle, seeds removed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
- 1 large leek or 1 bunch scallions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 cups tightly packed torn kale
- 1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
Heat oven to 375°. Cut a thin slice off round side of each squash half to create a stable base. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; coat with cooking spray. Place squash flesh side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil; bake until golden and tender, 30 minutes. Remove from oven; flip squash and set aside. Heat broiler. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon oil. Add sausage; cook, breaking into coarse pieces, until brown, 6 minutes; transfer to a bowl. To same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and leek; cook until leek is soft, 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, 30 seconds. Add kale and toss; add broth. Cover and cook until kale is tender, 5 minutes; stir in sausage. Divide kale-sausage filling among squash. In a bowl, combine walnuts, Parmesan and panko; sprinkle evenly over squash bowls and coat with cooking spray. Broil until panko is golden, 2 minutes.