There are few farms in eastern Massachusetts that exist without some kind of conservation restriction or other subsidy. Agriculture cannot compete with the fast and furious capital returns of residential development, but it has value that is significantly greater in the long run. It is a rare, and precious opportunity to be a part of farm land preservation.
Quick Request: if you live in Holliston, please attend a special town meeting tonight, Monday, October 28th at 7:30pm at the High School. During the meeting community members will be able to vote to approve to use of CPA funds to place an Agricultural Preservation Restriction on the property we currently farm. Although we will not be able to farm here in the future, we believe farmland preservation is important, and especially critical in the ever increasingly developed metro-west area. Please vote to approve the use of CPA funds to place an APR restriction on the property.
We’ve got some great shots of the farm from the last few weeks. What a fall. The exact opposite of last year, when it rained almost every day until November . . . we’ve got almost all the major storage crops out of the ground and we’re working on the rest of field clean up.
So, what’s in the share?
(we won’t make you, but we’d love it if you took some acorn squash and some bok choy this week . . . )
2 heads of lettuce
Shallot/garlic pint
Choice of 6: carrots, kale, turnip, radish, scallions, collards, dill, cilantro, spinach, pea tendrils, arugula, bok choy, celery
Mix and Match 10 pounds: acorn squash, delicata squash, butternut squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, rutabaga, kohlrabi, purple top turnip, watermelon radish, beets, leeks
Jess’s recipes
BOK CHOY
If you haven’t already gotten on the bok choy band wagon, now is your chance! Not only is it a powerful antioxidant but it’s also great for your bones, digestion, immune system and your eyes. Oh, and did I mention that it is also incredibly versatile and can be used raw in salads and slaws or cooked up in a multitude of delicious ways? If you haven’t found a bok choy recipe to tantalize your taste buds yet, check out this article with 32 mouth-watering recipes. I lost count of the number of ways I want to use my bok choy this week.
ACORN SQUASH
Acorn squash is one of my FAVORITE fall treats. I have fond childhood memories of roasted acorn squash with maple syrup and bacon on a cool fall night: Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut a small slice from the bottom so it will sit flat on a baking sheet. Put a pat of butter, some salt and pepper, a splash of maple syrup and a few ½” square pieces of raw bacon in the center of each and bake at 400˚ for 45 minutes or so until cooked through.
Or try one of the recipes below:
SLOW COOKER ACORN SQUASH WITH SAGE-CRANBERRY RICE STUFFING
This is another of my favorite ways to cook acorn squash. I threw this in the slow cooker one morning hoping for the best but not expecting much (if you have a slow cooker you know it’s not uncommon to be disappointed by what you come home to find in it). After a busy day I walked in the door and was hit with the most tantalizing smells of Thanksgiving. As is typical for things cooked in the slow cooker, the color was a little dull but the taste and aromas more than made up for it. We all loved it.
HALLOWEEN ACORN SQUASH SOUP
Here’s a fun one for Halloween night with pumpernickel bread bat croutons!
If those aren’t doing it for you, try one of these!
10 REASONS WE’RE NUTTY ABOUT ACORN SQUASH
One of my favorite egg dishes involves sautéing a finely diced shallot in a little olive oil (sometimes with a diced jalapeno) and then frying in egg on top. If you find yourself with an excess of them, try out this tasty side dish.
CREAMY ROOT VEGETABLE STEW WITH GRUEYERE CROSTINI
Whenever I see rutabaga, I think of this recipe. Surprisingly hearty for a vegetable stew and the gruyere crostini with fresh rosemary are scrumptious!
WATERMELON RADISH, ORANGE GOAT CHEESE SALAD
If you’re new to watermelon radish, you’re in for a treat. They’re absolutely beautiful and deserve to be show-cased in a salad like this one.
JACK-O-LANTERN CHICKEN SWEET POTATO POTPIES
This is my plan for Halloween night – fill them up on sweet potatoes before the sugar-fest begins!
Upswing Farm 