With some nice weather leading up to this past rainy weekend, we were able to accomplish a lot of items on our to-do list. We finished thinning and weeding the last of our fall beets and carrots, which always feels like a milestone. We also cultivated the remaining lettuce and salanova in the field, and then put row cover on top to try to speed up growth. One of our top priorities last week was to finish turning over our cucumber high tunnel to salanova. It was hard to let go of those cucumbers, but when we’re harvesting salanova in there in November it will feel worth it. Forking and raking and planting by hand even got a little sweaty some of those sunny days!
This week we still have some weeding to wrap up (especially next year’s strawberries), but we should also have some time to work on pulling up landscape fabrics and mulches and irrigation so that we can seed more cover crops. We have a good amount of clover and ryegrass mix, as well as pea and oat mix growing already, but we are looking forward to seeding Austrian winter peas, triticale and winter rye in the coming weeks. We are also working on CSA renewals for the 2024 season, so CSA members should keep an eye out for those details next week!
In the CSA this week:
Pie Pumpkins
Yellow Onions - These are storage onions and should be kept in a cool, dark and dry place (so not in a refrigerator).
Leeks
Fennel
Green peppers
Eggplant or Tomato or Colored Peppers - Summer is starting to feel like a distant memory!
Garlic
Carrots
Kale or Broccoli - We had hoped to have a larger volume of broccoli this week, but temperature swings and wet weather did in our first broccoli succession. The second succession looks better, and hopefully we’ll have a nice amount next week.
Escarole - This green looks like it could be lettuce, but it has a more bitter flavor and should be cooked.
Arugula
Lettuce
Cherriette Radishes
Red King Radishes - A type of red daikon.
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
Shishito peppers, husk cherries or tomatillos
Hot peppers
Herbs - Sage, thyme, oregano, chives, mint, parsley, and basil
Sunflowers - We will have them on Wednesday, but there’s a chance they won’t make it until Saturday.
We are closing the cherry tomatoes this week as the plants are in rough shape from all the rain and it just takes longer for the remaining tomatoes to ripen. If we don’t get a frost, there’s a chance we will be able to reopen them next week.
In the farm store:
In addition to the items listed in the CSA, we will have potatoes, delicata and salanova in the store. We will also have sweet corn from Verrill Farm, honey from Double B (from hives on the property), 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 flower field is open to both Flower CSA members and the public for picking by the jar. The rain has not been kind to the flower field, but we do have some pretty vibrant looking celosia this week! Other varieties available include zinnias, gomphrena, strawflower, ammi, and amaranth. 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.
Mushroom CSA:
It is the second week of the 8-week Fall Mushroom CSA! You may come to pick up your mushrooms anytime the farm store is open (Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm). Your mushrooms will be kept in the cooler and retrieved by the shopkeeper when you arrive at the store.
Pumpkin Soup
By Jenn Segal, from Once Upon a Chef
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2.5 pounds leeks, white and light green parts only, washed well and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
15 oz pumpkin purée (see last week’s blog for directions on how to make pumpkin purée)
1 apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons maple syrup
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh sage
¼ cup heavy cream, plus more for garnish
Instructions
Melt the butter in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the pumpkin, apple, broth, maple syrup, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, thyme and sage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes more.
Add the heavy cream. Use a stick blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly and use a blender to purée in batches. Be sure to remove the center knob on the blender and cover with a dishtowel to avoid splatters.) Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a swirl of cream (see note below) and fresh thyme leaves, if desired.
Note: To add a swirl of cream that floats on top of the soup, whip a few tablespoons of cream with a whisk until ever so slightly thickened. Then use a teaspoon to drizzle and swirl the cream over the soup.
Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, add the cream and bring to a simmer before serving.
Escarole and Bean Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound escarole, chopped
Salt
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (1-ounce) piece Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Serving suggestion: crusty bread
Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the escarole and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Add the chicken broth, beans, and Parmesan cheese. Cover and simmer until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Ladle the soup into 6 bowls. Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil over each. Serve with crusty bread.
Muddy carrots pre- and post- washing!