Farm News September 26, 2023
Our Farmstand is in full swing:
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 2 - 6:30 PM
Saturday: 8 am - 12:30 pm
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I really, really, try not to talk about the weather too much. More than a few avid readers of the Fort Hill Farm News have stopped tuning in because it can sound like a broken record: it’s really hot, it’s really cold, too much rain, hasn’t rained in months, etc. I think part of the problem is that human beings must have had a bottleneck in our evolution where the population shrank to a tiny number of those who grew accustomed to living in a place with temperatures in the 70’s, low humidity, a gentle breeze, occasional but regular rain, and no mosquitos.
Brendan cuts lettuce that has weathered some fierce storms in the last few weeks. With all the heads have been through, we appreciate you forgiving them a bit of cosmetic damage.
Unfortunately, that rarely describes a day in the field in Connecticut, so we constantly find ourselves in one kind of unpleasant weather condition or another. Since we farm sandy soil prone to drying out way too fast, we try very hard not to complain about excessive rain. But really, it’s become a bit ridiculous. This weekend’s three-day washout was the icing on the cake. We were able to sneak in a bit of carrot and sweet potato harvesting on Saturday, but basically, it’s been tough to do anything subterranean. We still have lots of those crops to bring in, plus bulk harvests of potatoes, beets, leeks, and celeriac.
We do have the diminutive and very sweet Honeynut squash ready to go, and have a few tons of standard Waltham butternuts ready to clip and pick up into bins. The butternuts and the sweet potatoes need to sweeten up in a warm greenhouse, and we hope to have them out for sale by mid-October.
It’s time to tuck these lettuce seedlings under the protection of the high tunnel. Even without a heater, we are still able to extend the growing season and also control the deluge of rain the field cannot escape.
Luckily most of the greens crops are holding up well, and we’ve been able to sneak into the field between downpours to keep the coolers full. We also have a lot of work under cover, cleaning out the greenhouse summer crops and planting the late fall spinach, lettuce, escarole, and kale gives us plenty to do under cover while raindrops keep falling on our heads. The flowers still look amazing, so come and enjoy them before we get a frost, which will likely happen by the third week of October.
Dana doesn’t complain about harvesting lettuce in the rain. It’s a messy job, but someone has to do it!
This week there are a few sunny days in the forecast which will be prime time for us to sow cover crops in the fields that are done. This way the soil and all the microbes it supports will be protected and provisioned over the winter. We’ve also got hundreds of yards of compost to process so that we will have a big pile to spread on the fields for the 2024 crops. Meanwhile our dedicated crew has been keeping the farmstand and farmers’ market tables full of many of your favorite fall treats.
We hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,
Paul, Rebecca, and the Fort Hill Farm Crew
Featured veg:
Collard greens: These somehow manage to get both overlooked and yet garner a distinct cult following. We love them. Stir fry/braise with slow-cooked leeks for a real treat, try the recipe below. Collards never disappoint!
Blue Gold potatoes: We’ve been growing this winner for about many years now, thanks to our friend Megan Haney up at Marble Valley Farm in Kent. This potato, also known as Peter Wilcox, has become a personal favorite. 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. Plus, 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:
Head lettuce; arugula (storm-dependent); salad mix; pea shoots; red and French Breakfast radishes; curly and lacinato kale; rainbow chard; Brussels sprout greens (limited); radicchio scallions; leeks; celeriac; cilantro, parsley, dill, chives, rosemary, sage, thyme; fennel; escarole; red cabbage (farmstand only); German Extra Hardy garlic; red and Chioggia beets; carrots; plum, beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes; Sungold, red and artisanal (limited) cherry tomatoes; jalapeño, poblano, cayenne, and shishito peppers; Dark Red Norland, La Ratte gold and Magic Molly blue fingerlings, Kennebec & Satina Gold potatoes; eggplant (limited); sweet red Italian, orange snacking; red and green bell peppers; sweet corn (end of season, availability may vary); fresh, young ginger
Coming Soon:
parsnips
Pick Your Own:
FLOWERS:
The dahlias are glowing, and there are many other flowers to pick!
PERENNIAL HERBS:
chives, oregano, sage, and thyme
Recipes
Suggested by Rebecca Batchie
For more recipes, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database
White Bean Soup with Andouille & Collard Greens
By Robin Miller from Fine Cooking
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
12oz. andouille or chorizo sausage, diced
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
Two 15oz. cans cannellini or other white beans, drained
1 bunch collards, washed, stems removed, chopped
1 TBSP sherry or red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer.
Using a fork, slightly mash most of the white beans and add to the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the collard greens and simmer until wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and serve.