Farm Store Orders this week! And last week of the CSA!

It is the last week of the 2020 Flex and Extended CSA this week, and our crew’s last week of the season. It feels fitting as temperatures have dropped again and we are almost done with our many clean up tasks including clearing out the barn and greenhouse for winter tractor storage, taking down fences, and mulching strawberries. Almost all crops are out of the field. While we only have just enough of many items to finish out the CSA season, we have several items that we will have available for farm store ordering for pick up on Thursday, November 19th and Saturday, November 21st. Thursday pre-orders will just include honey, mushrooms, raspberry jam and raspberry vinegar infusion. Saturday pre-orders will have all those items, plus our own veggies, including beets, carrots, leeks, cabbage, lettuce, watermelon radishes, and spinach, as well as organic cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm. Ordering for both pick-up dates will open Wednesday at noon. We may have one more day of ordering in December but this will be our last before Thanksgiving!

In the CSA this week (Thursday and Saturday):

• Shallots

• Salanova Letttuce Mix - Grown in one of our high tunnels especially for this week!

• Popcorn- Take the kernels off the cob by hand and pop in oil on the stove top or place the whole cob in a paper bag in the microwave!

• Potatoes - Due to our poor crop yields resulting from the drought, we purchased these organic potatoes from Atlas Farm in Western, MA.

• Butternut squash

• Leeks

• Watermelon radishes

• Carrots

• Beets

• Purple top turnips

• Cabbage

• Spinach

• Lettuce

• Yellow onions - These have been cured and so should ideally be kept in a cool, dry and dark place (not for fridge storage).

• Garlic

PYO: It looks like we will have a very hard freeze on Wednesday night, but this time there will be no snow to help insulate the herbs. If they survive, we will continue picking parsley, thyme and sage.

Farm Store

We are closed for walk-up sales but many items are available online this week for pre-ordered Thursday and Saturday pick-up. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop . Online ordering for both days opens at noon on Wednesday and closes at 5am the morning of pick-up. Pick ups will be available Thursday, November 19th, 2pm - 6pm and Saturday, November 21st, 11am-3pm. Once you select a pick up time the items available will appear. Thursday’s pre-orders will not include any veggies, just honey from Double B (from hives on this property), organic mushrooms from Fat Moon (including bulk 3lb boxes), and organic raspberry jam and raspberry vinegar infusion from Silferleaf Farm just up the road from us. Saturday’s pre-orders will have all of these items, plus many of our own veggies, including beets, lettuce, spinach, leeks, salanova lettuce mix, carrots, watermelon radishes, and cabbage. We have also purchased organic cranberries from Fresh Meadow Farm in Carver, MA especially for sales this week, but will not have them available until Saturday.

Caramelized Turnips With Capers, Lemon and Parsley

By David Tanis from NYTimes Cooking:

INGREDIENTS

• 3 pounds small turnips or daikon radish

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt

• pepper

• 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

• Zest of 1/2 lemon

• 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

• Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste

PREPARATION

1. Peel turnips, halve lengthwise and slice into half-moons 1/4-inch thick.

2. Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, add turnips. Sauté, turning often and lowering the heat if necessary, until nicely browned and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to an oven-proof serving dish. If not serving immediately, leave at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or refrigerate and bring to room temperature, before reheating in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes.

4. To serve, mix garlic, capers, lemon zest and parsley; sprinkle over turnips. Drizzle with lemon juice.

Roasted Beets With Moroccan Spices

By Mark Bittman

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound beets

• 1 pound carrot chunks

• chopped almonds

• ½ teaspoon of cumin

• ½ teaspoon of coriander

• a pinch of allspice

• lemon juice

• olive oil

PREPARATION

1. Heat the oven to 400.

2. Wash 1 pound beets, wrap each in foil and put on a baking sheet.

3. Put 1 pound carrot chunks on the baking sheet and toss with olive oil.

4. Roast until a knife pierces the beets with little resistance, 45 to 90 minutes, and the carrots are tender and browned (remove when done; before the beets).

5. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel, and cut into chunks; toss them and the carrots with chopped almonds, 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander, a pinch of allspice, lemon juice and olive oil.

6. Garnish: Mint.

Lise’s Dad’s Beef Stew

Loosely adapted from Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon

• 3 or so lbs of stew meat, like chuck

• 2 or 3 cups of red wine

• 1 can beef broth plus 1 can water

• 1 or 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp thyme

• zest of one orange

• 1 chopped tomato plus 1 tbsp of tomato paste,  or can of diced tomatoes plus ketchup

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the beef well in vegetable oil. Put all ingredients in a pot, including from browning pan. Simmer for 1 hour with lid on. After an hour, add the following:

• Pearl onions, or sliced yellow onion

• Potatoes

• Carrots

• Mushrooms (optional)

Simmer for another hour with the vegetables.

Quiche Lorraine

from Smitten Kitchen

• 1 ¾ cups diced leeks

• 3/4 cup diced onion

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 ¼ 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 ½ 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.

Extended/Flex CSA Week 23 (of 24)

What a change in weather! We went from snow and sub-freezing temps to unseasonably warm days. Unfortunately, crops that normally easily survive into late November (like kale, cauliflower, rutabaga, celeriac and Brussels sprouts) were irreparably damaged by the hard freeze on October 31st. By the end of last week, the brassica field looked like it normally looks in mid December! The last CSA pick up is next week so we will get the last surviving crops out of the field soon and start taking down fences (and putting up others - we use smaller fences to protect some overwintered crops from coyotes over the winter). We are continuing to prepare for winter weather to settle in for good by pulling the last landscape fabric and plastic out of the fields, rolling up all the irrigation, and making space to put away the tractors and equipment. No sooner do we start tucking things away for the winter then we start planning and purchasing supplies for next year. Four 2-yard sling bags of potting soil already arrived last week for the 2021 greenhouse season! CSA renewals continue to arrive in the mail and we anticipate selling out earlier than ever this year, so be sure to get in touch if you are planning on returning. CSA memberships will open to new members December 1st. PYO Flower CSA memberships are also available now; Barrett’s Bucks sign-ups will begin after the new year.

In the CSA this week (Thursday and Saturday):

• Popcorn- Take the kernels off the cob by hand and pop in oil on the stovetop or place the whole cob in a paper bag in the microwave! See recipe below for stovetop popping suggestions.

• Potatoes - Due to our poor crop yields resulting from the drought, we purchased these organic potatoes from Atlas Farm in Western, MA.

• Butternut squash

• Leeks

• Watermelon radishes

• Carrots

• Beets

• Green peppers - the last of the high tunnel pepper crop (cleared out just before the snow).

• Purple top turnips

• Cabbage

• Spinach

• Lettuce

• Kale- A more limited quantity than usual this time of year because our field crop was severely damaged by the extremely cold temperatures at the end of October.

• Yellow onions - These have been cured and so should ideally be kept in a cool, dry and dark place (not for fridge storage).

• Garlic

  Coming up next week: The last CSA pick up of the year is next week and will include many of the items listed as well as shallots and Salanova from our high tunnel.

PYO: We plan to continue picking parsley, thyme and sage as long as we don’t have another hard freeze in these last two weeks of the CSA.

Farm Store: The farm store is closed for the 2020 season. We will have Silferleaf Farm raspberry jam and Double B honey (from hives on the property) for sale during CSA pick-ups this week. It is possible we will open for pre-orders via our online store for a day or two in the coming weeks. If that’s the case we will send out an email in advance to announce it.

Kale plants killed by the sudden cold temperatures at the end of October.

Perfect Stovetop Popcorn

By Cookies and Kate: https://cookieandkate.com/perfect-stovetop-popcorn-recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil

• ½ cup popcorn kernels, divided

• Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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).

4. 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.)

5. 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.

Roasted Vegetables

By Melissa Clark

2 to 3 pounds root or dense vegetable, peeled if you like and cut into 1-inch chunks or wedges (carrots, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, radishes, rutabaga, winter squashes)

INGREDIENTS

• Oil (olive, coconut or grapeseed)

• Salt and pepper

• Fried eggs and/or plain yogurt

• Fresh herbs, torn or chopped

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss vegetables with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast, 30 minutes to an hour, stirring at least once or twice during roasting for even cooking and browning.

2. Serve with fried eggs and/or yogurt, ground black pepper and plenty of torn herbs on top.

Cabbage-Radish Slaw With Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

Recipe from Tara DugganAdapted by Kim Severson

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SLAW

• ½ small head green cabbage

• ½ small head savoy cabbage (or red cabbage)

• 1 medium watermelon radish

• 2 poblano chilies

FOR THE CILANTRO-LIME VINAIGRETTE

• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, more to taste

• ½ cup minced fresh cilantro

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• Freshly ground pepper to taste

• Pinch cayenne pepper

• ¼ teaspoon sugar

• 3 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil

PREPARATION

1. Make slaw: Remove tough outer leaves of cabbage halves and core halves. Using a food processor, a mandoline or a knife, shred cabbage as finely as possible.

2. Peel watermelon radish and cut into matchsticks, then cut matchsticks in half. Alternatively, trim radishes and roughly chop. Stem chilies and deseed them, then chop in pieces smaller than a dime. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Set aside.

3. Make vinaigrette: In small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except oil. Let cilantro steep in mixture for a few minutes, then whisk in the oil in a steady stream to emulsify.

4. Taste and add more lime juice, salt or pepper if needed. Pour over slaw and blend well. Serve.

Farm stand now closed for the season, and Week 22 of Extended/Flex CSA

The farm stand is now closed for the 2020 season. It felt like a fitting end with several inches of snow on the ground and temperatures at sunrise hovering around 18! We had been keeping an eye on the forecast all week, so we knew we were going to need to harvest and wash everything by Thursday. On Friday night, we sealed up the barn wash areas and temporarily shut off the water to prevent the pipes from freezing. Saturday was a beautiful but brisk day, and it was wonderful to see so many people turning out to stock up on veggies, particularly once it thawed a little in the afternoon!

Though the store is closed for the season, the Extended and Flex CSA will be continuing for another 3 weeks until November 21st. Pick-ups for CSA members are Thursdays 11am - 6pm and Saturdays 9am - 3pm. We have taken down the CSA tent and are moving pick-ups inside the greenhouse (accessed through the farm stand) for the last 3 weeks. We will have a greeter to check members in on the farm stand porch. If you do not feel comfortable going into the greenhouse, please email Melissa and let her know so that we can fill a pre-packed bag for you!

We have had a few questions lately about whether we will be doing any bulk or pop-up sales before Thanksgiving. At this point, we do not know whether or not we will be able to offer additional sales in November. Demand for local produce has been unprecedented this year, meaning that we’ve moved through more produce than we had planned for. Also, some of our field crops like Brussels sprouts and kale (both of which are usually hardy until December!) suffered quite a bit of cold damage last week from the sudden and unseasonably low temperatures on October 31st, reducing the amount of harvestable crops that we have available. This all means that we are holding off on selling any more produce until we are sure that we can fulfill our promises to our CSA customers. If, as we get closer to the end of the CSA, we find that we will have some surplus items, we will likely offer them up for pre-orders online, so stay tuned!

In the CSA this week (Thursday and Saturday):

• Winter squash - tetsukabuto, pie pumpkin or butternut

• Peppers - we cleared out all of the green peppers from our high tunnel last week before the hard freeze, so we will enjoy these for one more week!

• Sweet potatoes - Mostly the traditional orange fleshed varieties, but we will have a few Murasaki (white fleshed sweet potatoes) in the mix as well! This was our first year growing the Murasaki variety, and for not entirely understood reasons, yields of this variety were extremely poor for us. Because the Murasaki potatoes made up 40% of our entire planting, we had fewer sweet potatoes than expected, so we have bought in a few orange fleshed sweet potatoes from Atlas Farm in Deerfield (certified organic) to supplement this week. Most of our sweet potatoes are quite large, but see the pudding recipe below for a a good usage of them!

• Watermelon radishes - these are vibrant magenta inside - a great addition to salads not just for the visuals, but also the flavor!

• Rutabaga - looks like a gnarlier version of a turnip, but with a sweeter flavor.

• Carrots

• Beets

• Purple top turnips

• Brussels sprouts - They suffered cold damage due to the incredibly hard freeze Friday night, especially on the lower ends of the stalks. This is likely the last week for Brussels.

• Cabbage

• Spinach

• Lettuce

• Leeks

• Yellow onions - These have been cured and so should ideally be kept in a cool, dry and dark place (not for fridge storage).

• Garlic

PYO: Parsley and sage look like they may be pick-able this week, barring any more hard freezes. You will likely have a choice of one or the other.

Other items coming up in later weeks of the Late Fall CSA: popcorn, organic yellow potatoes and russet potatoes from Atlas Farm (the drought caused severely reduced potato yields, so we decided to buy extra potatoes in), shallots, and celeriac. Kale and salanova will likely make a return for one more week as well!

Vegan Chocolate Sweet-Potato Pudding

This recipe comes from a member who thought it was a good use of our large sweet potatoes!

• 1 cup well-pureed roasted sweet potato flesh (roast a large sweet potato at 400-

• degrees for 1 hour (or microwave for 13 minutes) – peel and puree flesh in a food

• processor until perfectly smooth, measure 1 cup

• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, preferably grade B

• ¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or use a milk of your choice (rice, soy, cow)

• ½ tsp. espresso powder

• ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, combine all ingredients and puree until well-combined and smooth.

Yields: 2 cups

Servings: 4 – half cup servings

Nutrient Information per Serving: Calories 104; Carbohydrates 21 grams; Fat 3 grams;

Protein 2 grams; Sugar 19 grams.

Mashed Rutabaga with Sour Cream and Dill Recipe

by Elise Bauer from Simply Recipes

• Prep time: 10 minutes

• Cook time: 45 minutes

• Yield: Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pounds of rutabagas, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks

• Salt and black pepper

• 2 teaspoons butter

• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream (more or less to taste)

• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill or chives

1. Boil chopped rutabaga until tender: Cover the chopped rutabaga with about 1 inch of cold water and bring to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and boil until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Drain and return the rutabagas to the pot.

2. Let steam, then mash: Reduce the heat to low and let the rutabaga steam for a minute or two. Mash with a potato masher.

3. Add the butter, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Just before you serve, mix in the chopped dill or chives.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Spinach Quiche

from King Arthur Baking Company

Ingredients

Crust

• Your favorite single pie crust recipe or our Classic Single Pie Crust, prepared

Filling

• 1 medium-large (227g) yellow onion, peeled

• 2 tablespoons (25g) olive oil, divided

• 1 tablespoon (14g) balsamic vinegar

• 1 1/2 cups (213g) butternut squash, cut into very small cubes

• 1 cup (227g) whole milk

• 5 large eggs

• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped; or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 cup (113g) grated Cabot Garlic & Herb Cheddar

• 1 cup (28g) fresh baby spinach, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. To prepare the crust: Roll the prepared crust into a 12" circle (to fit a 9" pie pan). Prick it all over with a fork. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool.

3. To make the filling: 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. 

4. While the onion is caramelizing, spread the cubed butternut squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toss it with the remaining olive oil, along with a couple of good dashes of salt and pepper. Roast the squash until it starts to brown and soften; this should take about the same amount of time as the onions.

5. 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. Don't overfill! If you find you have too much filling, just leave a little out, baking it alongside the pie in a custard cup, if desired.

6. Bake the quiche for about 40 to 45 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and the center should feel just set. 

7. Remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool on a rack. Serve warm, or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Last week of the farm store and Week 21 of the Extended and Flex CSA

This Saturday, October 31st will be the last day of our farm store for the 2020 season. The farm store will be open regular hours this week, Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm and we will have our usual online ordering for pick-ups of pre-orders on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. The Late Fall CSA pick-ups will be Thursday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm (the CSA will not be open Tuesdays or Wednesdays in the fall).

We are staying busy cleaning up the fields and keeping up with the fall harvest. Soon it will be time to clean out the barn to store equipment and supplies for winter, take down fences, and mulch strawberries and garlic with straw. We will have deer fences to take down, coyote fences to put up (to prevent damage to the row cover on our fall planted strawberries!), and high tunnels to secure for winter weather. This week it looks like we’ll also have some extra covering to do, as Friday night is forecast to get down to 21 degrees! What a change from the 70-degree days last week!

As we wrap things up for the season around the farm we are relieved to have made it to this point having had a good harvest despite a drought and increased workload due to the pandemic. We appreciate all of your flexibility with the changes required this season, it would not have gone so smoothly without your support and patience as we navigated new challenges.

In the CSA this week (Thursday and Saturday):

• Winter squash - tetsukabuto, pie pumpkin or butternut

• Peppers - we’ll be clearing out the high tunnel this week, since the forecast is calling for 21 degree temps overnight Friday, and we’re not sure that even with the added protection in the tunnel those plants will be able to withstand sub freezing temps for 12 hours!

• Carrots

• Beets

• Purple top turnips

• Daikon radishes- mini white and purple varieties

• Brussels sprouts

• Kale

• Spinach

• Escarole - A fall cooking green.

• Salanova Lettuce Mix

• Lettuce

• Fennel

• Leeks

• Yellow onions - These have been cured and so should ideally be kept in a cool, dry and dark place (not for fridge storage).

• Garlic

PYO: We will re-open the parsley for picking this week.

Other items coming up in later weeks of the Late Fall CSA: Sweet potatoes, cabbage, watermelon radish, rutabaga, popcorn, organic yellow potatoes and russet potatoes from Atlas Farm (the drought caused severely reduced potato yields, so we decided to buy extra potatoes in), shallots, and celeriac.

In the Farm Store:

For that last week of our farm store this week we will have the items listed for the CSA as well as popcorn, red onions, cabbage, scallions, green tomatoes, colored peppers, murasaki sweet potatoes and fresh ginger from our high tunnel. We will also have honey from Double B Honey (harvested from hives on the property), jack-o-lantern pumpkins from Verrill Farm, and mushrooms from Fat Moon. Fat Moon has an abundance of mushrooms, and is making 3 pound boxes of mixed mushrooms available for $50 which are available to pre-order online this week for pick up after 2pm on Friday or on Saturday - select the special “Friday after 2pm (mushrooms only)” order cycle online in order to order for pickup at the end of the week. Bulk mushroom ordering will close at noon on Thursday. Regular online pre-orders continue, but please note that pre-orders are available for Tuesday, Friday and Saturday pick-ups only. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 2pm the day before pick-up. Walk-up sales continue to be open for all Tuesday-Saturday until October 31st.

Farm Store Hours

Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm

Saturday 9am-3pm

Please wear a snug fitting mask with multiple layers when approaching the farm stand. If you cannot wear a mask, simply order online and include a note in your order letting us know what car you will be driving (as well as roughly what time you will arrive) and we will bring your bag out to your car when you arrive. Thank you for your understanding!

ROMANESCO CAULIFLOWER PASTA WITH OLIVES, CAPERS, AND PARSLEY

From: https://www.abeautifulplate.com/romanesco-cauliflower-pasta

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head of romanesco (or cauliflower)

• 2 heaping tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

• kosher salt

• freshly ground black pepper

• 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1/2 heaping cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced lengthwise

• 2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped

• large pinch red pepper flakes

• 1 heaping cup chopped Italian parsley leaves, lightly packed, plus more for garnishing

• 1 lb dried linguini or fettuccine pasta

• freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the center position.

2. Trim and discard the base of the romanesco and cut it in half, then quarters. Standing each quarter upright and holding your knife at an angle, trim the florets from the core. Most of the florets will fall off or can be separated easily with your fingers (you want the florets to be no larger than an inch in diameter); cut any larger florets in half with a knife to match the size of the other florets. Place the florets on a half sheet pan and toss with 1 heaping tablespoon olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Distribute the florets cut-side down into an even layer, making sure that the florets aren't touching one another if possible. Roast at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, tossing halfway, or until caramelized and tender.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Heat the remaining olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring continuously, or until fragrant. Do not allow it to gain color. Add the kalamata olives, capers, and red pepper flakes to the pan, and sauté for an additional minute or until warm. Taste for salt and pepper. Add half of the parsley to the skillet and keep the mixture warm - off the heat - as you cook the pasta.

4. Boil the pasta until it is al dente, reserving a cup of cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and add the kalamata olive and caper mixture and roasted cauliflower. Toss the mixture together gently, adding the remaining chopped parsley, and a touch of extra virgin olive oil and reserved cooking water if dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Serve immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and parmigiana cheese as desired.

CSA Week 20 and Farm Store Updates

It’s the last week for Main Season CSA members! The farm stand will still be open for one more week after this one, with the farm stand’s final day for the 2020 season on October 31st. If you are an Extended Season or Flex CSA member, you will receive an email on Tuesday with a link to sign up for a time slot for the last 4 weeks. Please remember that there are no CSA pick-ups on Tuesdays or Wednesdays in the late season. CSA pick-ups will continue under the tent for one more week after this one before we shift into the greenhouse for a little added warmth and protection from the elements (we will try to keep vents open to maximize air circulation). We will still have pre-packed bag pick-up available outside the farm stand for anyone who does not wish to go inside to get their vegetables.

Things are winding down a little in the field. We are starting at 8am every day now, and the crew size is shrinking to match the amount of work left (which is still just enough to keep us busy, even on rainy or frosty days). Though this part of the year is a lot of clean-up of irrigation lines, landscape fabric and plastic mulch, we still do have some planting to look forward to! Next year’s garlic and tulips will be going into the ground in the next week or two. The thought of next year’s tulips in particular puts smiles on our masked faces and almost makes us want to skip over the much-needed winter rest period and get right to harvesting the colorful flowers of spring!

In the CSA this week:

• Tetsukabuto squash - this is a new variety for us this season. It’s a cross between kabocha and butternut squash that appealed to us because of it’s hardiness and high yield potential, but we are also very pleased with the flavor! It has the sweetness and long storage of butternut, with some of the nutty flavor and soft texture of Red Kuri! We were also pleased to discover that, though it isn’t advertised as such, the skins are edible. They’re not as thin as delicata or red kuri skins (and we imagine that the longer they are in storage, the thicker they’ll get), but if you don’t want to peel it, you can definitely get away with it!

• Butternut squash

• Potatoes - a mix of storage varieties, mostly Kennebec (white storage variety). We also may supplement with some organic potatoes from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA this week. (We had a rough year with the drought, so we have bought in all of our potatoes for the late fall from Atlas Farm this year).

• Carrots

• Chioggia beets - These bright pink beets have white rings inside, visible when sliced. They taste much like the red ace beets we’ve had the past few weeks.

• Purple top turnips - this storage variety can be eaten roasted as part of a vegetable medley, mashed with potatoes, or added to soups.

• Broccoli

• Brussels sprouts

• Kale

• Spinach - What a fall for spinach! The field harvest continues and our high tunnel planting is also almost ready!

• Escarole - A fall cooking green.

• Salanova Lettuce Mix

• Lettuce

• Leeks

• Yellow onions - These have been cured and so should ideally be kept in a cool, dry and dark place (not for fridge storage).

• Garlic

CSA PYO:

We have had several hard frosts, so hot peppers, husk cherries and tomatoes are done for the season, Hopefully the parsley and herbs in our raised beds will recover for more picking during the Extended Season CSA, but things do grow quite slowly this time of year!

PYO Flower CSA:

Flower picking is done for the 2020 season.

In the Farm Store:

In addition to the items listed in the CSA we will also have popcorn, red onions, green tomatoes, Romanesco cauliflower, scallions, fennel, colored peppers, and fresh ginger from our high tunnel. We will also have organic cranberries from Fresh Meadow Farm in Carver, MA, honey from Double B Honey (harvested from hives on the property), jack-o-lantern pumpkins from Verrill Farm, and mushrooms from Fat Moon. Fat Moon has an abundance of mushrooms, and is making 3 pound boxes of mixed mushrooms available for $50 which are available to pre-order online this week for pick up after 2pm on Friday or on Saturday - select the special “Friday after 2pm (mushrooms only)” order cycle online in order to order for pickup at the end of the week. Bulk mushroom ordering will close at noon on Thursday. Regular online pre-orders continue, but please note that pre-orders are available for Tuesday, Friday and Saturday pick-ups only. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 2pm the day before pick-up. Walk-up sales continue to be open for all Tuesday-Saturday.

Farm Store Hours

Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm

Saturday 9am-3pm

Please wear a snug fitting mask with multiple layers when approaching the farm stand. If you cannot wear a mask, simply order online and include a note in your order letting us know what car you will be driving (as well as roughly what time you will arrive) and we will bring your bag out to your car when you arrive. Thank you for your understanding!

Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto and Thyme

by Justin Chapple, from Food & Wine, November 2011

• 3 pounds butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme leaves

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 3 leeks—white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 4 cups)

• 6 large eggs

• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half

• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• 8 ounces baguette, crusts removed and bread cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 4 ounces thinly-sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips

Step 1    

Preheat the oven to 400° and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking ceramic baking dish. In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the squash on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for about 25 minutes, until tender, tossing once halfway through. Let cool.

Step 2    

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Step 3    

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the half-and-half, cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in the bread and let stand for 10 minutes. Fold in the squash and the prosciutto. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake for about 1 hour, until lightly golden on top. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Parmesan Crusted Crushed Turnips

From a Chef’s Kitchen

Ingredients

• 12 small to medium turnips, peeled

• Salt

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese  (or as needed)

• Chopped fresh chives

Instructions:

Place peeled turnips in a pot of salted water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook 20 to 30 minutes or until turnips can be pierced easily with a paring knife. Drain. Let cool slightly. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the turnips on a clean kitchen towel or double layer of paper towels. Gently press each one down until it's approximately 1/2-inch high. Let them drain for 15 minutes then carefully flip them over onto a dry section of the towel or onto fresh paper towels so the other side drains and dries a bit. Combine garlic, olive oil and salt and black pepper, to taste in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil. Place the flattened turnips on the lined baking sheet. Brush each turnip with a little of the olive oil and garlic combination. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each turnip, gently pressing it down. Carefully and quickly flip each turnip over. Repeat with the remaining olive oil and garlic combination and cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Flip each turnip and bake an additional 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh chives and serve.