Last week we held the final pick-ups for the 2017 Main Season CSA. It was the fourth year of the CSA and the first time we had 180 CSA members involved (up from 40 members in our first season in 2014)! We also had 60 Barrett's Bucks members along with numerous returning and new farm store customers. We loved having a farm full of enthusiastic folks enjoying the farm stand and fields each week. The busiest days by far were late August and September Saturdays - on a couple of occasions we had 75 CSA members picking up shares, plus over 50 farm store customers coming and going in just one day. Good thing we like commotion! And growing lots of food! It was also the first year we grew vegetables across the street in our new field - we now have a total of 15 acres for growing vegetables and cover crops. This extension of the farm allowed us to grow more fall crops in 2017 and open our Late Fall CSA to 50 members (20 more than last year!). This week we are looking forward to seeing many of you for our last store week of the season and the start of the Late Fall CSA.

Farm store hours this week:

Tuesday and Thursday 11am-6pm

Wednesday and Friday 2pm-6pm

Saturday 10am - 3pm

In the Late Fall CSA this Thursday (October 26th) 2-7pm:

These items are also available in the farm store this week.

Sweet Potatoes
Shunkyo semi-long radishes
Spinach
Scallions
Salad turnips (hakurei)
Salanova lettuce mix
Fennel
Acorn Squash
Butternut squash
Potatoes - Keuka Gold from Hutchins Farm
Cabbage
Onions
Carrots
Beets
Eggplant
Brussels Sprouts
Lettuce
Kale
Baby bok choy

Additional crops that will be available in coming Late Fall CSA weeks: delicata squash, pie pumpkins, celeriac, turnips, daikon and watermelon radish, leeks, popcorn, shallots and garlic.

In the store:

The last store day for the season is Saturday, October 28th. 2017 Barrett's Bucks expire after the 28th. If you would like to use remaining Bucks to stock up, bulk order forms are available in the farm stand this week, or by clicking here.

In addition to items that are also in the CSA this week, we will have corn stalks and broom corn, pie pumpkins, delicata squash, collards, and leeks in the farm store. We will also have organic heirloom cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm in Carver, MA, mushrooms from Fat Moon, and eggs from Pete and Jen available.

Sweet Potato Fries

MARK BITTMAN

from NYT Cooking

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

PREPARATION

Heat the oven to 400.
Cut the sweet potatoes into sticks 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide and 3 inches long, and toss them with the oil.
Mix the spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl, and toss them with the sweet potatoes. Spread them out on 2 rimmed baking sheets.
Bake until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Acorn Squash with Kale and Sausage

adapted from Self, November 2013

2 medium acorn squash, halved down the middle, seeds removed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 large leek or 1 bunch scallions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups tightly packed torn kale
1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

Heat oven to 375°. Cut a thin slice off round side of each squash half to create a stable base. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; coat with cooking spray. Place squash flesh side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil; bake until golden and tender, 30 minutes. Remove from oven; flip squash and set aside. Heat broiler. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon oil. Add sausage; cook, breaking into coarse pieces, until brown, 6 minutes; transfer to a bowl. To same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and leek; cook until leek is soft, 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, 30 seconds. Add kale and toss; add broth. Cover and cook until kale is tender, 5 minutes; stir in sausage. Divide kale-sausage filling among squash. In a bowl, combine walnuts, Parmesan and panko; sprinkle evenly over squash bowls and coat with cooking spray. Broil until panko is golden, 2 minutes.