Farm updates, 2019 Sign-ups and CSA week 19

We are never sure what our sweet potatoes look like under all those vines and plastic mulch before we start to dig them up! After a successful small trial of sweet potatoes for the Late Fall CSA last year we ramped up our planting and were happy to find a bountiful harvest when we started digging last week. We can’t help but show off particularly large or funny shaped sweeties as we harvest - more than one has been used for a “telephone call” as we spend hours digging with trowels hunting for the cluster of potatoes beneath each plant. After harvest the sweet potatoes are stored in our greenhouse and kept at a high temperature (ideally around 80 degrees) to cure. They aren’t sweet yet but after a week in hot humid conditions the starches will turn to sugars and they should be sweet and tasty! We are finishing the sweet potato harvest this week while the first batch cures and we will have sweet potatoes in the Main Season CSA next week as well as in the Late Fall CSA. If you’re not sure if you’ve signed up for our Late Fall CSA ask the shopkeeper this week. We will have it noted on the CSA check-in sheet.

We will also have renewal forms in the farm stand for pick up this week! We are looking forward to the 2019 season - it will be our sixth year here at the farm! Be sure to read the accompanying letter for details about the CSA options for next year. We’ll have Barrett’s Bucks forms for 2019 available in the stand this week, and sign ups for both the CSA and Bucks are also available online! You can also read descriptions of the CSA Options online. Next week is the last week of the Main Season CSA (last pick up day is October 20th).

This week in the CSA:

• Shallots - Shallots are related to onions but are sweeter with a bit of garlic flavor. This makes them great diced into salad dressings or cooked. Transitional.

• Brussels sprouts - We harvest the entire stalk of the plant. When you get home remove each sprout from the stem to store in a bag in the fridge.

• Peter Wilcox potatoes - These purple skinned potatoes are one of our favorites! The flesh is yellow on the inside and they store well.

• Spinach

• Pie pumpkins - Transitional.

• Butternut squash - Transitional.

• Decorative gourds - Just for fun, not for eating! Transitional.

• Broccoli or Eggplant

• Cabbage - Tendersweet and savoy.

• Peppers - Likely the last of the peppers as a frost is predicted this coming weekend.

• Acorn squash - Transitional.

• Leeks - Transitional.

• Garlic

• Carrots

• Salanova

• Arugula

CSA Pick-your-own:

• Herbs - cilantro, thyme, chives

• Husk Cherries

• Tomatillos

• Hot peppers

In the farm store:

We will have most of the veggies listed in the CSA available as well as buttercup squash, delicata, kale, onions and decorative corn stalks. We won’t have corn anymore this season, but we do now have jack-o-lanterns from Verrill Farm. We’ve also got mushrooms from Fat Moon, honey from Double B (produced by bees right here on the property!), and Silferleaf Farm’s raspberry jam and raspberry infused vinegar. Eggs from Pete and Jen’s are back in stock and we now have organic cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm in Carver, MA.

ONE-PAN ROASTED CHICKEN AND POTATOES WITH LEEKS AND ARUGULA

adapted from a recipe by Melissa Clark, NY Times Cooking

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs

• 1 1/4 lb potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1-2 tablespoons sriracha or harissa (depending on desired heat)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2 medium leeks, chopped (white and light green parts only)

• Zest of 1 lemon, divided

• 1/3 cup plain yogurt

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 cups arugula

• 2 teaspoons dried dill

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, sriracha or harissa, and cumin. Add the chicken thighs and potatoes and toss to coat. Spread on the prepared sheet pan in a single layer. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, toss the chopped leeks with half of the lemon zest and some salt and pepper. Remove the chicken and potatoes from the oven and toss the potatoes lightly. Top with the leeks. Roast for an additional 25-35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chicken thigh registers 155 degrees F.

4. While the chicken and potatoes are roasting, prepare the yogurt sauce. Place the yogurt in a small bowl. Grate the garlic clove over the yogurt. Add the remaining lemon zest and the lemon juice. Season lightly with salt. Stir to combine.

5. Serve the roasted chicken and potatoes with the arugula, yogurt sauce and fresh dill.

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta

by Jenn Laughlin from Peas & Crayons

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled + chopped

• a hearty drizzle of olive oil (1-2 TBSP)

• salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste

• 1-2 cups fresh cranberries (to taste!)

• 2-3 TBSP honey (or extra, to taste)

• 1/4 cup finely crumbled feta

• ground cinnamon, to taste 

• fresh or dried parsley, to garnish, optional

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly drizzle or spritz a baking sheet with olive oil. Add cubed squash to the sheet along with another drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle with a light layer of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, based on taste preference. Roast at 400 F for 25 minutes on the center rack. At the 25 minute mark, pull out the oven rack, and add your fresh cranberries to the roasting pan. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries have started to soften and burst a bit, resembling really juicy craisins. Remove from oven and add a sprinkle of cinnamon (approx. 1/8-1/4 tsp depending on preference) along with feta and honey (sweeten to taste). Garnish with parsley for a burst of color and dig in while it's hot!