CSA Week 3 and Farm stand updates

We had some beautiful weather last week for working outside, but we’ve got a few days this week that will provide us with a great opportunity to catch up on work in our high tunnels. Tomato pruning and trellising can be especially challenging to keep up with in the high tunnel. These plants grow fast in a protected environment, and as the plants get more robust, each row can take hours to complete (there are 10 rows in the high tunnel). While tomato trellising is usually a coveted job, when it’s sunny out it fast loses it’s appeal due to the higher heat in the high tunnels! Unless its cool and rainy out, we do all of our trellising in the mornings, but mornings are also prime time for another important farm activity: harvest. This means that it can take a few weeks to finish a round of pruning and trellising, at which point it’s time to start another round!

This is all a lot of work, but it is worth it to enjoy an extra month of such a popular and important crop. This year, we decided to cut back a little on high tunnel peppers so that we could also have space for growing cherry tomatoes in the high tunnel. We think it’s a paying off, as we taste tested the first ripe cherry tomatoes of the season on Monday, and if all goes well, we’ll have limited amounts in the farm stand for the weekend!

A scheduling note: Both the CSA and farm store will be closed Saturday, July 4th. CSA pick-up will be moved to Friday, July 3rd from 11am-6pm.

In the CSA this week:

• Carrots - First of the season!

• Garlic scapes - These are essentially the flower stalks of garlic plants. We snap them off to force more growing energy into the bulbs, but they are also edible and can be used much like regular garlic (it’s just a milder flavor).

• Cabbage - This week we will have two varieties: arrowhead (also known by the name of the variety we grow, which is called Caraflex), and regular round green cabbage.

• Chard - We are growing chard both in the high tunnel and field this season!

• Cucumbers - Grown in our high tunnel.

• Fennel - Grown in our high tunnel (next to the cucumbers!).

• Beets

• Scallions - Grown in our high tunnel.

• Radishes

• Salad turnips

• Mini daikon radish

• Curly kale

• Bok choi

• Lettuce - red leaf, panisse (oakleaf), and romaine varieties!

• Salanova lettuce mix - This cut leaf mix is a little crisper than a mesclun mix and therefore keeps well for longer.

• Arugula

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Herbs: Basil, dill flowers, parsley, sage, mint, thyme

• Sugar snap peas or snow peas - These are winding down, so for this week the peas will be for the Regular size CSA only.

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA, we will have:

• Cherry tomatoes - At the end of the week! Limited. These are grown in our high tunnel, which is why they are ready earlier than usual.

• Thin skinned cucumbers

• Broccolini

• Flowers - We will have both snapdragon and mixed variety bouquets all week.

• Salsa Verde - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Mild.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Seasonal Medley Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Shiitake Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Dried Mushrooms - 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms from Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Maple syrup - 12 oz. bottles from our friend Jim at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, MA. Not Organic.

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

• Herb seedlings - basil, parsley, and oregano

Roasted Cabbage With Parmesan, Walnuts and Anchovies

by Melissa Clark, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 ½ pounds)

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

• Salt, as needed

• ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

• 6 anchovy fillets, minced

• 2 fat garlic cloves, finely grated, passed through a garlic press or minced

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

• ⅔ cup chopped walnuts or other nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts

• ½ cup chopped fresh dill or cilantro

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the cabbage in quarters lengthwise through the core, then cut out the cores and stem. Slice the quarters lengthwise into 1 ½-inch-thick wedges.

2. Place wedges on a rimmed sheet pan, flat sides down. It’s OK if the pan seems a bit crowded; the wedges will shrink as they roast, but try not to overlap them if possible. Lightly drizzle them with oil and season with salt.

3. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, anchovies, garlic, thyme and black pepper. Stir in ½ cup oil to make a loose paste. Massage paste into each cabbage wedge, stuffing the mixture in between the leaves.

4. Lightly drizzle cabbage with a little more oil. Roast until cabbage is lightly browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.

5. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle walnuts all over the top of the cabbage. Roast for another 5 minutes or so, until cabbage is tender and caramelized and the walnuts are golden and toasted.

6. Sprinkle cabbage with dill and more Parmesan and black pepper, if you’d like. Serve immediately.

CSA Week 2 and Farm stand updates

With the start of the CSA, the rhythm of our days shifts a bit. While harvesting has been a component of every day since the start of asparagus season, we generally would only harvest for about an hour before we moved on to other tasks that prepare us for future harvests, like field prep, planting, weeding, fencing, irrigating, and trellising. This year we’ve also been doing more tractor fixing than usual! Now we have much larger quantities to harvest as we welcome about 200 families to the farm every week in addition to many of our farm stand customers. None of the prior tasks go away, but harvesting is the focus of most of our days! Fortunately, with a larger crew this year we are keeping up with many of those tasks well. Even so, after the heat of last week, we have been watching weeds take off and are eager to spend some time on weeding and tractor cultivation, as well as doing some preventative tasks like putting down landscape fabric and straw mulch!

A scheduling note: Both the CSA and farm store will be closed Saturday, July 4th. CSA pick-up will be moved to Friday, July 3rd from 11am-6pm.

In the CSA this week:

• Cucumbers - The first of the season, coming from our high tunnel. Limited quantities this week, but we expect production to ramp up soon!

• Fennel - Grown in our high tunnel (next to the cucumbers!).

• Beets

• Scallions - Grown in our high tunnel.

• Kohlrabi - The flavor and texture of kohlrabi is similar to cabbage or broccoli stems, but it is milder and sweeter. It can be roasted, shredded raw as part of salad or coleslaw, chopped up and added to soup, or breaded and fried, among many other options!

• Radishes - We’ll have both a red variety and a purple variety.

• Salad turnips

• Mini daikon radish

• Culy kale

• Bok choi

• Lettuce

• Salanova lettuce mix - This cut leaf mix is a little crisper than a mesclun mix and therefore keeps well for longer.

• Arugula

• Mustard greens

Coming soon: carrots and garlic scapes!

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Herbs: Basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, sage

• Sugar snap peas

• Snow peas

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA, we will have:

• Thin skinned cucumbers - a favorite!

• Broccolini

• Flowers - We will have both snapdragon and mixed variety bouquets all week. Our mixed bouquets will have even more new varieties this week from our hardy annual bed!

• Salsa Verde - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Mild.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Seasonal Medley Mushrooms - Starting Thursday this week. From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Shiitake Mushrooms - Starting Thursday this week. From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Dried Mushrooms - 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms from Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Maple syrup - 12 oz. bottles from our friend Jim at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, MA. Not Organic.

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

• Raspberry Jam - We just got a new batch delivered! From Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

• Seedlings: Our seedling sale is mostly winding down, but we have cucumbers, husk cherries, and herbs including parsley, basil, thyme (limited) and oregano.

Asian Peanut Rice Noodle Stir-Fry

from Marley Spoon (adapted)

Ingredients

• 5 oz stir-fry rice noodles

• 2 limes

• ½ oz fresh cilantro

• 1 large clove garlic

• ½ lb bok choy (or baby bok choy)

• 2 oz snow peas

• 1 carrot

• 1 oz salted peanuts

• 2 oz (4 tbsp) tamari soy sauce

• 1½ oz (about 3 tbsp) peanut butter

Preparation

1. Cook noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the to boiling water, cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until just tender, 6–8 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse under warm water. Reserve pot for step 4.

2. Prep ingredients: Squeeze 1½ tablespoons lime juice into a medium bowl; cut any remaining lime into wedges. Finely chop cilantro stems, keeping leaves whole. Finely grate ¼ teaspoon garlic. Halve bok choy lengthwise, rinse to remove any grit, and cut crosswise into 1-inch thick slices. Trim snow peas. Scrub and trim carrot, then thinly slice on an angle. Coarsely chop peanuts.

3. Prep sauce: To the bowl with lime juice, add tamari, peanut butter, cilantro stems, grated garlic, ⅓ cup water, and 1 tablespoon sugar; whisk to combine.

4. Sauté vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in reserved pot over medium-high. Add carrots and 2 tablespoons water. Cover and cook until carrots are tender and browned in spots, 1–2 minutes. Uncover, add bok choy and snow peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bok choy and snow peas are barely tender, about 2 minutes.

5. Finish noodles: Remove pot from heat; add sauce and cooked noodles, tossing until coated with sauce. Add whole cilantro leaves, and toss to combine.

6. Serve noodles topped with chopped peanuts, and with any lime wedges on the side, for squeezing over. Enjoy!

Blood Orange, Fennel and Avocado Salad with Lemon Citronette

from Cookie + Kate

Ingredients

Salad

• 4 large handfuls of spring greens

• 2 blood oranges, sliced into segments

• 1 bulb fennel, quartered, cored and sliced into super thin strips (reserve fennel fronds)

• 1 avocado, diced

• 2 ounces (about ⅓ cup) goat cheese, crumbled

• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Citronette

• ¼ cup olive oil, more to taste

• 1 lemon, preferably organic, zested and juiced

• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ½ teaspoon honey

• Sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Lightly toast the almonds: In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds for a few minutes, stirring frequently so they don’t burn. Once the almonds are fragrant and starting to turn golden, remove from heat and transfer to a plate.

2. In a large serving bowl, combine the greens, segmented blood oranges, sliced fennel, diced avocado, goat cheese and warm almonds. If the fennel’s feathery fronds (say that five times fast) are in good shape, chop up a handful’s worth and toss them into the salad.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until well blended. Whisk in more olive oil if the dressing tastes too tart. The final result should be pleasantly tangy.

4. Once you’re ready to serve, drizzle citronette over the salad (you might not need all of it) and toss. Serve immediately.

Greek-Style Kohlrabi Pie or Gratin With Dill and Feta

by Martha Rose Shulman from NY Times Cooking

If you don’t want to bother with the phyllo dough or you want to cut down on carbs or calories, make this as a gratin (see below). It’s delicious either way. Because of the moisture in the kohlrabi, your phyllo will need to be recrisped in a low oven if the pie sits for any length of time.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds kohlrabi, with greens if possible

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 medium or large onion, finely chopped

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• ⅓ cup chopped fresh dill

• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• 5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

• 12 sheets phyllo dough (½ pound)

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (optional)

Preparation

1. If the kohlrabi still has greens attached, stem and wash the greens and blanch in a pot of salted boiling water for 1 minute, or steam. Refresh with cold water, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely. Set aside. Peel the kohlrabi, making sure to remove the fibrous layer right under the skin, and grate using a food processor fitted with the grater attachment.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it is tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, stir together, and stir in the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the kohlrabi. Add another tablespoon of olive oil if necessary. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is very tender and beginning to color, about 10 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan from the kohlrabi, turn up the heat and cook, stirring, until it boils off. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the kohlrabi greens, dill and parsley, and set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 10-inch tart pan or cake pan with olive oil. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and beat in the crumbled feta. Stir in the kohlrabi mixture and combine well.

4. Line the pan with 7 pieces of phyllo, brushing each piece with olive oil, or a combination of olive oil and melted butter, and turning the dish after each addition so that the edges of the phyllo drape evenly over the pan. Fill with the kohlrabi mixture. Fold the draped edges in over the filling, then layer the remaining 5 pieces on top, brushing each piece with olive oil. Tuck the edges into the sides of the pan. Make a few slashes in the top crust so that steam can escape as the pie bakes. Note: If making a gratin, use a 2-quart baking dish, brush with olive oil and fill with the kohlrabi mixture.

5. Bake the pie for 50 minutes (40 for the gratin), until the crust is crisp and dark golden brown. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Advance preparation: The kohlrabi filling can be made through Step 2 up to a day ahead and refrigerated. You can assemble the pie several hours before baking and keep in the refrigerator, or freeze. Transfer directly from the freezer to the preheated oven, and increase the baking time by about 10 minutes. You can bake the pie ahead, but you must recrisp the phyllo in a medium-low oven (325 degrees) for 10 to 20 minutes.

• Variation: For a gratin, omit the phyllo and all but 1 optional tablespoon of the additional oil for brushing it (so you will only need 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil). Oil a 2-quart baking dish and place the filling in the dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top if desired and bake 40 minutes in a 375-degree oven, until the top is nicely browned.

CSA Week 1 and Farm stand updates

Customers who arrive at the farm this week will see a familiar site reemerging after a winter hiatus: our CSA distribution tent outside the farm stand. CSA pick-up hours are Wednesdays from 11am-6:30pm and Saturdays from 9am - 3pm. Shopkeepers will be ready to orient members, but we strongly encourage everyone (both new and returning members) to also check out our CSA Guide here: http://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/member-guide ahead of time. If you are a returning member, please bring your CSA bag from last year. If you have lost it or have switched CSA sizes, new ones are available for purchase in the farm stand. If you’re a new member, you will receive a bag when you check in.

We are very excited to welcome more people to the farm starting this week, both CSA members and farm store customers! See below for a complete list of this week’s CSA veggies such as salanova lettuce, mix, beets, radishes and baby bok choi! These will also be available in the farm store with a few exceptions (we will not be picking snap peas for the store this week but will again in the future!). Also below is a list of items only available in the farm store such as asparagus, broccolini, and mushrooms from Mycoterra Farm.

A note on strawberries this year for both the CSA and farm store: Last fall deer decimated our strawberry plants. We had hoped that the plants would rebound enough this spring to have some limited harvests, but unfortunately they did not. We know this is a big disappointment for our strawberry fans. This is a huge disappointment for us as well, not only because strawberry plants are costly and a lot of work goes into maintaining them, but because we love eating strawberries too! We haven’t given up on future strawberries, though. We have been adjusting our strawberry and deer fencing plans, and we just placed an order for next year’s strawberry plants (which will be planted in the fall).

In the CSA this week:

• Beets

• Scallions - Coming from our high tunnel.

• Kohlrabi - The flavor and texture of kohlrabi is similar to cabbage or broccoli stems, but it is milder and sweeter. It can be roasted, shredded raw as part of salad or coleslaw, chopped up and added to soup, or breaded and fried, among many other options!

• Radishes

• Salad turnips

• Mini daikon radish

• Kale

• Lettuce

• Salanova lettuce mix - This cut leaf mix is a little crisper than a mesclun mix and therefore keeps well for longer!

• Arugula

• Kale mix - This is a smaller more tender kale leaf. It’s great mixed in salads, but also is nice lightly sauteed!

• Baby bok choi

• Yukina savoy - This is in the same family as arugula, but is much milder. It is tender and can be eaten raw in salads or added to stir fry or soups.

Coming soon: carrots, cucumbers, and garlic scapes!

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Sweet William flowers

• Sugar snap peas

• Snow peas

In the farm store:

Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA, we will have:

• Asparagus - Likely just for the beginning of the week.

• Broccolini - We got our biggest harvest yet Tuesday morning so our supplies are increasing! We will also harvest again later in the week. Look for it in the farm store fridge.

• Flowers - Mixed bouquets this week will feature snapdragons, stock and some fun new varieties from our first ever hardy annual bed. We will start to have straight snapdragon bouquets either the end of this week or early next week.

• Salsa Verde - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Mild.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Seasonal Medley Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Shiitake Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Dried Mushrooms - 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms from Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Maple syrup - 12 oz. bottles from our friend Jim at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, MA. Not Organic.

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

• Raspberry Jam - We just got a new batch delivered! From Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

• Seedlings: Our seedling sale is mostly winding down, but we just put out some new cucumbers and husk cherries, and we continue to have herbs and a small selection of the remaining tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos; and flowers.

Simmered Beet Greens With Roasted Beets, Lemon and Yogurt

Adapted from a recipe by Martha Rose Shulman, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of beets with greens

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• Juice of 1/2 lemon (more or less to taste)

• 1 garlic clove (optional)

• 1/2 cup drained yogurt

• 2 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 1/2 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 1/2 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.

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

Arugula Pesto

By Martha Rose Shulman, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, cut in half, green shoots removed

• 2 heaped tablespoons shelled walnuts

• 4 ounces arugula, stemmed, washed and dried 2 cups leaves, tightly packed

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ⅓ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, as needed

• ⅓ to ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, to taste

Preparation

Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic cloves. When they are chopped and adhering to the sides, stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the walnuts. Turn on the machine, and process until they are finely ground. Scrape down the bowl again, and add the arugula and the salt. Pulse until the arugula is finely chopped, then turn on the machine and run while you slowly drizzle in the olive oil. When the mixture is smooth, stop the machine, scrape down the sides and process for another 30 seconds or so. Scrape out into the bowl of a mortar and pestle. Grind the mixture with the pestle for a smoother texture. Work in the cheese and combine well.

Tip: Advance preparation: Cover the top with a film of olive oil, and this will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Vegetarian Ramen

from Umami Girl

Ingredients

• 8 cups good low-sodium vegetable broth

• 1 ounce dried shiitakes, 15-20 mushrooms

• ¼ cup low-sodium tamari or other good soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2- inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

• 1 tablespoon good butter

• 1 tablespoon white miso paste

• 1 tablespoon mirin, rice wine

• 10 ounces baby bok choi or yukina savoy

• 4 eggs

• 10 ounces sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms

• 4 servings fresh or dry ramen noodles

• One 6-ounce package baked tofu, at room temperature

• 2 to 3 scallions, white and green parts sliced

• Gomasio, sesame salt

• Toasted sesame oil with hot chili

Instructions 

1. Combine the vegetable broth and dried shiitakes in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let mushrooms steep for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.

2. Remove mushrooms from pot and roughly chop, removing and discarding stems. Add mushrooms to a blender with one cup of the broth and puree until perfectly smooth. Add this mixture back to the stock pot along with the tamari. The broth can sit at this stage until shortly before serving, up to a few days in the fridge if you like.

3. In a large frying pan, heat one tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, two minutes more. Add this mixture to the stock pot.

4. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. Add the spinach or pea shoots and cook for about a minute, until just wilted. Remove from pot and set aside.

5. Add eggs to pot, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 7 minutes. Remove eggs to an ice bath and carefully peel when cool enough to touch.

6. Return water to boil, then add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and divide noodles among four large bowls.

7. While noodles cook, add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same frying pan used for the onion and heat over medium-high. Add the sliced shiitakes along with a couple of good pinches of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced in volume and nicely browned in spots, about 10 minutes.

8. To assemble the ramen, bring the broth back up to a simmer and then remove from heat. Off the heat, whisk in the butter, miso paste and mirin. Ladle some broth over the noodles in each bowl, just shy of the level of the noodles. Arrange a little pile of spinach and of shiitakes in each bowl. Slice the tofu and arrange a few slices in each bowl. Cut each egg in half and place two halves in each bowl. Sprinkle with scallions, gomasio and a little toasted sesame chili oil, with extra garnishes to pass at the table. Serve with chopsticks and large spoons.

Farm stand update, plus the CSA is starting soon!

It’s been a bit of a chilly spring punctuated by a few extremely hot days here and there. Within the span of a week we had our first popsicle break of the season followed by the latest threat of frost we’ve ever experienced on this property! The chilly temperatures on Saturday night pushed us to cover as much of our tender summer crops as possible Saturday afternoon amidst some chilly and wet conditions. Fortunately, while it got quite cold Saturday night, those beds of peppers and zucchini that we couldn’t get to survived just fine. Now that it looks like truly cold nights are behind us, we are ready to plant our heat loving sweet potatoes, as well as the watermelon we had been holding back on for fear of damaging cold.

The colder temperatures we’ve experienced this spring have slowed down plant growth, but everything is still on track for a strong start to the CSA next Wednesday June 10th! The sugar snap peas look great, salanova lettuce mix is well protected and we’ve got some healthy looking scallions thriving in our high tunnels for next week. Future CSA weeks are also looking good! We have been keeping on top of carrot weeding and trellising our tomato and cucumber high tunnels (there are even some small cukes and tomatoes starting to appear!). If you haven’t yet signed up for the CSA, we still have some spots available for all of our options (Flex, Extended, Regular and Small). To sign up visit our online store: https://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store.

Available this week:

• Asparagus - This will be our last week harvesting asparagus

• Kale mix

• Bok choi - full size

• Curly kale

• Radishes - Round red “rover radishes” as well as “mini mak” mini daikon radishes

• Broccolini - Available Tuesday (limited quantities so likely to sell out) and again on Friday.

• Spinach- Available Tuesday (limited quantities so likely to sell out by the end of the day Wednesday).

• Sugar snap peas - First of the season! These will just be in the farm store on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

• Salanova lettuce mix - First of the season starting Wednesday for the rest of the week!

• Herbs - Bunches of chives, thyme, sage, oregano

• Flowers - We will have flower bouquets available all week starting with spring mixed bouquets on Tuesday.

• Salsa Verde - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Mild.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Seasonal Medley Mushrooms -Available starting Tuesday this week. From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Shiitake Mushrooms - Available starting Tuesday this week. From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Dried Mushrooms - 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms from Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Maple syrup - 12 oz. bottles from our friend Jim at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, MA. Not Organic.

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

• Raspberry Jam - We just got a fresh batch delivered! From Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.

• Seedlings: herbs; tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos; flowers; summer squash, zucchini and cucumbers. See below for varieties, and our 2026 Seedling Sale Descriptions for more info about those varieties.

Specific seedling varieties we have as of 6/1:

• Herbs: Oregano, thyme, parsley (limited), basil, dill

• Flowers: Limited plastic-free soil block 4-packs available of marigolds, bachelor buttons, cosmos and ageratum! Traditional 6-packs of zinnias and snapdragons are also available.

• Tomatoes: Limited quantities left of all varieties: Moskvich, Pruden’s Purple, San Marzano, Matt’s Wild Cherry, Cherry Bomb, Sungold.

• Tomatillo: Toma Verde

• Sweet Peppers: Red Picnic and Orange Picnic

• Hot/Specialty Peppers: Early Jalapeño, Shishito, Hot Paper Lantern

• Cucurbits: Dark Green Zucchini, Success PM Summer Squash, Marketmore Cucumber. Currently all are limited quantities but we have more cucumbers that will be ready soon!

  Coming soon: Husk Cherry seedlings

Farm stand staffed this week!

Last week, with nearly a full complement of field crew, we were cruising through a long list of tasks. With the high heat forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, we removed thousands of feet of row covers on lettuce, greens, peas and spring brassicas. The bonus to the heat was that it created the perfect conditions for tractor cultivation of spring brassicas, peas, carrots, beets and asparagus. In addition, we trellised our high tunnel tomatoes; planted bok choi, celery, PYO flowers, high tunnel cucumbers, dahlias and heirloom tomatoes; set up high tunnel and field irrigation; and finished weeding an entire succession of carrots and beets!

Perhaps most exciting, Catherine and Lise installed a mesh deer fence around our peas and Maddie and Joe put the finishing touches on a new type of 8-foot tall deer fence encircling all of our lettuce. The 8-foot fence was a group effort over the last couple of weeks involving not just Maddie and Joe, but Theresa, Rebecca, Jake, Lise and Melissa. Many of you have probably heard about our ongoing troubles with deer, so we are very excited to get some sturdier protection on one of our most important crops, and to hopefully remove at least one major source of stress! This type of fence is very expensive, so we are trying it out on a small scale, but we have written a grant to build a fence of this type covering the entirety of our largest field.

After last week’s fencing triumph, Joe will be back in our fully-staffed store, along with some new and familiar faces! You can continue to pay by cash, Barrett’s Bucks and credit card, but you no longer need exact change, and credit card payments will be a little smoother with our card reader. We are now also back to being able to accept EBT cards in the farm stand!

Farm stand hours:

Tuesday thru Friday 11am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 3pm

Available this week:

• Asparagus - The drought and seesawing temperatures have not led to fantastic harvests, but we continue to hope for better yields this week!

• Kale mix

• Spinach - Available Tuesday in limited quantities.

• Bok choi

• Radishes - Round red “rover radishes” as well as “mini mak” mini daikon radishes

• Green garlic (Tuesday only)

• Herbs - Bunches of chives, thyme, sage, oregano

• Flowers - Tuesday we will have mixed tulip bouquets including both double and single types. Later in the week (Wednesday or Thursday) we will have our first spring mixed flower bouquets with mathiola (stock), sweet William, matricaria and single tulips.

• Salsa Verde - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Mild.

• Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.

• Seasonal Medley Mushrooms - Starting Thursday! From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Dried Mushrooms - 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms from Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.

• Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.

• Maple syrup - 12 oz. bottles from our friend Jim at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, MA. Not Organic.

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

• Seedlings: herbs; tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos; flowers; summer squash, zucchini and cucumbers. See below for varieties, and our 2026 Seedling Sale Descriptions for more info about those varieties.

Specific seedling varieties we have as of 5/26:

• Herbs: Oregano, thyme, parsley, basil, dill, calendula

• Flowers: Zinnias (Aurora, Queeny mix and limited mixed giants ), Lion’s Mouth snapdragons, Sensation Blend cosmos (limited)

• Tomato: Honey Bee, Moskvich, Pruden’s Purple, San Marzano, Matt’s Wild Cherry, Cherry Bomb, Sungold

• Tomatillo: Toma Verde

• Sweet Peppers: Red Picnic and Orange Picnic

• Hot/Specialty Peppers: Early Jalapeño, Shishito, Hot Paper Lantern (new!)

• Cucurbits: Dark Green Zucchini, Success PM Summer Squash, Marketmore Cucumber

  Coming soon: Husk Cherry seedlings

Lise an Ruby harvesting our first radiesh of the aseason!