Westfield Area CSA Blog

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – September 11, 2023

Hi Everyone! I just checked the rain gauge and today’s deluge brought us to nearly 5 inches for the week! Believe it or not, I don’t enjoy complaining, but seriously all this water is hurting the crops. I’d like to cry, but the ground can’t soak up any more water! (more…)

Fresh Herbs

Fresh Herbs

Everyone knows that a sprinkle of fresh herbs turns that ordinary family dinner into something extraordinary. But did you know that fresh herbs have a high antioxidant activity?  According to a US Department of Agriculture study, fresh herbs, in particular oregano, beat out fruits, vegetables, and even garlic! (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – September 4, 2023

Hi Folks, Happy Labor Day! It is the unofficial end of summer, but the summer heat is back with a vengeance this week. It’s okay though, we still have a lot of heat loving crops in the field. It has been so cool at night that I have been fretting about an early frost. We usually don’t get hit with a freeze until Mid-October, but it has happened in September, and it is not pretty. (more…)

Rainbow Carrots

Rainbow Carrots

Did you know that carrots are not originally orange?  That’s right.  The original carrot, which dates back more than 4.000 years to Afghanistan, was purple.  The orange carrot didn’t come into being until about 400 years ago, when Dutch farmers bred the carrot to be orange – their country’s color.  Today, carrots have been bred in a rainbow of colors, which makes them much more fun to eat, not to mention, more nutritious. (more…)

Rainbow Carrot Stir Fry

Rainbow Carrot Stir-Fry

This colorful stir fry comes courtesy of the New York Times.  The list of ingredients in stir-fry recipes can look long, even daunting.  But the actual cooking goes very quickly, so it’s important to have everything prepped and within reach of your wok.  Read through the recipe a couple of times before you begin cooking, because once you start, you won’t have time to refer to it.  Serves 4. (more…)

Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte

Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte

This recipe was originally from Bon Appetit magazine, and found on epicurious.com.  It is easy to assemble by layering the ingredients (although the directions sound complicated!).  The recipe makes two pans so eat one tonight and freeze the other for another day.  A mandolin makes short work of the preparations. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – August 28, 2023

Howdy Y’all! About 2 inches of rain fell last Thursday night into Friday, ensuring that the puddles stay full, and the fields remain muddy. There have been short windows of opportunity to get some seeds sown and beds prepared for transplanting. We are coming to the end of our brassica planting for the fall and are nearly through with the direct seeded crops. I have been planting arugula, tatsoi, daikon, salad turnips and spinach. I will be sowing these crops, as well as cilantro, dill, radishes, and mustard greens every week for the next month. (more…)