We always have a bit of a pared down crew in the fall, so it can sometimes feel like we don’t have time for anything other than harvesting. Fortunately, we have some really great people working here so that we can still manage to tackle some bigger projects. Last Thursday we had everyone out in the field in the afternoon as we took down a fence that was no longer needed (after which Lise gleefully mowed in the old crops that had been inside the fence). That fence then got moved over to protect our fall carrots and beets. We have had an electric fence around that field all season, but we saw some evidence that deer had been in there, so we moved fast to nip it in the bud and put up some extra protection before the deer could get a taste for our beautiful fall carrots.
It’s the week after Labor Day, which means that this Saturday September 12th, 10am - 2pm is the 21st Annual Ag Day Farmers’ Market in Concord Center. Come visit us and celebrate Concord’s rich farming past and present! Veggie racing on the Scimone Farm Speedway, music from Leonard Solomon and the Veggie Hall of Fame are all back this year. While it is always a busy day in town on Ag Day, the CSA and farm stand will also still be open!
We’re also excited that the annual Stone Soup Dinner is coming up soon on Sunday, September 20th. Stone Soup, Inc. generously donated funds raised from previous dinners to the addition on our farm house. The dinner is at Verrill Farm’s pavilion and features produce from Concord farms prepared by Concord chefs, as well as live music! Tickets are available here: https://www.stonesoupconcordma.com/tickets.
In the CSA this week:
Tendersweet cabbage - This variety has a flat head shape and is great for fresh eating!
Spaghetti squash - This unique type of squash has stringy flesh that looks like angel hair pasta. One way to prepare it is to cut in half, scoop out the seeds and bake face down in a dish in about an inch of water. (See last week’s blog post for another preparation method!).
Garlic
Heirloom and Hyloom tomatoes
Slicing tomatoes
Colored peppers or Cucumbers - We replaced some cucumber plants in the tunnel at the beginning of August (which is later in the season than we’ve ever tried to plant them), and it’s now bearing fruit!
Green and purple peppers
Beets
Radishes
Curly Kale - It’s quite tender as it’s from our new planting!
Arugula or Baby bok choi
Mustard greens
Lettuce
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
Sunflowers
Cherry tomatoes - All 15 varieties are producing! Sungold, Black Cherry, Honey Bee, White Cherry, Yellow Mini, Cherry Bomb, Jasper, Citrine, Midnight Pear, Moonbeam, Valentine, Apple Yellow, Clementine, Mountain Magic and Nova.
Green beans
Tomatillos
Shishito peppers
Hot peppers - Varieties include Aji Rico, Pantera (jalapeño), Hungarian Hot Wax, Red Ember (cayenne), and Hot Paper Lantern (habañero - extremely hot!).
Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, 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:
Scallions
Pickling cucumbers
Potatoes - Constance Gold. From MX Morningstar Farm in Hudson, NY. Certified Organic.
Cherry tomatoes - Sakura variety from our high tunnel as other varieties from the field.
Flowers - A great supply of dahlia bunches with eucalyptus, sunflowers, and mixed bouquets.
Sweet corn - From Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.
Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.
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 -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.
Note on mushrooms: We are taking a few weeks off from mushrooms but will stock them again in the fall!
PYO Flower Field
The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking include: scabiosa, celosia, ammi, gomphrena, ageratum, strawflower, cosmos, zinnias, rudbeckia, sunflowers, verbena, fireworks gomphrena, starflower (great for drying!), decorative basil, and shiso. Please do not pick from plantings that don’t have a variety sign in front of them.
Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes Melted in Garlic Butter
by Chandra Ram, from Food & Wine
Ingredients
1 pound uncooked spaghetti
6 tablespoons salted butter
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 pounds mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes (about 6 cups)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, if needed
Kosher salt, to taste
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated
Crushed red pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high; add spaghetti, and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Set aside.
While spaghetti cooks, melt butter in a large high-sided skillet over medium. Add garlic, and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic to a small bowl. Add tomatoes to skillet; reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are softened and beginning to burst, about 20 minutes. (Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet if mixture begins to look dry.) Stir reserved browned garlic slices into tomatoes; season with salt to taste. Remove from heat.
Transfer cooked spaghetti to skillet; toss to coat with sauce, adding reserved cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time as needed, to create a silky sauce. Sprinkle with basil, and serve with grated Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper.
Cabbage Caesar Salad
By Melissa Clark, from NY Times Cooking
Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
1 small baguette or chunk of sourdough bread (about 8 ounces), preferably day-old, torn or cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ cup grated Parmesan, divided, more for garnish
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
4 anchovy fillets (or 1 teaspoon drained capers)
1 fat garlic clove, finely grated or minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (or coconut aminos)
¼ cup mayonnaise
8 cups shredded cabbage
Preparation
Make the croutons: Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed sheet pan, toss bread pieces with 3 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons cheese to coat evenly. Spread in an even layer, sprinkle lightly with salt and bake until crunchy and evenly browned, 10 to 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. Taste a crouton and add more salt if needed. Use a spatula to scrape up any crunchy cheese stuck to the pan and stir into the warm croutons. Let croutons cool on the baking pan.
Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a blender or using an immersion blender, combine the lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and a pinch each salt and pepper, and pulse a few times to break up the anchovies.
Add the mayonnaise and the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil, and blend until smooth. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed.
In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, croutons, remaining 5 tablespoons cheese and enough of the dressing to coat the cabbage. Toss well, adding more dressing as needed. Top with more cheese and pepper, and serve.
