Thanks to everyone who came by Ag Day to visit us, as well as the other farms in town! It was a beautiful day and the market was well-attended. Unsurprisingly, Sarah’s flower arrangements were one of our first items to sell out at the market. We’ll continue to have some of those beautiful flower arrangements in the farm stand this week, including some more mini dahlia bouquets. The PYO Field continues produce some beautiful blooms, but production is slowing down as days shorten and nights get cooler. Now is a great time to enjoy the flower field, and if you think you’ll be missing locally-grown flowers this winter, we’d recommend picking yourself some gomphrena, celosia and strawflowe as they all dry very well!
While we have been enjoying some beautiful mild and sunny days on the farm, we would love for one or two nights of soaking rains, as our fields are getting quite dusty. The forecast did show a chance of rain for Saturday night after Ag Day, so we crossed our fingers and threw some cover crop seed in the ground on Friday. We did get a little rain on Saturday night, and we’re hoping it was just enough for that seed to germinate because it doesn’t look like more rain is on the way soon!
In the CSA this week:
Delicata squash - These colorful squash were popular at Ag Day for turning into race cars for the Veggie Race Track, but their appeal is more than just their aerodynamic shape! The skin is thin and edible so they are easy to prepare and they have a sweet, slightly nutty flavor.
Spinach - We used a new method to transplant spinach in August, so we have it ready earlier than we have in the past!
Salanova - It’s back!
Scallions
Garlic - We have moved on to cured garlic now. These should be stored in a cool dry place.
Slicing tomatoes
Green and purple peppers
Colored peppers
Celery
Radishes
Kale
Arugula
Lettuce
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
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, 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.
Honeycrisp Apples from Westward Orchards in Harvard. We’re trying out offering apples for the first time in our farm stand! We are picking up a small quantity on Wednesday, and if it’s popular we may start getting other varieties next week as well. Not Organic.
Heirloom tomatoes
Carrots
Beets
Potatoes
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.
Mushroom CSA:
It is the second week of the 8-week Fall Mushroom CSA. This week is a Farmer’s Mix!
Roasted Delicata Squash with Apples
from Love and Lemons
Ingredients
2 delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded, cut into ½-inch half moon pieces
½ cup pearl onions, halved
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons pepitas and/or pine nuts
2 cups torn kale, 2 to 3 leaves
6 sage leaves, chopped
Leaves from 3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 small apple, diced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dressing:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon maple syrup
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the squash and onions on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and arrange on the sheet so that they’re not touching. Roast until the squash is golden brown on all sides and until the onions are soft and browned, 25 to 30 minutes.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a small pan over medium-low heat, toss the pepitas with a pinch of salt and cook until toasted, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the kale, sage, and thyme. Add the warm roasted squash and onions, the apples, half the pepitas, and half the dressing. Toss to coat. Transfer to an oven-safe serving dish. (If you’re making this dish in advance stop here and follow the saving/reheating instructions in the notes below).
Place the serving dish into the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the apples and kale are warm and the kale is just wilted. Just before serving, drizzle with the remaining dressing, and top with the remaining pepitas.
Stuffed Delicata Squash With Lentils and Cashew Raita
Adapted by Tara Parker-Pope from Hannah Kaminsky, from NY Times Cooking
Ingredients
Cashew Raita
1 cup raw cashew pieces
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
2– 3 Persian cucumbers, finely diced
2 medium delicata squash (About 1 pound each)
Lentil Stuffing
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, finely diced
1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1½ teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1½ teaspoons whole mustard seeds
1 cup dry beluga lentils
2 cups vegetable broth
⅔ cup full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¾– 1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Place the cashew pieces in a bowl and cover with cool water. Cover and place in the fridge to soak for four hours.
Thoroughly drain the soaked cashews and combine with the chopped mint, lemon juice, water and salt in a blender. Purée, pausing to scrape down the sides of the canister with a spatula as needed, until completely silky-smooth. This process may take longer if you use a lower-powered blender, but stick with it; that creamy texture is important. Stir in the cucumber pieces by hand. Store in an air-tight container and keep refrigerated prior to serving.
For the filling, heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat before adding the shallots and jalapeno. Cook until translucent, then add the cumin and mustard seeds. Cook until the entire mixture is highly aromatic, about a minute. Add the lentils and broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes, until the liquid has absorbed and lentils are tender. Add the coconut milk and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Keep the pot partially covered and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. Cover and keep warm.
As the lentils cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut both squash in half lengthwise and scoop out (but reserve) seeds. Place each half with the cut sides down on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the flesh. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes before handling.
Reduce oven to 250 degrees and toss the reserved seeds with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent them from burning. Once golden and crisp, remove from oven and allow to cool.
Flip the roasted delicata squashes up to turn them into boats and spoon the warm lentils inside. Serve the cashew raita alongside for guests to top their squashes as desired and finish with a sprinkle of roasted seeds.