2025 Barrett's Bucks sign-ups now open!

2025 Barrett’s Bucks are now available! As a Barrett’s Bucks member, you purchase credit before the season, and then use it throughout the regular season to purchase whatever you like in the farm stand, including items that we buy in from other local farms. Barrett’s Bucks may be used from April until October 25th, 2025 (funds cannot be used for winter pop-ups or be carried into the next season). You may choose the amount of your Barrett's Bucks credit, and the minimum purchase is $250.

Barrett’s Bucks are a great option if you would like to support the farm with a pre-season investment, but the CSA is not right for you. While a CSA membership is the best value for many people, Bucks are great for anyone who doesn’t want to do pick-your-own or who would frequently like to purchase items that are not available in the Vegetable CSA, like eggs, honey, mushrooms or flower arrangements. It is also perfect for folks who eat smaller quantities of vegetables, or whose vegetable consumption varies a lot week to week. On the other hand, if in the past you’ve felt like the CSA is a little too big for you, but you like the pick-your-own and community aspect of the CSA, be sure to check out our new Small size CSA options: https://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/csa.

Because preseason investments are really important for the health of the farm business, as a thank-you, members who sign up for Barrett’s Bucks before April 1st, 2025 will receive a 7% bonus credit!

To sign up visit:

https://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store

January 11th Farm Store Pop-up 10am-Noon!

This week we will have our first ever January Farm Store Pop-up! We will be in the greenhouse attached to the farm stand Saturday, January 11th, 10am - noon with freshly harvested spinach, kale and mizuna for sale along with sweet stored carrots, cabbage, popcorn and more! In addition to our produce we are excited to be offering heirloom apples from Scott Farm in Vermont and organic applesauce from Long Run Orchard in Boxborough, MA. See below for a complete list of what we have available. We will be accepting credit cards, cash, checks and SNAP EBT cards. We hope to see you Saturday to celebrate an extended season of local eating with our first sale of 2025!

Available at the Pop-up:

All produce is grown here and certified organic unless otherwise noted

• Spinach

• Curly kale - limited quantities

• Mizuna

• Kale mix - limited quantities

• Autumn Frost squash - limited quantities

• Carrots

• Popcorn (on the cob)

• Radishes - mini daikon and watermelon radishes

• Turnips

• Cabbage (green and purple)

• Hot sauce - Made by Eastern Mass. Provisions from our own habañeros, cayenne, aji rico, fresno peppers and garlic!

• Mushrooms - Farmer’s Mix and shiitake grown by Fat Moon Farm in Westford, MA. Certified organic.

• Apples - Heirloom varieities Northern Spy and Roxbury Russet from Scott Farm in Dummerston, VT. Eco- certified, not Certified Organic.

• Applesauce - Made with Grimes Golden apples grown by Ed at Long Run Produce in Boxborough, MA and processed in Greenfield, MA. It’s the smoothest applesauce we’ve ever tasted! Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans -Cannellini, Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry and Light Red Kidney. All are Certified Organic. Grown in South Berwick, Maine.

• Honey from Double B (from hives on the property). Not organic.

• Raspberry vinegar from Silferleaf Farm in Concord. Certified Organic.

Perfect Stovetop Popcorn

by Cookieandkate

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil

• ½ cup popcorn kernels, divided

• Salt, to taste

Instructions

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the oil and 2 popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and wait for the kernels to pop, which might take a few minutes. In the meantime, place a large serving bowl near the stove so it’s ready when you need it.

1. Once the kernels pop, turn off the burner, remove the pot from the heat and pour in the remaining popcorn kernels. Cover the pot again, and give the pot a little shimmy to distribute the kernels evenly. Let the pot rest for 60 seconds to make sure the oil doesn’t get too hot before the kernels are ready to pop.

2. Turn the heat back up to medium, put the pot back onto the burner and continue cooking the popcorn, carefully shimmying the pot occasionally to cook the kernels evenly. Once the kernels start popping, tip the lid just a touch to allow steam to escape (see photo).

3. Continue cooking until the popping sound slows to about one pop per every few seconds. (If the popcorn tries to overflow the pot, just tip the upper portion of popcorn into your bowl and return it to the heat.)

4. Remove the lid and dump the popcorn into your serving bowl. Sprinkle the popcorn with a couple pinches of salt, to taste, and any other topping you would like. Toss the popcorn and serve immediately, for best flavor and texture. The popcorn will taste good for several hours, though.

For more tips and seasoning suggestions visit: https://cookieandkate.com/perfect-stovetop-popcorn-recipe

Mark Bittman’s Spicy No-Mayo Coleslaw

from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, or to taste

• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, or freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 small clove garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chile, like jalapeño, Thai, serrano, or habanero, or to taste (optional)

• 1/4 cup peanut oil or extra virgin olive oil

• 6 cups cored and shredded Napa, Savoy, green, and/or red cabbage

• 1 large red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced or shredded

• 1/3 cup chopped scallion, more or less

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions:

1. To make the dressing, whisk together the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl, along with the garlic and chile. Add the oil a little at a time, whisking all the while.

2. Combine the cabbage, bell pepper, and scallion and toss with the dressing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve. (It's best to let the slaw rest for an hour or so to allow the flavors to mellow; the cabbage will also soften a bit and exude some juice. You can let it sit longer, up to 24 hours, if you like. Drain the slaw before continuing.) Just before serving, toss with the parsley.

Cabbage and Carrot Slaw, Mexican Style. Grate 2 medium carrots and use them instead of the bell pepper. Use freshly squeezed lime juice in place of the vinegar. Finish with cilantro if you like instead of the parsley.

Apple Slaw. Use carrots instead of bell pepper, as in the preceding variation. Use 1 medium onion, grated, in place of the scallion. Shred or grate 2 medium or 1 large Granny Smith apples (or use any tart, crisp apple) and include them in the mix. Lemon juice or cider vinegar is the best choice of acid here.

Pop-up Sale this Saturday!

We’re having one more farm stand pop-up before the end of the year this Saturday, December 14th from 10am - 1pm. We will be set up in the greenhouse attached to the farm stand (enter through the main farm stand doors).

With the exception of the greens and scallions, everything should keep for several weeks in your refrigerator or pantry, so if you are planning some big holiday meals, the squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots and more should be good to go! For info on how to make those storage crops last, check out our storage tips!

Available at the Pop-up:

All produce is grown here and certified organic unless otherwise noted

• Sweet potatoes

• Yellow potatoes - 3lb bags. From Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified Organic. Limited quantities.

• Tetsukabuto squash

• Autumn Frost squash

• Butternut squash

• Pie pumpkins

• Carrots - 3lb bags.

• Beets - 3lb bags. From Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified Organic.

• Leeks

• Scallions

• Popcorn (on the cob) - 2 lb bags

• Mini Daikon - 3lb bags.

• Watermelon radishes - 3 lb bags.

• Turnips - 3lb bags.

• Cabbage (green and purple)

• Curly kale - Limited quantities.

• Spinach - Limited quantities.

• Salanova lettuce mix

• Mizuna

• Hot sauce - Made by Eastern Mass. Provisions from our own habañeros, cayenne, aji rico, fresno peppers and garlic!

• Honey from Double B (from hives on the property). Not organic.

• Mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm - Farmer’s Mix 8oz. Certified organic.

• Raspberry vinegar from Silferleaf Farm in Concord. Certified Organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - 1 pound bags. Grown in South Berwick, Maine. Cannellini (NEW!), Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry and Light Red Kidney. All are Certified Organic.

Roasted Gochujang Cabbage

by Ali Slagle from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• ¼ cup grapeseed or vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons gochujang

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated

• 1 medium green cabbage (2½ to 3 pounds)

• Salt

• ¼ cup roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Place the sheet pan in the oven, then heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the oil, gochujang, sugar and garlic; it’s OK if the mixture isn’t completely blended.

2. Quarter the cabbage through the core and cut out the core. Slice each wedge crosswise into 1½-inch-thick strips. Add to the bowl, separating the leaves as you go. Sprinkle generously with salt, then toss and squeeze with your hands until evenly coated and slightly wilted. Remove the heated sheet pan from the oven, carefully line it with parchment paper, then spread the cabbage onto the pan in an even layer. (It will be crowded.) Roast without stirring until tender and charred on top, 40 to 50 minutes. Top with the peanuts and scallions.

Italian White Bean Soup

from Ciao Florentina

Ingredients

• 3 cups dry cannellini beans

• 1 leek or yellow onion diced

• 1 carrot chopped

• 1 celery stalk chopped

• 7 cloves garlic chopped

• 1 sprig rosemary

• 1 sprig sage

• 1 bay leaves

• 8 cups water or vegetable stock

• 1.5 tsp smoked applewood sea salt (or liquid smoke)

• 1 -2 Tbsp Nutritional yeast (optional)

• bread + garlic for bruschetta

Instructions

1. Rinse and pick the beans then cover them with water and soak for 6 hours or overnight. Drain. If using Baer’s Best beans, there is no need to pre-soak. Se their website for tips on cooking their beans: https://www.baersbest.com/2022/12/10/how-to-cook-the-beans/

2. In a large heavy bottom pot heat up a good glug of olive oil and saute the leek (or onion) with the carrot and celery until they begin to soften.

3. Quickly stir in the chopped garlic and cook for a few seconds just until fragrant then add the soaked beans.

4. Pour in the water and bring to a constant simmer. Add the bay, sage and rosemary, cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes or until the beans are soft and tender to your liking.

5. Check the beans half way through cooking and see if you might need to add extra water if they are absorbing lots of liquid.

6. Once your beans are perfectly cooked remove from heat, stir in the nutritional yeast and season to taste with the smoked sea salt.

7. Meanwhile grill the bread on both sides until nice dark char marks form. Rub each slice on both sides with a garlic clove, lightly brush with some olive oil and finish with sea salt.

8. Ladle the soup into bowls and tear chunks of the garlic bruschetta over the top. Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil on top and enjoy.

Bean Soup With Cabbage, Winter Squash and Farro

By Martha Rose Shulman from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• ½ pound borlotti (Italian cranberry beans)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 medium carrot, chopped

• 1 small celery stalk, with leaves, chopped

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

• 4 large garlic cloves, minced

• 1 pound green cabbage, cored and shredded

• Salt

• freshly ground pepper

• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)

• A bouquet garni made with a few sprigs each thyme and parsley, 2 sage leaves and a Parmesan rind

• Generous ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

• 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

• ½ cup farro (spelt), cooked

• Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Cook the onion until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the carrot, celery and sage, and continue to cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about five minutes. Add half the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute. Add the cabbage and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, until the cabbage is limp, about 10 minutes. Drain the soaked beans, and add them to the pot, along with the squash, bouquet garni and 2 quarts water, or enough to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, add salt to taste and simmer 1½ to 2 hours until the beans are tender. Remove the bouquet garni, and discard.

2. While the soup is simmering, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in a medium-size nonstick skillet. Add the remaining garlic and the rosemary. Cook for a half-minute to a minute until fragrant, and stir in the tomatoes. Add salt. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is thick, beginning to stick to the pan and delicious. Stir into the soup along with the cooked farro. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, and add lots of freshly ground pepper. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Tip

• Advance preparation: The farro can be cooked three days ahead. The finished soup keeps well and gets even better over two or three days.

2025 PYO Flower CSA shares now available!

If you are dreaming of summer on this frigid December day, why not start making some summer plans with a PYO Flower share? Join our PYO Flower CSA yourself, or give a PYO Flower membership as a holiday gift for a flower lover in your life! One mason quart jar will be provided for each PYO Flower Membership (jars fit 15-40 stems depending on what varieties you choose). You can pick anytime during farm stand hours, and you can pick as many bouquets as you like per visit until you reach a total of 6 bouquets for the season. Picking is available mid-July until the first frost, but generally the bloom quality is at it’s height late July thru August! We grow a wide assortment of colors and varieties, including: ageratum, amaranth, ammi, celosia, cosmos, gomphrena, rudbeckia, scabiosa, snapdragons, strawflower, sunflowers, sweet Annie, verbena, and zinnias.

Veggie CSA memberships are also available, and we plan to also open up Barrett’s Bucks memberships and Spring Mushroom CSA sign-ups later this winter, so stay tuned!

To sign up, visit our online store:

https://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store

Pre-order greens for this Saturday!

We have some lovely greens from our high tunnel that you can pre-order for pick-up on our farm stand porch Saturday, December 7th from 11am until 3pm! Ordering opens Tuesday, December 3rd at 6pm and closes Thursday, December 5th at noon. There will be no walk-up sales this Saturday, but we are planning another pop-up sale for Saturday December 14th with storage crops, fresh greens, mushrooms, hot sauce and more available for walk-up sales!

Available to pre-order (for pick up Saturday December 7th):

• Salanova lettuce mix

• Spinach

• Mizuna

• Baby kale mix

• Kale bunches

• Scallions

Please note that with the water shut off for the season, these fresh items will not have gotten a dunk in our wash sinks. We always recommend washing our produce at home anyway, but you may want to give these items a second rinse!

To place your order, visit our store on Open Food Network:

https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop_panel

15-Minute Miso Soup with Mizuna

from Yup, It’s Vegan

Ingredients

• 8 cups water

• 2 strips dried kombu (3.5" strips / about 7g total)

• 4 tbsp dried wakame seaweed (about 7g total)

• 8 oz mizuna cut into bite-sized pieces

• 14 oz silken tofu drained and crumbled or sliced into pieces

• 1 small bunch scallions chopped

• 4 tbsp miso

Instructions

Add the water and kombu to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove the kombu and save it for another use, or discard it.

While the kombu is cooking, soak the dried wakame seaweed in a bowl with cold water for 5-10 minutes. (It will expand quite a bit, so use a large bowl.) Drain the wakame and squeeze it to remove excess liquid.

Add the rehydrated wakame, mizuna, silken tofu, and scallions to the pot. Simmer for about 5 minutes more, or until the mizuna becomes more tender and mild. Turn off the heat.

Scoop out a few tablespoons of the soup into a bowl, and stir the miso into the liquid until evenly combined. Transfer this mixture back into the soup pot and stir it in. Serve right away.