Stone Soup
The Newsletter of Stearns Farm CSA
June 19, 2010 Volume 11, Number 3
In This Issue:
| NEW THIS WEEK: Summer squash, peas, carrots. COMING UP: Napa cabbage, beets, tea herbs. |
From the Field: Welcome Summer/Susan Peters
A lot has been happening on the farm this week, as we bid goodbye to spring and embrace summer! The solstice is here—the longest day of the year. Our crops (as well as the weeds) seem to be growing by inches every day. With this in mind, a large crew of us finished mulching the nightshades on Saturday and moved on to the melons. This was a big project—thanks to all the mulchers out there! Mulching will give these summer crops all the weed-free space they need to thrive in the summer heat. Cultivation has been on the agenda almost daily, as well, another preventive measure we take to keep weeds away from our crops. Amidst all of this, we continue, of course, to plant crops. Late tomatoes, husk cherries, and tomatillos have found their summer homes in the field this week, and sweet potatoes will go in the ground very soon. Crops at the Parkland are benefiting from the onset of summer as well. Since the Parkland is down the road a bit and out of our direct view, here is an update on what has been happening out there:
The Parkland is a “heavy” producer in terms of food for the farm, bringing us bulky items like winter squash, pumpkins, potatoes, and popcorn. We will also plant some brassicas there this year.
To start off the season at the Parkland, we used the chisel plow to prepare the soil for planting. This plow enabled us to work the rocky soil of the Parkland, while also acting as a preventive measure to break up any hardpan, a dense layer of soil, which can develop over time. We used the new transplanter at the Parkland this year and were able to get the winter squash in the ground quickly and efficiently, including watering the little guys in! One crop we planted by hand at the Parkland was the potatoes, which are doing well and seem to have fended off the annual onslaught of Colorado Potato Beetle. The potatoes are looking vigorous and were hilled this week.
There is a resident wild turkey at the Parkland, as well, who walks the fields while we are gone, making a quick exit into the woods as we arrive. I happened to pull up one day to find her taking a dust bath in the field – something I’ve never seen before – a big turkey rolling around on her back! She got up quickly, composed herself, and walked off into the woods!
Summertime is here. See you on the farm!
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Garden Showcase: Shelling, Snap, and Snow Peas/Donna Savastio
photo courtesy of Johnny's Seeds
The modern day garden pea is thought to have originated from the native field pea of Asia and Europe, and has been consumed by humans for thousands of years. In fact, peas are mentioned in the Bible and were highly prized by the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome. However, it was not until the 16th century, when cultivation techniques created more tender varieties that people began to consume peas in their fresh state as opposed to just eating dried peas. It is likely that the Chinese were the first to consume both the seeds and the pods as a vegetable.
photo courtesy of Johnny's Seeds
Peas are bursting with nutrition. They are a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, dietary fiber, folate and thiamin. They are also a good source of vitamin A, phosphorus, vitamin B6, protein, niacin, magnesium, riboflavin, copper, iron, zinc and potassium. Pears are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.
photo courtesy of Johnny's Seeds
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Farm News: Pitchfork Brigade Forming
photo by John Bendel|
We're still looking for a few good marchers for the Pitchfork Brigade! It has been a tradition at Stearn's Farm to march in the Sudbury 4th of July Parade. The brigade, outfitted in overalls and mustering with rakes and hoes beautifully complements the civic and business groups who also march. It is a great activity for adults as well as families. We'll need at least 12 marchers, 2 banner bearers, and one watering can drummer to be successful! The parade is Sunday, July 4 at 1:00 pm. There will be an ongoing practice at the Farm during pickup on July 2. For more information, contact Louise Bendel at louisebendel
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Upcoming Events
| June 19 | SWEET POTATO DAY: Planting sweet potato slips |
| July 15 | Date by which half your work hours must be completed or paid |
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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: Garlic Scapes, Peas and Summer Squash
We have such an awesome combination of vegetables on the stand this week—garlic scapes, snow peas and summer squash. These three ingredients are among the best that the growing season has to offer. They marry beautifully so try cooking them all together in a sauté, or try one the recipes below.
On another note, I would love to hear from you regarding the recipe page. Please send any comments, questions or recipes to dsavastio
verizon.net Thanks!Spotlight on Garlic Scapes
I absolutely love garlic scapes. I encountered them during my first season at Stearns, and the love is still evolving between us—I really can’t get enough of them! After they’re gone I try substituting with the garlic chives but it is just not the same. Scapes are incredibly versatile and offer the most lovely, mellow garlic flavor. I like them young, when they are slender, tender and delicious. Garlic scapes are the stem of the garlic plant, specifically the long, thin, pliable shoot that grows out of the ground, curling up, as the garlic bulb grows and gets harder. If this shoot stays attached to the garlic plant it will curtail the growth of the garlic bulb, and so these shoots must be removed to allow the bulb to grow larger. It turns out that these shoots offer a wonderfully mild and fresh tasting garlic flavor, much less sharp a flavor than the bulb itself provides. Think of them as scallion or chive-like, pliable enough to curl into tendrils or tie into knots, and we get garlic two ways from one plant. Fantastic!
Before you use the garlic scapes you want to cut them below the flower bud. Keep the buds because you can use them to garnish your plates! Eat the scapes raw or cooked and add them freely to just about any savory recipe that calls for garlic flavor. Enjoy them while they last!
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Snow Peas and Garlic Scape Sauté
Serves 2 to 4This is a fast one so make your sauce first and be sure you have everything else for your meal ready to go. The cooking time for this is only about 3 to 4 minutes, and you should serve this immediately after cooking. Wash your snow peas, cut off the stems and pull off any attached strings before cooking.
For the sauce:
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari)
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon of sesame oil (or toasted sesame oil)
2 tablespooons water
Mix the above ingredients in a small bowl and set it aside until you’re ready to cook.
To cook the peas and the garlic scapes:
2 cups of snow peas, prepped as noted above
1 cup chopped garlic scapes (cut to a size about the same as your pea size, about 10 to 12 scapes)
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
Make your sauce first, and then prepare your snow peas and garlic scapes for cooking.
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet. Add the garlic scapes and sauté them, stirring constantly until they turn bright green- about a minute. Add the snow peas and with the tablespoon of water and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Stir your sauce and add it to the skillet, mixing well until it thickens. Serve immediately.
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Summer Squash and Garlic Scape Pesto
Since we have summer squash this week you can make a nice combo here with the scapes. You can use this pesto a number of ways—as a side dish, spread on crusty bread, added to a summer soup to boost the flavor, use it in a lasagne or serve it over pasta or rice. If you are serving it over pasta save some of the pasta water to thin the pesto if desired.
About four zucchini or any summer squash (you can use a variety of squashes), sliced thin
A good sized bunch of garlic scapes, buds removed and scapes chopped
1 banana pepper, seeded, diced (you could substitute a sweet pepper)
1/3 cup olive oil (more or less)
Sea salt, cracked pepper
Small handful of mint leaves (optional)
Salt zucchini or summer squashes in a colander and allow to sit for 20 minutes. You can use paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. (This step is not so important if the squashes are small.)
Saute the summer squash in olive oil on low heat until soft and cooked through—you don’t want it to be mushy but you also don’t want it crunchy.
In a food processor, add chopped scapes, salt, pepper, banana pepper and the mint. Pulse until the scapes seem as small as you can get them, adding olive oil a little at a time. Add in the cooked zucchini and process. You’ll have to judge here if you need to have more olive oil depending on what consistency you want. If you are serving this over pasta go ahead and add some of the starchy pasta water to the pesto if you want to thin it a bit.
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Garlic Scape and White Bean Dip
You could serve this with toasted bread rounds, tortilla chips or crackers, as well as with a vegetable crudite platter. A food processor makes this recipe a snap, but I don’t see why you couldn’t use a hand potato masher or a ricer to make this. It would be more rustic and chunky is all. Don’t forget to save your flower buds to garnish your dip.
½ cup garlic scapes (approximately 6 to 8)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 15 ounce can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Flower buds and some raw chopped scapes for garnish
In a food processor, process your garlic scapes with the lemon juice, salt and pepper just until roughly chopped. Add your drained beans and process to a rough puree. With the motor running, slow add your olive oil through the feed tube of the processor, and process until fairly smooth. If you want it smoother you can pulse in a tablespoon of water at a time, depending on how you like the texture. Taste and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve in a small bowl and drizzle the dip with some more olive oil. Garnish with the flower buds and some raw chopped scapes if desired.
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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
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Revision 1. Last edited Sat 19 Jun 2010 10:26am by NaomiSofer