Westfield Area CSA Blog

Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard, along with kale, mustard greens, and collard greens, is one of several leafy, green vegetables often referred to as “greens.”  It belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile.  Chard is a tall, leafy vegetable with a thick, crunchy stalk (akin to celery but less stringy) that comes in white, red, or yellow, with wide, fan-like, ruffled leaves that are similar to spinach but chewier.  Regardless of the stalks’ color, they have similar flavors and cooking properties, although the white stalks are most tender.  Very tender leaves can be added directly to green salads. (more…)

Salmon and Spinach "Sandwich"

Grilled Salmon with Greens Marinade

This is a fantastic summer dish that requires a bit of planning ahead, but not a lot of cook time.  Grilled salmon doesn’t need much.  Make sure that it is coated thoroughly in the marinade so that it doesn’t stick to the grill. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – June 8, 2026

Hi Folks! So here we are at the first week of the Circle Brook CSA season – lettuce begin! In the Ron Howard movie “Parenthood”, the roller coaster is used as a metaphor for the ups and downs of that endeavor. I think it is an apt one for farming as well. (more…)

Lettuce

Lettuce

It is true, eating all that salad is good for you!  While the nutritional value of lettuce varies with the variety, the following excerpt from the University of Illinois website sets the record straight:  Lettuce in general provides small amounts of dietary fiber, some carbohydrates, a little protein and a trace of fat. Its most important nutrients are vitamin A and potassium.   (more…)

Best Cobb Salad

Best Cobb Salad

Try this classic Cobb salad made with a quick homemade dressing, courtesy of delish.com.  If you want to make this ahead of time, we recommend storing the lettuce, eggs, chicken, bacon, and chives in one container.  Then you can peel the avocado and chop it along with the tomatoes before adding to the salad and tossing with dressing. Everything will keep in the fridge like that for up to 3 days.  Serves 4-6. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – May 20, 2026

Hello everyone, I apologize for not having written an update sooner. The first of my workers finally arrived on April 20th and a few more the next day. Since then, we have been working diligently to get caught up with the planting. My crew has been working 70 hour weeks, and I have been putting in even more hours, which is my excuse for not having written sooner. We are now mostly back on track, although there will still be some consequences to the late start. (more…)