Week 13:Winter CSA shares available

Green tree frog at the wash station

So….this year the fun doesn’t have to end on the 20^th week at the end of October, we are offering a 3 week extension on CSA this season. It will be a combination of veggies from all three Trustees farms and it will be boxed up for you. It will be a larger than normal share, lots of gorgeous greens, storage veggies and holiday fare such as brussels and broccoli and more.There will be 3 distributions on Fridays, November 17^th, December 1 and December 15^th. We have online signup (or just signup in the farmstand). Total cost for all 3 pickups is $150. The farmstore will be open as well (brrrrrr) so that you can get honey, maple and tomato puree and any extra goodies that might appeal.

Help us kick off this new endeavor and support Chestnut! Join us for our first real winter share….if it is successful, we will hopefully soon be able to offer spring shares as well.

What’s in Your Share this Week (maybe):

• ·         Okra (PYO, we clearly don’t grow enough of this and next year we will grow more)
• ·         Cherry tomatoes (PYO, take a quart)
• ·         Beans, green, dragon, yellow and burgundy (PYO)
• ·         Hot peppers (PYO, there are a lot of varieties, I will try to get a guide put together to make it easy to find the ones you are most interested in for now, Jalapenos and Hungarian Hot wax are the most mild while the Hinkelhatz, Thai hots and Shishito are wicked hot)
• ·         Tomatillos (hiding under all the huge growth-they should be bursting out of their paper skins)
• Flowers (PYO- there are two new rows of flowers just below the beans, and I did some major dead-heading and cutback of the main flower garden so that we should see a refresh of some of those flowers soon)
• ·         Chard
• ·         Pac choi
• ·         Radishes
• ·         Fresh Onions
• ·         Summer squash
• ·         Cucumbers
• ·         Chinese Cabbage (napa cabbage)
• ·         Tomatoes
• ·         Lettuce (mini heads, please keep to the limit- we have just enough!)

Upcoming Events: September is SUPER BUSY and LOTS of FUN!

• ·         Friday Farm Dinner on September 15th. These dinners are a huge hit and are super fun. Register soon (our caterer is awesome but she’s not a miracle worker and we can’t add you at the last minute) and don’t be disappointed because we do SELL OUT! The music is fabulous, the sunset is amazing and food and company are not to be missed. Stay for a bit by the fire and relax with a tasty beverage and a little more dessert. Register here: https://goo.gl/329Hmq OR SIGN UP IN THE FARMSTAND!!!!!!

• ·         HARVEST FEST is just around the corner!!!! Coming up on October 8^th (the day before Heritage Day here in Southboro) we will hold our 3^rd annual celebration of the harvest and the farm! It is a fun time full of local music, pumpkin carving, our fantabulous hay maze, crafts, food and more. Put in on your calendar!!!!

• ·         We have a call for artisans for Harvest Fest! Have a trade, a skill to demo, craft and art to sell and want to be a part of the fun at the festival? We still have some booth space open and would love to have you join us! Please contact Kira at kbaker@thetrustees.org or talk to Desiree during pickup for details.

• ·         Our Preschool Farm Explorer Program Series starts September 6^th! It’s supposed to be a little rainy, but you can get in on this program next week too! It is a small person version of our Farmer for a Day Camp. It was super fun in the spring and the Fall has a lot of fun to offer on the farm- see how big our goat kids have gotten! Milk a goat! Romp through the farm fields eating a cherry tomato or picking flowers with Kira. We have spaces available! Sign up online or email kbaker@thetrustees.org to get in on the fun. (Program is meant for 2.9-6 year olds, with a caregiver)

• ·         Plein Air Painting: Saturday, September 23^rd 10:30-12:30 $60/members and $75/nonmembers

This class is for beginning and returning painters who want to acquire fundamental painting skills and new approaches to painting. A local artist will guide students through the process of creating a landscape of our farm, with one-on-one teaching geared to all levels of experience. Whether picking up a brush for the first time or the hundredth, students emerge from this morning on the farm with greater confidence and a renewed passion for painting.

Some basic art experienced is preferred. Cost includes materials. Please note that space in this class is limited and pre-registration is required.

Hiking at Beals

• ·         Also on September 23^rd- Hike Southborough Day!!!! Two enterprising Girl Scouts are starting a new community tradition and leading hikes to explore beautiful places in Southborough. There will be guided hikes at Chestnut Hill Farm (2:30pm), the Beals Preserve (9:30a and 6pm), the Sudbury Reservoir and more. The event is free and open to the public and we will have more details and a schedule out soon!!! Meeting place and kickoff point (also…bathroom) is at 9am at Chestnut Hill Farm.

·         Farmstand: 

     We will have APPLES from Cider Hill this week in the farmstand. Paula Reds and Red Free with a few precious Ginger Golds this week!

·         We have Sidehill Farm yogurt in stock in the fridge. This yogurt was a staple in our house when we lived in Western Mass and we have wished many times that we could find it in a close by location out here. This is made from Normande and Jersey breed cows that are grazed rotationally and intensively on organic pasture. They are happy and their farmers, Paul and Amy, adore them. Happy cows make happy yogurt. We’ve known these farmers for more than 15 years (we remember when they grew vegetables and didn’t even have cows!) Check out more about how fabulous they are and why you should buy and eat their yogurt here. http://www.sidehillfarm.net/cows/

·         Tomato Puree back in stock!! Our first round of tomatoes went to Appalachian Naturals last week and has come back as delicious, no nonsense added puree. It is perfect for all your tomato base needs- turn it into pasta sauce, creamy tomato soup, and more. It’s summer in a jar so stock up now before they are gone! Price has gone up a little this year due to higher production costs (ain’t that always the case?) to $5/jar. Still a bargain for this beautiful product.

Veggie of the week: Tomato, tomato, toe-mat-toe

The tomato is a foundation vegetable for us. I feel like it would not be summer without tomatoes….they just taste so good, soft and ripe and sun warm from plants. The rest of the year I feel like I am just waiting for them to be even the barest shade close to what the summer brings us for these fruits. Most of the time, I dig through the seconds bin for the ones with ugly spots and those become that evening’s dinner, especially on Tuesday, when we’ve been up before the sun, done chores and been picking all the veggies fresh for CSA and we aren’t done until we’ve closed up shop as the sun goes down 12 hours later and the donated shares are on their way to the food pantry. Then it is chunks of tomato, cucumber, radish, avocado (if they aren’t gross), mozzarella, white beans and olive oil and balsamic. If I can keep my eyes open and not watering, one of the sweet red onions goes in chopped fine along with whatever basil leaves or celery leaves. It’s all good. You could sub feta and mint, add olives and that would be divine too. Quick and easy and surprisingly filling.

For those of you with slightly more time and for these late summer turning to fall evenings that are a touch cooler- try this Not So Spicy Creamy Tomato Soup.

Not So Spicy Tomato Soup

Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook, 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter

2 cups minced onion

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

2 tsp of either dill or basil or rosemary

Lots of fresh ground black pepper

1 25oz jar of CHF tomato puree

2 cups water

2 Tbsp honey

¼ cup sour cream or heavy cream or half/half (and I’ve never tried it with coconut milk, but the other non-dairy milk products won’t work with the acidic tomatoes- I would use coconut and sub curry powder in for the dill/basil/rosemary for a Tomato Curry Coconut Soup instead)

4 medium, very ripe, fresh tomatoes , diced

Directions:

Heat olive oil and butter in a dutch oven or large soup kettle. Add onion, garlic and spices, salt and pepper. Stir over medium heat for 5-8 mins until onions are translucent. Add tomato puree, water and honey. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20-30 mins. About 5 mins before serving, remove from heat, whisk in sour cream or heavy cream and the diced tomatoes. Serve hot- topped with crunchy croutons, finely minced herbs, a dollop of yoghurt or a grating of cheddar cheese.

laying out the onions in the greenhouse