Ambler Farm

Sally Maraventano's eggplant recipes

2010-09-18T05:33:00.000-04:00

Rigatoni alla Norma

This dish was named in honor of the Sicilian composer Bellini, for his opera “Norma.” We were served Rigatoni alla Norma at La Battiata, a wonderful family-owned ristorante at the gates of the Piazza Armerina in Sicily. Hanging on a sign below the restaurant name was the phrase Cucina Casalinga, which means “homestyle cooking.” This delighted me because it is also the name my cooking school.

TOMATO SAUCE (CAN BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME)

¼ cup of olive oil

½ onion chopped

2 garlic gloves, minced

1 28-ounce can of crushed plum tomatoes or 1-1/2 lbs fresh, peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 basil leaves, torn

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic, and sauté until translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for six months.

PASTA AND EGGPLANT

2 eggplants, thinly sliced

salt

2 cups or more of olive oil or vegetable oil

1 pound of rigatoni pasta

1 cup of grated Ricotta Salata or 1 cup of freshly grated Romano cheese

1. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt, weigh it down with a heavy pan, and let it stand for 30 minutes in a colander. Drain and pat thoroughly dry.

2. Pour the oil into a large, deep, heavy skillet and deep-fry the eggplant until it is golden on both sides. Drain well on paper towels and set aside.

3. Cook the pasta in 6 quarts of boiling water, to which 2 tablespoons of salt has been added, until al dente (about 7 to 10 minutes). Drain, and toss with the Tomato Sauce. Top each serving with eggplant slices and some of the Ricotta Salata or Romano cheese. Pass additional grated cheese at the table.

Caponata

(Sicilian Eggplant Relish)

Caponata -- capunatina in Sicilian -- is a wonderful sweet and sour relish that my grandmother made every Sunday as part of the Antipasto course we ate before our dinner.

3 ripe, medium-sized eggplants (about 2-1/2 lbs)

salt (to sprinkle on eggplant)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 1/3 cup pure olive oil

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

1 12-ounce can of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree (or 3/4 lb. fresh, peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes)

3 fresh basil leaves, slivered

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of pepper

¼ cup of capers, drained and rinsed

1 cup of small green olives, pitted and sliced

1-1/2 tablespoons of sugar, or more to taste

scant ¼ cup of red wine vinegar

1. Remove the stems from the eggplants and discard. Cut unpeeled eggplant into ½-inch cubes and salt liberally; drain in a colander with a heavy weight, such as a pot or a glass mixing bowl, on top for 1 hour to allow the bitter juices to drain off. Rinse off salt, squeeze well, and dry with absorbent paper. Set aside.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet; add onions and celery, and sauté covered for 5 to 8 minutes until slightly softened. Pour in tomatoes, add basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add capers and olives and cook for 5 minutes longer. Set aside.

3. In another large skillet, sauté the eggplant in 1/3 cup of hot olive oil, adding more oil if necessary to prevent sticking (eggplant absorbs a lot of oil as it cooks). After 15 minutes, transfer the sautéed eggplant to the skillet with the onion-and-celery mixture, stirring until evenly mixed.

4. Sprinkle the mixture with sugar, pour vinegar over, and stir. Cover and simmer slowly over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or up to three days. The flavor improves with time. Serve warm or cold as an antipasto, a salad, or a topping for crostini. Caponata may be frozen for up to three months.

Both recipes from

Festa del Giardino

A harvest of recipes and family memories

by Sally Maraventano

http://cucinacasalinga.com/

Mary Kimblerlin's squash recipes

2010-09-11T06:22:00.000-04:00

WINTER SQUASH PIE

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cup butternut squash, cheese squash or sugar pumpkin puree

2/3 cup packed brown sugar or maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup whipping, light cream or half & half

1 9 inch pie shell, partially baked and cooled*

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together and beat well.

Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for about 1hour or until the center of the pie is almost set. Cover rim of the pastry with strips of aluminum foil if it becomes too brown

before pie is done.

Transfer pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

*baked at 400 degrees F until almost done, not completely browned

N.B. Best to use glass pie dish

DELICATA SQUASH with SHALLOTS and SHERRY*

1 large delicate squash (about 1 ¼ pounds)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup dry sherry

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup shallots, thinly sliced (2-3 large)

4 teaspoons fresh sage, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel the squash, leaving the green areas in the crevices. Trim the ends, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard the seeds. Slice each half crosswise ½ inch thick.

Over medium-high heat, melt 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a skillet.. Add the squash in a single layer and cook, without moving it, until the squash begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat if the butter begins to burn. Flip and brown the other side. Transfer the squash to a baking dish and repeat this process until all of the squash is browned. Arrange all of the pieces of squash in the baking dish in a single layer. Sprinkle the squash with 2 Tablespoons of the sherry, salt and a few grinding of black pepper.

Over medium heat, add the remaining olive oil and butter to the skillet. Add the shallots and sprinkle them with a pinch of salt (1/8 teaspoon). Cook shallot, stirring frequently, until they turn a deep golden brown on the edges, about 3-5 minutes. Do not burn them.

Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately add the sage and the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sherry. Gently stir the shallots and sherry together, scraping the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle the shallots and sherry over the squash.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until the squash is tender, about 25-30 minutes. Serves 4.

*Original recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine, November 2008

N.B. Delicata squash’s skin is yellow or cream colored with dark green strips. The skin is thin and edible. Therefore, unlike butternut squash, it does not have a long shelf life. It usually lasts only two weeks at room temperature. Its taste resembles a combination of corn and lemon zest. Its favor intensifies when roasted or sautéed. This squash also can be roasted with root vegetables or steamed and then tossed with balsamic vinegar and toasted pine nuts.

Ann Bennett's Best Zucchini Pineapple Bread

2010-08-14T06:11:00.000-04:00

For this recipe, you'll need 2 medium to large Ambler Farm zucchini.

Ingredients:
5 eggs, beaten until frothy
1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
2-1/2 cups sugar (or 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup regular)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups ubleached white flour, unsifted
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups firmly packed shredded zucchini (for which you'll need 2 medium to large zucchini)
1 cup drained crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To the beaten eggs, add oil slowly, then blend in sugar and vanilla. Beat until lemon-colored. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into three loaf pans (7x3 inches or 8x3). Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy the bread!

Sauteed Squash Blossoms a la Michele Bennett

2010-07-30T16:13:00.000-04:00

Squash blossoms bathe in sunshine at Ambler Farm.

Sautéed squash (or zucchini) blossoms

Rinse and pat dry 1-2 dozen blossoms.

Heat ½ inch canola oil in a wide sauté pan to 375 degrees (the surface of the oil should be shimmering, NOT bubbling).

While the oil is heating, beat two eggs in a bowl and add one-third to one-half cup whole wheat flour and beat mixture until thick. Using a hand beater, mix in 1/3-1/2 cup club soda until the consistency is a thin batter.

Using tongs, dredge zucchini blossoms in batter and carefully place in heated oil for about 3 minutes (do not stir). Then flip each blossom over and saute for an additional one to two minutes.

Remove to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. These are also good with Chalula or Tabasco sauce.

Latest developments in the field

2010-06-19T10:22:00.004-04:00

It’s vocabulary time at Ambler Farm, and the word of the week is: parthenocarpic. The term refers to the production of fruit and vegetables without fertilization (it comes from the Greek parthenos, which means virgin). What does it have to do with Ambler Farm? Here’s a clue: what do you think is growing under the two rows in the organic farm covered with the long white tents?

Answer: cucumber and squash, both of which are parthenocarpic (that is, the varieties grown at Ambler Farm are). And since they don’t need to be pollinated, Farmer Ben is able to use row covers like the ones shown in the picture instead of pesticide to protect them from the cucumber beetle, which would otherwise be ravishing both their roots and leaves.

Also worth noting are the planting beds that lie under a stretchy black covering, with openings created for seedlings. This is a new biodegradable film made from corn-starch that breaks down into mulch and can also be composted. In the time it takes seedlings to set strong roots and begin to grow, the material interacts with temperature, humidity, and microorganisms in the ground and breaks down into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass without leaving any toxic residue behind. In the meantime, it keeps the soil warm, keeps out insects and weeds, prevents erosion and also promotes healthy plants by keeping dirt from splashing up onto their leaves.

Developed in Europe, the bodegradable film has been approved for use in organic agriculture in Canada but not yet approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute in the U.S. Ambler Farm is one of the first in the area to try out this promising new technology.

In the next edition of this blog, we’ll publish a row-by-row map of the organic production garden, indicating exactly what’s growing where.

RestaurantUpdate

Produce from Ambler Farm is gaining a following at restaurants around the area. So far, we’re selling mainly greens, but as the season goes on, we’ll sell other items as well. Barcelona and The Tuscan Oven have been serving Ambler Farm produce for a year or more. Now they're joined by some new names. Next time you dine at (or buy our produce from) any of the establishments listed below, please applaud their decision to support local food -- and Ambler Farm.

Barcelona
63 North Main Street
Norwalk, CT 06854-2703
www.barcelonawinebar.com

Dressing Room
25 Powers Court
Westport, CT 06880-3621
www.dressingroomhomegrown.com

LL Farmstand
730 Post Road East
Westport, CT

Martel Restaurant
2316 Post Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
http://www.martelrestaurant.com/hours.html

Schoolhouse Restaurant
25 Cannon Road
Wilton, CT 06897
http://www.theschoolhouseatcannondale.com/

Tuscan Oven
544 Main Avenue – Route 7
Norwalk, CT 06851
http://www.tuscanoven.com/

Post-script
If you haven’t heard the story about how the Schoolhouse’s e-mail mishap created an instant social network and won it some new friends, you can read all about it right here.

The Farmer in Winter

2010-05-28T18:48:00.001-04:00

The farm stand is open for business (Saturdays from 10:50 to 5, and Wednesdays from 2 to 6 at the Wilton Farmers Market). In the organic farm plot south of the Red Barn, young green plants stand in neat rows in freshly composted beds, a promise of the bounty that lies ahead.

Much as it may look and feel as though things are just getting started, Ambler Farm's “farming” has actually been underway for quite some time. Here’s a brief account of what’s been happening since early January, when Ambler’s Farm Manager Ben Saunders completed his growing plan and placed his seed orders.

It takes about 36,000 seeds to produce the 18,000 or so seedlings that Ambler Farm sells and also plants in both the farm plot and educational gardens. This year, Ben is growing about 60 different vegetables and flowers. Although he orders most of the seeds from outside suppliers, he has also saved some from “gladiator” plants, as he calls them, that did particularly well last year, like the butternut squash that survived all the rain and blight and is actually still good enough to eat.

Getting from germinating seeds to seedlings in the ground is a complex logistical operation that calls for careful planning, many seed trays and a whole lot of organic potting soil – not to mention a flair for making a lot happen in a small space. Most seeds start in 10x20-inch trays with 128 cells. They’ll spend about three weeks there before Ben moves them, one sprout at a time, to trays with fewer cells. The Ambler Farm greenhouse, which is actually an extension of Farmer Ben’s house, is where all these seedlings spend the first 6 to 8 weeks. Starting in mid to late April, Ben begins to move them into an unheated hoop house for “hardening off” so that they’re accustomed to being outside before they go into the ground.

The farm plot itself contains 50 planting beds, each about 30 inches wide and 140 feet long. If you walk down to have a look, you’ll see that some beds have two rows, some have three and some even have four rows of plants growing, depending on the spacing requirements: only 100 plants in a row, for instance, for land-hungry tomatoes, versus 300 in a row for the more crowd-loving broccoli.

Every variety grown at Ambler Farm has a defined harvest window – from 60 days in some cases to nearly 100 in others. For some vegetables – carrots and cabbage, to name just two of many – Ben will plant varieties that ripen at different rates so that as one fades, a new one is coming up. In other cases, Ben will continue to plant seedlings as the season progresses. There’s a good lesson here: you don’t need a lot of land to grow a lot of food (as long as you're willing to do the hard work). Thanks to “intensive" organic farming, Ambler’s relatively small production field -- it’s less than an acre – is able to produce a relatively large amount of delicious produce all season long.

Ambler Farm Rocks

2009-11-09T10:39:00.006-05:00

Four letter word: it's "rock," every farmer's bane and one of Connecticut's most abundant natural resources. On a beautiful November morning, Ambler Farm manager Ben Saunders and able assistant Will Keelips use brawn, brains, tractor and chains to wrestle a formidable boulder out of the ground. Ben hopes to get all 4 acres of the south field cleared before the ground freezes so that it will be ready in the spring for planting with pumpkin, clover and alfalfa. For the full story, visit us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/amblerfarm).

Marking History: Ambler Farm offers a glimpse of Wilton's agricultural past

2009-10-30T15:28:00.002-04:00

By KARA O'CONNOR
Villager Staff Writer

WILTON --

Years of research, documentation and fact verifying has finally paid off for the Drum Hill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

After an 11 year process, a historic marker was placed at Ambler Farm in Wilton on Sunday afternoon.

"Accomplishing this goal took many people and many years," said Alice Ayers, a Wilton resident who is a member of the DAR's Drum Hill Chapter. "We are just thrilled that a historic marker has finally been placed at Ambler Farm."

The placement of a historic marker at the Hurlbutt Street farm preserves the agricultural history of Wilton, said Ayers, and also serves as an educational purpose to the town.

"This is very exciting for Wilton," she said. "A historic marker is a pretty prominent thing, and Ambler Farm really represents the heritage of our town."

Ambler Farm was owned by the Raymond-Ambler family for more than 200 years, making it one of the oldest farms in Wilton owned by a single family. The two sisters who owned the farm, Elizabeth Raymond and Hannah Raymond-Ambler, were members of the DAR's Drum Hill Chapter in 1986, only six years after the chapter was established. The farm, which was purchased by the town in 1999, was once 300 acres and was one of most prosperous farms in the area, said Ayers.

"Ambler farm was a very prosperous piece of land, which is now owned by the town," said Ayers. "It has been an important part of our agricultural history for over 200 years and it's important to recognize that."

Alice Brown, the marker chairman for the Drum Hill Chapter, said there are several things the DAR has to accomplish before placing a historic marker on a piece of property, including: giving a detailed description of the location of the marker in a physical format, getting permission from the town, verifying all the historical facts on the marker and including two letters of documentation by historical experts. She said the wording on the marker carefully explains the history of Ambler Farm and the two sisters that owned it.

"I'm ecstatic this is finally finished because it has taken a lot of hard work to get here," said Brown. "I think that the town is very fortunate to have Ambler Farm, and now to have this marker that explains it's history."

Ambler Farm now joins three other historic sites in Wilton which have received a DAR historic marker. Among the three other sites are the Wilton Heritage Museum, which includes the Sloan-Raymond-Fitch house; Drum Hill, which overlooks the area where early drummers alerted the town to Indian raids, fires, town meetings and church services; and the Comstock Cemetery site, where soldiers from the French and Indian Wars and the Revolution are buried.

Ann Bell, president of the Friends of Ambler Farm, said she is honored a historic marker has been placed at the farm. "We are very happy to have the marker at Ambler and have the farm recognized as a historic symbol for Wilton," said Bell. "It's a nice representation of what Ambler Farm means to the town."

http://www.wiltonvillager.com/story/477255

It may be wet but summer is officially here!

2009-06-24T07:32:00.004-04:00

The extremely wet weather hasn't damped the spirits of the Apprentices and garden volunteers happily laboring away at Ambler Farm. The farm stand has been chock full of a variety of salad greens, spinach, and chard, plus the most beautiful beets thanks to the labors of Ben and the corp of people helping harvest early Tuesday and Saturday mornings.

The educational garden has been planted by the Apprentices, and sometimes their parents join in the fun. Very soon it will yeild all sorts of fresh veggies to be sold at the farm stand and also used for cooking and food prep by both the Apprentices and the summer program attendees.

Finally, a garden we don't usually mention but has been lovingly cared for over the years by a small band of devotees. It's the "victorian" flower garden behind the Raymond-Ambler house and this year it looks incredible! Maybe it's all the rain but I think it has something to do with the hours of work put in by Marie Donahue, Nancy Husta, and Mary Kimmerlin. If you visit the farm take a walk down to the garden hand have a look or just sit on the garden bench and relax.

But you don't need to be a gardening fan to enjoy the farm. Quite frequently artists come with their easels (on the rare sunny days!) to paint. Leslie Concannon, whose mother lives locally, has been at the farm creating a series of small oil on wood painting of the Raymond-Ambler house. She has generously given a number of these beautiful little gems to the farm and several will be part of the silent auction at the Summertime BBQ on Saturday. We also plan to create a series of notecards featuring the paintings. Thank you Leslie!

And the devoted building committee is continuing to push through the work on the Raymond-Ambler house...more to come later!

Hope to see everyone at the farm now that summer is officially here!

May at Ambler Farm

2009-05-25T20:52:00.002-04:00

Beautiful weather shown on a weeks of LINKS programs. LINKS partners the Cider Mill fourth grade classes and classes from schools in Norwalk and Bridgeport. Over the year these partnering classes do special things together, one of which is a day at Ambler Farm. At the farm the children make cornbread, plant in the garden, learn about the art of stone walls and try their hand at painting a watercolor landscape, and finally play some old-fashioned games.

Our new bee hives were set up and hopefully will thrive this year and yield some honey. These colonies benefit from last year's workers who create honeycombs, all they need to do now is make honey.

The lambs arrived - Nutmeg and Clover - two males, one black and one brown. They were born at Millstone Farm in Wilton and came to Ambler when they were just a week old. They've been bottled feed several times a day every day since their arrival and have already grown a little bit in the short time they've been at the farm.

The farm stand has opened with a variety of transplants as well as greens and herbs for purchase. And soon tasty vegetables will be available.

Finally, the Apprentices represented Ambler Farm in the Memorial Day parade - check out the photos.

Ambler Farm Series Will Teach Folk Crafts

2009-01-23T14:48:00.007-05:00

By A.J. O'CONNELL

aoconnell@wiltonvillager.com

WILTON -- When Kathy Rosenbaum was growing up in Chickamauga, Ga., her mother, Anna Murray, sewed everything. She made the children's clothes, the curtains, the upholstery, the rugs, her own clothing and anything else she needed out of the fabric she kept in a closet. But when Rosenbaum was 13 years old, her mother made her something different: A yo-yo quilt.

The quilt, which is big enough to cover a twin-sized bed, is made up of yo-yos, little circles of material left over from whatever projects her mother had been making.

"It's a way to use up material," said Rosebaum, 37, who will -- with her mother -- be teaching others how to make yo-yos as part of Ambler Farm's Winter Craft series on Feb. 1 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Rosenbaum called the creation of yo-yos "poor people's stuff." The little round pieces of fabric are a way for seamstresses to use small pieces of fabric that might otherwise be useless or recycle pieces of something else -- a yo-yo, she said, is a piece of fabric cut into a circle. A crafter uses a needle and thread to sew by hand along the edges of the circle and then, using the thread as a drawstring, pulls the circle into a pouch. That pouch is then flattened into a smaller circle -- a yo-yo.

"You cannot make them with a sewing machine. You have to do them by hand," said Rosenbaum, who said that the little circles are then sewn together to create whatever the seamstress has in mind, be it a blanket, a pillow cover, a placemat or anything else that is needed.

Although such a quilt is practical, Rosenbaum's blanket has become something else. A nine-year resident of Wilton, Rosenbaum looks at her quilt today and sees the contents of her mother's fabric closet two decades ago in Chickamauga. Her blanket contains all the textiles she knew intimately during her early life; bits of curtains, bedspreads, one of her grandmother's dresses and one of her own dresses are sewn into the piece. She remembers, at 13, not being especially thrilled when her mother presented it to her (and then immediately took it away because her room had not been cleaned.) But now Rosenbaum treasures the blanket.

"For me it's full of memories," she said. "I carried it from apartment to apartment, from city to city, from job to job, always looking for a place to put it."

Rosenbaum's Feb. 1 yo-yo workshop is the third in Ambler Farm's craft series, which is running in partnership with the Wilton Library.

"I thought it was important for the farm," said Rebecca Thompson, co-chair of adult programming for the Friends of Ambler Farm. "We are doing a lot of educational programs (but) a lot of the things dealt with the exterior if the farm. But with the renovation of the Raymond Ambler farm house, I thought it was time to address what would have been going inside the house."

Thompson took the first class, basic knitting, taught by Rachel Bee at Ambler Farm. During the next class, on Jan. 25, also at Ambler Farm, Paula Walton an instructor at the Brookfield Craft Center, will teach the skill of soap-making. All of the classes are free of charge and all are filling up quickly, said Sally Gemmill, of the Wilton Library. There is currently a waiting list for the soap-making class.

Gemmill will also be teaching a class in the series. On Feb. 8, Gemmill will teach Swedish weaving. The craft utilizes huck toweling, a soft fabric that features pairs of raised threads that are easily counted to form a geometric pattern. Gemmill says Swedish weaving is often used to create small items, like guest towels.

"It was something I did in my childhood," said Gemmill, who still has the towels she made as a girl.

To register for the series contact the library at 762-3950 or visit http://www.wiltonlibrary.org. There is no charge.

Courtesy Wilton Villager, 1/22/2009
http://www.wiltonvillager.com/story/463745

Photo Alex von Kleydorff

Trebuchet Attracts Kids for Fun & Science

2008-11-25T19:44:00.002-05:00

Wilton Bulletin - Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Posing with Ambler Farm’s trebuchet are the many children who participated in a recent demonstration, with the device’s builder, Mike Cuddy, back row at left, and Kevin Meehan, at right, a teacher who lives at the farm. —Paula Casiraghi photo

Written by Patty Connor

About 20 children from Wilton participated in an Ambler Farm trebuchet demonstration on Sunday, Nov. 9.

Here’s a definition compiled from Wikipedia and Webster’s Dictionary: A trebuchet is a siege engine that was employed in the Middle Ages either to smash masonry walls or to throw projectiles over them.

A trebuchet was built by Mike Cuddy for Ambler Farm. Ambler Farm used to rent a trebuchet in the years past to use as a demonstration at Ambler Farm Day, which typically takes place in early fall. Two years ago, Mr. Cuddy made one and donated it to the farm.

Mr. Cuddy and Mr. Meehan, who lives at the farm with his family and is also the science instructional leader at Cider Mill School, explained the program and help got the kids excited about science. The parents came, too, and everyone had a ball watching the pumpkins, squash, watermelons and the like shoot through the sky, across the field and SPLAT! onto the ground. Some went more than 270 feet.

Winterize Your Garden

2008-11-12T07:12:00.008-05:00

The growing season may be over, but that doesn't mean your work is done. It's important to get your garden in shape before the start of winter in order to guarantee a great start to next year's growing season.

Clean out annual and vegetable beds. You will find that plant pathogens and insects can over-winter in the garden on infected plant debris, therefore do a thorough clean-up and tilling of the soil in areas where you've had issues. Throw out any plants you suspect to be diseased or infested with bugs. The rest you can add to the compost pile. Do one last weeding and discard any weeds that have seeds on them.
Cut perennials back almost to the ground -- unless they add charm to your garden in winter. If you don’t think you will have time to mulch, don’t cut back the old plants, as the stalks and leaves will give some protection to the roots.
Plan next year's garden. After ridding your garden of debris, plan where you want to put next year's plants and vegetables. Take a pad with you out to the garden and draw a diagram of your beds and note where the perennials are planted so you can avoid damaging them in the spring while they lie dormant. This is also a good time to reflect on the growing season and make notes about what worked and what didn’t. Make a sketch of where you want to put all your plants & vegetables in the spring.
Dig up tender bulbs. Cannas, caladiums, tuberous begonias, gladiolus, dahlias and most other summer-blooming bulbs don't survive the winter in USDA Zone 9 and colder. Dig them up as the foliage turns brown in early fall, trim off the remaining foliage or flower stalks, let them air dry for a week and then layer them in paper bags filled with peat moss or vermiculite. Store in a cool (65 degrees F or cooler), dry spot.
Add organic material such as your own compost, manure, blood meal or bone meal to your soil to make it better for next year’s garden. Adding these elements in the fall will give your soil plenty of time to absorb all the healthy ingredients before planting in the spring.
Apply a two- to four-inch layer of mulch on top of perennial, shrub and bulb beds after the ground freezes hard. Winter mulch serves as a blanket, protecting the plants from freezing winds and frost-heaving, moderating soil temperatures and conserving moisture. You can use chopped-up leaves from your lawn or other loose materials like pine needles, or straw for the perennials and shrubs. Don’t put down un-shredded leaves or other matter that compact easily because it will suffocate the plants. Incorporate them into the soil in the spring before planting.
Clean and store tools, ceramic pots and birdbaths. Wash using soapy water. Rub off rust with very fine sandpaper or with fine steel wool. Dry with an absorbent rag. Sharpen cutting edges with a file or a whetstone. Wipe metal surfaces with an oiled cloth (vegetable oil is fine). To keep wooden handles from drying out, apply a light coat of boiled linseed oil and buff.

Submitted by Jim Meinhold, Chairperson of Ambler's Agriculture Committee. Email Gardening Tips to amblerfarm@gmail.com. We will publish selected tips in our newsletter and blog!

From Ambler's Kitchen: Curried Butternut Squash Soup

2008-10-05T07:31:00.003-04:00

A healthy, warming soup for cooler days

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, cut in chunks
1 large baking potato, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
8 cups vegetable stock
1 heaped teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon each of ground cumin, fenugreek + coriander (or similar spices used in curry)

Chop onion finely and saute in 1-2 ounces of butter until soft. Add sliced potato and saute for 10 minutes, stirring now + then so the vegetables don't stick to the pot. Add butternut squash. Cover the vegetables with a sheet of waxed paper and put the lid on the pot. "Sweat" the vegetables until soft - 20 minutes or more. Add spices, turn up the heat and cook the spices to release their flavor. After a few minutes, add the stock. The amount of stock you add depends on how thick you like your soup. Bring soup to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly then puree in a food processor or blender. Sometimes I add some milk to 'thin' the soup when I serve it. To dress it up, add a swirl of heavy cream.

Recipe courtesy of Alison Semple. If you would like to submit a recipe for our enewsletter, please send to amblerfarm@gmail.com.

Ben + Ambler in the Bulletin

2008-07-17T12:17:00.005-04:00

Don't miss the Cover Story on Ben + Ambler's Bumper Crop in the Wilton Bulletin. click here

Photo by Jeff Yates

Greetings from the Ambler Farm Stand!

2008-07-10T12:33:00.004-04:00

We've had a great first week as our Farm Stand is now officially open. Our farmer, Ben Saunders, is in the fields early, harvesting, to maximize the quality of everything we sell. Our goal is to sell produce AND build relationships with people - people who will frequent the Farm and

spread the word about locally grown, fresh produce. Come visit us as we are so proud of our newest production field; a patchwork of specialty crops with pathways to easily view the crops. If you haven’t been by the farm lately – here’s a picture of the field:

Our Produce

Here's what you'll find at the Farm Stand this week:

Arugula
Beets (Red Ace, Chioggia)
Collards
Herbs (Tarragon, Rosemary, Dill, Basil, Cilantro, Lavender, Chives, Garlic Chives, Mint)
Kale (Red Russian, Winterbor)
Lettuce
Mesclun Mix (Mizuna, Arugula, Tatsoi, Mustard, Kale, etc)
Raspberries
Swiss Chard
Turnips

If you are in the area on Thursdays and Saturdays, 9:30AM – 5PM, please stop by the stand at 257 Hurlbutt Streetin Wilton, CT. Pick up some produce for dinner on your way home. Talk with the people who grow your food. Ask Ben how we grow it (chemical and pesticide free - all the produce is grown under a protocol at least as stringent as theUSDA organic protocol). Ask about the variety. Ask for ideas on how to cook and slice the product or share a favorite recipe with us. And remember – ALL farm stand sales as well as donations go back into the farm!!

Volunteer Opportunities

With such a productive garden, we really need extra help with all aspects of growing our crops and operating the farm stand. NO EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY! We need:

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays anytime 9:30 to Noon – 6 people for general gardening chores (weeding, thinning, watering, planting, etc)
Thurs & Sat 7AM to 9:30AM – 2 people for harvesting for the Farm Stand
Thurs & Sat anytime from 9:30AM to 5PM – 1 person to oversee the Farm Stand

For the first two above, our farmer, Ben Saunders, is the contact. His email is: bsaundersis@gmail.com. If there are other times that are more convenient for you, this can be easily arranged through Ben.

If you're more interested in helping with the Farm Stand, please contact Jim Meinhold at jmeinhol@optonline.net.

See you at the Stand!

Solstice Supper

2008-06-21T23:00:00.003-04:00

The Solstice Supper at Ambler Farm featured farm-to-table food provided by Barcelona, a silent auction of farm, garden, table and culinary items, and hayrides and horseshoes. The trebuchet was also a big hit!

The Solstice Supper Committee:

Organizers of the Ambler Farm summer solstice supper were, from left, Cory Lee, Lynn Caldwell, Kathy Rosenbaum, Claudia Avallone, Tracy Taylor, Amy Curley, Stephanie Mercado and Michele Bennett.

Organic Food + Wine

2008-06-12T14:52:00.004-04:00

What a pleasure to see so many people come out for an evening of Organic Food & Wine at Ambler Farm last week. A crowd of both new and long-time Ambler supporters enjoyed a lively and informative talk about organic wine, delicious hors d'oeuvres made from local food sources, and good conversation with one another.

Special thanks to Amy Dixon of Stew Leonard's Wine Shops; Lynn and John Holbrook of Holbrook Farm; Thomas Camm of Artisan Made - Northeast; Wave Hill Bread; Offinger's Farm; and Ambler farmer Ben Saunders. And many thanks to all of you who joined us on a perfect spring evening at Ambler.

MAURA CONNOLLY, BETH CULNANE, STEPHANIE GORDON, VICKY MEANY, ANDREA O'MEARA, SARAH SIMMONS, REBECCA THOMPSON
Organic Food & Wine Committee
Friends of Ambler Farm Hurlbutt Street, June 7

Wilton Newcomers Club gives a boost to Ambler Farm

2008-05-22T14:50:00.002-04:00

The Wilton Newcomers Club recently donated $10,000 to the Friends of Ambler Farm. The club raised the money through two successful events during this past year: the sale of holiday ornaments featuring a hand-painted image of the Red Barn at Ambler Farm, and the art auction held at the Wilton Library in March. The donation will be used for educational programs for local schoolchildren and for new farm equipment, which will help the farm expand its agricultural capabilities.

This is the largest amount of money the Newcomers club has raised during any program year. Stephanie Mercado and Kelly Gervolino, WNC fund-raising chairs, organized both the ornament sale and the art auction this year.

Each year the club selects a local organization to benefit from its fund-raising efforts. The Wilton Newcomers Club is a nonprofit social organization that serves more than 200 families in town.

Golf by Ambler

2008-05-19T14:54:00.001-04:00

On Monday, May, 19, the sun shone, somewhat intermittently, on Rolling Hills Country Club on Hurlbutt Street for the golfers who participated in a fundraising golf event to benefit Ambler Farm. Many thanks are due to the board of governors of Rolling Hills Country Club who donated the use of the course for the day to Friends of Ambler Farm. We are also grateful to the staff members of the club, and all the local businesses and individuals who donated prizes for both golfing skills and scores, in addition to a most successful raffle.

Such local support enables us to keep Wilton's agrarian roots alive among the community.

JON BELL, DIANE FOGERTY, KIM FORTUNA, DEBBIE LAFOND, ALISON SEMPLE, BONNIE SHEEHAN
Golf Event Committee
Friends of Ambler Farm Hurlbutt Street, May 2

Kevin Meehan: A Man of Many Hats

2008-05-16T15:02:00.001-04:00

Photo By: Carolyn Rundle Field

By Carolyn Rundle Field, May 16, 2008

Kevin Meehan is a man who can multi-task. How else to explain his ability to serve as the Cider Mill science instructional leader, run an afterschool science club, oversee the school’s independent summer course program attracting over 1,000 kids each year, and in his role as Ambler Farm’s property and program manager-in-residence, lead a summer student apprentice program, organize a maple sugaring program, and shoulder much of the behind-the-scenes preparations for the annual Ambler Farm Day celebration? And, after all that, he still has enough energy at the end of his day to repair a crumbling stone wall or a barn door hinge; plus, with his wife Susan, raise two young children and two dogs.

Read more at Wilton Magazine

Bees at the Farm

2008-05-10T18:17:00.002-04:00

Kevin Meehan and Ben Saunders installed four bee hives near the old sunflower garden this afternoon. Several friends joined us to watch the installation - and we even have a few adult "apprentices" lined up to help maintain the hives. In addition to honey production, the bees and hives will be used for educational programs.

Earth Day

2008-04-27T11:58:00.003-04:00

The Friends of Ambler Farm held its second annual Earth Day celebration on Sunday, April 27, on the farm’s 18 acres at 257 Hurlbutt Street.

Around the Carriage Barn, there were recycling-oriented activities for kids of all ages. Children prepared milk-carton birdhouses, made rain sticks out of paper rolls and craft wind chimes from natural materials such as twigs and shells. Kevin Meehan led the construction of a giant building out of cardboard boxes. Families wound their way through an Ecology Maze, where making good choices about the environment led to the end.

A representative from the United States Department of Agriculture taught visitors about home composting. And Gerri “Bat Lady” Griswold, of the White Memorial Conservation Center, was at the Carriage Barn with her collection of live bats to talk about the importance of bats in the ecosystem. Farmer Ben Saunders will give visitors a first look at the new planting fields and talk about upcoming agricultural programs at the farm.

Congratulations to Chairperson Rebecca Thompson and her large crew of volunteers for another successful event!

Underground Railroad

2008-04-17T12:04:00.003-04:00

Tied together and marched to the auction block, Cider Mill School students recently stepped back in time to an era where all were not free and many were treated with savage cruelty. Those students took part in an exercise at Ambler Farm where they took on the role of slaves trying to escape. Through listening to teachers and parents, they learned about life as a slave and what being on the underground railroad might have been like.
Read more at the Wilton Bulletin

Photo by Brian Shea, Wilton Bulletin

Making Maple Syrup

2008-03-06T11:44:00.009-05:00

Ambler Farm's Maple Syrup Program is featured in the Wilton Bulletin and our own Mike Cuddy graced the cover. Kevin Meehan, Mike Cuddy and several participating families helped to make the program's inaugural year a great success.

http://www.acorn-online.com/news/publish/wilton/30022.shtml

Photos by Jeff Yates