Farm updates, 2019 Sign-ups and CSA week 19

We are never sure what our sweet potatoes look like under all those vines and plastic mulch before we start to dig them up! After a successful small trial of sweet potatoes for the Late Fall CSA last year we ramped up our planting and were happy to find a bountiful harvest when we started digging last week. We can’t help but show off particularly large or funny shaped sweeties as we harvest - more than one has been used for a “telephone call” as we spend hours digging with trowels hunting for the cluster of potatoes beneath each plant. After harvest the sweet potatoes are stored in our greenhouse and kept at a high temperature (ideally around 80 degrees) to cure. They aren’t sweet yet but after a week in hot humid conditions the starches will turn to sugars and they should be sweet and tasty! We are finishing the sweet potato harvest this week while the first batch cures and we will have sweet potatoes in the Main Season CSA next week as well as in the Late Fall CSA. If you’re not sure if you’ve signed up for our Late Fall CSA ask the shopkeeper this week. We will have it noted on the CSA check-in sheet.

We will also have renewal forms in the farm stand for pick up this week! We are looking forward to the 2019 season - it will be our sixth year here at the farm! Be sure to read the accompanying letter for details about the CSA options for next year. We’ll have Barrett’s Bucks forms for 2019 available in the stand this week, and sign ups for both the CSA and Bucks are also available online! You can also read descriptions of the CSA Options online. Next week is the last week of the Main Season CSA (last pick up day is October 20th).

This week in the CSA:

• Shallots - Shallots are related to onions but are sweeter with a bit of garlic flavor. This makes them great diced into salad dressings or cooked. Transitional.

• Brussels sprouts - We harvest the entire stalk of the plant. When you get home remove each sprout from the stem to store in a bag in the fridge.

• Peter Wilcox potatoes - These purple skinned potatoes are one of our favorites! The flesh is yellow on the inside and they store well.

• Spinach

• Pie pumpkins - Transitional.

• Butternut squash - Transitional.

• Decorative gourds - Just for fun, not for eating! Transitional.

• Broccoli or Eggplant

• Cabbage - Tendersweet and savoy.

• Peppers - Likely the last of the peppers as a frost is predicted this coming weekend.

• Acorn squash - Transitional.

• Leeks - Transitional.

• Garlic

• Carrots

• Salanova

• Arugula

CSA Pick-your-own:

• Herbs - cilantro, thyme, chives

• Husk Cherries

• Tomatillos

• Hot peppers

In the farm store:

We will have most of the veggies listed in the CSA available as well as buttercup squash, delicata, kale, onions and decorative corn stalks. We won’t have corn anymore this season, but we do now have jack-o-lanterns from Verrill Farm. We’ve also got mushrooms from Fat Moon, honey from Double B (produced by bees right here on the property!), and Silferleaf Farm’s raspberry jam and raspberry infused vinegar. Eggs from Pete and Jen’s are back in stock and we now have organic cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm in Carver, MA.

ONE-PAN ROASTED CHICKEN AND POTATOES WITH LEEKS AND ARUGULA

adapted from a recipe by Melissa Clark, NY Times Cooking

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs

• 1 1/4 lb potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1-2 tablespoons sriracha or harissa (depending on desired heat)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2 medium leeks, chopped (white and light green parts only)

• Zest of 1 lemon, divided

• 1/3 cup plain yogurt

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 cups arugula

• 2 teaspoons dried dill

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, sriracha or harissa, and cumin. Add the chicken thighs and potatoes and toss to coat. Spread on the prepared sheet pan in a single layer. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, toss the chopped leeks with half of the lemon zest and some salt and pepper. Remove the chicken and potatoes from the oven and toss the potatoes lightly. Top with the leeks. Roast for an additional 25-35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chicken thigh registers 155 degrees F.

4. While the chicken and potatoes are roasting, prepare the yogurt sauce. Place the yogurt in a small bowl. Grate the garlic clove over the yogurt. Add the remaining lemon zest and the lemon juice. Season lightly with salt. Stir to combine.

5. Serve the roasted chicken and potatoes with the arugula, yogurt sauce and fresh dill.

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta

by Jenn Laughlin from Peas & Crayons

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled + chopped

• a hearty drizzle of olive oil (1-2 TBSP)

• salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste

• 1-2 cups fresh cranberries (to taste!)

• 2-3 TBSP honey (or extra, to taste)

• 1/4 cup finely crumbled feta

• ground cinnamon, to taste 

• fresh or dried parsley, to garnish, optional

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly drizzle or spritz a baking sheet with olive oil. Add cubed squash to the sheet along with another drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle with a light layer of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, based on taste preference. Roast at 400 F for 25 minutes on the center rack. At the 25 minute mark, pull out the oven rack, and add your fresh cranberries to the roasting pan. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries have started to soften and burst a bit, resembling really juicy craisins. Remove from oven and add a sprinkle of cinnamon (approx. 1/8-1/4 tsp depending on preference) along with feta and honey (sweeten to taste). Garnish with parsley for a burst of color and dig in while it's hot!

Farm updates and CSA week 18

Happy October! This past week it felt like we turned a corner on our to-do list. We have been laser-focused on addressing immediate needs for the current season, but last week it felt like we were finally able to carve out some time to prepare fields for next season. After bringing in the last bulk squash crate (an experimental crop of Honeynut squash, as well as decorative gourds), we mowed in the winter squash field and some older greens plantings, pulled up plastic mulch and drip tape, disked in crop debris and seeded 3 acres of Austrian winter peas and barley for cover crop. It always seems funny to tell people that as vegetable farmers, some of our favorite sights are mowed in crops and cleanly tilled fields, but for us it feels great to start fresh after a tough season (that’s one constant in farming - every season is a little tough, but always for different reasons!). Clean fields mean that we can seed cover crops, which are an important investment we make every year in the health of our soil. We may arrive in the fall feeling a little weary, but cleaning up the field and filling them with nutrient-replenishing cover crops fills us with optimism for the next year.

Speaking of next year, we are planning to have CSA renewal forms ready next week! After this week, there are 2 weeks left in the Main Season CSA, and then another 4 weeks of veggies for the Late Fall CSA.

This week in the CSA:

• Pie pumpkins - Also known as sugar pumpkins, you can use these for pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup and more. Cut in half, scoop out the seeds and roast until you can easily stick a fork through it. Scrape out the cooked pumpkin flesh, puree, and use just like you would canned pumpkin.

• Butternut squash - This classic fall squash is sweet and versatile. Great in curries, soups and risottos. We love to add it to chilli.

• Decorative gourds - We grow two gourd mixes (Autumn Wings and Daisy), as well as mini orange and white pumpkins. Not for eating, but the are great for decorating your table!

• Broccoli or Eggplant - Our broccoli has suffered from Alternaria this year, which has dramatically reduced yields and caused cosmetic damage to the broccoli heads. This is a disease that likes humid weather and is spread by rain - two things we’ve had plenty of! We have a second succession of broccoli that might not be as badly affected, but supply from our current planting is limited. Since we also have a limited supply of eggplant, we will be offering a choice between the two this week (after two seasons of eggplant bumper crops, this year was a bit of a dud, likely due to blossom drop in the extreme heat this summer).

• Cabbage

• Kale

• Potatoes

• Peppers

• Delicata squash

• Acorn squash

• Leeks

• Onions

• Garlic

• Carrots

• Salanova

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-your-own:

• Herbs - cilantro, thyme, chives, basil

• We may still have a limited supply of cherry tomatoes, tomatillos and husk cherries for picking this week, but the pick-your-own component of the CSA is mostly done for the season

In the farm store:

We will have most of the veggies listed in the CSA available as well as red kuri squash, buttercup squash, beets and decorative corn stalks. We won’t have corn anymore this season, but we do now have jack-o-lanterns from Verrill Farm. We’ve also got mushrooms from Fat Moon, honey from Double B (produced by bees right here on the property!), and Silferleaf Farm’s raspberry jam and raspberry infused vinegar. Hopefully we’ll have more eggs from Pete and Jen’s back in stock later this week. Finally, we’ll be getting organic cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm in Carver, MA at the end of the week!

Pumpkin Mushroom Soup

• ½ Pound Mushrooms

• ½ Cup chopped Onions

• Butter or Oil

• 2 Tablespoons Flour

• 1 Teaspoon Curry Powder

• 3 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

• 1 Pound of cooked Pumpkin

• 1 Tablespoon Honey

• 2 Tablespoons Dash of Nutmeg

• Salt and Pepper to Taste

• 1 Cup Evaporated Milk

Sauté mushrooms and onions in the butter (or oil). Add flour and curry powder and stir. Slowly add the broth and stir. Add pumpkin, honey and spices. Stir and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add evaporated milk. (Do not allow to boil after milk has been added.)

Quiche Lorraine

from Smitten Kitchen

1 3/4 cups diced leeks, white and light green only
3/4 cup diced onion
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Salt
6 tablespoons butter, diced
4 eggs, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch pepper
1 1/2 cups diced ham (1/4 -inch dice; I used about 1/2 pound)
3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese

1. Heat a large sauté pan over low heat. Sauté the leeks and onions in the olive oil 30 to 40 minutes until caramelized, occasionally stirring. Remove from heat and cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and one-fourth teaspoon salt. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender, fork or two knives until it is in very tiny bits. Add one egg (a fork works great for this) and mix it until a dough forms. (Dough can also be made in a food processor, or in theory, and as the original recipe suggests, in a stand mixer.)

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie plate (I used an 8-inch deep tart pan, though ended up with extra filling) and press to remove any air bubbles. Crimp the edges, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. While the quiche shell chills, mix the heavy cream and sour cream in a medium bowl. Whisk in the remaining three eggs. Add a pinch each nutmeg, salt and pepper and combine to form a batter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

5. Remove the quiche shell from the refrigerator and spread the leek and onion mixture evenly over the base. Sprinkle the ham and then the cheese over the leeks and onions. Pour in the batter and place the quiche in the oven.

6. Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 to 30 minutes (a deeper pan, such as the one I used, will require extra baking time). Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Farm updates and Main Season CSA week 17 of 20

Happy Fall! The official change of the season is evident in the fields this week. We are bringing in the last of the winter squash, the tomatoes have dwindled, and we are getting ready to dig sweet potatoes! The Main Season CSA is in it’s 17th week out of 20 weeks so there are 4 weeks left including this one to enjoy the fall harvest! The last Main Season pick up will be October 20th and then the Late Fall CSA will begin October 25th for those who have signed up. The farm store will continue to be open regular hours until October 27th. Between harvests we will be cleaning up fields no longer in use. This means pulling up plastic, rolling up landscape fabric, and taking down some extra fences in order to disk in plant debris. We like to get this done as soon as possible so that we can prep the fields to seed cover crop. The earlier we can plant our peas, barley, and rye the more it will grow this fall, and therefore the more protection it will provide for the soil over the winter months. That soil protection is particularly important during severe rainstorms (which we have had pretty frequently lately!) because it prevents our precious topsoil from eroding.

Melissa and a junior helper check the rain gauge after last Tuesday’s storm - 2.5 inches!

This week in the CSA:

• Delicata and Honey Boat Squash - These sweet squash have edible skin and are easy to slice up for quick baking. Transitional.

• Acorn squash - This is a great squash to stuff with a grain, veggies or sausage (see the recipe below for one idea!). Transitional.

• Scallions - Transitional.

• Carrots

• Beets

• Cabbage - Tendersweet and Savoy

• Potatoes - King Harry or Kennebec (both are white storage potatoes). Transitional.

• Onions - Transitional.

• Garlic

• Peppers

• Winter Squash including: Red Kuri, Buttercup, and Spaghetti (all winter squash was grown in our Transitional field this year).

• Kale

• Salanova

• Lettuce

• Arugula

CSA Pick-your-own:

• Green beans

• Last of the summer picking, members will have a choice of cherry tomatoes, husk cherries or tomatillos

• Herbs - cilantro, basil, thyme, oregano.

• Hot peppers - Serrano and Fresno have the most.

In the farm store:

We will have most of the veggies listed in the CSA available as well as tomatoes, spinach, butternut squash, and broccoli. We will also have corn from Verrill (this will be the last week), honey from Double B honey (produced by bees right here on the property!), and eggs from Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds. We are hoping to have raspberries again from Silferleaf Farm but if we don’t, we will still have their delicious raspberry jam and raspberry infused vinegar, which is fantastic on salads!

PYO Flowers:

The flowers will last until we have a frost so if you have bouquets left to pick now is the time! Flowers in bloom right now include zinnias, amaranth, orlaya, Sweet Annie, bachelors button, celosia, statice, verbena, cosmos, gomphrena, ammi, torch, and more.

Potato Pie

Original recipe source unknown, but it has been a favorite in Lise’s family for years!

• 1 10-inch unbaked pastry shell

• 1 pound cottage cheese

• 2 cups mashed potatoes (about 3 large potatoes)

• ½ cup scallions, sliced    

• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

• ½ cup sour cream

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Put the cottage cheese through a food processor to make it smooth. Beat the mashed potatoes into the cottage cheese. Beat in the sour cream, eggs, salt and cayenne. Stir in the scallions. Spoon into pastry shell. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 425 for 50 minutes until golden brown.

Acorn Squash with Kale and Sausage

adapted from Self, November 2013

• 2 medium acorn squash, halved down the middle, seeds removed

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Olive oil cooking spray

• 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

• 8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

• 1 large leek or 1 bunch scallions, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 4 cups tightly packed torn kale

• 1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan

• 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

Heat oven to 375°. Cut a thin slice off round side of each squash half to create a stable base. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; coat with cooking spray. Place squash flesh side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil; bake until golden and tender, 30 minutes. Remove from oven; flip squash and set aside. Heat broiler. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon oil. Add sausage; cook, breaking into coarse pieces, until brown, 6 minutes; transfer to a bowl. To same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and leek; cook until leek is soft, 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, 30 seconds. Add kale and toss; add broth. Cover and cook until kale is tender, 5 minutes; stir in sausage. Divide kale-sausage filling among squash. In a bowl, combine walnuts, Parmesan and panko; sprinkle evenly over squash bowls and coat with cooking spray. Broil until panko is golden, 2 minutes.

Stone Soup Dinner, Farm Passports and CSA Week 16

The end of this week marks the beginning of fall, and the crop selection this week reflects that: carrots, cabbage, spinach and potatoes are making a return, while summer crops like tomatoes and zucchini are on their way out. (Tuesday’s predicted rains will likely finish off the plants, which were already on the decline after the 3 inches of rain we received last week!) One of the bonuses of fall is that each week’s to-do list steadily gets smaller. Unfortunately, the crew size also gets smaller, so for the first several weeks in September it still feels like we are moving at the same frenetic pace of summer! We are lucky that our full-season crew members happen to be so great - they even came in Monday afternoon (normally their day off) to help us bring in a few more crates of squash before Tuesday’s rain! Our fabulous field crew has also been helping out with coverage in the store this fall. It’s always really fun for us to be able to catch up with all the members and customers we have missed all summer, but of course the flip side is that we then have fewer people in the field to weed those last beds of beets and carrots, harvest the last bins of squash, or clean out plastic mulch and landscape fabric so that we can seed cover crops!

Still, in spite of the challenges to get everything done, fall is our favorite time of year. This week, there are a couple of great ways to celebrate the season. On Sunday, September 23rd, the annual Stone Soup Dinner is being held at Verrill Farm. You can sample the season’s bounty from Concord’s farms, all prepared by Concord’s chefs. Proceeds from the event go toward supporting Concord’s farmers through grants, publicity and a farmland acquisition fund. We were very lucky to receive a grant from Stone Soup at a really crucial time for the business several years ago, which we used toward our first cultivation equipment purchase - our beloved basket weeder! Tickets for the event are $40 and are available at our farm stand, as well as Marshall Farm, Hutchins Farm and Verrill Farm.

Also available this week at our farm stand are Concord farm passports! If you get your passport stamped at six or more of Concord’s farm stands by this Sunday’s Stone Soup Dinner, you can get a chance to win $50 worth of Concord Farm Bucks.

This week in the CSA:

• Carrots - our first 2 carrot planting struggled to germinate in the summer heat, and were then washed out by several downpours. The later plantings are finally ready and they look great!

• Cabbage - Tendersweet, which is a green cabbage that has - you guessed it - both tender texture and sweet (for a cabbage) flavor!

• Spinach - spinach is back this week!

• Buttercup squash - similar texture to Red Kuri, and like Red Kuri, the skin is also edible. Any easy way to prepare it is to cut in half, scoop out the seeds, and slice into 1/2” thick wedges to roast on a baking sheet with olive oil. Transitional.

• Potatoes - We are now harvesting King Harry, which is a white potato with some amazing insect repelling qualities. It is cross-bred with a wild potato to produce leaves with sticky hairs that deter potato beetles and leafhoppers! It’s our first year growing this variety and I think we will be growing more of it next year! Transitional.

• Onions - Transitional.

• Tomatoes - probably the last week in the CSA.

• Eggplant

• Peppers

• Red Kuri squash - Transitional.

• Spaghetti squash - Transitional.

• Kale

• Salanova

• Lettuce

• Arugula

CSA Pick-your-own:

Reminder: in the event of lightning storms, we close PYO fields for the safety of members. If we need to close PYO fields on Tuesday due to the weather, we will likely offer alternative picking hours on Wednesday.

• Green beans

• Husk cherries

• Herbs - cilantro, basil, thyme, oregano.

• As of now cherry tomatoes are still alive, but we’ll see whether they last through the week, especially after Tuesday’s storm.

In the farm store:

We will have most of the veggies listed in the CSA available, as well as corn from Verrill, honey from Double B honey (produced by bees right here on the property!), and eggs from Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds. We are hoping to have raspberries again from Silferleaf Farm, but with the heavy rain forecast, it doesn’t look promising. We will still have their delicious raspberry jam and raspberry infused vinegar, which is fantastic on salads! Also, don’t forget to grab a farm passport and get it stamped while you are here!

PYO Flowers:

Flowers in bloom right now include zinnias, amaranth, orlaya, Sweet Annie, bachelors button, celosia, statice, verbena, cosmos, gomphrena, ammi, torch, and more.

Kale, Cabbage & Carrot Salad With Creamy Caper Dressing

• 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)

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. Whisk in capers, pickling liquid, garlic and lemon juice. Season with salt to taste and snipped chives, if using. 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.

Farm updates and CSA week 15

 I like a week when we have a lot of “thank you’s” to do because it means we’ve had a lot of people in the mix! This week, with the addition of the Ag Day farmers’ market to a busy Saturday at the farm, we needed all the help we could get! The crew did a fantastic job holding down the fort at the farm, harvesting, stocking, and generally doing everything needed to keep the CSA and farm store running smoothly! The gigantic pile of bins they washed at the end of the day deserves mention (and a photo I regret not taking)! Lise’s dad loaned us his car for the Ag day market so we could transport everything, Jane worked at the farmers’ market helping out customers, Melissa’s brother delivered extra sunflowers from the farm to the market, Lise’s husband Matt brought us lunch, and Gretta watered the greenhouse. It was great to see many of the other farmers in town at the market and enjoy a festive day celebrating agriculture in Concord. The fact that agriculture is still a vibrant industry here in town is very much thanks to you all for support us!

We are looking forward to week 15 of 20 for the Main Season CSA season! The Main Season CSA runs until October 20th. The Late Fall CSA will run October 25th - November 17th (pick ups will be Thursdays 11am-6pm and Saturdays 9am-3pm). We have a couple of spots left in the Late Fall CSA, so if you have been planning to sign up, please let us know by the end of this week! If you are unsure whether or not you are signed up for the Late Fall, email Melissa (melissa@barrettsmillfarm.com) to check. Barrett’s Bucks may be used until the close of the Farm Store October 27th.

This week in the CSA:

• Red Kuri Squash - This colorful squash has an edible skin and is great for roasting or adding to curry. It is sweet like many other winter squashes but with a drier, nuttier flesh. We find it a little tricky to grow but we keep trying because it is one of our favorites! Transitional.

• Yellow Storage Onions- These onions have been cured in our greenhouse to dry out their outer skin, allowing them to keep well outside the refrigerator (they will keep for months in a cool, dry, dark place). Transitional.

• Collards

• Leeks - Transitional.

• Garlic - This is cured garlic so even if you don’t need it this week, store it in a cool dark place and it will keep for months.

• Slicing Tomatoes

• Green peppers

• Colored peppers - All of the peppers we put in the CSA distribution area are sweet peppers. Hot peppers are in the PYO field!

• Salanova Lettuce Mix

• Spaghetti Squash - Transitional.

• Beets

• Kale

• Arugula

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-your-own:

• Green beans - A new planting is now ready just past the flower field.

• Sunflowers

• Cherry tomatoes

• Husk cherries

• Tomatillos

• Hot peppers - the fresno and ancho peppers are now open in addition to jalapenos and serranos.

• Herbs - cilantro, dill, basil, thyme, mint, oregano, sage.

In the farm store:

We will have most of the veggies listed in the CSA available, as well as bulk paste tomatoes for making sauce. We'll also have organic raspberries from Silferleaf Farm in Concord (just down the road from us!) corn from Verrill, honey from Double B honey (produced by bees right here on the property!), and eggs from Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds. 

PYO Flowers:

You don't have to be a Flower CSA member to pick  - just talk to a shopkeeper about purchasing a bouquet a la carte. Flowers in bloom right now include zinnias, calendula, amaranth, orlaya, Sweet Annie, bachelors button, celosia, statice, scabiosa, verbena, cosmos, strawflower, craspedia, gomphrena, ammi, torch, and more.

Blistered Beans With Tomato-Almond Pesto

By Chris Morocco, Bon Appétit November 2015

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes

• 1/4 cup unsalted, roasted almonds

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

• 3 teaspoons vegetable oil

• 2 pounds green beans, trimmed

Preheat oven to 450°F. Roast tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, turning once, until blistered and lightly charred, 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Finely chop almonds in a food processor. Add garlic, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, and half of tomatoes; pulse to a coarse pesto consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add half of beans; cook, undisturbed, until beginning to blister, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 7–9 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Spread beans out on a platter; let cool. Repeat with remaining vegetable oil and beans. Toss beans with pesto; season with salt and pepper if needed. Add remaining tomatoes and transfer to a platter.

Leek, Cherry Tomato and Pecorino Pizza

Adapted from Food & Wine, October 2009

• All-purpose flour, for dusting

• 1 1/2 pounds pizza dough, cut into 8 pieces

• 1/4 cup plus olive oil, plus more for brushing

• 2 large leeks, sliced 1/4 inch thick

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 32 cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1/4 pound truffled pecorino cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 500°. Heat a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes. (Alternatively, heat a large inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes.) On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough to a 7-inch round. Oil 3 large baking sheets and place the dough rounds on the sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Generously flour a pizza peel. Place a dough round on the peel and brush with olive oil. Top with some of the leeks, tomatoes and pecorino cheese. Slide the dough round onto the hot stone or baking sheet and bake for about 4 minutes, until bubbling and crisp. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve.

Winter Squash Curry

adapted from How to Cook Everythingby Mark Bittman

•   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, peeled 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 coconut milk and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 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 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.