Farm News, June 28, 2022
Sometimes farming feels a lot like gambling. When we start the week off, we look at the long-term forecast to see if the rainy-day icon is popping up, and what the weatherpersons are guessing is the amount of precipitation we might get. For example, say we see a chance of rain, 3/4 inches total, three days out. Should we keep irrigating? Or bet that the rain is coming, and save the time of moving pipe and running drip? It’s rare that we stop irrigating, and yesterday’s somewhat disappointing rain total is a good example of why. A few light showers aren’t enough water to soak the farm, and it’s a good thing the crew kept up the irrigation rotation so the crops can keep growing at full speed.
It’s carrot time! Elliott weighs down the bed lifter while Dana drives with care.
And full speed is where things are operating right now. We’ve got a great crop of spring carrots, and after a rocky start, the beets are looking good too. Our soil grown heirloom and slicing tomatoes are starting to come in strong, and the lettuce, chard, fennel and kale crops are doing great as well. Our bunched spring spinach is having a heyday before the high temps drive it “underground” for a couple of months, so enjoy it while you can! One of my new favorites this spring is sprouting broccoli, which tastes great and is a lot more tender than the large headed types.
Did you know? … Rainbow Carrot Tai Chi is a thing.
Shell shows us how!
Strawberries are still available at the farm for pick your own. It won’t take too much work to get a quart or two for dessert berries. We’ll try to pick some for markets too, but the weeds are calling and it’s time for us to get serious about cleaning up the farm, which means we have less time to pick. July is around the corner, which means the big garlic harvest is coming soon, and we better have the farm cleaned up before we pull, hang, and bunch the crop.
We hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,
Paul and Rebecca for the Fort Hill Farm crew
Calin muses, Who wouldn’t want a fresh head of escarole?
Featured veg:
Rainbow Carrots: Did you know that the wild, and later, domesticated carrots which gave rise to today’s iconic lunchbox veggie was originally the color purple? Orange carrots started to dominate the scene 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.
Purplette onions: first onions of the season, very pretty, so tasty, and pulled fresh. Remember: good things come in small packages. Tear off tops and store in fridge crisper for up to a month.
Also available:
Head lettuce, arugula, salad mix, pea shoots, radishes, salad turnips, scallions, Chinese cabbage, curly and lacinato kale, rainbow chard, kohlrabi, fennel, cilantro, basil, parsley, dill, radicchio, escarole, frozen ginger, red and Chioggia (kee-oh-jee-uh) beets, strawberries, garlic scapes, summer squash, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, spinach, heirloom & beefsteak tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes!
Coming Soon:
Conehead cabbage
Pick Your Own:
Strawberry Season is winding down but there are nice berries for a quart or two; come early in the week for the easiest pick.
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 (pick from the rows with flagged stakes)
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
Molasses-Glazed Rainbow Carrots
From the FoodNetwork
Ingredients
1 pound rainbow baby carrots, halved lengthwise
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted pecans, chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Put the carrots on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Pour 2 tablespoons of the butter over the carrots and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake until the carrots are browned and soft, 20 to 25 minutes.
While the carrots are baking, add the oil, molasses, cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, a pinch of salt and the remaining butter to a saucepan. Heat until melted, bubbling and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Transfer the carrots to a serving platter, drizzle with the molasses glaze and sprinkle with the mint and pecans.
Quick-Pickled Onions
From Cookie and Kate
INGREDIENTS
This adds a crisp, spicy-sweet finish to burgers, sandwiches, nachos, burritos, tacos, salads, and more.
1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
½ cup water
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar or additional white vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or honey
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
INSTRUCTIONS
Pack the onions into a 1-pint mason jar or similar heat-safe vessel. Place the jar in the sink, to catch any splashes of hot vinegar later.
In a small saucepan, combine the water, both vinegars, maple syrup, salt, and pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then carefully pour the mixture into the jar over the onions.
Use a butter knife or spoon to press the onions down into the vinegar and pop any air bubbles in the jar. Let the pickled onions cool to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes), at which point they should be sufficiently pickled for serving.
Cover and refrigerate leftover pickled onions for later. Quick-pickled onions are best consumed within three days, but they keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.