Stone Soup
The Newsletter of Stearns Farm CSA
June 5, 2010 Volume 11, Number 1
In This Issue:
| NEW THIS WEEK: Head lettuce, spinach, salad greens (arugula, tatsoi, red Russian kale, mustard, mizuna), radishes, a bouquet of braising greens (chard, kale, collards), bok choy, rhubarb and a welcoming gift of a parsley plant. PYO: Strawberries, culinary herbs of marjoram, oregano, winter savory, lovage and garlic chives. COMING UP: Garlic scapes, scallions, peas. |
From the Field: A Spring of Delight/Kathy Huckins
It can't get much better than this. Except for a few nights of late frost that tried to wipe out our strawberries and a few quick deluges that left passages in some beds, it has been a charming spring. Some rain, lots of sun, pleasant temperatures for the most part. It has been great weather for working in the fields, our crops are thriving, and we are all looking forward to the first sharing of this bounty.Thousands of plants have been seeded in our greenhouse, lovingly tended and later planted in our prepared fields. In just two days we transplanted all of our nightshades, the tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in our biodegradable black "plastic." Mark Kelly, a Friday work-for-share, provided us with a hole digger, the kind used to make a cup hole on the green at golf courses. He moved down each row making holes and sharers, crew, and an immigrant farming group from Maine quickly filled them in with healthy tomato plants. In one morning we laid down driptape, black plastic, punched the holes and planted our entire crop of watermelons and cantaloupe.
Photo by Donna Savastio
Earlier in the season, way back in April, we planted our peas, transplanted all of our onions and seeded all the various greens that you will find in your share this week. We transformed the cathedral field greenhouse from winter greens to carrots, beets and some experimental tomatoes and cucumbers. We amended most of our fields with a mineral and organic fertilizer boost, using our new spreader. Later we put up the deer fences on both parcels we farm. All of this activity can make for some tired folks and we are that too, sometimes. But then we look around and notice the beauty of this farm and its life and we are left with a feeling of gratitude. The catbird at the lunch table, the fawn that jumped out of the tall rye beds the morning Casey was about to mow them, the snapping turtle attempting to lay its eggs in the parsley bed, the large white egg found in the wood chips pile, the mist covering the early morning fields, the late afternoon sun on the chard. We are lucky.
Each day we go forward working our best with nature to grow the crops we have all come to expect. It is a dance with the insects, (too many sometimes, not enough other times), the timing and needs of each crop, the changeable weather and our own energy. It is a delicate balance and requires a lot of flexibility on our part. That's what keeps us alive and alert.
If we haven't seen you already, this is the time to put in your work hours. Who knows what you will find. I can promise you a grateful staff, lots of weeds, maybe a wildlife sighting or two, stone soup for lunch and right now, ripe strawberries. Come visit our crops faithfully growing where we put them, in our well tended fields. It can't get much better than this.
PS: On a personal note, my parents happened to get married 65 years ago this week, so I will be celebrating with my family in Minnesota and will miss the first Tuesday pickup. I will be back by Friday. I am grateful to Trish, Susan and Casey who will manage the farm while I am away. They like chocolate too!
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Who's Who at the Farm: Susan Peters
Susan Peters was a librarian when she moved to Vermont to attend a diversity training program. A few years later, she’s farming at Stearns. How did that happen? Although she loved her work as a librarian, Susan hated being indoors. An avid birder and ultimate Frisbee player, Susan spent as much time as she could outside, but her work always took her back indoors.
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
When she moved to Vermont Susan lived on a small working farm. Occasionally, she’d help out, cutting flowers, or collecting eggs, and before long, she found herself working on the farm full time. She loved the work; "Farming," Susan says, "is my calling." She switched from the diversity training program to a sustainable agriculture program, planning to earn a second Master’s Degree, but after a while Susan decided that the best way to learn about farming is to farm.
Susan really wanted to work at Stearns. Its small size appealed to her, both personally and politically, and she wanted to learn more about Kathy’s organic and biodynamic farming practices. So she applied for the Assistant Farmer position for the 2009 season, but the position was already filled. She stayed in touch with Kathy, and applied again this year. Now that she is working here, Susan says “Stearns is everything I had hoped it would be.” Small enough that you can walk every inch of it, and wonderfully diverse, so you learn about growing virtually everything that can be grown in this climate. Perhaps most important, Stearns has a strong sense of community and wonderful teachers. “Kathy and Brian [Huckins] are incredibly generous” with their time and knowledge, Susan says. “I’ve learned so much already.” Stearns is unique in many ways, one of the most important being that the Assistant Farmers aren’t simply hired labor: they are part of a team. Kathy has given Susan the responsibility of managing the parkland for this season, an opportunity Susan wouldn’t get on most other farms. And while Susan knows it’s going to be challenging—she’s heard all about the woodchucks that decimated our sweet potato crop last year—it’s a challenge she is eager to take on.
- Nomi Sofer
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Who's Who at the Farm: Casey Higgins
Because she loves to create beauty, Casey Wiggins started her college career as an interior design major. But Casey soon decided that she didn’t want to spend her life decorating rich people’s houses, so she explored other options and eventually ended up with a degree in Business and Hospitality from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. After working for a year for Marriott and deciding that corporate hospitality was too cold and impersonal, Casey began her journey to Stearns Farm with a road trip: she drove up from Texas with her dog Odie for company, and headed for Boston, which she has always loved. Once here, she decided to pursue her passion for organic food and sustainability and soon found a listing for a job at Stearns Farm. Casey came for a job interview at the Farm and never left—she fell in love with the farm and kept coming back even though she hadn’t been offered a position yet. She worked as a volunteer during the winter season, learning from Trish and Kathy, and hoping that her persistence would pay off. It did.
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
- Nomi Sofer
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Volunteer Wanted: New Lettuce Queen (or King)/Gert Powers
Photo by Claudia Gustafson
the scent of flowers, herbs, and all things growing. The nicest part of all, is knowing that sharers enjoy and appreciate having lettuce in their salads.
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Farm News: Wish List, Lost & Found, Pitchfork Brigade
Wish list: It’s a short one this week! We need more spoons for stone soup, and trowels for planting. If you have either of these items to donate to the farm, please bring them next time you come and give them to Kathy.Found Wedding Ring: Donna Savastio found a wedding ring while planting cabbage in the fields earlier this spring. It bears the inscription DSC to CSP 1-31-81. To claim it, contact dsavastio
verizon.net. 
photo by John Bendel|
sbcglobal.net back to top
Stearns Farm and the Community
Did you know that many different community groups work at Stearns Farm? There are regular volunteers from Boston Cares; a group of developmentally challenged young adults from Lisnow House in Hopkinton works at the Farm on Wednesdays; visitors, such as the Sudanese immigrants from Maine who helped with planting this past week; and the members of Earth Care Framingham, who own a share of Stearns Farm produce which they donate to charity. Their members worked at the Farm on May 22. For more about EarthCare Framingham and pictures from their work day go to
http://earthcareframingham.blogspot.com/back to top
Spring Celebration
The Spring Celebration is an opportunity to re-connect with the farm, meet new staff and greet returning staff, and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us at Stearns. This year’s celebration took place on May 23.
We had lovely weather, delicious food, inspiring music and poetry, and fun activities for all. We wish to extend sincere thanks to all who helped with the various aspects of making the celebration a success. In particular, we thank the staff (Kathy, Trish, Susan and Casey), Diane Kelzer and Frann Bennett for setting up, breaking down, and generally keeping things organized throughout the day.
Lauren Rota organized the children's activities, with help from Leslie Frodema.   | Great music was provided by Steven Cushing, Damaris Rohsenow  and Jim Guinness  |
Brian Huckins read poetry—lots of Billy Collins this year.  | Nadine Salisch gave tours of the herb garden  , |
and Casey drove the hayride tractor. | The farm was looking its best thanks to Salvatore Lampis, who does all our mowing.  |
Claudia Gustafson took all the pictures of the celebration.  |  |
Many thanks to all who helped to make this annual event a lovely celebration of our farm community.
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Upcoming Events
| June 8 | First pick-up: Tuesday Full Shares and Tuesday Alternate 1 shares |
| June 11 | First pick-up: Friday Full Shares and Friday Alternate 1 shares |
| June 15 | First pick-up: Tuesday Alternate 2 shares |
| June 18 | First pick-up: Friday Alternate 2 shares |
| June 19 | Sweet Potato Day: Planting sweet potato slips |
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Our Mission
To preserve the historic Stearns farm as a sustainable all-natural garden, providing locally grown food in partnership between the land, the farmer, and the community
- by using the CSA model
- by providing fair compensation, adequate working conditions, and support to the farmer
- by practicing good stewardship
- by donating excess food to the needy
- by encouraging the community to actively participate in the farming process
- by providing learning opportunities
- by fostering relationships between the CSA and the wider community and
- by providing a beautiful place that is nourishing to body and soul.
Contact Us
Stearns Farm CSA862 Edmands Road
Framingham, MA 01701
(508) 371-4310
| Name | Position | Contact Information | |
| Stearns Farm | Main phone | contactstearnsfarmcsa.org | 508-371-4310 |
| Trish Stefanko | Farm Manager | t8588hotmail.com | 508-887-5649 |
| Rachael Potts | Assistant Farm Manager | vintage.greens.farmgmail.com | |
| Cathy Briasco | Administration | stearnsfarmbriasco.org | 508-358-4167 |
| Sara Abramovitz | Volunteer Coord. | saralarryverizon.net | 978-443-9747 |
| Aliya Ewing | Children's Garden | aliya.ewinggmail.com | |
| Tom Yelton | Webmaster | webmasterstearnsfarmcsa.org | 978-443-5138 |
See Also Public/Staff and Public/Volunteers to contact a specific person.
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Recipes: Greens and Citrus Flavors
Since I am new to doing the recipe page I wanted to have a theme for our first pick up of the season. I felt it was crucial to highlight our gorgeous salad mix, our beautiful braising greens and tart rhubarb, and to share some recipes that incorporate bracing, clean citrus flavors that are like a splash of sunshine. Summer is almost upon us!Remember not to wash your greens until you are ready to prepare them. Keep them loosely wrapped in the refrigerator, but try to eat them as soon as possible to enjoy their truly fresh flavor
Vegetable Spotlight: Salad Greens
After a long winter without fresh young lettuce, I am sure that everyone is looking forward to our delicious Stearns Farm salad mix. It is a spectacular medley that includes arugula, tatsoi, mizuna and mustard greens, in addition to our lovely head lettuces. The tatsoi is the mildest of the mix with very pretty leaves, while the arugula, mizuna and mustard greens have a more peppery, bitter flavor. I suggest simple preparation for these special salad greens so that you can enjoy all of the flavors they have to offer. They are all delicious and I am excited that the first real salad of the season awaits!
There are also some herbs ready for picking, including winter savory, marjoram and oregano. These herbs are at their peak, so be sure to pick them now while they are at their best!
Simple Spring Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Serves 4, adapted from Heidi Swanson at 101cookbooks.comDon’t wash your lettuce until you are ready to use it. Be sure to spin it dry, or dry it between towels before making your salad.
1 and 1/2 oranges
1/2 lemon, juice only
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon fine grain salt
4 big handfuls of salad greens, washed and dried, any mixture that you like including our lettuce mix, spinach and head lettuce
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
1/3 cup black olives, (the wrinkly, oily ones), pitted
In a medium bowl whisk together the juice of 1/2 orange, lemon juice, most of the red onion, olive oil, and salt. Whisk together until emulsified, taste and adjust with more salt or lemon juice if needed.
Peel the remaining orange and cut into segments, removing any seeds you might encounter. Set aside.
When you're ready to serve, place the salad greens in a large bowl. Toss very gently with a generous splash of the dressing. Add the orange segments and walnuts. Give another toss. Taste and decide if you need to add more dressing and if so, add a bit more at a time, giving a good toss between additions. Make sure the nuts and citrus haven't all gone to the bottom, help them back up to the top if needed. Serve salad topped with the remaining red onion and olives.
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Cooked Mixed Greens Greek Style
Serves 4, adapted from Mediterranean Fresh by Joyce GoldsteinGreeks cook their greens with the classic “ladolemono,” an olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Their traditional Greek mix of greens is called “horta,” but you can use any combination of greens from the farm like swiss chard, kale, collards or spinach.
For the ladolemono (basic citrus dressing):
½ cup mild fruity extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher or sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.
For the greens:
1-1/2 to 2 pounds assorted tender braising greens
¾ cup of basic citrus dressing (above)
2 hard boiled eggs (optional)
Make the dressing first. Trim your greens, discarding any tough stems. Fill a sink with water and add your greens, swishing them around and letting any dirt settle to the bottom. Remove the greens and place in a colander to drain.
Bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil, add your greens and cook uncovered until the greens are tender. Keep in mind that the cooking time will vary depending on what greens you choose to use. I would start to test them after a few minutes, but it could take as long as 10 minutes. Drain well.
Serve the greens warm or cold, and dress with the ladolemono at serving time. Garnish with hard boiled eggs if desired.
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Stewed Rhubarb
Serves 4 to 6, adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah MadisonThis is great served cold with a smidgen of cream or with yogurt for breakfast!
1-1/2 pounds of rhubarb
½ cup sugar or honey or to taste
3 whole cloves
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange or lemon
Chop the rhubarb into short pieces and put in a heavy pan with the sugar, cloves, zest and juice. Cook over low heat until the rhubarb has broken down, about 10 minutes or so. Taste and sweeten if needed. As a variation you could also add some strawberries, sections of blood orange,tangerine or sliced mango to the rhubarb.
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The purpose of this recipe page is to share ideas for enjoying Stearns Farm produce. This year we are going to focus on combinations that use as much as possible of the current week’s ingredients. The arrival of each vegetable, fruit or herb adds to our options for fresh, truly seasonal meals. One of the pleasures of this kind of eating is the chance to flex our creativity and combine our discoveries to keep things interesting and have fun as we prepare and preserve the harvest.
What do you do with your Stearns Farm produce? Please share your recipes, vegetarian and vegan options, family favorites and seasonal menu ideas. Send recipes, questions, tips on storage and food preservation, and other suggestions to dsavastio
verizon.net. Thanks!back to top
Revision 5. Last edited Fri 14 Oct 2011 1:23pm by NaomiSofer