Stone Soup
The Newsletter of Stearns Farm CSA
October 16, 2010 Volume 11, Number 20
In This Issue:
| ON THE STAND THIS WEEK: Head lettuce, salad greens and leaf lettuce, salad turnips, bok choy, beets, onions, leeks, potatoes, sweet peppers, celery, green and red cabbage, sweet potatoes, celeriac, parsnips, turnips. PYO: culinary and tea herbs, a bouquet of flowers. COMING UP: winter share. |
From the Field: Where Has the Time Gone?/Susan Peters
Here we are at the end of another growing season, and I ask myself (as I do every year), how did we get here so quickly? In May and June, when we have so much to get in the ground, it seems like we’ll never have enough time to do it. In July, especially this past July, with its incredible heat and abundant tomatoes, it feels like the summer will never end. Then, in August, dare I say it: it feels like the weeding will never end! Finally, we come upon September and the fall equinox. The earth begins its tilt away from the sun, and subtle autumn changes nudge us from our summer stupor. When October comes, more stark reminders appear, letting us know that Old Man Winter is making his slow trek towards us: freezing nights, crisp-cool days, flocks of geese in their “V” formations, making practice runs in the sky overhead (or so I like to think!), and the last pickup of the summer share.Luckily, at Stearns Farm, we have the opportunity to eat fresh vegetables throughout the winter. The winter share is something that makes winter different and perhaps takes the edge off of those very cold days. Coming home to a soup made with fresh veggies from the farm is the perfect treat on a cold, grey January afternoon. For those not doing the winter share, there is an opportunity to enjoy winter in the traditional sense. Taking a jar of dilly beans off the pantry shelf, or opening a can of tomato sauce made back in August, and serving these treats on the winter dinner table endows them with a delicacy they did not possess back in August. Enjoy them, and we’ll see you next summer!
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Farewell/Casey Wiggins
I just want to say thank you to all the sharers and friends of Stearns Farm. This season has been so wonderful, and it has been a privilege growing food with you all. I also wanted to say goodbye because the season is ending, and I will not be coming back next spring. I have decided to head south, back to Texas, to be near my family. But I am going to miss Stearns and all the amazing people who make it the magical place that it is. I feel so lucky to have had this experience, and I am grateful to all my incredible teachers (Kathy, Susan, Trish, Brian and everyone). I have acquired skills here that will stay with me the rest of my life. I have also made many lasting friendships and memories that I will take back with me. So, thank you to everyone for bringing so much joy to my life and allowing me to be a part of your Stearns family. Goodbye, stay warm, and I will miss ya'll! :) back to top
Vegetable Showcase: Parsnips and Turnips/Donna Savastio
Parsnips. Photo courtesy Johnny's Selected Seeds
Parsnips are fantastic and quite impressive cold weather performers. Sweet and delicate best describes the parsnip's outstanding flavors, while starchy, smooth, and light characterize its texture. Because of its starchy nature, the parsnip can easily stand in for potatoes in your hearty fall meals. These days the potato has pretty much taken the place of parsnips as the source of starch in our diets but in the days of old, before potatoes were deemed edible, the parsnip was prized not only for its long storage life but also for its sweet, nutty taste. A root vegetable, it is a member of the family whose other members include carrots, chervil, parsley, fennel, celery and celeriac. Because they store so well above ground as well as below, parsnips are available year round but to really enjoy the best of their flavors, the optimal season is fall through spring. This root vegetable is best harvested after the first frost since the cold helps to convert the starch to sugar, which sweetens and mellows their delightful flavor. They are used much more across the Pond, where the Brits hold this root vegetable in very high esteem. There is an old English proverb that states “fine words butter no parsnips.” Parsnips are good for you too, containing beneficial amounts of beta-carotene, vitamin B1, vitamin B3, vitamin C, fiber, folate, potassium, phosphorous and iron. As a starchy vegetable they are a great source of healthy calories, coming in at about 100 calories per cup.
Purple top turnips. Photo courtesy Johnny's Selected Seeds
Turnips and parsnips are both easy to prepare. Be sure to wash your root vegetables just before you are ready to use them. Parsnips have long been stereotyped as an ingredient in soups and stews for good reason—they are a truly fabulous addition to both, sweetening a pot of beef stew like you can’t believe! One of my favorite ways to prepare turnips is to roast them in the oven, where they take on gorgeous color and get nice and caramelized. They are also great roasted in combination with our parsnips, and both would be great simply boiled and mashed as a potato alternative.
Our summer season at Stearns has come to an end. Enjoy your parsnips and turnips, and all best wishes for a great winter season!
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Flower Garden Spotlight: Salvia/Kathy Powers
Salvia seems to me to be one of the quiet stalwart flowers in our garden, small but very erect, quietly blooming all through the season; Kathy says this is usually the last flower still blooming in the fall in our garden. You will find these in the first bed.The violet-blue flowers are the Gruppenblau variety which is an old variety of German origin. Another variety is the Marble Arch mix which includes rose, blue/purple, white colored bracts.
Salvia is part of the mint family which also includes the herb sage; there are both annual and perennial varieties.
These are another excellent flower for drying.
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Surprising Slaws/Jenny Jones
I've shocked myself with some unconventional veggie use this summer. I've found that in addition to green cabbage and red cabbage being interchangeable, beets and broccoli are an amazing substitute! It seems that the common elements are: you can eat the veggie raw, it has a mild taste as a raw food, and the slaw textures all have a similar mouth feel—thick, hardy and chewable, *not* fiber-y. I've also discovered that peanut butter—you know that wonderful stuff that shows up in Thai sauces, Japanese salads and wonderful cookies! is really easy to convert to amazing dressings.
1. Make an awesome slaw
Veggie Base:
- 1/2 head red or green cabbage
- 4 medium beets <— people this is incredible, even for the beet weary
- 2-3 big stalks for broccoli
- some combination of any or all of these
Slaw it up! I use the food processor, but some people have better knife skills than I.
Throw in whatever you feel most inspired by:
- sliced celery
- slivered red onion
- shredded carrot
- finely chopped parsley, mint, and/or cilantro
- chopped or sliced pepper of any type
2. Make an excellent dressing.
Can't Go Wrong Dressing:
- 1/2 c. olive oil
- juice of 2 lemons or 2 big limes (one of each, even!)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Cayenne or chipotle (if you dare!)
- 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped sage or thyme
Samurai Thai Dressing:
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup peanut butter
- juice of 1-2 limes
- 1-2 finely chopped cloves of garlic
- 1/8 teaspoon of stevia or 1 tablespoon sugar (if you need sweet, skip if not)
- salt to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger (optional)
- 2 finely chopped hot peppers (optional)
- 1/4 - 3/4 c. water (add and blend until the dressing is as thick as you like)
3. If you want to throw in some protein:
- smoked or pressed tofu chunks
- seasoned seitan of some sort
- leftover cold chicken or chorizo sausage
- mozzarella chunks
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Neighborhood Notes: Eastleigh Farm
Our friends at Eastleigh Farm have recently expanded the offerings in their store. In addition to raw milk, pasteurized milk, organic eggs, ice cream, and locally made raw-milk cheeses, the store now features a variety of local maple products and gift items. Later this fall Doug Stephen and his crew will start making their own cheese.
For up to date hours and information about raw milk and the other products available at Eastleigh visit
http://www.eastleighfarm.com. Please support our good friends and neighbors! Visit Eastleigh Farm, and spread the word about this important part of our local food web. back to top
From the Editor/Nomi Sofer
As the summer share season draws to a close I want to thank everyone who participated in getting the newsletter out each week. Kathy, Trish, Susan and Casey took turns writing the From the Field columns, and it was a real pleasure to hear all their voices this year. Nadine Salisch and Lauren Rota provided regular updates from the Herb and Children’s gardens, and kept us apprised of the wealth of activity in both gardens. Finally, I want to extend a very special thank you to Donna Savastio and Kathy Powers, both of whom are volunteers! Donna has been doing double duty this year, contributing the Vegetable Spotlight columns each and every week and putting together a wonderfully varied selection of recipes every single week. Kathy joined the newsletter ranks in the second half of the season and her Flower Garden Spotlights have been a lot like our flowers—little nuggets of color and beauty that make us stop and look more closely. Thank You: without all of you, there would be no newsletter!
Looking ahead, I want to introduce you to the new co-editor of Stone Soup, Leslea Linebarger. Currently a Friday work-for-sharer, Leslea has decided to spend half her time next year at her desk instead of in the fields. We will share the position of editor, alternating weeks throughout the season.
During the winter months Stone Soup will be published monthly instead of weekly. Winter sharers will get an email notification when the newsletter is posted. Everyone else is welcome to read the newsletter too: the current issue of Stone Soup can always be found by clicking on the “quick links” box on the home page, at http://www.stearnsfarmcsa.org. Past issues can be found under What’s Happening/Newsletters.
We are always happy to have your recipes, poems, stories, or reflections about Stearns Farm. Feedback about the newsletter is also welcome. I love hearing from you.
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Upcoming Events
| 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 |
| October 23 | Constructing high tunnel greenhouse in the field |
| November 5 | Winter share pickup: First Friday group |
| November 19 | Winter share pickup: Third Friday group |
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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 | contact stearnsfarmcsa.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: Parsnips and Turnips
Root vegetables like parsnips and turnips are among some of the most overlooked and under-appreciated foods around, but these nutritional giants are hidden treasures very worthy of your notice! Be sure to experiment with your turnips and parsnips to see what they have to offer in taste and versatility. Turnips should be stored in a cool, dark place out of the refrigerator, and the parsnips will keep well in the refrigerator for at least a week. Enjoy them!
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Parsnips with Breadcrumbs
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah MadisonServes 4
Although parsnips are tough-looking roots they turn soft quickly, so keep an eye on them.
1-1/2 to 2 pounds parsnips, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs (you can substitute dried crumbs as well as panko breadcrumbs)
Salt and freshly milled pepper
Chopped parsley or tarragon
Cut the parsnips into pieces of equal length, then halve or quarter the thicker ends so they will be approximately the same thickness as the rest. Steam or boil in salted water until tender-firm, about 7 to 10 minutes, checking them after 5 minutes.
Melt one tablespoon in a small skillet and add your bread crumbs, frying until the crumbs are golden and crunchy, a few minutes.
Toss the bread crumbs with your steamed or boiled parsnips and your additional tablespoon of butter. Serve garnished with the chopped parsley or tarragon.
printable version
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Roasted Turnips with Maple and Cardamom
Adapted from Fine Cooking magazine, recipe by Susie MiddletonServes 8 as a side dish
I made this dish last Thanksgiving instead of the traditional mashed turnips, and everyone loved it. The coriander and the cardamom give the dish a surprising complexity.
3-1/2 pounds purple-top turnips, peeled and cut into ¾ inch dice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 oz unsalted butter
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro or a mix of fresh parsley with mint
Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat to 475 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil. In a mixing bowl combine the turnips, oil and 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt. Toss to coat well. Divide the turnips between the two pans and spread evenly in one layer. Roast for 20 minutes. With a large spatula flip the turnips, swap the positions of the pans and roast until tender and nicely browned, about another 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla and red pepper flakes, then the coriander and cardamom, until the sauce is heated, about a minute. Remove from heat.
Transfer your turnips to a large mixing bowl. Gently reheat the sauce if necessary and stir in the lemon juice. Toss your sauce with the turnips. Add half of the herbs you are using and salt to taste. Transfer to a warm baking dish and garnish with the remaining herb mixture.
You could make this one day in advance. To reheat, put the dressed turnips (without the herbs!) into a large nonstick skillet and cover. Heat gently over medium-low heat until warmed through. Add your fresh herbs and season to taste with salt just before serving.
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Oven Roasted Root Vegetables
Adapted from Mass Farmers Markets recipe bookletRecipe by Chef Peter Davis at the Charles Hotel
Serves 6 as a side dish
This is one of those roasted root vegetable recipes that you can really play around with. Don’t have a rutabaga? Substitute more turnips. Out of celeriac? Add some potatoes. You get the idea. The most important thing to remember here is to cut your vegetables the same size.
½ pound parsnips
½ pound turnips
½ pound rutabaga
½ pound celeriac
½ pound carrots
2 ounces butter, melted (you could use olive oil instead)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel scrub the vegetables. Cut them all into 1 to 2 inch cubes.
Place the veggies into a large bowl and toss with the melted butter. Add salt and pepper.
Place the veggies on a flat baking tray and roast for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste.
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Butternut, Gorgonzola and Sage Tart
Here’s another recipe sent in by sharer Leslea Linebarger. The folks working at the Farm were RAVING about this recipe. It sounds absolutely fantastic so be sure to try it. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe Leslea!
Pie Dough
Small to medium butternut squash
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup half and half
Salt and pepper
6 oz. Gorgonzola cheese
2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
6-8 fresh sage leaves
Cut squash in half and brush the cut side with the oil. Place cut-side up on baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes until browned and very soft. Let cool. Remove seeds and scoop out flesh, discarding skin.
Bake pie shell blind (covered with parchment or foil and filled with beans) for 10 minutes at 375. Then remove beans and paper and bake for 5 minutes more.
Mash squash and mix with half the cream, season with salt and pepper and spread in pastry shell. Slice the cheese and lay on top. Whisk remaining cream with the eggs and egg yolk and pour into tart pan, making sure it settles evenly. Arrange the sage leaves in a circle on the surface. Bake for 30-35 minutes and leave for 10 minutes in pan before serving.
Best eaten warm. The squash gives it a slight sweetness which complements the cheese perfectly. Serves 6.
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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 1. Last edited Fri 15 Oct 2010 9:31pm by NaomiSofer