This week at the farm store

This Tuesday and Thursday from 5pm to 6pm we are holding CSA member orientation. Come find out how your CSA membership works and pick up your CSA bag along with a bonus vegetable!

This week at the store we will continue to have asparagus, rhubarb, lettuce, radishes, spinach, arugula and red Russian kale. In addition, we've begun harvesting Salanova lettuce mix, which is similar to mesclun mix. Today (Tuesday), we will also have a very limited amount of "Happy Rich" broccoli. This was our first time growing this mini broccoli, so we only planted a small amount, but we are definitely planning more for the fall!

This will be our last week harvesting asparagus, but we have plenty of other exciting vegetables to look forward to in the near future!

June!

It is hard for us to believe we moved onto the farm just two and half months ago! In that short time the farm has become our home and passion. Time on the farm feels expanded not only because it feels like home, but because the nature of farm work means that our big projects and concerns change each week as the season evolves. Worries we had three weeks ago seem far in the rearview mirror today. We recently planted peppers, tomatoes and eggplant while appreciating, but not thinking much about, the weeks before spent plowing, disking, and laying fertilizer in preparation. Farming is like a puzzle: the things we need to get done are the puzzle pieces, and we have to find the right order and timing that make the farm as a whole work. We have some anticipated needs, such as the number of trays to seed in the greenhouse to fill a bed of cucumbers, but other factors such as the weather and pests are less predictable. Among other projects this week, we chose to hoe and weed carrots, spinach, lettuce, and scallions, plow and disk the remaining acre we will plant this year, seed fall crops in the greenhouse, and transplant lettuce, celeriac, husk cherries, tomatillos, and more. There are always decisions to be made. Do we get those perennial flowers planted so that we and our customers can all enjoy them next spring, or work on something that is more urgent in the short term, like weeding beets? Fortunately this week we were able to do both!

A nice welcome to the neighborhood

Thanks to everyone who came to the Open House on Saturday! We had a great turnout and a wonderful time meeting our new neighbors, CSA and Barrett's Bucks members. We look forward to seeing many of you again, especially as we have more vegetables available soon, meaning more reasons to come by the stand!

This week we will still have asparagus and rhubarb, as well as our first lettuce and radishes! Veggies continue to be self-serve, but as we shift into June, we are also transitioning into what will be the regular hours at the stand this year. New self-serve hours are as follows:

Tuesdays and Thursdays 3 - 6pm

Saturdays 11am - 4pm

Finally, for anyone who is wondering what to do with rhubarb, here is a great recipe courtesy of Lise's mom. No strawberries needed!

Rhubarb Crisp
from “Uncommon Gourmet All-Occasion” Cookbook

Rhubarb mixture:
6 cups rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup finely diced crystallized candied ginger

Crumb Topping
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine above ingredients and put in 2-quart casserole. Mix crumb topping ingredients until crumbly and spread over rhubarb mixture. Bake for 50 minutes until golden. Serve warm.

Open House this Saturday!

Barrett's Mill Farm is hosting an Open House this Saturday, May 31st. Stop by the farm stand between 2pm and 4pm to check out what's growing in the greenhouse and out in the fields. We'll be on hand to answer any questions and chat about our plans for the farm. We look forward to seeing many of you!

In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at what's popping up in the fields:

Rhubarb and store update

The asparagus crop is going strong - we are now harvesting everyday! Saturday we will also begin harvesting rhubarb. Check out the Rhubarb Sauce recipe below passed along by our superstar volunteer Christine. The stand will now have self-serve asparagus and rhubarb at the following times:

Monday - Friday after Noon
Saturday and Sunday after 11AM

This schedule will continue until the asparagus harvest tapers off. Beginning in June the stand will be staffed and open the following 3 days per week:

Tuesdays and Thursdays 3 - 6 PM
Saturdays 11AM - 4PM

Stay tuned to find out when exactly the schedule will change!

Rhubarb Sauce
(from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook)

1. Combine 3 cups rhubarb cut in 1 inch pieces, 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup water.  
2. Bring to boiling; cover and cook slowly till tender, about 5 minutes (or until desired consistency). 

Makes 2 cups. Can be eaten like applesauce or served on top of yogurt or ice cream