Stone Soup
The Newsletter of Stearns Farm CSA
September 11, 2010 Volume 11, Number 15
In This Issue:
| ON THE STAND THIS WEEK: Head lettuce, salad greens, carrots, beets, onions, slicing tomatoes, sweet peppers, potatoes, early winter squash, celery. PYO: Culinary and tea herbs, cherry tomatoes, braising greens of collards, kale and chard, hot peppers, husk cherries, raspberries, edible flowers, a bouquet of flowers. COMING UP: late potatoes, celeriac, butternut squash. |
From the Field: Two Seasons at Once/Susan Peters
Late Summer in the Flower Garden
September offers the opportunity to view the seasons together, and I do believe that the gradual transition from summer to autumn is an extraordinary time and should not be overlooked in favor of the more convenient separation of the two seasons by the Labor Day holiday and back-to-school fever. The browns and yellows and oranges that emerge in late summer offer a new perspective on the land we have been tending all these months and that we often, at this point in the season, inhabit with the blind eye of familiarity. They invite us to stop and look again at the scenery:
The crisp brown and red of the rhubarb leaves—a crop long gone—intermingle with the bright green of mizuna and tatsoi, planted only a few feet away. The large, dead tree next to Edmands Road, where Ruth, the red-tailed hawk often sits, suddenly sports a long shawl of bright-red leaves on a vine. The onions curing in the greenhouse have turned crispy brown on the outside, a symbol of their promise to abide through the winter, when salad greens are just a romantic memory. The Sweet Annie in the flower garden is getting taller by the day, finally arching over the still brilliant zinnias. I intentionally brush against it when I am there, just to inhale its September scent. Goldenrod is also blooming. It is, perhaps, my favorite, for it, too, will get taller and yellower and eventually die off during a freezing night in November—the signal that the impending Fall I patiently await every year has finally arrived.
Right now, it is only September, however, and I am able to hold both seasons in my view. The hot breeze of day contrasts with the almost cold chill of nighttime air. Bright red tomatoes coexist with winter cover crop being spread in the very next field. The two are necessary and provocative and exciting.
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Vegetable Showcase: Winter Squash/Donna Savastio
Winter squash, a relative of both the melon and the cucumber, come in many different varieties. We will have lots of different varieties coming onto the stand over the next several weeks—first will be the Cucurbita pepo varieties including acorn, pie pumpkin, delicata, carnival and sweet dumpling. After that we will have the Cucurbita moschata, butternut squashes, and then later will be the Cucurbita maxima varieties including the sunshine kabocha and buttercup. I want to tell you about some of them that you may not be familiar with.The delicata are the longish cream-colored fruits with dark green longitudinal stripes and flecks. They are very sweet and are excellent for stuffing, roasting and baking. The sweet dumplings are small, about 4" in diameter teacup-shaped fruits. They have the ivory color and dark green stripes of delicata, but in a round, flat-topped shape and dainty, single-serving size. They are also very sweet with tender orange flesh. The carnivals are like a multicolored Sweet Dumpling but are about twice as big. They have colorful patches and flecks of dark green, light green, orange, and yellow and are a popular specialty market variety. The kabocha squashes are also round and can be either green or orange, and the buttercups are similar to the kabochas but with a “button” on the blossom end.
We are just beginning to discover the wealth of nourishment supplied by the mildly sweet flavored and finely textured winter squashes. Each type has a hard, protective skin that is difficult to pierce, which allows for their long storage potential, while still providing an outstanding variety of conventional nutrients. Winter squash is an excellent source of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene and a very good source of vitamin C, potassium, manganese and dietary fiber. One of the most abundant nutrients in winter squash, beta-carotene, has been shown to have very powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Depending on the variety, winter squash can be kept for up to six months! Keep it away from direct exposure to light. It also should not be exposed to extreme heat or cold, with the ideal temperature for storing winter squash between 50-60°F. After washing cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and fibrous material in the cavity. Depending upon your recipe it can be used either peeled or not peeled and really is quite versatile. Winter squash can be baked in the oven with its thick rind still on, roasted, steamed and pureed or baked in a pie, savory or sweet. You can top puréed or mashed winter squash with cinnamon and maple syrup, steam cubes of winter squash and toss with olive oil and herbs, use as a traditional filling for stuffed pastas like ravioli and tortellini and add cubes of winter squash to your favorite vegetable soup recipe. It’s nice to have such a great variety to choose from—be sure to try them all!
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Flower Garden Spotlight: Edible flowers: Calendula, Marigolds, Nasturtium/Kathy Powers
Nasturtium. Photo by Kathy Powers
Calendula have daisylike flowers, the petals can be added to salads, or added to your bouquet. The common name for these are pot marigolds and the varieties this year are: Pacific Beauty, Flashback and Deja Vu with colors of pink, orange, yellow, cream many of which have bi-color petals.
The edible marigold flowers in lemon yellow and tangerine have bite-size petals amidst mounds of lacy foliage with a citrusy scent. Use these in salad or as a garnish.
My favorites are the sprightly nasturtiums, with their clear bright colors of yellow, magenta, or deep orange. They have slender stems and the flowers have five petals in an open trumpet shape with a long spur at the back. Notice their scent, it is somewhat peppery. The leaves are like little lily pads - round with the veins radiating out from the center; one of our varieties this year, Alaska Mix has mottled green and white leaves. All parts of this plant are edible. The edible flowers are located in the middle flower bed.
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From the Board: Annual Meeting and Call for New Members
At the annual meeting of our CSA, which will be held at the Harvest Festival on September 25th, we will have the opportunity to add several new members to the Stearns Farm Board of Directors. We are looking for members who will complement the skills of the existing Board members and enable Stearns Farm to thrive in the coming years.
Do you have an interest in becoming a board member? Being a sharer means you care about Stearns Farm and its future abilities to serve you and the community as a whole—that is a first requirement for being on the Board. While no prior experience in being on a not-for-profit board is required, good organizational skills would be most welcome.
If you would like to learn more about being on the Board, please contact Frann Bennett at rickfrann
comcast.net or by phone 978.440.9307. back to top
Behind the Scenes at the Farm: Water/Nomi Sofer
It’s a farmer’s truism that there is always too much or too little water. Last summer, we had too much rain, which created the condition for the late blight epidemic that destroyed our tomato crop, but also provided ideal growing conditions for some of the most prolific greens we’ve ever had. This year we’ve had a very dry season, which means that the farm crew has had to spend a lot of time and energy watering. We buy our water from the Town of Framingham, so this dry season also means that our water bill will be higher than some other years.
Drip tape under the peppers stays in place all season
Casey moves hoses to set up the sprinklers
The field water at Stearns has always been seasonal—this means that until very recently, we had no water at the farm after November. This wasn’t much of a problem until we started extending the growing season and offering a winter share. During the first winter share season water for washing harvests and watering crops had to be brought to the greenhouse in barrels! In 2009 Brian Holland worked tirelessly to get year-round water installed at the farm, a process that involved a lot of back-and-forth with the Town’s authorities and various contractors. The result is year-round water in the greenhouse, which makes washing the winter harvest and watering the winter crops possible.
Like many things on the farm, it takes a lot of effort and planning to use our resources efficiently. We add lots of organic matter to our sandy soil, to help it hold water. We mulch heavily wherever possible to prevent evaporation and conserve moisture. We let the weeds grow in some fields because they help keep water in the soil. And we plan the use of sprinklers as carefully as possible to minimize moving heavy hoses. And most of all, we hope for a balance of rain—not too much, but not too little, either.
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Farm News: Harvest Festival, Food Preservation Workshop
The Harvest Festival is coming! This annual event is an opportunity to celebrate the bounty of our farm, thank everyone who has worked so hard to bring us the harvest this year, and spend a little time with people we usually see only in passing, on the way to or from the fields. As in past years, the Harvest Festival starts with a potluck. Please bring a dish large enough to feed 8-10 people, and plates, silverware, and napkins. We do not supply paper goods, and we encourage you to bring non-disposable plates and utensils. After the feasting we will hold our annual meeting, hear from Kathy, and enjoy music provided by John Fraize and the Messy Fergusons. There will be children's activities and hayrides, and our own popcorn will be served. And this year, Kathy's Stearns Farm quilt, which she has been working on for years, will be on display. Come see if you are in the quilt! A flyer to print and post is attached to this weeek's email.
Food Preservation Workshops: If you missed the NOFA sponsored food preservation workshop offerred by Sharon Kane in Ashland this weekend, don't despair. Sharon will be offerring two more food preservation workshops, on 9/25 and 10/2. To register or for more information about this and other workshops, visit
http://www.sanctuary-healing.com/food-as-medicine.htmlback to top
Upcoming Events
| September 25 | Harvest Festival and Annual Meeting/Potluck lunch at 12:00 noon |
| October 12 | Last pick-up: Tuesday Alternate 1 shares |
| October 15 | Last pick-up: Friday Alternate 1 shares |
| October 16 | Garlic Planting for 2011 season |
| October 19 | Last pick-up: Tuesday Full shares and Alternate 2 shares |
| October 22 | Last pick-up: Friday Full shares and Alternate 2 shares |
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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 |
| Sonya Ciavola | Assistant Farm Manager | saciavolagmail.com | |
| Cathy Briasco | Administration | stearnsfarmbriasco.org | 508-358-4167 |
| Sara Abramovitz | Volunteer Coord. | saralarryverizon.net | 978-443-9747 |
| Lauren Rota | Children's Garden | laurenlaurenrota.com | 617-999-6932 |
| Nomi Sofer | Newsletter Editor | nzsofercomcast.net | 508-875-2080 |
| Leslea Linebarger | Newsletter Editor | leslea2verizon.net | 508-624-0802 |
| 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: Winter Squash
The arrival of the winter squash signals the start of the fall season, when our tastes begin to turn away from our low key summer menus and towards more hearty cool-weather fare. Here are some ways for you to enjoy all of these beautiful squashes.
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White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash
I found this recipe on www.cooklocal.com The recipe is adapted from Eggs on Sunday2 medium Delicata squash
Salt and pepper
Lightly flavored oil of your choice- vegetable or olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
10 oz white beans, cooked
1 bunch of kale, de-stemmed and torn into chunks
1 Tbsp sage leaves, minced
4 Tbsp breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush your oil over the insides of the squash and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until just tender (make sure they aren’t so soft they are falling apart).
During the last 15 minutes of cooking, assemble the filling. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the kale. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn the heat back down to medium and add the white beans and sage. Season with salt and pepper and set aside until the squash is done.
Remove the squash from the oven. Fill with the kale and white bean mixture. Mix the Parmesan and bread crumbs together and top the stuffed squash with the mixture. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the Parmesan is melted and the stuffing is heated through.
Serve and enjoy.
printable version
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Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
Adapted from More Cooking in Wine Country by Joanne WeirThe flavors of this soup belong to autumn! Toasting the spices first will bring out their flavor while roasting the squash accentuates its natural sweetness. You’ll be amazed at the depth of flavor!
1 butternut squash (1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
4 large carrots, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups chicken stock (alternatively you could use vegetable stock)
3 cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (you could substitute fresh parsley if you don’t like cilantro)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the squash in half from top to bottom and place it, cut sides down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake until the squash can be easily pierced with a knife, 50 to 60 minutes. Allow it to cool slightly. With a spoon, remove and discard the seeds. Scrape the pulp from the skin and discard the skin.
Warm the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin, turmeric and coriander and continue to cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the squash, carrots, sugar, chicken stock, water, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the carrots are soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Let it cool a bit, about 15 minutes.
Puree the soup- an immersion blender works wonders here, or use a blender and puree it in batches. Puree until very smooth. Put the soup back into the pot and gently reheat. If the soup is too thick add some water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the hot soup into bowls, garnish with cilantro and a drizzle of yogurt and serve.
printable version
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Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash
Adapted from 101cookbooks.com, recipe by Heidi SwansonServes 4 to 6
I thought this recipe sounded delicious. I’ll let the author give you some advice on this one! Her tips are as follows:
“I used an acorn squash here, but you can experiment with other types of squash if you like. Also, (important!) depending on the size of your squash you might have quite a bit of filling leftover - I ended up with double the amount I needed. I poured my leftovers into a buttered ramekin and baked that alongside the squash for a nice, light corn-flecked pudding. Alternately, you might use a second squash!
1 small (2 lb.) acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
1 tablespoon clarified butter or olive oil 1 cup milk
1 egg plus 2 egg whites
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (or more if you like)
1/4 teaspoon anise seed chopped
1/2 cup chopped scallions
Tiny pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup grated white cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 375F degrees with a rack in the middle.
Rub the orange flesh of the squash with the butter/oil. Place cut side up on a baking sheet. You will want it to sit flat (and not tip), if you are having trouble just level out the bottom using a knife. If the squash is tilting on the pan, the filling will run out - bad news. Cover the squash with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until the squash starts to get tender.
In a bowl combine the milk, eggs, corn, anise seed, half of the scallions, nutmeg, and salt. Fill each of the squash bowls 3/4 full (see head notes about using leftovers). Carefully transfer the squash back to the oven without spilling. Continue baking uncovered for another 30 - 50 minutes, or until the squash is fully cooked through, and the pudding has set. The amount of time it takes can vary wildly depending on the squash and oven. At the last minute sprinkle with cheese and finish with a flash under the broiler to brown the cheese. Keep and eye on things under the broiler as you can go from melted cheese to burnt and inedible in a flash. Serve hot sprinkled with the remaining scallions.
printable version
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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 17 Sep 2010 11:14am by NaomiSofer