Farm News October 3, 2023
Please note our Fall Farmstand Hours:
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We are now closed on Fridays!
Tuesday & Thursday: 2 - 5:30 PM (closing an hour earlier)
Saturday: 9 am - 12:30 pm (opening 1 hour later)
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After the week’s end installment of drenching rain (5 inches!), we are looking forward to some sunny, warm days so we can dig, dig, dig! We’ve got the last of the sweet potatoes to get out of the ground, and we need to restock the potatoes so we can keep that rainbow of colors and varieties that makes this time of the year peak potato display. We’ve struggled to harvest enough lettuce and our unfortunately our early fall spinach just couldn’t take the constant deluges and relatively warm temps. We do have plenty of good old reliable kale for your dark greens needs! For a change of pace, try the Collards as well. Our ginger crop is one of the best we’ve seen in a while, and we should have plenty to go around through at least Thanksgiving.
Danniella and Sarah bunch chard first thing in the morning. With the warm weather this week, we most likely won't feel the effects of cold-morning hands throughout the day.
We’ve also got to get serious about digging the fall carrots, which don’t mind a little frost, and the bins of butternut squash, which definitely do. Despite the current warm temps, frost will likely get to us by the middle of the month.
Where’s the spinach? Hopefully these later sowings will come to fruition.
Or not. Connecticut has warmed more than 3F since the beginning of the 20th century (https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Forestry/Climate-Change/How-Climate-Change-Impacts-Forests.#:~:text=Temperatures%20in%20Connecticut%20have%20increased,and%20more%20time%20to%20photosynthesize). That has led to an increase in the length of the growing season. It’s crazy to think that in just the last 30 years, as the climate warms, average annual minimum temperatures have been rapidly shifting northward. You can watch this in graphic form here (https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/shifting-planting-zones-2023). This is a mind-boggling change in such a short time span, and while it may mean we can grow plants that used to freeze out north of Maryland, it also means we are starting to see pests and diseases appear that used to perish in an average southern New England winter. Along with more intense and less predictable rainfall, it’s one more piece of evidence making it crystal clear that we are way behind in decarbonizing our economy.
Brendan wrangles the behemoth tomato vines from the greenhouse to make way for fall crops.
Diminished though they may be, colder temperatures are on the way, so we are continuing to get the greenhouses turned over from summer to winter crops, and that means another round of planting, weeding, and watering. Shorter days and (soon to be) cooler temperatures affect people too, so we have switched over to our fall schedule, which means our crew is off for 2 whole days straight and starts work a little later, giving them some time to recover from the long season. As the days shorten, we’ve also changed our open schedule for the farm stand, so be sure to check our new hours before visiting. The New Milford and Westport Farmers’ Markets continue unchanged for October.
We hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,
Paul, Rebecca, and the Fort Hill Farm Crew
Featured veg:
Sweet potatoes: We have come to rely on a hefty sweet potato crop, mostly because the sandy shelf above the river named Fort Hill was just made to grow these things; but this year has been a bit different. Maybe it was the intermittent cool spells within the warm summer, but in any case, the yield is down by 20% - more proof that you win some, you lose some. Sweet potatoes will store for many months at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Just hold off washing them until you are ready to use, and NEVER expose them to temperatures below 55F. We have held these beauties in a warm greenhouse for a couple of weeks, so they should be sweet and ready to eat. Try them baked whole, cubed and roasted, mashed, or my favorite, sweet potato pie (see recipe below).
Green Cabbage: We are welcoming our fall green cabbage to the table, the crop did suffer from all of the late-season rain, but nearly as much as the diminutive red cabbage crop. You know what to do … slaws, stuffed … thickly sliced roasted with olive oil and salt is one of our favorites (kids seem to love this!) Stores forever in your crisper fridge drawer – just slice the old end off and go to town.
Also available:
Head lettuce; arugula (storm-dependent); salad mix; pea shoots; French Breakfast radishes; curly and lacinato kale; rainbow chard; Collards; radicchio scallions; leeks; celeriac; parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme; fennel; escarole; red cabbage (farmstand only); German Extra Hardy garlic; red and Chioggia beets; carrots; plum, beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes (limited); Sungold & red cherry tomatoes; jalapeño, poblano, cayenne, and shishito peppers; Dark Red Norland potatoes; La Ratte gold fingerlings; Magic Molly blue fingerlings, Kennebec all-purpose potatoes; Blue Gold potatoes; Satina Gold potatoes; eggplant (limited); sweet red and yellow Italian, orange snacking peppers; red and green bell peppers; fresh, young ginger
Coming Soon:
Butternut and Koginut squash - next week, in fact -they almost made the grade this week, but still have a bit of sweetening up to do!
Pick Your Own:
FLOWERS:
The dahlias are glowing, and there are still 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
Healthy Loaded Sweet Potato Skins
By Jessica Hylton
These are vegan and can be adapted as you wish.
Ingredients
Healthy Loaded Sweet Potato Skins
3 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped onions
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup bell peppers chopped
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup cooked black beans
2 tablespoons coconut yogurt or vegan Greek yogurt
1/2 cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds + 1/4 cup for topping
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 jalapeño finely chopped
1/2 lime
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until fork tender.
Slice sweet potatoes in half and allow to cool slightly.
While cooling, in a pan over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and cook down onions, garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes until slightly tender, about 8 minutes.
Scoop out the flesh out of the potatoes, leaving a thin layer of sweet potato inside. Add it to a bowl with the onions, garlic, bell peppers, diced tomatoes, black beans, Greek yogurt, cheese, salt, pepper, paprika and jalapeño. Stir together and set aside.
Rub the bottoms of the potato skins with the rest of the oil, place bottom up, and bake for another 5-10 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and fill with the sweet potato mixture.
Top evenly with the ¼ cup mozzarella cheese and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and top with coconut bacon.
Serve with coconut or vegan Greek yogurt and the lime. Enjoy!
Notes
How to store and reheat: Refrigerate leftover sweet potato skins in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat them in a 400ºF oven to get them crispy again, or microwave them until warmed through.
How to freeze: Freeze sweet potato skins in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat them in the oven or microwave as instructed above.