Weir River Farm Blog 8/30

Happy end of August!  As the weather cools down and the days become shorter and shorter, we reach that bittersweet part of the year where beds and implements are broken down, stakes and plastic are pulled, and cover crop is seeded.  While fall has been a very busy time for the Weir River Ag team in the past, a combination of weather and staffing means we wont be seeding or transplanting into the fall, as we have in previous years.  Thankfully, with the large majority of the share coming from Chestnut Hill, we'll be able to ride out their fall harvests while supplementing the share with our PYO (don't worry, there will be weeks more tomatoes, cherries, and peppers from our farm). Volunteers interested in helping with the end-of-summer house keeping: contact me or Eileen - there's plenty to do this time of year and it is far easier than transplanting or weeding in the summer sun.

Before I get to the share this week, I'd like to give a shout out to Des and her incredibly hard working team at Chestnut Hill Farm.  This has been an extremely difficult summer to farm (I'm sure this summer has taken innumerable years off of MA farmers lives) and the share has been consistently unique, on time, and of fantastic quality. The quantity of produce coming out of bone dry ground is a testament to the effort and skill they've put into growing this for us all, and they deserve far more than a foot note in my blog. Thanks so much guys!

What's in Your Share (maybe):

Broccoli

Cabbage

Tomatoes

Potatoes

Carrots

S.Squash

Peppers/Eggplant (choice)

Celery (?)

Lettuce (if it isn't bitter or still tiny- I thought we would get at least a little rain last week)

Recipes:

So more things to do with tomatoes (even though just slicing and eating them as much as possible is my usual go to). I came across this gorgeous looking Greek delight. You can watch a do-whoppy video of them making it here but otherwise....

Greek inspired, Rice Stuffed Tomatoes from 12Tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS

10 large tomatoes

3/4 cup un-cooked short grain rice

2 zucchini, peeled and grated

1 onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)

2 tablespoons dry mint

4 tablespoons fresh parsley (or 4 teaspoons dried)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 pounds potatoes

PREPARATIO N

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Slice the tops o􀃙 the tomatoes (keep the tops, though)

and use a spoon to empty out the middle of the tomato.

Reserve the juice in one bowl and insides of the tomato

in a separate bowl. Make small slits in the inside bottom

of the tomatoes making sure not to cut all the way

through the tomatoes.

3. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish and place the

tomatoes inside the pan.

4. Put the onion, garlic, a teaspoon of oil, and a pinch of

salt into a food processor and pulse until veggies are

slightly broken down and chunky.

5. Take the insides of the tomato and chop them into small

pieces, and then add them to a large bowl with the

grated zucchini. Then, add 1 tablespoon of salt, the dry

mint, parsley, and tomato paste and combine. Finally,

add the uncooked short-grain rice, 1 teaspoon of lemon

juice, and 3/4 cup olive oil and let the mixture sit.

6. In the meantime, peel the potatoes and cut them into

chunks. Toss them with the tablespoon of oregano, 3/4

cup olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Mix them well

and then add the reserved tomato juice.

7. Fill the tomatoes to the top with the rice mixture and top

them with their caps. Then, place the potatoes/tomato

juice in the empty space around the tomatoes also add

any leftover rice mixture in the gaps, too.

8. Add a cup of water to the corner of the pan and tilt it so

that the water is evenly distributed.

9. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F, and then

reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake them for

another 60-90 minutes. If it seems dry during the

process, add a little more water to the pan.

10. Enjoy!

I've gotten a couple of requests for Elspeth's Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

She adapted a recipe she got out of Williams-Sonoma's Muffins Cookbook

Ingredients:

Topping: 

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 Tbsp each of brown sugar and granulated sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces

Muffins:

7 Tbsps butter, room temp

3/4 cup granulated sugar (i think she used brown sugar or 1/2 maple syrup)

2 large eggs

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

4 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk (she used goat's milk)

1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 cup of dark chocolate chips (70-80%)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter. 

Make the topping: stir together the flour, sugars, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut or rub the butter into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form (you can also use a food processor).

To make the muffins: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add the dry to the butter mixture in 2 increments, alternating with milk and vanilla. Stir until just evenly moist but still lumpy. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold in the blueberries and chips into the batter. Take care not to over mix.

Spoon the batter into each cup, filling to the rim. Sprinkle each muffin with topping. 

Bake until golden and dry, springy to the touch. around 20-25 minutes. Toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean. Transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes, then loosed and unmold from pan. Serve warm with maple butter....(which is softened butter mixed with a little maple syrup....so good). 

Weir River Farm Blog 8/23

Happy Tuesday!  The mild weather continues, making outdoor work this week not only tolerable, but lovely.  Our late summer bounty is thriving despite little rain, and our lucky CSA members will get both PYO cherry tomatoes and regular tomatoes this week, along with their share (don't forget to pick flowers, too!).  I'd like to let you all know that there are still seats available for our farm to table dinner this Friday; check the link here if you're interested in registering -  http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/south-shore/event-26880.html . I didn't make it to the last dinner but historically they have been a blast, with delicious catered food (some of it even made from our WRF produce) and without question the best view in town.  If you're free Friday night I absolutely recommend registering and checking it out.

Here's Des with all the info on your wonderful late summer share this week:

What's in Your Share (maybe):

Edamame
Greens: Swiss Chard or Kale
Beets
Potatoes
Squash, spagetti
Squash, summer (looking slim)
Melons- musk or water
Eggplant or Peppers (lack of water is making it unpredictable to determine exactly how many good fruit we will get so you might get one or the other this week, don't worry we will make it fair by switching it up next week if we have to- see above)

den Glen Farm Salsa

My favorite. From a former CSA shareholder in Dalton, Ed Bond. He changed how I viewed salsa forever. This is fresh, crisp and delicious beyond all comprehension. The first time he brought me a quart container of it, I pretty much ate the whole thing standing in the fridge door. And I was a non-eater of raw onions and garlic and I still couldn't help myself. I often make big double batches and do a boiling water bath canning of it for consumption in January (I leave out the beans and corn, but sometimes add in peaches or mango). It is incredible in the middle of winter to open a jar of summer.

Peppers 1/2 red sweet; 1/2 purple sweet; 1 green sweet; 2 jalapenos; 1 hungarian hotwax
Tomatoes 5 large (more varieties the better)
Garlic- 2 large cloves
Herbs- 2-4 TBsps fresh chopped each of cilantro, basil
Corn-1 ear, off cob
Onion- 1 large, any kind (I like a combo of red and sweet yellow)

Dice all vegetables and mix. Add 4 Tbsps cider vinegar and olive oil. Add 1/2-1 can of black beans.
Optional: 2-4 Tbsps of tomato paste to sweeten and thicken if you like and ground cayenne to heat things up.

Weir River Farm Blog 8/16

Happy Tuesday! Now that we're out the other side of the heat wave, I can officially say that was one of the most difficult weeks I've had in my three years farming on Weir River. Melons, cucumber, and squash we're all burnt to a crisp (they are planted in plastic, which keeps them hot even on mild days) and the well ran bone dry, even with the intermittent rain. Luckily, the tomatoes didn't mind too much, and the sun even kicked up their ripening a notch. The peppers exploded as well - so much so that we will have (official!) WRF produce in the share this week - hot peppers and green peppers! Along with the pick your own flowers, we're also on pace to be able to do a half pint of PYO cherry tomatoes as well, so it will be a great, local share this week. Here's Des with the rest of the goodies:

In Your Share (maybe):
Tomatoes
Melon (hopefully and they are smaller than we like)
Potatoes
Eggplant (limited)
Summer Squash (going down.....and chipmunks ate the other planting and all the rest of our seed, so we probably will have very limited squash for the rest of the season)
Lettuce of some kind or another.
Carrots
Celery

ecipes of the Week:

Caprese Salad
I was shocked last week that some folks have never tried this hot weather staple (at least it is in my house). You can dress it up however you like, with olives and fancy balsamic vinegar reductions, but we just eat it drizzled with olive oil, flaky salt and balsamic vinegar. Most times, we don't even bother with bread or forks but eat it with our hands- thick slices of cheese and tomato and juice running down our fingers and faces. My kids are like sharks when I lay a plate of this down on the table.
Ingredients:
1lb of Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
3-4 or 5 tomatoes, sliced in 1/3" thickness- the more varieties and colors the better
A sweet basil leaf (green or purple) for each slice of tomato
olive oil, sea salt, balsamic vinegar or your favorite viniagrette dressing works too!
Other optional add-ins: Pesto, Olives of all kinds, cherry tomatoes, crusty bread, capers, avocado slices, etc.
Assemble a platter with alternating slices of cheese, tomato, basil. All other ingredients should be tossed about prettily or placed on the side for adding in. Drizzle with olive oil and a little balsamic or dressing. sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Try to control yourself while eating.....it's hard.

FROM ABEAUTIFULPLATE.COM CHECK OUT MORE GORGEOUS AND DELICIOUS RECIPES HERE.

SPAGHETTINI WITH ROASTED TOMATOES, FRESH BASIL, AND TOASTED GARLIC BREADCRUMBS

YIELD: 4-6 SERVINGS

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

Roasted Tomatoes:

• 2.5 lbs small heirloom tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 large cloves of garlic, smashed
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Spaghettini: 

• 3/4 lb dried spaghettini pasta (otherwise known as 'thin spaghetti)
• 2 ounces fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnishing
• extra virgin olive oil
• parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Roast Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot (8 quarts or larger) of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Rinse the tomatoes and pat them dry. Place the tomatoes and smashed garlic cloves on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread them out on the baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them every 5 to 10 minutes or so, until they are soft and have just begun to collapse. Meanwhile, prepare the breadcrumb topping.
2. Prepare Breadcrumb Topping: In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped shallot and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots have softened and become translucent. Add the panko breadcrumbs and chopped garlic. Reduce the heat to low and toast the breadcrumbs for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the breadcrumbs from burning--or until they are golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
3. While the tomatoes finish roasting (and the breadcrumbs are prepared), boil the dried pasta until al dente. In the last minute or so of cooking, add the fresh basil leaves to the pasta water. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water (avoid any basil leaves), and drain the pasta. Place the pasta (with basil) back into the pot and drizzle with olive oil. Add the warm, roasted tomatoes and toss gently. Add reserved pasta water as necessary.
4. Garnish each pasta serving with basil (torn or sliced into thin ribbons), a generous sprinkling of toasted garlic breadcrumbs, and serve with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Weir River Farm Blog 8/9

Happy Tuesday Trustees members!  The last succession of trays has been seeded for the season - a momentous and bittersweet occasion.  We just have to hope that in two to three weeks when this spinach and lettuce is ready to be transplanted, the ground has soaked up some rain water.  The summer has been very overcast and even stormy, but its important to remember it still isn't raining, and our water deficit is growing bigger and bigger.  Keep this in mind if the CSA share or farm stand is looking a little dire ; this is the worst summer (weather wise) in my three years working on the farm, and more experienced farmers than me are saying the same. Luckily, our little plot on the top of Turkey Hill is less than a quarter the size of our previous operation, meaning I've been able to 'draw blood from a stone' in a sense, and use what little water we have to keep our plants alive and producing. 

Speaking of the farm stand, I'll be set up tomorrow, 10-12, during story time hours. I'll have some fresh onions, beans, squash, and possibly a few more surprises. Please stop by to say hi and grab some locally grown organic produce.

Your share this week from Chestnut Hill farm will include:

Beets

Squash

Tomatoes

Scallions

Kale

Lettuce

Potatoes

Here's Des with some lovely recipes:

Recipe of the Week:
The beans are about as perfect as you can get right now....I can't even get them back to the house. I eat them standing in the field...marvelling at the velvet skin, the crunch and the sweet sweet beany taste. I fully admit that the dragon beans are my absolute favorite, but the Green Jade come a close second in my heart. If and when they make it all the way back to the house- I like to toss them with garlic powder, olive oil and salt and roast them until they are carmelized and crispy and then drizzle a little balsamic on them. So good. But. They are other ways to eat them.
I recently looked at a bunch of recipes from Real Simple and one seemed perfectly yumtastic....especially since it involved a fairly simple sauteeing of beans in a little butter/olive oil and drizzling some Mustard Viniagrette and adding sliced toasted almonds. Yeah. That sounds amazing. I love Appalachian Naturals Wildflower Honey Mustard Dressing- it's got old world real mustard and local to the Pioneer Valley honey (right around the corner from my parent's house) and is always the perfect consistency. I use it just as often to make Mustard BBQ chicken as I do to dress up a salad. In any case, there are a bunch of other green beany delicious recipes on the same site, if you like to cook your beans in the first place.

Weir River farm blog 8/2

The rain continues!  We are SO lucky mother nature decided to cut us some slack and give us a few days of rain - this is just what we need to kick our tomatoes and eggplants into production mode. On a similar note, this week marks the beginning of late summer transplanting, with lettuce, salanova, chard, and kale all going into the ground in the next couple weeks. These seedlings have spent enough time in the green house and are good to go!

We're going to try Saturday farm stand this week, so please come by! We'll have beans, peas, squash, cukes and POSSIBLY our first eggplants. Very exciting! Keep an eye on the forecast: if it looks to storm on Saturday, you can find the stand next Wednesday instead, during story hour. I hope to see you there, supporting your local organic farm :)

Here's des with the scoop on your share:

In Your Share:

Tomatoes (still not gangbusters, but getting there)
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Scallions
New potatoes
Summer Squash
Basil- you are probably getting a whole plant (make pesto!)

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:

1 medium/large zucchini, about 2 cups roughly grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs (or more, if things seem really soupy after you mix it up)
Scant 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Garlic powder, onion powder to taste (or real finely diced onion and garlic if you're feeling fancy!)
Oil for frying

Directions:

Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with oil (about 1/8" deep...not too deep, but more than just a splash!) Heat over medium high heat.

Mix together all the other ingredients.

Once the oil is hot, add a spoonful of the zucchini mixture to the oil. Use the back of the spoon to flatten it into a pancake shape. Repeat, leaving a small amount of room between pancakes. Flip after about 1 minute, when the bottom is browned. Fry the other side until brown (about 1 minute), then transfer to a paper towel to drain.

That's it! You can serve these plain, or with some sour cream, or with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, or some marinara sauce. However you'd like!

The following recipe was posted on the Friends of CHF page and looks incredible. Thanks Cyndi for posting it!!!!She recommends cooking a little extra longer and slicing those potatoes paper thin to get them to cook to tenderness. 

SUMMER VEGETABLE TIAN FROM BUDGETBYTES.COM

 

SAVEPRINT

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

45 mins

TOTAL TIME

1 hour

 

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium yellow squash
• 1 medium potato
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• to taste salt & pepper
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sautê the onion and garlic with olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent (about 5 minutes).
2. While the onion and garlic are sautéing, thinly slice the remaining vegetables. Make sure the potatoes are very thin so that they soften quickly while in the oven.
3. Coat the inside of an 8x8" casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread the sautéed onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Arrange the other sliced vegetables, stacked vertically like dominos, in an alternating pattern. Season the top of the vegetables generaously with salt, pepper, and dried thyme.
4. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the shredded cheese. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.