We haven’t fully shifted into fall gear yet, but we are straddling the line between seasons. This week we have a couple of crops returning after a summer hiatus! In addition to kale and radishes, we have our own beets this week. More storage crops are also making their way into the roster of veggies this week. In addition to the garlic that recently finished curing, we also now have onions (like garlic, storage onions are harvested in the summer and cured over the course of several weeks). Last week we harvested a sizeable portion of our winter squash, but those will also require curing for several weeks before they are ready to be consumed. We were really happy with our butternut haul last week, and have been eyeing what looks like a strong pumpkin harvest that should be completed this week!
This Saturday, September 6th from 10am - 2pm is the Annual Ag Day Farmers’ Market, which often feels like a dividing line between summer and fall. We’ll have a stall there, along with Scimone Farm, Colonial Gardens, Hutchins Farm, Walden Woods Farm, Marshall Farm, Verrill Farm, Arena Farm, Millbrook Farm and Saltbox Farm. Everything at the market is grown or raised in Concord. Also, the famous veggie race track is back!
In the CSA this week:
Kale - The fall kale looks beautiful! It is a bit more tender when the plants are young, so it is perfect for any recipes that call for raw kale (like the tabbouleh recipe below)
Radishes - Red round radishes.
Beets - Our own. These are bunched with the greens on.
Onions - These yellow onions have been cured and should be stored in a cool and dry place (not in the refrigerator). We had a strong harvest this year, so this won’t be the only week we’ll have them available.
Garlic
Celery - While we have been irrigating the celery, we are in the midst of a drought, so the celery is smaller and the flavor is stronger and less watery than what you get in the grocery store.
Green Peppers
Tomatoes
Zucchini or Eggplant - We we have some more of the eggplant from Silverwood Organic Farm on Wednesday, and on Saturday we’ll have our own zucchini
Lettuce
Endive - The endive variety we grow has curlier leaves than Belgian endive and we don’t blanche the heads, so they actually look much more like frisee.
Mustard Greens
Arugula
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
Hot peppers - choose from Jalapeño, Aji Rico, Cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and Fresno peppers. The cayenne and Hungarian hot wax are at the back of the hot pepper bed and there are lots to choose from!
Herbs: parsley, dill, dill flowers, sage, thyme, mint, and basil.
In addition, Regular memberships may choose 2 of the following, and Small memberships may choose 1 of the following:
Cherry tomatoes - Varieties available include Black Cherry and Midnight Pear (purplish with green shoulders), Pink Champagne (pink grape), Yellow Mini and Apple Yellow (yellow), White Cherry and Moonbeam (pale yellow), Citrine, Nova, Clementine and Sungold (orange), Jasper, Cherry Bomb, Red Pearl and Mountain Magic (red), and Indigo Cherry Drops (purple/black shoulders with rosy red undersides - this variety is high in antioxidants!)Husk cherries - These small fruit in papery husks are related to tomatoes and tomatillos and have a somewhat tropical flavor.
Husk cherries - These small fruit in papery husks are related to tomatoes and tomatillos and have a somewhat tropical flavor.
Tomatillos - They should be picked when the fruit fills our the green husk around it.
Green beans
In the farm store:
Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. We plan to have:
The following items that are also in the CSA: kale, radishes, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, lettuce, endive, arugula, mustard greens, herbs, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers and tomatillos.
Summer squash
Cucumbers
Colored peppers
Scallions
Shishito peppers
Flowers - wrapped mixed bouquets and mini dahila jars.
Raspberries - From Silferleaf Farm just down the road from us! We won’t have them every day this week, but we should have them on Tuesday (and hopefully a few other days!). Certified Organic.
Peaches - From Carver Hill in Stow, MA (not organic). They are harvested firm ripe, so they can keep refrigerated for a week and taken out to soften on your counter a day or two before you want to eat them.
Sweet corn from Verrill Farm (not organic)
Mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm - Certified Organic.
Raspberry Jam and Raspberry Vinegar Infusion - Both from Silferleaf. Certified Organic.
Double B Honey - From hives on the property! Not certified organic
Applesauce from Long Run Produce in Boxborough, MA. Certified Organic.
Baer’s Best Beans: 1 pound bags. Grown in South Berwick, Maine. Certified Organic varieties available include: Cannellini, Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry and Light Red Kidney. Not organic: bumblebee, marfax, and flageolet.
Kale Tabbouleh
by Melissa Clark, from NY Times Cooking
Ingredients
⅔ cup fine bulgur
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves finely chopped (5 cups)
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
½ cup torn mint leaves
½ cup diced radish
Black pepper, as needed
Preparation
Cook bulgur according to package instructions. Cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, shallot, cumin and salt. Whisk in olive oil.
In a large bowl, toss together bulgur, kale, tomatoes, mint and radish. Toss in dressing. Season with black pepper and more salt if you like, and drizzle with additional oil if desired.
Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad
by Julia Moskin, from NY Times Cooking
Ingredients
2 cups sliced almonds
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 4 lemons)
Kosher salt
1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat side of a knife, peeled and left whole
10 to 12 ounces washed and dried kale leaves, thick stems removed (weight after trimming)
1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan (optional)
Preparation
In a toaster oven or skillet, toast almonds until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl, combine lemon juice and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add garlic cloves and set aside to steep.
Working in batches, cut the kale into thin ribbons: gather a large handful of leaves, bunch together tightly, and use the other hand to slice into ¼-inch-thick pieces. This need not be done very precisely or neatly; the idea is to end up with a kind of slaw. (Recipe can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Keep kale and dressing refrigerated separately.)
Place chopped kale in a very large bowl. Sprinkle surface with almonds and then with cheese, if using. Remove and discard garlic cloves from dressing. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss. Taste for dressing and salt and add more as needed, tossing to coat thoroughly. Serve within 1 hour.