Farm News, August 10, 2021
I’ve been told on occasion that the farm news can get a little repetitive in the summer…. it’s hot and we’re irrigating, the weeds are still not weeded, and the harvests are big and a bit daunting, etc. etc. Some times I run out of clever ways to describe the dog days of summer! So, I’ll keep it short and sweet this week.
Happiness in flower form … in the PYO patch.
The crew is doing an amazing job, but we have been short staffed all season and it’s sapped everyone’s strength a bit. So we’ve been taking turns getting a bit of a break from the farm, which of course kind of piles the work on everyone else. We’re still looking for help at the farm and the Chappaqua and Westport Farmers Markets if you or someone you know is looking for part or full time, seasonal work.
James finds some of the elusive, hard to grow, gold beets.
Despite the trying growing conditions of July, we have some great crops right now. We are always grateful when the lettuce survives in the heat of summer. And this year’s potato patch looks quite good, so we pulled out old faithful, our 60 year-old digger, to lift the tasty Red Gold rows. That’s just the start of the many variety spudfest that goes into winter.
Don't forget to visit the farm to check out the flowers. They are at peak, and the beautiful, ever expanding dahlia collection has started to bloom.
We hope you enjoy the farm and the produce,
Paul and Rebecca for the Fort Hill Farm Crew
Luca likes the buried treasure aspect to digging potatoes.
Featured this week:
Red Gold potatoes: This early spud kicks off our potato harvest and satisfies that undeniable craving for potato salad. They are light red potatoes with a hint of yellow in the flesh, and we find them to be more moist and delicious than the more common Yukon Gold. Stores for at least a month in a dark, dry place at room temperature. Do not refrigerate spuds!
Head Lettuce: We used to just grow 2 kinds of summer crisp (Batavian) lettuce in the summer. They were so boring that even New Morning wouldn’t take any! When our household well froze about 6 years back, Sunny Valley dug us a new one, and it just happened to be more bountiful than the other 2 farm wells. In short, we tapped the farm into it, and now, with a lot of care and attention, we can keep our lettuce gems well hydrated (and sometimes just cooled with a brief shower during the hottest days) enough to have decent success with non-Batavian varieties. So we present most of our spring and fall varieties all summer long, along with 3 lovely summer crisps: Green butterhead, red butterhead, dark red summer crisp, pink summer crisp, green summer crisp, romaine, and red leaf – if you don’t see one of them, it’s because it didn’t survive the heat!
Also available:
Salad mix, arugula, 8 kinds of head lettuce, pea shoots, fresh carrots, Rainbow carrots, French Breakfast and red radish, limited salad turnips, scallions, Red cabbage, Tendersweet cabbage, red beets, Chioggia beets, limited gold beets, curly and lacinato kale, rainbow chard, garlic, parsley, cilantro, dill, chives, oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary, radicchio, Red Torpedo and Ailsa Craig onions, garlic, Heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes, Sungold and red cherry tomatoes, slicing cucumbers, summer squash, sweet corn, green bell peppers, limited red watermelon, and the first eggplant, and hot peppers
Coming Soon:
fresh young ginger, edamame
Pick Your Own:
Sunflowers: Small and large blossomed, single and double, maroon and yellow, green and brown centered …
Flowers: * please get a flower ring from the barn for bouquet size.
The blossoms are in full swing now! Don’t miss the Dahlias, some of which are short and hiding behind the other flower rows.
Perennial Herbs: * please get an herb ring from the barn for bunch size.
Chives, Oregano, Thyme, and Sage
Green and Yellow Wax Beans:
We are in between crops right now. Please stay tuned …
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
BLT Corn Salad Wraps
From JoytheBaker
3 ears of shucked corn
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 avocado, diced
3 slices crisp cooked bacon, diced
juice of 1 lime
about 1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
A good sprinkling of chili powder and smoky paprika
Butter, summer crisp, or romaine lettuce leaves
hot sauce and sour cream for topping.
Shuck corn on the cob of all their husks and strings. Over a gas burner, or on the flame grill, char raw corn. Rotate corn until cob is charred on all sides. Allow corn to cool before slicing corn kernels from the cob. This invariably creates corn shrapnel all over the kitchen counter.
Add corn kernels to a medium bowl. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes, green onion, diced avocado, and diced bacon. Squeeze in lime juice. Top with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and slices. Stir to combine. Taste and re-season accordingly.
Crispy Skillet-Fried Potatoes
From the Kitchn
It’s summer, and let’s face it, turning on the oven is deterrent to cooking – yet we still want spuds in our lives and on our plates. It’s simple, but I’ve made something like the recipe below twice in just two weeks for this very reason.
1 pound medium Red or Yukon Gold potatoes (3 to 4)
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
Finely chopped fresh herbs, such as 1 teaspoon thyme or oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Quarter 1 pound red or Yukon gold potatoes lengthwise, then cut each piece crosswise into 1-inch wide chunks. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. (Alternatively, use a nonstick skillet and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil.) Add the potatoes, arrange in a single layer cut-side down, and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt.
Cover with a tightfitting lid and cook undisturbed until the potatoes are tender and the bottoms are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop the herb of your choice, 1 teaspoon thyme or oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon rosemary.
Uncover and flip each piece with tongs to a second cut side. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Increase the heat to medium high and cook uncovered until the second side is golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more, moving the pieces around as needed so they brown evenly.
Add the herb and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter if desired and cook, tossing occasionally, until the butter is melted and the herbs are fragrant, about 1 minute. Taste and season with more salt as needed.