Farm News, July 25, 2017

Farm News

 The summer is really flying by, and as we approach the end of July, lots of great veggies coming in at the farm. The crew put in some tough hours in the heat last week, so the recent rains and cool, cloudy weather were a welcome relief. With the garlic crop safely tucked away in a dry greenhouse, we’ve got some big projects to catch up on. First up, catch up on tomato trellising. The plants really took off in the last 3 weeks and the big summer picks will be starting soon.   The peppers also need a small support trellis to keep the plants upright as they put on a heavy set of fruits.This morning a gentle rain fell, and we (mostly) stayed dry by weeding and fertilizing the ginger, one of our gourmet crops. Ginger is a slow starter, but the crop looks to be up and out of the gate and heading for a late August first harvest. And of course, we’ve got a list of weeding projects that we need to attend to in between our regular harvests of lettuce and greens crops. The flowers look fabulous this year, it’s a great week to get to the farm to make a bouquet, grab some sweet Ailsa Craig onions and summer squash for the grill, tomatoes for burgers and sandwiches, and we have lots of corn to go around.We hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,Paul and Rebecca, for Elliott, Bailey, Lauren, Justin, Hannah, and the field crewFeatured This Week:Red Torpedo onions: an heirloom onion from the Mediterranean regions of France and Italy. Like many long names, the original “Red Long of Tropaea” changed to “Red Torpedo” when it made it way to the USA. It is one of our favorite onions for tasting great and looking pretty in the process. We’ve found that they store well (for onions) on the counter, but recommend the fridge for up to 2 months.Red cabbage: Some of the most beautiful heads of red cabbage we have ever grown, thanks to all the rain. Great in summer salads and slaws. Red cabbage will store for many weeks in your fridge.   If you still have the green cabbage and you pick up some kale, try the Kale Salad recipe at www.forthillfarm.com, click on recipes, and then "kale, " or try the yummy braised kale recipe below. Also available: arugula, baby red kale, tatsoi, salad mix, basil, scallions, head lettuce, curly and lacinato kale, rainbow chard, pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, red beets, garlic, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, American slicing and Asian burpless cucumbers, Tendersweet cabbage, broccoli, Ailsa Craig fresh onions, sweet corn

Pick Your Own at the farm: A very beautiful crop of flowers this week! Lots of pretty stems ready to be picked. Green and yellow beans as well. . The sunflowers are kicking into gear now, with 6-7 varieties open! The 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, 2:30 to 6:30 pm during our Tuesday Farm Stand.

Coming soon: Fancy beets

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

 Rosemary Braised Red Cabbage with Kabanos (Smoked Pork Sausages)From BBC Good Food½ red cabbage1 tbsp olive oilknob of butter1 red onion, sliced4oz. plus 3/4tsp. red wine vinegar½ cup soft dark brown sugar1 red chile, finely chopped2 rosemary sprigs1 large apple, cored and roughly chopped8 kabanos sausages, cut into finger lengthsHalve the cabbage, remove the tough stem and thinly slice. Place in a large pan with all the other ingredients apart from the sausages, then mix in 10 oz. water and some salt and pepper.Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat, cover with a well-fitting lid and gently cook for 1½ hours, stirring frequently. If too dry, you can add a little more water.Add the kabanos to the cabbage mixture, place a lid on the pan and gently simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve alongside some simple mash or boiled potatoes. TzatzikiAdapted by Rebecca from Once Upon a ChefI super refreshing alternative to potato salad to serve alongside grilled meats and vegetables in the summertime.1-1/2 cups plain 2% Greek yogurt (I use Fage)2 small or 1 large cucumber, seeded, coarsely grated and squeezed as dry as possible (about 1 cup)2 small garlic cloves, minced2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint, plus a bit more for garnishCombine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I add about ¼ teaspoon more salt but season to your own taste). Cover and chill until ready to serve. Garnish with more finely chopped mint if desired. Yields 2 cups.