The last two types of squash made it into the barn for curing at the end of the week, though we had a curveball thrown at us at the last minute! The tractor that we use to transport bulk bins sprung a fuel leak right before we were set to pick up our Autumn Frost squash. We put our siphon to use for the second time this season in order to get the diesel out of the tank before it spilled all over the driveway. We’re working on fixing it this week, but there wasn’t time for us to do it before the rain (plus we’ll likely need to order parts anyway!). Fortunately, the folks at Hutchins Farm very kindly brought their tractor with forks over on Saturday and moved our last two full bulk crates into our barn. We are so lucky to have such supportive farm neighbors!
In the CSA this week:
Carrots - Orange bunches
Delicata squash - Always a favorite, this sweet squash has thin skin that is edible if you don’t feel like peeling it!
Spaghetti squash
Garlic
Fennel
Slicing tomatoes - Production has really dropped off in the last week, but we’ll still have limited amounts this week.
Colored peppers - sweet from our high tunnel!
Escarole - This bitter green is commonly cooked (in soups or with beans or braised on their own), but if you like a little bitterness in salads, the paler inner leaves are the most tender and can be mixed in with lettuce.
Curly Kale
Bok choi
Salad turnips - These sweet and tender mini turnips can be eaten raw or cooked!
Arugula
Kale mix - baby kalebration mix
Salanova lettuce mix
Lettuce - red leaf
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
Cherry tomatoes - Production is slowing down
Hot peppers - Varieties include Aji Rico, Pantera (jalapeño), Hungarian Hot Wax, Red Ember (cayenne), and Hot Paper Lantern (habañero - extremely hot!).
Herbs: Parsley, sage, mint, thyme, chives
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 above, we will have:
Kabocha squash
Cucumbers
Broccoli
Cabbage - Tendersweet variety
Heirloom tomatoes
Green and purple peppers
Potatoes - Constance Gold. From MX Morningstar Farm in Hudson, NY. Certified Organic. Limited quantities this week but we will be getting more (and more varieties!) in next week.
Cherry tomatoes - Sakura variety from our high tunnel as other varieties from the field.
Flowers - A great supply of dahlia bunches with eucalyptus.
Apples - Cortland and Macintosh. From Carver Hill in Stow, MA. Not organic.
Sweet corn - From Verrill Farm in Concord. Not 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.
Raspberry Vinegar Infusion and Raspberry Jam -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.
A note about mushrooms- we will begin to have Mycoterra mushrooms again starting next week (Tuesday).
Lemony White Beans and Escarole
by Alison Roman
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed, or 1 tablespoon brined capers
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini, Great Northern or navy, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head of escarole or chard, trimmed and torn into large pieces
½ cup fresh mint leaves
½ cup fresh parsley leaves, leaves and tender stems
A hunk of Parmesan or pecorino cheese, for serving
1 lemon, halved
Preparation
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, swirling the skillet occasionally until the garlic is pale golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the anchovies, capers and red-pepper flakes, swirling until the anchovies melt and sizzle, the capers pop slightly, and the red-pepper flakes toast and bleed into the oil, about 2 minutes.
Add the beans and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and toss to coat the beans in all the garlicky business. Let them cook until the flavors have melded and beans no longer taste like they came from a can, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add half the escarole and toss to coat, letting it wilt ever so slightly. Transfer the beans and wilted escarole to a large serving platter or bowl, and mix in the remaining escarole. Scatter with the mint and parsley. Use a peeler or box grater to shave some Parmesan over all. Squeeze the lemon over everything just before serving.