Westfield Area CSA Blog

Mustard Greens

Mustard Greens

Peppery mustard greens shine in this simple greens recipe found on the cooking website Simply Recipes.  Sauté with onions and garlic, then serve with most any meal that can use a good dose of mustardy bite. The recipe serves 4. Enjoy! (more…)

Skillet Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

Skillet Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

Parsnips and carrots are a classic fall side dish.  It’s best to use parsnips less than an inch wide, as wider parsnips tend to have tough, fibrous cores that are best trimmed and discarded.  Using warm water will help the sugar dissolve more readily. This recipe comes from Cook’s Illustrated and can also be found on genius kitchen.  Serves 6-8. (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…)

Orzo with Caramelized Fall Vegetables and Ginger

Orzo with Caramelized Fall Vegetables and Ginger

Found on the website, thekitchn.com, this recipe is colorful and delicious, even if it takes a bit of chopping and stir-frying.  The dish is built from the ground up in one big skillet, browning, caramelizing, and sautéeing until you’re left with a big pile of chewy orzo and dark, delicious fall vegetables.  (Use your biggest stove burner, and your biggest sauté pan!)  The recipe serves 4 as a main dish and 6 as a side dish. (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…)