Week 22 of Extended/Flex CSA and Farm Updates

We seem to be in a pattern of a cold weekend and Monday followed by warmer weather later in the week. We definitely utilized that warmer weather at the end of last week to roll up and put away all of our irrigation. Several years ago we didn’t get to irrigation pick-up until November and water had frozen in all of the lines that were on shady field edges, making them tough to drain. We eventually got them all drained by dragging them into sunnier areas, but since then we’ve made it a priority to get as much put away as possible before hard freezes!

This week we’re continuing the field clean-up. We’ll be taking down the rest of the field tomato trellising, rolling up landscape fabric, picking up plastic mulch and drip tape, and hopefully also taking down deer fences. The deer have recently begun hanging out in the fields in broad daylight, so we might as well take down the fences so the deer don’t start taking the fence’s presence as an invitation to hang out!

Finally, a reminder that we’ve now opened up 2025 CSA sign-ups to new members. You can find descriptions of our new CSA options here:

https://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/csa

To sign up, visit:

http://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store

If you are a current member and never received an email from us with the link to the CSA renewal page, please email Melissa! PYO Flower CSA sign-ups will open up later this fall, and Barrett’s Bucks sign-ups will open up this winter!

In the CSA this week:

• Leeks

• Green tomatoes - The classic preparation is fried green tomatoes, but the firm texture and tart flavor lend itself to other recipes as well! They can be pickled, made into chutney, roasted with sweeter veggies like winter squash or sweet potato, or you could try out the green tomato salsa verde recipe below!

• Brussels sprouts - These are distributed on the stalk.

• Butternut squash - from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified Organic.

• Sweet potatoes

• Carrots

• Beets - from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified Organic.

• Peppers - Mostly green, but we may have some with streaks of color early in the week.

• Broccoli

• Mini Daikon

• Watermelon radishes - These have a similar level of heat as the daikon. The insides are magenta, so it’s visually stunning!

• Storage turnips

• Green storage cabbage

• Kale

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Parsley

Available for sale during CSA pick-ups:

• Honey from Double B (from hives on the property). Not organic.

• Raspberry vinegar and jam from Silferleaf Farm in Concord. Certified Organic.

• Cranberries from Fresh Meadows in Carver, MA. Certified Organic.

Sweet Potato Soup With Feta and Za’atar Oil

Recipe from "The Food 52 Cookbook", adapted by Tara Parker-Pope from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons za’atar (a spice blend that combines dried hyssop, thyme and sesame seeds and can be found at Middle Eastern grocers or other specialty stores)

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 onion, peeled and diced

• 1 carrot, peeled and diced

• 1 leek, white part only, rinsed thoroughly and diced

• 5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

• 6 cups water

• 2 cups vegetable stock

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

• ¼ cup feta cheese

Preparation

1. In a small pot, combine ¼ cup olive oil and the za’atar. Cook over medium heat until hot, but take care not to burn the za’atar. Set aside for at least one hour to cool and infuse.

2. In a large pot, heat the butter and remaining olive oil over medium high heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion, carrot and leek and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potato cubes and sauté for another minute. Add the water, stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Once the soup begins to boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Check to make sure the sweet potatoes are completely soft. If not, continue cooking until they are.

3. Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup using a regular or immersion blender. Check the seasoning and add the salt (you may need more or less depending on the stock you used). Ladle out the soup into individual bowls. Crumble some feta into each bowl, and drizzle each bowl with some of the za’atar oil.

Green Tomato Salsa Verde

from Yup, it’s Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 lb green tomatoes (green = unripe)

• 1/2 medium white onion diced

• 1 or 2 serrano peppers thinly sliced (mine were super hot, so I only used 1)

• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 tbsp lime juice or to taste

Instructions

1. Halve the green tomatoes and slice out the interior section around the stem (see the instructional image in my post), then cut in half again to make quarters. Lay out the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil.

2. Turn on the broiler in your oven and set the baking sheet on a top rack a few inches from the flames. Broil for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. (If your oven does not have a broiler, use the hottest temperature your oven can reach and roast for 10 minutes or until lightly browned).

3. Meanwhile, add the diced onions to a bowl and fill with cold water to soak for 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Add the broiled green tomatoes to your food processor and pulse a few times to break them into pieces. Drain the water from the onion and add it along with the peppers, salt, cilantro, and lime juice. Pulse a few more times, until the desired texture is reached. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and lime juice if desired. The green tomato salsa can be served immediately, but it's even better after an hour or more in the fridge for the flavors to meld.