It is the last week for the Extended/Flex CSA and pick-ups continue to be Thursday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. We are finishing strong with a lot of classic Thanksgiving vegetables! We will also have a pre-Thanksgiving Holiday Pop-up Store this Saturday, November 19th from 9am - 3pm which will be open to the public for both pre-orders and walk-up sales. We will have bulk quantities of squash, cabbage, potatoes, sweet potatoes and other root crops available if you are looking to stock up for the winter! There will also be fresh greens from our high tunnel such as Salanova Lettuce Mix and Kalebration Mix for sale, as well as Fresh Meadows Farm organic cranberries, Fat Moon Farm mushrooms, honey and Silferleaf Farm raspberry vinegar! Pre-orders will be available on Open Food Network starting Wednesday 11/16 at noon, with orders closing Friday 11/18 at 9am. Pre-order pick-ups will be available 11am - 3pm, but you will also be able to come and shop in person 9am - 3pm. We will accept cash, check, credit card and EBT for in-person sales (please note that Barrett’s Bucks expired October 29th).
In the CSA this week:
Popcorn - we distribute it on the cob. You can pop it in a paper bag on the cob in the microwave, or you can pop off the kernels from the cob (it’s a nice activity while watching your favorite movie!) and make it on the stove top or in an air popper.
Butternut squash - from Lakeview Organics in Hadley, MA. Certified Organic.
Autumn Frost squash
Mixed winter squash: pie pumpkins, testsukabuto, delicata or acorn.
Carrots - From Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified Organic.
Sweet potatoes
Potatoes - Yellow potatoes and Russet potatoes from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. These are certified organic.
Fennel - from our high tunnel
Leeks
Onions
Garlic
Green tomatoes
Beets - Crew member Anna recently made some chocolate beet cupcakes for a birthday celebration and they were delicious! See below for the recipe.
Rutabaga - Tastes a bit like a cross between cabbage and potatoes.
Radishes - Watermelon and white and purple mini daikon.
Salanova Lettuce Mix- from our high tunnel.
Kale - from our high tunnel
Cabbage
Farm Store:
Our pre-Thanksgiving Holiday Pop-up is this Saturday! We will be open to the public for walk-up sales and pre-orders. In addition to the same veggies that will be available in the CSA, we will have tender kale mix, dried flowers, cranberries, mushrooms, honey and raspberry vinegar. For pre-ordering for pick up Saturday 11am-3pm, go to https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Items will also be available for walk-up sales Saturday from 9am-3pm.
Fall Mushroom CSA
It is the tenth and final week of the 10-week Fall Mushroom CSA! Since the farm store is now closed, pick-ups for the Fall mushroom CSA are now Thursdays 3pm-6pm and Saturdays 9am-3pm. Mushrooms will be delivered on Thursdays by 3pm in order to have them as fresh as possible. Please email Melissa and the shopkeeper@barrettsmillfarm.com to make other arrangements if you cannot make these pick-up times this week. We hope you have enjoyed your mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm! Their end of season message is available here. We plan to offer another mushroom CSA in the spring- stay tuned!
Roasted Cabbage Wedges
from Savor the Flavor
For the Roasted Cabbage
For the Lemon Garlic Butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 4 cloves
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
sprinkle of salt and pepper
Instructions
Roasting the Cabbage
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
Take off the outer leaves. Using a large knife, cut it into 8 pieces by cutting it in half, then in quarters, etc. Leave the stem and core on, as it helps it hold its shape.
Place it on the foil-lined cookie sheet. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, then carefully turn with a flipper and roast for another 20 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges and fork tender. Use your own judgement for cooking time, as each cabbage is a different size.
Making the Lemon Garlic Brown Butter
Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add in the garlic. Constantly stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and garlic turns a golden brown.
Remove from the heat and pour the browned butter and garlic into a small bowl. Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir again and adjust seasonings to taste.
When the roasted cabbage is ready to serve, brush the lemon garlic butter onto each wedge, then cut off the core that extends past the arch for a pretty presentation.
Serve warm.
Ombré Gratin
by Alexa Weibel from NY Times Cooking - visit the link for a picture of this gorgeous dish!
Time: 3 hours
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
For the Cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the dish
1½ cups finely chopped shallots (from 4 large shallots)
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
4 cups half-and-half
8 fresh or dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
¾ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
3 large egg yolks
For the Vegetables
2½ pounds potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes), scrubbed
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
2 large beets (about 6 ounces each)
10 ounces Gruyère, grated (about 4 cups)
2 large sweet potatoes (about 10 ounces each), peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced into ⅛-inch-thick slices (see Tip)
2 pounds butternut squash (the neck of 1 squash), peeled, quartered lengthwise and sliced into ⅛-inch-thick slices (see Tip)
For the Phyllo Top
Preparation
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and another right below it. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter; set aside.
Prepare the cream: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low. Add the shallots, garlic and black peppercorns and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half, bay leaves, thyme, nutmeg and 1½ teaspoons salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
Strain the seasoned cream through a fine mesh-sieve into a large bowl. (You should have about 3 cups.) Return the cream to the saucepan off the heat. In the same bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in a few tablespoons of the warm cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, to temper the yolks. (Tempering prevents the cold yolks from scrambling when combined with the warm cream. The yolks will help your filling hold together.) Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the cream. Reserve and refrigerate 1 cup cream for serving. Rinse and dry the bowl.
Using a mandoline (or very sharp knife; see Tip), slice the unpeeled red potatoes crosswise ⅛-inch thick. In the bowl, toss the potatoes with 1½ teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper until evenly seasoned, then stir the potatoes into the cream in the saucepan. (The warmth of the cream will help the potatoes start to cook.) Set aside.
Peel, trim and halve the beets, then slice them ⅛-inch thick using a mandoline (or very sharp knife; see Tip). Add the beets to the bowl and toss with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Shingle the sliced beets in the baking dish, overlapping slightly, in two even layers, then sprinkle them evenly with 1⅓ cups grated Gruyère. Wipe out the bowl to remove any beet juices.
In the bowl, season the sliced sweet potatoes with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Shingle them on top of the cheese-topped beets in 2 to 3 even layers, then press them gently to compress the vegetables evenly, eliminating any air pockets. Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with 1⅓ cups grated Gruyère.
In the bowl, season the squash with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Shingle the squash over the cheese-topped sweet potatoes in 2 even layers, press to compress the mixture, then sprinkle the squash with the remaining 1⅓ cups grated Gruyère.
Shingle the potatoes on top in 2 to 3 even layers, then slowly pour the remaining cream mixture evenly over the sliced vegetables. Set on the middle rack of the oven and place a large sheet pan directly underneath on the rack below to catch any drips. Bake until the vegetables start to soften, about 1 hour.
After the vegetables have baked for about 40 minutes, prepare the phyllo: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Working on a large, clean surface, set 1 sheet of phyllo down. Brush lightly with melted butter then set a second sheet of phyllo on top. Take your hands and scrunch the phyllo into a 5½-inch rosette with lots of folds. Push aside, then repeat with remaining 14 sheets of phyllo, creating 8 rosettes total.
After the sliced vegetables have cooked for 1 hour, remove from the oven. Increase heat to 400 degrees. Using a paper towel, gently pat the surface to remove any liquid that may have risen to the surface, then cover the top with the 8 phyllo rosettes, scrunching them as needed to fit. Brush the phyllo generously with melted butter.
Bake until the phyllo is crisp and golden and the vegetables are tender and a paring knife slides easily through the center, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. (Patience is crucial; if you slice this before the liquids are reabsorbed, the gratin won’t form slices without slipping apart.)
While the gratin firms up, reheat the reserved cream over medium until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season the warm sauce with salt and pepper.
To serve, cut the gratin in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise to form 12 even slices. Pass the sauce at the table, to spoon on the side.
Tip: In order for the vegetables to be tender by the time the phyllo is crispy and golden, they must be sliced ⅛-inch thick. A mandoline makes fast work of vegetable slicing and creates uniformly thin pieces, though you could use a very sharp knife (and an abundance of caution) when slicing the dense vegetables. Japanese Benriner slicers are restaurant staples, and are affordable tools for home cooks, too.
Fudgy Vegan Beet Cupcakes
from Minimalist Baker
Ingredients
1 medium beet (you’ll need 1/2 cup puréed as original recipe is written)
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (at room temperature if using coconut oil)
1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup raw turbinado OR granulated sugar
1/4 cup avocado or melted coconut oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 heaping cup whole-wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 scant cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for topping)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C), remove the stem and most of the root from your beets, and scrub and wash them underwater until clean.
Wrap beet(s) in foil, drizzle on a bit of olive or avocado oil, wrap tightly, and roast for one hour or until a knife inserted falls out without resistance. They should be tender. Set in the fridge (in a bowl to catch juice) to cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, either finely grate or puree beets in a small blender (adding orange juice or water to encourage mixing). Measure out 1/2 cup and set aside (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Reserve the rest for things like beet hummus!
Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
Whisk together the almond milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup beets (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and beat until foamy.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a sifter and slowly sift it into the wet ingredients while mixing with a hand-held or standing mixer. Beat until no large lumps remain.
Pour batter into liners, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake 22 to 25 minutes (at 375 degrees F or 190 C), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Do not try and unwrap them or they'll stick to the wrapper.
Once cooled, dust with cocoa powder and store in an airtight container to keep fresh.
