We had some beautiful weather last week for working outside, but we’ve got a few days this week that will provide us with a great opportunity to catch up on work in our high tunnels. Tomato pruning and trellising can be especially challenging to keep up with in the high tunnel. These plants grow fast in a protected environment, and as the plants get more robust, each row can take hours to complete (there are 10 rows in the high tunnel). While tomato trellising is usually a coveted job, when it’s sunny out it fast loses it’s appeal due to the higher heat in the high tunnels! Unless its cool and rainy out, we do all of our trellising in the mornings, but mornings are also prime time for another important farm activity: harvest. This means that it can take a few weeks to finish a round of pruning and trellising, at which point it’s time to start another round!
This is all a lot of work, but it is worth it to enjoy an extra month of such a popular and important crop. This year, we decided to cut back a little on high tunnel peppers so that we could also have space for growing cherry tomatoes in the high tunnel. We think it’s a paying off, as we taste tested the first ripe cherry tomatoes of the season on Monday, and if all goes well, we’ll have limited amounts in the farm stand for the weekend!
A scheduling note: Both the CSA and farm store will be closed Saturday, July 4th. CSA pick-up will be moved to Friday, July 3rd from 11am-6pm.
In the CSA this week:
Carrots - First of the season!
Garlic scapes - These are essentially the flower stalks of garlic plants. We snap them off to force more growing energy into the bulbs, but they are also edible and can be used much like regular garlic (it’s just a milder flavor).
Cabbage - This week we will have two varieties: arrowhead (also known by the name of the variety we grow, which is called Caraflex), and regular round green cabbage.
Chard - We are growing chard both in the high tunnel and field this season!
Cucumbers - Grown in our high tunnel.
Fennel - Grown in our high tunnel (next to the cucumbers!).
Beets
Scallions - Grown in our high tunnel.
Radishes
Salad turnips
Mini daikon radish
Curly kale
Bok choi
Lettuce - red leaf, panisse (oakleaf), and romaine varieties!
Salanova lettuce mix - This cut leaf mix is a little crisper than a mesclun mix and therefore keeps well for longer.
Arugula
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
Herbs: Basil, dill flowers, parsley, sage, mint, thyme
Sugar snap peas or snow peas - These are winding down, so for this week the peas will be for the Regular size CSA only.
In the farm store:
Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA, we will have:
Cherry tomatoes - At the end of the week! Limited. These are grown in our high tunnel, which is why they are ready earlier than usual.
Thin skinned cucumbers
Broccolini
Flowers - We will have both snapdragon and mixed variety bouquets all week.
Salsa Verde - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Mild.
Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.
Seasonal Medley Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.
Shiitake Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.
Dried Mushrooms - 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms from Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.
Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.
Maple syrup - 12 oz. bottles from our friend Jim at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, MA. Not Organic.
Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.
Herb seedlings - basil, parsley, and oregano
Roasted Cabbage With Parmesan, Walnuts and Anchovies
by Melissa Clark, from NY Times Cooking
Ingredients
1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 ½ pounds)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Salt, as needed
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
6 anchovy fillets, minced
2 fat garlic cloves, finely grated, passed through a garlic press or minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
⅔ cup chopped walnuts or other nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts
½ cup chopped fresh dill or cilantro
Preparation
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the cabbage in quarters lengthwise through the core, then cut out the cores and stem. Slice the quarters lengthwise into 1 ½-inch-thick wedges.
Place wedges on a rimmed sheet pan, flat sides down. It’s OK if the pan seems a bit crowded; the wedges will shrink as they roast, but try not to overlap them if possible. Lightly drizzle them with oil and season with salt.
In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, anchovies, garlic, thyme and black pepper. Stir in ½ cup oil to make a loose paste. Massage paste into each cabbage wedge, stuffing the mixture in between the leaves.
Lightly drizzle cabbage with a little more oil. Roast until cabbage is lightly browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and sprinkle walnuts all over the top of the cabbage. Roast for another 5 minutes or so, until cabbage is tender and caramelized and the walnuts are golden and toasted.
Sprinkle cabbage with dill and more Parmesan and black pepper, if you’d like. Serve immediately.