To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include: 

• Veggies: kale, cucumbers, lettuce, garlic scapes, fresh white onions, carrots, broccoli or cauliflower, zucchini, and choice of an herb.
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: cherries and black plums
  • Flowers: sunflowers or snapdragons
  • Mushrooms: expected every week unless we hear otherwise
  • Eggs: expected every week unless we hear otherwise

Serving Suggestion:

• One item stood out to me in this week’s update: garlic scapes. We typically only get them during the first week or two of the CSA. I was curious so I looked back through the last 8 years of updates since I’ve been updating the website and I think this is our first-ever July delivery with garlic scapes! If you are like me, you’re probably trying to think of additional ways to use them.
  • For the first time this year I tried grilling my garlic scapes. I hoped it would tame their strong flavor and it definitely worked! I rubbed them with some olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled tucked between and around my burgers. They got soft and charred in some places and I imagine would be much easier to add to other preparations that way versus raw.
  • If you’re not grilling, I would throw them on a sheet pan instead after oiling and seasoning. I’d guess that 425 for 15min should do the trick but keep an eye on them.
  • With the right marketing manager, maybe simply roasted and salted garlic scapes could be the next shishito pepper? A strong flavored green veg that ends up on restaurant menus as a high margin starter that’s more about the communal experience than anything.

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: salad turnips, summer squash, peas, scallions, choice of arugula or tatsoi,
  kohlrabi, lettuce, cucumbers, basil, and kale.
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: no mention in John’s email
  • Flowers: not ready yet, need a few more weeks
  • Mushrooms: no mention in John’s email

Serving suggestions:

• Zukes: Zucchini and other summer squash will be plentiful for awhile, so those new to the CSA will need a few ways in their repertoire to use them throughout the season. I always start the summer cooking our zucchini as simply as possible: sliced in half lengthwise, oiled, salted and grilled alongside whatever protein I’m serving. When they come off the grill I liberally brush them with some balsamic and then sprinkle with parmesan just before serving. If I’m not too worried about cleaning the grill, I’ll throw them on for a minute with the balsamic, just don’t walk away or the sugary vinegar will burn quickly.
• Cukes: A few years back I watched a NYT Cooking video by Eric Kim where he made his “Smacked Cucumber Quick Kimchi” and loved his method for smashing cucumber chunks to maximize their surface area and willingness to marinade. I riff on his basic idea all the time when we have fresh CSA cucumbers. Smush some irregularly-sized cucumber chunks with the back of a wooden spoon and then dress with some combination of oil/vinegar/spicy/herby.

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: lettuce, red skin potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, kale, arugula or tatsoi, celery, baby carrots, Brussel’s sprouts, daikon, leeks, scallions and choice of an herb (“B” group for half shares)
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: finished for the season
  • Flowers: finished for the season
  • Mushrooms: no mention in John’s email

Serving suggestions:

• A few years back I tried a new technique for cooking Brussels sprouts that was featured on a Bon Appetit video (here’s a written version of the recipe that isn’t behind a paywall). It was a strange approach but worked well so I have been using it every since. The method starts with high heat (450) before reducing the heat, and has you shaking the pan every so often to loosen the sprouts. The recipe includes a pomegranate-pistachio-lime glaze that is tasty but may be too punchy for Thanksgiving traditionalists. You could go simpler with some hot honey or balsamic. Or, do what I do and just stick to oil, salt and pepper to let the sprouts shine.
• I love CSA celery. But, in my experience, the celery may not last long enough to make it into your stuffing making next week. Since you’re not using them for crunch you could get away with cutting and freezing a few days early. Defrost in the fridge overnight and then add with your chopped aromatics when making your stuffing. 

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: lettuce, radishes, rainbow carrots, fingerling potatoes, garlic, choice of arugula, broccoli raab or other mustard greens, cauliflower, bok choi, broccoli, spaghetti squash, choice of cilantro or parsley and Napa cabbage. (“A” group for half shares)
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: pink lady apples and bosc pears (last fruit share for the season)
  • Flowers: finished for the season
  • Mushrooms: no mention in John’s email

Serving suggestions:

• What to do with a smaller bundle of broccoli that may not be enough for a dinner side dish? I would make a pot of soup. I don’t love adding a lot of cream to my broccoli soup so instead I add some thickness and richness with a roux. Sweat out some roughly chopped onion in a generous amount of olive oil, add a clove or two of garlic and cook until fragrant, dump in your chopped broccoli bits and all, then sprinkle generously with flour and stir so all the flour meets the fat. Raise the heat and cook the mixture until it gets sticky and coats the veggie pieces and some browning starts on the bottom of the dutch oven. Add a half cup of broth and vigorously scrape the fond while the roux quickly thickens the liquid. Add the rest of your broth a cup at a time, stirring thoroughly while it thickens, about 4-6 cups worth depending on how many you’re serving and how thin or thick you like your soup. Cook, bubbling over low heat, until the broccoli softens. If you have a stick blender, buzz up the soup with a few pulses just to break up any big chunks (or take it all the way for a cream of broccoli style). Just before serving you can stir in a splash of cream and some freshly grated cheese.

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: lettuce, buttercup (Kabocha) or Autumn frost squash, sweet potatoes, shallots, beets, broccoli, cauliflower or savoy cabbage, salad turnips, choice of arugula, tatsoi or broccoli raab, Swiss chard, and choice of an herb (parsley, dill, cilantro). (“B” group for half shares)
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: no fruit this week, waiting on apples/pears to finish the fruit share in Nov
  • Flowers: finished for the season
  • Mushrooms: no mention in John’s email

Serving suggestions:

• If you’re looking for a quick dinner that will use up some of your CSA haul while picking through your kids’ candy pile, I would go with my quick, one-pot version of Cavatelli, Broccoli and Sausage. Bring a big pot of salted water to boil (this is what will take the longest of the whole cook). While it heats, chop a head of broccoli down into mini florets that will cook quickly. Drop your frozen cavatelli and broccoli, then cook until the cavatelli float, 3-5 minutes. While they all drain in the colander, return the pot to the heat, let it sit for a few seconds to evaporate any leftover water, then add olive oil and some bulk sausage. Break it up into small bits and brown it over medium heat, about 5 minutes (don’t forget the pot is hot! leave a pot holder on the handle). When the sausage is nearly done, add a few shakes of garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Add the cavatelli and broccoli back to the pot and toss everything together with enough olive oil to get it glossy, serving with grated parmesan.

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: yacon, colored peppers, Honeynut squash, Blue gold potatoes, lettuce, bok choy, leeks, choice of arugula, broccoli raab or another mustard green, parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage, and choice of cilantro or dill. (“A” group for half shares)
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: paused this week
  • Flowers: surprise! one more share of sunflowers
  • Mushrooms: no mention in John’s email

Serving suggestions:

• Yacon is a brand new veggie for us (at least since the inception of our website) so if you’re looking for some inspiration I collected information and recipes from around the web:
  • From Cultivariable.com:
    • Yacon (also yacón or yakon, Smallanthus sonchifolius; previously Polymnia sonchifolia and P. edulis), pronounced yah-CONE, is a member of the family Asteraceae, a relative of sunflowers, dahlias, Jerusalem artichokes, and many other common edible and ornamental plants. In English, yacon is sometimes called things like Bolivian sunroot, Peruvian ground apple, and the rather romantic, but confusing “yacon strawberry.” Although they are often referred to as tubers, the edible part of yacon is technically a storage root or tuberous root. The difference is that tubers are anatomically derived from stems, while storage roots are derived from roots. If you call them tubers, nobody is likely to bat an eye, but now you know the difference. The flavor of yacon is often described as a mixture of things like apple, pear, and celery. It sounds a little strange, but it seems to be uncontroversially tasty. The texture is crisp, a bit like celery without the stringiness. In fact, one of the best features of yacon is that it remains crisp even after being cut or cooked. Yacon is most commonly eaten raw, as a fruit. Simply peel and eat.
  • From Foodprint.org:
    • A popular way to preserve yacon is making syrup, which is often used as a calorie-free sweetener. You can also dehydrate yacon slices, then pulverize the dried vegetable into a powder.
  • Recipes:
    • Salpicon (fruit salad)
    • Grated Yacon & Carrot Slaw
    • Yacon “Applesauce”
    • Yacon Kale Citrus Salad

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here. For a list of upcoming farm volunteer days, click here. Stock up share details are available here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: colored peppers, delicata squash, sweet potatoes, red onions, choice of arugula, tatsoi or mustard greens, rainbow carrots, choice of kale or collards, radishes, baby bok choi and cilantro or dill.  (“B” group for half shares)
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: jonagold apples and d’anjou pears
  • Flowers: finished for the season
  • Mushrooms: no mention in John’s email

Serving suggestion:

• If you’re interested in helping the farm offset some year-end expenses, please consider signing up for the stock up share. The stock up share includes root vegetables, squash, greens and other hardy crops that are harvested late or store well. I’ve received the stock up share twice, splitting it with friends each time. Last year, I challenged myself to make all of my Thanksgiving sides using CSA and stock up share produce. Here are the sides that were on my menu last year, all showcasing Circle Brook veggies…
  • Stuffing (using carrot and onion)
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Glazed sweet potatoes
  • Roasted brussels sprouts
  • Braised greens (with smoked pork neck bones when I can find them, otherwise chorizo)

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: lettuce, colored peppers, garlic, Banana fingerling potatoes, Swiss chard, salad turnips, acorn squash, choice of red cabbage or red Napa, bok choi, choice of cilantro or parsley.  (“A” group for half shares)
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: fuji apples and kiwi berries
  • Flowers: finished for the season
  • Mushrooms: no mention in John’s email

Serving suggestion:

• Stuffing a roasted squash with a well-seasoned filling is a great way to make a flavorful pantry dinner without much effort. The amount of time the squash needs to roast will depend on the variety but once you get it in the oven it’s mostly hands-off until serving. Cut the squash to maximize the exposed stuffing surface area (i.e. cut delicata and acorn lengthwise rather than just taking the top off). Toss your filling with ample olive oil, salt and pepper. Start the squash solo at first and then add the stuffing half way through so it browns but doesn’t burn. Here are a few flavor suggestions to get you started:
  • Panko bread crumbs, gorgonzola, parmesan, mozzarella
  • Stuffing cubes splashed with stock, dried cranberries, chopped nuts, fresh sage
  • Rice, leftover ground lamb/beef, feta, cumin, harissa, topped w/ pomegranate arials