Farm updates and CSA week 4

With school out for the summer, and farm bags being taken on vacation, it seems like a good time to remind everyone that the farm stand will be closed for the July 4th holiday on Wednesday next week. We'll still be open Tuesday, July 3rd, so that would be a great day to gather some veggies for holiday salads and grilling! Also, we wanted to remind everyone that if you are a CSA member going on vacation this summer, you are welcome to send a friend to pick up veggies in your stead!

It's hard to believe we are almost into July when the memories of the constant harvesting during the first week of the CSA are still fresh in our minds! After that first week in June, we were able to breath a little and begin to catch up on greenhouse seeding and transplanting, and we've also begun to slowly chip away at our long weeding and cultivating to-do list. Thankfully, we've had a couple of solid rains each week, which has saved us from having to sink too much of our precious time into irrigation.

There is always something urgent in farming, though, to drag you away from the weeding projects you would like to focus on. This time of year always brings us the Colorado potato beetle, which will completely defoliate eggplant and potatoes if left unchecked. The organic spray used for many years unfortunately no longer works, as the beetles have developed resistance to it. Our potato patch is too large to pick bugs by hand, so we have resorted to other creative control methods. This year we were able to rotate the potatoes to the field across the street, which helped push off the potato beetle pressure by a few days. We've tried out growing a small section of a variety called King Harry, which is supposed to withstand potato beetle pressure better than other varieties. We covered a few beds of eggplant and potatoes with row cover to try to keep the adult beetles out (it seems to have worked on the eggplant, but it was less effective on the potatoes). We also have been using the method of knocking bugs off the plants and burning them with our flame weeder. Nothing is 100% effective, and we know that soon we will lose this battle in our potatoes, but our hope is to eek out a few more weeks of growth in the potatoes before they succumb to pest pressure. The plants were quite big and healthy before the potato beetle pressure spiked, with some plants up to our waists! We're hoping that the early potato plant health will mean larger potatoes this year!

This week in the CSA:

• Garlic scapes - These are the flower buds of the garlic plants. We snap off the scapes in mid June so that the plant focuses its energy on producing a larger bulb. The scapes can be used just like garlic - one diced scape is about the equivalent of one clove in terms of garlicky flavor.
• Carrots - we'll have both orange carrots and purple carrots. The purple carrots are a variety called Purple Haze and they have a beautiful purple skin with an orange interior.
• Beets
• Kohlrabi
• Scallions - these are grown in our field across the street, which is "transitional" this year. That means that although we are using organic practices, the land was farmed conventionally prior to our use of the field, and therefore cannot be certified organic until the fields have been managed organically for 3 full seasons. Produce grown across the street should be certified organic in 2019!
• Curly kale
• Salanova lettuce mix
• Lettuce - romaine, red leaf, panise (oakleaf), and more.
• Arugula
• Baby Bok choi
• Yukina Savoy - This mild green is great raw in salads or lightly cooked. Now that spinach is out of season until the fall, Yukina savoy can make a good substitute in recipes that call for cooked spinach.

CSA pick-your-own:

• Strawberries - We are definitely past peak and the picking will get harder as the week goes on, but our goal is to keep them open for the remainder of this week.
• Sugar Snap, Snow, and Shelling Peas - To pick, gently hold the plant in place while you snap the stem just above the pea pod. Remove the top before eating (For shelling peas remove the entire pod).
• Herbs - Cilantro, basil, sage, thyme, and garlic chives. Mint will be closed this week to allow it to regrow.

CSA pick-up hours

Tuesday and Thursday 11am - 6pm

Saturday 9am - 3pm

This week in the Farm Store:

We will have most of the veggies listed in the CSA available in the farm store. Sadly, our strawberry patch is well past peak, so there won't be any strawberries in the store, but we do have many other summer crops to look forward to! In addition to the items listed above, we will have green garlic, radishes, salad turnips, Happy Rich broccolini, mini daikon, basil plants and the first summer squash and zucchini of the season! We will also continue to sell Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds eggs, and mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm.

Farm Store Hours

Tuesday-Friday 11am - 6pm

Saturday 9am - 3pm

Glazed Grilled Carrots

by Jeff Gordinier in NYT Cooking

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ clove garlic, cut into paper-thin slices (or use scapes!)
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for the carrots
• 10 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
• Salt
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

1. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, rosemary, garlic and ginger until combined. Whisk in 2 tablespoons oil so dressing emulsifies; set aside.
2. Heat grill to low. Coat carrots with oil and season with salt. Grill carrots, covered, turning as needed to prevent burning, until nicely charred and fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. When carrots come off the grill, toss them immediately in the prepared dressing. Once they're coated, use tongs to transfer the carrots to a serving platter and garnish with green onion. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of the remaining dressing over the top. 

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 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, scallions, carrots, shiitakes 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.

Farm updates and CSA Week 3!

It is crunch time for us on the farm! While we started devoting much of our time to harvesting, the weeds staked their claim in some of our fields! Pictured above are Molly, Rebecca and Janel working to weed and therefore rescue the leeks. Fortunately, the leeks are healthy due to early season care (tractor cultivation gave them a head start of the weeds) but it's now or never so we are happy to have the crew almost to full strength with Molly's return from school for the summer. This week we also had the help of Alice, a high school student and weekend waterer, who came out to the fields with us a couple of mornings to give us a boost.  Elsewhere on the farm experiments are reaping benefits such as in our greens field where we now plant an extra row per bed. Fertilizing, seeding 4 rows, hoeing, than covering, has produced lush stands of greens for a bountiful harvest while using up a smaller area.  This week we will continue, to plant, weed, harvest, and of course enjoy strawberry season!

This week in the CSA:

• Carrots - First harvest of the season!
• Beets - We will have two varieties to choose from: Boro and Chioggia. The Chioggia are a lighter red color and have white rings when sliced, the darker Boro are like the Red Ace beets we grow for much of the season and are slightly sweeter than the chioggia.
• Yukina Savoy - This tasty green is great in salads or lightly cooked.
• Scallions - It's the perfect week for stir fry!
• Curly kale
• Salanova lettuce mix
• Lettuce - We will have romaine, red leaf, panise (oakleaf), and more.
• Salad Turnips
• Radishes
• Arugula
• Baby Bok choi

CSA pick-your-own:

• Strawberries! All rows are still producing! Walk in the straw pathways and don't forget to check further down the row in case the first area has been picked more recently!
• Sugar Snap, Snow, and Shelling Peas - To pick, gently hold the plant in place while you snap the stem just above the pea pod. Remove the top before eating (For shelling peas remove the entire pod). There is a new planting of snap peas ready now, closest to the farm stand.
• Herbs - Cilantro, basil, sage, oregano, thyme, garlic chives and mint.

CSA pick-up hours

Tuesday and Thursday 11am - 6pm

Saturday 9am - 3pm

This week in the Farm Store:

We will have all of the veggies listed in the CSA available in the farm store. In addition, we will have Happy Rich mini broccoli, green garlic, fennel, mini daikon, and basil plants. We will also continue to sell Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds eggs, and mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm.

Farm Store Hours

Tuesday-Friday 11am - 6pm

Saturday 9am - 3pm

Cold Peanut Noodles

adapted from a recipe by Parsley on GenuisKitchen.com

NOODLES

• 1 lb spaghetti, or you can use linguine
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 cup chopped scallion
• 1 cup chopped sugar snap peas
• 1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro, can use parsley

SAUCE

• 1⁄3 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1⁄4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon hot sauce, I use red pepper flakes
• sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions; drain; rinse in very cold water and drain again.
2. Place cooled noodles in a large bowl and toss with the carrots, scallions, sugar snap peas and cilantro.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until smooth.
4. Drizzle the sauce over noodles mixture; toss to coat well.
5. Serve room temp or cold.
6. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.

Roasted Beet and Avocado Salad

from Frankies Spuntino

• 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.

Beet Greens and Feta Pasta

from chowhound.com

• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds beet greens, washed, ribs removed, and coarsely chopped (about 11 cups)
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 5 ounces crumbled feta (about 3/4 cup)

 Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When shimmering, add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the beet greens and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper, remove from heat, and reserve.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water Return the pasta to the pot and place over low heat. Add the reserved pasta water and the beet green mixture, then sprinkle in the crumbled feta. Stir until thoroughly combined and heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Farm updates and CSA Week 2!

No matter how plentiful the harvest, we always breath a sigh of relief after the first week of the CSA is over. It feels like much of the spring is building up to that first week. Though many of our crew have been here since April and have become adept at seeding, planting, weeding and cultivating, it's hard to prepare for the shift that takes place when we begin harvesting for 200+ families! Tuesday we spent all day harvesting, cleaning and stocking despite the ever growing list of crops to transplant and weed. By Wednesday, though, we were able to begin spending our afternoons catching up on all the other field and greenhouse work that needs to get accomplished. We weeded carrots, strawberries, greens, lettuce, onions and leeks; planted flowers, tomatoes, edamame, and sweet potatoes; seeded lettuce, popcorn, gourds, and a second succession of cucumbers, put the asparagus to bed until next year; and much more! We're looking forward to planting out our winter squash this week, as well as continuing to weed and cultivate.

This week in the CSA:

• Green garlic - We planted some of our smaller leftover garlic heads last fall for an early summer garlicky treat! It has a milder flavor than the cured garlic we'll be enjoying later in the season. Dice up the white part to add to stir fries, or to make garlic bread.
• Kohlrabi - This unique vegetable has a crunchy texture like radishes, but a milder flavor. You can shred it raw on top of salads, pickle it, roast it or bake it (see below for a kohlrabi casserole recipe).
• Curly kale - The first week or two of harvesting kale the leaves are particularly tender, making it a great time of year to add them to smoothies or make raw "massaged" kale salads.
• Mini daikon radish - this is a new variety for us. It's a more manageable size than the giant daikon we grow in the fall. Great for pickling!
• Salanova lettuce mix
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Salad Turnips 
• Radishes
• Red Russian Kale
• Arugula 
• Bok choi
• Fennel

CSA pick-your-own:

We hope you enjoy the pick-your-own! We welcome children into the fields but please always have an adult with younger visitors to help. Please walk in the pathways  (along the grass and down tire tracks or straw mulched pathways depending on the crop) as other areas may look like just dirt but are likely newly seeded rows!

• Strawberries! They are plentiful this week - all rows are now producing. Check the tip of the berry to be sure the tip isn't still white before you remove it from the plant. To harvest, pinch the stem just above the fruit to avoid pulling on the plant. Walk in the straw pathways and don't forget to check further down the row in case the first area has been picked more recently!
• Sugar Snap Peas - To pick, gently hold the plant in place while you snap the stem just above the pea pod. Remove the top before eating. We are picking from the rows furthest from the farm stand this week (the next plantings should be ready in the coming weeks). 
• Herbs - We have chives (the petals on the purple flowers are also edible), sage, oregano, thyme and mints available to pick in small amounts in the garden beds next to the farm stand.

 

CSA pick-up hours

Tuesday and Thursday 11am - 6pm

Saturday 9am - 3pm

This week in the Farm Store:

We will have all of the veggies listed in the CSA available in the farm store, as well as toscano kale and mustard greens. We will be picking strawberries for the farm store all week and sugar snap peas starting on Wednesday. In addition, we will have Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds eggs, and mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm.  We will also continue to sell basil plants and Sweet William flowers. 

Farm Store Hours

Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm

Saturday 9am - 3pm

 

Kohlrabi Parmesan Bake

from Food52.com

• 1bunch kohlrabi (about 3 large stems with leaves)
• 2tablespoons butter
• 2tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2cups heavy cream
• 1/3cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2cup Panco bread crumbs
• 1small onion, chopped
• Salt and frechly ground black pepper

1. Remove stalks and leaves from kohlrabi, reserving 1-2 leaves. Peel the kohlrabi and slice horizontally into ¼-inch slices. Chop the leaves, thick stems removed.
2. In a small bowl, mix together parmesan and bread crumbs. Grease the bottom and the sides of a small casserole dish with olive oil.
3. Place half of sliced kohlrabi in the casserole dish as the first layer. Sprinkle with half the onions and leaves. Season it with salt and pepper. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Pour heavy cream over the top, allowing it to seep down into the cracks.
4. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs mixture over the top. Melt butter and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Bake on 375 degree Fahrenheit pre-heated oven for 45 minutes to an hour, as oven temperatures vary.

Kale Salad with Oranges, Currants & Feta

from Boston Globe Magazine, January 13, 2013

• 2 large oranges
• 2 bunches kale, stems removed and leaves washed, spun dry, and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup crumbled feta
• 1½ tablespoons milk, or more if necessary
• Salt and black pepper
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup currants

Finely grate 2 teaspoons zest from 1 of the oranges and set aside. Cut the peel and pith off the oranges and, working over a strainer set in a bowl, cut the segments free of the membranes and reserve; discard the membranes. Place the kale in a large salad bowl and set aside.

In a blender or food processor, process the orange zest, vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, ⅓cup feta, milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper to a smooth puree. With the motor running, very slowly add the oil and process briefly until dressing is thick and emulsified; you should have about 2/3 cup. (If the dressing seems too thick to coat the kale leaves, add more milk about 1½ teaspoons at a time to adjust consistency.) Add the dressing to the kale and, with your hands, mix the salad thoroughly until all the kale is coated. Rest the salad to allow the kale to soften slightly, about 30 minutes.

Farm updates and CSA week 1!

This week the crew planted over 2,000 pepper plants in just one afternoon! The last week of May was a planting frenzy that ended with peppers, eggplant, lettuce, cucumbers, and husk cherries all out of the greenhouse and into the ground.  Most of our time not spent harvesting or planting was used to cultivate, hoe and hand weed to be sure that our crops have the sunlight and nutrients they need to grow. This week we will try to keep up the weeding and planting momentum while also harvesting for the CSA and farm store! A note about the harvest: While our vegetables often look clean, you should definitely wash at home before eating. There is a lot of pollen on the farm this week so even rinsing off strawberries is a good idea, especially if you have seasonal allergies!  Flower CSA members, picking officially begins in early July when our flower field begins to bloom. We will send out an email before the flower season begins. However, if you are interested in picking the early season flowers for some of your allotted bouquets (mainly sweet william and yarrow) please contact melissa@barrettsmillfarm.com to arrange. 

This week in the CSA:

• Salanova Lettuce Mix - this cut lettuce mix is similar to mesclun, but a little crisper and will keep well in a plastic bag in your refrigerator for about a week.
• Bok Choi - Great in stir fry - see recipe below!
• Radishes - A crunchy, peppery addition to salads! They can also be lightly sauteed for a more mild flavor. 
• Scallions 
• Spinach
• Salad Turnips - Also known as hakurei, salad turnips look like white radishes but are sweet rather than spicy and free of the peppery flavor of radishes. 
• Red Russian Kale - Great raw in salads or lightly cooked. 
• Arugula - A slightly spicy salad green. It is great in sandwiches and as a pizza topping. 
• Scarlet Frills Mustard Greens - A spicy purple "green!" It can be eaten raw in salads for a spicy kick or cooked for a more mild flavor. 
• Fennel - Our fennel is smaller than the bulbs you'll often find in the grocery store but it has the same light licorice flavor.
• Baby Bok Choi - The baby version of bok choi is a different variety than our full size version and it's so sweet I like to eat it raw! It is also popular grilled. 
• Lettuce: Panisse (a variety of green oakleaf), Red and Green Leaf and the first of the Romaine and Butterhead

CSA pick-your-own:

We hope you enjoy the pick-your-own! We welcome children into the fields but please always have an adult with younger visitors to help. Please walk in the pathways  (along the grass and down tire tracks or straw mulched pathways depending on the crop) as other areas may look like just dirt but are likely newly seeded rows!

• Strawberries! The first few rows (closest to the farm stand) are the first to ripen! Pick the brightest red berries you can find. Check the tip of the berry to be sure the tip isn't still white before you remove it from the plant. To harvest, pinch the stem just above the fruit to avoid pulling on the plant. Walk in the straw pathways and don't forget to check further down the row in case the first area has been picked more recently!
• Sugar Snap Peas - You can eat the whole pod and the peas of this sweet crunch snack! To pick, gently hold the plant in place while you snap the stem just above the pea pod. Remove the top before eating. These are just starting to come in so pick the largest pods you can find to keep the small ones growing for future weeks! We are picking from the rows furthest from the farm stand this week (you'll pass future plantings of peas that do not yet have pods on them on your way out). Make sure to keep walking until you see the sign!

 

CSA pick-up hours

Tuesday and Thursday 11am - 6pm

Saturday 9am - 3pm

This week in the Farm Store:

We will have all of the veggies listed in the CSA available in the farm store. We will be picking strawberries for the farm store all week and sugar snap peas at the end of the week. In addition, we will have Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds eggs, and mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm.  We will also continue to sell basil plans and will be selling the first of our own Sweet William flowers of the season! 

Farm Store Hours

Tuesday-Friday 11am - 6pm

Saturday 9am - 3pm

Stir-Fried Bok Choy or Sturdy Greens

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

INGREDIENTS

• 12 to 16 ounces bok choy
• ¼ cup chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
• 1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a chef’s knife or minced
• 1 slice ginger, smashed with the flat side of a chef’s knife or minced
• Salt to taste
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 1 to 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, to taste

PREPARATION

1. If using bok choy, trim off the bottoms and separate into stalks. Rinse if necessary and drain on paper towels. Cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces.  Bring an inch of water to a boil in the bottom of a steamer, and place the bok choy or greens in the steamer basket. Steam 1 minute, remove from the heat and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out excess water and drain on a kitchen towel.

2. Combine the broth or water, rice wine or sherry, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl and place within arm’s reach of your pan. Have the remaining ingredients measured out and near the pan.

3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan, then add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 10 seconds, until fragrant. Add the bok choy or greens, sprinkle with salt and the sugar, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Stir the cornstarch mixture and swirl into the wok, then stir-fry 1 minute, or until the greens are just tender. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Remove from the heat and serve.

Roast Chicken With Fennel

MARK BITTMAN

INGREDIENTS

• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
• 2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 whole (about 3-pound) chicken, cut up, or about 3 pounds drumsticks and thighs
•  Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
•  Lemon wedges

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle bottom of shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with about half the olive oil and cover it with a layer of the fennel. Overlap pieces if necessary but use whole pan. Drizzle remaining oil over fennel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut up chicken if necessary and sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Top fennel with the chicken parts, skin side up. Ideally, you'll have a layer of fennel pretty much covered by a layer of chicken, but it's fine if some of the fennel roasts uncovered. Spoon some of the oil from bottom of pan over chicken. If there is not enough, drizzle additional olive oil over the chicken. Roast about 15 minutes, then baste chicken with pan drippings and rotate the pan. If necessary, adjust oven temperature so chicken browns but does not burn.
3. The chicken will be done in about 30 minutes. Serve each piece with some fennel and a little of the pan juices spooned over, garnished with parsley and a lemon wedge.

Farm store and CSA orientations this week!

There is more and more activity on the farm each day, and more vegetables! This week the farm store will be open inside the stand and staffed. Our veggie lists continues to grow and will include the first few pints of strawberries of the season! Hours will be the same: Tuesday thru Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. Come by and introduce yourselves to Jacob and Sophie who have been helping out in the fields this spring and will each be in the farm store a few days a week this season! If you catch the timing right you'll also see Alexis back helping out part time in the farm store (yay!) and Molly will be returning in just a couple of weeks (yay again!).  For those of you with Barrett's Bucks we will now have the record keeping binder in the farm store. The shopkeepers will tally your items and deduct each purchase from your balance, all you need to do is initial the purchase and you are all set until next time! 

We are also gearing up for the start of the CSA June 5th! We will be hosting CSA orientations Thursday, May 31 from 2pm-3:30pm and  Saturday, June 2 from 9am-10:30am.  Orientation talks will begin every half hour (2, 2:30, 3 and 9, 9:30, 10) and will last 10-15 minutes. Stop by to meet your farmers and talk with us about how the 2018 CSA works!  New and returning members are welcome. All members will receive a copy of the updated 2018 CSA Guide and new members will also receive their CSA bag. Any questions about orientation or your CSA membership email Melissa at melissa@barrettsmillfarm.com. 

In the Farm Store this week:

• Asparagus
• Spinach
• Bok choy
• Arugula
• Red Russian Kale
• Radishes
• A limited supply of strawberries!
• Microgreens
• Basil and Parsley plants
• Mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm
• Eggs from Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds

Spinach Pesto

from chow.com

•  8 ounces baby spinach

•  3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

•  2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

•  1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce), plus more for serving

•  Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)

•  1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 medium lemon)

•  1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

•  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

•  1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place half of the spinach and all of the pine nuts and garlic in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Pulse, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, until coarsely chopped, Add the remaining spinach and pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper and process until combined, about 30 seconds. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil and process until a smooth paste forms, about 30 seconds. Serve on top of pasta (or whatever else sounds good to you!).