Farm News, August 29, 2017
Farm News
The recent nippy nights have me thinking of fall about two weeks earlier than normal. The weather this August, coupled with the cool spring, has a lot of people saying, “Is that all?” when the subject turns to summer. Luckily, we have lots of tomato plants still putting out very delicious fruit in our high tunnel, a good crop of sweet peppers, and plenty of salad greens and sweet corn to round out the rest of your summer picnics and barbecues. We’re also ready to start digging potatoes in earnest, and nearly ripe butternut squash is telling us that fall is not far away.This time of year a bit of fatigue tends to settle in on the farm crew. Over the last two weeks just about half the crew has headed back to school or to other responsibilities, leaving those left to shoulder all of the harvest, packing, sorting, and displaying tasks. And there is still much to do! In the next few weeks, we’ll process a greenhouse full of garlic and onions, bring in weekly harvests of lettuce, kale, chard, spinach, and other greens, and continue planting the remaining succession plantings of those crops. We’ve got to clean up the fields by pulling up and removing weeds that have gone to seed, short-circuiting the next generation of seeds and saving some of work down the road. We’ve got to pull up trellises, plant the cover crops, and make compost, which will breathe some life back into our soil after a hard summer’s work.On the plus side, the cooler weather is a welcome relief from humid, sweltering afternoons, and there seems to be a few less details to think about now that the greenhouse production is almost done and many of the early crops are just memories. This is a really great time to be out in the fields. As our friend Laura from Riverbank Farm likes to say: for farmers in late summer, it’s too late to worry about this year and too early to worry about next year!Hope you enjoy the farm and the produce,Paul and Rebecca, for Elliott, Lauren, Bailey, Hannah, Justin, and the field crew
Featured this week:
Eggplant: this crop is notoriously boom or bust, and after a long wait, we are happy to have a good crop coming in! The classic Italian purple variety is the gold standard. The rounded Rosa Bianca has a wonderful texture; the slender Asian explants are great for sautéing or cutting lengthwise and grilling or roasting. They are all a summer grilling staple in our house. Store in your fridge for a short while, or in a cool dark place that's a bit less chilly.Kennebec potatoes: We call these all-purpose potatoes because they can do just about anything. Mash 'em, grill 'em, roast 'em, bake 'em, fry 'em, salad 'em....you get the idea. What's not to love? Store in a cool dark place.
Also available: arugula, baby red kale, tatsoi, head lettuce, rainbow chard, curly green and lacinato kale, pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, red, Chioggia, and golden beets, garlic, carrots, Tendersweet, Savoy, and red cabbage, Ailsa Craig and Red Torpedo fresh onions, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, escarole, radicchio, assorted hot peppers, corn and baby ginger! (prices will be higher since we are pulling the crop very early....there will be plenty in the coming months at the usual price.) You may see some summer squash and cucumbers, but they are just about done for the season.
Pick Your Own at the farm: The flowers are still doing well this week, but sunflowers are nearing the end. Beans are taking a break this week while we await a large planting of fall beans. The parsley and perennial herbs are going strong, but we've seen the best of the cilantro and dill for the season. Sungold cherry tomatoes will be available for PYO when available, as supplies ebb and flow during this cool period.PYO Hours: The PYO patch is open 30 minutes before and 30 minutes beyond barn distribution hours. Pick your own patch is also open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays during our Farm Stand, from 2:30 to 6:30 pm.
Coming soon: Carnival acorn squash
Recipes, suggested by Rebecca Batchie; also see the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database
Summery Fresh Tomato Soup
By Grace Parisi via Food and Wine3 tablespoons unsalted butter3/4 cup minced sweet onion1 1/2 pounds tomatoes—peeled, seeded and chopped, with juices1 teaspoon tomato paste2 cups low-sodium chicken broth1 basil sprigSaltFreshly ground pepper12 thin baguette slices, toasted1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeseStep 1: In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the broth and basil and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the tomatoes are broken down, about 15 minutes. Discard the basil and puree the soup until smooth.Step 2 : Preheat the broiler and arrange the baguette toasts on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the cheese and broil just until melted, about 30 seconds. Serve the soup with the cheese toasts.
Aloo Baingan (Curried Potato Eggplant)
From Vegan Richa1 tsp oil½ tsp cumin seeds½ tsp mustard seeds6 curry leaves, chopped (optional)4 cloves of garlic, minced½ inch ginger, minced1 hot green chile, finely chopped1 tsp coriander powder½ tsp turmeric1 large potato, cubed small1 medium eggplant, chopped small, or 8 or more small eggplants, quartered1 large tomato, crushed, finely chopped or about 1 cup diced canned tomato¾ cup water¾ tsp saltcayenne (pure red chili powder) or garam masala to tastecilantro for garnishHeat oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add cumin and mustard seeds and cook them until cumin seeds change color and get fragrant. A few seconds or a minute depending on how hot the plan and oil are.Add curry leaves carefully. Add garlic ginger and chili and cook for a minute or until the garlic is golden. Add the coriander powder and turmeric and mix in. Add potatoes and eggplants and mix in.Add the tomatoes, salt and water and mix in. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the eggplants and potatoes are tender to preference. about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and spice and mix in.Garnish with a good sprinkle of cayenne or garam masala or both, and cilantro and serve. Serves 2.NOTES: Add a cup or more of cooked chickpeas and another chopped tomato to make this into a one-pot meal.Add a dash of liquid smoke for a bharta (mashed eggplant) flavor profile.