Westfield Area CSA Blog

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is an oblong yellow colored winter squash that is named for the spaghetti like nature of its flesh.  When raw, the flesh is hard and generally orange or yellow in color.  When cooked, it comes apart in ribbons, giving it the appearance of spaghetti. (more…)

Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes and Basil

Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes and Basil

Here’s another great spaghetti squash recipe from steamykitchen.com.  If you’re only feeding 4-6 people, I suggest cooking the spaghetti squash whole, then only using half of the squash when you’re ready to sauté with the tomatoes.  I like my spaghetti squash not too hard, not too soft. It shouldn’t be mushy, you should be able to still separate the strands of squash.  Serves 8-10. (more…)

Barley-Sweet Potato Hash

Barley-Sweet Potato Hash

Another fantastic recipe from the Simply Organic cookbook by Jesse Ziff Cool.  Serves 4.  Variations:  stir in ham, smoked tofu, or cooked chicken or shrimp into a bowl of the hash for a hearty meal.  Or top the hash with poached eggs.

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Kohlrabi-Apple Slaw

Kohlrabi-Apple Slaw

This recipe, found in this month’s Food Network Magazine and which serves 4 as a side, is a surprising and refreshing alternative to regular coleslaw given most people’s lack of familiarity with this vegetable. Give it a try — that’s what a CSA is all about! (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – September 29, 2025

Hello everyone! First, as always, the weather report. We had ¾” of rain last week. It was not nearly what we were hoping for, but enough to keep us from total despair. The mild temperatures and abundant sunshine are certainly a worthy consolation, and a great benefit to the crops and those who tend them. (more…)

Onions

Onions

Onions are part of the allium family of vegetables and herbs, which also includes chives, garlic, scallions, and leeks. Allium vegetables have been cultivated for centuries for their characteristic, pungent flavors and for their medicinal properties – these vegetables have been linked to a lower risk of certain cancers, including stomach and colorectal. A nutrient-dense food, onions are low in calories and high in beneficial nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. (more…)

Soft-Cooked Summer Squash With Onion

Soft-Cooked Summer Squash with Onion

From the Washington Post, here’s a delicious summer squash and onion dish. The variety to use here is the pale yellow crookneck squash, but yellow zucchini (or a mix of green and yellow zucchini) will also be fine. Small to medium-size squash work best.  Because they typically contain less water and fewer seeds, they will contribute more flavor and texture to the dish. Serves 4.
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Stewed Escarole with Feta

Stewed Escarole with Feta

Besides using escarole in soups, this is one of my favorite recipes for this veggie. We included it a few years ago in one of our CSA newsletters and it got good reviews so whether you are a new, or even a more “seasoned” member, give it a try.  I hope you will like it, too.  The recipe serves about 6 as a side but you can also serve with pasta as a main dish.
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Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – September 22, 2025

Hi Folks! The beautiful weather continues, so long as you are not a duck or a farmer. We have a chance at some precipitation around mid-week, keep your fingers crossed! I will do my version of a rain dance – head out into the field with my little seeding tractor (Allis Chalmers G) to try to do some planting. If there is any moisture up there in the clouds, that is usually a sure-fired way to coax it down. In the meantime, the sprinklers are spinning, and the pumps are humming. (more…)