Saturday Farm Stand pop-up and last CSA pick-up

It’s the last week for the 2019 CSA! Coinciding with the last CSA pick-up, we will also be hosting a farm stand pop-up this Saturday, November 23rd, 9am - 3pm (or until we sell out). We’ll definitely have salanova lettuce mix, carrots, salad turnips, onions, garlic, cabbage and popcorn for sale and we will see as the week goes on what else is in strong enough supply to make available for purchase. In addition to our vegetables for at the pop-up we will have organic cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm, Double B Honey (from hives on the property), eggs from Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds, and a limited supply of raspberry jam and vinegar infusion from Silferleaf Farm in Concord.

We’re excited to be almost done with field work in freezing temperatures (and to have Saturdays off!), but we will miss all our wonderful members and customers over the winter! We harvested most of our remaining storage crops from the field early last week right before the really hard freezes, so aside from fresh greens harvesting for this week, we’re mostly focused on field (and high tunnel) clean-up. We made a serious dent in rolling up landscape fabric and taking down fences last week. This week we plan to finish up those tasks while also pulling up the remaining drip tape and plastic mulch. We’ve also been working on getting irrigation lines out of the field, which is quite challenging when the water inside them is frozen! We’ve been warming ourselves up as we stomp and jump on irrigation lines to try to break up the ice inside so that we can empty them and roll them up for winter storage. We may have invented the next fitness fad! While it’s been a great workout, I think next year we’ll prioritize finishing up irrigation clean-up a little earlier!

This week in the CSA:

• Popcorn - The popcorn comes on the cob and we’ve found it can benefit from just a couple of extra days drying on a countertop in your house before popping. It can be popped on the cob inside a paper bag in the microwave. A paper grocery bag will work, but if you have a smaller paper bag, that’s better. Fold over the top of the bag several times to keep the popcorn from spilling out in the microwave. You can also take the kernels off the cob (just push them off with your thumbs) and pop on the stove top or in an air popper.

• Sweet Potatoes

• Potatoes

• Leeks

• Salanova lettuce mix - As we mentioned last week, the water is now turned off at the barn so the salad mix will have more dirt in it then usual.

• Escarole

• Kale

• Cabbage

• Rutabaga

• Watermelon radish

• Mini Daikon radish

• Salad turnips

• Carrots

• Butternut squash

• Onions

• Shallots

• Garlic

CSA Hours:

Thursday 11am-6pm

Saturday 9am-3pm

Kale-Dusted Pecorino Popcorn

Deb Perelman October 2017 Smitten Kitchen Every Day

Ingredients

Kale Dust:

• A bundle of Lacinato kale (aka dinosaur or Tuscan) (usually 9 to 10 ounces)

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

• Sea salt

To finish:

• 4 to 5 tablespoons (60 to 75 ml) olive oil

• 1/3 cup (70 grams) popcorn kernels

• 2/3 cup (95 grams) finely grated Pecorino Romano

• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Make the kale dust:

Heat the oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale; no worries if you don’t get every last droplet of water off. Remove and discard the tough stems.

Lightly brush two large baking sheets with olive oil—the thinnest coat is just fine. Arrange the leaves in one layer on the prepared baking sheet(s), sprinkle lightly with salt, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the leaves are crisp. Let cool completely. In a food processor, with a mortar and pestle, or even with a muddler in a bowl, grind the kale chips down into a coarse powder.

Make the popcorn:

Place 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 or 3 kernels of popcorn in a 3-quart or larger pot. Turn the heat to medium-high, and cover with a lid. When you hear these first kernels pop, add the remaining kernels and replace the lid. Using pot holders, shimmy the pot around to keep the kernels moving as they pop. When several seconds pass between pops, remove from the heat.

To assemble:

Transfer to a bowl, and immediately toss with the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, kale dust, Pecorino, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed.

Mashed Potatoes and Rutabagas

by Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds rutabaga (peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces)

• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds potatoes (peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces, about 5 or 6 medium)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2/3 cup milk

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (or to taste)

• Optional: 2 teaspoons chopped parsley

Instructions:

1. Cook rutabaga and potatoes in salted water in separate saucepans.

2. When both are tender, remove from heat. Rutabaga will take about 30 minutes, and potatoes will take about 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Drain; purée or mash rutabaga well, then mash the potatoes. Combine mashed rutabaga and potatoes; add butter, milk, pepper, and nutmeg. Beat well. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Butternut Squash Pie

Adapted from a recipe by Kay Rentschler on cooking.nytimes.com

• 1 frozen pie crust, thawed

• 2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks

• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

• ½ cup dark brown sugar

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• Pinch cayenne pepper

• 1 ½ cups roasted squash purée, packed

• 1 ¼ cups heavy cream

• Whipped cream, for garnish (optional)

To make squash puree, cut a butternut squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Place the squash halves cut side down on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350°F until a fork can easily pierce them, about an hour to an hour and a half. Remove from oven, let cool, scoop out the pulp and puree.

Combine eggs, vanilla, sugars, salt and spices in food processor, and process until smooth. Add 1 ½ cups squash purée, and process until smooth. With machine running, pour in heavy cream, and process to combine. Scrape filling into pie crust, and bake until filling is set 2/3 in from perimeter and center still jiggles, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool to room temperature on rack. Garnish with whipped cream.

Flex and Extended CSA week 23 and farm updates

The weather has certainly taken a turn towards winter in the past week! We still have lots to get done in the field and the unheated barn though, so strategic layering is key to maintaining crew morale. We almost always wear our warmest thermal layers topped off with rain pants (whether it’s raining or not). While our thick fisherman-style rain pants definitely restrict movement, they do provide wind protection and an extra barrier between our knees and the cold, wet ground. We also usually wear thin gloves with disposable nitrile gloves on top to keep our hands dry and warm. It’s a tricky balance between having your gloves thin enough so that we still have manual dexterity, but still thick enough that they don’t go numb in the cold!

The shift in weather also impacts our daily planning. No matter how well dressed and warm you are, you still can’t harvest frozen vegetables! This time of year, we often have to take care of non-harvest tasks first thing in the morning so that the ground and plants can thaw out. Some days it is too frozen to do any harvesting at all. We are now checking the weather daily, and our crew gamely shifts their schedules based on when we can actually get stuff done in the field. This week we did a bunch of harvesting Monday and Tuesday and gave our crew Wednesday off since it is not supposed to get above freezing all day! With this weeks’ harvest all tucked away in the cooler, we are looking forward to using the slightly warmer days Thursday thru Saturday to make some more progress on field clean-up.

Another effect of the cold has been that we needed to shut off the water in the barn last week to avoid freezing pipes. This means there is no longer a public bathroom for customers in the barn. It also means that we are no longer able to rinse off freshly harvested greens. You should always wash vegetables at home, no matter how clean they look, but you may notice that the vegetables, especially salad greens and leeks, look dirtier this week.

This week in the CSA:

• Pie pumpkins - These are organic pie pumpkins from Hutchins Farm in Concord. Our own pie pumpkin harvest this year was normal, but we had some problems with storage (likely exacerbated by temperature and humidity control issues in our barn) and lost a lot of our own pumpkins to rot. We’re trying to figure out a better storage solution for next year that will work with our space limitations, but in the meantime, fortunately Hutchins had a great harvest that we can share with you!

• Potatoes

• Leeks

• Lettuce - With our wash station water shut off due to the cold, we are no longer able to rinse any of our fresh greens, so you will see more silt and sand in your lettuce than usual.

• Escarole

• Kale

• Cabbage - Red and storage varieties. Both will keep for a long time in your fridge in the crisper drawer or in a plastic bag.

• Brussels sprouts

• Rutabaga - This veggie has been described to me as tasting like a cross between a potato and a turnip. It is great roasted or in soups.

• Beets

• Carrots

• Butternut squash

• Onions

• Garlic

• Radishes - Watermelon (white outside, bright pink inside!), white mini mak and K-N bravo (purple!) varieties.

• Hakurei salad turnips

CSA Hours:

Thursday 11am-6pm

Saturday 9am-3pm

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.

Watermelon Radish, Orange & Goat Cheese Salad

from Alexandra’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot or half of a small red onion

• 2 to 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

• kosher salt

• 2 to 3 watermelon radishes

• 2 to 3 oranges, clementines, grapefruit, etc. (I love Cara Cara oranges, which are sweet, pretty and delicious)

• a handful of walnuts, toasted and chopped (see notes)

• goat cheese to taste

• chives, minced, optional, but they add some nice color

• olive oil to taste

Instructions

1. Mince shallot. Place in small bowl. Cover with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vinegar depending on how big of a salad you are making. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside.

2. Cut off one end of the radish. Leave the other intact so you have a handle when you run the radish down your mandoline. Peel the radishes if you wish, though it is by no means necessary. Thinly slice on a mandoline. Arrange radish slices on a platter. I try to fold some of them so they’re not all squished down in one flat layer, but arrange however you wish. Season all over with salt.

3. Cut off each end of each orange. Squeeze each end over the radishes, then discard. Use a sharp knife to remove the skin from the orange. Cut in between membranes to remove each slice. Squeeze remaining membrane all over the radishes to extract any juice. Scatter oranges over the radishes.

4. Scatter walnuts and goat cheese to taste over the radishes and oranges. Pour macerated shallots and vinegar over top. Drizzle olive oil to taste (one to two tablespoons) over top. Scatter chives over top if using.

5. Let sit a few minutes (or longer — it benefits from a brief rest) before serving.

Salad Turnips Sautéed in Butter

from Circle A Garden CSA

• 2 Bunches Salad Turnips (10-12 turnips)

• 2 Cloves Garlic

• 1 or 2 Tbsp  Butter or Oil

• Salt & Pepper

 Directions

1. Slice the salad turnips into thin half-moons, and mince or crush the garlic.

2. Melt the butter (or heat the oil) in a medium sized frying pan.

3. Sauté the salad turnips & garlic until they are a light golden color (cover the pan if you like).

Variations

• Add a splash of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar

• Add the turnip greens, or some other chopped greens such as spinach, chard or kale

• Add minced scallions, and fresh or dried herbs

Pumpkin Cranberry Scones

from Bon Appetit, November 2014

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter

• ½ cup chopped fresh cranberries

• 1 large egg

• ½ cup pumpkin puree (roast halved and de-seeded pie pumpkin until fork tender, scoop out flesh and puree)

• ¼ cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing

• 2 tablespoons raw sugar

Whisk granulated sugar, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, cloves, baking soda, and 2 cups flour in a large bowl. Using the large holes on a box grater, grate in butter, tossing to coat in dry ingredients as you go; toss in cranberries. Mix in egg, pumpkin, and ¼ cup buttermilk. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1½”-thick disk. Cut into 8 wedges; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, 25–30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°. Brush scones with buttermilk and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake until golden brown, 25–30 minutes.

Flex and Extended CSA week 22 and Farm Updates

Last week we enjoyed some sunny days for planting garlic for 2020! Garlic planting is the perfect project for cool fall days: we spend cold mornings in the greenhouse separating the cloves and then head out into the field to plant once the ground has thawed. We purchase some new seed each year as well as save our largest cloves from our own garlic harvest. This year we purchased a large clove variety called German Extra Hardy as well as a smaller, spicier variety called German Red. We have planted our new seed and have begun planting our own saved seed, which is a mix of varieties. However, with the very cold weather approaching at the end of the week we will likely take a break from garlic planting to bring in a large harvest before the cold can damage crops (and before the water at the barn needs to be turned off, making washing difficult)! We will also continue to cover up the more sensitive remaining crops like lettuce to ensure we have some greens through the end of the CSA season. We have this week plus two more weeks left for the CSA season - the last pick-up for the Flex, Extended, and Late Fall CSA members is Saturday, November 23rd. While the farm store is closed, we will continue to have eggs, cranberries, and honey for sale during CSA pick-ups. Below is a list for this week in the CSA, as well as some details about what is to come for the following two weeks.

This week in the CSA:

• Lettuce

• Spinach

• Swiss Chard - We experimented with planting some swiss chard in our tomato high tunnel in order to have a wider variety of greens later in the season. We will pick it this week before it gets to be too chilly even with the added protection!

• Escarole

• Cabbage - Red and storage varieties. Both will keep for a long time in your fridge in the crisper drawer or in a plastic bag.

• Brussels sprouts

• Rutabaga - This veggie has been described to me as tasting like a cross between a potato and a turnip. It is great roasted or in soups.

• Beets

• Carrots

• Sweet Potatoes

• Winter Squash

• Lemongrass or green tomatoes - you’ll have a choice between one or the other.

• Shallots

• Onions

• Garlic

• Scallions

• Radishes - Watermelon, white mini mak and purple K-N bravo varieties

• Hakurei salad turnips

Veggies to come in the last 2 weeks of the late fall: potatoes, leeks, pie pumpkins from Hutchins Farm, popcorn and more!

CSA Pick-your-own:

Frosts finished off most of the PYO field, but we still have parsley and cilantro.

CSA Hours:

Thursday 11am-6pm

Saturday 9am-3pm

Lemongrass, Curry and Coconut Poached Salmon

From Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Matrix

• 1 ½ lb piece of skin-on salmon filet

• 14 oz can coconut milk

• Several 3 inch pieces of lemongrass

• 1 tbsp curry powder

• 2 heaping tbsp salt

• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Put salmon filet in a deep pan just large enough to hold it. Barely cover with water. Add coconut milk, lemongrass pieces, curry powder and salt. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let salmon sit until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and serve garnished with cilantro. (Poaching liquid can also be used as sauce on top of rice).

Sheet-Pan Curry Pork Chops and Sweet Potatoes

By Anna Stockwell, Epicurious September 2018

• tsp. mild curry powder

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tsp. light brown sugar

• 2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided

• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 (1"-thick) small bone-in pork chops (2 lb. total)

• 8 small sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb.), scrubbed, sliced in half lengthwise

• 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

• 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 4 small radishes, thinly sliced

• 1 cup pomegranate arils

Arrange a rack in top third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Stir curry, pepper, brown sugar, and 2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Rub an 18x13" rimmed baking sheet with oil. Sprinkle pork chops and potatoes with spice mixture on prepared pan to evenly coat, then arrange in an even layer with potatoes cut side down.Roast until pork is golden brown and cooked through and potatoes are deeply browned on cut sides and fork-tender, about 20 minutes. (The pork might finish cooking before the potatoes do; if so, transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest, then continue roasting the potatoes until done). Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Arrange pork and potatoes on a platter. Top with yogurt sauce, radishes, and pomegranate arils.

No-Mayo Coleslaw

from How to Cook Everythingby Mark Bittman

• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tbsp minced hot pepper (optional)

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 6 cups cored and shredded cabbage

• 2 medium carrots, grated

• 1/3 cup chopped scallions

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

To make the dressing, whisk together mustard, vinegar, garlic and hot peppers in a small bowl. Add the oil gradually, whisking the whole time. Combine the cabbage, carrots and scallion and toss with the dressing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve (it’s good to let the slaw rest for about an hour). Before serving toss with the parsley.

Mexican style slaw variation:Use lime juice in place of vinegar. Finish with cilantro instead of parsley.

Flex and Extended CSA Week 21 and farm updates

One of our favorite parts of fall is getting to plant a few things for the upcoming season. Last week we planted daffodils and tulips for harvest in May 2020! It was fun for us to plant for the coming spring during a week otherwise marked by endings. Last week was the final week of the Main Season CSA as well as our farm store for the 2019 season. We enjoy completing the season knowing we accomplished what we set out to do, however it will be sad not to have the energy of 235 CSA members and many farm store customers on the farm weekly and of course we join you in missing all the fresh veggies!

It’s not winter yet though! We have many Flex and Extended Season CSA members joining us for 4 more weeks of pick-ups. We will now be open only for these CSA pick-ups on Thursdays 11am-6pm and Saturdays 9am-3pm (there are no longer Tuesday CSA pick-ups). This Thursday happens to be Halloween so any young CSA members who would like to come by for their CSA pick-up in a costume will get a honey stick treat!

This week in the CSA:

• Spinach

• Scallions

• Lemongrass - We have been growing this in our high tunnel but soon it will be too cold for this heat loving plant, even under protection. See the Sweet Winter Slaw recipe below for one idea of how to use it!

• Green Tomatoes - Fried green tomato time!

• Romanesco cauliflower

• Sweet Potatoes

• Acorn Squash

• Butternut Squash

• Shallots

• Garlic

• Carrots

• Cabbage - It’s cabbage slaw time! We will have purple cabbage which makes for a particularly colorful salad. See below for recipe ideas.

• Radishes - Watermelon, white mini mak and purple K-N bravo varieties

• Turnips - these purple topped turnips are an excellent addition to roasted vegetable medleys.

• Hakurei salad turnips

• Escarole - Sautee with garlic for a great side dish!

• Salanova - yes, we still have salad greens!

CSA Pick-your-own:

Frosts finished off most of the PYO field, but we still have some herbs for picking, including the following: parsley (it has made a resurgence), cilantro, chives, peppermint and spearmint.

CSA Hours:

Thursday 11am-6pm

Saturday 9am-3pm

Fried Green Tomatoes

from pinchandswirl.com

• 3 medium green tomatoes about 12 ounces

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour divided

• 1/2 cup cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• pinch ground cayenne pepper

• avocado oil or other high heat oil, for frying

• flaky sea salt such as Maldon, for finishing

Slice tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Whisk egg and buttermilk together in a shallow bowl. Scoop 1/4 cup flour onto a medium plate. To a second medium plate add remaining flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper and cayenne; combine thoroughly with fork or small whisk.

Dredge a tomato slice in plain flour, shaking off any excess; dip in egg mixture; dredge in cornmeal until evenly coated and transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining tomato slices.

 Line a plate with paper towels; set aside. In a heavy skillet (ideally cast iron) heat 1/4-inch of high heat oil to 375°. (It's important for the oil to be very hot to keep tomatoes from absorbing it. Be sure to reheat between batches!) Carefully place tomatoes into hot oil and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to paper towel lined plate (keeping tomatoes in a single layer so they don't get soggy) and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Repeat with remaining tomatoes. Serve hot.

Sweet “Winter” Slaw

Adapted from Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi

For the dressing

• 6 ½ tbsp lime juice

• 1 lemon grass stalk, chopped into small pieces

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 2 tbsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• ½ tsp chilli flakes

• 4 tbsp light olive oil

For the salad

• 1 ¼ cups macadamia nuts

• 2 tsp butter

• 2 tbsp sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp chilli flakes

• 6 oz shredded savoy cabbage

• 10 oz shredded red cabbage

• 1 mango cut into thin strips

• 1 papaya, peeled, deseeded and cut into strips

• 1 red chilli, deseeded and cut into thin slices

• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

• 1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

To make the dressing, put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a small saucepan, and reduce for five to 10 minutes, until thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat. Once it has cooled down, strain into a bowl, stir in the oil and set aside.

 Put the macadamias in a hot frying pan and dry-roast for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly coloured on all sides. Add the butter and, once it has melted, the sugar, salt and chilli. Use a wooden spoon to stir constantly, to keep the nuts coated in the sugar as it caramelises. Be careful because this will take only a minute or two and the nuts can burn very quickly. Turn out the nuts on to a sheet of greaseproof paper and, once cool, roughly chop them.

Put the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl, along with the rest of the salad ingredients. Add the cool dressing, toss and taste. Add salt if you need to, and serve immediately.

Sweet potato cakes

Adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

• 2 ¼ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

• 2 tsp soy sauce

• ¾ cup flour

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp sugar

• 3 tbsp scallion, chopped

• ½ tsp fresh chilli, finely chopped

• Lots of butter, for frying

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp Greek yogurt

• 3 tbsp sour cream

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Steam the sweet potato until soft, then drain in a colander for up to an hour. Meanwhile, whisk the sauce ingredients until smooth and set aside. In a mixing bowl, work all the fritter ingredients by hand - it should be sticky, so if it's a little runny, add some flour. Melt some butter in a nonstick pan. Use a tablespoon to put mix in the frying pan and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon. and fry on moderate heat until you get a nice, brown crust, turning as necessary - about six minutes. Place between two sheets of paper towels to soak up the excess butter. Serve hot or warm, with the sauce on the side.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Spinach Quiche

adapted from King Arthur Flour recipe

• 1 pie crust

• 1 medium-large yellow onion or 3 shallots

• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 ½ cups butternut squash, cut into small cubes

• 1 cup whole milk

• 5 large eggs

• 1 tsp dried rosemary

• ¼ tsp dried thyme

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

• 1 packed cup fresh spinach, chopped or about ¼ cup frozen spinach thawed, drained and chopped

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Quarter the onion, and slice thinly. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and deep golden brown. This will take about 20 minutes. Right before the onion finishes cooking, add the balsamic vinegar to the pan and cook for a few more minutes. 

While the onion is caramelizing, spread the cubed butternut squash and toss it with the remaining olive oil. Roast the squash until it starts to brown and soften. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Add the rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add the caramelized onions, roasted squash, grated cheese, and baby spinach. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake the quiche for about 40 to 45 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and the center should feel just set. Let it cool on a rack. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

CSA Week 20, last week for farm stand and Main Season CSA

This week is the last week that the farm stand is open for the season, as well as the last week for the Main Season CSA! Please note that 2019 Barrett’s Bucks expire after this Saturday, October 26th, so if you still have a balance to use up, now is the time! Flex, Extended, and Late Fall CSA members will have an additional 4 weeks of pick-ups: Thursdays and Saturdays from October 31st-November 23rd. Thank you to everyone who has already signed up for the 2020 season. If you haven’t already gotten your CSA renewal form for next season, we’ll still have them available in the stand this week, as well as 2020 Barrett’s Bucks sign-ups and CSA sign-up forms for new members (sign-ups are also available online).

Although from the outside it looks like the farm is going into hibernation mode after this week, it’s actually a very active time of year. Once the farm stand closes for the season, much of the time we had been devoting toward harvesting and setting up the store gets redirected towards mulching next season’s crops, protecting the remaining 2019 crops, field clean-up, and even some planting for next season! Of course, we’re still harvesting for the CSA too, though it’s a slightly smaller number of members and many late fall crops have already been harvested (like squash, onions, shallots, sweet potatoes and garlic). All of these projects sound manageable, but it feels especially active and busy because we have a smaller field crew. On Wednesday we say goodbye to Abby, and after this week it’s just Melissa, Lise, Sarah, Molly, Rebecca and Meghan in the fields. Ari, Debbie, Kathy, Jane and Sue will continue helping Molly and Meghan to hold down the fort with our CSA pick-ups! We are so grateful to our field and store crews for all they do to help keep things running smoothly.

This week in the CSA:

• Sweet Potatoes

• Acorn Squash

• Butternut Squash

• Yellow Storage Onions - These onions have been cured so can be stored outside your fridge. They keep best in a cool, dark, dry place.

• Shallots

• Leeks

• Garlic

• Carrots

• Brussels sprouts

• Cabbage - we’ll have a mix of green storage, purple, and savoy.

• Watermelon radishes - these fall beauties are white on the outside and hot pink on the inside! They look (and taste) great in salads.

• Mini daikon radishes - white mini mak and purple K-N bravo varieties

• Turnips - these purple topped turnips are an excellent addition to roasted vegetable medleys.

• Hakurei salad turnips - This spring favorite is back! They look much like radishes but have a sweeter flavor.

• Escarole - This cooking green is great in Italian soups and pasta dishes! It looks like lettuce but is best cooked. It has a bitter flavor, in a delicious way!

• Salanova

• Baby bok choi

CSA Pick-your-own:

Frosts finished off most of the PYO field, but we still have some herbs for picking, including the following: parsley (it has made a resurgence), cilantro, chives, peppermint and spearmint.

CSA Hours:

Tuesday and Thursday 11am-6pm

Saturday 9am-3pm

PYO Flowers

The PYO Flower field is closed for the season as we have now had several frosts!

This week in the farm stand:

We will have all of the veggies listed in the CSA available in the farm store as well as our own lemongrass, kale, scallions, cauliflower and decorative corn stalks. We will also have organic cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm, Double B Honey (from hives on the property), eggs from Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds, mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and raspberry jam and vinegar infusion from Silferleaf Farm in Concord. We also have a few jack-o-lanterns left from Verrill Farm.

Quiche Lorraine

from Smitten Kitchen

• 1 3/4 cups diced leeks

• 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)

• 3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese

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. 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.) On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle. Place the dough in a 9-inch pie plate and press to remove any air bubbles. Crimp the edges, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

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. 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. Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Root Vegetables

By Mark Bittman and Sam Sifton, NYT Cooking

• 3 pounds assorted root vegetables: carrots, potatoes, turnips, rutabaga, radish, sweet potato, etc.

• ¼ cup olive oil

• Salt and black pepper

• Chopped rosemary, thyme or parsley, plus more for garnish

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Peel vegetables (optional) and cut them into 1- to 2-inch chunks, put them in a baking pan and toss with the oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Put the vegetables in the oven and roast without stirring for 20 minutes, then check. If they look dry and are sticking to the pan, drizzle with more oil. Continue roasting, stirring or turning the vegetables once, for another 20 minutes or so. Stir in the herbs, then return the pan to the oven for another 20 to 40 minutes, until crisp. Remove from the oven. Garnish with rosemary or thyme.