Farm News October 22, 2024
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FALL Farmstand & PYO HOURS:
CLOSED FRIDAYS,
with reduced hours on the remaining open days
Tuesday & Thursday: 2 - 5:30 PM
Saturday: 9 am - 12:30 pm
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I’ve always wondered what it would be like to farm in California, and the last two months have been a pretty good approximation. One sunny, low humidity day after another has been the routine for two months now. The last appreciable rain I can remember was the August 19 destructive storm that was especially hard on Oxford and Southbury. We’ve been irrigating as needed, and the crops are loving the combination of low humidity and ample soil moisture. We’re currently harvesting some of the best fall lettuce, kale, spinach, escarole, fennel, and chard that we’ve ever grown. Carrots made big, bright green tops that fed roots to jumbo size. Collard greens the size of elephant ears…. not really, but you get the idea. But it’s spooky, and not just because Halloween is around the corner. We very much need some rainy days.
Thanks to Paul’s late-night shifts our the last 10 days, we still have some very happy customers in the Dahlias!
The nights, however, have been decidedly “fall in New England.” We had frost form nearly every night last week. This leads to a daily task of covering sensitive greens crops with frost blankets every evening and uncovering them as soon as the sun melts the nights accumulated frost. We have sensors in the field, and when the temperatures go below 35F we turn on the water to protect the flowers and peppers from freezing. In something of a surprise outcome, our dahlias have for the most part made it through unscathed. While many of the summer flowers have faded, we still have a great selection dahlias and snap dragons for the picking.
Birgit drives up from Westport very week just to be in the dahlias and take some joy home.
With the greenhouses largely planted for early winter crops and Guarding Mountain at peak foliage, our thoughts are turning to late- fall tasks. We need to spade and spread compost on beds for the big garlic planting at the end of the month, and separate 1,000 cloves in preparation. November is compost creation month, when we begin accepting leaves and woodchips to stockpile, and mix last year’s leaves into neat windrows to begin the composting process. We’re also entering the final weeks where we can plant cover crops to tuck our fields to bed. So while we are still plenty busy bringing in some fabulous harvests and making plans for fall projects, we’re also thinking about a bit of a slow down around the corner.
We hope to see you at the farm or a farmers’ market soon,
Paul, Rebecca, and the Fort Hill Farm crew
Featured veg:
*** BOGO 1/2 OFF SALE ~ Continues this week! *** (no limit on quantity at this time)
Fort Hill Farm Minced Ginger: To try this is to love it, because it offers all of the attributes of our fresh, young ginger in a form that makes it snap to use… for those days when you need to press the EASY button! Simply swirl a spoonful or two into seltzer, tea, and smoothies, or curries, stir fries and marinades (etc., etc. – see the recipe below) Its uses are endless! We hope you reach for it when you need a break or when fresh ginger is out of season. This limited time BOGO 1/2 off offer makes it easy to give one to a friend or bring as a hostess gift. The holidays are imminent!
Brussels sprouts: This is one of the hardest crops to grow, particularly in sandy soil with organic practices, and honestly, we question whether it makes economic sense for us. They take up gobs of space and hold their place in the field from mid-June through October. They need a lot of fertility and have tons of problems with diseases. Did I mention they generate lots of weeds? Why do we grow them? Because we love them, plain and simple. Just snap or cut off the sprouts, peel off the outer leaves if necessary, and enjoy. They are best parboiled/steamed and then pan fried or roasted (or see the fantastic recipe below). Sprouts will store for a while in the fridge.
Murasaki Japanese Sweet Potatoes: Another marvel of nature … these are simply delectable. Their burgundy skin belies creamy toned flesh underneath, which turns golden when cooked. The flesh is both dry and creamy - that is, dry in a good sense; it stands up to roasting and crisps up better than the orange sweet potatoes we know and (also) love. And the sweetness …. yum!
Also available:
Head lettuce; salad mix; arugula; sweet winter spinach; pea shoots; curly and lacinato kale; rainbow & ruby chard; purple, red and French Breakfast radish; cilantro, parsley, red beets, chioggia beets and gold beets; red and green cabbage; baby Bok Choy; limited heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes; sweet fall carrots; limited romanesco; German Extra Hardy garlic; red and yellow storage onions; jalapeño, cayenne, poblano and shishito peppers; red bell peppers: limited sweet red Italian and orange snacking peppers; limited Classic Italian, Graffiti, and Rosa Bianca eggplant; Dark Red Norland, Magic Molly, LaRatte Gold and Pinto Gold fingerlings, Kennebec, and and Satina Gold potatoes; leeks; celeriac; fabulous fall fennel; collard greens; escarole; radicchio (round and Treviso); fresh ginger; Honeynut squash; Jester delicata squash; sweet potatoes; Butternut squash; Koginut squash
Coming Soon:
parsnips
Pick Your Own:
Perennial Herbs:
There are HERB RINGS provided to establish the bunch size.
Chives and Oregano: trim long lengths from the base of the plant, leaving 1” behind
Sage: clip 4 - 6 inches from the largest stems
Thyme: clip 4-6 from the perimeter of the plant
Flowers:
We will do out best to irrigate the patch to protect it from frost; we hope you come and enjoy them now! Be sure to use the flower ring provided to establish the bunch size.
Recipes
Suggested by Rebecca Batchie
Not into this particular recipe? For more recipes outlined by crop, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database.
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic minced
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
For the Salad:
1 lb Brussels sprouts ends trimmed
1 large Honeycrisp apple chopped (or 2 small apples)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
First, make the maple mustard dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, mustard, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Next, shave the brussels sprouts. Use a food processor with the slicing attachment and pulse until the brussels sprouts are thinly sliced. You can also use a mandoline or sharp knife if you don't have a food processor.
Place the shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Add the chopped apple, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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