It rained! While it made CSA pick-your-own an adventure for some last week, we are celebrating the win of this nicely time rain for recently seeded cover crop! We now have oats and peas coming up where spring greens and early squash plantings used to be, and clover and rye has been seeded in some fall brassica pathways, an attempt to provide cover to an area that won’t be cleared in time to germinate seed before winter. Cover cropping is an important way we take care of the fields for the following year so we can sleep a little better now knowing that many of our fields have their winter cover started!
While we are preparing for winter there is still plenty of time left in the farm season! We are in week 13 of 20 for the Main Season CSA, and then the Extended Season CSA will continue for 4 more weeks after that for a total of 24 weeks. The farm store will be open until October 31st! We are welcoming many new crew members on the farm this week who we have hired to help us finish up the season now that much of our summer crew is back at college or their school year jobs. One new face you all will see when arriving on the farm is Megan, our new shopkeeper this fall! Jennifer and Evita will also be new helpers around the CSA and farm stand, and Maria, Jeffrey and Marni will be out in the fields helping us bring it all in!
In the CSA this week:
Baby Bok Choy - This crowd favorite is back for at least a couple of weeks. It is great raw, sauteed, and even grilled!
Salanova Lettuce Mix - Needs no introduction! We should have salanova available in the CSA and farm store for most remaining weeks now that the weather has cooled down.
Beets- red ace or golden. The greens are still nice enough to cook! Later in the fall we will start topping them and giving them out without the greens.
Leeks - This variety is our favorite called megaton and lives up to it’s name with it’s larger size even this time of year.
Garlic
Curly Green Kale
Lettuce
Spaghetti Squash
Slicing Tomatoes
Colored sweet peppers
Green peppers
Eggplant
Cucumbers
Summer Squash
CSA PYO:
Please bring scissors from home for your herb picking. We do have some you may borrow but quantities are limited each day due to necessary sanitizing measures.
Green Beans - Beans are back! We have 2 plantings for the early fall.
Cherry tomatoes - Sungold (orange), Cherry bomb (red), Jasper (red), Red Pearl (red grape), Mountain Magic (red), Yellow mini (yellow), Sunpeach (pink), Black cherry (deep brownish purple), Supernova (red with yellow flecks), Moonbeam (pale yellow), Midnight pear (brownish purple).
Hot peppers - jalapeño, Fresno, Aji Rico, Hungarian hot wax, shishito
Herbs: sage, thyme, oregano, cilantro, basil, and parsley are available this week.
PYO Flower CSA:
The flower field is open to both flower CSA members as well as for those who would like to purchase PYO flowers by the jar. Picking is open anytime the Farm Store is open: Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. For the safety of everyone, there are capacity limits in the flower field and everyone over the age of 2 must wear a mask in the PYO fields. Zinnas are the highlight right now! The branching sunflowers in the flower field have also made a comeback. Don’t forget your pruners and scissors from home and water for your jar! Check in at the farm stand before picking.
In the Farm Store:
In addition to the items listed in the CSA we will also have honey from Double B Honey (harvested from hives on the property) and sweet corn from Verrill Farm. Fat Moon is taking a break from mushrooms right now, but will be back soon. Online pre-orders continue, but please note that pre-orders are available for Tuesday, Friday and Saturday pick-ups only. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 2pm the day before pick-up. Walk-up sales continue to be open for all Tuesday-Saturday.
Farm Store Hours
Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm
Saturday 9am-3pm
Please wear a snug fitting mask with multiple layers when approaching the farm stand. If you cannot wear a mask, simply order online and include a note in your order letting us know what car you will be driving (as well as roughly what time you will arrive) and we will bring your bag out to your car when you arrive. Thank you for your understanding!
Leek, Cherry Tomato and Pecorino Pizza
Adapted from Food & Wine, October 2009
· All-purpose flour, for dusting
· 1 1/2 pounds pizza dough, cut into 8 pieces
· 1/4 cup plus olive oil, plus more for brushing
· 2 large leeks, sliced 1/4 inch thick
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· 32 cherry tomatoes, halved
· 1/4 pound truffled pecorino cheese, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 500°. Heat a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes. (Alternatively, heat a large inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes.) On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough to a 7-inch round. Oil 3 large baking sheets and place the dough rounds on the sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Generously flour a pizza peel. Place a dough round on the peel and brush with olive oil. Top with some of the leeks, tomatoes and pecorino cheese. Slide the dough round onto the hot stone or baking sheet and bake for about 4 minutes, until bubbling and crisp. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve.
Roasted Beet and Avocado Salad
from Frankies Spuntino
We worked with someone who had worked for years at the restaurant Frankies 457 in Brooklyn, NY before transitioning to farming and this was the crew’s favorite dish!
• 4 medium beets (about 1/2 pound each), scrubbed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
• 1/2 cup water
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 1 cipollini onion, finely chopped, or 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet Spanish or white onion
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil or other mild vegetable oil
• 2 Hass avocados, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small baking dish, rub the beets with olive oil. Add the water and season with salt and white pepper. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool, then peel the beets and cut them into 3/4-inch pieces. Transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the chopped onion with the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and honey. Season with salt and white pepper and blend until smooth. With the machine on, add the grapeseed oil and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a steady stream. Add the avocado to the roasted beets. Pour the onion dressing on top and toss gently to combine. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve.
Blistered Beans With Tomato-Almond Pesto
By Chris Morocco, Bon Appétit November 2015
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup unsalted, roasted almonds
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
Preheat oven to 450°F. Roast tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, turning once, until blistered and lightly charred, 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Finely chop almonds in a food processor. Add garlic, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, and half of tomatoes; pulse to a coarse pesto consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add half of beans; cook, undisturbed, until beginning to blister, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 7–9 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Spread beans out on a platter; let cool. Repeat with remaining vegetable oil and beans. Toss beans with pesto; season with salt and pepper if needed. Add remaining tomatoes and transfer to a platter.