We put a lot of winter squash in the barn to cure last week, and the delicata, acorn, and pie pumpkins all looked spectacular! Unfortunately, the previous week we had virtually no spaghetti squash and kabocha, but last week’s harvest really made up for that disappointment. Not only were yields good, but the whole squash harvest process is like a game. After we clip all of the squash off the plants, we pair up and toss squash to each other to put in a bulk crate on the front of our tractor. We’ve got a couple of volleyball players on our crew who are particular squash harvest specialists!
We still have Autumn Frost, Tetsukabuto and Butternut left to harvest this week. Autumn Frost and Tetsukabuto look great, but the butternut was next to the kabocha and spaghetti squash and appears to be low yielding. It’s all a bit of a mystery why those 3 types did so poorly, but it appears that deer trampled a lot of the plants in this section of field, and woodchucks were feasting on the few giant squash that the trampled plants produced. We had already been planning to purchase in local organic butternut this fall anyway (growing winter squash is space intensive, and bulk butternut is far easier to get from local farms than other types), so luckily it won’t impact what is available in the later fall!
The Mushroom CSA from Fat Moon begins this week! This week’s variety is Combs Tooth. If you would still like to participate, we now have a pro-rated option available for 7 weeks, starting September 10th. You can also still sign up for our Back-To-School CSA, which starts September 18th.
To sign-up visit:
https://www.barrettsmillfarm.com/online-store
In the CSA this week:
Radishes
Potatoes - Peter Wilcox variety (purple skin, white flesh), as well as possibly some Dark Red Norland.
Scallions
Garlic - We have moved on to cured garlic now. These should be stored in a cool dry place rather than the refrigerator.
Beets or Carrots
Slicing tomatoes
Green and purple peppers
Colored peppers
Celery
Kale
Arugula
Lettuce
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
Sunflowers
Hot peppers
Cherry Tomatoes: varieties include Sungold, Jasper, Cherry Bomb, Yellow Mini, Chocolate Sprinkles, Pink Champagne, Citrine, Black Cherry, Moonbeam, Moonshadow, Nova, Valentine, Red Pearl, Apple Yellow, Clementine and Mountain Magic.
Green Beans
Husk Cherries, Shishito or Tomatillos
Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, sage.
Please note for the CSA, when we write “or” in our list of items, this does not necessarily mean that all options will be available to choose from at each pick-up. While that is sometimes the case, it is also sometimes the case that we’ll have just one of those items at each pick-up. When quantities of certain items are tight, it can be hard to predict on Monday exactly what each day will look like. We leave it a little open as we don’t want to disappoint folks by promising an item and then not having it!
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.
Heirloom tomatoes
Leeks
Flowers, including some more mini dahlia bouquets!
Honey from Double B (from hives on the property). 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.
By the end of the week we’re hoping to have some spinach and salanova!
Kale Tabbouleh
by Melissa Clark, from NY Times Cooking
Ingredients
⅔ cup fine bulgur
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves finely chopped (5 cups)
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
½ cup torn mint leaves
½ cup diced radish
Black pepper, as needed
Preparation
Cook bulgur according to package instructions. Cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, shallot, cumin and salt. Whisk in olive oil.
In a large bowl, toss together bulgur, kale, tomatoes, mint and radish. Toss in dressing. Season with black pepper and more salt if you like, and drizzle with additional oil if desired.
Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad
by Julia Moskin, from NY Times Cooking
Ingredients
2 cups sliced almonds
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 4 lemons)
Kosher salt
1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat side of a knife, peeled and left whole
10 to 12 ounces washed and dried kale leaves, thick stems removed (weight after trimming)
1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan (optional)
Preparation
In a toaster oven or skillet, toast almonds until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl, combine lemon juice and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add garlic cloves and set aside to steep.
Working in batches, cut the kale into thin ribbons: gather a large handful of leaves, bunch together tightly, and use the other hand to slice into ¼-inch-thick pieces. This need not be done very precisely or neatly; the idea is to end up with a kind of slaw. (Recipe can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Keep kale and dressing refrigerated separately.)
Place chopped kale in a very large bowl. Sprinkle surface with almonds and then with cheese, if using. Remove and discard garlic cloves from dressing. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss. Taste for dressing and salt and add more as needed, tossing to coat thoroughly. Serve within 1 hour.