Week 20: Thank you all- we couldn’t ask for a better community

Peaking Fall Foliage along our trail systems

This is such a bittersweet time- we have so enjoyed reconnecting and getting to know this community all summer. We have watched you eat more greens than you ever thought you could, try a few new things and find new favorites. We have had such a thrill watching kids happily snack on raw peppers, cherry tomatoes, beans and carrots during distribution, and sometimes, kale and bok choy. We are so lucky to have you all. Thanks for braving the wet spring, the muggy summer and the warm fall to be with us every week. We hope that you have enjoyed coming to the farm every week and eating our delicious food and we hope that we see you again in a couple of weeks for Winter CSA pickups and again next season. We are now accepting deposits to hold your CSA place for the 2018 season- you can pay that right in the farmstand!

We will have the farmstand open for the next few weeks on Tuesdays, Fridays (2-6) and Saturdays (9-2) until the weekend before Thanksgiving.

I will post a tally of the pounds of vegetables harvested for all of you over the course of this season in a couple of weeks (after I’ve finished entering ALL that data). I also plan on getting every one of Kim’s recipes from this summer and posting those for you all as well.

Fay School 7th Grade Volunteers harvesting!

Last week we had the 7^th grade class from Fay School join us for their service learning week. They came for three full days of pulling up plastic and drip tape, weeding, harvesting, clean-up and more. We look forward to this group coming every year to help us get critical fall work done. It would take us weeks to get all the plastic from the fields- this way, we get most of it done in just a couple days. ‘many hands make for light work’ is never so true as when you are trying to put fields to bed for the winter.

Winter Veggie CSA starts in mid-November and we are getting lots of sign-ups so get in on the action soon so that we don’t run out of these beautiful boxes stuffed full of fresh greens, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, roots, brussels and more. Sign up in the farmstand or here.

Our Meat CSA is also taking off! 2 share options to cater to your meat needs. All meats (pork, beef, chicken and lamb) raised on Trustees farms here in Massachusetts- keep it local! It gets started in just two short weeks. If you have questions, please contact Jesse at jrobertson@thetrustees.org or check out our for more info and sign up!

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

·         PYO- there are still a few flowers left (and plenty of seeds! So grab some dried seed heads to liven up your gardens at home next year)

·         Cabbage, tendersweet

·         Leeks

·         Purple Daikon

·         Onions

·         Peppers, sweet

·         Kale

·         Swiss Chard

·         Lettuce/Salad

·         Fennel

·         Kohlrabi

·         Pumpkin (we didn’t grow these! They are from Ward’s Farm in Sharon)

·         Carrots (from Appleton Farms)

Upcoming Engagement and Education Events:

·         Barnyard Brew Hikes!!!! Start your weekend early and come take a walk in the moonlight with us in November! We’ve been hearing owls, nighthawks and killdeer lately. We will have either a craft brewer joining us or a selection of brews to enjoy from a local brewery and we will mingle and delight in the full moon and the beauty of the autumnal season. It will probably be cool and brisk, so dress accordingly even though we will finish our hike by the campfire with some tasty treats. Thursday evening from 6-730p on November 2.

·         Pumpkin Chuck 5k Trail Run on November 5^th from 11a-2p. We have this awesome trebuchet that we like chucking old Halloween pumpkins and for the last couple of years, we’ve had folks bring their old pumpkins out to the farm after Halloween and we chuck them as far as we can with the trebuchet. This is so much fun that we thought we should add a trail run to it so that we can not only get rid of pumpkins, but we can run off those Halloween candy calories at the same time. There are some fun pics and videos of last years pumpkin chucking….Come join us! Sign up here.

Farmstand:

This week! CSA Members take 10% off dry goods in the farmstand!!! That’s right, stock up on honey, puree, tea, coffee and more. Other sales going on as well, look for them this week.

Our farmstand will continue to be open until Thanksgiving on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays for our regular hours and we will be open after that on Fridays/Saturdays so don’t forget about us. If you haven’t already, like our page on Facebook so that if/when we update days/hours open, you don’t miss out.

Veggie of the week: Leeks

Leeks are one of those delicious alliums that cross the onion barrier into a vegetable in its own right that makes a lovely side dish and pairs beautifully with creamy sauces or melds into a variety of soups and entrees. They mellow out when caramelized or braised into a sweet and creamy dish that begs to be eaten right out of the pan.

Braised Leeks with Parmesan (courtesy of the NYtimes)

Ingredients:

6 leeks, not too thick, so ours are perfect!

2 Tbsp EVOO

Salt and fresh ground pepper

½ cup dry white wine (Sauc Blanc)

1 ½ ounces of Parmesan, freshly grated

Directions:

Cut the ends and the dark green leaves off the leeks and then cut in half lengthwise. Place in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then run under the faucet to remove any sand between the layers (ours are grown on plastic and not hilled, so this step may be unnecessary). Peel off the thick outer layers and discard.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet that will accommodate all the leeks in one layer. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, and cook, shaking them gently and moving them around with tongs, until they are lightly browned 3-4 mins. Season with S&P.

Turn the leeks back over so that the cut side is down. Peel off the outer layers if they are papery as they will not soften when the leeks are braised. Pour in the wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, then add just enough water (or stock) to come just to the top of the leeks. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 mins until the leeks are thoroughly tender when pierced with a knife. Most of the liquid should have evaporated by this time. Preheat the broiler.

Transfer leeks (if needed) to an oiled ovenproof pan and using tongs, turn them so the flat side is up. If there is a lot of liquid left, pour it off. Sprinkle the Parm over the leeks, place under the hot broiler until the cheese melts and is just beginning to color. Remover and serve.