Annual Concord Ag Day September 10th and CSA Week 14

We love many things about September including cool mornings, slow weed growth, cooking early fall vegetables, and a bustling farm full of families home from vacation for the start of the school year. However, we do miss summer members of our farm crew! The picture above is missing teachers who provided critical help on the farm this summer including Dave, Kathleen, and Juliana. Erica and Rebecca also teach but have been helping out on the farm when they can so we snapped a photo last Saturday while we could still generate a crowd! September also brings fun agricultural events in town. We particularly enjoy the annual Ag Day Farmers Market which is coming up this Saturday September 10th from 10 am - 2pm on Main Street in Concord Center.  Many Concord farms will be there selling vegetables, fruit and flowers. It is a fun day full of enthusiasm for agriculture in town! We will have a farmers market stall as part of the Ag Day festivities. In addition, we will be open here at the farm stand for our farm store and CSA distribution. We are also looking forward to hosting a farm tour as part of the Farm and Garden Fair on Sunday September 11th at 1:30pm. We will show folks around the fields and around our new greenhouse. For more information about the Farm and Garden Fair this weekend visit the Concord Food Collaborative website.

In the CSA:

• Garlic- The garlic has been curing in the farm stand and is now ready for eating or storing! We will be distributing much of the garlic hanging in the CSA as well as have it available for sale in the farm stand. In addition, we will save some to plant in the fields in late October for next year's crop!
• Spaghetti Squash- To cook, cut in half and bake with either water or oil on the pan. When you scrape the inside out with a fork it looks just like spaghetti and tastes great with your favorite spaghetti toppings!
• Potatoes- Because our potato crop was not as good as we would like, we have purchased certified organic red potatoes from Hutchins Farm down the road in Concord. We will resume harvesting our own potatoes in later weeks as well as purchase additional storage potatoes from Hutchins Farm.
• Red Russian Kale- So nice to have salad greens again! This is a sweet, tender variety of kale that is great in salads and sandwiches but can also be lightly cooked.
• Radishes
• Collards
• Carrots
• Napa cabbage
• Baby bok choi
• Tomatoes
• Beets- red ace and chioggia
• Green and purple peppers
• Sweet Red, Yellow, Orange peppers
• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
• Kale
• Eggplant

CSA PYO:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Husk Cherries
• Dragon Tongue Beans
• Hot peppers - jalapeno, serrano, cayenne, ancho, habanero
• Sunflowers
• Par
• Cilantro
• Dill flowers

In the store: Except for potatoes, everything available in the CSA will also be available in the store. In addition, we will have arugula, salanova letttuce mix, mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and sweet corn from Verrill Farm.

Farm store hours:

• Tuesdays & Thursdays 11am - 6pm*
• Wednesdays and Fridays 2pm - 6pm
• Saturdays 10am - 3pm*

*Hours in bold with an asterix are also CSA pick-up hours.

Garlic

Spaghetti Squash

How to Make Cabbage Kimchi

By Emily Han at thekitchn.com

Makes 1 quart

What You Need

Ingredients
1 medium head (2 pounds) napa cabbage
1/4 cup sea salt or kosher salt (see Recipe Notes)
Water (see Recipe Notes)
1 tablespoon grated garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons seafood flavor or water (optional, see Recipe Notes)
1 to 5 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes (or chopped hot peppers)
8 ounces radish, cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

Equipment
Cutting board and knife
Large bowl
Gloves (optional but highly recommended)
Plate and something to weigh the kimchi down, like a jar or can of beans
Colander
Small bowl
Clean 1-quart jar with canning lid or plastic lid
Bowl or plate to place under jar during fermentation

Instructions

1. Slice the cabbage: Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Cut each quarter crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips.
2. Salt the cabbage: Place the cabbage and salt in a large bowl. Using your hands (gloves optional), massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to soften a bit, then add water to cover the cabbage. Put a plate on top and weigh it down with something heavy, like a jar or can of beans. Let stand for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Rinse and drain the cabbage: Rinse the cabbage under cold water 3 times and drain in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and dry the bowl you used for salting, and set it aside to use in step 5.
4. Make the paste: Meanwhile, combine the garlic, ginger, sugar, and seafood flavor (or 3 tablespoons water) in a small bowl and mix to form a smooth paste. Mix in the gochugaru, using 1 tablespoon for mild and up to 5 tablespoons for spicy (I like about 3 1/2 tablespoons).
5. Combine the vegetables and paste: Gently squeeze any remaining water from the cabbage and return it to the bowl along with the radish, scallions, and seasoning paste.
6. Mix thoroughly: Using your hands, gently work the paste into the vegetables until they are thoroughly coated. The gloves are optional here but highly recommended to protect your hands from stings, stains, and smells!
7. Pack the kimchi into the jar: Pack the kimchi into the jar, pressing down on it until the brine rises to cover the vegetables. Leave at least 1 inch of headspace. Seal the jar with the lid.
8. Let it ferment: Let the jar stand at room temperature for 1 to 5 days. You may see bubbles inside the jar and brine may seep out of the lid; place a bowl or plate under the jar to help catch any overflow.
9. Check it daily and refrigerate when ready: Check the kimchi once a day, pressing down on the vegetables with a clean finger or spoon to keep them submerged under the brine. (This also releases gases produced during fermentation.) Taste a little at this point, too! When the kimchi tastes ripe enough for your liking, transfer the jar to the refrigerator. You may eat it right away, but it's best after another week or two.

Inching toward autumn and CSA Week 13

Though you'd never know it by the weather, we are almost into September! That means that our daily tasks are shifting slightly. While we still have plenty of weeding to keep us busy, it does feel like the end is in sight. Shorter days will bring slower plant growth, which means that when we weed next year's strawberries or finish weeding fall cabbage, it will likely be the for the last time this season!

Transplanting and seeding have also become rare activities on the farm these days. In fact we seeded our last lettuce planting in the greenhouse two weeks ago. Aside from the two lettuce successions remaining to be transplanted, we still have some spinach and strawberry plugs to go out into the field, but soon the greenhouse will be empty and Sunday greenhouse watering will be a distant memory.

Other signs that we have shifted gears into fall include the completion of our onion and shallot harvest, the start of our winter squash harvest, and the continued tilling in of crops that have well passed their prime production period. (Farmers take a particular joy in mowing and tilling under old weedy crops - we really love to see clean fields seeded in cover crop!).

Though fall is ever present in our minds, this week's harvest for the store and CSA still reflects the late summer bounty, with a few additional items like carrots and napa cabbage that typically go hand in hand with cooler weather.

In the CSA:

• Carrots - they're back for the fall! We mostly grow a variety called Bolero (though we are also trying out another variety called Miami this year too). The later carrot plantings will get really sweet after a few frosts later this fall.
• Napa cabbage
• Bok Choi
• Watermelon
• Tomatoes
• Beets
• Green and purple peppers
• Sweet Red, Yellow, Orange peppers - some of the peppers are bell peppers and others are the sweet Italian variety (also known as "Bull's horn" because of their pointy shape). We get a lot of questions about whether or not these peppers are hot; All the peppers we harvest for the CSA distribution area are sweet - the hot peppers are all in the PYO area!
• Eggplant
• Zucchini
• Summer Squash
• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
• Arugula
• Chard
• Kale

CSA PYO:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Husk Cherries
• Hot peppers - jalapeno, serrano and ancho
• Chocolate, Green Burst and Procut Orange sunflowers
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Dill flowers

In the store: Everything available in the CSA will also be available in the store. In addition, we will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and sweet corn from Verrill Farm.

Farm store hours:

• Tuesdays & Thursdays 11am - 6pm*
• Wednesdays and Fridays 2pm - 6pm
• Saturdays 10am - 3pm*

*Hours in bold with an asterix are also CSA pick-up hours.

Vegetable Potstickers

adapted from the Uncommon Gourmet

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• pepper to taste
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped bok choi or napa cabbage
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 medium sized carrot, grated
• ¼ cup diced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 ½ tsp finely grated ginger
• 1 package wonton wrappers

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, pepper, sugar and sesame oil. Mix and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over high heat in a wok or large skillet. Add bok choi/napa cabbage, scallions, carrots, mushrooms and ginger and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir fry for 1 minute more. Remove from heat.

 Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a large baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the middle of a wonton skin. Fold over to form a triangle. Slightly dampen the outer edges with water and press the edges with a fork to seal. Place the potsticker on the baking sheet and repeat with remaining wonton skins. Brush the tops of the potstickers with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until browned and crisp around edges. Serve immediately with soy sauce on the side for dipping.

Cover crops for the future, vegetables for the farm store and CSA Week 12

We are more than half way through our CSA season but that doesn't mean things are winding down! In most of our fields business continues as usual and we are still planting, weeding, and harvesting away. The greenhouse still has fall plantings of spinach and lettuce and we are working our way through the weeds in the fall roots to ensure a plentiful crop.  In the flurry of activity of the farm in the height of summer we also make time to take care of the fields by planting cover crops in areas where we are done harvesting for the season. The window to plant certain cold sensitive cover crops closes with the fall frosts so the time to act is now.  In order to plant the cover crop seed waiting in the barn we needed the recent rain to help us work in plant debris and provide the moisture needed for seed germination. Lise saw her opportunity between rain showersrecently and set out on the tractor to seed triticale and Austrian winter peas in 3 open areas. She timed it just right! These crops will provide cover for the field over the winter to prevent erosion as well as contribute organic matter and nutrients to the soil.  While a cover cropped field doesn't always look impressive, it is one most important aspects of the farm. When we see cover crops germinating on the farm in August we see healthy soils and crops in the years to come!

Making beds for seeding fall greens and planting spinach this week

In the CSA:

A few of our pepper varieties: Carmen (red), oranos (orange), and flavorburst (yellow) peppers.

• Arugula- Greens are back, hopefully to stay! They should be happier with the bit of rain and slightly cooler weather.  
• Red Russian Kale
• Watermelon
• Tomatoes
• Red Ace or Chioggia Beets
• Green and purplepeppers
• Sweet Red, Yellow, Orange peppers-  We grow 6 types of red yellow and orange peppers and we will have a variety available in the CSA from now until our first frost. 
• Eggplant
• Zucchini
• Summer Squash
• Cucumbers 
• Red Ace beets
• Lettuce
• Chard
• Kale

CSA PYO:

Husk cherries 

• Cherry tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Husk Cherries- These sweet berries are ripe when they have fallen to the ground and the outer husk is brown. The best way to find them is just reach into the plant and scoop up whatever you find. The taste of husk cherries is hard to describe so it's best to try them for yourself!
• Hot peppers - jalapeno, serrano and ancho
• Dragon's tongue beans- They are the right size for shelling! Use as you would any fresh shell bean. 
• Yellow and Green beans- These new plantings of snap beans are the perfect size right now!
• Chocolate and Sunbeam sunflowers
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Dill flowers

In the store: Everything available in the CSA will also be available in the store. In addition, we will have baby bok choy, celery, and cantaloupe. We will also have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and sweet corn from Verrill Farm.

Thanks to great neighbors and Barrett's Bucks customers we were introduced to this recipe last year!

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND CHERRY TOMATOES by Elizabeth Minchilli In Rome

Serves: 10

For some reason I love using Wheel shaped pasta for this dish. I love the way the bits of sausage gets stuck in the spokes.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ kilo / 1 pound Italian sausage meat
• ¾ cup white wine
• ½ kilo / 1 pound ripe cherry tomatoes, but in half
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 kilo / 2 pounds pasta
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour the olive oil into a saute' pan large enough to hold all of the cooked pasta. Heat over medium high heat and then add the crumbled sausage meat. Cook, stirring to break it up, until it begins to brown and is cooked through.
2. Add the fennel seeds and continue cooking for a few minutes. Add the white wine, letting it bubble away while you scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes and stir well. Let this cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, just enough to let the tomatoes begin to soften. Turn off heat
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
5. Turn on heat under sausage mixture, and add pasta. Stir, letting the flavors blend, adding a bit of the reserved water if it seems dry. Turn off heat, add the grated cheese and mix, adding more water if necessary.
6. Serve.

Farm Store Hours:

Tuesday and Thursday 11 - 6

Wednesday and Friday 2 - 6

Saturday 10 - 3

Tomato talk and CSA Week 11

It's that time of year when tomatoes dominate the farm stand and landscape. We are having a decent tomato year so far, but there are some things we wish were better. Though our cherry tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes are producing beautifully, we have hit some speed bumps with our slicing tomatoes. The first major obstacle this season came from a seed company error. We intended to plant 100 feet of orange slicing tomatoes, but received the wrong seed and discovered a few weeks ago that we instead ended up with 100 feet of red grape tomatoes! While we have nothing particularly against grape tomatoes, we really miss those tasty orange tomatoes the would have brought color and bulk to the store and CSA!

The other obstacle has of course been the drought. We have diligently drip irrigated our tomatoes all season, but for some of our slicers, it has not been quite enough. We have ended up with a decent amount of blossom end rot on several of our red slicing tomato beds. Blossom end rot is a frustrating plant ailment that occurs when tomato plants aren't getting enough water or calcium. They look perfect on the top, but the bottom gets a black rotted spot or water stain, making the tomatoes unmarketable. On the other end of the spectrum, when tomatoes get too much water (as our heirlooms did after the most recent rain), the fruit cracks and becomes susceptible to rot.

Blossom end rot on slicing tomatoes.

Cracking on a Cherokee Green tomato.

With all the things that could possibly go wrong with growing tomatoes (and I haven't even mentioned all the blights that can bring your tomato season to an untimely end!), you might wonder if farmers have a bit of a love-hate relationship with them. The answer is yes, but I would say it's more love than hate. Not only are they are one of the most popular crops we grow, but they bring us daily joy as we find excuses to pause by the cherry tomato patch for a quick snack on our way to the next task! So while they are finicky and a lot of work to grow, we still believe they are worth the occasional headache!

Cherry Tomato Guide:

In keeping with the tomato theme this week, we are presenting a guide to the tomato varieties we grow in our pick-your-own field.

Our pick-your-own tomato offerings from left to right: Mountain Magic, Cherry Bomb, Jasper, Red Pearl, Pink Bumblebee, Sunrise Bumblebee, Sunpeach, Yellow Mini, Sungold and Black Cherry.

• Mountain Magic - Technically this is a "cocktail" tomato, but we grow it with our cherry tomatoes because it is still pretty small. These are very juicy and sweet.
• Cherry Bomb - This variety is new to us this year. We picked it for it's disease resistance and size, but it's taste has won us over!
• Jasper - Another disease resistant tomato with a nice rich sweet and tart flavor. It is the smallest variety we grow.
• Red Pearl - This grape tomato is meaty and sweet. They keep longer than any other type of cherry tomato we grow, and they are less messy since they aren't quite as juicy!
• Bumblebee - Another new variety for us this year! We are growing the pink and sunrise colors. They have a unique striped appearance and a sweet taste.
• Sunpeach - Not as acidic as most other cherry tomato varieties. It is a sister variety to Sungold, and has a mild sweet flavor.
• Yellow Mini - Sweet and juicy, and they add great color to the mix!
• Sungold - This variety has a very devoted following, and for good reason. They pack tons of flavor into a small tomato. Extra sweet, but also tangy.
• Black cherry - These often get overlooked because the ripe ones blend in so well to the plant. The have a rich almost smoky flavor. One of Farmer Lise's favorites!

In the CSA:

• Cantaloupe
• Watermelon
• Slicing tomatoes
• Heirloom tomatoes
• Green peppers
• Colored peppers - mostly "Corno di toro" (bull's horn) types. Colored bell peppers are a few weeks away.
• Eggplant
• Zucchini
• Summer Squash
• Cucumbers - the second succession is dwindling and the third is not quite ready, so they will be limited this week.
• Red Ace beets
• Lettuce
• Chard
• Kale

CSA PYO:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Hot peppers - jalapeno, serrano and ancho
• Dragon's tongue beans
• Buttercream sunflowers
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Dill flowers

In the store: Everything available in the CSA will also be available in the store. In addition, we will have onions and potatoes. We will also have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and sweet corn from Verrill Farm.

Recipe of the week:

This uses not only tomatoes, but many other vegetables in abundance right now!

Ratatouille

By Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times August 30, 2010

• 11/2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• 3/4 pound (2 medium) onions, thinly sliced
• 4 to 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3/4 pound mixed sweet peppers cut into slices about 3/4 inch wide by 1 1/2 inches long
•  1 1/4 pounds zucchini, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
• 1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 to 4 tablespoons slivered or chopped fresh basil, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the cubed eggplant in a large, heavy flameproof casserole. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and salt to taste. Place in the hot oven, and roast uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring from time to time until the eggplant is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the casserole from the oven, cover tightly and allow the eggplant to steam in the hot casserole.

Heat a tablespoon of the remaining oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about five minutes. Stir in the peppers and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the peppers have softened and smell fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in half the garlic, and cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to the casserole with the eggplant. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet, and add the zucchini. Cook, stirring often, until tender but still bright, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic and mix together for a minute until fragrant. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to the casserole. Add the tomatoes to the casserole along with the bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and more salt and pepper to taste. Toss everything together, and place over medium-low heat. When the vegetables begin to sizzle, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for 30 to 45 minutes until the mixture is juicy and fragrant and the vegetables are thoroughly tender. Taste and adjust seasonings

A colorful week in the farm store and CSA Week 10

It is now the half way point of the CSA season, week 10 of 20. This means we are picking the classic summer crops and we are on the last page of the greenhouse seeding schedule.  We have been seeding, weeding and caring for our fall crops for weeks and they are looking great!  If you are not yet a CSA member but would like to be we are offering a limited number of "Back-To-School" CSA Memberships starting August 30th until the end of the regular CSA season (8 pick-ups total). The first couple of weeks should have pick-your-own available and you will join in with our current CSA members to enjoy the fall bounty. Each new member also receives a Barrett's Mill Farm CSA bag. More details and sign up form available here on our website.

 The CSA page on our website now also has information about our new offering this year, a November CSA Extension for folks who would like to continue the CSA season for 3 more pick-ups in November.  Pick-ups will be on Thursdays from 2-7pm on November 3, 10, and 17. The exact items available will depend on the weather but there will be lots of your CSA favorites to choose from like carrots, beets, winter squash, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cold weather hardy lettuce.  The size of these three pick-ups will be a CSA bag plus some items in addition to your bag. Pick-ups will take place in our heated greenhouse attached to the farm stand.

In the Vegetable CSA:

Golden Beets

• Golden Beets-We grow just one planting a season-enjoy!
• Heirloom Tomatoes- These are tomatoes that were not bred for productivity or packability so they look irregular and we don't get many per plant but they are known for their great flavor.
• Slicing Tomatoes
• Watermelon- Starlight and Blacktail Mountain are now ripening, both are red on the inside and have seeds.
• Fresh Onions
• Peppers: Green, purple, and potentially the first of our red orange and yellow varieties
• Eggplant 
• Cucumbers
• Summer Squash
• Zucchini
• Chard
• Lettuce
• Curly Kale

Purple tomatillos

Heirloom tomatoes in the farm store and CSA this week

CSA PYO:

• Tomatillos- New this year we are growing purple tomatillos, look low on the plants for fruit that have filled out their husks (or in many cases split the husk).
• Cherry tomatoes - All varieites are ripe! Sungold, Jasper, Red Pearl (grape), Yellow Mini, Cherry Bomb, Sunpeach, Black Cherry,  and Bumblebee, Mountain Magic 
• Hot peppers - Jalapeno and Serrano.
• Buttercream Sunflowers 
• Green and Dragon Tongue Beans- The same plantings as last week, the next beans are another week or two away
• Cilantro- A new planting is open and plentiful- time for salsa!
• Dill flowers
• Basil- The italian and thai basil are still going strong, while much of is flowering, it still tastes great.

Pick-your-own Flowers: All of our flower varieties are now blooming - it's a great time to pick!

In the store: Everything available in the CSA will also be available in the store. In addition, we will have the first cantaloupe and colored peppers of the season, paste tomatoes, potatoes and flowers. We will also have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and sweet corn from Verrill Farm.

Farm Store Hours:

 Tuesday and Thursday  11am -6 pm  

Wednesday and Friday 2pm - 6pm

Saturday 10am - 3pm

 

Seared Summer Squash and Egg Tacos

by Martha Rose Shulman in the New York TImes

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced across the grain
• 1 ½ pounds zucchini or other summer squash, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 to 2 serrano chilies, minced
•  Salt to taste
•  Freshly ground pepper
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 2 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 10 warm corn tortillas

1. Heat a heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to color, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, until it is lightly colored and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili and salt to taste and stir together for about 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. Reduce the heat to low.
2. Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Add to the zucchini mixture along with the cilantro. Cook, stirring, until the eggs are set. Fill the warm tortillas and serve.