CSA Week 9, Flower, and Farm store updates

CSA August time slots start this week. However, we are anticipating some inclement weather this week so if weather limits Tuesday pick-your-own we will as usual have Friday open as a make-up PYO day (11am-6pm). We anticipate needing to take down the CSA tent Tuesday evening in preparation for high winds. Because it looks like there will be thunderstorms in the early evening, we are planning to pack up the CSA and the tent by 5pm Tuesday (possibly earlier if needed), but we will have pre-packed CSA bags available in the farm stand until 6 for anyone who comes after the CSA has been packed up! We apologize for the inconvenience, but we think this is the safest solution given the forecast. We hope to have the tent back up Wednesday morning in time for the opening at 11am!

Summer is in full swing! The watermelon harvest has begun, the flower field is in full bloom, and the cherry tomatoes are now coming in strong! This week we will start picking our field tomatoes (so far they have been early tomatoes from our high tunnel) and we even have the first red peppers ripening in our high tunnel. The recent hot weather is hard to work in but what great rewards! Summer on the farm also means we need to start thinking of fall so this week we will begin harvesting our storage onions and the first of our winter squash (spaghetti squash) for curing. We will also start mowing and disking fields for cover cropping soon. But first let’s enjoy these first watermelon, cherry tomatoes, flowers and sunny skies for a couple of days!

In the CSA this week:

• Watermelon!

• Garlic - We have cured our garlic in the farm stand for the past month and it is now ready for eating and storage! We will have it this week as a treat but then will likely save the rest for the fall.

• Slicing tomatoes - It is still early but the harvest will pick up once the field tomatoes start coming in.

• Arugula - This spicy crowd favorite is back this week! It has some holes due to insects as it was too hot for row cover, our usual preventative measure.

• Yukina Savoy - A milder green for those who find arugula too spicy! It makes a great raw spinach substitute and also holds up well to light cooking.

• Potatoes - This week we will have the last of the red potatoes and a new-to-us purple skinned variety (white flesh) called Caribe, which is delicious.

• Fresh onions - Ailsa Craig (white) and Red Long of Tropea (red). Store in the fridge.

• Peppers - green and purple.

• Eggplant - we are now harvesting 3 types of eggplant: Asian eggplant, Italian eggplant and Beatrice (a bright violet colored Italian eggplant)

• Zucchini

• Summer Squash

• Carrots

• Lettuce - We will have a mix of summer crisp varieties.

CSA PYO:

Please bring scissors from home for your herb and sunflower picking. We do have some you may borrow but quantities are limited each day due to necessary sanitizing measures.

• Herbs: basil, cilantro (new planting now open!), dill (new planting open!), dill flowers, parsley

• Cherry tomatoes - All varieties that are now ripening! Sungold (orange), Cherry bomb (red), Jasper (red), Red Pearl (red), Mountain Magic (red), Yellow mini (yellow), Sunpeach (pink), Black cherry (deep brownish purple), Supernova (red with yellow flecks), Moonbeam (pale yellow), mightnight pear (brownish purple). Look low on plants for the ripe fruit.

• Hot peppers - jalapeño, Fresno and Hungarian hot wax

Pick-your-own Flower CSA

The flower field is at it’s peak so this is a great time to pick! The flower field is open to both flower CSA members as well as for those who would like to purchase PYO flowers by the jar. Picking is open anytime the Farm Store is open: Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. For the safety of everyone, there are capacity limits in the flower field and everyone over the age of 2 must wear a mask in the PYO fields. Flowers available for picking this week include: zinnias, bachelor’s buttons, bells of Ireland, scabiosa, didiscus, cosmos, snapdragons, rudbeckia, dill flowers, decorative basil, strawflower, gomphrena, sweet Annie, amaranth, and verbena. Don’t forget your pruners and scissors from home and water for your jar! Check in at the farm stand before picking.

In the Farm Store:

In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA we will also have sweet corn from Verrill Farm, mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and eggs from Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds available this week. Online pre-orders continue, but please note that pre-orders are now available for Tuesday, Friday and Saturday pick-ups only. We will not be offering pick-ups on Wednesday and Thursday as we try to improve efficiency and focus on the most popular ordering days. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 2pm the day before pick-up. Walk-up sales continue to be open for all Tuesday-Saturday.

Farm Store Hours

Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm

Saturday 9am-3pm

Please wear a snug fitting mask with multiple layers when approaching the farm stand. If you cannot wear a mask, simply order online and include a note in your order letting us know what car you will be driving (as well as roughly what time you will arrive) and we will bring your bag out to your car when you arrive. Thank you for your understanding!

Recipes:

Pesto is a highlight of summer! I tend to make the basic but if you’ve mastered that and want something new skip the first recipe and check out the second, Zucchini Noodles with Basil-Pumpkin seed pesto!

The Best Basic Pesto

By Jennifer Segal: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/basil-walnut-pesto.html

This is my go-to pesto recipe — and it’s delicious on just about everything, from pasta to sandwiches to salads.

Servings: Makes about 1-1/4 cups (about 10 servings)

Total Time: 15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup walnuts

• 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

• 2 cups gently packed fresh basil leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Lucini or Colavita

• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the walnuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until coarsely chopped, about 10 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper and process until mixture resembles a paste, about 1 minute. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly blended. Add the Parmesan and process a minute more. Use pesto immediately or store in a tightly sealed jar or air-tight plastic container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil (this seals out the air and prevents the pesto from oxidizing, which would turn it an ugly brown color). It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

2. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Pesto can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months. You can also divide your prepared pesto into the compartments of an ice cube tray and freeze. Once it’s frozen, remove the pesto cubes from the tray and put in a sealable plastic bag or airtight container. You can add the defrosted pesto cubes to soups, pasta dishes, eggs, sandwiches, and potatoes.

Heather’s Zucchini Noodles with Basil-Pumpkin Seed Pesto

From Cookie and Kate: https://cookieandkate.com/zucchini-noodles-with-pesto-recipe/#tasty-recipes-24118

INGREDIENTS

Basil-pumpkin seed pesto

• 1/2 small yellow onion, roughly chopped*

• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (arugula works, too)

• 1/2 cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), toasted**

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, to taste (or lemon juice)

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• Salt, to taste

Zucchini noodles

• 3 large zucchini

• Salt

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (Heather served her tomatoes whole; I halved mine vertically)

• Fresh basil leaves, for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To prepare the pesto: In a food processor, combine the onion (if using, see notes), garlic, basil, toasted pepitas, olive oil, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth and season with salt, to taste (I added about 1/2 teaspoon—if the mixture tastes overwhelmingly oniony, don’t worry, it will mellow in a few minutes. I added another teaspoon of vinegar to help balance the flavors).

2. To prepare the noodles: Spiralize the zucchini with a spiralizer (here’s how), or turn the zucchini into noodles with a julienne peeler, or grate the zucchini the long way on a large box grater. Toss the zucchini with pesto until well coated, and season with salt (I added another 1/4 teaspoon).

3. Transfer the pesto noodles to a large platter and sprinkle with the cherry tomatoes. Tuck the fresh basil in to the corners to garnish.

NOTES

Recipe minimally adapted from Pure Delicious by Heather Christo, with permission.
*If you’re sensitive to the flavor of raw onion, just skip it.
**To toast the pepitas, pour them into a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the seeds are fragrant and the pepitas are starting to make little popping noises, around 5 minutes.

Ratatouille

By Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times August 30, 2010

• 1 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt

• 3/4 pound (2 medium) onions, thinly sliced

• 4 to 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 3/4 pound mixed sweet peppers cut into slices about 3/4 inch wide by 1 1/2 inches long

• 1 1/4 pounds zucchini, sliced about 1/2 inch thick

• 1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• Freshly ground pepper

• 2 to 4 tablespoons slivered or chopped fresh basil, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the cubed eggplant in a large, heavy flameproof casserole. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and salt to taste. Place in the hot oven, and roast uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring from time to time until the eggplant is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the casserole from the oven, cover tightly and allow the eggplant to steam in the hot casserole.

Heat a tablespoon of the remaining oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about five minutes. Stir in the peppers and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the peppers have softened and smell fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in half the garlic, and cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to the casserole with the eggplant. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet, and add the zucchini. Cook, stirring often, until tender but still bright, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic and mix together for a minute until fragrant. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to the casserole. Add the tomatoes to the casserole along with the bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and more salt and pepper to taste. Toss everything together, and place over medium-low heat. When the vegetables begin to sizzle, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for 30 to 45 minutes until the mixture is juicy and fragrant and the vegetables are thoroughly tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm or cold, preferably the next day. Stir in the basil shortly before serving.