From Ambler's Kitchen: Curried Butternut Squash Soup

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

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!

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!