This is the last week of pick-ups for the Extended and Flex CSAs for 2021. That means it is also the crew’s last week here for the season. We are very fortunate that many of them are returning for the spring next year, so for many of them, the goodbye is only temporary! This week we will all work on the final clean up and mulching in the fields and high tunnels to make sure all growing areas are ready for winter. We will also close down the barn for the winter by shutting off the water and the coolers and organizing to fit as much equipment inside as possible to protect it from the elements in the coming months. After the crew leaves for the season, Lise and Melissa take a breather to enjoy Thanksgiving and then get to work in the office hiring for the remaining open positions, signing up new members, making field maps and crops plans for 2022, updating insurance policies, ordering supplies, bookkeeping, as well as working on numerous other tasks needed to keep our small business running! Thank you all so much for your support this season. It was a challenging growing season for us but a great year in terms of getting to work with a fantastic crew and serve such enthusiastic and supportive customers.
Reminder: We are currently accepting CSA renewals, please email Melissa if you need us to resend you the renewal link. New CSA memberships will be available beginning December 1st. Returning and new Barrett’s Bucks memberships will be available for purchase in January.
In the CSA this week (Week 24 for Extended and Flex members):
The Main Season CSA has ended and this is the last week for the Extended and Flex CSAs (the last pick-up day is November 20th.) Pick up hours are Thursday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm (there are no Tuesday pick-ups). Pick ups are now inside the greenhouse attached to the farm stand - please enter through the farm stand doors. Face masks are required inside the greenhouse. Please note we do our best to predict what will be available each week, but conditions change and there may be slight variations in what’s available!
Fennel - From our high tunnel!
Cabbage - red and green storage cabbage
Salanova Cut Lettuce Mix - Grown in our high tunnel!
Salanova lettuce heads - The butterhead salanova varieties grew so big we harvested them as head lettuce for this week.
Potatoes - Russet potatoes from Atlas Farm (certified organic and grown in South Deerfield, MA).
Onions - Red and yellow storage onions, a mix of our own and storage onions from Red Fire Farm (certified organic and grown in Granby and Montague, MA)
Winter squash - Butternut and Autumn frost. There will be a bin of our own as well as a labeled bin from Maple Row Farm (certified organic and grown in Shelburne, MA).
Sweet potatoes - A mix of our own and sweet potatoes from Red Fire Farm.
Leeks
Garlic
Beets or Brussels Sprouts
Radishes - Red King 2, KN Bravo (purple), Mini Mak (white), Watermelon.
Curly Kale - From our high tunnel.
CSA PYO:
Herbs will be available for picking Thursday. We will see if they make it through another cold night on Friday for Saturday picking.
Herbs - parsley, sage, thyme
The farm store is now closed for the season. The flower field is also finished for the year. Thank you for all your support of the store this season, we look forward to seeing you in 2022!
Classic Herb and Fennel Stuffing
By Andy Baraghani, from Bon Appetit, November 2018
Ingredients:
1 2-lb. loaf country-style bread, torn into 1"–1½" pieces
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped (our fennel is more petite than that shown in the recipe, so you may need to also use the tops of the fennel to equal the amount needed!)
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped sage
1 Tbsp. chopped rosemary
1 Tbsp. chopped thyme
3 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
Preparation:
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 250°. Arrange bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until dried out, about 1 hour. Let cool; transfer to a very large bowl. Increase oven temperature to 350°.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook onions, fennel, and celery, stirring often, until softened but not yet browned, 8–10 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, until almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add butter and cook, stirring, until melted, about 3 minutes. Scrape vegetable mixture over bread in bowl and mix in parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Whisk eggs and broth in a medium bowl to combine.
Pour over bread mixture; fold gently until thoroughly coated.
Divide between two 8x8" baking dishes (you can also put it all in a 13x9" baking dish if you prefer) and pack stuffing down.
Cover with foil and bake until you can see some bubbles around the edges of the dishes, 30–35 minutes.
Increase oven temperature to 425°. Uncover stuffing and bake until top is golden brown and crisp, 20–25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Do Ahead: Bread can be baked 2 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature. Stuffing can be assembled 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans
by Katie Webster, from Eating Well, August 2019
Ingredients
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon avocado oil or canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground chipotle chile, or to taste
2 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth
3 cups cubed butternut squash
2 (14 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
1 (14 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
½ cup Greek yogurt, for serving
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
¼ cup minced red onion, for serving
Preparation
Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and salt; cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and chipotle and stir to coat. Cook, stirring often, until the spices are fragrant but not scorched.
Add broth and squash; increase heat to high and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the squash is tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
Stir in black beans, crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, stirring often.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring often, until the flavors have melded and the chili is thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve the chili topped with a dollop of yogurt and sprinkled with cilantro and red onion, if desired.
Tips
To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Sweet Potato Pancakes
By Kat Boytsova, Delish.com July 31, 2020
Ingredients
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 3/4 c. buttermilk
2 small sweet potatoes, roasted and pureed until smooth (about ¾ cup puree)
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Butter, for cooking and serving
Toasted pecans, for serving
Maple syrup, for serving
Preparation
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and sweet potato puree, then add eggs and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. When butter is foamy, reduce heat to medium-low and ladle a scant ½ cup pancake batter into skillet. Cook until bubbles start to form in batter and pancake is golden underneath, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook other side until golden, another 3 minutes.
Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with more butter, toasted pecans, and maple syrup.