We are beginning Week 13 of the CSA which means we are halfway through the Extended Season and Flex CSA and more than halfway into the Main Season CSA already! The Main Season (20 week) CSA runs until October 23rd and the farm store will be open until October 30th. The Extended Season and Flex CSA go until November 20th (there will be no Tuesday pick-ups after October 19th). 2021 Barrett’s Bucks expire on October 30th and current Barrett’s Bucks members should have received an email from Melissa last week with their balance. Feel free to email Melissa or inquire at the farm stand to review your season’s purchases and find out your most updated balance. We are planning to open CSA renewals in mid-September and will likely open 2022 Barrett’s Bucks memberships in January. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy all the late summer and early fall veggies! September is the underrated month on the farm with summer cherry tomatoes still plentiful at the start, but the first of the fall favorites like cured garlic and spaghetti squash are also coming in. It is our favorite month for cooking!
In the CSA this week:
CSA pick up hours are Tues/Thurs 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Face masks are required under the CSA tent during the first hour of each day. 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!
Watermelon - A variety called Blacktail Mountain which is an heirloom variety that has won awards for it’s sweet taste!
Garlic - This garlic has been cured and should be kept in a cool and dry place (not in the refrigerator)
Baby bok choy or Swiss chard
Radishes - Round red radish bunches
Spaghetti squash
Leeks
Green and Purple Peppers
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Carrots
Beets
Kale
Lettuce - A mix of red and green summer crisp varieties
Salanova lettuce mix
CSA PYO:
Handwashing sinks are provided at the entrance to each PYO field. For the sake of food safety, please wash hands before picking. The barn bathroom and wash area sinks in the barn are for employees only (we do now have a green porta-potty restroom by the tree behind the red barn for customer use with a portable handwashing sink just beside it).
*Please note that we close down the PYO fields for lightning storms.
Cherry tomatoes
Husk cherries - These are ripe when the husk has turned brown and fallen off the plant. Peel off the brown husk and enjoy this yellow fruit’s sweet, almost tropical, flavor!
Shishito peppers
Tomatillos
Hot peppers - jalapeño, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax, fresno and aji rico varieties are all producing. Signs in the field indicate what to look for in terms of ripeness, as well as how spicy varieties are.
Herbs- parsley, cilantro, basil, sage, and dill seed
PYO Flower CSA:
Picking is available for Flower CSA members as well as to the public for purchase by the bouquet. We will offer picking until our first frost (often mid September). Picking is available any time the farm store is open (Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm). Varieties blooming now include: zinnias, marigolds, statice, gomphrena, celosia, decorative basil, frosted explosion, cosmos, ageratum, rudbeckia, bachelors button, ammi, scabiosa and more! There is also a bed of many varieties of branching sunflowers blooming that you are welcome to use to fill your jars. Please pick stems above the first branching of all flowers to encourage future growth.
In the farm store:
In addition to the items listed in the CSA the farm store this week we will also have flower bouquets, summer squash, zucchini and cucumbers. We also have eggs from Codman Farm and honey from Double B. We will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm again starting Thursday afternoon and we will hopefully have sweet corn most of the week as well.
We accept credit card, cash, check and EBT in the farm store. The farm store is open Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Masks are required during the first hour of each day and are encouraged the remainder of the day. Staff will continue to wear masks inside the farm stand all day. We are keeping a chalkboard list of items available outside the store and our Shopkeepers would be happy to shop for anyone who is uncomfortable entering the store. We also continue to take online pre-orders for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday pick-up. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 6pm the day before pick-up.
Sheet Pan Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
1 large spaghetti squash
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cups cherry tomatoes
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced into quarter-inch slices
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil, sliced, for garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
PREPARE THE SQUASH & BEGIN ROASTING
Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (see our recipe notes for tips on how to do this safely as spaghetti squash can be tough to cut!) Scrape out the seeds and discard or save for roasting.
Drizzle the cut sides of the spaghetti squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Place squash cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Use a sharp paring knife to pierce the skin of the squash 3-4 times on each half. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Prep the rest of your ingredients while the squash roasts! Note: If your squash is on the smaller side, you may want to reduce the cook time here to 20 minutes to prevent overcooking.
ADD THE TOMATOES & ONIONS
After 30 minutes, remove the squash from the oven. Use tongs to scoot the spaghetti squash to one side of the sheet pan to make room for everything else.
Add tomatoes, onion, and garlic to sheet pan. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Use tongs to toss the new veggies together to evenly coat everything with olive oil, then spread them out in an even layer across the sheet pan.
Use oven mitts to return sheet pan to oven. Cook an additional 20-25 minutes until squash is easily pierced with a fork and tomato skins have just begun to burst. Note: If your spaghetti squash needs more time, or if your onions are looking a little dry, give the tomato and onion mixture a toss with a pair of tongs to redistribute some liquid and prevent the onions from burning.
COOL THE SQUASH & MAKE THE PAN SAUCE
When squash is easily pierced with a fork, pull sheet pan out of the oven. Use tongs or a large spatula to carefully transfer spaghetti squash to a separate plate. Leave the cut side facing up to help the squash cool: it needs to rest for 15 minutes or so until it’s cool enough to handle!
Now, let’s make the pan sauce! Pour white wine directly onto your rimmed baking sheet with the tomatoes and onions. Use tongs to move the wine around and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the pan is mostly deglazed, return it to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes until the sauce has reduced by about half.
ASSEMBLE & SERVE
When the sauce is ready, pull the sheet pan out of the oven.
Lightly drag a fork over the surface of the spaghetti squash to shred it into long strands. Transfer spaghetti squash “noodles” to a serving bowl. Note: If the spaghetti squash is still too hot to handle comfortably, use a tea towel or oven mitt to hold it in place or let it cool for a few more minutes.
Top spaghetti squash with roasted tomato and onion mixture and drizzle with your white wine pan sauce. Top with fresh basil (optional) and serve immediately!