PYO Flower CSA Memberships now available!

2023 Pick-Your-Own Flower CSA memberships are now available for purchase and are open to all! With the help of Sarah (the farm’s primary flower caretaker and arranger!) we planned and mapped out the flower field yesterday. We kept all of our favorite flower types like snapdragons, zinnias, and celosia, and tweaked the amounts and variety selections for even better color and texture options throughout the season!

The cost for 2023 is $70 for a Regular size CSA which includes a total of 6 bouquets. We also have a Large option which costs $140 and includes 12 bouquets. One mason quart jar will be provided for each PYO Flower Membership. You can choose when to pick anytime during farm stand hours, and you can pick as many bouquets as you like per visit until you reach the total number for your CSA (6 bouquets for a Small CSA and 12 bouquets for a Large CSA). Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. Picking is available starting in mid-July until our first frost (usually late September), but peak flower quality is late July thru August.

For more information and to sign up visit: https://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/pyo-flowers

Please email Melissa if you are giving a flower CSA as a gift so that we can provide a welcome letter for you to print and to ensure that we do not email the recipient until after the gift is received! If you are purchasing a PYO Flower membership as a gift, or if you are unsure of how frequently you would want to pick, we recommend selecting the Regular sized option. We are looking forward to another year of fun out in the flower field and we hope you will join us!

Pop-Up Farm Store this Saturday, December 10th from 10am-1pm!

We have been working to finish up some of our final outdoor tasks to winterize the farm including turning off and draining all water in the wash area, covering the strawberries with a second layer of row cover and parking as many tractors and implements in the greenhouse and barn as possible. We have also started our field maps and crop plan for 2023 so that we can complete our seed ordering by the end of the month! Before we get too involved in the 2023 season, though, we still have crops for sale this weekend. We will be open for walk-up sales as well as pre-order pick-up on Saturday December 10th from 10am-1pm! We will be offering salanova lettuce mix, curly kale, and baby kale mix from our high tunnels. We will also have Fat Moon Mushrooms, Double B Honey from hives on the property, Atlas Farm potatoes and Lakeview Organics butternut squash available, as well as our own sweet potatoes watermelon radishes, cabbage, beets and more. See below for the compete list. We will accept cash, check, credit card and EBT for in-person sales (please note that Barrett’s Bucks expired October 29th).

Online pre-orders will open Wednesday (12/7) at Noon and will close Friday (12/9) at 9am, and pre-orders will be available for pick-up at the farm stand Saturday (12/10) from 10am-1pm. To order visit: https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Payment options for online orders are credit card and EBT.

Available Saturday December 10th:
(all our own organic produce unless otherwise noted)

• Salanova Lettuce Mix - from our high tunnels!

• Curly Kale- from our high tunnels!

• Baby Kale Mix- from our high tunnels!

• Sweet Potatoes

• Cabbage- green and red

• Garlic

• Onions - yellow storage

• Turnips

• Rutabaga

• Watermelon radishes

• Mini daikon radishes - white and purple

• Beets

• Fennel- from our high tunnels!

• Autumn Frost Squash - a specialty butternut, skin is edible.

• Tetsukabuto squash - A cross between butternut and kabocha squash. Skin is edible.

• Pie pumpkins

• Dried flowers - gomphrena, amaranth and strawflower

• Fat Moon Mushrooms - 8 oz Farmers’ Mix. Westford, MA. Certified Organic.

• Butternut Squash - from Lakeview Organics in Hadley, MA. Certified Organic.

• Yellow Potatoes - from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

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

• Honey - Double Bee honey from hives on our property. Raw unfiltered, not organic.

Holiday Pop-up Store and Extended/Flex CSA Week 24

It is the last week for the Extended/Flex CSA and pick-ups continue to be Thursday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. We are finishing strong with a lot of classic Thanksgiving vegetables! We will also have a pre-Thanksgiving Holiday Pop-up Store this Saturday, November 19th from 9am - 3pm which will be open to the public for both pre-orders and walk-up sales. We will have bulk quantities of squash, cabbage, potatoes, sweet potatoes and other root crops available if you are looking to stock up for the winter! There will also be fresh greens from our high tunnel such as Salanova Lettuce Mix and Kalebration Mix for sale, as well as Fresh Meadows Farm organic cranberries, Fat Moon Farm mushrooms, honey and Silferleaf Farm raspberry vinegar! Pre-orders will be available on Open Food Network starting Wednesday 11/16 at noon, with orders closing Friday 11/18 at 9am. Pre-order pick-ups will be available 11am - 3pm, but you will also be able to come and shop in person 9am - 3pm. We will accept cash, check, credit card and EBT for in-person sales (please note that Barrett’s Bucks expired October 29th).

In the CSA this week:

• Popcorn - we distribute it on the cob. You can pop it in a paper bag on the cob in the microwave, or you can pop off the kernels from the cob (it’s a nice activity while watching your favorite movie!) and make it on the stove top or in an air popper.

• Butternut squash - from Lakeview Organics in Hadley, MA. Certified Organic.

• Autumn Frost squash

• Mixed winter squash: pie pumpkins, testsukabuto, delicata or acorn.

• Carrots - From Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified Organic.

• Sweet potatoes

• Potatoes - Yellow potatoes and Russet potatoes from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. These are certified organic.

• Fennel - from our high tunnel

• Leeks

• Onions

• Garlic

• Green tomatoes

• Beets - Crew member Anna recently made some chocolate beet cupcakes for a birthday celebration and they were delicious! See below for the recipe.

• Rutabaga - Tastes a bit like a cross between cabbage and potatoes.

• Radishes - Watermelon and white and purple mini daikon.

• Salanova Lettuce Mix- from our high tunnel.

• Kale - from our high tunnel

• Cabbage

Farm Store:

Our pre-Thanksgiving Holiday Pop-up is this Saturday! We will be open to the public for walk-up sales and pre-orders. In addition to the same veggies that will be available in the CSA, we will have tender kale mix, dried flowers, cranberries, mushrooms, honey and raspberry vinegar. For pre-ordering for pick up Saturday 11am-3pm, go to https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Items will also be available for walk-up sales Saturday from 9am-3pm.

Fall Mushroom CSA

It is the tenth and final week of the 10-week Fall Mushroom CSA! Since the farm store is now closed, pick-ups for the Fall mushroom CSA are now Thursdays 3pm-6pm and Saturdays 9am-3pm. Mushrooms will be delivered on Thursdays by 3pm in order to have them as fresh as possible. Please email Melissa and the shopkeeper@barrettsmillfarm.com to make other arrangements if you cannot make these pick-up times this week. We hope you have enjoyed your mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm! Their end of season message is available here. We plan to offer another mushroom CSA in the spring- stay tuned!

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

from Savor the Flavor

For the Roasted Cabbage

• 1 medium green cabbage

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• sprinkle of salt and pepper

For the Lemon Garlic Butter

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 4 cloves

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• sprinkle of salt and pepper

Instructions

Roasting the Cabbage

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with foil.

2. Take off the outer leaves. Using a large knife, cut it into 8 pieces by cutting it in half, then in quarters, etc. Leave the stem and core on, as it helps it hold its shape.

3. Place it on the foil-lined cookie sheet. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

4. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, then carefully turn with a flipper and roast for another 20 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges and fork tender. Use your own judgement for cooking time, as each cabbage is a different size.

Making the Lemon Garlic Brown Butter

1. Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add in the garlic. Constantly stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and garlic turns a golden brown.

2. Remove from the heat and pour the browned butter and garlic into a small bowl. Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir again and adjust seasonings to taste.

3. When the roasted cabbage is ready to serve, brush the lemon garlic butter onto each wedge, then cut off the core that extends past the arch for a pretty presentation.

4. Serve warm.

Ombré Gratin

by Alexa Weibel from NY Times Cooking - visit the link for a picture of this gorgeous dish!

Time: 3 hours

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

For the Cream

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the dish

• 1½ cups finely chopped shallots (from 4 large shallots)

• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

• 4 cups half-and-half

• 8 fresh or dried bay leaves

• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

• ¾ teaspoon grated nutmeg

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

• 3 large egg yolks

For the Vegetables

• 2½ pounds potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes), scrubbed

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

• 2 large beets (about 6 ounces each)

• 10 ounces Gruyère, grated (about 4 cups)

• 2 large sweet potatoes (about 10 ounces each), peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced into ⅛-inch-thick slices (see Tip)

• 2 pounds butternut squash (the neck of 1 squash), peeled, quartered lengthwise and sliced into ⅛-inch-thick slices (see Tip)

For the Phyllo Top

• ½cup plus 2 tablespoons/5 ounces unsalted butter

• 16phyllo pastry sheets, thawed

Preparation

1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and another right below it. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter; set aside.

2. Prepare the cream: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low. Add the shallots, garlic and black peppercorns and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half, bay leaves, thyme, nutmeg and 1½ teaspoons salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

3. Strain the seasoned cream through a fine mesh-sieve into a large bowl. (You should have about 3 cups.) Return the cream to the saucepan off the heat. In the same bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in a few tablespoons of the warm cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, to temper the yolks. (Tempering prevents the cold yolks from scrambling when combined with the warm cream. The yolks will help your filling hold together.) Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the cream. Reserve and refrigerate 1 cup cream for serving. Rinse and dry the bowl.

4. Using a mandoline (or very sharp knife; see Tip), slice the unpeeled red potatoes crosswise ⅛-inch thick. In the bowl, toss the potatoes with 1½ teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper until evenly seasoned, then stir the potatoes into the cream in the saucepan. (The warmth of the cream will help the potatoes start to cook.) Set aside.

5. Peel, trim and halve the beets, then slice them ⅛-inch thick using a mandoline (or very sharp knife; see Tip). Add the beets to the bowl and toss with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Shingle the sliced beets in the baking dish, overlapping slightly, in two even layers, then sprinkle them evenly with 1⅓ cups grated Gruyère. Wipe out the bowl to remove any beet juices.

6. In the bowl, season the sliced sweet potatoes with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Shingle them on top of the cheese-topped beets in 2 to 3 even layers, then press them gently to compress the vegetables evenly, eliminating any air pockets. Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with 1⅓ cups grated Gruyère.

7. In the bowl, season the squash with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Shingle the squash over the cheese-topped sweet potatoes in 2 even layers, press to compress the mixture, then sprinkle the squash with the remaining 1⅓ cups grated Gruyère.

8. Shingle the potatoes on top in 2 to 3 even layers, then slowly pour the remaining cream mixture evenly over the sliced vegetables. Set on the middle rack of the oven and place a large sheet pan directly underneath on the rack below to catch any drips. Bake until the vegetables start to soften, about 1 hour.

9. After the vegetables have baked for about 40 minutes, prepare the phyllo: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Working on a large, clean surface, set 1 sheet of phyllo down. Brush lightly with melted butter then set a second sheet of phyllo on top. Take your hands and scrunch the phyllo into a 5½-inch rosette with lots of folds. Push aside, then repeat with remaining 14 sheets of phyllo, creating 8 rosettes total.

10. After the sliced vegetables have cooked for 1 hour, remove from the oven. Increase heat to 400 degrees. Using a paper towel, gently pat the surface to remove any liquid that may have risen to the surface, then cover the top with the 8 phyllo rosettes, scrunching them as needed to fit. Brush the phyllo generously with melted butter.

11. Bake until the phyllo is crisp and golden and the vegetables are tender and a paring knife slides easily through the center, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. (Patience is crucial; if you slice this before the liquids are reabsorbed, the gratin won’t form slices without slipping apart.)

12. While the gratin firms up, reheat the reserved cream over medium until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season the warm sauce with salt and pepper.

13. To serve, cut the gratin in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise to form 12 even slices. Pass the sauce at the table, to spoon on the side.

Tip: In order for the vegetables to be tender by the time the phyllo is crispy and golden, they must be sliced ⅛-inch thick. A mandoline makes fast work of vegetable slicing and creates uniformly thin pieces, though you could use a very sharp knife (and an abundance of caution) when slicing the dense vegetables. Japanese Benriner slicers are restaurant staples, and are affordable tools for home cooks, too.

Fudgy Vegan Beet Cupcakes

from Minimalist Baker

Ingredients

• 1 medium beet (you’ll need 1/2 cup puréed as original recipe is written)

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (at room temperature if using coconut oil)

• 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar

• 3/4 cup raw turbinado OR granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup avocado or melted coconut oil

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1 heaping cup whole-wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1/2 scant cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for topping)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C), remove the stem and most of the root from your beets, and scrub and wash them underwater until clean.

2. Wrap beet(s) in foil, drizzle on a bit of olive or avocado oil, wrap tightly, and roast for one hour or until a knife inserted falls out without resistance. They should be tender. Set in the fridge (in a bowl to catch juice) to cool to room temperature.

3. Once cooled, either finely grate or puree beets in a small blender (adding orange juice or water to encourage mixing). Measure out 1/2 cup and set aside (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Reserve the rest for things like beet hummus!

4. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

5. Whisk together the almond milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup beets (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and beat until foamy.

6. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a sifter and slowly sift it into the wet ingredients while mixing with a hand-held or standing mixer. Beat until no large lumps remain.

7. Pour batter into liners, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake 22 to 25 minutes (at 375 degrees F or 190 C), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Do not try and unwrap them or they'll stick to the wrapper.

8. Once cooled, dust with cocoa powder and store in an airtight container to keep fresh.

Extended/Flex CSA Week 23

Last week we had some lovely weather for harvesting and cleaning up around the farm! This week’s main non-harvest projects will be mulching and covering strawberries with row cover, putting up winter coyote fencing and taking down the deer fencing from several of our fields.

The unseasonably warm weather is in stark contrast to a few years ago when we had a night in late October so cold that most of the late season crops that were still out in the field didn’t survive! While it looks like some colder temps are on the way, it has been mild enough that we still have a nice variety of crops. Because of that, we do anticipate being able to offer a pop-up sale before Thanksgiving, and we will announce details next week!

In the CSA this week:

• Butternut squash - Some of our own butternut, plus we’ll likely move on to some organic butternut from Lakeview Organics in Hadley, MA

• Green tomatoes - These are great for fried green tomatoes - see the recipe below!

• Lemongrass - We’ve included a fairly ambitious recipe for Vietnamese Noodles below (note that you can sub in different veggies than those listed in the recipe!), but if you are looking for a simpler use of lemongrass, we have a Broccoli and Lemongrass Soup recipe in our October 17th blog post!

• Carrots - From Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified Organic.

• Tetsukabuto squash - Skins are edible, so you can slice them into thin wedges and roast without peeling.

• Sweet potatoes

• Potatoes - Yellow potatoes from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. These are certified organic. We will be distributing Atlas Farm-grown potatoes for the remainder of the CSA!

• Leeks

• Onions

• Garlic

• Peppers

• Beets

• Rutabaga - Tastes a bit like a cross between cabbage and potatoes. See below for a recipe for mashed potatoes and rutabaga!

• Radishes - Watermelon and white and purple mini daikon.

• Salanova Lettuce Mix- from our high tunnel.

• Kale

• Cabbage

• Broccoli

• Brussels sprouts - We distribute Brussels sprouts still on the stalk. Just pop them off at home and follow your favorite recipe.

Farm Store:

Though the store is closed for the season, we will have a few add-ons available for purchase during CSA pick-ups, including cranberries, honey and raspberry vinegar.

We are planning a pop-up sale right before Thanksgiving - details will be available next week!

Fall Mushroom CSA

It is the ninth week of the 10-week Fall Mushroom CSA. Since the farm store is now closed, pick-ups for the Fall mushroom CSA are now Thursdays 3pm-6pm and Saturdays 9am-3pm. Mushrooms will be delivered on Thursdays by 3pm in order to have them as fresh as possible for the new schedule. For this week, please email Lise to make other arrangements if you cannot make the new pick-up times.

Fried Green Tomatoes

from Southern Living

Ingredients

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• ½ cup all-purpose flour, divided

• ½ cup buttermilk

• ½ cup cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon pepper

• 3 green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices

• Vegetable oil

Directions

1. Mix together egg and buttermilk; set aside. Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan. Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.

2. Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375°F. Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels or a rack. Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt.

Mashed Rutabaga and Yukon Gold Potatoes

by Anne Burrell from The Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 large rutabaga, waxy skin removed and cut into 1-inch chunks

• Kosher salt

• 4 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks

• 3/4 cup heavy cream

• 1 stick cold butter, cut into 5 to 6 pats

Directions

1. Toss the rutabagas into a large pot and cover generously with water. Season the water generously with salt.

2. Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 45 minutes. Toss in the potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, another 20 minutes.

3. Strain the rutabagas and potatoes from the water and pass through a food mill into a large bowl.

4. In a small saucepot, bring the cream to a boil and turn off.

5. Take 1 to 2 pats of butter and a splash of hot cream and whip them into the potato mixture. Continue this until all the butter and cream are incorporated. Taste and re-season with salt if needed. Serve immediately or keep warm in a low oven.

Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken (Bun Ga Nuong)

from recipetineats.com

Chicken and Marinade

• 600 - 800g / 1.2 - 1.6lb chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless or breast (or pork, beef or any seafood)

• 1 stalk lemongrass , white part only, bruised them sliced into pieces easy to pick out later (Note 1)

• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped or minced

• 2 tbsp lime juice

• 2 tbsp fish sauce (Note 2)

• 1 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose or light, NOT dark soy)

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Sauce)

• 1/4 cup fish sauce (Note 3)

• 4 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 tbsp white sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped

• 1 red birds eye chilli , finely chopped (Note 4)

• 3 tbsp lime juice

Noodle Bowl

• 1/2 tbsp oil

• 200 g / 7 oz vermicelli noodles , dried

• 2 carrots , julienned

• 2 cucumbers , julienned (optional: remove seeds) - or use finely sliced peppers!

• 5 cups iceberg lettuce , finely sliced - or try shredded cabbage or lettuce!

• 3 cups bean sprouts

• Handful of mint leaves

• Handful of cilantro/coriander

• Sliced red chilli (for garnish - optional)

• Lime wedges (to serve - optional but recommended)

Instructions

Lemongrass Chicken

• Combine Chicken and Marinade ingredients and set aside for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours. (Note 4)

• Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat (or heat the BBQ). Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off large bits of lemongrass (small bits should fall off during cooking).

• Place chicken in the pan and cook each side until dark golden brown and chicken is just cooked through - about 6 to 8 minutes in total.

• Remove from pan, shaking off any remaining bits of visible lemongrass and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into thin pieces.

Nuoc Cham Sauce

• Combine the Nuoc Cham ingredients and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Adjust to your taste (spiciness, lime, sweetness) and set aside for at least 20 minutes.

Assemble

• Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for 3 minutes (or according to packet instructions), then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the noodles from sticking together.

• Individual servings: Place noodles in bowl. Top with vegetables and herbs, and sliced chicken pieces. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham Sauce (be generous, ~ 4 tbsp per serving) and serve with lime wedges.

• DIY (my preferred way): Place chicken, vegetables, herbs, noodles and sauce in separate bowls / piled on platters. Then let everyone make their own bowls!

Recipe Notes:

1. Lemongrass - to prepare, peel the tough outer layers off to reveal the softer white part on the bottom ~1/3 of the lemongrass. Bruise using the back of the knife (see video). Don't slice too finely or finely chop, you want the pieces large enough so you can just brush them off (lemongrass is kind of tough, it has to be very finely chopped / cooked for a long time to eat). You could sub with 1 tbsp lemongrass paste.

2. Fish sauce is a key ingredient in a lot of Asian cooking. Don't worry, it doesn't taste fishy when combined with other ingredients! It's an incredible flavour enhancer that has more depth than salt or soy sauce and is very cheap to buy at supermarkets or Asian grocery stores (even better value!).

3. Chilli -This can be substituted with any spicy chilli or even chilli paste. Adjust to your taste.

4. CUSTOMISE:

• Make this kid friendly by just serving the chilli on the side.

• To make it GLUTEN FREE, ensure you use GF tamari.

• Sub the vegetables with other vegetables of choice eg. capsicum/bell peppers, snow peas (finely sliced)

5. Freezing: Pop the chicken in the fridge as soon as it's in the marinade. Then let it defrost in the fridge - it will marinate during this time.

6. DIY Noodle Bowl Spread: Pile all the components on a large platter or separate bowls and let guests serve themselves. That's how I typically serve this.

Extended/Flex CSA Week 22

We have been plowing through tasks this fall! Most of our irrigation has been removed from the fields, cover crop has been seeded in every available square inch, garlic has been planted and mulched, and barn organization has begun in earnest. We have more organizing tasks to tackle in the coming weeks, as well as a few things in the field to button up, like covering our strawberries, taking down deer fencing, and putting up coyote fencing around the fall-planted strawberries. We’ll also begin cramming equipment into greenhouses and barns for the winter as soon as we free up the space. As we check off tasks and the window of mild weather narrows, our days start to incorporate more office time, and soon we will begin making our crop plans for 2023!

In the CSA this week:

• Autumn Frost squash - A specialty butternut squash that stores well and has a sweet earthy taste. It is great for cooking any way you usually use butternut squash, such as roasting or pies. The skin softens when cooked, so if you don’t want to peel it, you can slice in wedges and roast.

• Tetsukabuto squash - Skins are edible, so you can slice them into thin wedges and roast without peeling.

• Sweet potatoes

• Potatoes - We have moved on from our own potatoes to yellow potatoes from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. These are certified organic. We will be distributing Atlas Farm-grown potatoes for the remainder of the CSA!

• Leeks

• Garlic

• Peppers - We cleared out green peppers from our high tunnels before the harder frosts over the weekend, so this will likely be the last week for peppers!

• Beets

• Purple top turnips - These store well and are best for cooking!

• Radishes - We have started harvesting watermelon radishes this week (the radishes with the hot pink interiors!). We will also have white and purple mini daikon.

• Salad turnips - We grew these as a great salad addition for the late fall! They are sweet and can be eaten raw.

• Salanova Lettuce Mix- from our high tunnel.

• Red leaf lettuce - field grown head lettuce.

• Cabbage

• Brussels sprouts - We distribute Brussels sprouts still on the stalk. Just pop them off at home and follow your favorite recipe.

• Fennel

Coming up: In the next couple of weeks we’ll have lemongrass, green tomatoes, popcorn, kale, rutabaga, onions, mixed squash types (butternut, delicata, acorn, pie pumpkins), organic carrots from Atlas Farm and organic butternut from Lakeview Organics in Hadley, MA. We will also continue to have many of the favorites we are enjoying now, like salanova, sweet potatoes, potatoes, beets, garlic and cabbage.

Farm Store:

Though the store is closed for the season, we will have a few add-ons available for purchase during CSA pick-ups, including cranberries, honey and raspberry vinegar.

We are planning a pop-up sale right before Thanksgiving - details will be available as we get closer to the date and have a chance to assess what will be available!

Fall Mushroom CSA

It is the eighth week of the 10-week Fall Mushroom CSA. Since the farm store is now closed, pick-up for the Fall mushroom CSA this week until the end of the CSA will be Thursdays 3pm-6pm and Saturdays 9am-3pm. Mushrooms will be delivered on Thursdays by 3pm in order to have them as fresh as possible for the new schedule. Please email Melissa to make other arrangements if you can not make the new pick-up times.

Radish Wands

from Vegan Dollhouse

These are a really simple, cute and kid-friendly use of colorful radishes!

Ingredients:

• 2 watermelon radishes

• 2 purple daikon radishes

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or sub olive, safflower, or sunflower oil)

• salt

Preparation:

Peel all 4 radishes. You don’t have to peel them, but I think the peels are spicy, so I always peel mine.

Slice the radishes like you would slice a tomato. You want the slices to be thick enough that they won’t break when you stick the skewers in them. Compost (or throw away or save for making stock) the ends.

Cut hearts out of the slices. I used the smaller sizes from the heart-shaped cookie cutter set, but you can use any shape cookie cutters you have.

Toss the radish hearts with half of the melted coconut oil and salt.

Push the heart radishes onto the bamboo skewers leaving some space between each one. I also try to leave space on one end to hold the wand.

Bake them in the oven at 375°for 12-13 minutes or pop them into the air fryer at 370°for 5 minutes.

Toss the radish scraps with pink sea salt and the rest of the oil. You can also add onion powder and garlic powder if you like those flavors.

Bake the scraps in the oven at 375° for 15 minutes or pop them into the air fryer at 370° for 5-6 minutes.

Serve the cute veggie skewers with or without dip. I dipped mine in vegan mayo mixed with mustard and garlic powder. You could make a pink dip to match by adding beetroot powder instead of mustard.

Photo by Vegan Dollhouse