With the growing conditions we’ve had this season, all we can say right now is thank goodness for our high tunnels! Out in the field we’ve seen yellowing leaves in some crops - evidence of too much water during the heavy rains. It’s particularly noticeable in our winter squash, which went in the ground only a few weeks before the heavy rains, and which we never mulch (one of the many things plastic mulches can do is protect against nutrient leaching). We’ve also seen symptoms of wet weather-loving leaf diseases on some of our plants like powdery mildew in our summer squash and zucchini, alternaria on cucumbers, anthracnose on melons, early blight on tomatoes, and downy mildew in our basil. These diseases thrive in wet weather and many of them spread when water splashes on them. Since we don’t use any fungicides, they all arrive eventually every season, they just normally aren’t so widespread this early! While the fruit on these plants is safe to eat, the result of the damage on the plants is a decrease in productivity in both quantity of fruit and length of the picking season.
In our pepper and tomato high tunnels, though, it’s a different story. Protected from the elements, these plants are lush and green right now, and they are also very productive! Each high tunnel is about one sixteenth of an acre, yet they can each produce enough for our farm stand and 250-member CSA. In addition to protecting plants from disease and over-watering, these tunnels provide a warmer environment that allows us to enjoy colored peppers and tomatoes 3 or 4 weeks earlier than we might have otherwise this year!
In the CSA this week:
CSA pick up hours are Tues/Thurs 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Face masks are required under the CSA tent during the first hour of each day. Please note we do our best to predict what will be available each week, but conditions change and there may be slight variations in what’s available!
Summer leeks - we planted several varieties this year. These leeks are smaller and a bit more tender than the ones we’ll enjoy later in the season.
Colored peppers - from our high tunnel! It’s just the start of colored peppers so they will be limited for now, but they will hopefully be ripening at a faster pace soon
Tomatoes- still mostly from our high tunnels, but they have been cranking out a good supply for such a small space! You’ll see a mix of red and orange slicers, as well as some hybrid and heirloom types called Ginfizz, which is yellow with pink stripes, as well as Marnour, Carbon and Cuba Libre, which are purplish with yellowy-green shoulders. All are delicious!
Eggplant - still limited this week, but based on the number of small fruit on the plants, I think we are approaching abundance soon!
Lettuce
Mizuna - A frilly, mild salad green.
Swiss chard or arugula
Kale
Beets - Golden and red
Carrots
Celery
Cucumbers or Summer squash/zucchini - we don’t have high hopes for the zucchini and summer squash turning a corner, but there is one last cuke planting that looks promising, so we’re hoping for a return to cucumber plenty in another week or two. The high tunnel cukes are done for the season, but they had a really good run!
CSA PYO:
Handwashing sinks are provided at the entrance to each PYO field. For the sake of food safety, please wash hands before picking. The barn bathroom and wash area sinks in the barn are for employees only (we do now have a green porta-potty restroom by the tree behind the red barn for customer use with a portable handwashing sink just beside it).
*Please note that we close down the PYO fields for lightning storms.
Cherry tomatoes
Hot peppers - jalapeño, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax, fresno and aji rico varieties are all producing. Signs in the field indicate what to look for in terms of ripeness, as well as how spicy varieties are.
Sunflowers
Green and purple Beans - Please hold the plant while carefully picking the largest beans.
Herbs- parsley, dill flowers, sage, thyme. The basil has begun to succumb to downy mildew so it is tougher picking for leaves that do not have any brown damage.
PYO Flower CSA:
Picking is available any time the farm store is open (Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm). Varieties blooming now include: zinnias, marigolds, snapdragons, statice, gomphrena, celosia, decorative basil, frosted explosion, cosmos, ageratum, rudbeckia, bachelors button, ammi, scabiosa and more! Please pick stems above the first branching to encourage future growth. Picking is available for Flower CSA members as well as to the public for purchase by the bouquet.
In the farm store:
In addition to the items listed in the CSA the farm store this week we will also have flower bouquets and potatoes. We also have eggs from Codman Farm and honey from Double B. There are no mushrooms available for the month of August, but we will have Fat Moon Mushrooms back in the stand again in September. No sweet corn from Verrill just yet - the cool rainy weather in July has stunted several plantings - but we hope to have some soon!
We accept credit card, cash, check and EBT in the farm store. The farm store is open Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm. Masks are required during the first hour of each day. Staff will continue to wear masks in the first hour of each day but will not be required to for the remainder of the day in keeping with our customer policy. We are keeping a chalkboard list of items available outside the store and our Shopkeepers would be happy to shop for anyone who is uncomfortable entering the store. We also continue to take online pre-orders for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday pick-up. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 6pm the day before pick-up.
Italian Peperonata Sauce
from VeggieSociety.com
Ingredients
3 bell peppers (mixed colors) -cut into 1 inch pieces
1.5 lb heirloom tomatoes -mixed variety
1 small leek -sliced and rinsed well
1 purple onion -sliced
2 cloves garlic -chopped
1 pinch red chili flakes
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
1 lemon -juiced
1/3 cup fresh herbs (basil, oregano, chives)
2 tbsp water
Instructions
Heat up a large skillet over medium low flame and saute the leeks with a pinch of sea salt in a splash of olive oil or water until wilted (omit the oil for WFPB & Plantricious compliance). Add the purple onions and bell peppers and cook another 5 minutes until the peppers start to soften. Stir in the garlic and give everything a good stir.
Meanwhile cut the tomatoes into wedges and add them to the skillet with the peppers. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook another 5 minutes or so until the tomatoes release all their juice and a nice sauce forms.
Squeeze the juice of half the lemon into the peperonata stew, taste and season with more sea salt and lemon juice.
Sprinkle with the fresh herbs and serve with your favorite pasta, over polenta or a crusty piece of bread.
Leek, Cherry Tomato and Pecorino Pizza
Adapted from Food & Wine, October 2009
Ingredients
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
Preparation
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.