Charmingfare Farm Blog

Fall is still throwing us some pretty interesting weather!  From an early snow storm in October, to the recent warm weather we have been having, you never know what to expect in New England.  Here are more trail ride photos from October and November.

October has given us all kinds of weather to ride in.  From the beautiful, cool and sunny days to the hot and humid or rainy and gray days, I think we have seen it all this month!  The foliage has been bright and bold, but with the leaves starting to thin out we should be able to see the wildlife more easily now.  Below are trail ride photos from October 2011.

Have a happy and safe Halloween!  Don’t forget to check out our Trick or Treat Stroll or our Harvest of Horror, if you dare!

The season sadly has come to end… Wednesday October 12, 2011 will be our last night for pick up of vegetables.  If you have milk or egg shares Brianna will be available Wednesday the 19th for pick at our gift shop.

We are looking forward to the Christmas tree event at the end of November.

Thank you for your support!  I was a great season season consider a few weather issues.

Fall has arrived and the beautiful colors are starting to pop up throughout our trails.  With cooler weather ahead this is one of the most comfortable times of the year to go for a trail ride.  The wildlife out on the trails is usually more abundant in the fall and the chances of seeing moose, deer and wild turkey’s while out on your ride is greater.

A couple photos from our trail rides Sunday September 25.

With summer officially coming to a close at the end of this week Charmingfare Farm is about to start off our fall festivities on Saturday, September 24th with our Pumpkin Festival. Before the weather gets too cold we would like to share some photos of the fun and beautiful weather we enjoyed this summer out on the trails.

8/13 11:30 Trail Ride: Catherine & Jason, Matt & Chelsea

Finally our blog is fixed and we should have some photos up this week! Check back soon!

In the interest of health I wanted to remind everybody to look with their eyes, not their hands. Handling food without washing your hands can lead to the spread of germs and illness. Out of respect for the farm and other CSA members, please only handle the vegetables that you intend to take.

We offer full shares and half shares for families of different sizes. If you thought you were a half share but realized that you are a full share, don't fret; it is not too late to upgrade to a full share. We will prorate the price of a full share for anybody who wants to make the switch.

Your corn on the cob cravings will be satisfied this week with a few more ears of that yellow vegetable. Everybody will get a few tomatoes again this week. Lettuce, broccoli, swiss chard, green beans, onions, radishes, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and peppers will round out this week's offering.

Raw Tea Sandwiches
Ingredients:
2 beets
1 cucumber (half sliced, half diced)
1 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 cup cucumber, diced (use the other half of the cucumber from above)
1 tablespoon tarragon
Directions:
Slice the beets and half of the cucumber into thin rounds. Place pine nuts, nutritional yeast, water, and lemon juice in food processor. Process until very well blended. Stir in the scallions, diced cucumber and the tarragon. Salt and pepper to taste. You can either make little stacks with the beets and cucumbers, or just place a mound on top of a beet slice or cucumber slice.

Recipe found here.

We have more tomatoes coming at you this week. Make sure to pick up some of these savory and versatile red fruit. You have no doubt been picking up and enjoying our delicious bell peppers which are available again along with an assortment of spicier peppers. More corn is ready if last week was not enough to sate your appetite. Garlic will be available this week as will lettuce. Summer squash and zucchini are not the only squashes available this week; eight-ball squash will be at the stand for those who want it. You have used tomatoes in all manner of sauce and side-dish but you want to try it in a more central role? Stuffed tomatoes are a great way to feature the little round fruit in your next meal.

Sicilian Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients:
6 medium-size firm tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 anchovy fillets in oil, finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons capers, coarsely chopped
2 ounces imported black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably whole-wheat
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a baking dish large enough to accommodate all of the tomatoes. Cut off the top fourth of the tomatoes, and reserve the tops. Place a strainer over a bowl, and gently scoop or squeeze out the seeds without breaking the tomatoes. Rub the seed pockets against the strainer to extract juice. Discard the seeds. Using a grapefruit spoon, scoop out as much of the tomato pulp from inside the skins as you can, but don’t break the skins. Chop the pulp, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onion. Cook five to eight minutes, stirring often, until tender and beginning to color. Add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the anchovies, parsley, capers, olives, bread crumbs and tomato pulp. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir for about two minutes until fragrant and well amalgamated. Moisten as desired with the strained juice. Fill the tomatoes with this mixture and place them in the baking dish. Return the tops. Brush with the remaining olive oil. Place in the oven, and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the skins begin to wrinkle. The tomatoes should be soft but not mushy. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Recipe found here.

We all excited…. corn will be harvested for this week's CSA pick-up.  It's just starting so this week we will have 2 ears for a 1/2 share and 4 ears for a full share.  I am confident the following week we will be able to double the offering.

Other veggies include….. lettuce, beets, radish, garlic, green beans, zucchini, summer squash, white turnips. 

Chris the person who normals offers up the recipe of the week is on vacation.  If anyone has a favorite veggie recipe they would like to share please post it on here.

Thank you !  We'll see you on Wednesday.

Green as grass and as tasty as ever, green peppers are here for all your grilling needs. Other green vegetables include green beans, spinach, lettuce, and zucchini. Available in a reddish hue are radishes and beets. Turnips and garlic are both white and ready for you to take home. Finally, summer squash remains our only yellow vegetable at the stand this week. When are green beans not green? When they've been covered in delicious batter of course! Indulge your fried side with this recipe for fried green beans.

Beer Batter Green Beans
Ingredients:
1 cup of all purpose flour
12 ounce of an amber beer
1 pound of fresh green beans, washed and patted dry
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups of canola oil
Pinches of salt for extra seasoning
Pinches of black pepper for extra seasoning
Directions:
Pour oil in a large saucepan and heat on medium to high heat. Mix salt and flour in a large bowl, and begin whisking in beer. Add in your green beans and gently toss and mix until all beans have been coated. Gently drop about 6-10 beans in the oil, cooking until a light golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towel, or use a strainer with a plate underneath, and lightly season with salt and pepper.

Recipe found here.