While as farmers we primarily mark seasonal transitions by the changes in our natural environment and the crops that we harvest, we also follow the school calendar. Many of our crew are with us for all or most of the April - November growing season, but we also have teachers and students amongst us who start to head back to school in mid August. It’s tough to say goodbye to the summer crew - not only do they physically help us complete an endless task list, but they also brighten our days with their enthusiasm and laughter. We’re hoping that Luke, George, Lily, Kate, Dave, Anna and Ishan have great school years and that we’ll see them again next summer!
The smaller (but mighty!) crew will still be tackling many important tasks in the coming weeks. One of the main agenda items this week is to start harvesting winter squash. Once harvested they will cure in the barn for several weeks before they are ready to eat. We are also preparing our high tunnels for planting fall crops like kale mix, lettuce mix, scallions and fennel. Our fall cover crop seed order should be arriving this week and we’ll begin spreading it where spring crops like carrots, beets and cabbage used to grow.
Though fall is not officially here yet, it is time to sign up for our fall CSA offerings! Sign-ups for the Back-To-School and Fall Mushrooms CSAs are now up online! The Back-To-School CSA is 10 weeks, running September 18th - November 23rd and the Fat Moon Fall Mushroom CSA is 8 weeks, running September 3rd - October 26th.
To sign-up visit:
https://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store
In the CSA this week:
Garlic - We have moved on to cured garlic now. These should be stored in a cool dry place rather than the refrigerator.
Beets - These are from our fall planting and have some nice greens on them, which can be cooked like chard.
Carrots
Slicing tomatoes
Specialty/heirloom tomatoes
Green and purple peppers
Colored peppers
Cucumbers
Watermelon - We’ve got some more of the Mini Love variety!
Celery
Kale - We’re now harvesting from our fall kale planting, so expect it to be a little more tender for the next couple of weeks.
Arugula
Mustard greens
Lettuce
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
Hot peppers - If you are into spice, there are some nice cayenne and habaneros out there!
Cherry Tomatoes: varieties include Sungold, Jasper, Cherry Bomb, Yellow Mini, Chocolate Sprinkles, Pink Champagne, Citrine, Black Cherry, Moonbeam, Moonshadow, Nova, Apple Yellow, Clementine, Mountain Magic and more!
Dragon Tongue Beans, husk cherries or shishito peppers
Herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, dill, parsley, sage and thyme
In the farm store:
In addition to the items listed in the CSA, we will have:
Sweet Corn from Verrill Farm in Concord. Not organic.
Zucchini
Summer squash
Flowers
Honey from Double B (from hives on the property). This summer’s harvest has been bottled and is available starting Tuesday! Not Organic.
Mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm - Farmer’s Mix and Shiitake. Certified organic.
Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle variety is organic, the other varieties are not.
Raspberry vinegar from Silferleaf Farm in Concord. Certified Organic.
Eggs from Codman Farm in Lincoln. Not Organic.
PYO Flower Field
The flower field is in it’s prime! The field is open for picking for both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public. We still have a few PYO Flower CSA memberships available - visit http://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store/pyo-flower-csa if you would like to sign up!
Flowers available for picking this week include: sunflowers, zinnias, snapdragons, gomphrena, ageratum, celosia, ammi, rudbeckia, verbena, amaranth, cosmos, decorative grasses, decorative basil and strawflower.
Sautéed Mustard Greens
from thekitchn.com
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds mustard greens (about 2 bunches)
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Trim the thick bottom stems from 1 1/2 pounds mustard greens and discard. Coarsely chop the greens with their thin stems attached (about 12 cups). Rinse in a colander but do not dry. Thinly slice 3 garlic cloves.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide, high-sided sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if desired. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute (do not let the garlic brown).
Add the mustard greens a few handfuls at a time, stirring after each addition so that they start to wilt, until all of the greens are added. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mustard greens are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and serve.
Simmered Beet Greens With Roasted Beets, Lemon and Yogurt
by Martha Rose Shulman, from NY Times Cooking
Ingredients
2 bunches of beets with greens
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Juice of 1 lemon (more or less to taste)
1 to 2 garlic cloves (optional)
1 cup drained yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the greens away from the beets, leaving about ¼ inch of stems. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or lidded ovenproof casserole. Add ¼ inch water to the dish. Cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast small beets (3 ounces or less) for 30 to 40 minutes, medium beets (4 to 6 ounces) 40 to 45 minutes, and large beets (8 ounces) 50 to 60 minutes, until easily penetrated with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the covered baking dish. Cut away the ends and slip off the skins. Slice or cut in wedges and set aside.
While the beets are in the oven, stem the greens and wash in at least 2 changes of water. Place in a bowl.
Heat a large, wide skillet over high heat and add the greens by the handful, stirring each handful until the greens wilt in the water left on the leaves after washing. Once one batch has wilted, add another until all of the greens are wilted. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, turn the heat down to low, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. The greens should be tender but still bright. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, toss the greens in the pan, taste and adjust seasoning. (Note: if you are not serving this right away, don’t add the lemon juice, as it will change the bright color of the greens; instead, add shortly before serving).
At this point you have the option of transferring the greens to a platter or serving the dish right from the pan. Whether in the pan or on a platter, arrange the beets on top of the greens. Drizzle on the remaining olive oil and squeeze on more lemon juice to taste. Mash the garlic to a purée with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and stir into the yogurt. Place spoonfuls of yogurt over the top of the beets and beet greens, sprinkle on the walnuts and serve, with grains if desired.
Advance preparation: The roasted beets will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator, as will the wilted greens.