Westfield Area CSA Blog

Eggplant

Eggplant

Eggplant is a member of the Solanaceae, or “nightshade,” family of vegetables, which also includes tomatoes, sweet peppers, and potatoes. As you already noticed, they come in a variety of shapes and colors. While the varieties exhibit slightly different tastes and textures, generally eggplants have a pleasantly bitter taste and spongy texture. (more…)

Traditional Moussaka

Traditional Moussaka

Moussaka is one of the most popular dishes in Greece, served in almost every restaurant and prepared in every household on special occasions and big family meals!  Here’s a classic recipe submitted by a fellow CSA member.  Serves 10-12. (more…)

Raw Beet Salad

Raw Beet Salad

This is a beet recipe from NY Times Cooking which might appeal to someone who is skeptical of their earthy, rooty flavor.  Uncooked beets are less sweet and earthy than they are when boiled or roasted.  This is a messy affair, so peel and grate them near the sink.  Serves 4. (more…)

Steak and Veggie Wraps

Steak and Veggie Wraps

When my cousin brought me an enormous bag of cherry tomatoes, I had to be creative. The day after a big steak dinner, I came up with this quick and easy recipe for leftover steak. You can also use chicken or tofu. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – July 15, 2024

Hi Everyone, it is still too damn hot.  We have been getting some rain, but not as much as we need.  We may receive some precipitation on Wednesday, after which the scorching temperatures will moderate.  The beans have begun to mature, and the tomatoes are starting to ripen, although the latter are in fairly small quantities. There may be a few in the shares at the end of the week, but more likely for next week.

The share will be: Summer squash, cukes, lettuce, red onions, Swiss chard, Savoy cabbage, eggplant, string beans, cauliflower, Banana fingerling potatoes, rainbow carrots, and choice of an herb. The premium shares will also include bok choy and scallions. (more…)

Savoy cabbage

Cabbage

Cabbage is a leafy green or purple biennial plant, grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. Closely related to other cole crops, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.  Smooth-leafed firm-headed green cabbages are the most common, with smooth-leafed red and crinkle-leafed savoy cabbages of both colors seen less frequently.  The cabbage heads are generally picked during the first year of the plants’ life cycles, but those intended for seed are allowed to grow a second year. (more…)

Potato Lettuce Soup

Potato Lettuce Soup

Found on epicurious.com, this lettuce soup recipe is a great way to use the lettuce’s outer leaves and ribs, which usually go to waste.  Any kind of potato and any salad greens, including lettuce, arugula, spinach, and watercress, will work fine.  Yields 4 servings. (more…)

Greek Salad

Greek Salad

Known as horiatiki, this traditional Greek salad, from Delish.com, is made with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, thinly sliced red onion, and feta. The easy dressing is a mixture of red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, dried oregano, and extra-virgin olive oil. Simply said, it’s the best.  Yields 4 servings. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – July 8, 2024

Hello everyone! First the weather – it’s too damn hot! The good news is that we had a nice rain last Friday night – almost an inch. Of course, it began as I was riding my seeding tractor up and down seedbeds planting carrots. I had three beds to finish, when the first round of storms chased me out of the field. It’s a trick I’ve developed over the years to bring on the showers, my personal rain dance! (more…)