Week 1: Welcome to CSA!!!!

So first things first- this weekend is Father's Day and the day that we celebrate our fathers and father figures who have raised us, cared for us, taught us to change a tire (and maybe the oil and spark plugs and how to rig a carburetor and change the distributor), to make a good omelet, to ride a paddleboard, and if you were really really lucky, you had a person in your life who always believed in you more than you did in yourself. I feel like my dad saw the grown-up me inside of the tiny defiant kid and then the awkward teen and the waffling young adult and just knew I would get here eventually. This is what we are celebrating on Sunday afternoon here at the farm.

We are celebrating the dad figures in our lives this weekend at our Father's Day Bluegrass and BBQ. It is Sunday from 1-4p. We will have a live bluegrass band- Sparrow Blue- and catered BBQ lunch fare from Firefly BBQ and a cash bar. The shiny new tent will be up in the orchard so that we can enjoy the gorgeous rolling hills and farm field backdrop while we listen to tunes and eat even in inclement weather. Sign up here.

Alright!!! This is the first week of CSA!!!!!!!! WHOOHOO!!!
And so yeah, up until today, many many of our fields looked like this:

Yep. Lots of cold, standing water in the fields. We haven't even been able to get into one field due to the ever present pond in the middle of it. We've been moving things around in an effort to get our spring crops in as fast as possible, but some things might be a little later than planned. Peas, for example. Um. We won't be seeing any of those until fall. Sorry. We will plant the beans a little early and get them going instead and aim for fall snap peas.
In any case, we've still got some nice spring crops for you! Lots of greens to really clean you out and jump start your system for the summer veggie extravaganza that is CSA. In case you haven't had a chance to read any of the emails- our handbook is online so try and peruse that before you bring a pet to the farm or pull a garbage bag of green beans out of the PYO. :) It has a lot of interesting info in it, including charts and maps.
Park in the CSA and farmstand parking area and/or the trailhead parking! Please don't park in front of the red barn (if you have mobility issues, please contact me at ddubois@thetrustees.org before your pickup day so that we can arrange closer parking).

Farmstand!

We are still adding products to our line-up. We will have Moose Hill Farm grass fed beef in the

freezers for getting your grill on with some of the best beef around. In our fridge:  there are Kate's Butter (salted or unsalted), refreshing Spindrift sparkling fruit waters, Honey Sodas in Green Tea/Lemon  (my fave right now) and Ginger get these before the farm staff drinks them all, and hopefully Anna Banana's Chocolates and Appleton Farm cheeses (due to arrive tomorrow). On the- shelf, we have Kitchen Garden Sriracha hot sauces (from Sunderland) and Aunt Elsie's Oatmeal Crisps (from Belchertown).  We will add Appleton Farm milk next week! Thinking about ice cream and yogurt- would you all prefer pints or single serve cups?

In Your Share:

Arugula
Broccoli Raab (or Raapini or Spring Raab)
(not so) Spicy Salad or Braising greens
Radishes
Baby bok choi
Lettuce (butterheads)
Kale
Baby Chard
Baby turnips
Baby salad turnips

What we do like crazy when it isn't raining right now.

Our greens are suffering a little from some pest damage- we've done everything we can short of spraying noxious chemicals- including physical covers and fertility and more. We will be buying some parasitic nematodes that help prevent next year's damage but only work in the fall (bet that's a new one for you- we will buy in a parasite that will destroy these little annoying beetles and we will literally sprinkle them in the beds we plan on using for spring crops in 2018, plant our cover crop and let them do their job all winter long.) Until then, there will be some shot holes in our greens- it doesn't affect the flavor or texture, and since most of these greens are for cooking, please try to ignore the less than perfect.

Pick Your Own

The strawberries are really, really close, but I'm pretty sure that there aren't quite enough to turn 175 families loose in the patch and expect you to find more than a single berry each. 
I will do an evaluation of the field tomorrow (on Saturday there was only one variety doing anything) and I will open the field if I think there anywhere close to enough and if not, we will open next week.

Animal News

Goats are on the stone wall and on the hill pasture just off the trailhead parking area. Nothing is more fun than watching goats jump around on rocks. The babies are all getting big very very fast. Our kid cuddle last Saturday was so fun, we are definitely thinking of doing it again. Especially before the babes get too big to be cute when they accidentally bonk into you or try to stand up on your shoulders. Be on the look out for announcements for another Saturday kid cuddle event. :)

Recipe of the Week: Broccoli Rabe Lasagna

OK! I know it is almost a 100 degrees out there. But it won't be by the end of the week and then it will be the PERFECT time to make this incredible casserole. I love a good lasagna and I love raab...the bechamel will mellow out the bitterness of the greens in case that isn't your favorite thing, and if you really don't like bitter greens (they are SO GOOD FOR YOU YOU SHOULD EAT THEM ANYWAY AND THEN YOUR BODY WILL CRAVE THEM AND YOU WILL FORGET THAT YOU DIDN'T LIKE THEM).
So yeah, what I said there. Broccoli rabe, raab, spring raab, rappini, or any way at all, these bitter greens are what jumpstart the body in the spring. Clean out all the pathways, even if you have to eat them with creamy sauces like bechamel or  lemony hollandaise. This richly bitter green is popular in Europe, particularly Italy, Spain and France, where they take their bitter greens to a whole new level. You can actually sub arugula, kale, chard, spinach, the spicy salad greens and the turnip tops or just toss them all together in this recipe for a dazzling greens extravaganza. Don't be intimidated by the bechamel, it's a pretty simple and mightly versatile sauce to have in your repertoire of recipes.

Ingredients for Broccoli Rabe Lasagna, courtesy of the NY Times.

For the béchamel sauce:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half, heated, plus a little more if necessary
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch of cayenne
• Grated nutmeg, to taste

For the lasagna:

• 1 pound dry lasagna noodles
• Salt and pepper
• 2 bunches broccoli rabe, about 2 pounds
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ricotta cheese
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 ounces grated Parmesan, about 2 cups, or a combination of Parmesan and pecorino

Preparation

1. Make the béchamel: Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute over medium heat without browning. Gradually whisk in half-and-half, 1/2 cup at a time, to obtain a smooth, lightly thickened sauce. Turn heat to low. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, some ground black pepper, the cayenne and nutmeg. Cook, whisking, for 4 to 5 minutes, then place saucepan in a hot-water bath to keep sauce warm. Thin if necessary with a little more half-and-half.
2. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Lift noodles from water with a spider and rinse well in a bowl of cold water. Drain and lay noodles flat on a kitchen towel.
3. Using the same cooking water, blanch the greens for 1 minute, until just wilted. Rinse greens with cool water, squeeze dry and chop them roughly. Put 1 cup of chopped greens, the minced garlic and 1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor or blender and purée to make a pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a small bowl.
4. Mix the ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Organize to have all ingredients within easy reach for assembling lasagna. Use 2 tablespoons butter to grease an 8-by-10-inch baking dish.
5. Assemble the lasagna: Put a layer of cooked noodles on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon a quarter of the béchamel over noodles, then dot with a third of the ricotta. Complete layer with chopped greens, a drizzle of pesto and some grated cheese. Continue layering, finishing with a layer of pasta. Spread the last of the béchamel on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. (There should be 4 layers of pasta and 3 layers of filling.)
6. Dot with remaining butter and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more, until nicely browned and bubbling. Let lasagna rest 10 minutes before serving.