Tuesdays
3:00pm - 6:00pm
Cambridge Hospital
1493 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA
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Tuesdays
Choice Style
3:00pm - 6:30pm
Pre-Boxed
3:00pm - 7:00pm
Farmer Dave's Farm
437 Parker Road
Dracut, MA
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Tuesdays
4:00pm - 7:00pm
Community Servings
18 Marbury Terrace
Jamaica Plain, MA
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Tuesdays
Choice Style
3:00pm - 6:30pm
Pre-Boxed
3:00pm - 7:00pm
Groundwork Lawrence
60 Island Street
Lawrence, MA
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Farm Notes
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| An October morning on the farm |
I have seen first frosts as early as September 20th and as late as October 27th. We had some light frosts a week ago, but this week's frosty nights will really spell the end of many of the summer vegetables. Having made it this late in October without a killing frost brings great joy.
An extra month of harvest in an already short New England season really makes for an excellent year. As a result of the late frost, the late fall season will also be more abundant. Fall crops have been growing strong with the extra sun and warmth. Many storage crops are still in the fields under the protection of the soil, where they will stay until colder weather pushes us to move them into the root cellars.
This fall, the joy of a late first frost was tempered by the reality in the fields. The reality is that we had a severe drought and we worked our tails off trying to keep the crops irrigated to ensure a solid harvest through the summer and into the fall. The farm team met the challenge well and our abundant harvests this fall would have been slim if it were not for all their toils.
Every week and every year seem to bring different challenges. These challenges and constant changes keep life and the food we eat interesting.
We divide the CSA season into three parts: Spring, Main, and Late Fall Season. This is the last week of the Main season. If you have not registered yet for the Late Fall, I encourage you to do so. You will continue to eat well thru the fall. Many items in the share are storable: beets, carrots, potatoes, winter squash. Many members comment that because they can store so much, the late fall share feeds their families deep into the winter and almost to the start of the spring share. With little effort you can have the abundance from the farm all year long.
Thank you to all at Farmer Dave's that have labored so hard to cultivate such a wonderful abundance year after year. Thank you for being a part of this year's adventure of growing and eating. We are honored and proud to have grown and harvested for you.
With gratitude,
Farmer Dave
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Last Pick-Up: Bring Bags to Transport Your Shares!
This is the last pick up for the main season vegetable and fruit shares! Please bring bags to transport your shares....and if you have any CSA boxes hanging around your house, please bring them back this week.
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Tell Us About Your CSA Experience and Win a Gift Certificate!
Now that the end of the Vegetable and Fruit Shares is just around the corner, we want to hear what you thought of the experience this season.
We use member feedback to help improve the CSA year after year. Changes we make are member-driven, and survey results are our main resource for understanding what most members prefer. We'd love for you to take our survey. We will enter all survey participants in a raffle. The prize will be winner's choic
e: a $250 gift certificate towards our 2017 season, or a $50 Visa gift card. In order to be entered, you must take the survey by October 30 and answer all of the questions.
Thank you for supporting your local farm, and for helping us with your feedback!
Sincerely,
The Farmer Dave's Crew
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Register Now for Late Fall!
This is the Last Week of the Veggie and Fruit Share!
This is the last pick up for the main season vegetable and fruit shares! If you would like to continue to receive weekly shares in November and December,
register now for our Late Fall Share!
Late Fall Shares are available in the following locations:
-Burlington (Mondays 4:00 - 6:30 pm)
-Lanesville (Mondays 3:30 - 6:30 pm)
-Reading (Mondays 3:00 - 6:30 pm)
-Dracut (Tuesdays 3:00 - 7:00 pm)
-Lawrence (Tuesdays 3:00 - 7:00 pm)
-East Somerville (Wednesdays 3:00 - 7:00 pm)
-East Boston (Wednesdays 2:00 - 6:00 pm)
-Tewksbury (Thursday 3:00 - 7:00 pm)
-Westford (Fridays 2:00 - 6:00pm)
-Malden (Fridays 3:00 - 6:00pm)
-Quincy (Fridays 3:00 - 6:00pm)
-Home Delivery by Metro Pedal Power on Wednesdays (Somerville, Cambridge, many neighborhoods in Boston)
-Home Delivery by Farmer Dave's in Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury, Methuen Andover, North Andover, Wakefield, Melrose, Stoneham, North Reading, Reading, Woburn, Salem NH, Pelham NH, Windham NH
Late Fall Share Details
The Late Fall share will run for 7 weeks, beginning in early November and ending in mid-December.
You can look forward the following in items your Late Fall share, harvest permitting:
Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, beets, onions, celeriac, turnips, winter squashes, spinach , winter greens, leeks, apples, and lettuce.
How can I sign up?
Looking forward to growing for you this fall!
The Farmer Dave's Crew
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In Your Share: Week 20
Fall is in the air!
This is what we are planning and hoping to harvest this week. Ultimately Mother Nature has the last word so the actual contents of your share will vary.
- Sweet Potatoes
- Assorted peppers
- Butternut, buttercup, dumpling, or spaghetti squash
- Romanesco or broccoli
- Onions
- Carrots
- Swiss Chard, Kale, or Cabbage
- Arugula or Bok Choy
- Dill or Cilantro
- Green Tomatoes (here are some recipe ideas) or cherry tomatoes
- and more!
Fruit Share:
- Cortland Apples
- Golden Delicious Apples
- Empire Apples
- Macoun, MacIntosh, or Fuji Apples
- and possibly more depending on weather
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Try some of these recipes from our blog!
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Recipe of the Week!
Spiced Lentil and Veggie Pockets
Recipe by Robert Perocchi
Makes 6 pockets
Ingredients:
- Pizza Dough (you can make your own dough or buy whole wheat or regular pizza dough at your local supermarket. We used one package of store bought whole wheat pizza dough)
For the filling:
- 3 small sweet potatoes or 1 large winter squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 bunch Kale or other leafy green like spinach or chard. Stems removed.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prick the sweet potatoes (or cut the squash in half) in several places with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes to an hour, or until soft to the touch. Set aside to cool.
Cut the onion in half. Thinly slice one half and set aside. Dice the other half. Warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and sauté the diced onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add the cumin, cinnamon, and allspice and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the lentils and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Cut the greens into bite-size pieces. Add greens and salt to the lentils. Cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more, until lentils are soft but not mushy. Taste and adjust seasoning. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lentil mixture to a bowl.
Meanwhile, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy skillet over low heat. Add the thinly sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Increase the oven heat to 450°F. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Mash with a fork until smooth and add a sprinkle of salt, if needed.
On a well-floured cutting board, roll a piece of the dough into an 8- or 9-inch oval. Spread about 1/4 cup mashed sweet potato over bottom half the dough, leaving room at the edges to seal the pocket closed. Cover with about 1/3 cup of the lentils and kale. Top with a small amount of caramelized onions. Fold top half of the dough over, and pinch and fold edges to seal securely.
Use a spatula to transfer pocket to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush top with olive oil and cut 2 or 3 small slits to let steam escape as it bakes. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned. Let cool for at least 5 minutes if serving immediately.
To freeze, let the pockets cool completely on the baking sheet and then place the entire baking sheet in the freezer. Once pockets are completely frozen, wrap each one individually in foil or plastic wrap, and store in a freezer-safe container. Thaw and reheat in the microwave or oven, or eat at room temperature.
Have a great tip or recipe to share?
Email it to us to have it included in our newsletter and recipe blog!
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Groundwork Share-a-Share:
Please consider helping us in our efforts to make the CSA accessible to more families by
donating to Groundwork Share-A-Share. With the help of CSA members like you, Groundwork has been able to help subsidize the cost of CSA shares for families who would otherwise be unable to afford participation.
To learn more about the program, click here.
Thank you all for helping us keep this program going in 2016!
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C
ontact Us:
Farmer Dave's CSA
437 Parker Road
Dracut, MA 01826
(978) 349-1952
farm@farmerdaves.net
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