Farm News, July 6, 2021
After the gray and rainy weekend, it’s getting a bit harder to remember the heat wave that dominated the weather in the early part of last week. It’s those 95-degree, high humidity, soak through several T-shirts a day conditions that make the most basic tasks on a farm seem ten times harder. But the show must go on, so we got an even earlier start on each day and tried to make the most of the cooler morning hours. We try to get all the greens harvested while they are still crisp and also to get the tomato harvest done before morning break, to limit our time in the greenhouses during the heat of the day. We also try to plan for any “on the ground” weeding, like crawling new carrot seedings and save the somewhat easier tasks like sowing seeds, setting transplants, and operating cultivating tractors for the hot afternoons.
Paul captured this particularly chunky and vibrant rainbow the other evening.
The heat wave broke at the end of the week, which let us hit the irrigation re-set button. Just in time too, because we were falling behind - despite almost round the clock irrigation through aluminum pipe sprinklers, drip tape, and our traveling “big gun” that can water an acre overnight. I have a love-hate relationship with the traveling gun. It’s an amazing piece of machinery, in that we wind out 300 feet of hose in the evening, and it slowly winds the hose back in overnight and shoots water 75 feet to either side of the unit. This allows us to water an acre of ground each day! The downside is it can mean a lot of sleep deprivation as we set up the gun and also tend to deal with burst hoses and broken rewind mechanisms, mostly well past bedtime. It does allow me to get a close up view of the annual firefly show against Guarding Mountain, the big hill that climbs steeply from the southwest corner of our fields. For some reason, fireflies congregate by the thousands in the trees on the lower part of the hill, and it’s always a treat to see them flashing and blinking in the dead of night.
PYO Flowers and perennial herbs are open! The herbs are to the right of flowers as you come from the barn.
Most of our crops are doing well. The big news is Rebecca’s pick your own flower patch is exploding with new blooms, so come out to the farm and make yourself a bouquet for a colorful pick-me-up during your week. The corn is silking and tasseling, which means it’s getting very close to harvest. We had a great pick of sweet cherry tomatoes today, and the lettuce and salad mix are doing great, thanks to some timely watering during the hot July afternoons. Summer rolls on, thanks to our dedicated crew who take the weather challenges in stride.
We hope you enjoy the farm and the produce,
Paul and Rebecca for the Fort Hill Farm Crew
Lauren’s 7th year of bunching kale at Fort Hill!
Featured this week:
Fresh garlic: just when a farmer thinks July can’t get any busier, her half acre of garlic all needs to be pulled and hung to cure within a one-week window. We’ll begin this task in earnest next week, and 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 White (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.
Rainbow Carrots: Did you know that the wild, and later, domesticated carrots which gave rise to today’s iconic snacking veggie was originally the color purple? Orange carrots started to garner favor in the early 1600s. After much trialing of numerous varieties, we've chosen our own rainbow to make your eyes and taste buds sing. We especially love these beauties whole, either roasted or grilled.
Also available:
Salad mix, arugula, 8 kinds of head lettuce, pea shoots, fresh carrots, French Breakfast and red radish, scallions, fennel, Chinese cabbage, Conehead cabbage, red beets, Chioggia beets, curly and lacinato kale, rainbow chard, garlic scapes, basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, chives, sweet potatoes, Purplette fresh onions, Heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and summer squash
Coming Soon:
(organic!) sweet corn
Pick Your Own:
Flowers * please get a flower ring from the barn for bouquet size.
The blossoms are revving up and we can offer full-sized bouquets this week! Please be sure to leave behind the buds below that are on their way.
Perennial Herbs * please get an herb ring from the barn for bunch size.
Chives, Oregano, Thyme, and Sage
Strawberries & Sugar Snap Peas
… are done or the season - and what an abundant one at that!
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
Zucchini-Herb Fritters with Garlic Yogurt
By Christopher Testani via BonAppetit
Ingredients
GARLIC YOGURT
½ cup plain yogurt (not Greek)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 garlic clove, finely grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
FRITTERS AND ASSEMBLY
2 small zucchini, ends trimmed
1 small russet potato, peeled
½ medium onion
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 garlic clove, finely grated
½ teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup vegetable oil
Olive oil (for serving)
GARLIC YOGURT
Step 1
Mix yogurt, mint, lemon juice, oil, honey, and garlic in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Cover; chill.
FRITTERS AND ASSEMBLY
Step 2
Grate zucchini, potato, and onion on the large holes of a box grater. Transfer to a mesh sieve set over a bowl and toss with 2 tsp. salt. Let vegetables sit until they release their liquid, 30−40 minutes. Squeezing the liquid out of the zucchini is the secret to crisp fritters.
Step 3
Mix eggs, garlic, cumin, 3 Tbsp. parsley, and 2 Tbsp. mint in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Gather up half of zucchini mixture in a kitchen towel; squeeze out excess liquid. Add to bowl with egg mixture and repeat with remaining zucchini mixture. Sprinkle flour and baking powder over; mix gently.
Step 4
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, spoon scoops of mixture into skillet, flattening gently with a spatula. Cook until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack; season with salt. Drizzle yogurt sauce with olive oil and top with more herbs; serve alongside warm fritters. MAKES ABOUT 12 SERVINGS.
Roasted Carrots Recipe with Pecans and Sorghum
By Robby Melvin of SouthernLiving
Ingredients
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 pounds small carrots with tops
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sorghum syrup
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss together pecans, butter, paprika, and cayenne on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned and toasted, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely on pan, about 15 minutes. Coarsely chop pecans; set aside.
Step 2
Increase oven to 450°F. Peel carrots; trim carrot tops to 1 inch. (Discard the trimmed greens, or reserve for another use.) Toss together trimmed carrots, oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl; spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once, until browned and tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately drizzle hot carrots with vinegar, and toss to coat.
Step 3
Arrange carrots on a serving platter. Drizzle with sorghum syrup; sprinkle with pecans and chives.