Author: Bryan Housel

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – October 23, 2023

Hello Folks! So, there will not be any sweet potatoes in the share this week (they will be back in the mix next round). There will be a tuber that looks a lot like a sweet potato but is not. It is called Yacon and is a member of the sunflower family native to South America. It is sweet and juicy and has a slight orange color (carotene). The sweetness comes from a sugar called an FOS (fructooligosaccharide) which is not digestible and hence does not affect blood sugar level. It is known as a prebiotic and contains beneficial antioxidants. (more…)

Yacon

Yacon

Easy to grow and store, high-yielding, supernutritious and crunchy like an apple, yacon root (pronounced ya-kon) is one of the many “new” vegetables coming to us from South America.  In reality, this fruitlike vegetable has been cultivated throughout the Andes for more than a millennium.  South Americans eat it as a fruit; they also use the huge leaves to wrap foods during cooking, in the same way cabbage leaves are used in Germany, grape leaves in the Mideast and banana leaves in the tropics.  Only recently – thanks to some adventurous green thumbs – have North Americans begun to see yacon in produce markets. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – October 16, 2023

Hi All! The weather continues to be less than ideal. The only saving grace is that we have not had a frost thus far. We are expecting two or three cold nights early next week. Hopefully they will not be too severe, and we will be able to cover some of the more tender crops to keep them alive.

We are still trying to harvest a crop from the last planting of beans and would like to continue the pepper harvest as long as possible. Many of the other crops remaining in the field are hardy enough to tolerate a frost or a light freeze. We are continuing to distribute a second round of cauliflower and cherry tomatoes to a few groups. We are beginning to double up on the root crops, as we often do during the final weeks of the season. (more…)

Delicata Squash

Delicata Squash

Delicata squash is a long, oblong-shaped squash with a cream colored, green-striped, outer skin and a golden, fine-textured inner flesh.  This is one of the tastier winter squashes, with a creamy pulp that tastes a bit like corn and sweet potatoes.  It can be baked or steamed and served as a side dish, seasoned with butter and herbs, providing a sweet nutty flavor with a creamy smooth texture.  The thin skin is also edible. (more…)

Roasted Winter Squash Seeds

Roasted Winter Squash Seeds

Pumpkins aren’t the only squash that yield tasty seeds for roasting!  Next time you prepare a winter squash (e.g. butternut or acorn squash), save the seeds and have yourself a nutritious little snack. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – October 9, 2023

Hi Folks! We have broccoli and cauliflower heading up. We will be including cauliflower for those who have not yet received it this fall. We may begin distributing broccoli to some groups, otherwise it will be a choice of red cabbage or red Napa cabbage.

The last planting of beans is flowering but growing very slowly, which is normal with shorter days and cooler nights, but growth is impeded further by overcast skies. We hope to have a few more beans for you in the coming weeks. We will also try to send some cherry tomatoes to all groups over the next few weeks as well. (more…)

Acorn Squash

Although considered a winter squash, acorn squash actually belongs to the same species as all “summer” squashes (such as zucchini and yellow squash).  The most common variety is dark green in color, but newer varieties can be yellow, white, even variegated.  As the name suggests, its shape resembles that of an acorn.  It is a good candidate for winter storage, keeping several months in a cool dry location.  Squash can be refrigerated, but it will deteriorate quickly and should only be refrigerated 1-2 weeks. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – October 2, 2023

Hello Folks! We are finally getting a break from the rain this week, at least until the weekend. With the sunshine and some warmth, the fields will dry out enough for me to plant a few more seeds, and we get back to digging the potato crop. We were able to get a few last ears of sweet corn for the end of the week groups, and we will have some for those who did not receive them last time. (more…)