Extended and Flex CSA Week 22, Farm Store now closed for the season

Though it’s not technically the end of the season for us, we did have a sort of “end of season” gathering for the crew last week to mark the closing of the store for the season, as well to celebrate making it to the end of October with our sanity intact! During our gathering, Siobhan (who many of you will recognize if you come to the store and CSA on Saturday) surprised us with an incredible mosaic she made of our logo using shards of plates and cups that she and the crew had collected from the fields all season! (It’s pretty common to find ceramics in farm fields - commercial composters usually take waste from dining halls, and dinnerware often ends up in the mix! We’ve found plenty of silverware and, oddly, marbles, in our fields as well!). We are so grateful for this thoughtful gift from Siobhan and the rest of the crew, and so excited to hang this up in the farm stand for next season!

Despite the store closing for the season, there are still field and high tunnel tasks to complete before Thanksgiving, when the crew usually wraps up for the season. Of course, we still some harvesting left in the fields and high tunnels for the Extended/Flex CSA (for those of you wondering, we will not likely have enough excess to do pop-up sales in late November or early December, however if things change we will announce it in our blog newsletter). In the field we also have a few clean-up projects, as well as mulching of our 2022 garlic and strawberries for protection from cold winter temps. In the high tunnels, we will soon have pepper and tomato plants to clear and beds to prep for seeding carrots, spinach, greens and ranunculus for spring harvest. In the barn, farm stand and greenhouses we have plenty of organizing to do to make room for storing whatever supplies and equipment we can fit in order to protect them from the elements. It’s a lot to accomplish in the next few weeks, but we have a great crew to make sure we get it done!

In the CSA this week (Week 22 for Extended and Flex members):

The Main Season CSA has ended, the Extended and Flex CSAs continue until November 20th. Pick up hours are Thursday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm (there are no Tuesday pick-ups). Pick ups are now inside the greenhouse attached to the farm stand (enter through the farm stand doors). Face masks are required inside the greenhouse. 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!

• Colored peppers- the high tunnel colored peppers have continued to slowly produce and we were able to get enough for the CSA this week!

• Potatoes - Yellow potatoes from Atlas Farm (certified organic and grown in South Deerfield, MA).

• Spinach - the spinach did not germinate well this year so we have limited quantities. We will harvest from both our field and high tunnel plantings to get as much for each member as possible.

• Onions - Red and yellow storage onions

• Autumn Frost squash - a specialty butternut variety that we have found to be very tasty and stores well! It can be used in any recipe that calls for butternut squash.

• Leeks

• Garlic

• Green peppers

• Brussels sprouts

• Salad turnips

• Mini Daikon - White “mini mak” and purple “KN Bravo”

• Kale

• Red Lettuce

Still to come in the remaining 2 CSA weeks after this week: salanova lettuce mix, fennel and green tomatoes from our high tunnels, as well as watermelon radishes, more carrots, and green storage cabbage from the fields. Russet potatoes from Atlas Farm, as well as additional sweet potatoes and onions from Red Fire Farm (both certified organic and MA grown) to supplement our own supplies, as we did not have the yields we expected.

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.

• Herbs (if they survive the frosts this week) - parsley, sage, thyme, oregano

The farm store is now closed for the season. The flower field is also finished for the year. Thank you for all your support of the store this season, we look forward to seeing you in 2022!

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 (or use a store-bought crust!)

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 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). Place it in the pan and 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.

Colored Pepper and Kale Stir-Fry

By Todd Porter and Diane Cu, from Food & Wine May, 2014

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 medium onion, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

• 2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

• 1 bunch kale, destemmed and chopped

• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• Kosher or sea salt, to taste

• Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and then stir in the onions. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the onions are soft.

2. Add the garlic and bell peppers; stirring occasionally, cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the peppers are softened.

3. Add the kale and stir in the Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and smoked paprika. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the kale is softened. Season with salt and pepper.

Last Week of the 2021 Farm Store and Extended/Flex CSA details

Last week’s highlight was tulip planting for next spring! We love planting this time of year - it is a great way to focus on next year and all the good things to come as we wind up the current season. The Main Season CSA is now over and this will be the last week of the farm store for the season, as the store closes for the year Saturday October 30th (2021 Barrett’s Bucks expire at that time). We have 4 more weeks remaining in the Extended and Flex CSA, including this week. Pick-ups for the next 4 weeks are on Thursdays 11am-6pm and Saturdays 9am-3pm. There are no longer Tuesday pick ups.

If you’re inside during the rain this week (with the exception of your trips to the farm store of course!) check out our recent interview with Holly Kouvo (crew member Jess’s mom!) on her show Get Healthy With Holly. It was filmed by ActonTV and will be shown on both ActonTV and Minuteman Media Network (Concord TV), and you can see it here as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp7rJUsh_Sk. We had a great time showing Holly around the farm and talking about the CSA and vegetables of course! Previous episodes of her show, as well as recipe ideas are on her website: https://www.fittingfitnessin.com/get-healthy-with-holly.

In the CSA this week (Week 21 for Extended and Flex members):

The Main Season CSA has ended, Week 21 is the first of the 4 Late Fall weeks in the Extended and Flex CSAs. Pick up hours are Thursday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm (there are no Tuesday pick-ups). 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!

• Sweet potatoes

• Onions

• Potatoes - Yellow potatoes from Atlas Farm (certified organic and grown in South Deerfield, MA).

• Butternut Squash

• Leeks

• Garlic

• Peppers

• Carrots

• Brussels sprouts

• Salad turnips

• Rutabaga or Mini Daikon

• Red Cabbage

• Kale

• Lettuce

Still to come in the remaining 3 CSA weeks after this week: Spinach, salanova, fennel and green tomatoes from our high tunnels, as well as watermelon radishes, green storage cabbage, and Atlas Farm russet potatoes.

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.

• Herbs- parsley, sage, thyme, oregano

PYO Flower CSA:

Flowers are mostly done for the year, so they are closed to the general public but if you are a PYO Flower CSA member with some left to pick feel free to continue to come and pick until there is nothing left to find! Picking is available any time the farm store is open this week until Saturday, October 30th, the last day of the farm stand for the season.

In the farm store:

The last day of the farm store for the season will be this Saturday, October 30th. 2021 Barrett’s Bucks expire at that time. This week, in addition to the items listed in the CSA we will also have salanova, spinach, mini mak daikon radishes, autumn frost and tetsukabuto squash, colored peppers and eggplant in the farm store. In addition we will have organic cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm in Carver, MA. These cranberries can be used in making granola, scones, smoothies and more, but they can also be frozen and kept until Thanksgiving. We will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm, honey from Double B, and eggs from Codman Farm. We also have raspberry vinegar infusion and jam from Silferleaf Farm.

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 Chicken Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic Glaze

From Cooking Classy

Ingredients

• 20 oz. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 3/4-inch cubes

• 16 oz. brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed, halved

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 5 slices bacon, diced

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1 1/4-inch cubes*

• 1/2 medium red onion, diced into chunks

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary

• 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional)

• 3 Tbsp store-bought or homemade** balsamic glaze

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

• Place sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil then to toss to evenly coat.

• Sprinkle bacon over everything then roast in preheated oven 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

• Add chicken, red onions, garlic and rosemary then season everything with salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat. Spread into an even layer (don't overlap chicken pieces).

• Return to oven and roast until chicken has cooked through (center of thickest pieces should register 165) about 17 - 20 minutes longer.

• Drizzle everything (or each serving) with balsamic glaze, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

• *Try to cut all of the chicken pieces close to the same size so they'll finish cooking through at the same time.

• **For homemade balsamic glaze: In a small saucepan whisk together 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and 1 Tbsp honey. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced to about 3 Tbsp, about 10 - 13 minutes. Let cool (it will thicken more as it cools).

Winter Squash and Wild Mushroom Curry

By David Tanis, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 10 ounces butternut or other winter squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 1 or 2 small green chiles, such as jalapeño or serrano

• 3 medium shallots or 1 small onion, finely diced

• ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

• Handful of fresh or frozen curry leaves (optional)

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• Pinch of ground cayenne

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 pound mushrooms, preferably a mix of cultivated and wild, trimmed and sliced 1/8-inch thick

• ¾ cup coconut milk

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Preparation

• In a wide skillet, heat oil over medium-high. When hot, add squash cubes in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, letting cubes brown slightly, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to lift squash out, and set aside.

• Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile to open it, but leave whole. (This helps the chiles heat the sauce without making it too spicy.)

• Add shallots, salt lightly and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves, if using, and let sizzle for 30 seconds, then add garlic, coriander, cayenne, turmeric and chiles. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds more.

• Add mushrooms, season with salt and toss to coat. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

• Return squash cubes to skillet, stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes. If mixture looks dry, thin with a little water. Taste and season with salt.

• Before serving, stir in lime juice. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with cilantro

CSA Week 20 and Farm Stand Updates

This is the last week for the Main Season CSA! The farm store will be open this week and next, with the last day of the farm store for the season on Saturday, October 30th (2021 Barrett’s Bucks expire at that time). Extended and Flex CSAs continue for 4 more weeks, until November 20th. However, this is the last week for Tuesday pick-ups for the Extended and Flex CSAs. For the last 4 weeks CSA pick-ups options will be Thursday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. We are currently accepting renewal sign-ups for the 2022 CSA. Please email Melissa if you lost your link to the renewal online store. We will open sign-ups to new members on December 1st.

We have been enjoying some uncharacteristically warm weather this October which has made for some of the most pleasant field clean-up we have ever had! It has also meant great cover crop growth in areas that were seeded early. Temperatures do look like they are starting to drop this week and next and so we are expecting a frost within the next ten days. Most items we are still harvesting will not be affected by a light frost, however we will be sure to pick our remaining peppers and eggplant this week. If you still have PYO Flower bouquets left now is the time to pick as a frost will likely mean the end of flower picking for the year. While much of our work right now is about closing up for 2021, we have some planting projects for 2022 coming up, including tulip planting this week and garlic next week!

In the CSA this week

This is the last week for the Main Season CSA! Pick up hours are Tues/Thurs 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. The Extended and Flex CSAs continue until November 20th, however after this week there are no Tuesday pick-ups. 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!

• Sweet potatoes - These have cured in the greenhouse and are ready for eating!

• Onions - We had a disappointing onion crop due to excessive summer rain but we have enough for each membership to have a few.

• Potatoes - Yellow potatoes from Atlas Farm (certified organic and grown in South Deerfield, MA).

• Autumn Frost winter squash- These look like decorative gourds due to their “frosty” appearance but are actually a tasty variety of specialty butternut squash!

• Tetsukabuto winter squash

• Beets

• Mini daikon radishes - KN Bravo (purple) and Mini Mak (white)

• Brussels sprouts - we leave these on the stalk!

• Salad turnips

• Green and purple peppers

• Cabbage

• Kale

• Salanova Lettuce Mix or Head 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.

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

PYO Flower CSA:

Flowers are definitely winding down, but we’ve been fortunate to enjoy them for a much longer season than usual! Picking is now only available for Flower CSA members, who may pick 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, amaranth and ageratum.

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 spinach, leeks, broccoli, scallions, carrots, colored peppers and eggplant in the farm store. In addition we will have organic cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm in Carver, MA. These cranberries can be used in making granola, scones, smoothies and more, but they can also be frozen and kept until Thanksgiving. We will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm, honey from Double B, and eggs from Codman Farm. We also have raspberry vinegar infusion and jam from Silferleaf Farm.

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.

Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Winter Squash Hash

by Martha Rose Shulman, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds winter squash, like butternut, halved, seeds and membranes scraped away

• 1 pound brussels sprouts, preferably small ones

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 bunch scallions, sliced thin

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• Salt

• freshly ground pepper

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste, dissolved in 1/4 cup water

• 1 cup cooked black rice

• Poached eggs for serving optional

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil, and lightly oil the foil. Brush the cut sides of the squash with olive oil, and set on the baking sheet with the cut sides down. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until easily pierced with a paring knife. Remove from the heat, allow to cool until it can be handled, and peel and dice.

2. While the squash is in the oven, trim away the bottoms of the brussels sprouts and cut into quarters.

3. Heat the oil over medium-high in a large, heavy skillet. Add the brussels sprouts. Cook, stirring often or tossing in the pan, until just tender and the edges are seared light brown, about five minutes. Add salt to taste, and stir in the scallions and garlic. Stir together for a few minutes until the scallions and garlic are fragrant. Stir in the squash. Cook, stirring often, until the squash has caramelized lightly, about 10 minutes. It’s fine if the squash falls apart in the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in the dissolved tomato paste. Continue to cook, stirring, until the tomato paste has caramelized, about five minutes. The tomato paste mixture will no longer be visible, but there should be rusty-colored traces on the bottom of your skillet. Stir in the black rice. Heat through, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve, topped with a poached egg if desired.

Tips:

• To cook black rice, combine 1 part rice with 1 3/4 parts water and salt to taste in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat. Simmer 30 minutes until the water has been absorbed. Remove the lid, place a dish towel over the pot, return the lid and let stand 10 minutes. A cup of dry rice will yield 3 cups of cooked rice.

• Advance preparation: You can keep this for about three days in the refrigerator and reheat.

Danmuji (Korean Pickled Daikon Radish) Recipe

By Emily and Matt Clifton, from Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (355ml) water

• 1 1/2 cups (355ml) unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar

• 1 tablespoon (15g) Kosher salt

• 2 medium cloves garlic, halved lengthwise

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 15 whole black peppercorns

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 pound (450g) daikon radish, peeled and cut into 4- by 1/4-inch strips (see note)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together water, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, turmeric, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to ensure that sugar fully dissolves. Remove from heat and add daikon. Press a paper towel directly against the surface of the brine and let cool to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.

2. Transfer pickles and brine to an airtight glass container and store in the refrigerator. (The turmeric will stain a plastic container yellow.) Pickles will last about 1 month.

Notes

The radish can also be sliced into thin rounds, which is how you'll often find it.

CSA Week 19 and Farm Stand updates

Last week we tried out using our new potato digger for our sweet potato harvest and we were grinning from ear to ear because of how well it worked. In past seasons we would clip the sweet potato vines, pull them out of the way, roll up the landscape fabric in the pathways, pull the plastic mulch, loosen the soil around the sweet potatoes with pitchforks, and painstakingly dig the sweet potatoes out with trowels. This year, we still had to push the vines out of the way and roll up the landscape fabric, but after that the digger worked it’s magic! The digger cuts under the sweet potatoes, lifting them up a conveyor, and dropping them on top of the soil. It also pulls up the plastic mulch and drip irrigation, saving both time and our backs! We had been a bit worried about the sweet potatoes because the plants we received in June were in very poor condition and most did not survive. We ordered 1,000 new plants from a different farm and filled in the massive gaps in early July, but because it was later than ideal for planting them in our climate, we didn’t have high hopes. While it wasn’t the best harvest we’ve ever had, it was certainly better than expected, and in this difficult season, that felt like a major victory. The sweet potatoes are now curing in the greenhouse and we will have them in the store and CSA next week.

In the CSA this week

Main Season CSA members have 1 more week left after this week (for a total of 20 weeks). Extended Season CSA members have 5 weeks left for a total of 24 weeks. Flex members check in with the shopkeeper or email Melissa to find out how many pick-ups you have left of your 20 out of 24 weeks.

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!

• Brussels sprouts - we leave these on the stalk!

• Salad turnips - back after a hiatus, these tender turnips can be eaten raw in salad, or they can be roasted or sauteed. The greens are edible too!

• Butternut squash

• Mixed winter squash - tetsukabuto, acorn, pie pumpkins

• Carrots

• Leeks

• Garlic

• Green and purple peppers

• Broccoli or colored peppers - we don’t have large enough quantity to offer both of these popular items to the whole CSA, but there will be a choice between the two all week.

• Savoy cabbage

• Kale

• Mustard greens

• 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.

• 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:

Flowers are definitely winding down, but we’ve been fortunate to enjoy them for a much longer season than usual! 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 lemongrass and ginger (grown in our high tunnel!), tomatoes, potatoes, spinach and scallions in the farm store. In addition we will have organic cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm in Carver, MA. These cranberries can be used in making granola, scones, smoothies and more, but they can also be frozen and kept until Thanksgiving. We will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm, honey from Double B, and eggs from Codman Farm. We also have raspberry vinegar infusion and jam from Silferleaf Farm.

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.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Brown Butter

by Dean Fearing, Food & Wine Magazine, November 2007

Ingredients

• 4 pounds brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 pound fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

• 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter

• 1 large shallot, minced

• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. On 2 large rimmed baking sheets, toss the brussels sprouts with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the sprouts are tender and browned in spots.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, maple syrup, ginger and orange zest. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until the cranberries break down and thicken, about 10 minutes.

3. In a medium skillet, cook the butter over moderately high heat until deep golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the shallot and thyme and stir into the cranberry sauce. Transfer the butter to a bowl, add the brussels sprouts and toss. Season with salt and serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries, Greens and Apples

from Spoonful of Flavor, November 19th, 2018

Ingredients 

• 1 (2-3 pound) butternut squash, peeled & chopped into one inch pieces

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

• salt and pepper

• 2 cups fresh cranberries

• 1 small apple,, peeled, cored and julienned or chopped

• 4 ounces kale

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• pinch cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle squash with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast squash for 25 minutes. Add cranberries and roast for an additional 10 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and cinnamon to make vinaigrette. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat remaining teaspoon olive oil. Saute apple for 3 minutes until softened. Add the greens and cook until wilted.

4. Combine everything together in a large bowl. Gently stir to combine. Enjoy!

CSA Week 18 and Farm Stand updates

We have officially transitioned to fall on the farm. Cover crop is growing on over half of the fields, darker mornings mean a later start time for the crew, and we spend our afternoons on storage crop harvest or field clean-up rather than planting projects. The harvest list this week is also a sure sign of fall and includes savoy cabbage, turnips, leeks, and potatoes! The tetsukabuto winter squash has been curing in the barn and is now ready so will be in the CSA and farm store this week. The tetsukabuto variety is a cross between a kabocha and a butternut, resulting in a sweet and nutty flavor. Still to come in the remaining 2 weeks (after this one) of the Main Season are some popular fall items such as onions, Brussels sprouts, mini daikon radishes, butternut squash, and hopefully sweet potatoes (the first plants we purchased arrived spoiled, so we had to order and replant later than is ideal. As such, we are giving these later-planted sweeties extra time to fill out - wish us luck!).

Now that it’s October, many of you are probably wondering about jack-o-lanterns. We do not grow our own jack-o-lanterns, but in the past we have bought in Concord-grown pumpkins for sale in the farm stand. Unfortunately, this year there are none to be had in town. Further proof that this growing season has been a bit of a struggle across the board!

In the CSA this week:

Main Season CSA members have 2 more weeks left after this week (for a total of 20 weeks). Extended Season CSA members have 6 weeks left for a total of 24 weeks. Flex members check in with the shopkeeper or email Melissa to find out how many pick-ups you have left of your 20 out of 24 weeks.

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!

• Savoy Cabbage - This cabbage is great raw in slaw, but it is also good cooked in stir fry, stews or stuffed cabbage leaves!

• Tetsukabuto squash - These hardy flavorful squash have edible skins and are delicious roasted in half moons, cubed and added to stews or curries, or stuffed! Nuttier flavor and less sugary than butternut.

• Storage Turnips

• Potatoes - These will be the last potatoes that we’ll have in the Main Season (we’ll have more organic potatoes from Atlas Farm in Western MA in the Extended season). We cleared our last 3 beds of potatoes to have enough for the CSA this week. Yields of our later season potatoes were quite low, as they suffered from relentless Colorado potato beetle damage. Because organic sprays are not effective against potato beetles (and because we prefer not to spray at all), we control these pests by hand-picking off the plants, which as you might imagine, is an incredibly time-consuming process. Unfortunately, this year the time for hand-picking potato beetles off the plants came in the midst of a string of equipment failures and a time when we were also short-handed due to illness! So we’ll enjoy what we do have this week and hope for better circumstances next year!

• 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!

• Leeks

• Garlic

• Eggplant - There is an abundance of smaller fruit still on the plants, so we will be clearing them out this week.

• Green and purple peppers

• Beets

• Kale

• Escarole or mustard greens

• Baby bok choi or arugula

• 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.

• 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 lemongrass (grown in our high tunnel!), colored peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, acorn squash, salanova and scallions in the farm store. Later this week we will be getting organic cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm in Carver, MA! We will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm, honey from Double B, and eggs from Codman Farm. We have raspberry vinegar infusion and jam from Silferleaf Farm.

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 Caramelized Squash With Lemon and Hazelnuts

by Alison Roman, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 (3- to 4-pound) winter squash, such as tetsukabuto

• ⅓ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• ¼ cup maple syrup, plus more for drizzling

• 1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika

• 2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• ¾ cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (no need to remove the skins)

• Flaky sea salt

• 1 lemon

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove pulp and seeds, if you like. Continue to cut squash into 1 1/2-inch wedges.

2. Toss squash on a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil, maple syrup, paprika and red-pepper flakes. Season with kosher salt and pepper, and roast, turning each piece once, until both sides are evenly browned and squash is completely tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, toast hazelnuts in a small skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently until they’re evenly browned, about the color of a good piece of toast, and smell almost like popcorn, 4 to 6 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and transfer squash to a large serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil and a bit more maple syrup. Sprinkle with hazelnuts, flaky salt and more black pepper. Zest lemon over everything and halve lemon to squeeze over before serving.

Squash, Mushroom and Kale “Stoup”

by Sarah Fritsche, from SF Chronicle

A “stoup” is in between a stew and a soup!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large red onion, roughly chopped

• 2 tablespoons minced ginger

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• ¼ cup red or brown miso paste

• ¼ cup mirin

• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, plus more if needed

• 3½ pounds kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1½-inch chunks

• 12 ounces mushrooms, stems removed and quartered

• 12 ounces tofu, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 bunch kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped

Preparation

Heat up the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the miso paste, followed by the mirin; stir to combine and let the mirin cook off slightly. Add the broth, followed by the squash, mushrooms and tofu, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and let cook until the squash is tender and just beginning to break down, about 35 to 40 minutes. If the “stoup” becomes too thick, add a little more broth to thin out. Add the kale and let cook until wilted, another 4 or 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, and serve.

Cabbage Roll Chicken Enchiladas

by Joy Howard from Eating Well, January 2018

Ingredients

• 12 Savoy cabbage leaves

• 2 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken

• 1 (15 ounce) can spicy refried beans

• 1 ¾ cups shredded cheese, such as Monterey Jack, Cheddar or Colby-Jack, divided

• 1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce

• 1 tablespoon Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add cabbage leaves and cook for 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pat dry.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Combine chicken, refried beans and 3/4 cup cheese in a medium bowl. Coat the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a few tablespoons enchilada sauce. Fill each cabbage leaf with about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture and roll into an enchilada. Place, seam-side down, in the baking dish (they will be snug). Drizzle with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese.

4. Bake until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired.

Tips

To make ahead: Assemble enchiladas through Step 3. Refrigerate for up to 1 day.