CSA Week 14 and Farm Stand Updates

Thanks to everyone who came by Ag Day to visit us, as well as the other farms in town! It was a beautiful day and the market was well-attended. Unsurprisingly, Sarah’s flower arrangements were one of our first items to sell out at the market. We’ll continue to have some of those beautiful flower arrangements in the farm stand this week, including some more mini dahlia bouquets. The PYO Field continues produce some beautiful blooms, but production is slowing down as days shorten and nights get cooler. Now is a great time to enjoy the flower field, and if you think you’ll be missing locally-grown flowers this winter, we’d recommend picking yourself some gomphrena, celosia and strawflowe as they all dry very well!

While we have been enjoying some beautiful mild and sunny days on the farm, we would love for one or two nights of soaking rains, as our fields are getting quite dusty. The forecast did show a chance of rain for Saturday night after Ag Day, so we crossed our fingers and threw some cover crop seed in the ground on Friday. We did get a little rain on Saturday night, and we’re hoping it was just enough for that seed to germinate because it doesn’t look like more rain is on the way soon!

In the CSA this week:

• Delicata squash - These colorful squash were popular at Ag Day for turning into race cars for the Veggie Race Track, but their appeal is more than just their aerodynamic shape! The skin is thin and edible so they are easy to prepare and they have a sweet, slightly nutty flavor.

• Spinach - We used a new method to transplant spinach in August, so we have it ready earlier than we have in the past!

• Salanova - It’s back!

• Scallions

• Garlic - We have moved on to cured garlic now. These should be stored in a cool dry place.

• Slicing tomatoes

• Green and purple peppers

• Colored peppers

• Celery

• Radishes

• Kale

• Arugula

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Hot peppers

• Cherry Tomatoes: varieties include Sungold, Jasper, Cherry Bomb, Yellow Mini, Chocolate Sprinkles, Pink Champagne, Citrine, Black Cherry, Moonbeam, Moonshadow, Nova, Valentine, Red Pearl, Apple Yellow, Clementine and Mountain Magic.

• Green Beans

• Husk Cherries, Shishito or Tomatillos

• Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, sage, thyme.

In the farm store:

In addition to the items listed in the CSA, we will have:

• Sweet Corn from Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.

• Honeycrisp Apples from Westward Orchards in Harvard. We’re trying out offering apples for the first time in our farm stand! We are picking up a small quantity on Wednesday, and if it’s popular we may start getting other varieties next week as well. Not Organic.

• Heirloom tomatoes

• Carrots

• Beets

• Potatoes

• Flowers, including some more mini dahlia bouquets!

• Honey from Double B (from hives on the property). Not organic.

• Mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm - Farmer’s Mix and Shiitake. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle variety is organic, the other varieties are not.

• Raspberry vinegar from Silferleaf Farm in Concord. Certified Organic.

• Eggs from Codman Farm in Lincoln. Not Organic.

Mushroom CSA:

It is the second week of the 8-week Fall Mushroom CSA. This week is a Farmer’s Mix!

Roasted Delicata Squash with Apples

from Love and Lemons

Ingredients

• 2 delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded, cut into ½-inch half moon pieces

• ½ cup pearl onions, halved

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

• 2 tablespoons pepitas and/or pine nuts

• 2 cups torn kale, 2 to 3 leaves

• 6 sage leaves, chopped

• Leaves from 3 fresh thyme sprigs

• 1 small apple, diced

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• ½ garlic clove, minced

• ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ⅛ teaspoon maple syrup

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the squash and onions on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and arrange on the sheet so that they’re not touching. Roast until the squash is golden brown on all sides and until the onions are soft and browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

4. In a small pan over medium-low heat, toss the pepitas with a pinch of salt and cook until toasted, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Set aside.

5. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the kale, sage, and thyme. Add the warm roasted squash and onions, the apples, half the pepitas, and half the dressing. Toss to coat. Transfer to an oven-safe serving dish. (If you’re making this dish in advance stop here and follow the saving/reheating instructions in the notes below).

6. Place the serving dish into the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the apples and kale are warm and the kale is just wilted. Just before serving, drizzle with the remaining dressing, and top with the remaining pepitas.

Stuffed Delicata Squash With Lentils and Cashew Raita

Adapted by Tara Parker-Pope from Hannah Kaminsky, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

Cashew Raita

• 1 cup raw cashew pieces

• 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• ¼ cup water

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2– 3 Persian cucumbers, finely diced

• 2 medium delicata squash (About 1 pound each)

Lentil Stuffing

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 shallots, finely diced

• 1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

• 1½ teaspoons whole cumin seeds

• 1½ teaspoons whole mustard seeds

• 1 cup dry beluga lentils

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• ⅔ cup full-fat coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• ¾– 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Place the cashew pieces in a bowl and cover with cool water. Cover and place in the fridge to soak for four hours.

2. Thoroughly drain the soaked cashews and combine with the chopped mint, lemon juice, water and salt in a blender. Purée, pausing to scrape down the sides of the canister with a spatula as needed, until completely silky-smooth. This process may take longer if you use a lower-powered blender, but stick with it; that creamy texture is important. Stir in the cucumber pieces by hand. Store in an air-tight container and keep refrigerated prior to serving.

3. For the filling, heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat before adding the shallots and jalapeno. Cook until translucent, then add the cumin and mustard seeds. Cook until the entire mixture is highly aromatic, about a minute. Add the lentils and broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes, until the liquid has absorbed and lentils are tender. Add the coconut milk and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Keep the pot partially covered and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. Cover and keep warm.

4. As the lentils cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut both squash in half lengthwise and scoop out (but reserve) seeds. Place each half with the cut sides down on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the flesh. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes before handling.

5. Reduce oven to 250 degrees and toss the reserved seeds with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent them from burning. Once golden and crisp, remove from oven and allow to cool.

6. Flip the roasted delicata squashes up to turn them into boats and spoon the warm lentils inside. Serve the cashew raita alongside for guests to top their squashes as desired and finish with a sprinkle of roasted seeds.

Ag Day Saturday!

Come support local farms this Saturday, September 7th, 10am - 2pm in Concord Center for the Annual Ag Day Farmer’s Market! We’ll have a stall there, along with Scimone Farm, Colonial Gardens, Hutchins Farm, Walden Woods Farm, Marshall Farm, Verrill Farm, Arena Farm and Saltbox Farm. Everything at the market is grown or raised in Concord. Also, the famous veggie race track is back!

Our farm stand and CSA will also be open regular hours (9am - 3pm) on Saturday, so you can visit us at both locations if you choose!

CSA Week 13, Farm Stand Updates and Ag Day!

We put a lot of winter squash in the barn to cure last week, and the delicata, acorn, and pie pumpkins all looked spectacular! Unfortunately, the previous week we had virtually no spaghetti squash and kabocha, but last week’s harvest really made up for that disappointment. Not only were yields good, but the whole squash harvest process is like a game. After we clip all of the squash off the plants, we pair up and toss squash to each other to put in a bulk crate on the front of our tractor. We’ve got a couple of volleyball players on our crew who are particular squash harvest specialists!

We still have Autumn Frost, Tetsukabuto and Butternut left to harvest this week. Autumn Frost and Tetsukabuto look great, but the butternut was next to the kabocha and spaghetti squash and appears to be low yielding. It’s all a bit of a mystery why those 3 types did so poorly, but it appears that deer trampled a lot of the plants in this section of field, and woodchucks were feasting on the few giant squash that the trampled plants produced. We had already been planning to purchase in local organic butternut this fall anyway (growing winter squash is space intensive, and bulk butternut is far easier to get from local farms than other types), so luckily it won’t impact what is available in the later fall!

The Mushroom CSA from Fat Moon begins this week! This week’s variety is Combs Tooth. If you would still like to participate, we now have a pro-rated option available for 7 weeks, starting September 10th. You can also still sign up for our Back-To-School CSA, which starts September 18th.

To sign-up visit:

https://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store

In the CSA this week:

• Radishes

• Potatoes - Peter Wilcox variety (purple skin, white flesh), as well as possibly some Dark Red Norland.

• Scallions

• Garlic - We have moved on to cured garlic now. These should be stored in a cool dry place rather than the refrigerator.

• Beets or Carrots

• Slicing tomatoes

• Green and purple peppers

• Colored peppers

• Celery

• Kale

• Arugula

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Sunflowers

• Hot peppers

• Cherry Tomatoes: varieties include Sungold, Jasper, Cherry Bomb, Yellow Mini, Chocolate Sprinkles, Pink Champagne, Citrine, Black Cherry, Moonbeam, Moonshadow, Nova, Valentine, Red Pearl, Apple Yellow, Clementine and Mountain Magic.

• Green Beans

• Husk Cherries, Shishito or Tomatillos

• Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, sage.

Please note for the CSA, when we write “or” in our list of items, this does not necessarily mean that all options will be available to choose from at each pick-up. While that is sometimes the case, it is also sometimes the case that we’ll have just one of those items at each pick-up. When quantities of certain items are tight, it can be hard to predict on Monday exactly what each day will look like. We leave it a little open as we don’t want to disappoint folks by promising an item and then not having it!

In the farm store:

In addition to the items listed in the CSA, we will have:

• Sweet Corn from Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.

• Heirloom tomatoes

• Leeks

• Flowers, including some more mini dahlia bouquets!

• Honey from Double B (from hives on the property). Not organic.

• Mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm - Farmer’s Mix and Shiitake. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle variety is organic, the other varieties are not.

• Raspberry vinegar from Silferleaf Farm in Concord. Certified Organic.

• Eggs from Codman Farm in Lincoln. Not Organic.

• By the end of the week we’re hoping to have some spinach and salanova!

Kale Tabbouleh

by Melissa Clark, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup fine bulgur

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves finely chopped (5 cups)

• 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)

• ½ cup torn mint leaves

• ½ cup diced radish

• Black pepper, as needed

Preparation

1. Cook bulgur according to package instructions. Cool.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, shallot, cumin and salt. Whisk in olive oil.

3. In a large bowl, toss together bulgur, kale, tomatoes, mint and radish. Toss in dressing. Season with black pepper and more salt if you like, and drizzle with additional oil if desired.

Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad

by Julia Moskin, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 cups sliced almonds

• ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 4 lemons)

• Kosher salt

• 1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat side of a knife, peeled and left whole

• 10 to 12 ounces washed and dried kale leaves, thick stems removed (weight after trimming)

• 1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

Preparation

1. In a toaster oven or skillet, toast almonds until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

2. In a bowl, combine lemon juice and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add garlic cloves and set aside to steep.

3. Working in batches, cut the kale into thin ribbons: gather a large handful of leaves, bunch together tightly, and use the other hand to slice into ¼-inch-thick pieces. This need not be done very precisely or neatly; the idea is to end up with a kind of slaw. (Recipe can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Keep kale and dressing refrigerated separately.)

4. Place chopped kale in a very large bowl. Sprinkle surface with almonds and then with cheese, if using. Remove and discard garlic cloves from dressing. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss. Taste for dressing and salt and add more as needed, tossing to coat thoroughly. Serve within 1 hour.

CSA Week 12, Farm Stand Updates and Mushroom CSA Sign-ups

We have been spending a good amount of time working on our fall crops, including our cabbage and kale. Last week we cleaned up the pathways (thanks to some excellent tractor cultivation by Catherine!) and seeded a living mulch of white clover and annual ryegrass. We harvest cabbage and kale into early November, which is too late for seeding cover crops, so it makes sense for us to try to establish a cover crop earlier in the year underneath the plants. White clover is particularly well-suited for seeding in the pathways between crops, as it grows low to the ground (so it won’t shade out the crop) and it can tolerate a good deal of foot traffic. Now we’re just hoping for some rain to help it germinate!

If you have been thinking abut signing up for the Mushroom CSA from Fat Moon, now’s the time, as pick-ups begin next week! You can also still sign up for our Back-To-School CSA, which starts September 18th.

To sign-up visit:

https://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store

In the CSA this week:

• Potatoes - Dark Red Norland variety (red skin, white flesh).

• Leeks - We’re harvesting an early variety that are longer, skinnier (and right now more tender) than later season leeks.

• Garlic - We have moved on to cured garlic now. These should be stored in a cool dry place rather than the refrigerator.

• Beets or Carrots

• Slicing tomatoes

• Green and purple peppers

• Colored peppers

• Celery

• Kale - We’re now harvesting from our fall kale planting, so expect it to be a little more tender for the next couple of weeks.

• Arugula

• Mustard greens

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Hot peppers - If you are into spice, there are some nice cayenne and habaneros out there!

• Cherry Tomatoes: varieties include Sungold, Jasper, Cherry Bomb, Yellow Mini, Chocolate Sprinkles, Pink Champagne, Citrine, Black Cherry, Moonbeam, Moonshadow, Nova, Valentine, Red Pearl, Apple Yellow, Clementine and Mountain Magic.

• Dragon Tongue Beans or Green Beans

• Husk Cherries or Tomatillos

• Herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, dill, mint, parsley, sage and thyme. Basil is particularly plentiful - it might be a good week to make a large batch of pesto!

In the farm store:

In addition to the items listed in the CSA, we will have:

• Sweet Corn from Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.

• Heirloom tomatoes

• Cucumbers

• Chard

• Flowers (including possibly our first dahlias!)

• Honey from Double B (from hives on the property). This summer’s harvest has been bottled and is available starting Tuesday! Not Organic.

• Mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm - Farmer’s Mix and Shiitake. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle variety is organic, the other varieties are not.

• Raspberry vinegar from Silferleaf Farm in Concord. Certified Organic.

• Eggs from Codman Farm in Lincoln. Not Organic.

Charred Kale With Citrus and Green Tahini

by Chris Morocco from Bon Apetit, February 17, 2020

Ingredients

• ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar

• ¼ cup tahini

• 1 small garlic clove

• 7 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 cup (lightly packed) cilantro leaves with tender stems

• Kosher salt

• 2 bunches curly kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into big pieces

• 2 large oranges or small grapefruit (or a mix!)

• ⅓ cup store-bought crispy shallots or onions

• 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

1. Blend vinegar, tahini, garlic, 5 Tbsp. oil, and 5 Tbsp. water in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add cilantro and purée until very smooth and bright green. Season dressing with salt.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Add half of kale to skillet and cook, undisturbed, until charred underneath and bright green, about 1 minute. Continue to cook, tossing once or twice, until kale is charred in spots and only partially wilted, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with remaining kale and 1 Tbsp. oil.

3. Drizzle half of dressing over kale and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt.

4. Using a paring knife, remove peel and white pith from citrus, being careful not to remove too much flesh. Slice citrus however you want, working to avoid the central axis, which contains most of the seeds (you can slice into ¼"-thick rounds or cut into 1" pieces; they don’t need to be an exact shape or size). Scatter citrus over kale.

5. Drizzle salad with more dressing (you’ll probably have some left over). Top with crispy shallots and sesame seeds.

Farro Risotto With Sweet Corn and Tomatoes

by Lidey Heuck, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 3 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts (1 to 2 leeks)

• 1½ cups pearled farro (see Tip)

• ½ cup dry white wine

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (about 6 ounces), halved

• ¾cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or basil

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preparation

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the corn kernels off the cob, cutting as close to the cob as possible. Set the kernels aside and reserve the cobs.

2. Make the corn stock: Holding the cobs over a medium saucepan, use a spoon to scrape down the sides of the cobs to release any additional corn and juices. Break the cobs in half and add to the saucepan, along with 8 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes before starting the risotto. (Keep the stock and corn cobs simmering while you cook the risotto.)

3. While the corn stock simmers, heat the oil and butter in a separate pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and sauté until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the farro and stir for 1 minute. Add the white wine and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.

4. Increase the heat to medium and gradually add the corn stock, about 1 cup at a time, to the farro mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, and adding more stock as the farro absorbs it.

5. When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, add the tomatoes, corn kernels, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking, adding stock as necessary and stirring often, until the farro is tender, 10 to 15 more minutes. (You will use most — if not all — of the corn stock.) The risotto is done when the farro grains are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

6. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, tarragon and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Tip: You can substitute Arborio rice for the farro, but you’ll need to add the stock more slowly and stir almost constantly as the rice cooks.

CSA Week 11 and Farm Stand Updates

While as farmers we primarily mark seasonal transitions by the changes in our natural environment and the crops that we harvest, we also follow the school calendar. Many of our crew are with us for all or most of the April - November growing season, but we also have teachers and students amongst us who start to head back to school in mid August. It’s tough to say goodbye to the summer crew - not only do they physically help us complete an endless task list, but they also brighten our days with their enthusiasm and laughter. We’re hoping that Luke, George, Lily, Kate, Dave, Anna and Ishan have great school years and that we’ll see them again next summer!

The smaller (but mighty!) crew will still be tackling many important tasks in the coming weeks. One of the main agenda items this week is to start harvesting winter squash. Once harvested they will cure in the barn for several weeks before they are ready to eat. We are also preparing our high tunnels for planting fall crops like kale mix, lettuce mix, scallions and fennel. Our fall cover crop seed order should be arriving this week and we’ll begin spreading it where spring crops like carrots, beets and cabbage used to grow.

Though fall is not officially here yet, it is time to sign up for our fall CSA offerings! Sign-ups for the Back-To-School and Fall Mushrooms CSAs are now up online! The Back-To-School CSA is 10 weeks, running September 18th - November 23rd and the Fat Moon Fall Mushroom CSA is 8 weeks, running September 3rd - October 26th.

To sign-up visit:

https://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store

In the CSA this week:

• Garlic - We have moved on to cured garlic now. These should be stored in a cool dry place rather than the refrigerator.

• Beets - These are from our fall planting and have some nice greens on them, which can be cooked like chard.

• Carrots

• Slicing tomatoes

• Specialty/heirloom tomatoes

• Green and purple peppers

• Colored peppers

• Cucumbers

• Watermelon - We’ve got some more of the Mini Love variety!

• Celery

• Kale - We’re now harvesting from our fall kale planting, so expect it to be a little more tender for the next couple of weeks.

• Arugula

• Mustard greens

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Hot peppers - If you are into spice, there are some nice cayenne and habaneros out there!

• Cherry Tomatoes: varieties include Sungold, Jasper, Cherry Bomb, Yellow Mini, Chocolate Sprinkles, Pink Champagne, Citrine, Black Cherry, Moonbeam, Moonshadow, Nova, Apple Yellow, Clementine, Mountain Magic and more!

• Dragon Tongue Beans, husk cherries or shishito peppers

• Herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, dill, parsley, sage and thyme

In the farm store:

In addition to the items listed in the CSA, we will have:

• Sweet Corn from Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.

• Zucchini

• Summer squash

• Flowers

• Honey from Double B (from hives on the property). This summer’s harvest has been bottled and is available starting Tuesday! Not Organic.

• Mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm - Farmer’s Mix and Shiitake. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle variety is organic, the other varieties are not.

• Raspberry vinegar from Silferleaf Farm in Concord. Certified Organic.

• Eggs from Codman Farm in Lincoln. Not Organic.

PYO Flower Field

The flower field is in it’s prime! The field is open for picking for both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public. We still have a few PYO Flower CSA memberships available - visit http://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store/pyo-flower-csa if you would like to sign up!

Flowers available for picking this week include: sunflowers, zinnias, snapdragons, gomphrena, ageratum, celosia, ammi, rudbeckia, verbena, amaranth, cosmos, decorative grasses, decorative basil and strawflower.

Sautéed Mustard Greens

from thekitchn.com

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. 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. 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 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.

Simmered Beet Greens With Roasted Beets, Lemon and Yogurt

by Martha Rose Shulman, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 bunches of beets with greens

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• Juice of 1 lemon (more or less to taste)

• 1 to 2 garlic cloves (optional)

• 1 cup drained yogurt

• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the greens away from the beets, leaving about ¼ inch of stems. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or lidded ovenproof casserole. Add ¼ inch water to the dish. Cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast small beets (3 ounces or less) for 30 to 40 minutes, medium beets (4 to 6 ounces) 40 to 45 minutes, and large beets (8 ounces) 50 to 60 minutes, until easily penetrated with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the covered baking dish. Cut away the ends and slip off the skins. Slice or cut in wedges and set aside.

2. While the beets are in the oven, stem the greens and wash in at least 2 changes of water. Place in a bowl.

3. Heat a large, wide skillet over high heat and add the greens by the handful, stirring each handful until the greens wilt in the water left on the leaves after washing. Once one batch has wilted, add another until all of the greens are wilted. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, turn the heat down to low, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. The greens should be tender but still bright. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, toss the greens in the pan, taste and adjust seasoning. (Note: if you are not serving this right away, don’t add the lemon juice, as it will change the bright color of the greens; instead, add shortly before serving).

4. At this point you have the option of transferring the greens to a platter or serving the dish right from the pan. Whether in the pan or on a platter, arrange the beets on top of the greens. Drizzle on the remaining olive oil and squeeze on more lemon juice to taste. Mash the garlic to a purée with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and stir into the yogurt. Place spoonfuls of yogurt over the top of the beets and beet greens, sprinkle on the walnuts and serve, with grains if desired.

Advance preparation: The roasted beets will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator, as will the wilted greens.