Each day after bringing in the harvest last week the crew set to work weeding, cultivating, planting, seeding, pruning, trellising, and bug picking (we are determined to keep the potato beetles under control this year!) to ensure that we continue to have a great harvest in the months ahead. Right now, keeping up with the planting schedule is critical in terms of future crop selection. Some crops, like lettuce, are planted in weekly successions and therefore need to be on time in order to provide a continuous harvest. Other items, like winter squash, are only planted once a year (we do spread out the varieties over a couple of weeks), so it is important not to get too behind or there will not be enough growing days to get a harvest. I’m happy to say we are generally keeping up with the planting schedule, but unfortunately the weeds are giving us a run for our money right now. This is typical of late spring and early summer, when the long days provide optimal weed growth. We are going to buckle down on them this week with our hoes, hand weeding, and tractor implements, and we hope to report next week that we have come out ahead! Sadly, strawberries are done for the season, but other than that we couldn’t be happier with the veggie selection we have for you this week. We hope you enjoy it!
In the CSA this week:
Carrots - The first of many plantings!
Cucumbers - from our high tunnel.
Garlic scapes- You can eat the whole scape which tastes like a mild garlic. Use one scape in place of one clove of garlic in recipes calling for garlic. We snap the scape stems off the top of the garlic plant once they form (if left to grow they would become the garlic flower), which helps the bulbs underground grow bigger. As a bonus are great for eating!
Scallions - from the high tunnel and a field planting.
Fennel - from the high tunnel and a field planting.
Beets
Swiss chard- likely the last week of Swiss chard for the season.
Kohlrabi
Radishes
Salad turnips
Lettuce- red leaf, green leaf, and panisse varieties
Salanova lettuce mix
Arugula
Kale
Yukina savoy or red mizuna
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
PYO items are limited to the posted amount for each CSA membership (the appropriate size container will be provided) but these items do not need to fit in your CSA bag. 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. There is a portable restroom behind the red barn and a portable hand washing sink available for member and customer use.
Sugar Snap Peas or Shelling Peas - We hope to have a choice for members each day. These are in two different fields this year. Shelling peas are big sweet peas that must be “shelled,” which means you remove their pod.
Herbs - choose from: Parsley, dill, basil, or cilantro
In the farm store:
In addition to the items listed in the CSA, we will also have zucchini, summer squash, and European style cucumbers. We will also have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and eggs from Codman Farm.
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. 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.
Mushroom CSA Week 9: It is week 9 of our 10-week spring Mushroom CSA from Fat Moon Farm and this week’s mushrooms are an Oyster Mix (Blue Oyster, Yellow Oyster, and Black Pearls, maybe some Phoenix). Now that the farm store is staffed you may come anytime the farm store is open: Tuesday- Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. Just check in with the shopkeeper at the farm stand when you arrive and they will retrieve them for you! We do still suggest a Tuesday or Wednesday pick-up for the freshest possible mushrooms.
Kohrabi and Carrot Slaw
By Jennifer Chase for The Washington Post
Ingredients
3 medium kohlrabi stems, peeled and grated
2 carrots, grated
2 scallions, white and light-green parts, chopped
Leaves from 10 to 15 stems parsley, chopped (1/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Thai sweet red chile sauce
1 teaspoon sriracha hot chili sauce (optional)
Directions
Combine the kohlrabi, carrots, green onions and parsley in a large bowl.
Whisk together the sesame oil, vinegar and the sweet and hot chili sauces, if using, in a small bowl to form an emulsified vinaigrette.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Variations
Mix kohlrabi slaw with soba noodles, blanched snow peas and broccoli florets.
Serve in a lettuce leaf with shredded cooked chicken or beef.
Make a quesadilla with pepper jack cheese, kohlrabi slaw and corn tortillas.
White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip
by Melissa Clark, NY Times Cooking
This was a favorite recipe last season - a perfect dip for the carrots and cukes we’re enjoying this week! We found that where it says “more to taste”, we definitely prefer it with more! (We also add more garlic scapes than suggested).
Ingredients
⅓ cup sliced garlic scapes (3 to 4)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt, more to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
Preparation
In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add cannellini beans and process to a rough purée.
With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. Add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.
Spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt.