Farm News, August 1, 2017
Farm News
This week's Farm News is brought to you by Hannah Snyder-Samuelson, a Pennsylvania native who has spent quite some time in New England. We are thrilled to have Hannah back for a second season on the farm. Hannah writes:
How can it be the end of July already? My second season at Fort Hill has been an exciting one so far, with lots of changes from last year -- adding a fourth greenhouse, a third farmers’ market, a new CSA system, and much more rain to the mix. I’m also glad for the chance to try my hand at some new management tasks this year, including overhead irrigation, PYO, and Thursday distribution, as well as working on new tractor skills like transplanting, basket weeding, mowing, and using the disc harrow. We pack a lot into one season!
One of my favorite parts about coming back to the farm this spring was restocking my fridge with this gorgeous organic produce. Starting this week, we’ll be up to our gills in sweet corn -- my favorite time of year!!! -- which means I can start making corn salad again with our tomatoes, fresh onions, and cucumbers, with some beans, cumin, and Italian dressing. I shamelessly earned some brownie points with my grandparents when I brought them a bouquet of our organic flowers this weekend, and I can’t wait to try my family's coleslaw recipe this week with our cabbage, broccoli, and carrots.
So many new veggies to eat, so little time. August is a great time of year to hang around a veggie farm.
Thank you for supporting our apprenticeships and our efforts to bring you the freshest, tastiest produce possible!
Hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,
Hannah, for Paul, Rebecca, Elliott, Lauren, Bailey, Justin, and the field crew
Featured this week:
Kale: either the frilly green, or deep green Lacinato (aka Dinosaur Kale). Kale is one of those work horses on a vegetable farm. When planted in succession, barely a week goes by in which one can't dine on kale if one chooses. You could say it's the meat and potatoes of the cooking greens world. Sauté with garlic and oil, or try the great, all raw Kale Salad recipe at www.forthillfarm.com. Both varieties can be used interchangeably in recipes. Store in a loosely closed plastic bag in your fridge for up to a week.Sweet corn: We've moved beyond the diminutive, super sweet ears of our "starter corn" and can offer heftier ears (that are also super sweet) this week! We have a new method of avoiding the onslaught of blackbirds diving into the corn patch in Alfred Hitchcock numbers. The blackbirds are looking for corn earworms, and even if they strike out, they'll have a little sweet corn for dessert. We use scare balloons to try to ward them off, but with hit and miss results. So we now have a loud speaker in the corn patch, which sings the tunes of predatory birds, thus keeping the blackbirds at bay. High quality sweet corn is among the most difficult crops to grow organically, and we need your support in accepting what Mother Nature gives us. Remember that our corn will store in a fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze (just blanch the ears in boiling water for a minute, plunge into cool water, cut off kernals, load into a freezer bag, and pop in the freezer for a winter time treat).Red Gold Potatoes: This early spud kicks off our potato harvest, and we dig it by hand because of the fragility of young spuds' skin! It’s a real beauty, with pink skin and yellow flesh. Best served mashed, boiled, or in potato salad. Store all potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place, but never in the refrigerator.Also available: arugula, baby red kale, tatsoi, salad mix, basil, scallions, head lettuce, rainbow chard, pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, red beets, garlic, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, American slicing and Asian burpless cucumbers, Tendersweet and red cabbage, Ailsa Craig and Red Torpedo fresh onions, tomatoes
Pick Your Own at the farm: The flowers continue to stun this week! Green, yellow, and Roma beans are ready for picking. New sunflowers are opening every day! 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 during our Tuesdays Farm Stand, from 2:30 to 6:30 pm.
Coming soon: Watermelon!
Recipes, suggested by Rebecca Batchie; also see the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database
Best Ever Cilantro Corn SalsaFrom All RecipesAn infinitely adjustable, quintessential summer salsa.2 ears corn on the cob, husks and silk removed2 tomatoes, chopped2 avocados - peeled, pitted, and diced1/2 bunch cilantro, stems cut off and leaves chopped1 white onion, chopped3 tablespoons chopped garlic2 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons red wine vinegarkosher salt to tastePreheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.Cook corn on the preheated grill until the kernels are lightly charred but still firm, 3 to 5 minutes per side, turning often. Cut kernels off the cobs, transfer to a large salad bowl, and let cool.Mix in tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, white onion, garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar; season with kosher salt.Baked Wild Rice with Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Soft-Cooked EggsBy Deb Perelman3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided1 Tbsp olive oil2 large sweet onions, halved and slicedKosher salt and freshly ground pepper4 cups stemmed & ribboned kale leaves5 cups cooked wild rice blend2 cups (8 oz) grated Swiss cheese, divided¾ cup chicken broth1 cup dry breadcrumbs8 large eggs (optional)Preheat oven to 375°F.Caramelize onions: Melt 1 Tbsp butter in oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat; add onions and season with ½ tsp salt and a little pepper; cook until onions are tender and sweet, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Add kale and let wilt, about 5 minutes. Combine onion-kale mixture, wild rice, and 1 cup grated cheese in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.Assemble and bake: Grease a 2-quart baking dish with 1 Tbsp butter. Spread wild rice mixture into dish and pour broth over. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Melt remaining 1 Tbsp butter; toss with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over cheese. Bake until bubbly and brown on top, 30 to 35 minutes.If serving with eggs, bring a pot of water to boil. Add eggs and cook 5 to 6 minutes (for soft-boiled). Peel eggs under cool running water. Serve each portion with an egg. Add salt and pepper. Serves 8.