Spring CSA

Week Three of the Spring CSA bag will include a mix of the following: Greens (either Spinach, Lettuce, or Microgreens), Pinto Potatoes, Spring-dig Parsnips, Radishes (either Watermelon and Purple Daikon) , Sweet Potatoes, Cortland Apples.  Please note that the weekly photo is not an exact depiction of what is in your share, but rather a reference image.

If you cannot recycle or reuse them, we are accepting returned CSA bags.  Please be sure that returned bags are clean and in good condition.

A note on produce.  Throughout the course of the Spring CSA, if you have produce that seems sub-par, please do not immediately throw it out and then write to us.  Keep it. Take a picture and email us.  Wait to hear from us on how to address the issue.  We take pride in the quality of produce that we provide, please give us the chance to correct any possible produce issues.  Thank you for your understanding.

The weekly letter will be coming to your inbox the day before your pickup, and is also available at stillmansfarm.com/blog and stilllifefarm.wordpress.com.  Most of the letters will be composed by Halley Stillman, though Genevieve Stillman may jump in from time to time.

Weekly Featured Item: Spring-dug Parsnip

The spring-dug parsnip is a parsnip like any other, except for the fact that it is left to overwinter in the field (as opposed to in a root cellar).  Leaving the parsnip in the ground, exposed to freezing cold, allows the starches to convert into sugars, which mellows the flavor and gives way to a bright sweetness.

PARSNIP, DATE, AND HAZELUT LOAF CAKE WITH MEYER LEMON GLAZE from Six Seasons, by Joshua McFadden

“The ‘hunger gap’ is the period between the end of winter and beginning of spring vegetables.  You’re either sick of winter vegetables or you’ve consumed them all (if you’re eating from your own garden), and you can’t wait for the first radishes and lettuces of spring to appear.  But the gap period does provide a few delicacies – in particular, overwintered parsnips, which have grown sweeter during their long stay in the ground.”

• Butter, for the pan
• 1 ¼ c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 c powdered sugar
• 2 t finely grated lemon zest
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ pound parsnips, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t kosher salt
• ½ c chopped dates
• 2 eggs
• ¾ c granulated sugar
• ¾ c packed dark brown sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2/3 c EVOO
• ¾ c hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Heat oven to 325^oF.  Generously butter an 8×5-inch loaf pan.  Dust the surfaces with flour and tap out excess.  Stir together lemon juice and powdered sugar in a bowl.  Stir in 1t of lemon zest and several twists of pepper.  Set the glaze aside.  Put the parsnips in a food processor and process until they are finely chopped, like the texture of couscous; you want to have about 1½ cups. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the dates and toss until dates are coated with flour and do not clump together.  To the food processor with the parsnips, add the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and remaining 1t of lemon zest, pulse until smooth and well blended.  Pulse in the oil to make a creamy consistency.  Pour the parsnip mixture into the dry ingredients and fold until blended.  Add the hazelnuts and fold until there are no more bits of flour.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake until slightly risen and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35-45 minutes.  Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to release from the pan.  Set the warm cake on a rack set over a tray to catch the glaze.  Drizzle the glaze all over the top while the cake is still warm.

Little tidbits from the farms:

Stillman’s Farm.  Even with last week’s teaser of spring, it’s still too cold and wet to get onto the fields, but there is plenty to do in the greenhouses! The pansies and the heirloom tomato seedlings are up!  We continue to make updates on the farm to strive for better farm efficiency, for example, using our new flat-filler, walkie-talkies, and John Deere gators.  Time saved on certain jobs, means more time allocated for growing food!  Speaking of growing food, if you are beginning to think about your own gardens, Stillman’s Herb Collection AND Early Spring Victory Garden kits are now live on the website.

Still Life Farm.  Curt has been very busy clearing land for the new storage building (this also means more firewood, yay).  We are hoping to begin work on electricity and excavation this week.  Tony and Curt transplanted the baby lettuce into the high tunnel just in time for the cold weather to return.  I seeded zucchini and squash that will be transplanted into a second high tunnel in just a few weeks.  The most exciting part of the week came when Curt drove to western New York to collect our new barrel washer (pictured above)!  It looks pretty simple – just a barrel that spins the roots, and a hose that dispenses water – but it should save us a ton of time washing veggies and take if from a multi-man job to a one-man job.  As you can tell from the picture of Tony washing the spring-dug parsnips (photo taken pre-COVID), we could really use a better washing method on our farm than the one we currently have.

Eat well & love your food,

Genevieve Stillman (Stillman’s Farm) & Halley Stillman (Still Life Farm)