Farm News, August 15, 2017
Farm News
“Ode” to CrewNowhere could the adage, “many hands make light work,” be truer than in farming. In the height of the summer, this farm produces vegetables that pass through 26 pairs of hands, including apprentices, field crew, market staff, and cashiers. Any farm that brings in 70 plus crop varieties, but whose crew lacks perseverance, diligence, and vigilance could be nothing other than a three-ring circus, featuring sharp knives, dangerous machinery, untended crops, and missed plantings and pests.To a farmer, having an engaged and skilled crew is a gift, and thankfully, we are blessed with a stellar bunch. Certainly, not having to train each individual to myriad tasks year after year is sheer joy. In a nutshell, these folks ease our central challenge of orchestrating a diverse and elaborate operation. By its very nature, our farm does seem to grow as many mistakes as it does vegetables; it is impossible to remember every detail required to grow well and outsmart/utilize the forces of nature. But it’s not for lack of trying by our exceptional crew:Elliott McGann (in his sixth season) does a fantastic job of organizing the day-to-day field operations. Lauren Henderson, Bailey Deutsch, Hannah Snyder-Samuelson, Justin Martel, and Adam Quattro have all taken on vital areas of responsibility, and we count on them to have our backs: Lauren (in her third season) with greenhouse operations and brassica greens seeding; Bailey (in her third season) with the CSA and the wholesale accounts; Hannah (in her second season) with Pick Your Own and transplant management; Justin (in his fourth season) with the Black Rock market and farm maintenance; and Adam (in his third season) with market and pack shed organization. We look to these folks for input throughout the farm season, and we appreciate their care for and commitment to the operation.This week we say goodbye to a good number of our field crew. Each season they crawl miles of carrots and beets, cut and pack tons of early summer spinach, and get on a first name basis with each and every zucchini and cucumber plant on the farm. Gigi Fusco, Juliana Fusco, and Hannah Winter are no-nonsense and know the ropes ... Gigi and Hannah will end a three-season stint at Fort Hill by taking internships for their majors next summer, and Juliana may return for a third season in 2018; thankfully, Mark Ventresca has overcome the challenges of a serious accident and is back for his second season; we are also pleased to have added newcomers, Joey Charles, Hannah Delohery, Brandon Turk, and Luna Hodge into the fold this season.While nothing can fully tame the wild beast that is farming, having an experienced and dedicated crew takes one ring out of the circus for a smoother performance, and turns employee-employer relations into more of an operational team. We thank our crew for all of their hard work and their contributions to the farm (consider this something of a mid-season “HIP HIP HOORAY!!!”).It’s mid-August, the farm is booming with tomatoes, corn, summer squash, cucumbers, and greens. And we have many months of goodies yet to bring in from the field!We hope you enjoy the harvest this week and over the many weeks to come,Rebecca and Paul, for Elliott, Bailey, Lauren, Justin, Hannah, Adam, and the field crewFeatured this week:Savoy cabbage: this crinkly leaved cabbage is sweet with a mild flavor. It’s our favorite because the characteristic nooks and crannies in the leaves trap dressing deliciously! Use and store like green cabbageHot Peppers: We’ve continued with most of the hot peppers from last year. We brought back the Poblano (which is also called Ancho when dried or stuffed and roasted for chile rellenos), Jalapeños (which took a hiatus last year due to a seed supplier mix-up), Serrano, which is quite/spicy, and Cayenne, which is also very spicy (and should be the spiciest, despite the odd sweetness of last year’s variety!). Some of the peppers have a variable production rate, so you may only see a few at a time in shop, but give them all a try!Also available: arugula, baby red kale, tatsoi, salad mix, basil, head lettuce, rainbow chard, curly green and lacinato kale, pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, red, Chioggia, and golden beets, garlic, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, American slicing and Asian burpless cucumbers, Tendersweet and red cabbage, Ailsa Craig and Red Torpedo fresh onions, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, escarole, radicchio, and the start of our baby ginger! (prices will be higher since we are pulling the crop very early....there will be plenty in the coming months at the usual price.)
Pick Your Own at the farm: The flowers continue to stun this week ...PYO flowers are on SALE again 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 on Tuesdays and Thursdays during our Farm Stand, from 2:30 to 6:30 pm.
Coming soon: Edamame!
Recipes, suggested by Rebecca Batchie; also see the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database
Sweet Winter Slaw
By Yotam OttolenghiI know winter is far off, but this recipe is both delicious and also uses two of the seasonal cabbages we have right now. For the dressing6 ½ tbsp lime juice1 lemon grass stalk, chopped into small pieces3 tbsp maple syrup2 tbsp toasted sesame oil1 tsp soy sauce½ tsp chile flakes4 tbsp light olive oil or sunflower oil For the salad1 ¼ cups macadamia nuts2 tbsp butter2 tsp sugar½ tsp salt½ tsp chilli flakes7 inner leaves Savoy cabbage (6oz.), finely shredded½ red cabbage (10 oz.), finely shredded1 mango, peeled, stoned and cut into thin strips1 papaya, peeled, deseeded and cut into strips1 red chile, deseeded and cut into thin slices¼ cup fresh mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped1 ½ cups cilantro, leaves picked and roughly choppedTo make the dressing, put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a small saucepan, and reduce for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat. Once it has cooled down, strain into a bowl, stir in the oil and set aside.Put the macadamias in a hot frying pan and dry-roast for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored on all sides. Add the butter. When it has melted, add the sugar, salt and chile flakes. Use a wooden spoon to stir constantly, to coat the nuts in the sugar as it caramelizes. Be careful because this will take only a minute or two and the nuts can burn very quickly. Turn out the nuts on to a sheet of greaseproof paper and, once cool, roughly chop them.Put the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl, along with the rest of the salad ingredients. Add the cool dressing, toss and taste. Add salt if you need to, and serve immediately.
Grilled Chicken with Jalapeno Caramelized Onions
By Robin Miller via the FoodnetworkNonstick cooking spray8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 5 ounces eachSalt and freshly ground black pepperSalt-free roasted garlic seasoning (recommended: McCormick)1 tablespoon olive oil1 cup thinly sliced onion2 jalapeno or Serrano peppers, seeded and minced1 tablespoon sugar1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided2 bay leaves2 teaspoons cornstarch2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leavesHeat a stove-top grill pan or griddle to medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Remove chicken from package and place on a plastic cutting board. Season both sides of chicken with salt, black pepper and garlic seasoning. Using tongs add chicken to hot pan and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.Heat large skillet over medium-high heat with oil. Add onion, jalapeno and sugar and cook 5 to 7 minutes stirring occasionally with a spoon, until golden brown. Add 3/4 cup of the chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Pour remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth into a bowl. Whisk in cornstarch until it is completely dissolved and add to the pan. Bring onion mixture to a full boil, reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens. Using tongs, discard the bay leaves and remove the pan from heat.Serve 4 of the chicken breast halves with all of the onion sauce spooned over top and all of the rice on the side. Reserve remaining 4 chicken breast halves for sandwiches.