Farm News, June 7, 2022
Welcome back to the Fort Hill Veggie Shmooze for 2022! We’ve had a good start to the season with the usual trials with the weather. May was extremely cold, punctuated with a few heat waves to liven things up. We spent a lot of time in the greenhouses seeding and potting up for the field and for our plant sales. We got the tomato houses started on time, and we’re just starting to see ripe fruit. Rebecca made sure we got carrots seeded in the greenhouse (in February!) and they made a tasty early crop, with more on the way soon from the high tunnel. We planted miles of rows of lettuce, chard, kale, spinach, arugula, bok choy, and Chinese cabbage and covered them with a spun row cover to give them just a little heat in May to push them ahead. While nobody loves moving row cover on and off to cultivate, weed, and harvest, or just because of extreme temperature swings, the results are early crops with little bug damage and lots of nutritious and tasty spring greens.
Dana and Paul assess the strawberry crop this week (not a bad one to taste test, as far as they come) and determine that it’s a comin’ in strong!
We’ve got some new faces on the crew, along with some stalwart regulars. Dana Scott is back running the morning harvests, and James Gilbert is keeping track of getting beds prepped and planted. We’re super happy to have Elliott McGann back, coordinating all the moving parts on the farm, and you can catch up with him on the New Milford Green every Saturday. In the apprentice department, Brendan Coll is back for a second season, and has become the Farm’s official compost spreader. Olivia Stokes joins us from Kentucky. She’s setting up drip irrigation all over the farm and helping Rebecca keep the greens, carrots, and beets sowing on track. Calin Pons joins us from Pennsylvania by way of NYC and jumped right on our biggest tractor and has been spading up fields like a champ. Kathy Scott worked her magic in the greenhouse again this year; you will see her in the stand again, along with Faye Barry, Erika Cambisaca, and Monty Robson.
Faye found this Black Swallowtail caterpillar stationed for this part of its life cycle on a curly parsley plant in the greenhouse. It’s always a jolt to see a plant getting chomped, but we’re happy to offer it up for these beautiful butterflies. It looks about ready to transform!
Of course no matter how beautiful the purple kohlrabi, or crisp the lettuce, pretty much the biggest source of questions on the farm this time of year is about strawberries. They are in! After a year of applying compost, planting, watering, cultivating, weeding, flower pruning, fertilizing, weeding again, mulching, unmulching, weeding again, tissue testing and adjusting micronutrients, and watering some more: we have a crop! But how long is anyone’s guess. Strawberries are a difficult crop to grow in the Northeast, and eliminating synthetic fungicides and insecticides makes it even harder. A rainy stretch of weather can wipe out the previous year’s work in a matter of a few days. Seize the day! Things look good at the moment, and we have many rows with ripe fruit. Strawberry season is just a few short weeks.
We hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,
Paul and Rebecca for the Fort Hill Farm crew
You betcha, sugar snap peas are just coming in and will be available at the barn and markets!
Featured veg:
Strawberries: Holy ripe fruit! The strawberry crop was slow to ripen in early spring, gave a nice pick last week late last week, and is currently packed with ripe berries. Come earlier in the week to avoid the rain – this actually helps prolong the patch for us! Please walk carefully in the patch.
Kohlrabi: one of the crazier-looking members of the cabbage family, these underrated orbs are the crisp to counter the June heat – similar to broccoli stem, with a mild, sweet flavor. They are great peeled and sliced as a dipping veg, or some folks grate them for slaws or sautéing (see Chicken Salad with Kohlrabi, Fennel, and Scallions recipe from our recipe database). The leaves are also yummy sautéed. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. We only grow this one in the spring, so get while the getting is good!
Also available:
Head lettuce, salad mix, pea shoots, radishes, scallions, Chinese cabbage, curly and lacinato kale, rainbow chard, kohlrabi, fennel, basil, parsley, dill, escarole, frozen ginger, sugar snap peas just coming in!
Coming Soon:
Summer Squash
Pick Your Own:
Strawberry Season is Here! It only comes once a year (for a few weeks if we’re lucky)!
How Does Strawberry PYO Work?
1. Head to the north of the parking lot and grab some quart containers
2. Pick ripe, red berries only (we'll show you where)
3. Head to the barn to pay and stock up on the week's veggies
PYO Hours: (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 & Ginger Cooler
From Absinthe Brasserie & Bar via FoodandWine
This looks heavenly, but note that it only makes one drink. You can use frozen ginger or easier, our new Minced Ginger. Simply replace the 1/2'’ piece with a teaspoon or two.
Ingredients
2 large strawberries, sliced, plus 1 strawberry half
1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
Ice
2 ounces fresh orange juice
1 ounce fresh lime juice
2 ounces chilled ginger beer
Directions
Step 1
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the strawberry slices with the chopped ginger and Simple Syrup. Add ice and the orange and lime juices and shake well. Double strain into an ice-filled collins glass. Stir in the ginger beer and garnish with the strawberry half.
ROASTED KOHLRABI WITH GOAT CHEESE & TARRAGON
From RunningToTheKitchen
INGREDIENTS
2-3 large kohlrabi, nubs sliced off and cut into rounds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon minced shallots
salt and pepper to taste
1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
1-2 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves removed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sunflower seeds (*see note)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 400°F and either lightly grease or line with parchment paper.
Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium-high heat on the stove top with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
Once hot, add the sliced kohlrabi rounds to the skillet (you may have to work in batches to fit them all) and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and repeat on the other side. This will take about 4-5 minutes per side.
Transfer the browned kohlrabi to the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven until tender, about 10-12 minutes.
While kohlrabi roasts, make the vinaigrette by whisking together the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice, minced shallots, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Place the roasted kohlrabi on a serving dish or platter and pour the vinaigrette over top.
Finish with the crumbled goat cheese, fresh tarragon and toasted sunflower seeds before serving.