Saturday was the last day for the Main Season CSA, as well as the last regular day in the farm stand! Extended and Flex CSA members have 4 weeks left to the season, with the last pick-up on Novmber 23rd. While the farm store is officially closed for the season, we do expect to hold a pop-up on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, as well possibly a second one in December. We have been working on quickly turning over our high tunnels in order to plant winter hardy greens like spinach and kale mix for just that purpose, so stay tuned!
In addition to turning over our tomato high tunnel (which involves taking down trellising, pulling out plants, rolling up landscape fabric, prepping beds by hand and transplanting spinach), we dug up all of our dahlia tubers and planted our 2025 tulips and daffodils last week. In anticipation of a harder freeze Sunday and Monday nights, we also laid out row cover on many crops that we’ll be relying on this fall and next spring. This week we plan to turn over the pepper tunnel for kale mix, plant out all of our 2025 garlic and take down our CSA tent. We’d also love to get out all of the trellising stakes, landscape fabric, drip tape and plastic mulch from our field tomatoes and peppers, but that may be a bit ambitious!
In the CSA this week:
Brussels sprouts - These are distributed on the stalk.
Butternut - from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified Organic.
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Beets - from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified Organic.
Green peppers
Colored peppers - We picked out the high tunnel right before the frost, so this will be the last colored peppers for the season!
Broccoli
Mini Daikon
Watermelon radishes - These have a similar level of heat as the daikon. The insides are magenta, so it’s visually stunning!
Storage turnips
Cabbage - Green storage cabbage, plus there might be a few of savoy sprinkled in on Wednesday.
Kale
Lettuce or Salanova
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
Parsley
Available for sale during CSA pick-ups:
Leeks
Keepsake Apples from Long Run Orchard in Boxborough, MA. These versatile apples are suitable for cooking or fresh eating. They have great storage qualities and are crisp and sweet. Certified Organic.
Honey from Double B (from hives on the property). Not organic.
Raspberry vinegar and jam from Silferleaf Farm in Concord. Certified Organic.
Bean Soup With Cabbage, Winter Squash and Farro
By Martha Rose Shulman from NY Times Cooking
Ingredients
½ pound borlotti or pinto beans, soaked overnight or for six hours in 1 quart water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 small celery stalk, with leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pound green cabbage, cored and shredded
Salt
freshly ground pepper
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
A bouquet garni made with a few sprigs each thyme and parsley, 2 sage leaves and a Parmesan rind
Generous ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1(14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
½cup farro (spelt), cooked
Freshly grated Parmesan for serving
Preparation
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Cook the onion until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the carrot, celery and sage, and continue to cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about five minutes. Add half the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute. Add the cabbage and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, until the cabbage is limp, about 10 minutes. Drain the soaked beans, and add them to the pot, along with the squash, bouquet garni and 2 quarts water, or enough to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, add salt to taste and simmer 1½ to 2 hours until the beans are tender. Remove the bouquet garni, and discard.
While the soup is simmering, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in a medium-size nonstick skillet. Add the remaining garlic and the rosemary. Cook for a half-minute to a minute until fragrant, and stir in the tomatoes. Add salt. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is thick, beginning to stick to the pan and delicious. Stir into the soup along with the cooked farro. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, and add lots of freshly ground pepper. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.
Tip: Advance preparation: The farro can be cooked three days ahead. The finished soup keeps well and gets even better over two or three days.