Westfield Area CSA

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Westfield Area CSA Blog

Circle Brook Farm

News

20 Jun, 2022

Farm News – June 20, 2022

Hello Folks! Curioser and curioser, this weather of ours. It was quite a chilly weekend, between the low temperatures and the high winds. My workers had their winter coats on again. I was busy planting the pumpkins and winter squash which I generally do in the evenings to avoid the midday heat. I was out planting all afternoon on Sunday with a sweater and a windbreaker on! Last night it dropped down to 48 degrees here on the farm. This cool weather is good for the greens, lettuces, and peas – but the peppers don’t really like it much. (more…)

Hakurei turnips

Featured Produce

20 Jun, 2022

Hakurei Salad Turnips

Hakurei turnips are a Japanese salad turnip.  They are sweet and much softer than a regular turnip, and rarely need to be peeled; just wash and trim the root ends.  The leaves are also edible but should be eaten within 1-2 days.  Wrapped tightly in plastic, the turnips can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (more…)

Baby Turnips and Turnip Greens

Recipies

20 Jun, 2022

Baby Turnips and Turnip Greens

The following recipe, taken from the William Sonoma cookbook, Cooking from the Farmers’ Market, is a nice and easy way to use the turnips and its greens at once. As we expect the Hakurei to be small turnips, you can ignore the recommendation to trim the leaves in the recipe (below) but may follow it when using Fall turnips. The recipe yields 4 servings. Enjoy! (more…)

Vegetable Fritters

Recipies

20 Jun, 2022

Kohlrabi Fritters

If you’ve still got those funny looking bulbs staring you down on your counter, here’s a new take on kohlrabi.  I’ll admit that for 6 years of the CSA, I never dared try them.  This recipe made me a convert.  They will never go on the swap table again! (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

News

13 Jun, 2022

Farm News – June 13, 2022

Hello everyone, I hope that you enjoyed the first week of your share, because week two will be similar.  We still have tons (I wanted to write “lots” but Editor wants me to be more specific) of beautiful spinach, which I expect to continue for several more weeks.  We are heavy on lettuce, so there will be two heads of different varieties in all but the smallest share size (time to make that BIG salad, lol).   (more…)

English Peas

Featured Produce

13 Jun, 2022

Garden Peas (aka English Peas)

Garden, or English peas, are your standard “pea in a pod.”  They have more nutrients and calories than snow or sugar snap peas and are a bit more work as they need to be shelled. Garden peas are sweet and succulent for three to four days after they are picked, but turn mushy and starchy very quickly after harvesting.  So use them fast! (more…)

Sugar snap peas

Featured Produce

13 Jun, 2022

Sugar Snap Peas

Sugar snap peas, unlike last week’s garden peas, have edible pods that are filled with plump sweet peas.  Use them quickly as they lose their flavor and structure when stored.  They can be eaten raw, but are best when cooked, requiring little time:  steam sugar snaps for about 4 minutes.

Sugar snap peas are a member of the legume family and are a good source of folate, vitamins A and C, and zinc.

Risi e Bisi

Recipies

13 Jun, 2022

Risi e Bisi

Rice with peas is a Venetian specialty.  Containing few ingredients, this recipe makes a fairly quick and filling meal or side dish. The recipe serves 4. (more…)

Fresh Arugula Pesto

Recipies

13 Jun, 2022

Fresh Arugula Pesto

This recipe, found on simplyfreshcooking.com is a great way to use arugula.  The great thing about pesto is that it’s so versatile.  You can literally use any kind of leafy green in place of the arugula – even spinach, mustard greens, swiss chard. (more…)