Farm News, July 31, 2018
Farm News
We know it’s high summer when we are knee deep in tomatoes, and that moment has officially arrived. My taste buds are in heaven from the different ways to dine on these jewelesque spheres ... fresh salsa, fresh tomato sauce, bruschetta, gazpacho (as soon as we pluck the first green peppers), and my almost daily: wholegrain tomato toast with butter and salt. I drink these dishes in, and with the enthusiasm folks bring to summer tomatoes, I’m guessing I’m not the only one. A true tomato tale: Luca recently gift wrapped and stowed in his room a big, juicy tomato to later give me in honor of my birthday —all with tomato toast in mind. This, of course, made me feel loved and understood on the deepest level!With all of the abundance of the present moment, it’s easy to forget that it’s a long journey from seed to plate for a tomato. For us it begins around Christmas time, when we start seedlings for our earliest greenhouse. We time all of our tasty greenhouse varieties to emerge with a decidedly un-tasty rootstock, upon which we graft the yummy seedling tops. Two things are critical for grafting success: the scions and rootstocks must be a good match for stem thickness, and a 10-day healing regimen must be carefully followed. Grafting helps our plants avoid soil-borne diseases common in greenhouse culture. We first graft in January and at the same time sow again for the next greenhouse. All of this business takes place in a tiny growth chamber long before we fire up our propagation house (and sow two rounds of field tomatoes for future grafting). It also helps to answer the question often posed to farmers: “What do you do all winter?”Tomato culture and its accompanied lingo can be tricky to understand. Some folks recognize the taste difference between “hothouse tomatoes” and “field-grown tomatoes,” and want to know specifically when our field tomatoes are in. They are surprised to learn that our tomatoes, while not all field grown, are all soil grown. In contrast, hothouse tomatoes, whether grown in summer or winter, locally or at a distance, are mostly grown hydroponically. Our early plantings are under plastic because they need the furnace to warm temps and keep winter from nipping at their tender green noses. Our later field tomatoes (also with roots in the earth), are grown under the protection of the high tunnel, both to keep irrigation under control and also the Late Blight pathogen from wiping out this precious crop –as it did throughout the entire Northeast in 2009 (that was a distinctly dry toast season for me). I draw out the differences in tomato culture because I think that earth-grown produce flat out tastes better. I believe the life in the soil biome translates into real flavor, which unfolds as plants grow in concert with microorganisms and minerals. These relationships and the resulting rich flavor profile create a sense of place, or “terroir” … in this case, from the Fort Hill plateau.I don’t want to be hatin’ on hydroponics, but as you may know, in 2017 the National Organic Standards Board brought hydroponic growing under the prized umbrella of the certified organic label. We small organic growers see this as a serious weakening of standards, and a direct miss of what constitutes the term organic. Growing plants in liquid fertilizer solutions is not what the organic farming pioneers had in mind, and there is a growing movement to splinter off from the compromised label and reclaim and redefine the meaning of the word organic (see realorganicproject.org). Today most of the tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers and much of the raspberries, lettuce and herbs you see in the grocery store are grown hydroponically.In any case, we dig the soil and hope you dig it too, because everything we produce is grown in soil, from the mighty winter squash on down to the dainty microgreens — and that is exactly why we spend so much time and energy feeding the soil itself.We hope you enjoy the real tomato flavor!Rebecca and Paul, for Elliott and the field crew Tomatoes: the high tunnel is starting to kick into high gear. We've been trying out a few new beefsteak varieties with excellent flavor. There are so many heirlooms to choose from! In general, heirlooms are sweeter than beefsteak, and yellow or orange varieties are particularly low acid. See forthillfarm.com, “Recipes” for tons of great ideas, or see the recipe below.Ailsa Craig sweet onions: We’ve got a nice crop of this big sweet onion, including some that are truly “whopper” sized. Great sliced for burgers or summer salads, but my favorite way to eat them is to brush them with olive oil and throw them on the grill.
Also available:
sweet corn, arugula, salad mix, pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, microgreens, scallions, head lettuce, garlic, chioggia, gold, and red beets, carrots, rainbow chard, radicchio, fresh herbs, frozen baby ginger, zucchini and yellow summer squash, slicing cucumbers, curly green and lacinato kale, heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes, sun gold and red cherry tomatoes, trickles of eggplant, red torpedo onions, purple conehead or red cabbage, tender sweet cabbage
Coming Soon:
eggplant, green peppers
Pick Your Own:
Flowers are happening; pick up a Flower Ring in the barn for bunch size. We planted a smaller Sunflower patch this year - don't miss out!BEANS: everyone's favorite PYO crop. We have yellow wax and green beans to choose from; best picking is early in the week.Fresh Herbs: Italian and curly parsley, cilantro, thyme, sage, oregano, chives and dill. Feel free to mix and match for your bunch.Some herbs are available in the barn, others are available for PYO only. Pick up an Herb Ring in the barn for bunch size. Please pick only the herbs with signs directly in front of them, 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.
Balsamic Bruschetta
From Kathy Bias 8 tomatoes, diced1/3 cup chopped fresh basil1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese2 cloves garlic, minced1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar1 teaspoon olive oil1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 loaf French bread, toasted and slicedIn a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Serve on toasted bread slices.
Corn and Arugula Salad
From Todd Porter & Diane Cu via Food and Wine 2 ears of corn, shucked (about 2 cups)1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)4 ounces feta cheese, crumbledZest of 1 medium lemonJuice of 1 medium lemon1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea saltFresh cracked black pepper, to taste8 cups loosely packed (5 ounces) baby arugula Step 1Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Fill and large bowl with ice water and set aside.Step 2Add the corn to the boiling water. Boil for 1 minute. Drain, quickly rinse under cold water, and then put the corn into the ice bath until fully cooled off. Drain.Step 3In a large bowl, combine the corn, bell pepper, feta cheese, olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.Step 4Add the arugula and toss to coat the arugula with the dressing. Serve.