CSA Week 20 and Farm Stand Updates

This is the last week for the Main Season CSA! The farm store will be open this week and next, with the last day of the farm store for the season on Saturday, October 28th (2023 Barrett’s Bucks expire at that time). Extended and Flex CSAs continue for 4 more weeks, until November 18th.

It looks like a harder frost is almost certain for next week, but for now some of the more tender crops like peppers are hanging on out in the field. You can’t really fight cooler soil temperatures and shorter days, so an ever-increasing portion of our day is spent preparing for the end of the season rather than harvesting. We have been making a lot of progress in preparing the fields for the winter and next season, but there are a few more areas we are hoping to clear out and seed into cover crop this week. Cover crops aren’t the only thing we plant this time of year, though - we are excited that garlic and tulips for next season are also on the agenda!

In the CSA this week:

• Sweet Potatoes

• Tetsukabuto Squash - This winter squash has a smooth and creamy texture. It is not overly sweet and has a hint of nutty flavor. These usually store well long-term, but we are finding that many of our storage crops are not holding up as well as usual due to the unusually wet conditions in which they grew, so I wouldn’t recommend saving it until the holidays!

• Salad turnips - Tastes like a milder and sweeter radish with a little less crunch.

• Watermelon Radish - When you cut open these radishes you will find a gorgeous hot pink color!

• Cabbage - Green storage cabbage, as well as some savoy.

• Brussels Sprouts - We distribute these on the stalk - just snap the sprouts off at home to store in your refrigerator.

• Broccoli

• Carrots - We ran through all of our purple and red carrots, but we’ll have lots of orange carrots and we’ll even still have some yellow ones this week.

• Yellow Onions

• Garlic

• Green peppers

• Salanova

• Lettuce or Kale

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

The PYO fields are really winding down. Please note that although the CSA is open until 6:30 on Wednesdays, the PYO fields are closed when it gets dark.

• Hot peppers

• Tomatillos, shishito or husk cherries - there aren’t much left out in the field, but we’ll try to squeeze one final week out of them!

• Herbs - Sage, thyme, oregano, mint and parsley.

In the farm store:

In addition to the items listed in the CSA, we will have lemongrass, beets, leeks, pie pumpkins, butternut and scallions, as well as limited quantities of eggplant, tomatoes and colored peppers. We will also have organic cranberries from Fresh Meadow Farm in Carver, MA, honey from Double B (from hives on the property), mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and eggs from Pete and Jen’s.

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 and Friday pick-up. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering currently opens at 6pm on Tuesday for Wednesday pick-up and 6pm on Thursday for Friday pick-up.

PYO Flower CSA

The flowers are still hanging on, but because of dwindling supply, the flower field is open only to Flower CSA members. Available varieties include zinnias, celosia, gomphrena, verbena, strawflower, scabiosa, rudbeckia, ammi, and amaranth. Picking hours are during any farm store hours: Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. We recommend bringing your own pruners or scissors as well as water for transporting your flowers home.

Mushroom CSA:

It is the fifth week of the 8-week Fall Mushroom CSA. You may come to pick up your mushrooms anytime the farm store is open (Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm). Your mushrooms will be kept in the cooler and retrieved by the shopkeeper when you arrive at the store.

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries and Pecans

from Zest & Simmer

Ingredients

• 4 cups Brussels sprouts (approximately 1 lb)

• 2 medium sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

• 2 shallots , cut into wedges

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/3 cup pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°f.

2. Trim ends of Brussels sprouts, remove any yellow leaves and cut in halves.

3. In a 8x13" casserole baking dish ad the Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, cranberries and shallots.

4. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, balsamic, cinnamon, rosemary, salt and pepper. Pour over the veggies and toss to coat.

5. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Add in the pecans, toss, and roast for another 10 minutes. Sweet potatoes should be fork-tender. If not, roast another 5-10 minutes, keeping a close eye to ensure pecans do not burn. Enjoy!

Buddha Bowl with Watermelon Radish

from Love & Lemons

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, cubed

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

• 1 watermelon radish

• 2 medium carrots

• 1 cup shredded cabbage

• Squeeze of lemon

• 8 kale leaves, stemmed and chopped

• 2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas or cooked lentils

• ¾ cup sauerkraut or other fermented veggie

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds or hemp seeds

• Microgreens, optional

• Turmeric Tahini Sauce, for serving (see directions below)

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread onto the baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

3. Thinly slice the radish into rounds (this is best done on a mandoline), and use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrots into ribbons.

4. Toss the radish slices, carrots, and shredded cabbage with a squeeze of lemon. Set aside.

5. Place the kale leaves into a large bowl and toss with a squeeze of lemon and a few pinches of salt. Use your hands to massage the leaves until they become soft and wilted and reduce in the bowl by about half.

6. Assemble individual bowls with the brown rice, chickpeas, kale, carrots, radishes, cabbage, sweet potatoes, sauerkraut, sesame seeds, and microgreens, if using. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the Turmeric Tahini Sauce.

Turmeric Tahini Sauce: Stir together ½ cup tahini, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 6 tablespoons water (plus more as needed), 1 small garlic clove, grated or pressed, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and 1 teaspoon maple syrup.