Farm News, September 19, 2017

Farm News

Last week it felt like Mother Nature was having a hard time letting go of summer.  Warmer air meant that tomatoes were still coming out of the high tunnel, as well as plenty of eggplant and lots of sweet orange pointy peppers. These peppers make a perfect crunchy-sweet raw snack for just about anyone, but are especially handy for slightly burnt-out farm hands who need a quick pick-me-up in the field.I don't know quite how Bailey took this photograph, but it makes autumn look like it's headed straight into spring...must be a nod to the autumnal equinox!We’ve switched gears from a mix of planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting to mostly harvesting, as we’ve begun bringing in the fall crops.  We’ve got a great crop of carrots in the field that will take us all through the fall and winter, and we dug the parsnips a bit earlier and will have the first out this week.  Elliott has been managing this challenging crop the last 4 years, and this crop is definitely his opus, with a bumper crop of heavy, straight, and pretty roots. We’ve got the butternut squash lined up ready to pick up, and we hope to start digging sweet potatoes this week. We’ll give those crops a week to sweeten up in a warm greenhouse, and then you should see them in early October.From the orchard, we’ve got Liberty and Novaspy apples coming in.  Liberty have a tart-sweet flavor.  Novaspy is a great dessert apple reminiscent of Jonathan.  We're hoping to have seconds apples at a reduced price available for those interested in putting up some applesauce.  We’ve also got more Bartlett-type pears on the way, with the Bosc pears to follow soon.We’ve still got some planting to do, so in between the greens cutting and bunching, we need to sneak in the last of the salad mix, lettuce, chard, and spinach plantings.  Some of these plantings will be in greenhouses and plastic covered “low tunnels,” which allow us to extend our harvest of these crops into the winter.This is boom time for our farm, with a great mix of fall and summer favorites!Hope you enjoy the farm and produce,Paul and Rebecca, for Elliott, Bailey, Lauren, Hannah, Justin, and the field crew

Featured this week:

Celeriac: a.k.a. “celery root,” as it is closely related to celery. The greens are a great potherb that add lots of flavor to any broth or stock and can also be used chopped fresh into soups as you would parsley. The root is fabulous in soups (creamy and chunky!), roasted, added to gratins, mixed in with mashed potatoes or shaved/shredded raw into salads. Just slice off the top and bottom and peel before using.Parsnips: this white member of the carrot family has candy-like sweetness when roasted. It’s also yummy shredded raw into slaws or cubed into soups. We’ve foregone classic parsnip recipes this week and went for a more unusual parsnip hummus recipe (below). See recipes.forthillfarm.com for more ideas. Stores for a few months in a bag in fridge crisper drawer.Also available: arugula, baby red kale, tatsoi, rainbow chard, curly green and lacinato kale, pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, red, Chioggia, & golden beets, garlic, carrots, Red Torpedo and storage onions, leeks, radishes, salad turnips, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, baby bok choy, fennel, escarole, radicchio, mixed sweet peppers, green bell peppers, assorted hot peppers, potatoes, corn (available on and off this week), eggplant, Brussels sprout greens, spinach, and baby ginger!Pick Your Own at the farm: The late flowers are still going. It was a long season for sunflowers, which has now come to an end. Beans are taking a break before the big fall plantings get going! The parsley and perennial herbs are going strong.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:   Purple Top turnips

Recipes, suggested by Rebecca Batchie; also see the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database

Parsnip Hummus with Garlic Chili Oil (Vegan, Paleo)

From Gourmande in the KitchenTo Make the Garlic Chili Oil:2 Tablespoons/30ml coconut oil1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes [or minced cayenne pepper]2 Tablespoon/30ml extra virgin olive oil To Make the Parsnip Hummus:1 lb. parsnips, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces1/4 cup/60ml extra virgin olive oil (divided use)1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin¼ teaspoon ground coriander¾ teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan salt2 large garlic cloves, finely minced6 Tablespoons/90g tahini (sesame seed paste)4 Tablespoons/60ml freshly squeezed lemon juice6 Tablespoons/90ml filtered water (divided use)Freshly chopped parsley leaves to finish (optional) Make the Garlic Chili Oil:Place the coconut oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small skillet over low heat. Cook until the garlic and red pepper is fragrant and darkens but doesn’t burn (about 3 minutes).Remove from heat, add in extra virgin olive oil and cover with lid and let cool to room temperature while you prepare the hummus. Strain oil before serving with the dip.Make the Parsnip Hummus:Bring the cubed parsnips along with 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil, cumin, coriander and salt and ¼ cup of filtered water to a simmer over medium-low heat in a medium sauté pan, stirring to coat as necessary.Cover and reduce heat to low, cook for 10-15 minutes until the parsnips are tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife.Puree the cooked parsnips along with the minced garlic, tahini, and remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth and thick, scraping down the sides of the food processor as necessary (about 2 minutes). Add additional salt or lemon juice to taste.With the motor running slowly drizzle in enough of the remaining water to create a light fluffy consistency (another 2 to 3 minutes). Spoon into a bowl and let cool to room temperature or covered in the fridge before serving.Serve drizzled with the garlic chili oil and chopped parsley with chopped vegetables or crackers alongside. Serves 4-6.

Celery Root and Mushroom Lasagna

By Fabio Trabocchi via Food and WineAdmittedly, this is a special occasion dish for cooler weather ahead, but it uses fall gems like celeriac and leeks.1 cup dried porcini mushrooms2 cups boiling water4 tablespoons unsalted butter1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil3/4 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced (4 cups)Salt and freshly ground white pepper1/4 pound thickly sliced prosciutto di Parma, cut into 1/4-inch dice2 medium shallots, finely chopped1 fresh bay leaf2 rosemary sprigs2 sage sprigs2 thyme sprigs1 pound celery root, peeled and finely diced (1 1/2 cups)3 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, finely chopped (3 cups)1/2 cup dry Marsala4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth2 1/2 cups heavy cream1 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese2 large eggs1 1/2 pounds lasagna noodles1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced1 cup basil leavesStep 1: In a small, heatproof bowl, soak the porcini in the boiling hot water until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and coarsely chop the porcini.Step 2: In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the white mushrooms and the porcini, season with salt and white pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.Step 3: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons each of butter and olive oil to the saucepan. Add the prosciutto and shallots and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Using kitchen string, tie the bay leaf, rosemary, sage and thyme sprigs into a bundle. Add the herb bundle and the celery root to the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery root is crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until the celery root is tender, 5 minutes longer.Step 4: Return the mushrooms to the saucepan and stir over moderate heat until hot, 2 minutes. Add the Marsala and cook until evaporated, 5 minutes. Pour in 2 cups of the chicken stock and simmer over moderate heat for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the cream; simmer for 3 minutes longer, until the mixture has reduced to 5 cups. Season the ragù with salt and white pepper.Step 5: In another large saucepan, combine the remaining 2 cups each of cream and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until reduced to 3 cups, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Whisk in the eggs. Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper. Set 1/2 cup of the sauce aside.Step 6: Bring a very large pot of salted water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Cook the lasagna noodles until just barely al dente; drain and transfer to the ice water to cool. Drain the noodles and pat dry.Step 7: Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Line the bottom with a single layer of noodles, overlapping them slightly; reserve the best noodles for the top layer. Spread one-fifth of the vegetable ragù on top, followed by one-fifth each of the sauce, mozzarella and basil. Repeat to make four more layers, ending with a layer of noodles (you won't use all the noodles). Top with the reserved 1/2 cup of sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.Step 8: Bake the lasagna until bubbling and golden, about 1 hour. Let the lasagna rest for 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.