Farm News, August 31, 2021
We are ready for a cool down! The high heat and humidity last week were a bit of a slap in the face. August can be a long month on a small produce farm. In March the crew gets going in earnest and there’s plenty of excitement and enthusiasm about the year ahead. March and April we are knee deep in farm improvement projects, field preparation, and planting projects. There is tons of crew training and learning so everyone knows how to do their job before the manure hits the fan. The outdoor working conditions are variable but generally with improving weather. May and June are intense months of getting the crops in the ground, plant sales and the first harvests, farmers markets and farm stand openings, reunions with old customers.
Julia finds some nice red bell peppers.
A good farming friend once described July as “the heart of darkness,” when harvest, planting, marketing, irrigation, farm maintenance, and weeding tasks collide into a slightly unmanageable amount of work. Adding intense heat and high humidity (and plenty of black flies and mosquitos) to the mix can sap some of our initial enthusiasm for the work. August has the same flavor as July but at some point in the month we notice that dusk is coming noticeably sooner in the day, and we look at our field planting sheet and see we are getting to the end of the lettuce, chard, salad mix, and arugula plantings.
Happiness can sometimes be sweet corn first thing in the morning. Enjoy it while it lasts!
And we start to look out a little further ahead. Where are we going to rotate the potatoes to next year? What cover crop should we put in ahead of next spring’s strawberry planting? What improvements can we make to the pack shed next year to increase efficiency and make the wash/pack process easier on the crew? What equipment do we need to make our jobs a bit easier? What maintenance do the farm’s greenhouses and barns need?
Connor gives a heave-ho to an unseen catcher. The watermelons have been great this year. Try the single serving-sized yellow watermelons, or the football-shaped Ambrosia, seen here.
That’s a clear sign that September is around the corner. By the pound, it’s really our biggest harvest month. With any luck and lots of sweat, we’ve got potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, leeks, cabbage, and plenty of summer planted greens to dress up the market displays right through to Thanksgiving.
We’ve been fortunate to welcome some new crew members to help replace the folks that had to go back to school. And the best part: the forecasts are showing highs in the 70’s and low 80’s, and New England’s best weather is right around the corner.
We hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,
Paul and Rebecca for the Fort Hill Farm Crew
Featured this week:
Assorted Sweet Peppers: These late-summer treats are starting to come in now, although it is far from a good pepper year for us. You will find a variation of a mix of red bell, sweet red and yellow Italian, and Orange snacking peppers. Our favorite sweet peppers by far are the snacking and Italian peppers, which have an incredible sweetness that goes beyond the bells, and thin, crisp walls that pack a punch. The orange are best for snacking and salads, and the red and yellow are great for frying, roasting, or grilling. We’ve had a few comments over the last couple of years from folks wondering why our peppers are “hard.” The fact is, people aren’t used to peppers that haven’t aged for weeks in transit. These have true pepper flavor and they’re fresh too!
Blue gold potatoes: We’ve been growing this winner for about 5 years now, thanks to our friend Megan Haney up at Marble Valley Farm in Kent. This has become a personal favorite of mine. Blue Gold’s high-density (and creamy) starch content is perfect for frying, baking, holding up in soups, and they are flavorful enough for roasting too. And … Pretty deep blue outside, moist yellow inside, what’s not to love? Store in a cool, dark place, but not in the fridge.
Also available:
Salad mix, arugula, 5 varieties of head lettuce, pea shoots, carrots, French breakfast and red radish, limited salad turnips, scallions, Red cabbage, Tendersweet cabbage, Chinese cabbage, savoy cabbage, limited red, Chioggia, and gold beets, curly and lacinato kale, rainbow chard, garlic, parsley, cilantro, dill, chives, oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary, radicchio, Red Torpedo and yellow onions (at the Farmstand only), Satina and Red Gold potatoes, German Extra Hardy garlic, Heirloom, beefsteak, and plum tomatoes, Sungold and red cherry tomatoes, slicing cucumbers, sweet corn, fresh edamame, watermelon, escarole (it’s back!), green bell peppers, the first sweet peppers, eggplant, hot peppers, leeks, fresh young ginger (going on sale this week!)
Coming Soon:
Carnival squash, Dark Red Norland potatoes
Pick Your Own:
Sunflowers: are done for the season
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:
These are done for the season.
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
Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
By the Minimalist Baker
1 cup quinoa or rice (thoroughly rinsed and drained)
2 scant cups vegetable stock (sub water, but it will be less flavorful)
4 large red, yellow, or orange bell peppers (halved, seeds removed), or sweet Italian peppers, sliced in half on their sides, cored
1/2 cup salsa (plus more for serving)
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
2 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 15-ounce can black beans (drained // if unsalted, add 1/4 tsp sea salt per can)
1 cup whole kernel corn
TOPPINGS (optional)
1 ripe avocado (sliced)
Fresh lime juice
Hot sauce
Cilantro (chopped)
Diced red onion
Your favorite salsa
Instructions
Add quinoa and vegetable stock to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy – about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish or rimmed baking sheet.
Brush halved peppers with a neutral, high heat oil, such as avocado oil or refined coconut oil
Add cooked quinoa to a large mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients – salsa through corn. Mix to thoroughly combine then taste and adjust seasonings accordingly, adding salt, pepper, or more spices as desired.
Generously stuff halved peppers with quinoa mixture until all peppers are full, then cover the dish with foil.
Bake for 30 minutes covered. Then remove foil, increase heat to 400 degrees F (204 C), and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until peppers are soft and slightly golden brown. For softer peppers, bake 5-10 minutes more.
Serve with desired toppings (listed above) or as is. Best when fresh, though leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven until warmed through – about 20 minutes.
Kale & Crispy Garlic Chips Baked Potatoes
By Rachael Ray
Ingredients
Four, 6- to 8-oz. potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
Directions
Step 1
Potatoes: Pierce four 6- to 8-oz. potatoes all over with a fork. Place on a baking sheet, rub with olive oil and season. Bake at 425° until tender when pierced with a fork, 50 to 60 minutes. Split the top of each potato, being careful not to cut all the way through. With a fork, fluff potatoes until flesh is airy; season.
Step 2
Topping: In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium; add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel. Add the kale; cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper; season. Drizzle fluffed and seasoned potatoes with oil; top with the kale and garlic chips.