Spring CSA

Week Seven of the Spring CSA will include a mix of the following: Kale, potatoes, Bok Choi, carrots, Swiss Chard, ramps OR fiddleheads.  Please note that the weekly photo is not an exact depiction of what is in your share, but rather a reference image.

The nature of early Spring harvests of natives makes it tricky to have the same exact items in everyone’s bags…so, this week, the folks who pick up on Thursdays will be getting ramps and the Saturday folks are getting fiddleheads and then we will switch it up next week – well, that’s the plan anyway 😉

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.  

Weekly Featured Item: Ramps, wait… fiddleheads

Sometimes called Wild Leeks, Ramps are our native, wild allium. They are related to garlic and onions and can be enjoyed in anything you wanted that flavor profile in. I think of them more like leeks because I love them simply sautéed in butter and served up with some scrambled eggs. Simply trim off the roots, rinse carefully, and use the entire stem and leaf. Sautee whole or chop them up, it’s all good. Ramps are high in vitamins A and C.

Fiddleheads are snipped from the new Ostrich Fern leaves as they first emerge and before they unfurl. They require fussier cleaning than do the ramps. I start by soaking in salted water for 10 minutes, Drain, refill the bowl with new water, soak for a few more minutes, drain, and rinse until you feel satisfied that most of the brown husk has been rinsed away. You will know…the first soak water will be filed with debris and that will diminish to almost nothing after 3 rinses 🙂 AND, don’t worry about a few bits of husk, it is not harmful. Fiddleheads are a powerhouse of vitamins – high in A, C, manganese, B3, as well as other B complexes.

This morning the fiddleheads were sautéed with greens and served with a runny egg, yum. But a chard and ramp omelet would have been great too!

Potatoes

Swiss Chard Fritatta – Yummly link (use your potatoes too)

#cookingwithStillmans

Making an amazing dish with Stillman’s or Still Life Farms produce??? Take a picture and post it to your social media with the #cookingwithStillmans.  Every week a winner will be chosen at random and receive a fun farm prize!

 

The Week Eight winner of our #cookingwithstillmans challenge goes to @wini.wood for turning her  Balsamic Glazed Golden and Chiogga Beets with toasted Pecans (Eating Well).  She’ll be receiving a little extra farm prize this week at CSA pick-up!

Farm Dirt

Plant, plant, plant! Above is a colorful wagon load of the first lettuces to be set out. It is always exciting when the first crops go in and wonderful to create new space in the greenhouses to be filled often the same day with new plants. This week the peppers will get transplanted and fill up any empty space to be found! Woo! As always, space is the final frontier.

This week the crew covered the greens with remay in anticipation of the cold nights…tucking the plants in at night.

Planning your garden? While it’s too early to plant summer favorites like tomatoes and peppers, it’s not too early to start planning. Want to make sure you get all your favorite varieties before they sell out? Visit Stillman’s Farm at the New Braintree Farm during our early shopping days Saturday April 17 through Saturday April 24 (including Sunday April 18) from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and pick out all your favorites. We will then put them aside for you and continue growing them in the ideal conditions in our greenhouse. You can then pick them up (or have them delivered to a closer location) later when the weather is suitable for planting in your garden. We do have hardy plants ready to go if you are: kale, lettuces, peas, beets, chard…

Still Life Farm.  Curt and Halley are getting some much needed R&R with Kip. As usual, everyone busts work out at 2x the pace to try to “get it all done” before leaving the farm. They are in good shape and will be back just in time for planting their greenhouses with cherry tomatoes and transplanting all Halley’s herbs. Her cilantro looks better than ours, have not figured that one out yet, LOL

Eat well & love your food,

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