Farm News, July 3, 2018
Farm News
This week's Farm News is written by Lauren Henderson-Tamowski, who is in her 4th season on the farm. As a key crew member, Lauren has launched and managed our micro greens program this year. Lauren writes:
I believe Good food is important. Good, being food that is nutritious, tasty and isn’t ecologically devastating or the result of the oppression and mistreatment of human workers and animals.I believe you think this is important also and that is why you support local, organic agriculture.In a consumerist society, how we choose to spend money shapes the future. The type of world we create is shaped by the types of businesses we support. Our choices make a difference.We choose food that hasn’t been sprayed with hormone disrupting, potential neurotoxins. How we determine a pesticides risk to human health is also in need of an upgrade. Most limits set for conventional pesticides are determined through animal studies, examining a single pesticide’s effect at a time. Human brains are differently complex than that of study animals, and in practice, multitudes of pesticides are routinely applied to conventional crops. For example, conventionally grown strawberries tested by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2015 and 2016 contained an average of 7.8 different pesticides per sample. These include chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive damage that are banned in Europe. Pesticide residues are found to remain even after produce is washed. The other issue of our time is the fair labor practices for farm workers in this country, and abroad. At Fort Hill Farm, workers are paid an hourly wage and receive time and a half for work over forty hours. In the U.S, farm workers are exempt from overtime pay requirements and in many cases minimum wage laws. Treatment of farm labor is a major human rights concern. Paying fair wages for often grueling work matters.The result of caring a bit more is produce that tastes better and is fresher … amazing varieties grown for flavor rather than shelf life. Food that hasn’t travelled thousands of miles is more nutritious, because the longer fruit and veggies are stored, the greater the loss of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Researchers at Montclair State University found the vitamin C content of broccoli was reduced by half when it was shipped from out of the country compared to locally sourced. The epidemiologic evidence of a protective role of fruits and vegetables in cancer prevention and decreased risk of heart disease is substantial. Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is a practical and important way to optimize nutrition to reduce disease risk and maximize good health.Thank you for caring.Feel good about what you eat!Eat local. Eat organic. Eat rainbows!Lauren, for Paul, Rebecca, and the Fort Hill Farm Crew
Featured this week:
Fresh garlic: this is German White hard neck garlic, one of our signature crops. The cloves are big and flavorful, and easy to peel. Fresh garlic has much greater oil content than cured garlic! It will store for weeks on your kitchen counter. We’ll have fresh garlic available for just a few weeks while we bring in the entire crop. The bulbs will then slowly make their way toward curing as the summer continues. Basil: you can never have too much basil, and given the challenge Basil Downy Mildew has posed for us in recent years, we are celebrating this crop. Break out the cuisinart and make some pesto or enjoy in a tomato and mozzarella salad. If you have extra basil, omit the cheese from the recipe (add it later) and freeze it for a mid-winter reminder of the farm. Store in a cool place (if there is one this week!) in a slightly dampened towel or glass of water out of direct light. Basil really, really, really doesn’t like to be put in a fridge. Rainbow Swiss Chard: Despite being a wallflower in the vegetable world, chard is a most versatile cooking greens that can sub for its sister, spinach, in any recipe.
Also available:
arugula, salad mix, rainbow chard, pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, micro greens, radishes, scallions, salad turnips, head lettuce, garlic scapes, kohlrabi, red beets, snap peas, carrots, fresh herbs, frozen baby ginger, zucchini, cucumbers, Chinese cabbage, curly green and lacinato kale
Coming Soon:
Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage, purplette onions
Pick Your Own:
Strawberries: decent picking early in the week, turning to gleanings (light picking, harder-to-find berries) later in the week. It's been a great season!Fresh Herbs: Italian and curly parsley, cilantro, thyme, sage, oregano, chives, and we've added dill this week. Some herbs are available in the barn, others are available for PYO only. Please pick only the herbs with signs, as some young herbs are still growing! ...... and NEW for 2018: CSA members may pick 1 small PYO bunch of herbs (mixed or not) each week for FREE! One bunch per share. PYO only. Please see samples in the barn for bunch size.PYO begins 30 before and goes 30 minutes beyond barn hours.
Recipes, suggested by Rebecca Batchie. For more recipes, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database.
Swiss Chard and Pecan Pesto
Recipe by Meghan O via allrecipes… Another fantastic twist on pesto. 1/2 cup olive oil, divided10 leaves Swiss chard, chopped4 cloves garlic, chopped1 cup basil leaves1 cup pecans1/2 teaspoon sea salt1 tablespoon lemon juice1 (3 ounce) package grated Parmesan cheesesalt and ground black pepper to taste Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the Swiss chard and garlic in the hot oil until the chard leaves have wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.Process the basil, pecans, sea salt, Parmesan cheese, and remaining olive oil in a food processor until all the ingredients are well integrated. Add the Swiss chard mixture and the lemon juice to the food processor; continue chopping until the mixture is pureed. Season with salt and pepper.
Sautéed Swiss Chard (Don't Be Afraid!!!)
Recipe by hollyfrolly via geniuskitchenI share this author’s sentiment from the title. As a chard lover, I am always perplexed as to why more folks don’t love it! This is super simple and delicious.1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter1 1⁄2 tablespoons olive oil2 garlic cloves, minced1 pinch dry crushed red pepper2 bunches Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces1⁄2 lemon, juice ofsalt Melt butter and oil in heavy large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper.Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.Add Swiss chard; stir to coat.Cover and cook until tender (stirring occasionally) about 8 minutes.Squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon onto chard.Season to taste with salt.Enjoy!