We're so excited for our third CSA season to start this week! This year pick-ups are available Tuesday & Thursday 11am - 6pm, and Saturday 10am - 3pm. Members do not need to always come on the same day each week - you may come whichever pick-up day works best in a given week. If you are new to the CSA and were unable to make the orientation on Saturday, we'll be happy to fill you in on more details about how the CSA works on your first pick-up day!
If you have any friends who have been on the fence about signing up for a CSA this year, let them know that it's still not too late to sign up! We increased the number of spots we have available this year and as of Monday there are 6 available. We also just received the official approval to participate in a pilot project to allow SNAP recipients to use their benefits to purchase a CSA share! If you or anyone you know might be interested, please send an email to Lise at lise@barrettsmillfarm.com.
The store will continue to be open during CSA hours, as well as additional hours Wednesday & Friday 2pm-6pm! We will generally have similar crops available in both the Store and the CSA, however occasionally there will be limited supplies of a particular crop and we will only make it available in one.
In the store: We'll continue to have plenty of asparagus, basil plants and salad greens, as well as a more limited supply of Happy Rich broccoli, radishes, salad turnips and strawberries. New this week we will also have kale, chard and some sugar snap peas! Beets may also make an appearance in the store later this week as they continue to size up.
In the flower fields: We continue to have Sweet William available for picking. PYO Flower CSA members can begin picking, and folks who are not members are welcome to purchase picking jars "a la carte."
In the Vegetable CSA:
- Beets: Chioggia (striped) an Red Ace. Many people overlook beet greens, but they are actually quite tasty! See the recipe idea below for one idea on what to do with them!
- Lettuce: we have many different types available, including romaine, butterhead, oakleaf and red and green leaf.
- Salanova: this is a cut lettuce mix. It is similar to mesclun mix, but crisper and it keeps much longer in the fridge!
- Arugula
- Spinach
- Chard
- Kale
- Bok Choi
CSA Pick-your-own:
- Sugar snap peas: Check the undersides of plants - often the fattest peas are found there!
- Parsley
- Strawberries: The strawberries we planted in the CSA field aren't quite as far along as the ones we planted for the store, but you will get a taste of them this week. There will be more soon!
Beet Greens and Feta Pasta
from chowhound.com
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
- 4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds beet greens, washed, ribs removed, and coarsely chopped (about 11 cups)
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 5 ounces crumbled feta (about 3/4 cup)
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When shimmering, add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the beet greens and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper, remove from heat, and reserve. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water
Return the pasta to the pot and place over low heat. Add the reserved pasta water and the beet green mixture, then sprinkle in the crumbled feta. Stir until thoroughly combined and heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Quiche with Swiss Chard and Mushroom
by Sue Lau, A Palatable Pastime
3 large pastured organic eggs
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces white or crimini mushrooms, chopped (or try using some Fat Moon Farm oyster or shiitake mushrooms!)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion or shallot
2 tablespoons butter
5 ounces Swiss chard leaves (no stems), chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
5 ounces Prima Donna aged Gouda cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
Dash nutmeg
1 prepared pie crust or quiche pastry dough
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat room temperature eggs with heavy cream in a small bowl.
3. Place pie crust in a deep-dish glass pie plate and crimp edges.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a saute pan and cook mushroom and shallot until browned.
5. Season vegetables to taste with salt and pepper and stir in chopped chard leaves, cooking only long enough to allow them to wilt; cool mixture.
6. Sprinkle about 2 ounces of the cheese in the bottom of the pie crust and spread vegetables over that, then top with remaining cheese.
7. Pour the custard (cream and egg) mixture over all.
8. Make sure the cheese and vegetables are covered or wet with the custard mixture.
9. Dot with butter pieces and sprinkle with nutmeg.
10. Bake quiche uncovered, in a preheated oven, for about 45 minutes or until domed and puffy and custard is set.
11. Allow to sit undisturbed for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.