CSA Week 12 and Farm stand updates

Tomatoes - whether it’s harvesting, binning up or sorting - take up a large chunk of every day this time of year. They could be one person’s full time job, though it’s more of a team effort here! We are harvesting from both the field and the high tunnels now, and the field tomatoes have really taken off. In the field we grow heirlooms, hybrids and “hyloom” tomato varieties. What’s the difference between these types you might ask? Here’s a little primer:

Heirlooms are open-pollinated (they are pollinated by hand, wind, insects, birds or other natural means) and will grow true to their parent plants if grown in isolation from other varieties. In addition, heirlooms must have been passed down through several generations. Hybrids, on the other hand, are are the result of crossing specific parent plants by hand to produce offspring with selected traits such as uniformity, disease resistance, productivity and enhanced flavor (it is important to note that hybrids are not genetically modified). The seeds produced by hybrid plants will not grow true to their parent. A “Hyloom” has been cross-bred from two different heirloom varieties to combine desirable traits from both, and its seeds will also not grow true to it’s parent. They maintain the great taste and funky shapes that heirlooms are known for!

Hybrids and Hylooms are particularly important on organic farms because they are typically more disease-resistant and productive than heirloom varieties, so we do grow a lot of these types (alongside some heirlooms too). Tomato season may be fleeting, but right now they are abundant and this is a great week to enjoy these productive fruits!

In the CSA this week:

• New Potatoes - Constance Gold or Dark Red Norland varieties. From MX Morningstar Farm in Hudson, NY. Certified Organic.

• Garlic - We’re now starting to take down the garlic that has been hanging in the farm stand to cure. We’ll set aside about 25% of all the heads for seed, which we’ll plant in October for next year’s garlic. This cured garlic will have a more intense flavor than the uncured garlic we had earlier. It should be stored in a cool, dark and dry space - not in the refrigerator.

• Scallions

• Colored peppers - Sweet bells and Bull’s Horn varieties.

• Heirloom and Hyloom tomatoes - We are at the peak right now, so we’ve got several recipes below in case you are tired of tomato, basil & mozzarella salads (though some of us never get tired of them!)

• Slicing tomatoes

• Green and purple peppers

• Zucchini

• Summer Squash

• Beets

• Curly Kale - It’s quite tender as it’s from our new planting!

• Arugula or Mustard greens

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Cherry tomatoes - All 15 varieties are producing! Sungold, Black Cherry, Honey Bee, White Cherry, Yellow Mini, Cherry Bomb, Jasper, Citrine, Midnight Pear, Moonbeam, Valentine, Apple Yellow, Clementine, Mountain Magic and Nova.

• Green beans - A new planting!

• Husk cherries - These faintly tropical tasting fruits in the tomato family are found inside papery husks.

• Tomatillos

• Hot peppers - Varieties include Aji Rico, Pantera (jalapeño), Hungarian Hot Wax, Red Ember (cayenne), and Hot Paper Lantern (habañero - extremely hot!).

• Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, parsley, cilantro, sage, mint, thyme, chives

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm.

In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA above, we will have:

• Cucumbers - Picklers, slicers, and a limited amount of thin-skinned.

• Chard

• Frisée

• Cherry tomatoes - Sakura variety from our high tunnel as well as mixed pints from the field

• Flowers - Mixed bouquets and dahlia bunches with eucalyptus!

• Apples - William’s Pride variety. From Ed at Long Run Produce in Boxborough, MA. Certified Organic. Limited quantities.

• Sweet corn - From Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

• Note on mushrooms: We are taking a few weeks off from mushrooms but will stock them again in the fall!

PYO Flower Field

The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking include: scabiosa, celosia, ammi, gomphrena, ageratum, strawflower, cosmos, zinnias, rudbeckia, sunflowers, verbena, fireworks gomphrena, starflower (great for drying!), decorative basil, and shiso. Please do not pick from plantings that don’t have a variety sign in front of them.

Croxetti with Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes

by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, sliced into ½-inch wedges

• ¾ cup torn fresh basil

• 3 tablespoons salt-packed capers, preferably Sicilian, rinsed and chopped if large

• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus more for sprinkling

• ¼ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 pound croxetti or other flat pasta, such as maltagliati or pappardelle, cooked until al dente

Directions

1. Heat garlic in oil in a saucepan over low heat until pale gold, about 10 minutes. Strain; reserve oil and garlic. Let cool.

2. Combine tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, the capers, lemon zest, red-pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Pour garlic oil and chips over tomato mixture. Marinate, covered, tossing occasionally, for 30 minutes.

3. Add warm pasta to bowl, and toss gently. Top with remaining 1/2 cup basil. Season with pepper. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

Baked Eggs in Whole Roasted Tomatoes

by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 6 large tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Coarse salt and ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 6 large eggs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top third off tomatoes and use a small spoon to remove core and seeds. Arrange in a baking dish, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme and garlic. Roast until tomatoes are tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes.

2. Crack an egg into each tomato and season with salt and pepper. Bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 9 minutes more.

Cook's Notes

For better aim, crack the egg into a teacup first, then pour it on the tomato.

Heirloom Tomato and Pepper Toasts with Whipped Ricotta

By Jeremiah Langhorne, from Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes

• 1 7/8 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 5/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided

• 2 cups whole-milk ricotta

• 2 ounces heirloom or baby peppers (such as Jimmy Nardello or shishito)

• 1/4 cup garlic oil or extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 (16-ounce) levain or other rustic bread loaf, cut into 3/4-inch slices

• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (such as J.Q. Dickinson)

• 1/8 teaspoon fennel pollen or toasted and crushed fennel seeds

• 1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

• 1/2 lemon

• Hot sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Cut tomatoes into 1/2-inch-thick pieces; place on a plate, and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.

2. Combine ricotta, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth and light, about 30 seconds.

3. Toss together peppers and 1 tablespoon garlic oil. Brush both sides of bread slices with remaining 3 tablespoons garlic oil.

4. Preheat grill to high (450°F to 500°F). Place peppers on oiled grates; grill, uncovered, turning often, until speckled with char, about 3 minutes. Place bread on grill, and grill, uncovered, until well toasted, about 1 minute and 30 seconds per side. Remove any charred, thick skin from peppers. Season with remaining 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt; cut into bite-size pieces, and set aside.

5. To assemble toasts, spread about 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture on each bread slice. Divide tomatoes and peppers evenly among toasts; sprinkle with flaky sea salt and fennel pollen. Top toasts with basil, chives, a squeeze of lemon, and, if desired, a dash of hot sauce. Serve immediately.

CSA Week 11 and Farm stand updates

Last week we tackled one of our big late-summer projects: undersowing cover crop seed in the fall brassicas field. Because crops like cabbage and kale will stay in the ground past the time when it’s possible to sow cover crop, we seed clover and ryegrass underneath and in the aisles of these crops before they’ve been harvested. By seeding earlier, we’re ensuring that the cover crop will have time to get big enough to control soil erosion over the winter and contribute organic matter to the soil. To facilitate this process, the crew hand weeded much of the cabbage and kale, and Catherine took a final pass with the cultivating tractor. We then sowed the clover and ryegrass using a push seeder and raked it in to increase seed-soil contact. Melissa irrigated on Saturday and voila! We’re already seeing germination in the clover.

In other farm news, work has begun on the farm house apartment addition! As such, Melissa and her family have temporarily relocated off-farm for the duration of the construction. Moving during the peak of farming season is no small feat (nevermind the heat!), but we are so excited and grateful to be able to start this new chapter on the farm thanks to the non-profit Concord Housing Foundation and the many community members who contributed to make the project happen!

In the CSA this week:

• Dark Red Norland New Potatoes - From MX Morningstar Farm in Hudson, NY. Certified Organic. Farming is a small world: Max Morningstar started the farm with Jess Camp who Lise and Melissa farmed with in Ipswich from 2006 to 2008. Jess now works at MDAR so is still in the farming world and has come to visit us in Concord!

• Beets

• Heirloom and Hyloom tomatoes

• Slicing tomatoes

• Fresh onions - Red Long of Tropea variety.

• Green and purple peppers

• Zucchini or Summer Squash

• Celery

• Swiss chard or Curly Kale (from our new planting!)

• Arugula

• Lettuce

• Frisée - A bitter salad green that can also be used wilted or sautéed.

• Watermelon - Available only in the regular size CSA this week.

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Cherry tomatoes - All 15 varieties are producing! Sungold, Black Cherry, Honey Bee, White Cherry, Yellow Mini, Cherry Bomb, Jasper, Citrine, Midnight Pear, Moonbeam, Valentine, Apple Yellow, Clementine, Mountain Magic and Nova.

• Shishito peppers - These mini green peppers are great for searing and then sprinkling with a little salt - a very tasty snack or appetizer! Please note that while they’re mostly mild, you will come across the occasional spicy one.

• Tomatillos - Look low on the plant for fruit that fills out its husk.

• Hot peppers - Varieties include Aji Rico, Pantera (jalapeño), Hungarian Hot Wax, Red Ember (cayenne), and Hot Paper Lantern (habanero, extremely hot!).

• Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, parsley, dill, cilantro, sage, mint, thyme, chives

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm.

In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA above, we will have:

• Cucumbers - Picklers, slicers, and a limited amount of thin-skinned.

• Colored Peppers - Sweet

• Cherry tomatoes - Sakura variety from our high tunnel as well as mixed pints from the field

• Flowers - Mixed bouquets and dahlia bunches with eucalyptus!

• Peaches - We will have some Tuesday but will likely sell out before the end of the week. From Ed at Long Run Produce in Boxborough, MA. Certified Organic.

• Apples - William’s Pride variety. From Ed at Long Run Produce in Boxborough, MA. Certified Organic.

• Sweet corn - From Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

• Note on mushrooms: We are taking a few weeks off from mushrooms but will stock them again in the fall!

PYO Flower Field

The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking include: scabiosa, celosia, ammi, gomphrena, ageratum, strawflower, cosmos, zinnias, rudbeckia, sunflowers, verbena, fireworks gomphrena, starflower (great for drying!), decorative basil, and shiso. We’ll also be opening a new bed of snapdragons this week! Please do not pick from plantings that don’t have a variety sign in front of them.

Cumin Tomato Salad With Jammy Eggs

By Ashley Lonsdale, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

• ½ pound cherry tomatoes, halved

• ½ small red onion, finely chopped

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper

• 8 large eggs

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 bird’s-eye chile (or other hot pepper), thinly sliced

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

Preparation

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, large enough to fit the eggs. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes and red onion with the lemon juice, salt and a dusting of pepper. Set aside. 

2. Carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes. Fill a medium bowl with ice and just enough water to cover. When the eggs are done cooking, use a slotted spoon to transfer them immediately to the ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, peel the eggs, quarter them lengthwise and arrange them on a platter. Season the eggs with salt.

3. Make the dressing: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the cumin seeds and chile and sizzle them for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully stir in the cilantro, which may sputter. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Mix the warm dressing with the tomatoes and pour over the eggs. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

CSA Week 10 and Farm stand updates

Last week featured some very hot days, which meant popsicle breaks for the crew as well as lots of tractor cultivation and weeding. High temperatures are great for cultivating because weeds that are churned up by the tractor or pulled by hand die in the heat before they have a chance to re-root. On the tractors, Lise cultivated all of our fall cabbage and kale, while Catherine was able to hit some newer plantings of sunflowers and beans. Meanwhile, the whole crew spent a lot of time in our fall carrot beds thinning and weeding, an incredibly important process for getting nice large carrots. Both activities will continue in earnest this week!

In the CSA this week:

• Arugula - This succession of arugula is a bit “hole-y” because during the heat of summer, we can’t use row cover to protect from insects. It’s still tender and delicious!

• Sweet corn - From our friends at Verrill Farm. Not organic.

• Heirloom and Hyloom tomatoes - From our field and high tunnel plantings. Field varieties include: Abigail (pink), Cherokee Carbon (purple), Dr. Wyche’s Yellow, Marmalade Skies (orange), Pruden’s Purple (pink), and Woodstock (green bicolor). From the high tunnel: GinFiz (bicolor yellow with blush).

• Slicing tomatoes - From our field and high tunnel plantings. High tunnel varieties include Lemon Boy Plus (yellow), Marmalade (orange), Bonbolya (pink), Contessa (red beefsteak), and Estiva and Caiman (both red slicers). From the field: Galahad (red).

• Watermelon - All are red icebox sized with seeds.

• Fresh onions - Red Long of Tropea and Ailsa Craig varieties. Both types are milder and sweeter than cured onions.

• Green and purple peppers

• Zucchini or Summer Squash

• Celery - This celery is from our next planting, so it’s a bit smaller this week.

• Curly kale

• Mustard Greens

• Lettuce

• Frisée - A bitter salad green that can also be used wilted or sauteed.

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Shishito peppers - These mini green peppers are great for searing and then sprinkling with a little salt - a very tasty snack or appetizer! Please note that while they’re mostly mild, you will come across the occasional spicy one.

• Cherry tomatoes - The cherry tomato beds are looking more and more plentiful by the day! Keep an eye on the lowest parts of the plant to find ripe tomatoes.

• Beans - Green beans or Dragon Tongue

• Hot peppers - Varieties include Aji Rico, Pantera (jalapeño), Hungarian Hot Wax, Red Ember (cayenne), and Hot Paper Lantern (habanero, extremely hot!).

• Sunflowers

• Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, parsley, dill, cilantro, sage, mint, thyme, chives

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA above, we will have:

• Apples - William’s Pride variety. Arriving Tuesday from Ed at Long Run Produce. Certified Organic!

• Sweet colored peppers - From both the field and the high tunnel.

• Cherry tomatoes

• Cucumbers - Mostly picklers, but we’ll have a limited amount of slicers and thin-skinned as well.

• Flowers - In addition to mixed bouquets, we’ll have our first dahlia bunches of the season, featuring eucalyptus from the high tunnel!

• Salsa Verde - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Mild. Limited availability - We are almost out of our supply but will more to come this fall after we have this year’s batch made!

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Seasonal Medley Mushrooms and Shiitake Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Maple syrup - 12 oz. bottles from our friend Jim at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, MA. Not Organic.

• Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

PYO Flower Field

The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking include: scabiosa, celosia, ammi, gomphrena, ageratum, strawflower, cosmos, zinnias, rudbeckia, sunflowers, verbena, fireworks gomphrena, starflower (great for drying!), decorative basil, and shiso. Please do not pick from plantings that don’t have a variety sign in front of them.

Jake’s Pico de Gallo

Farm Crew member Jake shared with us what he was doing with his tomatoes this week!

• 3 large heirloom tomatoes

• 4 small onions

• 4 cloves garlic

• 3 limes

• salt

• cilantro (optional)

Finely chop garlic and onion (and maybe cilantro) and add juice of lime to marinate. Chop and add tomatoes, salt to taste and mix with a spoon to avoid smashing tomatoes to bits. Enjoy in tacos and fajitas, or as a dip for your chips!

Tomato Bruschetta

Adapted from Ali Slagle, NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

• 8 large basil leaves

• Grilled or toasted crusty bread, for serving

Preparation

1. Core and chop the tomatoes, then transfer to a colander over a bowl or in the sink. Add the salt and gently stir. Let drain for up to 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, make the garlic oil: In a small saucepan, warm the olive oil and garlic over low heat until the garlic is softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t brown. Set aside to cool.

3. Roll the basil leaves up and thinly slice crosswise.

4. When the oil is cool and the tomatoes are well drained, combine the tomatoes, garlic oil and basil in a medium bowl. Season with additional salt, to taste. Spoon over toasted bread.

Spicy Watermelon Salad With Pineapple and Lime

By Alexa Weibel, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon fresh lime zest, plus 2 tablespoons juice

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• ¼ cup finely chopped red onion

• 1 ¼ pounds fresh watermelon, chilled

• 1 ¼ pounds fresh pineapple, chilled

• 4 ounces feta, crumbled (about ⅔ cup)

• 1 packed cup small cilantro sprigs, or ⅓ packed cup torn fresh mint

• Tajín, for sprinkling (optional)

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, stir together oil, vinegar, lime zest and juice, honey and jalapeño. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the red onion and toss to coat. Let marinate, 10 minutes.

2. While the onions marinate, chop the watermelon and the pineapple into 1-inch cubes, discarding any seeds. Add watermelon and pineapple to the vinaigrette and toss to coat; season to taste. Refrigerate until serving.

3. When ready to serve, add feta and herbs to salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Tajin, if using, and serve immediately.

CSA Week 9 and Farm stand updates

Last week we raced against the weather to harvest the last of our garlic and all of our storage onions before rot could set in from the large rainfall. At this time of year we have fewer seedlings going, so we’re able to use our main greenhouse as a curing space for the storage onions and some of the garlic. You can find the rest of the garlic hanging in the farm stand and the attached greenhouse. Curing intensifies the flavor and dries out the onions so that they can store longer into the fall outside of the refrigerator.

This week we’re excited that our field tomatoes are ready for harvest! The plants are looking huge and lush, and will require another round of trellising. In some cases we’ll be shoring up trellising stakes that are buckling under the weight of the plants. Also, for CSA members, we’re approaching the peak of PYO season, with lots of new items this week (more on that below!).

In the CSA this week:

• Heirloom and Hyloom tomatoes - From our field and high tunnel plantings. Field varieties include: Abigail (pink), Cherokee Carbon (purple), Dr. Wyche’s Yellow, Marmalade Skies (orange), Pruden’s Purple (pink), and Woodstock (green bicolor). From the high tunnel: GinFiz (bicolor yellow with blush).

• Slicing tomatoes - From the high tunnel. Varieties include Lemon Boy Plus (yellow), Marmalade (orange), Bonbolya (pink), Contessa (red beefsteak), and Estiva and Caiman (both red slicers).

• Mustard Greens

• Watermelon - All are red icebox sized with seeds.

• Uncured garlic - This garlic has not been hung to dry so will not store as long as the garlic we have in the fall. It also has a slightly milder flavor.

• Fresh onions - Red Long of Tropea and Ailsa Craig varieties. Both types are milder and sweeter than cured onions.

• Green and purple peppers

• Zucchini or Summer Squash

• Fennel or Celery

• Carrots

• Beets

• Curly kale

• Lettuce

• Frisée - A bitter salad green that can also be used wilted or sauteed.

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Cherry tomatoes! (for the regular-size CSA only this week, but soon to come for all) - Varieties include Sungold, Honey Bee, Citrine, Cherry Bomb, and more.

• Hot peppers - varieties include Aji Rico, Pantera (jalapeño), and Hungarian Hot Wax.

• Tomatillos

• Dragon Tongue beans - These speckled beauties can be prepared just like green beans.

• Green beans

• Sunflowers

• Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, parsley, dill, cilantro, sage, mint, thyme, chives

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA above, we will have:

• Cherry tomatoes - Sakura variety (red) from the high tunnel.

• Shishito peppers - First of the season!

• Cucumbers - Mostly picklers, but we’ll have a limited amount of thin-skinned and slicers as well.

• Flowers - Mixed bouquets, many of which will feature dahlias!

• Sweet corn - From Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic

• Salsa Verde - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Mild. Limited availability - We are almost out of our supply but will more to come this fall after we have this year’s batch made!

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Seasonal Medley Mushrooms and Shiitake Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Maple syrup - 12 oz. bottles from our friend Jim at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, MA. Not Organic.

• Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

PYO Flower Field

The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking include: scabiosa, celosia, ammi, gomphrena, ageratum, strawflower, cosmos, zinnias, rudbeckia, and new this week: sunflowers, verbena, fireworks gomphrena, starflower (great for drying!), decorative basil, and shiso. Please do not pick from plantings that don’t have a variety sign in front of them.

Summer Tomato Salad With Sumac Onions

By David Tanis, from NY Times Cooking

This is a great recipe for using whatever size, shape, and color tomatoes you have!

Ingredients

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• 1 small red onion

• Sea salt and black pepper

• 2 pounds medium or large tomatoes

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons chopped dill

• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

• 1 tablespoon chopped mint

• Handful of small basil leaves

• 1 tablespoon ground sumac

Preparation

1. Slice onion crosswise into ¼-inch rings and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then cover with ice water and set aside. 

2. Cut the medium/large tomatoes into slices or wedges and halve the cherry tomatoes. Place slices or wedges in one layer on a wide platter and arrange cherry tomatoes on top.

3. Season everything generously with sea salt and black pepper.

4. Drizzle the tomatoes with extra-virgin olive oil. Just before serving, sprinkle the dill, cilantro and mint over the tomatoes, then add the basil leaves.

5. Drain and blot onions dry. Separate the rings and return them to the bowl. Dust generously with sumac and an extra pinch of salt, and scatter over the salad. Sprinkle with more sumac to taste.

Frizzled Green Beans, Mushrooms and Onions

By Alison Roman

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, stems trimmed

• 1- 1 ½ pounds mixed mushrooms such as oyster, maitake, chicken of the woods, or baby bella, halved lengthwise or quartered if large

• 2 small red or yellow onions, cut through the root into ½” wedges

• ⅓ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, parsley, and/or chives

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Combine green beans, mushrooms, onion, olive oil and soy sauce together on a rimmed baking sheet (if doubling, use two sheets). Season with salt and pepper and toss. Roast, tossing once or twice, and adding more olive oil if needed, until the mushrooms are deeply browned and the green beans are tender and browned in spots, about 45 minutes. 

2. Remove from heat and toss with parsley, chives and oregano. Drizzle with more olive oil and give another crack of black pepper before serving.  

DO AHEAD: Trim the green beans a day or two ahead of time, store them in a resealable bag refrigerated. Everything can be roasted a few hours in advance, rewarmed before serving or go room-temp (I would!).

LEFTOVERS: Best eaten out of the container, cold. Or turned into a salad over greens. If you must rewarm, a quick sauté in a skillet over medium–high heat should do the trick.

CSA Week 8 and Farm stand updates

Thanks to this incredible crew (more folks than we often have working!) the fields and high tunnels are looking the best they have in years. If it weren’t for our major deer problem and our cucumber tunnel plant loss we wouldn’t even have our classic farming woes to regale you with! This week we hope to keep things moving along including bringing in our storage onion crop before the rain, weed our fall carrots and beets, and catch up on trellising in our tomato and pepper tunnels during cloudy weather. This week’s veggie highlights are the first watermelon and more tomatoes in the CSA, the mixed field cherry tomatoes in the farm store, and uncured garlic in both the CSA and store.

In the CSA this week:

• Watermelon! All are red icebox sized with seeds.

• Uncured garlic - This garlic has not been hung to dry so will not store as long as the garlic we have in the fall. It also has a slightly milder flavor.

• Tomatoes - These are coming from our high tunnel. Varieties include Lemon Boy Plus (yellow), Marmalade (orange), Bonbolya (pink), GinFiz (bicolor yellow with blush), Contessa (red beefsteak), and Estiva and Caiman (both red slicers).

• Frisée - A bitter salad green that can also be used wilted or sauteed.

• Fresh onions - Red Long of Tropea and Ailsa Craig varieties. Both types are milder and sweeter than cured onions.

• Green and purple peppers

• Zucchini or summer squash or cucumbers

• Celery or fennel

• Carrots

• Beets

• Curly kale

• Lettuce

• Swiss chard or Arugula

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Dragon Tongue beans - These speckled beauties are in a tender stage and can be prepared just like green beans.

• Green beans - Still plentiful this week since we now have 2 plantings producing!

• Sunflowers

• Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, parsley, dill, sage, mint, thyme, chives

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA above, we will have:

• Cherry tomatoes - Sakura variety (red) from the high tunnel as well as mixed variety boxes from the field.

• Flowers - Snapdragon bouquets and mixed bouquets

• Sweet corn - From Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic

• Salsa Verde - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Mild.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Seasonal Medley Mushrooms and Shiitake Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Maple syrup - 12 oz. bottles from our friend Jim at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, MA. Not Organic.

• Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

PYO Flower Field

The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking this week include: scabiosa, orlaya, celosia, dill flowers, ammi, gomphrena, ageratum, cosmos, zinnias and rudbeckia. There may be other varieties available as the week goes on, but please do not pick from plantings that don’t have a variety sign in front of them.

When picking, please cut above branching points so that we can continue to get blooms all season (if they are cut to the base the plant can’t produce anymore flowers). This means that this time of year some varieties need to be picked with shorter stems.

Black Rice, Beet and Kale Salad With Cider Flax Dressing

by Tara Parker-Pope, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 lb beets, halved

• ⅔ cup uncooked black rice (sometimes called "forbidden rice")

• 1 ⅓ cup water

• ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped

• 2 cups packed, shredded raw kale

CIDER FLAX DRESSING

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons cold-pressed flaxseed oil OR extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (whole, not ground)

• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

• Ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add beets to a sheet of parchment-lined foil. Crunch into a ball. Roast for 1 ½ hours, until tender. Cool until comfortable to handle. Cut beets into bite-sized pieces or wedges. Add to a large bowl.

2. In a medium pot, add rice and 1 ⅓ cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 40 to 45 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add to beets, along with kale and pecans.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients or shake in a jar. Add to salad. Toss to combine, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (overnight is best). Before serving, taste and adjusting seasoning if desired.

4. This salad will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Tip

• If you can't find black rice, try wild rice (cook according to wild rice package directions). This would be fabulous with a little goat's milk feta, chevre or thick yogurt on top.

Tomato-Green Bean Salad With Chickpeas, Feta and Dill

by David Tanis, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• ¾ pound green beans, preferably slender haricots verts, trimmed

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 small lemon

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, mixed colors, halved (or cut up slicing or heirloom tomato)

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (from 1 cup dried chickpeas or 1 15-ounce can), cooled and drained

• 4 ounces feta, crumbled (½ cup)

• 2 to 3 tablespoons roughly chopped dill, for serving

• Pinch of dried oregano, for serving

Preparation

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt, then the green beans. Cook until beans are tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer beans to a large bowl of cold water. Drain in a colander and blot green beans dry with a kitchen towel.

2. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, put lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, a pinch of salt and some black pepper to taste. Whisk in olive oil.

3. Make the salad: Add cherry tomatoes, green beans and chickpeas to a large salad bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Add dressing and toss to coat. Add feta and toss once more. Let marinate for 10 to 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.

4. To serve, sprinkle generously with dill and oregano.

Catherine picks cherry tomatoes in the high tunnel.