Week 7

The big accomplishment from this past week was completing our garlic harvest! The garlic harvest involves not only pulling all of our garlic out of the ground, but also bunching it and hanging it in the store so that it can cure. During the curing process, the garlic loses moisture and gains a stronger flavor. It takes a few weeks for the garlic to fully cure, but once the curing process is complete, it will be able to store longer through the fall and winter. Once it is cured, we will have some available in the CSA and store, but we will also keep a percentage of the garlic to plant in October so that we can have more next year!

Another big accomplishment this past week was opening the Pick-Your-Own flower garden. Currently, the garden is open to PYO Flower CSA members as well as the general public. If you are not a Flower CSA member but would like to pick flowers, we will provide you with a jar to hold your flowers and we'll also have scissors available to borrow. Right now we have lots of beautiful zinnias, snapdragons, bachelor's buttons, cosmos, rudbeckia, coneflower and much more!

In the CSA this week:

• Red Gold Potatoes - these have a similarly rich flavor to the Dark Red Norland potatoes that we've enjoyed for the past couple of weeks. They are great for roasting.
• Fresh Garlic - we have culled out some of the smaller heads and ones that won't cure well for fresh eating. They are a little milder than the cured garlic we'll have later on in the season.
• Fresh Onions - Ailsa Craig and Red Long of Tropea are still plentiful. Try caramelizing them or just put thin raw slices into your sandwich or on top of your burgers. They are milder and sweeter than cured storage onions.
• Cucumbers - both pickling and slicing cukes are abundant this week. Get ready to do some pickling! See the Japanese Pickled Cucumber Pickle recipe below for an idea of what to do!
• Summer Squash
• Zucchini
• Red Ace Beets
• Nelson Carrots
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Chard
• Arugula
• Red Russian Kale

CSA PYO:

• Cherry Tomatoes - the first taste of the season! There will be a small amount of Sungolds, Matt's Wild, Jasper and Grape tomatoes for picking
• Sunflowers - brighten up your home with a few stems!
• Green beans - we'll still be picking from the same planting this week. The next planting is almost ready.
• Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill and parsley

In the store:

In addition to the items listed above, we'll also have mustard greens, tat soi, purple carrots, Happy Rich broccolini, scallions, and some of the first eggplant of the season. Cherry tomatoes are just starting to get going, so we probably will have them in the store starting on Saturday. This past weekend we started offering Verrill Farm sweet corn, which we should have for several more weeks.

The recipes this week are all about cucumbers. One CSA member suggested this delicious sounding Sesame Lemon Cucumber Salad from cook's Illustrated.

Tarator (Bulgarian cold cucumber yogurt soup)

Adapted from Nelka on May 15, 2003 on food.com

Lise lived in Bulgaria for 2 years and this is a classic summer dish. Simple but delicious!

• l lb cucumbers
• 1 lb plain yogurt
• 3 -4 garlic cloves
• 2 -3 tablespoons of crushed walnuts (optional)
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• olive oil
• salt
• about 1 cup water (to taste)

Cut the cucumbers into cubes and put them in a bowl. Beat the yogurt with a fork until it gets liquid and pour it over the cucumbers. Add the crushed garlic, the walnuts and the minced dill as well as salt and oil to taste. Add water to make the soup as liquid as you like. Put into the refrigerator to cool for about 2 hours. Serve cold.

Japanese Pickled Cucumber

By Sue Lau on May 21, 2002 on food.com

• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons salt ( to sprinkle)
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Place cucumbers in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Rinse cucumbers under cold water to remove salt. Mix together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over cucumbers.

Marinate cucumbers overnight in refrigerator in sealed container.

Week 6

Every Monday morning Lise and I make a to-do list and it is important to write small if we don't want it to spill over multiple pages! We prioritize and start on the top item right away. Lucky for us we have Rachel and two of our part time workers Lauren and Kathleen who come ready to get field work done every Monday morning. Today they tackled projects including hoeing the lettuce beds, harvesting carrots, and hand weeding celery. It's a great feeling to start the week by addressing our most urgent concerns with the largest crew we can gather! 

Each of our part time field crew members help us on the farm a couple of mornings a week. Lauren recently moved to Boston after spending the past two years in Ecuador in the Peace Corps. When she's not at the farm she is at her research job which addresses mental health in Boston's communities, playing soccer, or working at the Needham Farmers Market.  Kathleen joined us for the summer and we are grateful for her help and friendly conversation. She lives right here in Concord and teaches during the school year. On CSA mornings we get all the crops in on time thanks to the hard work of Matt, a recent high school graduate and competitive swimmer who joins us for the early morning harvests. Lucky for us we also have help from our neighbor Emma, a high school student in Concord. Many of you have probably met Emma in the farm store on Tuesdays where she keeps things clean and lends her cheery assistance anywhere it's needed. These four folks have quickly become an integral part of the farm and we are lucky to have them!

In the CSA this week:

• Cucumbers- We will have mainly Jackson Classic this week, a small light green cucumber with a thin skin an small seeds. They are known as a pickling variety but also great for eating fresh as a snack, salad, or on a sandwich!
• Red Potatoes
• Beets
• Fresh Onions - This week we will continue to harvest this summer treat. The bunches are mixed with a couple of the white Ailsa Craig and purple Red Long of Tropea. These should be kept in the fridge and used within a week or so.
• Purple Haze carrots
• Cabbage- red, green and caraflex, and napa
• Summer squash
• Zucchini
• Nelson carrots
• Kale
• Swiss chard
• Lettuce
• Red Russian Kale or Arugula

CSA PYO:

• Green beans! Great raw or lightly steamed.
• Herbs: Basil (including Thai), parsley, dill and cilantro. Many of the herbs require braving the weeds right now but we are working on it! We prioritize weeding on crops based on need and potential benefit so with the next plantings of herbs almost ready we've been focusing on other weeding.

In the store:

In addition to the items listed above for the CSA, the store will also likely have scallions, yukina savoy, mustard greens, and a few pints of blueberries for sale.

Zucchini Linguine with Herbs

Food & Wine, October 2009

•  4 pounds small zucchini

•  6 tablespoons unsalted butter

•  4 scallions, thinly sliced lengthwise

•  Salt and freshly ground pepper

•  1 1/2 pounds fresh linguine or spaghetti

•  2 tablespoons chopped tarragon or chervil, plus more for garnish

•  1 tablespoon chopped lemon thyme

•  1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

•  8 ounces young pecorino cheese, freshly grated (2 cups), plus more for garnish

1.       Using a mandoline, julienne the zucchini lengthwise, stopping when you reach the seedy centers. You should have 12 packed cups of zucchini strands.

2.     In a very large, deep skillet, melt the butter. Add the zucchini and scallions, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is just softened, about 8 minutes.

3.     Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the water.

4.     Add the pasta to the skillet along with the chopped tarragon, thyme, lemon zest and pecorino cheese and toss well. Add the reserved pasta water and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to plates, garnish with tarragon and grated cheese and serve.

Week 5

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This past week we've tackled a lot of important projects, some of which have been weighing on our minds for longer than others. In addition to mowing in many spring crops and transplanting and seeding many of our fall crops, we've also laid out landscape fabric between our cuke and watermelon beds to keep down the weeds (bottom left photo). We've cultivated, hoed and hand-weeded many crops, including about an acre of winter squash (bottom right photo) and our PYO flower field (top left photo). It's later than intended, but we've also begun mulching our tomato, pepper and eggplant beds (top right photo). While we have been checking things off our to-do list at a fast pace, we also keep adding new items at an equally rapid rate. Some of the things we're looking forward to doing this week include weeding our celery, celeriac, zinnias and 2016 strawberries, hoeing eggplant and peppers, seeding our second fall carrots and beets, adding more lines to our trellised tomatoes, hilling our leeks, and mowing in our flowering buckwheat to prepare for a fall cover crop

Part of the reason we've been able to tackle such a wide variety of tasks lately is that the focus of our harvest has shifted from delicate and small items like baby greens, peas and strawberries to some hardier and bulkier summer crops like squash, potatoes and carrots. Psychologically, it's a nice shift for us - it's a lot faster (and therefore more satisfying!) to harvest a bucket of carrots than it is to harvest a bucket of peas. We haven't completely finished with those time-consuming crops (we have gooseberries this week, and green beans and cherry tomatoes to look forward to), but it's feeling more manageable. Plus, we have some additional farm hands to help us out for the summer, which has made a huge difference for us!

In the CSA this week:

• Dark Red Norland potatoes - These have a beautiful, delicate red skin and white flesh. They are great for roasting or potato salads.
• Fresh Onions - Ailsa Craig and Red Long of Tropea are the two varieties we grow. Unlike storage onions, these should be kept in the fridge and used within a week or so.
• Purple Haze carrots - We grow these because they're pretty, but also tasty. The inside is orange.
• Napa cabbage - This is a great addition to stir fry or shredded raw in summer rolls or wraps.
• Mini cabbage - We grow 3 varieties: red, green and caraflex, which is an interesting pointed cabbage. All three are tender and tasty.
• Summer squash and zucchini
• Garlic scapes
• Nelson carrots - this is the regular orange variety we've been enjoying for the past several weeks.
• Kale
• Swiss chard
• Lettuce
• Red Russian Kale or Arugula (maybe)- We are in between plantings, so we will see how much of each is available this week.

CSA PYO:

We are in the awkward early-July stage of the season when peas are done, but the beans and sunflowers aren't quite ready. Look for those soon, but in the meantime, now is a great time to enjoy the parsley, basil, cilantro and dill!

In the store:

In addition to the items listed above for the CSA, the store will also likely have scallions, salad turnips, Happy Rich broccoli and gooseberries! This tangy July treat is great for pies or jam.

Vegetable Summer Rolls

Gourmet | May 2001

This recipe is time-consuming, but well worth the effort. We made them for World Cup viewing on Sunday night! I recommend doubling or tripling the peanut sauce recipe. I also don't use quite so much hot pepper, but that's a matter of personal taste (or wimpiness!)

Peanut sauce

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar

Summer rolls

• 1 ounce bean thread noodles (cellophane noodles)
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
• 4 (8-inch) rice-paper rounds
• 2 red-leaf lettuce leaves, ribs cut out and discarded and leaves halved
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (preferably Thai)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced Napa cabbage
• 1/3 cup coarsely shredded carrot (1 medium)

Make sauce:

Cook onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 4 minutes. Whisk in remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer, whisking, 1 minute, then cool.

Make summer rolls:

Cover noodles with boiling-hot water and soak 15 minutes, then drain well in a sieve. Pat dry between paper towels and toss with vinegar and salt to taste. Put a double thickness of paper towel on a work surface and fill a shallow baking pan with warm water. Soak 1 rice-paper round (make sure there are no holes) in warm water until pliable, 30 seconds to 1 minute, then transfer to paper towels. Arrange 1 piece of lettuce on bottom half of soaked rice paper, folding or tearing to fit and leaving a 1-inch border along edge. Spread one fourth of peanut sauce over lettuce and top with one fourth each of mint, basil, cabbage, and noodles. Roll up rice paper tightly around filling and, after rolling halfway, arrange one fourth of cilantro and carrot along crease. Then fold in sides and continue rolling. Transfer summer roll to a plate and cover with dampened paper towels. Make 3 more rolls in same manner. Serve rolls halved on the diagonal.

Farm stand open Friday July 3rd 10am - 2pm

The farm stand will be closed for the July 4th holiday, but it will be open Friday the 3rd, 10am - 2pm instead. Come by for some squash, zucchini, salad fixings and more! We will also have our first potatoes of the season!

Week 4

Time seems to be moving quickly this summer and suddenly Independence Day is here! We will be closed Saturday, July 4th and the Farm Store will open instead on Friday July 3rd from 10am-2pm.  In addition to the calendar, the progression of the season is evident all around the farm. The current harvest is a great indicator of course (it must be summer, zucchini is here!).  There other markers of time in the fields and none stands out more to us than the moment that the first spring beds are fully harvested and ready to be mowed in. After we've harvested a bed of crops we mow down the weeds and other plant matter that remains to make disking debris back in the soil easier in preparation for future planting. We have already filled early season greens beds with late summer lettuce plantings and said goodbye to the strawberries and some of the peas in the pick-your-own fields, making way for fall sunflower and snap bean plantings. It doesn't make us sad to mow down beds because we are happy about the food we've all enjoyed from the area and we look forward to what will grow next! I must admit, we also take great pleasure in watching weeds disappear under the mower blades. 

This week in the CSA:

• Garlic scapes- These are the stem and flower of the garlic plant. Removing them helps our garlic bulbs grow larger, not to mention they are delicious! Scapes taste just like garlic only with a more mild flavor that can be cooked or eaten raw.  
• Swiss Chard- This tasty cooking green has rainbow colored stems! Chard is similar to beet greens in flavor and I often use it as a substitute for cooked spinach in recipes. 
• Summer Squash- We grow two types, one is a pale yellow called slick pik and the other is a yellow and green squash called Zephyr.
• Zucchini
• Carrots
• Beets
• Kale
• Fennel
• Arugula
• Red Russian Kale
• Lettuce

CSA PYO

• Basil- It's time for pesto! We will also have Thai basil available which is my favorite flavoring to add to rice noodle dishes. 
• Snow and Sugar Snap peas- This week will be the last of the peas, look for the smaller darker green peas as the larger pale pods can be starchy. 
• Herbs including cilantro, parsley and dill
• Yarrow

In the Farm Store this week

We will have the CSA items in the farm store as well this week. In addition we will have some radishes, scallions, happy rich broccoli, and kohlrabi available.

I first cooked with swiss chard while working at the Community Farm of Ann Arbor and have been enjoying it ever since! Here is the recipe Farmer Annie Elder taught me, it is printed in the Community Farm of Ann Arbor Cookbook.

Annie's French Greens and Rice

Saute:

• 1 Large onion, diced 
• 4 cloves garlic, diced (I use garlic scapes when I have them! I substitute one scape per clove but feel free to adjust to your preferences, scapes have a more mild flavor than cloves)

When the onions begin to cook clear, add

• 6 large green leaves (kale or chard), diced. (Our leaves are medium sized so I add more)

Continue sauteing until greens are very tender, it just takes a few minutes.

Stir in 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper. Scoop over a bed of rice, hot. 

Annie adds a few dallops of sour cream, I like to top mine with a fried egg for a quick but tasty dinner after work!