Farm News July 4, 2023
Our Farmstand is in full swing:
Tuesday (BUT CLOSED TODAY FOR 4TH OF JULY),
Thursday, & Friday: 2 - 6:30 PM
Saturday: 8 am - 12:30 pm
******
WE ARE CLOSED TODAY, TUESDAY, JULY 4TH.
**********************************************
All the rain we could have used in April and May continued to wet the farm last week. Fortunately, there have been plenty of breaks in the showers and thunderstorms for us to continue mowing cover crops, spading soil, and spreading compost for our fall crops. Rebecca has started sowing the first of the fall carrots and beets, and the crew has been busy planting Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and kale in addition to our regular plantings of lettuce, corn, summer squash, cucumbers, and basil. We have only been able to cultivate weeds with our special tractor-pulled rigs one day out of the last 10, but we did find some time to hand pull and hoe the winter squash, sweet potatoes, and next year’s strawberry patch. It’s a big relief to see the crops cleaned up and growing.
Dana celebrates the beets with a matching flower!
As we’ve turned the page into July, we say goodbye to snap peas and strawberries, which we know are real customer favorites. After a slow start, the strawberry yields and quality were quite good this season, and the snap peas were one of the best crops we’ve grown. For pick your own fans, we will have a crop of green beans coming in soon, and the cutting flowers are just starting up. Cucumbers and summer squash are hitting their stride. Dana and a crew of dedicated tomato trellising experts have kept the greenhouse and high tunnel tomatoes from turning into an unmanageable jungle. Tomatoes of all kinds (red slicers, a rainbow of heirlooms, and orange Sungolds) are coming in from the greenhouses, with the crop from the big high tunnel not too far behind.
Julia and the rest of us are excited to be growing celery! The last time we tried this crop (2009), it failed miserably. We are hoping this trial-sized planting prevails, with the addition of a select group of micronutrients and minerals.
The main event in the first few weeks of July is our garlic harvest. We watch the garlic to see how many green leaves remain, and when we see there are just 5 or 6, we know we must start harvesting to get all the bulbs safe and dry in a shaded greenhouse. As a special treat we put aside some to sell green to give our garlic loving fans an early fix!
We hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,
Paul, for Rebecca and the Fort Hill Farm crew
Featured veg:
Fresh garlic: It must be July, because our half an acre of garlic soon needs to be pulled and hung to cure within a one-week window. We’ll begin this task in earnest next week. Curing takes many weeks, but in the meantime, will have the first fresh garlic stalks pulled and available. Store on the counter for several weeks. Our garlic is a German Extra Hardy (porcelain) variety with big fat, easy peeling cloves and wonderful flavor roasted or chopped into oil for your favorite recipe. We also prize fresh garlic for its incredible juiciness.
Zucchini: is beautiful and is coming in strong and early this year. Everyone loves spring greens, but as we dive into summer, I most appreciate having some “solid” veg to cook with. Grill, sauté, stuff, and grate into breads and cakes, or see recipe below.
Also available:
Head lettuce, salad mix, arugula, pea shoots, red and French Breakfast radishes (limited), spinach, curly and lacinato kale, rainbow chard, baby bok choy, escarole, fennel, scallions, cilantro, parsley, basil, dill, perennial herbs, garlic scapes, red, gold, and Chioggia beets, beefsteak and heirlooms, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, Zephyr, and Patty Pan summer squash, cucumbers
Pick Your Own:
FLOWERS:
It’s a soft opening out there, with Zinnias, Cosmos, Ageratum, Salvia and more lighting up the field with their vivid colors.
After a good run, strawberries and Sugar Snap Peas are done for the season.
Recipes
Suggested by Rebecca Batchie
For more recipes, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database
Warm Panzanella Salad
Adapted slightly from the NewBaguette
Zucchini and chickpeas make this a heartier, one-pot-meal version of the traditional panzanella. To keep the kitchen cool, I like to grill the zucchini instead of using the stovetop.
Ingredients
For the Vegetables
A generous glug of extra virgin olive oil
About 2 1/4 pounds summer squash (4 medium zucchini, yellow summer squash, or a mix of both), sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick quarter-moons
1 medium red or yellow onion, cut into half-moons
Fine sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons, for serving
For the Croutons
3 thick slices sourdough or ciabatta bread, torn into bite-size bits
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
About 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
About 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
About 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
Start the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the squash, onion, and pinches of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook until the vegetables are a little softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper flakes, and cook for 30 seconds more.
Stir in the tomatoes and chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with a lid, turn the heat down to low, and simmer until the vegetables are soft and the tomatoes have released their juice, 10 to 12 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
Meanwhile, make the croutons. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread, drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with paprika, garlic, and salt. Toss to coat and toast until the croutons are golden and crispy, about 5 minutes.
To serve, divide the croutons among bowls and top with the vegetables. Generously sprinkle with basil and serve.