CSA Week 8 and Farm Stand Upates

While we are still caring for many of our summer crops - trellising, weeding, and even picking potato beetles off our eggplant and tomatoes - we are starting to shift towards more work on our fall crops. Last week we worked on thinning and weeding fall carrots and beets and we did a bit of weeding and cultivating of our fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kale). We also began harvesting our garlic, which will mostly be a crop distributed in the fall after it is cured. However, since we have limited space for hanging garlic to cure, we will also be enjoying some uncured garlic this week!

In the CSA this week:

• Peppers - Mostly green, but we may also have a sprinkling of purple peppers as well.

• Uncured garlic - Most of the garlic we harvest in July gets hung up in the farm stand to cure, which takes several weeks. We set aside some, however, for eating before it is cured (a process that dries out the garlic and gives it a longer shelf life). Uncured garlic has a slightly milder flavor, but otherwise can be used just like cured garlic.

• Fresh Onions - In addition to the white Ailsa Craig variety, we’ll also have Red Long of Tropea. As the name suggest it’s a red torpedo-shaped onion. These fresh onions have a milder and sweeter flavor than the cured onions you get at the store. Since these are fresh rather than cured they should be refrigerated.

• Curlesi Endive - This endive variety looks a lot like the frisee we had last week, and it’s preparations are similar as well! It is a slightly bitter green that can go in salads or it can be seared or wilted.

• Beets.

• Carrots

• Summer squash

• Zucchini

• Slicing cucumbers

• Pickling cucumbers

• Cabbage

• Kale

• Lettuce

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

• Snap beans - both green and purple!

• Sunflowers

• Herbs - sage, thyme, oregano, chives, mint, parsley, dill, and basil

In the farm store:

In addition to the items listed in the CSA, we will have flower bouquets, tomatoes, eggplant and possibly some cherry tomatoes at the end of the week. In addition we will have sweet corn from Verrill Farm, mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and eggs from Pete and Jen’s.

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 and Friday pick-up. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering currently opens at 6pm on Tuesday for Wednesday pick-up and 6pm on Thursday for Friday pick-up.

PYO Flower CSA

The PYO Flower garden is now open to both Flower CSA members and to the general public. Varieties available include snapdragons, zinnias, marigolds, gomphrena, strawflower, celosia, statice, ammi, rudbeckia, scabiosa, cosmos and amaranth. Please pick flowers above branching points so that we can enjoy the plants for the next 2 months. 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.

Stir-Fried Garlic Green Beans

by Martha Rose Shulman, from NY Times Cooking

Ingredients:

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed

• Salt to taste

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, low-sodium if desired

• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil or canola oil

Preparation:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, season with salt and add the green beans. Boil 1 minute, drain and rinse with cold water, then place on a kitchen towel to dry thoroughly. (If vegetables aren’t dry when you add them to the hot wok or pan, they will splutter and braise instead of stir-frying.) Place within reach of your wok or pan.

2. Combine the soy sauce and wine or sherry in a small bowl or measuring cup and place within reach of your wok or pan. Place the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in another small container near the burner.

3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan. Add the garlic and ginger, stir-frying for no more than 10 seconds, and then add the green beans. Toss together, then add the soy sauce and sherry and stir-fry for one to two minutes, until the beans are crisp-tender. Remove from the heat and serve.

ZUCCHINI GRIDDLECAKES

By Adam Ried from The Boston Globe, August 19, 2007

MAKES ABOUT 24
2 1/2- TO 3-INCH CAKES

See below for several variations!

• 2 1/2 pounds (about 8) small to medium zucchini

• 1 medium onion

• 1 tablespoon plus

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly

• 1/2 cup milk or half-and-half

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, or to taste

• 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons flour

• Corn, vegetable, or canola oil (for cooking)

Using the shredding disk in a food processor or the large holes on a box grater, shred or grate the zucchini (you should have about 8 cups) and the onion. Place the vegetables in a colander, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt, and mix. Place the colander over a bowl and let stand 30 minutes until mixture exudes about 1 cup of liquid. Rinse under cold water. Spread a clean dish towel on a work surface, place the mixture in the center, gather the corners of the towel, and twist to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a large bowl, and break up clumps with a wooden spoon.

Stir parsley, eggs, milk or half-and-half, baking powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper into the zucchini and blend. Add the flour, and, using a rubber spatula, fold it into the zucchini mixture.

Set the oven rack to the center position and heat to 250 degrees. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Measure 2 or 3 tablespoons zucchini batter and pour into the pan to form a disk 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter. Repeat until the pan is filled, leaving about 1 inch between cakes. Cook cakes without moving (adjusting heat if pan becomes too hot) until the bottoms are golden brown, about 3 1/2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the cakes and cook until the second side is golden brown, about 3 1/2 minutes more. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and set in the warm oven. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm.

VARIATIONS

Herb and Parmesan Substitute 6 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, chives, tarragon, basil, and chervil for the parsley and add 3/4 cup grated Parmesan with the flour.

Mint and feta Substitute 6 tablespoons chopped fresh mint for the parsley and add 3/4 cup of crumbled feta with the flour.

Thyme and corn Remove kernels from 2 ears of corn, about 2 cups. (See Fresh Corn Griddlecakes for instructions.) Follow the Zucchini Griddlecakes recipe using 4 zucchini instead of 8. Add the corn and 3/4 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme to the squeezed zucchini along with the parsley, eggs, milk or half-and-half, baking powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper.