Although there are still several weeks left for the CSA and farm stand, we are getting a jump on our planning for next season by preparing sign-ups for 2018. The CSA and Barrett's Bucks programs are really the backbone of our business: they are what has made it possible for us to scale up the farm to its current size, and they are what will keep our business stable in the longer-term. Because our members are so crucial to the farm's success, we want to make sure to try to adapt in ways that keep members coming back each season. This week we'll be handing out renewal forms for the CSA. We're trying out a couple of new things for 2018, including a 24-week CSA option and a trial Flexible CSA option open to a limited number of returning CSA members. Be sure to read the accompanying letter for more details! We're hoping to have 2018 sign-up forms for Barrett's Bucks and new CSA members available in the farm stand and online by next week.

Don't worry - the season is not over yet! The last Main Season CSA pick-up day is not until October 21st, and the last regular store day is October 28th (that is also the deadline to use all Barrett's Bucks). The Late Fall CSA starts Thursday October 26th and runs every Thursday night 2-7pm until November 16th. We have a few spots left, but they are filling up fast, so if you are thinking about extending your Barrett's Mill Farm veggie-eating season, get int touch with us soon about signing up!

In the CSA:

Potatoes - we'll have a choice between two late-season varieties: Peter Wilcox (purple skin, yellow flesh) and Kennebec (yellow skin, white flesh).
Pie pumpkins - these small pumpkins are meant for eating. Instead of buying canned pumpkin for you pies or pumpkin breads, cut one of these in half, remove the seeds and roast in the oven until fork tender, then scoop out the flesh and puree.
Delicata squash
Buttercup squash
Leeks
Onions
Garlic
Carrots
Beets
Eggplant - in spite of a couple of light frosts over the weekend, the eggplant and pepper plants are still alive! Production is slowing down, though, so they may not be around for much longer.
Peppers
Broccoli or romanesco cauliflower - we're at the end of our broccoli plantings, but the romanesco cauliflower is starting to mature.
Spinach
Arugula
Lettuce

CSA PYO:

Cherry tomatoes are done for the season, but there are still a few pick-your-own crops available.

Husk cherries
Tomatillos
Hot peppers
Herbs - cilantro, dill, parsley, thyme, sage, oregano and mint

In the store:

We will not have sweet corn this week, but now that it's October, we will have some interesting seasonal items, including our own gourds and corn stalks, as well as jack-o-lanterns from Verrill Farm. We are also really excited to start offering organic heirloom cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm in Carver, MA starting on Wednesday! In addition, we'll have salanova lettuce mix, red kuri squash, tomatoes, and eggs from Pete and Jen.

Recipes

A CSA member shared the following recipe with us last year and we love it! My daughter is obsessed with them, so we make a batch (without the chocolate chips), cut them in half and freeze them to always have a quick breakfast treat or snack on hand.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Muffins

by Monique from ambitious kitchen.com

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
Add pumpkin, honey, egg, oil, vanilla, yogurt and milk to a blender. Blend on high for 1 minute or until well combined, smooth and creamy. (Alternatively you can mix the wet ingredients together in a large bowl.) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Divide batter evenly into muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Cool muffins for 5 minutes then remove and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Muffins are best served warm!

Notes:

TO MAKE VEGAN: Replace egg with 1 flax egg and use applesauce instead of greek yogurt. Use vegan chocolate chips.

TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE: Use an all-purpose gluten free flour instead of whole wheat.