Hi everyone, Jess here to bring you the “Tell” of this week’s Spring CSA. Remember, this is a “kickstart” CSA, not to be confused with the Summer CSA which will start sometime in the coming weeks. We’re waiting for the berry season to kick in, and that will dictate when the Summer CSA will start. If you are a Summer CSA customer of Springdell, you’l hear about it here and via the CSA mailing list, so no worries! Meanwhile, as we wait patiently for the summer season to catch up weather-wise, let’s take a look at what spring has to offer, and how we cooked these ingredients this week!
- Asparagus
- Roasted and placed on eggs/omelettes in various ways
- Woody stems frozen for spring soup stock
- Microgreens (From Johnny Putt Farm in Littleton, MA)
- Atop veggies and eggs, drizzled with dressing and enjoyed as-is
- A pinch here and a pinch there every time I went in the fridge.
- In a smoothie. (Ok, these were a little dominant in the smoothie, but in a welcome way!)
- Fiddleheads
- Roasted, steamed, sautéed, and served atop eggs as well as on the side
- Eggs
- Scrambled, poached, fried
All veggie scraps composted unless otherwise noted.
This week has been pretty tame in the recipe department. I’ve been roasting, steaming and sautéing the dark green veggies, popping them on top of eggs and drizzling them with random sauces and spices.
Here was one of the prettier combos I had this week- roasted fiddleheads and asparagus on an omelette and drizzled with eel sauce. I won’t bore you with the rest of the photos, but the egg/spring veggie/sauce combo works well this time of year.
I slow-roasted the last of my bi-monthly meat subscription, a beautiful brisket. Slow and low is the way to go. I thawed a little homemade bone broth to add to the pan provided a rich flavor.
Since I’m in “eggs, spring veggies, sauce” mode at the moment, I wanted to share a couple of my more creative faves from previous seasons. Behold, the asparagus potato “cake”. It’s a vegetarian delight, very versatile.
A spring can’t go by without me mentioning my love for this Creamy Spring Soup. I still hold that it’s one of my best recipes.
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Let’s talk about the 11th annual Sheep Shearing event at Springdell Farm! If you made it yesterday, I hope you had as much fun as I did!
It was so nice to see Kevin Ford doing his thing again this year, getting the sheep comfortable in the best way you can, with a good hand shearing. This is much preferred by the sheep to the electric buzz clippers, and Kevin is a master. What a wonderful way for the sheep to get their seasonal haircut.
By the end of the day, many fleeces lay in a grand pile on the side of the path, ready to be shipped off to Bartlett Yarns in Harmony, Maine.
Here’s a picture of last year’s wool harvest, spun into yarn by Bartlett, on the oldest operating mule-spun woolen mill in all the land.
Here’s a happy sheep after the new haircut!
I was fortunate enough to set up my table i front of the raspberry bushes and just across from Kevin’s shearing, so I had the best view in the ‘Dell! We had a coloring contest for the kids and many entered to win a gift card generously donated by Goss Farm Ice Cream! The kids sampled some of last season’s strawberry jam, many came back for seconds. It won’t be long now before this season’s berries are ready!
About mid-day, I snapped this picture. By the end of the day, the board was overflowing with beautiful artwork!
I’m a little embarrassed that I missed getting a picture of my table neighbor Jennifer and her products from her Arlington-based business, Herd Nerd. Fortunately I fell in love with the spice combo after trying a sample, and I brought this container home. Jennifer and her partner have spent years perfecting their signature spice rub which brings immense flavor to many dishes! This rub is available at the farm stand, and I can’t wait to cook with it!
Usborne story time with Mandy C. was enjoyed by many at the event! She’l be holding another event in the ‘Dell on June 27th, so save the date!
Tower Root Beer is simply the soda gold standard. Try the cream soda if you haven’t, always available at the farm stand, sold in singles or four packs, and always delicious! I was able to sample a root beer float made with Goss Farm Ice Cream (and by sample, I mean devour the entire thing).
Tully Farms Dairy had some tasty chocolate milk singles, another children’s favorite!
Always a pleasure to see Tim Van Sipe’s Muddy Water Coffee Truck. I’m usually a decaf drinker, but I splurged to try the caffeinated ice coffee yesterday. I had zero regrets.
Local Pure Haven consultant Shirley Smith was shared her knowledge of Pure Haven’s commitment to a toxin-free personal care and household product line. Check those labels and visit NonToxicShirley.com!
Next to Shirley was Don Germain, (and his sweet pooch Snuggles, hiding to the right next to the purple table) sharing his wisdom on the Advocare product line. Read his inspiring story here!
Laurel Ridge Farm (from Ashby, MA) held a pig roast, and what a wonderful addition to this event! I had my family make me a plate since I was busy at my table and though they made it fuller than I thought I could handle, I simply couldn’t stop eating. The chicken sausage and Donelan’s potato salad were also heavenly.
Nanette and Michael once again joined in the festivities with their amazing Groton-Based “Sitting in the Sunshine” soap. Grab a bar today and pamper yourself, it’s wonderful stuff made by wonderful souls.
Because my table was hopping much of the day, it was difficult to break away to grab photos. Many kids activity tables made the day fun for all. Here farmers in the making were planting seeds and onion sets.
Farmer Jamie’s longtime friend had set up a photo booth for the kids and it was a hit!
This little nest was spotted in the raspberry bushes behind our tables. Spring is definitely in full swing!
That’s about it for this week’s “Tell” of the Springdell Show and Tell. Please join me back here tomorrow for the “Show” from the third CSA crate of the spring season. (Yep, the stand is open on Memorial Day!) Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful rest of your weekend!