Spring CSA

Week Nine of the Spring CSA will include a mix of the following: Fat Moon Lion’s Mane Mushrooms, Ramps OR Fiddleheads, Kale, Mesclun, Basil, Onions, and Apples.  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 fiddleheads and the Saturday/Sunday folks are getting ramps – 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.

Agrodolce Ramps on Grilled Bread

• from Six Seasons, by Joshua McFadden
• EVOO
• 1 bunch ramps, ends trimmed, bulbs finely sliced, leaves cut across into 2-inch ribbons
• 1/4 t dried chili flakes
• 2 T raisins, plumped in warm water for 15 mins, drained
• 1 T toasted pine nuts
• Salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
• Four 1/2-inch-thick slices country bread
• 1/2 recipe Whipped Ricotta (see notes below)

Pour a healthy glug of EVOO into a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sliced ramp bulbs and chili flakes, and cook until the ramps are soft and fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.  Add the ramp leaves, raisins, and pine nuts, season with S&P, and cook until all is soft and fragrant, another minute or so.  Add the vinegar and toss everything around to deglaze the pan.  Cook for about a minute to heat through.  Finish with drizzle of EVOO.  Taste and adjust the S&P, vinegar, and chili levels.  Grill or toast bread, spread a nice thick layer of ricotta on each piece, and top with ramps and their juices.  Serve warm.

Whipped Ricotta – 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese, 1/2 t kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, 1/4 c EVOO plus more if needed. Put the ricotta, salt, and 20 twists of pepper into food processor and start to process.  With motor running, add the EVOO in a thin stream.  Pause and scrape down the sides if needed.  The mixture should get lovely and creamy.  Taste it and adjust with more salt, pepper, or even a bit more EVOO – you should be able to taste the oil as well as the ricotta.  Store in fridge up to one week.

About Lions Mane Mushrooms

Lions Mane Mushrooms are a unique, gourmet variety that is known for its light seafood flavor and excellent medicinal properties. Lions Mane can be prepared like any other mushroom. Here’s a simple suggestion:

Ingredients:
Lions Mane mushrooms
Vegetable Oil
Butter, if desired
Salt & Pepper

1. Chop lions mane mushroom into bite size pieces
2. Heat skillet on the stove to medium-high heat
3. Add vegetable oil to the hot pan. Heat until oil shimmers.
4. Add mushrooms to the pan. Cook, without stirring, until lightly brown. Stir/flip to cook the other side.
5. Remove from heat. Add butter, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

#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 @locallizardsvegankitchen for turning her Spring CSA into Wheat Linguine with Fiddleheads & Garlic! She’ll be receiving a little extra farm prize this week at CSA pick-up!

Farm Dirt

Stillman’s Farm.  Lots of meetings at the farm this week in preparation for farmer’s markets!  Everyone is getting excited for opening days.  Copley’s first day is Friday, May 14th, 11am-6pm and Jamaica Plain’s first day is Saturday, May 8, 12-3pm.  The first round of corn has been planted outside and the orchards are in full bloom.

Still Life Farm.  Blueberry plants have arrived!  We are getting them transplanted out into the field this week.  Rayna took cuttings of the gooseberries and currants, hopefully they will grow into big strong plants and supplement what we already have.  The foundation for our new storage building is complete!  Hopefully the floor will be poured this next week!

Both farms are struggling with housing solutions for our H2A Jamaican labor.  Many farms in Massachusetts have had restrictions placed on the number of foreign workers they can house this season, citing COVID-19 as the reason.  It is being demanded that we accommodate 6′ spacing between bed frames.  This is making it extremely difficult to get the number of workers we need to successfully run our farms.   Even though farm labor camps are defined by the CDC as closed family units, all our workers are getting vaccinated within the first two weeks of their arrival, and we have clear COVID plans in place – we are still struggling to get our housing approved for the amount of workers we need for the season.  Not only do these new regulations affect our farms, but they impact any foreign workers who depend on these jobs that may not be able to come up and work.  As most of you probably know, the H2A workers who come up for the season usually have at least one family (if not more) that they are supporting back home.  These regulations could also affect local food availability.  Just another trial of running a small business in MA.  We are hopeful that an increase in vaccinations and a loosening of restrictions from the Governor can positively influence our housing crisis and allow us to bring up the workers we so desperately need.  Just some food for thought…

Eat well & love your food,

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