CSA Week 17 and Farm Stand updates

We squeezed in one more week of some summery crops like tomatoes and eggplant last week, but this week we are fully transitioning into fall, both in terms of the harvest and the weather! Shorter days have already slowed crop growth dramatically, but cooler temps this week will slow them down even more. This week’s forecast is showing an abrupt shift from consistent 70 degree days and nights in the low 60s into days in the 60s and nights dipping into the 40s! We don’t see any frost in the immediate forecast, but it is that time when we start to look out for freezing overnight temperatures that will finish off the remaining summer crops.

The onset of fall also means that we are beginning CSA sign-ups for next season! Current CSA members should receive an email today with details on how to renew for the 2022 season. On December 1st, we will open up CSA sign-ups to the general public, and Barrett’s Bucks sign-ups for 2022 will begin in January.

In the CSA this week:

CSA pick up hours are Tues/Thurs 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Face masks are required under the CSA tent during the first hour of each day. Please note we do our best to predict what will be available each week, but conditions change and there may be slight variations in what’s available!

• Acorn Squash

• Pie Pumpkin - these are for eating, not carving. You can use them to make pumpkin soup, pie, muffins and more! Many recipes call for pureed pumpkin from a can, but you can make your own puree by cutting the pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds and roasting it until it’s soft. Once it has cooled, scoop out the flesh and puree!

• Broccoli - Our second succession is ready this week, and it looks beautiful!

• Baby bok choi

• Leeks - They’re back! Many have been asking about another crop in the allium family, onions, as well. We had poor germination and plant vigor in the spring (something that appears to be common this year based on our conversations with other farmers), and then the excessive rains led to a lot of rot in the surviving plants. Fortunately our leeks have done well this year. We will take a break from them for one week in the Main Season CSA to distribute onions and hopefully will have enough to distribute onions one more week in the Extended Season. Expect a plentiful supply of leeks in the coming weeks, though!

• Garlic

• Green and purple peppers

• Carrots

• Beets

• Kale

• Escarole

• Lettuce

CSA PYO:

Handwashing sinks are provided at the entrance to each PYO field. For the sake of food safety, please wash hands before picking. The barn bathroom and wash area sinks in the barn are for employees only (we do now have a green porta-potty restroom by the tree behind the red barn for customer use with a portable handwashing sink just beside it).

*Please note that we close down the PYO fields for lightning storms.

• Tomatillos or husk cherries - These are winding down rapidly, but you will still have a choice of one of these for picking, and it’s possible some days this week there might be an option to choose cherry tomatoes.

• Hot peppers - jalapeño, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax, fresno and aji rico varieties are all producing. Signs in the field indicate what to look for in terms of ripeness, as well as how spicy varieties are.

• Herbs- parsley, cilantro, basil, sage, thyme, oregano

PYO Flower CSA:

Picking is available for Flower CSA members as well as to the public for purchase by the bouquet. We will offer picking until our first frost. Picking is available any time the farm store is open (Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm). Varieties blooming now include: zinnias, marigolds, statice, gomphrena, celosia, decorative basil, frosted explosion, cosmos, ageratum, rudbeckia, ammi, scabiosa and more! Please pick stems above the first branching of all flowers to encourage future growth.

In the farm store:

The last day of the farm store for the season will be Saturday, October 30th. This week, in addition to the items listed in the CSA we will also have tendersweet cabbage, lemongrass (grown in our high tunnel!), colored peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and scallions in the farm store. We will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm, honey from Double B, and eggs from Codman Farm. We will not have corn (from Verrill Farm) this week. We have raspberry vinegar infusion from Silferleaf Farm this week and we hope to get in more jam and fresh raspberries later in the week. If you miss getting berries in the store, head over to their farm on Strawberry Hill Road - they are open for PYO Tuesday - Sunday. It’s especially nice and plentiful on weekdays!

We accept credit card, cash, check and EBT in the farm store. The farm store is open Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Masks are required during the first hour of each day and are encouraged the remainder of the day. Staff will continue to wear masks inside the farm stand all day. We are keeping a chalkboard list of items available outside the store and our Shopkeepers would be happy to shop for anyone who is uncomfortable entering the store. We also continue to take online pre-orders for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday pick-up. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 6pm the day before pick-up.

Leek and Pumpkin Soup

by Florence Fabricant, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 4 large leeks, white part only, well rinsed and chopped, about 2 cups

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 cups cubed pumpkin

• 3 cups water

• 1 cup milk or half-and-half

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a heavy casserole. Add the leeks and saute slowly, over low heat, until they are tender but not brown. Stir in the garlic.

1. Add the pumpkin and water, cover and simmer until the pumpkin is tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes, then puree in one or two batches in a food processor.

2. Return the puree to the casserole, add the milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat before serving. Sprinkle each serving with chives.

Lemongrass Curry with Broccoli and Tofu Recipe

from Vegetarian Times

Ingredients

• 12 oz. firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 2 large shallots, chopped (11/2 cups)

• 1 stalk lemongrass, inner core chopped (11/2 Tbs.)

• 1/2 serrano chile, chopped (1 Tbs.)

• 2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil

• 2 1/2 tsp. curry powder

• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

• 4 small carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch slices (11/4 cups)

• 1 13.5-oz can light coconut milk

• 3 cups broccoli florets

• 1 tomato, cut into thin wedges (11/4 cups)

Preparation

1. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu, and cook 10 minutes, or until golden on all sides.

2. Pulse shallots, lemongrass, chile, ginger, and garlic in food processor until smooth paste forms.

3. Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add shallot paste, and cook 5 minutes, or until starting to brown. Stir in curry powder, turmeric, carrots, coconut milk, and 11/2 cups water. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes. Add broccoli, tomato, and tofu; cook 5 minutes, or until broccoli is tender.

CSA Week 16 and Farm Stand updates

After this week we have just 4 weeks left of the Main Season CSA for the 2021 season! So it is fitting that much of our focus (other than the harvest) has turned to preparing for next year, both in the fields and in the office. In the fields we have been working to remove drip tape irrigation, landscape fabric and plastic mulch in any areas where we have finished harvesting for the season. We are motivated to clear fields as early as possible because the earlier we seed cover crop in open fields, the better crop stand we have to protect the soil from erosion during the winter months and and the more nutrients can be returned to the soil. In the office Lise and Melissa have been drafting a 2022 budget and doing the preliminary planning needed to begin to offer 2022 memberships. CSA Renewals will become available next week, followed by new CSA membership openings in December. Barrett’s Bucks memberships will open in January.

Also, along the lines of planning for next season, we have a quiet and responsible crew member who is looking for a new affordable living situation. She has been working for us for 3 seasons and we would love to be able to help her stay in the area for a 4th! If you know of an in-law apartment, studio apartment, or another quiet person with a two bedroom apartment looking for a roommate starting late fall/early winter within about a 20-30 minute drive from the farm, please email Lise or Melissa.

Upcoming dates to remember:

• Last day of the Main Season (20 week) CSA: Saturday, October 23rd

• Farm store closes for the season: Saturday, October 30th (2021 Barrett’s Bucks expire)

• Last day of Flex/Extended Season CSA : Saturday, November 20th (the CSA is closed Tuesdays in November)

In the CSA this week:

CSA pick up hours are Tues/Thurs 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Face masks are required under the CSA tent during the first hour of each day. Please note we do our best to predict what will be available each week, but conditions change and there may be slight variations in what’s available!

• Black Futsu Pumpkins - These are an heirloom mini pumpkin variety that is great roasted. Thankfully the skin is edible (the exterior is quite bumpy and would be difficult to peel!). You can cut into wedges and roast - see recipe below!

• Escarole - A bitter green that looks similar to lettuce but is best cooked rather than eaten in salad. Escarole is great sauteed with garlic or in it’s best known dish, Escarole and White Bean Soup.

• Scallions

• Garlic

• Mixed Winter Squash- Choices will include small butternut, delicata and orange cutie (a mini red kabocha).

• Fennel

• Eggplant or tomato - With shorter days and cooler nights, these are really winding down quickly! Likely the last week for these in the CSA.

• Green and purple peppers

• Carrots

• Beets

• Kale

• Salanova Lettuce Mix

• Mustard Greens

CSA PYO:

Handwashing sinks are provided at the entrance to each PYO field. For the sake of food safety, please wash hands before picking. The barn bathroom and wash area sinks in the barn are for employees only (we do now have a green porta-potty restroom by the tree behind the red barn for customer use with a portable handwashing sink just beside it).

*Please note that we close down the PYO fields for lightning storms.

• Sunflowers

• Green Beans

• Cherry tomatoes

• Shishito or Hot peppers - jalapeño, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax, fresno and aji rico varieties are all producing. Signs in the field indicate what to look for in terms of ripeness, as well as how spicy varieties are.

• Herbs- parsley, cilantro, basil, sage, thyme, oregano

PYO Flower CSA:

Picking is available for Flower CSA members as well as to the public for purchase by the bouquet. We will offer picking until our first frost. Picking is available any time the farm store is open (Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm). Varieties blooming now include: zinnias, marigolds, statice, gomphrena, celosia, decorative basil, frosted explosion, cosmos, ageratum, rudbeckia, ammi, scabiosa and more! Please pick stems above the first branching of all flowers to encourage future growth.

In the farm store:

In addition to the items listed in the CSA we will also have tendersweet cabbage, arugula, lemongrass (grown in our high tunnel!), peppers, and head lettuce in the farm store this week. We will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm, honey from Double B, and eggs from Codman Farm. We will not have corn (from Verrill Farm) this week. We also have raspberry jam and raspberry vinegar infusion from Silferleaf Farm again, as well as fresh berries as available! If you miss getting berries in the store, head over to their farm on Strawberry Hill Road - they are open for PYO Tuesday - Sunday. It’s especially nice and plentiful on weekdays!

We accept credit card, cash, check and EBT in the farm store. The farm store is open Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Masks are required during the first hour of each day and are encouraged the remainder of the day. Staff will continue to wear masks inside the farm stand all day. We are keeping a chalkboard list of items available outside the store and our Shopkeepers would be happy to shop for anyone who is uncomfortable entering the store. We also continue to take online pre-orders for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday pick-up. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 6pm the day before pick-up.

Escarole and White Bean Soup

By Martha Stewart: https://www.marthastewart.com/867270/escarole-and-white-bean-soup

Ingredients

• 2 heads escarole

• 3/4 cup olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 cans cannellini beans

• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans chicken broth

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Parmesan cheese, for serving

• Black pepper biscotti, for serving

Directions

Step 1 : Fill a large basin with water and add escarole; drain basin, refill with water, and return escarole to basin. Repeat this process at least 4 times, or until basin is free of sand. Drain, and chop escarole into bite-size pieces.

Step 2: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add escarole and cook 20 minutes. Drain.

Step 3: Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beans in their liquid, oregano, red-pepper flakes, chicken broth, and escarole. Raise heat and bring soup to a simmer; cover and cook 15 minutes.

Step 4: Place biscotti in individual serving bowls. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Simple Satueed Mustard Greens

By SHEELA PRAKASH at https://www.thekitchn.com/mustard-greens-recipe-23085172

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds mustard greens (about 2 bunches)

• 3 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prep the mustard greens and garlic. Trim the thick bottom stems from 1 1/2 pounds mustard greens and discard. Coarsely chop the greens with their thin stems attached (about 12 cups). Rinse in a colander but do not dry. Thinly slice 3 garlic cloves.

2. Sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide, high-sided sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if desired. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute (do not let the garlic brown).

3. Add the mustard greens and cook. Add the mustard greens a few handfuls at a time, stirring after each addition so that they start to wilt, until all of the greens are added. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mustard greens are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and serve.

Spiced and Roasted Black Futsu

by Francesca Patterson from Norman’s Farm Market

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Black Futsu pumpkin (seeds removed, cut into 1-inch wedges)

• 1 tbsp Olive oil

• Sea salt & ground black pepper (to taste)

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp freshly chopped or dried rosemary

DIRECTIONS

1. Carefully cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits. Then, slice the pumpkin into about 1-inch wedges. Keeping the skin on while cooking will help the pieces retain their shape.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the olive oil, spices, and pumpkin wedges until all is thoroughly coated.

3. Arrange the pumpkin wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook for about 45 minutes or until the pumpkin meat is tender enough to pierce easily with a fork.

   I recommend eating the skin since it is very thin and delicious. Otherwise, you can peel it off as it will remove easily now that it’s been cooked.

CSA Week 15 and Farm Stand Updates

Thank you to everyone who came out for Concord Ag Day, the Concord Agriculture Committee’s annual farmers’ market on Saturday! It was great to be back on Main Street with our fellow Concord farmers and non-profit organizations in town celebrating local agriculture. The farm was bustling on Saturday as well, with CSA and farm store customers enjoying the beautiful September day. The CSA continues to be very busy on Saturdays (this week more members came on Saturday than Tuesday and Thursday combined!), so if you are able to come earlier in the week, you will be rewarded with a quieter experience and the gratitude of our Shopkeepers!

Somehow we pulled off our busy Saturday without a truck (see below for the image of the truck exiting the fields with assistance)! Our 1998 Chevy truck has served us well for the past 7 years since being gifted to us by Gaining Ground (when they got a grant for a new farm truck). However, now it seems like it might be down and out for good, so we have returned to our days of walking in the harvest, trading off bringing in vegetables 3 buckets at a time in our garden cart. Fortunately, Nigel lent us his van for Ag Day and Lise shuttled back and forth from the farm to Main Street with additional veggies and supplies in her tiny car. We were hoping to encourage the truck to limp along until electric trucks became widely available but we will likely need to come up with an interim solution. We are looking into electric golf cart options, but in the meantime we are all getting plenty of exercise bringing in the harvest!

In the CSA this week:

CSA pick up hours are Tues/Thurs 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Face masks are required under the CSA tent during the first hour of each day. Please note we do our best to predict what will be available each week, but conditions change and there may be slight variations in what’s available!

• Scallions

• Garlic

• Broccoli- The first of 5 varieties we planted for this fall!

• Mixed Winter Squash- Choices will include acorn, orange cutie (a mini red kabocha) as well as some butternut squash. We will have storage butternut squash later - the butternut we are distributing this week have some minor damage and will not hold for very long, so we encourage using them in the next week or two.

• Fennel

• Tomatoes - production is dwindling, but we’re going to eek out one more week for the CSA!

• Eggplant

• Peppers

• Carrots

• Beets

• Kale

• Lettuce

CSA PYO:

Handwashing sinks are provided at the entrance to each PYO field. For the sake of food safety, please wash hands before picking. The barn bathroom and wash area sinks in the barn are for employees only (we do now have a green porta-potty restroom by the tree behind the red barn for customer use with a portable handwashing sink just beside it).

*Please note that we close down the PYO fields for lightning storms.

• Green Beans

• Cherry tomatoes

• Tomatillos or husk cherries

• Hot peppers - jalapeño, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax, fresno and aji rico varieties are all producing. Signs in the field indicate what to look for in terms of ripeness, as well as how spicy varieties are.

• Herbs- parsley, cilantro, basil, sage, thyme, oregano

PYO Flower CSA:

Picking is available for Flower CSA members as well as to the public for purchase by the bouquet. We will offer picking until our first frost (sometimes as early as mid September). Picking is available any time the farm store is open (Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm). Varieties blooming now include: zinnias, marigolds, statice, gomphrena, celosia, decorative basil, frosted explosion, cosmos, ageratum, rudbeckia, ammi, scabiosa and more! There is also a bed of many varieties of branching sunflowers blooming that you are welcome to use to fill your jars. Please pick stems above the first branching of all flowers to encourage future growth.

In the farm store:

In addition to the items listed in the CSA we will also have tendersweet cabbage and salanova lettuce mix in the farm store this week. We will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm, honey from Double B, and eggs from Codman Farm. We will not have corn (from Verrill Farm) this week. We also have raspberry jam and raspberry vinegar infusion from Silferleaf Farm again, as well as fresh berries as available! If you miss getting berries in the store, head over to their farm on Strawberry Hill Road - they are open for PYO Tuesday - Sunday. It’s especially nice and plentiful on weekdays!

We accept credit card, cash, check and EBT in the farm store. The farm store is open Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Masks are required during the first hour of each day and are encouraged the remainder of the day. Staff will continue to wear masks inside the farm stand all day. We are keeping a chalkboard list of items available outside the store and our Shopkeepers would be happy to shop for anyone who is uncomfortable entering the store. We also continue to take online pre-orders for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday pick-up. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 6pm the day before pick-up.

Spicy Sesame Carrot Salad -shared with us by a CSA member years ago, still a favorite!

by Nicole Perry at https://www.popsugar.com/food/Spicy-Sesame-Carrot-Salad-30421461

INGREDIENTS

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar

• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• Kosher salt

• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled lengthwise into thin ribbons

• 1 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegars, honey, sesame oil, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour the dressing over the carrots, add the cilantro, and toss well. Season to taste with salt, and serve.

Pushing our broken down truck out of the field. We are not as happy as we look about the truck being out of commission!

CSA Week 14, Farm Stand updates, and Ag Day this Saturday!

After a hiatus last year, the annual Ag Day Farmers’ Market is back! Come visit us in Concord Center on Saturday, September 11th, 10am - 2pm. If you’ve never been before, Concord Ag Day is a once a year farmers’ market celebrating local agriculture organized by the Concord Agriculture Committee to showcase Concord farms and local produce. We’ll have a booth with a more limited selection than our in our farm stand, but we do plan to have cherry tomatoes, salanova lettuce mix, carrots, kale, flowers and a few other items to be determined later this week. There will be seven other Concord Farms at the market, as well games, veggie car races and local non-profits will have tables at the event. While the event is outdoors, we ask that all individuals who are not fully vaccinated (including children under 12) wear a mask.

With school back in session, Saturdays have become a very busy CSA pick-up day, especially before lunch. If you’re able to come pick up your CSA earlier in the week (Tuesdays are especially quiet), we encourage you to do so to help spread out the traffic on the farm. Spreading out CSA traffic on Tuesday and Thursday would be especially helpful this week, as our staff will be split between the farm and Concord Center for Ag Day on Saturday!

In the CSA this week:

CSA pick up hours are Tues/Thurs 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Face masks are required under the CSA tent during the first hour of each day. Please note we do our best to predict what will be available each week, but conditions change and there may be slight variations in what’s available!

• Delicata squash - These small, sweet squash have edible skins. Our favorite way to prepare them is to cut in half length-wise, scoop out the seeds, then slice into 1/4” thick half moons to roast on a baking sheet.

• Spaghetti squash

• Scallions

• Garlic

• Tendersweet cabbage - This variety is very sweet for a cabbage, and has a softer texture than later storage varieties.

• Fennel

• Tomatoes

• Eggplant

• Carrots

• Beets

• Kale

• Lettuce

*We still have watermelon from our final harvest of the season last week. It is not enough to make it through the end of the week, but we will definitely have it available in the CSA Tuesday and hopefully Thursday as well.

CSA PYO:

Handwashing sinks are provided at the entrance to each PYO field. For the sake of food safety, please wash hands before picking. The barn bathroom and wash area sinks in the barn are for employees only (we do now have a green porta-potty restroom by the tree behind the red barn for customer use with a portable handwashing sink just beside it).

*Please note that we close down the PYO fields for lightning storms.

• Green Beans

• Sunflowers

• Cherry tomatoes

• Tomatillos or husk cherries

• Shishito peppers

• Hot peppers - jalapeño, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax, fresno and aji rico varieties are all producing. Signs in the field indicate what to look for in terms of ripeness, as well as how spicy varieties are.

• Herbs- parsley, cilantro, basil, sage, thyme, oregano
  

PYO Flower CSA:

Picking is available for Flower CSA members as well as to the public for purchase by the bouquet. We will offer picking until our first frost (sometimes as early as mid September). Picking is available any time the farm store is open (Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm). Varieties blooming now include: zinnias, marigolds, statice, gomphrena, celosia, decorative basil, frosted explosion, cosmos, ageratum, rudbeckia, ammi, scabiosa and more! There is also a bed of many varieties of branching sunflowers blooming that you are welcome to use to fill your jars. Please pick stems above the first branching of all flowers to encourage future growth.

In the farm store:

In addition to the items listed in the CSA the farm store this week we will also have salanova, peppers and leeks. We will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm, sweet corn from Verrill Farm and honey from Double B. We are currently out of eggs from Codman Farm, but hope to have more soon.

We accept credit card, cash, check and EBT in the farm store. The farm store is open Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Masks are required during the first hour of each day and are encouraged the remainder of the day. Staff will continue to wear masks inside the farm stand all day. We are keeping a chalkboard list of items available outside the store and our Shopkeepers would be happy to shop for anyone who is uncomfortable entering the store. We also continue to take online pre-orders for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday pick-up. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 6pm the day before pick-up.

Big Batch Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Scallions

By Kat Boytsova, from Bon Apetit, March 2019

This is intended to make enough for leftovers later in the week!

Ingredients

• 8 garlic cloves, finely grated

• 1½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 Tbsp. honey

• 5 Tbsp. grapeseed or vegetable oil, divided

• 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

• 2½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more

• 3 large fennel bulbs sliced into ¾"-thick wedges (reserve stems and fronds for another use)

• 8 scallions, trimmed

• 1 lemon, halved

• Toasted sesame oil (for drizzling)

Preparation

1. Place racks in upper third and middle of oven; preheat to 425°. Whisk garlic, red pepper flakes, honey, and 2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil in a large bowl. Season chicken thighs with 2½ tsp. salt and toss to coat in marinade. Arrange, skin side up, on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet; let sit at room temperature while you prepare the vegetables.

2. Toss fennel wedges and scallions with remaining 3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil on another rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt, then arrange in a single layer. Roast vegetables on top rack and chicken on middle rack, tossing vegetables halfway through, until vegetables are softened and chicken is browned and cooked through, 35–45 minutes.

3. Divide scallions, two-thirds of the fennel, and 4 chicken thighs between plates. Drizzle with sesame oil and squeeze a lemon half over. Transfer remaining chicken thighs along with any juices from baking sheet to an airtight container; let cool, then cover and chill. Place remaining fennel and lemon half in a separate airtight container; let cool, then cover and chill.

Do Ahead: Chicken and vegetables can be roasted 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.

CSA Week 13 and Farm Stand Updates

We are beginning Week 13 of the CSA which means we are halfway through the Extended Season and Flex CSA and more than halfway into the Main Season CSA already! The Main Season (20 week) CSA runs until October 23rd and the farm store will be open until October 30th. The Extended Season and Flex CSA go until November 20th (there will be no Tuesday pick-ups after October 19th). 2021 Barrett’s Bucks expire on October 30th and current Barrett’s Bucks members should have received an email from Melissa last week with their balance. Feel free to email Melissa or inquire at the farm stand to review your season’s purchases and find out your most updated balance. We are planning to open CSA renewals in mid-September and will likely open 2022 Barrett’s Bucks memberships in January. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy all the late summer and early fall veggies! September is the underrated month on the farm with summer cherry tomatoes still plentiful at the start, but the first of the fall favorites like cured garlic and spaghetti squash are also coming in. It is our favorite month for cooking!

In the CSA this week:

CSA pick up hours are Tues/Thurs 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Face masks are required under the CSA tent during the first hour of each day. Please note we do our best to predict what will be available each week, but conditions change and there may be slight variations in what’s available!

• Watermelon - A variety called Blacktail Mountain which is an heirloom variety that has won awards for it’s sweet taste!

• Garlic - This garlic has been cured and should be kept in a cool and dry place (not in the refrigerator)

• Baby bok choy or Swiss chard

• Radishes - Round red radish bunches

• Spaghetti squash

• Leeks

• Green and Purple Peppers

• Tomatoes

• Eggplant

• Carrots

• Beets

• Kale

• Lettuce - A mix of red and green summer crisp varieties

• Salanova lettuce mix

CSA PYO:

Handwashing sinks are provided at the entrance to each PYO field. For the sake of food safety, please wash hands before picking. The barn bathroom and wash area sinks in the barn are for employees only (we do now have a green porta-potty restroom by the tree behind the red barn for customer use with a portable handwashing sink just beside it).

*Please note that we close down the PYO fields for lightning storms.

• Cherry tomatoes

• Husk cherries - These are ripe when the husk has turned brown and fallen off the plant. Peel off the brown husk and enjoy this yellow fruit’s sweet, almost tropical, flavor!

• Shishito peppers

• Tomatillos

• Hot peppers - jalapeño, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax, fresno and aji rico varieties are all producing. Signs in the field indicate what to look for in terms of ripeness, as well as how spicy varieties are.

• Herbs- parsley, cilantro, basil, sage, and dill seed
  

PYO Flower CSA:

Picking is available for Flower CSA members as well as to the public for purchase by the bouquet. We will offer picking until our first frost (often mid September). Picking is available any time the farm store is open (Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm). Varieties blooming now include: zinnias, marigolds, statice, gomphrena, celosia, decorative basil, frosted explosion, cosmos, ageratum, rudbeckia, bachelors button, ammi, scabiosa and more! There is also a bed of many varieties of branching sunflowers blooming that you are welcome to use to fill your jars. Please pick stems above the first branching of all flowers to encourage future growth.

In the farm store:

In addition to the items listed in the CSA the farm store this week we will also have flower bouquets, summer squash, zucchini and cucumbers. We also have eggs from Codman Farm and honey from Double B. We will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm again starting Thursday afternoon and we will hopefully have sweet corn most of the week as well.

We accept credit card, cash, check and EBT in the farm store. The farm store is open Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Masks are required during the first hour of each day and are encouraged the remainder of the day. Staff will continue to wear masks inside the farm stand all day. We are keeping a chalkboard list of items available outside the store and our Shopkeepers would be happy to shop for anyone who is uncomfortable entering the store. We also continue to take online pre-orders for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday pick-up. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 6pm the day before pick-up.

Sheet Pan Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes

By Life is Strawberry

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large spaghetti squash

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 3 cups cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 large yellow onion, sliced into quarter-inch slices

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1 cup dry white wine

• salt and pepper to taste

• Fresh basil, sliced, for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

PREPARE THE SQUASH & BEGIN ROASTING

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (see our recipe notes for tips on how to do this safely as spaghetti squash can be tough to cut!) Scrape out the seeds and discard or save for roasting.

3. Drizzle the cut sides of the spaghetti squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

4. Place squash cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Use a sharp paring knife to pierce the skin of the squash 3-4 times on each half. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Prep the rest of your ingredients while the squash roasts! Note: If your squash is on the smaller side, you may want to reduce the cook time here to 20 minutes to prevent overcooking.

ADD THE TOMATOES & ONIONS

1. After 30 minutes, remove the squash from the oven. Use tongs to scoot the spaghetti squash to one side of the sheet pan to make room for everything else.

2. Add tomatoes, onion, and garlic to sheet pan. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Use tongs to toss the new veggies together to evenly coat everything with olive oil, then spread them out in an even layer across the sheet pan.

3. Use oven mitts to return sheet pan to oven. Cook an additional 20-25 minutes until squash is easily pierced with a fork and tomato skins have just begun to burst. Note: If your spaghetti squash needs more time, or if your onions are looking a little dry, give the tomato and onion mixture a toss with a pair of tongs to redistribute some liquid and prevent the onions from burning.

COOL THE SQUASH & MAKE THE PAN SAUCE

1. When squash is easily pierced with a fork, pull sheet pan out of the oven. Use tongs or a large spatula to carefully transfer spaghetti squash to a separate plate. Leave the cut side facing up to help the squash cool: it needs to rest for 15 minutes or so until it’s cool enough to handle!

2. Now, let’s make the pan sauce! Pour white wine directly onto your rimmed baking sheet with the tomatoes and onions. Use tongs to move the wine around and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the pan is mostly deglazed, return it to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes until the sauce has reduced by about half.

ASSEMBLE & SERVE

1. When the sauce is ready, pull the sheet pan out of the oven.

2. Lightly drag a fork over the surface of the spaghetti squash to shred it into long strands. Transfer spaghetti squash “noodles” to a serving bowl. Note: If the spaghetti squash is still too hot to handle comfortably, use a tea towel or oven mitt to hold it in place or let it cool for a few more minutes.

3. Top spaghetti squash with roasted tomato and onion mixture and drizzle with your white wine pan sauce. Top with fresh basil (optional) and serve immediately!