Farm News, July 13, 2021
Inevitably in the middle of a dry spell I end up saying things like “I just wish it would rain,” and of course I eventually get my wish. The problem is that in the new climate that we industrialized humans have created, the weather patterns get “stuck” quite often. We’re either caught in a drought or a deluge, and it feels like those bygone days of a rainy day or two followed by some pleasant, dry weather are a thing of the past. It looks like we’ll be in the soup for at least a few more days, which makes it hard to find a window of opportunity for tasks that need dry soil, like tractor cultivating, seeding, and hoeing.
Rainy harvests are sometimes unavoidable, mostly ridiculous, and always need to be embraced- as Shell and Lauren have done a fine job of here.
The rainy days have given us a break from irrigating and allowed us to duck into the greenhouses to trellis the tomato plants, the tallest of which are pushing 8 feet! There’s also plenty of weeds to pull from the insides of the greenhouse and wack down on the outsides. We also pulled all the strings, drip tape, and supports out the now-finished snap pea and strawberry patches so that we can mow them down and get them into a soil building cover crop for the rest of the season.
James puts the beautiful spring broccoli on display.
On the harvest front, the crew brought in some of the prettiest spring broccoli we’ve grown in many years. Growing quality broccoli in the spring can be very challenging because the heads are very sensitive to extremes in temperature and soil moisture. How we managed to get a good crop given the variation in weather this spring is one of those mysteries that makes farming so interesting. Was the irrigation more consistent? Did the decomposing mulch from the peppers we planted the previous season help out? Did the extra attention to cultivating and weeding that the crew put in make a difference? Every day we learn something that makes us think about how we grow and guides our planning for the next season.
Liv, feeling slightly covetous of the first shishito and jalapeño peppers.
This week we turn our attention to the first big harvest of the season, getting the garlic hung dry and snug in our greenhouses. We wait until it’s just beginning to dry down, signaling that the plants have attained the right size and flavor, and now it’s a race against time and bad weather. We’ll have to lift the patch with a tractor drawn digger, gather and bunch the plants, and hang them in a greenhouse that we have outfitted with shade cloth. It’s a physical feat that takes a lot of out the crew, but it looks like some clouds this week will give us a bit of a reprieve. And garlic lovers can rejoice, the new crop is in!
We hope you enjoy the farm and the produce,
Paul and Rebecca for the Fort Hill Farm Crew
A sign that was nineteen years in the making! Thanks to Lauren Henderson for the carrot design, Tania Henderson for the overall design work, and New Milford Signs for the beautiful execution. I guess it’s official - we’re a real farm!
Featured this week:
Cucumbers: For growers, cukes are a feast or famine crop, but for eaters, they are indispensably one of the few veggies that literally taste like summer. Last spring, we watched an entire greenhouse collapse and die from bacterial wilt. This year we were extra careful to keep the newly planted seedlings covered with pricey netted row covers that keep the cucumber beetles, which vector the disease, from munching on our crop. Keep in a cold, humid place—a loose plastic bag inside your fridge crisper should do. Eat within one week, as these are not coated in yucky grocery store wax.
Broccoli: always a favorite, and always hard for us to grow enough given the amount of land we have and the spring fluctuations in temperature of late. Broccoli is a real space hog, taking up a two by two foot space just to give us one head of broccoli! Always great sautéed in garlic and oil, but if you are like me and love roasted broccoli, see the broccoli recipe below in all of its variations. Store in fridge for up to one week.
Also available:
Salad mix, arugula, 8 kinds of head lettuce, pea shoots, fresh carrots, Rainbow carrots, French Breakfast and red radish, salad turnips, scallions, Chinese cabbage, Red conehead cabbage, Tendersweet cabbage, red beets, Chioggia beets, curly and lacinato kale, rainbow chard, garlic scapes, fresh garlic, basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, chives, oregano, sage, thyme, radicchio, Purplette fresh onions, Heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and summer squash
Coming Soon:
(organic!) sweet corn, Ailsa Craig fresh onions
Pick Your Own:
Flowers: * please get a flower ring from the barn for bouquet size.
The blossoms are in full swing now! 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
Green and Yellow Wax Beans:
… with its usual precociousness, wax beans started coming in late last week, and now Emma tells me that the green beans are in too! Bean are sold by the pound.
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
Smashed Cucumber Salad
Adapted from Allrecipes
“By crushing our cucumber before we cut it, we produce flavors that un-smashed cukes can't. When you crush the cells in a vegetable, as opposed to cutting cleanly through them, certain compounds get mixed together, which can result in a significantly different flavor.”
Ingredients
4 slicing cucumbers
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 small clove garlic, finely crushed
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Red pepper flakes to taste
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Step 1
Wrap each cucumber in plastic wrap to minimize splattering. Place on a work surface and pound with a flat object (like a meat pounder) until cucumbers crack and are slightly flattened. Remove from plastic. Cut cucumbers in half; halve each side lengthwise. Slice into 1- to 1 1/2 -inch wide slices. Transfer to a strainer set over a bowl.
Step 2
Sprinkle cucumber with sugar and salt; mix until well combined. Refrigerate bowl and strainer for 30 to 60 minutes so cucumber pieces can drain into the bowl.
Step 3
Place garlic, seasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Whisk together thoroughly.
Step 4
Transfer drained cucumbers into bowl with dressing. Toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle.
Step 5
Place cucumbers in serving bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Perfect Roasted Broccoli
By CookieandKate
Definitely check out the notes below for some scrumptious variations.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound (16 ounces) broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces (from 2 pounds or about 1 ½ bunches of broccoli)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet for easy clean-up, if desired.
On the prepared baking sheet, toss the broccoli with the oil until all of the florets are lightly coated. Arrange them in an even layer across the pan, then sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, tossing halfway, or until the florets are turning deeply golden on the edges. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve warm. Recipe yields 4 side servings.
NOTES
CHANGE IT UP: Your garnishes can offer extra flavor. I love finishing the broccoli with a light drizzle of thick balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction, or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (bonus points for adding lemon zest, too). Grated Parmesan is a good idea, especially if you’re serving your broccoli with Italian main dishes. You can’t go wrong with a light sprinkle of red pepper flakes. For an Asian spin, top with sesame seeds (white or black), and a light drizzle of toasted sesame oil.