Since it is a transitional time for many folks, we thought it would be a good time to review our CSA and Farm Store schedule for the remainder of the year. The Main Season CSA is 20 weeks and the last day for the season is October 22nd. The farm store closes for the season October 29th (2022 Barrett’s Bucks expire on this date). The Flex and Extended Season CSA memberships continue until November 19th, however there are no Tuesday CSA pick-ups for the last 4 weeks (CSA pick ups will be Thursdays and Saturdays only starting the week of October 25th). Additionally, as many folks are home and cooking more, we thought it would also be a great time to announce our Fall Fat Moon Farm Mushroom CSA will start September 13th! Sign-ups are available now on our website: http://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store/2022fall-mushroom-csa-from-fat-moon. The cost is $170 and Fat Moon Mushroom CSA members will receive one pound of Fat Moon's fresh, organic mushrooms each week for 10 weeks. The Fall Fat Moon Farm Mushroom CSA will run from Tuesday September 12th until Saturday November 19th. For the first 7 weeks, pick-up will be any time the farm store is open Tuesday - Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. For the last 3 weeks pick up will be Thursdays or Saturdays (we will be closed the other days of the week in November). Over the course of the season, expect to get a taste of varieties like Shiitake, Chestnut, Lion's Mane, Pioppino, various Oyster mushrooms, and more! For more information about Fat Moon mushrooms visit www.FatMoonMushrooms.com or follow @fatmoonmushrooms on social media.
In the CSA this week:
Black Futsu pumpkin - An heirloom pumpkin that is ready to eat when the skin has turned from black/green to a light orange. The skin is edible so no need to peel. See recipe below! We had a limited crop this year so each membership will get just one for the season however there are more winter squash varieties to come this fall!
Sweet Corn - From Verrill Farm in Concord, MA, not organic. The drought and the shortening days are catching up with us in terms of our harvest quantities this week so we wanted to buy in this special treat for our members! The corn will be under the CSA tent and included among your options for filling your CSA bag. It will be labeled from Verrill Farm and not organically grown. As always you will get to select what you’d like to put in your CSA bag so if you don’t want the corn you will have more room for other veggies!
Tomatoes - Red slicing tomatoes from our latest field planting.
Green peppers
Potatoes - Peter Wilcox or King Harry
Leeks
Garlic- This garlic has been cured and will keep outside the fridge for months in a cool, dark, dry place.
Spaghetti squash
Mizuna
Summer squash, zucchini or cucumbers - The last of these crops for the season so these will be limited again this week.
Beets
Mustard greens
Lettuce or salanova
Curly green kale
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
Cherry Tomatoes - All varieties are currently ripening including Sungold (orange), Citrine (orange), Cherry Bomb (red), Red Pearl (red grape), Valentine (red grape), Apple Yellow (apple shaped yellow tomato), Yellow Mini, Moonbeam (pale yellow grape), Black Cherry (smoky purple), Midnight Pear (smoky purple pear shaped cherry), Sunpeach (pink), and Mountain Magic (red cocktail size tomato).
There will be a choice of: Tomatillos or shishito peppers.
Hot peppers- choice of Jalapeño, Aji Rico, Fresno, Hungarian Hot Wax, and Red Ember (cayenne).
Herbs - choice of basil, oregano, mint, sage, chives, thyme or lemon thyme.
In the farm store:
In addition to the items listed in the CSA, we will also have flower bouquets in the farm store and colored peppers. We will also have sweet corn from Verrill Farm and eggs from Codman Farm. Mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm are back this week!
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. 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.
Pick-Your-Own Flower CSA:
The field is open to both Flower CSA members and to the general public for picking by the jar. Varieties available include zinnias, marigolds, gomphrena, strawflower, celosia, statice, ammi, ageratum, rudbeckia, scabiosa, cosmos, verbena, decorative basil, amaranth and branching sunflowers (there is a new variety of velvet queen sunflowers blooming this week at the back of the bed!). Picking hours are during any farm store hours: Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. We recommend bringing your own pruners or scissors as well as water for transporting your flowers home.
Winter Squash with Hot Pepper, Garlic, and Mint
The Bittman Project How to Cook Squash 10 Ways Recipe from: From Bread and How to Eat It, by Rick Easton and Melissa McCart (Knopf 2023)
Recipe note: “Don’t underestimate the deliciousness of this dish. This makes a good topping for grilled or toasted bread, a filling for a sandwich, or a side dish.”
Ingredients
1 densely fleshed winter squash or pumpkin (like Black Futsu!)
Olive oil
Sea salt
1 garlic clove
1 fresh hot red chile pepper (may substitute sliced hot peppers preserved in oil)
White wine vinegar
A handful of fresh, whole mint leaves
Instructions
1. Prepare a grill for direct heat.
2. Use a sharp knife or sturdy vegetable peeler to peel the squash. Cut it in half and remove the seeds (save, clean, and roast them if you choose, or discard). Cut into wedges no more than 1 inch thick, or into slices thick enough to grill. Toss in a bowl with some olive oil and salt to coat evenly. Grill over a hot fire until softened and maybe even blackened in spots, turning them as needed. Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl.
3. Thinly slice the garlic and the fresh hot pepper (discarding its stem and seeds); add both to the bowl. Season with salt then add a few drops of the vinegar, and the mint. Dress with more olive oil. Toss gently, let marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.
4. Alternatively, you can fry the wedges of squash in olive oil or your preferred frying oil, drain on a wire rack, and dress in the same fashion.
Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad
Adapted from recipe by Ina Garten at the Food Network
Ingredients
8 medium-size beets, tops removed and scrubbed
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, such as Grey Poupon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces mizuna
1/3 cup roasted, salted Marcona almonds, toasted
4 ounces soft goat cheese, such as Montrachet, crumbled
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil and place them on a sheet pan. Roast them for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size, until a small sharp knife inserted in the middle indicates that they are tender. Unwrap each beet and set aside for 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel the beets with a small, sharp knife over a piece of parchment paper to prevent staining your cutting board.
Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and set aside. While the beets are still warm, cut each one in half and then each half into 4 to 6 wedges and place them in a large mixing bowl. As you're cutting the beets, toss them with half of the vinaigrette (warm beets absorb more vinaigrette), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasonings.
Place the mizuna in a separate bowl and toss it with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Put the arugula on a serving platter and then arrange the beets, almonds, and goat cheese on top. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette, if desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve warm or at room temperature.