The Newsletter of Stearns Farm CSA

August 7, 2010 Volume 11, Number 10

In This Issue:

ON THE STAND THIS WEEK: Head lettuce, eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, slicing, heirloom and plum tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, pattypans, cucumbers, melons, carrots, red potatoes, baby leeks.

PYO: Culinary and tea herbs, cherry tomatoes, braising greens of collards, kale and chard, edible flowers, a bouquet of flowers.

COMING UP: shallots, superior potatoes, celery, wax beans.

From the Field: Open Your Eyes and Fill Up Your Soul/Trish Stefanko

Please stop. Get down close. Take a look. Recognize magnificence when you see it. Earlier this week Nancy, one of our Tuesday work-shares, came across a museum piece out in the field. It was a shriveled up Beatrice eggplant, full of stunning color and wrinkled in just the very same way your grandmother’s (or perhaps even your?) face was fashioned by years of joy and sorrow. I zoomed in close, noticed folds of skin a purple/magenta color that Martha Stewart will never own.

Pick a bed, any bed. Over in the tomatoes, little orange globes appropriately named after one of the reasons crops grow. Sungolds have long been known to farmers as “farm candy.” A few rows down, the blessed heirlooms, each one more oddly shaped than it’s neighbor on the vine. We’ll be seeing more of them as they take their sweet old time ripening it’s what makes them so delicious. My farmer’s advice when choosing heirlooms: do not fear the ugly tomatoes!! In fact, choose and enjoy them!
Wander through the flowers, it’s the only way to move through them. Lots of creatures spend their days in there, birds and all kinds of insects including the ones that pollinate food flowers too. Feast your eyes on color and park the image somewhere you can easily reach come January. Look up. Notice the crowd of sunflowers, all there for the show, unaware that they are the show!!!

It’s hard to tell what exactly is going on high up in the trees at the back of the first field. Lots of hawk drama, flight and sounds. We think perhaps Ruthie has a few teenagers up in a nest. This morning an adolescent red tailed hawk was perched on a fence post not 100 feet from where Casey and I were working. Adult birds are much more cautious and keep their distance from humans (for good reason). It’s something to watch a big bird like that. I quickly forget myself and invite you to do the same when you are here at Stearns; find and appreciate the beauty of birds and momentarily step outside of your life. It’s marvelous.

And the drought goes on and on. There is nothing else to say about it really other than the old stand-by “we sure could use a good rain.” Not a quick shower. A good long slow steady rain that will penetrate the earth and hydrate everything, including our dried up spirits! This latest down pour didn’t measure up farming- wise, but it sure saturated sharer Jim Guinness who steadily snipped herbs for twenty minutes in the pouring rain then showered us with laughs in the greenhouse while we trimmed up the seed garlic. I love these moments at Stearns. Rain and garlic and laughter. It’s all here folks: the soul food you have been seeking.

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Vegetable Showcase: Baby Leeks and New Red Potatoes/Donna Savastio

photo courtesy Johnny's Selected Seeds

What a treat for us to have baby leeks on the stand this week! They are known for their lovely delicate, sweet flavor and add a subtle touch to recipes without overpowering the other flavors. Leeks belong to the family of plants called Allium and are related to onions, shallots and scallions, to which they bear a resemblance. It is their silky mellowness that makes them the most subtle of the onion group of vegetables.

Baby leeks are used to enhance soups, stews, salads and stir-fries. Able to stand alone in their own deliciousness, baby leeks go well with a variety of vegetables. Besides our red new potatoes, try pairing them with fresh fennel, mushrooms, asparagus, carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, new potatoes, beets, squash and brussels sprouts. They are great smothered in a butter and white wine sauce, or use them to flavor vinaigrettes and other salad dressings. They are also lovely as a garnish for your main dishes. Be sure to wash your leeks thoroughly before using them in your recipes and, as always, be sure to enjoy these fresh off the stand.

photo courtesy Johnny's Selected Seeds

Of the more than five thousand varieties of potatoes in the world, in the United States the most common variety is the versatile red potato. Not all red potatoes are of the "new" variety. The ones called “new” are harvested when they are still small. Under their thin red skin, new red potatoes have a white firm interior that offers a rich, slightly sweet flavor. It is because of their low starch content that red-skinned potatoes hold their shape well after cooking. This makes them perfect for potato salad but they are, of course, great all kinds of ways. It’s easy to enhance their natural goodness with your favorite spices, herbs and seasonings.

Potatoes are high in fiber and they absorb water, which makes one feel satisfied and less hungry. They are also fat free, cholesterol free and sodium free. They are high in vitamin C and potassium and are a great source of vitamin B6. When you leave their skins on they offer more fiber. A single serving of potatoes provides you with 40% of the daily value needed of vitamin C and 20% of the potassium needed for your body each day.

If your potatoes last long enough to store, be sure to keep them in a cool dry place—not in the refrigerator. I’ll bet they won’t last long enough for storing!

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Culinary Herb Spotlight: Lemon Basil/Donna Savastio

We have lots of fresh lemon basil right now, and apparently no one is picking any! In a world full of lots of different types of basil, lemon basil offers a splendid and complex aroma. Delightfully lemony and citrusy, this distinct herb produces pale green pointed leaves that offer a delicious taste of lemon and a very prominent crisp clean lemon scent. Producing thinner stalks than common basil, the leaves are smaller and lighter in color.

Lemon basil leaves add a fresh tangy citrus flavor when stuffed in the cavities of fish, chicken or turkey before roasting, grilling or baking. Stuff leaves under the skin of chicken breasts and sauté them in olive oil. Lemon basil should be briefly and gently cooked to protect its delicate flavor and it is best added at the very last minute of cooking time. It is perfect for enhancing shrimp salad and pasta dishes. Make a lemon basil pesto with freshly ground almonds. It is also ideal for flavoring hot or iced tea.

To store, treat fresh basil like a flower. Put stems in a pot or glass of water; use within three to six days. Refrigerating fresh basil can cause this delicate herb to develop dark brown spots, which ruins its flavor and it’s beautiful presentation!

Here’s a quick lemon basil salsa recipe for you to try:

Finely chop two pounds of tomatoes, one large onion, four cloves fresh garlic, a couple of jalapeño peppers (to taste) and one-half cup of tightly packed lemon basil leaves. Toss with juice of two lemons and another one-half cup of chopped lemon basil leaves. Season with sugar and salt and pepper to taste and chill. Serve this as an accompaniment for meat entrées or as a side vegetable.

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Flower Garden Spotlight: Ageratum/Kathy Huckins

Our flower garden is filled with showy face flowers like zinnias, rudbeckia, daisies and sunflowers that stand out and dazzle us as we make our picking choices. Yet, there are other, quieter flowers with smaller heads that deserve our attention. It takes more of them to fill a vase, yet their distinct habit, style, and color make them unique and special.

One such flower that we grow in our Flower Garden is the ageratum, also called flossflower. We are used to seeing them as dwarf bedding plants common along the edges of flower beds. We plant the tall types in blue, plum and white. They bloom mid summer to mid fall. With their fuzzy buttons and brilliant colors they are an attractive addition to any vase. We liked them so much we have grown an entire bed of them. Give them a try this week. They are in the first section of our Flower Garden.

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Farm News: Fruit Shares, Children's Garden

We are very pleased to partner once again with Autumn Hills Orchard in Groton, MA to offer fruit shares to our members. They specialize in "extreme IPM" (Integrated Pest Management), in which they try to intervene as little as possible in the natural growing cycle and use no herbicides. (It is difficult to grow apples completely organically in New England.)

The weekly fruit share consists of a ½ peck bag (approximately 5 lbs.) of MOSTLY APPLES, many varieties unique to New England farms and not sold in grocery stores. We may have a few peaches, pears or plums also. Fruit pick-ups will begin the week of August 31 and run through the last pickup in October.

An 8-week share is $70 for FULL sharers; a 4 week share is $35 for ALTERNATE sharers. Sign-up forms/envelopes will be available at the Farm pick-up stand starting next week – just fill out the label on the envelope, insert your check and put the envelop in the wooden “Communications” box at the stand. You can also complete the form below and mail with your check payable to Stearns Farm CSA, if you prefer. The deadline for signing up is Tuesday Aug 24, 2010. For more information see www.AutumnHillsOrchard.com

The Children's Garden is always there for children of all ages to play in. A few times each season the Children's Garden Coordinator plans a Children's Garden Work Day which is designed to give sharers some time to put in their work hours while their children are engaged in the Children's Garden. The next Work Day is scheduled for Saturday, August 14. Please let Lauren Rota know if you are planning to work that day so that she can plan her activities and snacks accordingly lauren

laurenrota.com.

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Friday at the Farm

There were all kinds of things happening at the farm this afternoon:

People chatted,	harvested herbs,
greens,	tomatoes,
and flowers.	Elsewhere, WFS Mark Kelly was laying down drip tape to water the thirsty eggplants and peppers,
from the cherry tomatoes, Casey could be seen working with the tractor,	and signs of recent activity were everywhere: newly formed beds,
a recently transplanted bed,	and freshly spread wood chips in the herb garden.
Children enjoyed the tomatoes,	and marveled at the size of the sunflowers
And you didn't have to look far to find great beauty.

Upcoming Events

August 13-15	NOFA Northeast Organic Farming Association Summer Conference
August 14	Children's Garden Work Day

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
Public/Mission/poppies.JPG

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 CSA
862 Edmands Road
Framingham, MA 01701
(508) 371-4310


Name	Position	Contact Information
Stearns Farm	Main phone	contactstearnsfarmcsa.org	508-371-4310
Kathy Huckins	Farm Manager	huckinscharter.net	508-561-3950
Trish Stefanko	Assistant Farmer	t8588hotmail.com	508-887-5649
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
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: Baby Leeks and Red Potatoes

Leeks and potatoes happen to be a great combination, so I consider us quite lucky to have them on the stand together this week. When cooked together they can create a very flavorful bed of vegetables under a piece of grilled chicken or fish. You also can mash your potatoes with sauteed leeks, or roast them together in the oven or on the barbecue grill.

Another way to enjoy them together is to make the classic Vichyssoise, the thick soup made from pureed leeks, potatoes, cream and chicken stock and served cold. Did you know that this famous leek and potato soup is an American creation? It apparently was thrown together in a desperate moment by one of the chefs at the Waldorf Astoria. Adding his own special flavorings and cream to a cold version of French leek and potato soup, the chef fondly named it after his hometown of "Vichy."

Our freshly dug red potatoes are nothing like what you get at the store. Their flavor and texture are fantastic, so cooking them simply is the way to go!

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Roasted Baby Leeks with Thyme

Adapted from Cook with Jaime by Jamie Oliver
Serves 4

Baby leeks are just small leeks, but there are two things that are exciting about them: one is the fact that they haven't had the time to develop many green leaves or the fibrous structure that can sometimes make leeks stringy, and the second is that they are definitely sweeter than more mature leeks. The purpose of quickly boiling them in water and then roasting them, as the author has done in this recipe, is to make them deliciously soft and then to caramelize them so they develop a robustness that makes them wonderful served over or next to fish and meat. They will also add an interesting flavor to pastas or soups.

About 20 baby leeks
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

Preheat your oven to 400°F. I like to serve 4 or 5 baby leeks per person, depending on their size. Lightly trim both ends and peel back the first or second layer of leaves and discard. Drop the leeks in a pan of boiling salted water and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes to soften. Drain them well (if there's too much water in them they won't roast properly) and toss in a bowl with a good glug of olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, the chopped thyme leaves and the garlic.

Arrange the leeks in one layer in a baking tray or earthenware dish and roast in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until golden and almost caramelized. Keep your eye on them because once they get started it can happen fast!

printable version

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Creamy Leek Mashed Potatoes

Adapted from myrecipes.com
Serves 3 or double the recipe to serve 6

This recipe calls for large leeks but I don’t see why you can’t use the baby ones. I have approximated the amount for you, but you also can add the leeks to your own taste.

2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 to 2 large leeks, or about 10 to 15 baby leeks
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk
1-1/2 tablespoons buttermilk (you can use regular milk)

Preparation:
Bring potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and water to a boil in a largish pot. Boil for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and keep warm.

In the meantime prep your leeks by removing the outer leaves and the tops. This will be extremely minimal with the baby leeks. Thinly slice your leeks, rinse well and drain.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add leeks, and saute 5 minutes but do not brown them. Mash your potatoes, stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup butter, and next 3 ingredients until blended. Stir in leeks and serve.

printable version

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New Potato and Summer Squash Au Gratin

This is a great vegetarian dinner casserole that I have made a couple of times, which is really just a variant of scalloped potatoes. It’s a great way to use abundant Stearns veggies. Please excuse the lack of exact measurements, but you really don’t need them—this is a very versatile recipe and the quantities can vary.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare:
Fresh red new potatoes (or any variety) washed and sliced thin, about 1/8 inch
Summer squash (I like to mix the varieties) sliced about 1/4-1/2 inch

Layer into a baking dish:
Your potato slices
Your squash slices
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Butter slices
Repeat this layering until all of your vegetables are used (or dish is full...)

Top with:
Your favorite grated melting cheese, about 1/2 cup (Gouda, jack, provolone or mozzarella are all good)
A layer of fresh bread crumbs (if you don’t have fresh crumbs, Panko bread crumbs are a great alternative but regular bread crumbs will work too)
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Add:
Milk (I have used skim). Pour the milk into the side of the casserole dish until it reaches about half way up the side.

Bake at 375 degrees until it is done, about 30 minutes. It should be browned on top. Sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs before serving. You can serve this hot or just warm, as you like!

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!

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