Spring CSA: Week 9

Week Nine of the Spring CSA will include a mix of the following: Fat Moon Mushrooms, Ramps OR Fiddleheads, Kale, Mesclun, Basil, Onions, and Apples.  Please note that the weekly photo is not an exact depiction of what is in your share, but rather a reference image.

The nature of early Spring harvests of natives makes it tricky to have the same exact items in everyone’s bags…so, this week, the folks who pick up on Thursdays will be getting fiddleheads and the Saturday/Sunday folks are getting ramps – well, that’s the plan anyway 😉

---

Weekly Featured Item: Ramps, wait… Fiddleheads

Sometimes called Wild Leeks, Ramps are our native, wild allium. They are related to garlic and onions and can be enjoyed in anything you wanted that flavor profile in. I think of them more like leeks because I love them simply sautéed in butter and served up with some scrambled eggs. Simply trim off the roots, rinse carefully, and use the entire stem and leaf. Sautee whole or chop them up, it’s all good. Ramps are high in vitamins A and C.

Fiddleheads are snipped from the new Ostrich Fern leaves as they first emerge and before they unfurl. They require fussier cleaning than do the ramps. I start by soaking in salted water for 10 minutes, Drain, refill the bowl with new water, soak for a few more minutes, drain, and rinse until you feel satisfied that most of the brown husk has been rinsed away. You will know…the first soak water will be filed with debris and that will diminish to almost nothing after 3 rinses 🙂 AND, don’t worry about a few bits of husk, it is not harmful. Fiddleheads are a powerhouse of vitamins – high in A, C, manganese, B3, as well as other B complexes.

Agrodolce Ramps on Grilled Bread

from Six Seasons, by Joshua McFadden

EVOO

1 bunch ramps, ends trimmed, bulbs finely sliced, leaves cut across into 2-inch ribbons

1/4 t dried chili flakes

2 T raisins, plumped in warm water for 15 mins, drained

1 T toasted pine nuts

Salt and fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 T red wine vinegar

Four 1/2-inch-thick slices country bread

1/2 recipe Whipped Ricotta (see notes below)

Pour a healthy glug of EVOO into a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sliced ramp bulbs and chili flakes, and cook until the ramps are soft and fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.  Add the ramp leaves, raisins, and pine nuts, season with S&P, and cook until all is soft and fragrant, another minute or so.  Add the vinegar and toss everything around to deglaze the pan.  Cook for about a minute to heat through.  Finish with drizzle of EVOO.  Taste and adjust the S&P, vinegar, and chili levels.  Grill or toast bread, spread a nice thick layer of ricotta on each piece, and top with ramps and their juices.  Serve warm.

Whipped Ricotta – 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese, 1/2 t kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, 1/4 c EVOO plus more if needed. Put the ricotta, salt, and 20 twists of pepper into food processor and start to process.  With motor running, add the EVOO in a thin stream.  Pause and scrape down the sides if needed.  The mixture should get lovely and creamy.  Taste it and adjust with more salt, pepper, or even a bit more EVOO – you should be able to taste the oil as well as the ricotta.  Store in fridge up to one week.

---

Lions Mane Mushrooms are a unique, gourmet variety that is known for its light seafood flavor and excellent medicinal properties. Lions Mane can be prepared like any other mushroom. Here’s a simple suggestion:

Ingredients:
Lions Mane mushrooms
Vegetable Oil
Butter, if desired
Salt & Pepper

1. Chop lions mane mushroom into bite size pieces
2. Heat skillet on the stove to medium-high heat
3. Add vegetable oil to the hot pan. Heat until oil shimmers.
4. Add mushrooms to the pan. Cook, without stirring, until lightly brown. Stir/flip to cook the other side.
5. Remove from heat. Add butter, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

---

#cookingwithStillmans

Making an amazing dish with Stillman’s or Still Life Farms produce??? Take a picture and post it to your social media with the #cookingwithStillmans.  Every week a winner will be chosen at random and receive a fun farm prize!

The Week Eight winner of our #cookingwithstillmans challenge goes to @locallizardsvegankitchen for turning her Spring CSA into Wheat Linguine with Fiddleheads & Garlic! She’ll be receiving a little extra farm prize this week at CSA pick-up!

---

• 

• 

Cherry trees in blossom. Kip assessing the new blueberry plants.

Farm Dirt

Stillman’s Farm.  Lots of meetings at the farm this week in preparation for farmer’s markets!  Everyone is getting excited for opening days.  Copley’s first day is Friday, May 14th, 11am-6pm and Jamaica Plain’s first day is Saturday, May 8, 12-3pm.  The first round of corn has been planted outside and the orchards are in full bloom.

Still Life Farm.  Blueberry plants have arrived!  We are getting them transplanted out into the field this week.  Rayna took cuttings of the gooseberries and currants, hopefully they will grow into big strong plants and supplement what we already have.  The foundation for our new storage building is complete!  Hopefully the floor will be poured this next week!

Both farms are struggling with housing solutions for our H2A Jamaican labor.  Many farms in Massachusetts have had restrictions placed on the number of foreign workers they can house this season, citing COVID-19 as the reason.  It is being demanded that we accommodate 6′ spacing between bed frames.  This is making it extremely difficult to get the number of workers we need to successfully run our farms.   Even though farm labor camps are defined by the CDC as closed family units, all our workers are getting vaccinated within the first two weeks of their arrival, and we have clear COVID plans in place – we are still struggling to get our housing approved for the amount of workers we need for the season.  Not only do these new regulations affect our farms, but they impact any foreign workers who depend on these jobs that may not be able to come up and work.  As most of you probably know, the H2A workers who come up for the season usually have at least one family (if not more) that they are supporting back home.  These regulations could also affect local food availability.  Just another trial of running a small business in MA.  We are hopeful that an increase in vaccinations and a loosening of restrictions from the Governor can positively influence our housing crisis and allow us to bring up the workers we so desperately need.  Just some food for thought…

Eat well & love your food,

Halley Stillman (Still Life Farm) & Genevieve Stillman (Stillman’s Farm)

Spring CSA, Week 7

Week Seven of the Spring CSA will include a mix of the following: Spinach, Mesclun Mix, Swiss Chard, Onions, Parsnips, Apples, and possibly Radishes, Carrots, or Fingerling Potatoes.  Please note that the weekly photo is not an exact depiction of what is in your share, but rather a reference image.

The weekly letter will be coming to your inbox the day before your pickup, and is also available at stillmansfarm.com/blog and stilllifefarm.wordpress.com.  Most of the letters will be composed by Halley Stillman, though Genevieve Stillman may jump in from time to time.

---

Weekly Featured Item: Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard is a member of the Goosefoot Family (along with beets, spinach, purslane, and amaranth) and is extremely nutrient rich – filled with a healthy dose of vitamins A, C, and K.  Soft enough for salads and sautés, but hearty enough for braises and bakes.  For me, swiss chard is really a complimentary cooking green that can go into just about anything and be great.  If you love beet greens, then Swiss Chard will be right up your alley.  And don’t forget about those glorious stems.  Often times I separate the stems from the leaf, and cook them separately.  The stems can also act as a substitute for cooked celery or asparagus.

Partners for Swiss Chard: marjoram, parsley, lovage, savory, nutmeg, allspice, and paprika.

Lentil Lemon Soup

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

6 cups water

1 small onion, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs Italian flat leaf parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme

4 cups water

1 ½ cups dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained

1 ½ pounds Swiss chard – rinsed, stems removed and cut into 1/2 inch slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup lemon juice

salt to taste

1 lemon, cut into wedges

In a large saucepan, combine the chicken broth, 6 cups of water, 1 small onion, bay leaf, parsley and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. Strain, and reserve 4 cups of the broth for the recipe. Reserve the remaining broth for other uses.

Pour the 4 cups of broth into a large soup pot, and add 4 cups of water to it. Stir in lentils, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 1 hour.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the large onion, and cook until transparent, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, and cook for just a minute, until fragrant. Place the chard in the pan, and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. The smells here are delicious!

Transfer the chard and onion mixture to the pot with the lentils. Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice. Season with salt and additional lemon if desired. Simmer covered for an additional 15 minutes before serving. Serve with lemon wedges.

#cookingwithStillmans

Making an amazing dish with Stillman’s or Still Life Farms produce??? Take a picture and post it to your social media with the #cookingwithStillmans.  Every week a winner will be chosen at random and receive a fun farm prize!

The Week Six winner of our #cookingwithstillmans challenge goes to @mollypjarman, for turning her Spring CSA ingredients into salmon with white bean and kale ragout (adapted from http://www.finecooking.com).  She’ll be receiving a little extra farm prize this week at CSA pick-up!

---

• 

• 

Farm Dirt

Stillman’s Farm.  As you can see, all that soil prep from last week paid off.  Rows and rows and rows of spring peas – snap peas, shell peas, snow peas – have been transplanted out into the field!  Spring is definitely here.  And speaking of spring, if you have a hankering for garden plants, we can help. While it’s too early to plant summer favorites like tomatoes and peppers, it’s not too early to start planning. Want to make sure you get all your favorite varieties before they sell out? Visit Stillman’s Farm at the New Braintree Farm during our early shopping days Saturday April 17 through Saturday April 24 (including Sunday April 18) from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and pick out all your favorites. We will then put them aside for you and continue growing them in the ideal conditions in our greenhouse. You can then pick them up (or have them delivered to a closer location) later when the weather is suitable for planting in your garden.

Still Life Farm.  At Still Life Farm we are delighted with how the garlic field is looking this year.  Seems like we had just the right type of winter and a moist (but not wet) spring, to set these alliums well on their way.  Another exciting activity that took place on the farm this week was turning over our medium greenhouse from winter greens to zucchini!  So fun to get an early jump on the zucchini, we usually expect to start picking this crop around the beginning of June.  Work on the new building continues.  This week foundation work began and our four foot frost walls are curing as I write this.

Eat well & love your food,

Halley Stillman (Still Life Farm) & Genevieve Stillman (Stillman’s Farm)

---

Spring CSA: Week 6

Week Six of the Spring CSA will include a mix of the following: Spinach, Winterbor Kale, Lettuce, Russet Potatoes, Onions, Beets, Cortland and Mutsu Apples, Fresh Cut Herbs (Dill, Cilantro, Basil, Mint, or Thyme) .  Please note that the weekly photo is not an exact depiction of what is in your share, but rather a reference image.

The weekly letter will be coming to your inbox the day before your pickup, and is also available at stillmansfarm.com/blog and stilllifefarm.wordpress.com.  Most of the letters will be composed by Halley Stillman, though Genevieve Stillman may jump in from time to time.

---

Weekly Featured Item: Beets

Beets are one of those delicious root veggies that are good at both the beginning and end of the season, and when stored they just get sweeter.  They have a sweet earthy flavor, and are best roasted or baked (in my opinion).  Bake beets in a covered roasting pan with 1/2 cup water at 400oF.  They are done when easily pierced with a sharp knife and the skins slides off.

Partners for Beets: basil, cilantro, cumin, curry, dill, fennel, ginger, horseradish, citrus, mustard, vinegar, apples, shallots, walnuts, yogurt.

Kale, Beet, and Farro Salad

1 cup cooked farro

1 bunch wilted kale, chopped and cooked down with a bit of garlic

1 pound roasted beets, cubed

1 Tablespoon minced shallots

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried thyme

S&P

3 Tablespoons EVOO

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Roast beets at 400oF until fork tender and skins slip off, cool, cut into cubes, and set aside. Cook farro with chicken stock for 50 minutes (until it looses its crunch).  Drain and set aside in same bowl as beets.  Wilt down chopped kale with just a touch of garlic and S&P.  Set aside in the same bowl as the beets and farro.  Mix together your dressing.  Combine Dijon, minced shallot, thyme, S&P, whisk together with EVOO and lemon juice.  Taste and adjust if necessary.  Toss dressing together with farro, beets, and kale!  Sometimes I add a bit of Parmesan or Feta cheese, depending on my mood.  Enjoy!

#cookingwithStillmans

Making an amazing dish with Stillman’s or Still Life Farms produce??? Take a picture and post it to your social media with the #cookingwithStillmans.  Every week a winner will be chosen at random and receive a fun farm prize!

The Week Five winner of our #cookingwithstillmans challenge goes to @carolemitnick, for turning her Spring CSA ingredients into sausage, escarole, and potato stew AND shiitake, onion, and Manchego pizza!  She’ll be receiving a little extra farm prize this week at CSA pick-up!  🙂

---

• 

• 

• 

Farm Dirt

Stillman’s Farm.  Field prep continues at the New Braintree farm.  Glenn and Merrick have spent a lot of time plowing and harrowing, and are just about to start making beds and laying plastic so we can get those early crops into the ground!  The greenhouses are bursting at the seams and we have to make some space to keep on seeding schedule.  Four Sand Hill Cranes were spotted in the corn fields just past the farm.  This is very far northeast for their range, so it’s exciting to catch a glimpse of them up here.  There has been one pair hanging around our area for the last few years, seems like they have convinced another couple to join them this year!

Still Life Farm.  Work continues on the new wash/pack/storage barn.  The scale of this project seems to be dwarfing the rest of the farm!  Yesterday Petersham Pump came and dug us a 460′ well, so we now have water on the other half of our farm! Brown’s Excavation continues to move dirt for our new foundation, they have dug up a couple of enormous boulders…they don’t call it Hardwick for nothing.  Tomorrow will bring the start of foundation work.  In the meantime, Curt and I got all the cherry tomatoes transplanted from their germination plugs to their grow pots, they will soon be transplanted into our largest greenhouse where they will thrive until late fall.  We have also been pruning like crazy.

Eat well & love your food,

Genevieve Stillman (Stillman’s Farm) & Halley Stillman (Still Life Farm) 

---

Spring CSA: Week 5

Week Five of the Spring CSA will include a mix of the following: Pinto Potatoes, Purple Daikon Radish, Pea Shoots, Mix of Greens (Escarole, Lettuce, and/or Kale), and Fat Moon Farm Shiitake Mushrooms.  Please note that the weekly photo is not an exact depiction of what is in your share, but rather a reference image…we assume you will recognize the shrooms 😉

This week we have another fun addition to the Spring CSA, we are sourcing Shiitake Mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm in Westford, MA.  Shiitakes resemble the traditional button mushroom in appearance, flavor, and uses.  I find it easy to sub this particular variety into all my favorite mushroom dishes.

The weekly letter will be coming to your inbox the day before your pickup, and is also available at stillmansfarm.com/blog and stilllifefarm.wordpress.com.  Most of the letters will be composed by Halley Stillman, though Genevieve Stillman may jump in from time to time.

Lunenburg Members Take Note: Easter Sunday’s (April 4) CSA delivery will be rescheduled to the previous Saturday, April 3, 12-2pm.  If you have a conflict and cannot find a sub to pick up for you, please contact us.

---

Weekly Featured Item: Escarole

Escarole is a lettuce-looking green that is part of the Chicory family – along with endive and radicchio – and is often know as a “bitter green”.  However, escarole has only the most mild of bitterness.  You can use it fresh in a hardy seasonal salad, it pairs well with any “sweet” ingredients…maybe your julienned purple daikon radishes, peas tendrils, and a maple Dijon dressing.  Or, if you’re like me, escarole is one of your absolute favorite greens to cook with!  Not as hearty and overpowering as kale, but not as tender and slimly as spinach – escarole holds its own in any cooked dish, and is especially wonderful in soups or brothy one-pot meals. Below is the recipe for “Sausage, Beans, and Greens”, one of the world’s easiest one-pot recipes and a definite favorite in our family’s dinner rotation.  I learned this recipe from an old farmer friend, and always think about him when I make it…he taught me a lot about “farm food”, seasonal eating, and loving odd vegetables.  

Sausage, Beans, and Greens   1 pound sausage (I usually like something with fennel, marjoram, and thyme)1 large onion, chopped1 Tbsp chopped garlic1.5 pounds potatoes2 cans white beans2-3 cups chicken broth1 cup white wine1 large head of escaroleEVOOS&PParmesan cheeseHeat a glug of EVOO in a large skillet. Sauté crumbled sausage, onion, and garlic together until sausage is cooked mostly through. Add cubed potatoes and two cans of beans, broth, and wine. Simmer until potatoes are cooked through. Add chopped escarole and simmer another 3-5 minutes. Season with S&P, lemon juice, and a splash of wine (you can add a bit more broth if you want a soupier dish). Serve in a bowl, garnish with grated Parmesan and crusty bread for dipping.Escarole and Turkey Soup

Escarole and Beans

---

#cookingwithStillmans

Making an amazing dish with Stillman’s or Still Life Farms produce??? Take a picture and post it to your social media with the #cookingwithStillmans.  Every week a winner will be chosen at random and receive a fun farm prize!

The Week Four winner of our #cookingwithstillmans challenge goes to @dalpiazkitchen, for turning her baking apples into this delicious crisp!  She’ll be receiving a little extra farm prize this week at CSA pick-up!  🙂

---

• 

• 

Farm Dirt

Stillman’s Farm.  Things are buzzing away at the farm in New Braintree.  Glenn and Merrick worked together to get the first two early fields plowed and harrowed, and prepped for planting!  The greenhouses are spilling over with transplants waiting their chance to get into the fields.  Tomatoes were transplanted into one of our three tomato high tunnels.  The crew also started seeding peas.  in the quest for farm efficiency, yet another piece of equipment has arrived at the farm – the new greens cutter.  This cutter is perfect for microgreens.  Not only is is much faster than hand snipping, but the yield is greater.  Saving time on one project leaves more time for another.

Still Life Farm.  As you know, Curt and I were lucky enough to receive a Food Security Infrastructure Grant that we are using to construct a new wash/pack/storage barn.  This week Brown’s Excavation arrived and began changing the landscape around here.  Kip is beside himself with all the new construction equipment on the farm!  Space for the future foundation is being carved out as I type this newsletter.  Pretty exciting, but lots to do and lots to plan for.  Curt also managed get onto one of our fields.  He plowed, harrow, made beds and direct seeded greens, carrots, and radishes.  We continue to turn over the greenhouses from winter crops to new spring crops.  Hakurei turnips just got transplanted and look super happy!

Eat well & love your food,

Genevieve Stillman (Stillman’s Farm) & Halley Stillman (Still Life Farm)