Farm News, June 22, 2021
It’s mid-June, and we are deep into the busiest part of the farming season. Each day can be a tug of war between all the tasks that are calling for attention. We meet twice daily to update the to-do list and to determine which tasks we have to get to right away, which we can let simmer a bit, and those that we have to let go of until the fall comes. Harvest the zucchini squash that ballooned up almost overnight? Get on it right away! Plant the Brussels sprouts that have waited a bit too long in the greenhouse and are looking a little sad? Better get to that by tomorrow! Construction and maintenance projects like painting the barn or patching potholes in the farm road? Forget it until the first frost comes!
Emma captured this stunning late-afternoon moment in the fields.
Every morning we stand before the white boards on the big cooler in the barn and we put together the list and put big “red stars” on the tasks we just can’t let slide any more. For me, the hardest part can be prioritizing harvest over the weed management. This time of year, the buggers turn from tiny little problems that can wait for another day, to “we better get right on that!” tasks in just a matter of hours. We’ve hit the longest day of the year, and the growth that both crops and weeds can show this time of year is amazing.
Connor picking sugar snap peas. PYO peas are open! But it won’t last long…
Looking out at the crops, we’ve had a great run in the strawberry patch. There are still some good berries to harvest this week, but the end is in sight. Best picking will be early in the week. Ditto for the snap peas, which are an ephemeral spring treat. The tomato harvest is picking up steam, as are the cukes and summer squash, and there’s plenty of greens to go around. The crew was busy snapping garlic scapes today, another spring goody that’s only around for a short while. You can use these green garlic flower buds any in place of garlic cloves in all your recipes, and they make an amazing pesto paired with the bumper crop of fresh basil that is coming from our high tunnel. Make extra to freeze for a winter reminder of this abundant time of year, so you can enjoy a bit of summer when the snow flies.
Mouthwatering! Hooray, our soil-grown greenhouse tomatoes are coming in now.
We hope you enjoy the farm and the produce,
Paul and Rebecca for the Fort Hill Farm Crew
Faye brought in most of the Chinese Cabbage last week, and it stores forever. Chinese cabbage salad time! (See our recipe database.)
Featured this week:
Carrots: our long-awaited carrots from the field! This year we got tired of waiting for field carrots and tried our hand at greenhouse growing, with great results. Carrots can be a little tricky to grow in New England, especially given the drought and heat cycles, and we are always relieved to see them sizing up in the field. These babies are most tender, sweet, and crisp, and they fill the cooler with a carrot perfume, which can only mean summer has arrived, right on the nose of the Summer Solstice!
Basil: This is a delightful crop of basil from our high tunnel. Use with the garlic scapes for a great pesto, or pair with the first heirlooms. Basil stores best like a bunch of flowers—put in a vase in indirect light, or wrap in a damp cloth on a shady counter. DO NOT put in the fridge. Before a devastating new disease came along (downy mildew), basil used to be one of our most reliable crops. Now advancements in breeding have infused new life into the crop, at least for some of the summer, before its resistance to DM breaks down. In short, we never take it for granted, and we hope you enjoy it while we have it!
Also available:
Salad mix, arugula, 5 kinds of head lettuce, French Breakfast and red radish, scallions, fennel, Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, escarole, curly and lacinato kale, rainbow chard, garlic scapes, sugar snap peas, basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, oregano, strawberries, Purplette fresh onions, the first tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and summer squash!
Coming Soon:
cucumbers, summer squash
Pick Your Own:
Strawberries!
There are still so many berries out there! All varieties are open. Look for true red color, not the overripe purple-tinged red.
Sugar Snap Peas!
These won’t last until next week Note: Be sure to check in with the farmer or board by the patch to see which size to take. Size makes all the difference in the world with snap peas!
PYO Hours: 1:30 - 7PM. (PYO begins 30 minutes before and goes 30 minutes beyond barn hours.)
Recipes
Suggested by Rebecca Batchie
For more recipes, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database
Strawberry Cake with Basil Whipped Cream
By Trisha Yearwood via FoodNetwork
Ingredients
Basil Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup fresh basil leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cake:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the cake pan
1 1/4 cups cake flour, plus more for the cake pan
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
Strawberries:
2 pints strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon finely shredded fresh basil leaves
Directions
For the basil whipped cream: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Let sit 30 minutes, then strain and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment.
Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar on high speed in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally. Reduce the speed to low and mix in half of the flour mixture. Add the milk and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until smooth.
In a clean mixer bowl, whisk the egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar to firm peaks. Stir about a third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a tester in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely.
For the strawberries: Combine the strawberries and granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Toss well and refrigerate until the sugar dissolves and the berries become juicy, about 30 minutes. Taste and add a little more sugar if needed. When ready to serve, add the basil and toss.
Put the chilled cream in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium until foamy, then gradually add the confectioners' sugar and increase the speed to high. Whisk to form soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla.
Split the cake horizontally with a serrated knife into 2 thinner layers. Place the bottom layer on a serving platter. Top with half of the whipped cream and then half of the strawberries. Add the top layer, cut-side down. Top with the remaining whipped cream and strawberries. Garnish with basil sprigs and serve immediately.
Roasted Carrots and Red Onions with Fennel and Mint
From BonAppetit
Pair these carrots with our Purplette onions (new this week), and some tasty spring fennel.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds small carrots (about 2 bunches), peeled, cut into 3" pieces
2 large red onions, each cut through root end into 8 wedges
1 fennel bulb, cut into 1/2" wedges
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika
2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons torn mint leaves
Preheat oven to 425°F. Place carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and onions and fennel on another rimmed baking sheet. (Make sure to give them plenty of room, which is key to roasted veggies with nicely browned edges.) Drizzle vegetables with 2 Tbsp. oil, dividing evenly; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 20–25 minutes for carrots and 35–45 minutes for onions and fennel. Let cool.
Meanwhile, cook sunflower seeds, coriander seeds, Aleppo pepper, paprika, and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until oil is gently bubbling around seeds and spices are fragrant (be careful not to burn), about 2 minutes. Let cool. Stir in vinegar and lemon juice; season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
Combine roasted carrots, fennel, and onions onto the same baking sheet, drizzle vinaigrette over, and toss to coat well; transfer to a platter.
Just before serving, re-toss vegetables to pull up any dressing that may have settled at the bottom of the platter and scatter mint over top.