Week 17



Saturday morning our friends Maura and Charlie came down to help us on the farm for the day! The cloudy skies did not dampen their enthusiasm as they walked the fields, helped set up the store, and fixed the broken mower. Did I mention they delivered burritos for lunch? Friends like that make even a rainy Saturday on the farm feel bright! The festivities continued yesterday when we attended the Acton-Boxborough Farmers Market for our second and final Sunday this fall. While our focus is on selling vegetables on the farm, a few hours at the market September 28th and October 5th was a great way to spread the word about our venture and get involved with our neighboring communities. We had a blast meeting new people, sharing recipes, and of course talking vegetables.  We are back on the farm today harvesting more leeks, storage potatoes, carrots, and more for the remaining four weeks of the farm store and CSA season.

In the CSA:
  • Buttercup Squash- These winter squash are creamy and richly flavored. Great for roasting in the oven as a side dish to any fall meal. The skin is edible so very little preparation is required to enjoy!
  • Butternut Squash
  • Savoy Cabbage- These pretty cabbages have relatively thin leaves which makes them great for coleslaw or light cooking.
  • Baby Bok Choy
  • Radishes- Easter egg and cherriette
  • Pie Pumpkin
  • Celery
  • Cauliflower
  • Carrots
  • Red Ace Beets
  • Potatoes
  • Acorn Squash
  • Red Kuri Squash
  • Broccoli
  • Scallions
  • Leeks
  • Arugula
  • Tat Soi
  • Spinach
  • Red Russian Kale
  • Salanova
  • Kale
  • Peppers- Sweet Italian including red and orange

CSA Pick-Your-Own:
A frost last night did in many of the pick your own crops but we will still have herbs (cilantro, parsley, dill, thyme and oregano) until we have a hard frost.


In the store:
In addition to everything available in the CSA, we will also have swiss chard, Happy Rich broccoli, head lettuce, spaghetti squash, and delicata squash. 

Kale, Cabbage & Carrot Salad With Creamy Caper Dressing
From the Wall Street Journal
ANTIOXIDANTS, FIBER, calcium, iron, potassium: These are our mantras in the aftermath of December's excesses. Leafy, deep-green kale has all that and then some. Combined with fresh cabbage, carrot and onion, tossed in a bold, creamy dressing, it adds up to an appealing and genuinely satisfying winter salad. New Year's resolutions? No problem. You're on safe ground here.
The third Slow Food Fast contribution from chef Michael Anthony of Manhattan's Gramercy Tavern, this is a recipe you'll have no excuse not to make. None of the ingredients is esoteric, and the dish comes together in no time. Moreover, it keeps. "I make lots of this and let it sit in the fridge," Mr. Anthony said. "It actually gets better with age." Over the course of several days, the dressing penetrates deep into the vegetables and softens their bite.
Use any variety of kale you like, the chef said, but seek out bunches with firm, shiny leaves and moist, snappy stems. To the mineral flavor of the kale, the carrot adds sweetness; the cabbage, a pleasing bitterness; and the onion, a nice astringent kick.
The one hint of decadence here, the dressing, has a rich mayonnaise base. "People are constantly surprised that you can make mayonnaise at home," Mr. Anthony said. "And it actually takes just three minutes." Simply whisk an egg yolk with a little mustard to help emulsify and bind the dressing, then, drop by drop, beat in equal measures of olive and grapeseed oil. Once the dressing is good and thick, mix in the lemon juice, garlic and capers, along with a spoonful of the capers' flavorful brine.
Go ahead and use your hands to toss the salad, massaging the rich dressing into the vegetables to coat every last crunchy bite. At times like this, we need all the decadence we can get.
—Kitty Greenwald

Total Time: 20 minutes Serves:4-6
Ingredients
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
1 tablespoon caper pickling liquid
1 large clove garlic, smashed to a paste
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons snipped chives (optional)
¼ head of cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1½ large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into bite-size pieces
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves thinly sliced or torn into bite-size pieces
½ yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, basil, chives or dill (optional)

What To Do
1. In medium bowl, whisk egg yolk with mustard. While whisking constantly, slowly dribble in oils. Continue whisking until oil is fully incorporated and mixture is thick and pale in color.
2. Whisk in capers, pickling liquid, garlic and lemon juice. Season with salt to taste and snipped chives, if using.
3. In a large bowl, combine all vegetables and herbs, if using. Add dressing and toss, using both hands to mix until dressing coats all ingredients. Allow salad to marinate until vegetables soften, at least 10 minutes.






Week 16

A solid stand of oats and peas in our western field.
Every Monday morning Melissa and I do a field walk to scout out what we will harvest for the coming week and to make a to-do list. This time of year, our to-do list becomes a lot more straight-forward. In the spring and summer, it often feels like we're pulled in a thousand different directions as we worry about getting everything in the ground on time, weeding and cultivating at the critical moments, minimizing pest and disease pressure, making sure our plants have adequate access to water and nutrients, and harvesting the bounty that comes when you take care of all those previous challenges. By late September, many of those concerns are no longer important for the current season. Everything (except garlic for next year) has been planted. Weed pressure is dramatically reduced (shorter days and cooler nights mean a significant slow-down in plant growth for vegetables and, thankfully, also for weeds). Most of the crops that remain in the ground are well-established enough to withstand normal pest and drought pressure. We still have the harvest and CSA and store set-up to think about, but the rest of our energy is devoted to tasks that will ensure future successful seasons. Turning under summer crops, seeding cover crop, planning equipment and infrastructure upgrades, designing efficient irrigation and cultivation set-ups for next season and recruiting new members are just a few of the types of things we're working on right now. It's an exciting time of year when we still get to enjoy a diverse harvest while also planning for an even more successful season next year!

In the CSA:
  • Pie Pumpkins - These sugar pumpkins are meant to be eaten, not carved for Halloween! They are incredibly tasty and can be used for pies, soup, or any dish that calls for other types of winter squash like butternut.
  • Cauliflower - We're growing 2 types of cauliflower this year. This week we'll be harvesting the traditional white cauliflower. Some of the heads have slight purple coloration from cold stress, but they taste just as delicious!
  • Radishes - Right now we're harvesting red cherriette radishes.
  • Carrots
  • Red Ace Beets
  • Potatoes - Keuka Gold and Purple Viking
  • Delicata Squash
  • Red Kuri Squash
  • Broccoli
  • Scallions
  • Leeks
  • Cabbage
  • Tat Soi
  • Spinach
  • Red Russian Kale
  • Salanova
  • Lettuce
  • Escarole
  • Kale

CSA Pick-Your-Own:
With 2 frosts in the past week, most of our PYO crops are past their peak. There may be a small amount to scavenge from green beans, husk cherries, hot peppers or tomatillos this week, but this will likely be the last of these crops. Herbs (cilantro, parsley, dill, thyme and oregano) should still be available until we have a hard frost.

In the store:
In addition to everything available in the CSA, we will also have arugula, Happy Rich Broccoli and the last of the Spaghetti squash.


Winter Squash Curry
adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

You can use any type of winter squash or pie pumpkin for this recipe. I particularly like to use Red Kuri! You can add other veggies to the curry. My favorites are potatoes, cauliflower, green beans and/or spinach.

2 tablespoons neutral oil (grapeseed, corn or canola)
1 onion, chopped (or you can use leeks!)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 lb winter squash, peel and roughly chopped
1 cup coconut milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Put the oil in a pot or deep skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion (or leek) and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the curry and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the squash (and potatoes and cauliflower) and coconut milk and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you're adding potatoes and cauliflower, you'll probably need another half cup of coconut milk or stock to make sure there is an adequate amount of liquid. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn the heat down to low. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the squash is tender (about 20 minutes). If you're adding spinach, add this toward the end of cooking. If the squash is done and there is still a lot of liquid, remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium high until it's thicker than stew. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or quinoa.

Week 15


This weekend fall officially arrived and made its presence known with a light frost on the farm Friday night. Most of our crops that are still in the ground are hardy enough to survive a frost but basil is sensitive to the cold and is done for the season. We did have some other damaged plants including green beans, husk cherries and peppers. There are still viable vegetables to harvest from the impacted plants this week but for the green beans and some varieties of peppers it will be the last picking. However, despite its frosty edges the red butterhead lettuce pictured above was harvested late Saturday morning with little to no damage evident so don't put those salad dressings away yet! Not only do most of our crops survive cold temperatures, some are even better for it! Frost is particularly great for changing starches to sugar in the bolero carrots that are in the CSA and Farm Store this week. We likely have a few more weeks before cool temperatures do come to stay but when they do we will be ready for the extra sweet kale, carrots, and parsnips that follow!

In the CSA:
  • Red Kuri Squash- This squash has a thin skin making it easy to peel. The middle is bright orange and creamy, making it great for pureed soups. 
  • Leeks- We will have our later varieties of leeks in the CSA and store this week including tadorna and megaton. These store better than our early variety and tend to be a bit larger. 
  • Spinach
  • Arugula
  • Purple Viking Potatoes
  • Keuka Gold Potatoes
  • Delicata Squash
  • Acorn Squash
  • Celery- Good for cooking, a particularly nice addition to fall soups. 
  • Eggplant-  It has been a tough eggplant year for us and the frost this weekend was the last straw. We plan to rotate our eggplant next year in search of a field with less soil borne disease pressure. We will have the last of our eggplant available in the CSA this week. 
  • Scallions
  • Broccoli
  • Spaghetti Squash
  • Bolero Carrots
  • Red Ace Beets
  • Lettuce
  • Baby Bok Choi
  • Kale
  • Sweet colored peppers

CSA pick-your-own:
  • Sunflowers
  • Beans- The green beans on the plants were not harmed however, there will not be new growth due to plant damage so this will be the last week of picking. 
  • Husk Cherries- The plants were damaged by the frost but the ripe fruit on the ground seem to have fared well.
  • Tomatillos - Look low on the plant.
  • Hot Peppers - The hot pepper plants were damaged by the frost but many of the peppers still look good, particularly the cayenne.
  • Cilantro and Dill- Looking great!
  • Parsley- A new planting just past the sunflowers along with a new planting of cilantro. 
  • Oregano
  • Thyme

In the store:
Most of what is available in the CSA will be available in the store. In addition we will have tendersweet cabbage, escarole and chard.

Autumn Minestrone

Epicurious | October 1999
The Moosewood Collective
Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

yield:  Makes 12 cups; serves 6 to 8

ingredients
2 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions (I replace the onions with leeks)

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 1/2 cups peeled and cubed winter squash*

2 celery stalks, diced

1/2 cup peeled and diced carrots

2 1/2 cups cubed potatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 cups water

4 cups chopped kale

1 1/2 cups cooked or canned cannellini beans (15-ounce can, drained)

*We recommend a firm, rich winter squash, such as acorn, delicata, or buttercup.

Warm the oil in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the squash, celery, carrots, potatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and water and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are almost done. Add the kale and beans and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the kale is tender and the beans are hot.
Serve immediately.


Week 14


We had a busy weekend with the Ag Day farmers' market on Saturday, Farm and Garden Fair tours on Sunday and the Stone Soup Dinner on Sunday night. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stall in Concord Center on Saturday and the farm on Sunday. It was great to see so many new and familiar faces!

With our biggest fall weekend behind us, we're now starting to turn our sights on next season. We've updated our website to include some new photos and information about our expanded CSA and Barrett's Bucks programs, as well as sign-up forms for the 2015 season. Out in the field we're tilling in many of our summer plantings to make way for cover crops, which will help protect the soil from erosion while also improving soil quality for next year. We're also busy thinking about the two newest additions to our crop plans for next year - strawberries and garlic! This week we'll finish up what will hopefully be the final pass of weeding next year's strawberries and begin preparing the perfect spot to plant our garlic.

While it's exciting to think about next year, we've got plenty of beautiful fall crops to come, including new potato, winter squash and cabbage varieties this week!

In the CSA:
  • Purple Viking Potatoes - This is a new variety to us, but we're already hooked! They have a gorgeous purple skin with pink streaks and white flesh. It has a rich flavor and works great with any cooking method. These can also store for a long time. For best results leave them unwashed and keep in a cool, dry and dark place with good air circulation - a basket in a windowless pantry or a cupboard works just fine.
  • Keuka Gold Potatoes - These yellow skinned and yellow fleshed potatoes possess a rich buttery flavor. They aren't meant to store quite as long as the Purple Viking, but if you follow the same storage guidelines you should still be enjoying them well into the fall.
  • Delicata Squash - A sweet early fall favorite, these squash are particularly appealing because of their more manageable size and the fact that the skins are edible (and actually quite tasty).
  • Scallions - They're back and looking beautiful. We'll take a break from leeks this week while we enjoy these fresh scallions, but don't worry - we'll have some later leek varieties available soon.
  • Celery - These are smaller than what you're probably used to seeing in the grocery store, but they have a great intense celery flavor!
  • Tendersweet Cabbage - As the name indicates, the leaves are thinner, more tender and sweeter than some of the later fall cabbage varieties. Great for coleslaw or stir-fries!
  • Broccoli
  • Acorn squash
  • Spaghetti Squash
  • Bolero Carrots
  • Red Ace and Chioggia Beets
  • Lettuce
  • Collards
  • Bok Choi
  • Swiss Chard
  • Escarole
  • Kale
  • Sweet colored peppers

CSA pick-your-own:

  • Sunflowers
  • Green Beans
  • Husk Cherries
  • Tomatillos - look low on the plant!
  • Hot Peppers - Many varieties have been picked through, but the Thai Hot are still looking good. These tiny peppers pack a serious spicy punch
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Cilantro and Dill
  • Basil
  • Oregano
  • Thyme

In the store:
Most of what is available in the CSA will be available in the store, with the addition of eggplant, leeks, arugula, and Happy Rich broccoli. We'll also still have some tomatoes on Tuesday.

Roasted Beet and Avocado Salad
from Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual
  • 4 medium beets (about 1/2 pound each), scrubbed
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Salt and freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 cipollini onion, finely chopped, or 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet Spanish or white onion
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 cup grapeseed oil or other mild vegetable oil
  • 2 Hass avocados, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small baking dish, rub the beets with olive oil. Add the water and season with salt and white pepper. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool, then peel the beets and cut them into 3/4-inch pieces. Transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the chopped onion with the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and honey. Season with salt and white pepper and blend until smooth. With the machine on, add the grapeseed oil and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a steady stream. Add the avocado to the roasted beets. Pour the onion dressing on top and toss gently to combine. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve.