Week 20 - Thanks for a great season!

Freshly plowed field in early May.
The same field in late October. Some vegetables remain in the ground, but most of the field has been seeded in cover crop once again to protect and build up the soil for next season.

This week marks the end of Barrett's Mill Farm's inaugural season. It's hard to believe that 8 months ago we signed the lease for the McGrath land. Last spring was an especially busy time as we we occupied ourselves not only with signing up members, acquiring equipment and setting up our store, greenhouse, wash area, irrigation and fencing systems, but we also had to carry on with the regular business of growing food! We couldn't be more pleased with how the season turned out, and we are so grateful that we got the opportunity to start our own farm business in this wonderful community. The support from our customers, the Town, family, friends and fellow farmers helped us make it through a challenging spring and ensured a successful 2014 growing season. Thank you! Now we are looking forward to a more restful winter and then many more bountiful seasons to come!

This Tuesday and Thursday are the last CSA pick-ups for the season and Saturday, November 1st is the last day that the store will be open. However, we are now accepting orders for bulk vegetables to be picked up next week. Visit our website or click here for more information.

 In the CSA:
  • Brussels sprouts - These are still on the stalk, but you can pull off the sprouts and put in a plastic bag to store in the refrigerator. The sprouts are a little on the small side - we plan to plant them earlier next year!
  • Rutabagas - Can be roasted or mashed like potatoes.
  • Turnips - These have a purple top and white bottom, and unlike the white salad turnips, these should be cooked.
  • Romanesco cauliflower - This lime green pointy cauliflower is unique looking and has a slightly nutty flavor. They have been slow to mature, so members will likely have a choice between either cauliflower or broccoli.
  • Scallions - We'll continue to have the regular white scallions, but we'll also have purple ones this week!
  • Butternut Squash
  • Buttercup Squash
  • Parsnips
  • Celeriac
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Potatoes - Red Gold and Elba
  • Cabbage- Green Storage no. 4 and Purple cabbage
  • Daikon radish
  • Fennel 
  • Mustard Greens
  • Tat soi
  • Kale
  • Spinach
  • Lettuce
  • Leeks
CSA Pick-your-own:
  • Herbs: cilantro, parsley, thyme and oregano
In the store:
Everything in the CSA will also be available in the store, as well as Happy Rich mini broccoli, radishes, red Russian kale, and a limited amount of garlic grown by our friends at Alprilla Farm in Essex, MA . In addition, we have Jack-O'-Lanterns grown by Bill Kenney down the road from us.


 

Roasted Root Vegetables with Rosemary

Bon Appétit  | December 2001 

Ingredients

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 1 pound red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound celery root (celeriac), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound parsnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 10 garlic cloves, peeled

Preparation

Position 1 rack in bottom third of oven and 1 rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Spray 2 heavy large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Combine all remaining ingredients except garlic in very large bowl; toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Divide vegetable mixture between prepared sheets. Place 1 sheet on each oven rack. Roast 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reverse positions of baking sheets. Add 5 garlic cloves to each baking sheet

Continue to roast until all vegetables are tender and brown in spots, stirring and turning vegetables occasionally, about 45 minutes longer. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Let stand on baking sheets at room temperature. Rewarm in 450°F oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.)

Transfer roasted vegetables to large bowl and then serve.