Farm News October 24, 2023
Please note our Fall Farmstand Hours:
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Tuesday & Thursday: 2 - 5:30 PM (closing an hour earlier)
Saturday: 9 am - 12:30 pm (opening 1 hour later)
Reminder: We are now closed on Fridays!
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Hello and welcome to the farm news! We noticed a few months ago that over a thousand people open our email, but less than 10% were clicking through to the actual newsletter. This week Rebecca edited down the email to the bare minimum so folks would be more likely to find the link to the actual farm news and find out what’s going on.
Faye captured this beautiful autumn shot of dahlias in their glory – and they’re still pickable!
Which puts me under some pressure! This is a tough time of year to write the newsletter. If I’m honest, the theme for us farmer folk is a big desire for hibernation: it’s darker and colder and we tend to get a bit reptilian and just kind of slow down along with the season. Not that there isn’t plenty to do: roots to dig (still not done yet!), lettuce to cut, greens to bunch. But late fall days don’t pack the urgency of something like July, where it seems every minute counts to keep the farm humming.
It’s time to get lettuce planted indoors for December and January harvests!
The only drama we get this time of year is frost, and late Monday afternoon, after the winds died down a bit, Matt and I finished the final touches on covering tender crops like lettuce, escarole, fennel, and ginger for forecast that seemed perfect for frost. Elliott and the crew had set out most of the frost coverings and weight bags last week, as we saw this one coming a long way out. When we see a weather forecast that’s clear overnight skies, any number under 40F, and no wind, we know we that the cold air will be sliding down from Guarding Mountain and pooling in our field. The other crops we hope to keep going are the flowers and peppers. Since those crops are trellised with long sticks poking up everywhere, we set up irrigation pipe and sprinkle them instead of covering them. Monday night’s frost was a mild one, and we suffered little damage to most of our crops.
Paul forgot to document this rooftop task with a selfie… I guess he’s dating himself here!
I guess the other thing that farmers do this time of year is a lot of introspection. What worked this season? What didn’t? How can we grow better broccoli? (That one seems to be a perennial puzzler). Often these thoughts are combined with repair projects that seem to get kicked to the end of the “to do” list. For example, our patient, hard working farmstand crew has been pointing out leaks in the barn roof for most of the season, so last week I picked a warm, sunny day and finally got on the roof with a caulk gun to plug the leaks. After glopping some goop on as many potentially leaky fasteners as I could, I sat down to just take in the bright green cover crops on the fields, the peaking foliage on the trees, the people strolling through the dahlias, and felt lucky that we’ve been able to farm here for a couple decades and counting.
We hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,
Paul, Rebecca, and the Fort Hill Farm Crew
Featured veg:
Fresh young turmeric: We have been consistently underwhelmed by the yield we’ve been able to coax of this tropical crop from temperate CT soils. We’ve tried any number of tricks to get a larger and earlier crop, to no avail. Enjoy it in teas, elixirs, and turmeric milk, shaved onto yogurt, oatmeal, and baked fish, and added to sautés and light sauces. Store in the fridge in a waxed paper bag or a plastic container for 10 days, then freeze whole in a freezer bag. (Do not thaw entire piece, but rather, shave frozen and return piece to the freezer asap.)
Pinto Gold Fingerling Potatoes: Just when you thought our lineup of fantastic spuds was full, enter Pinto Gold. Its whimsical aesthetic is matched by its delectable texture and flavor. It is wonderful for roasting, steaming, and frying. Don’t be shy about putting on your lazy-chef hat and making skillet spuds in your cast iron pan with this one– you won’t be disappointed. Store in a cool, dark place, but never in the fridge.
Also available:
Head lettuce; salad mix; pea shoots; curly and lacinato kale; rainbow chard; Collards; radicchio; baby bok choy; red and French Breakfast radish; leeks; celeriac; parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme; fennel; escarole; green cabbage; German Extra Hardy garlic; red and Chioggia beets; carrots; 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 (farmstand only); sweet red, and yellow Italian, orange snacking peppers; green bell peppers; fresh, young ginger, sweet potatoes, Butternut squash, Koginut squash, Brussels sprouts
Coming Soon:
parsnips
Pick Your Own:
FLOWERS:
We successfully frost irrigated the flower patch to keep dahlias and friends going!
PERENNIAL HERBS:
chives, oregano, sage, and thyme
Recipes
Suggested by Rebecca Batchie
For more recipes, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database
Burmese Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk & Turmeric with Sweet Potato
By Sara Jenkins, via Food52
Ingredients
For the soup
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon dried ginger
1 tablespoon dried turmeric (or 3” piece fresh)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as grapeseed
2 cloves garlic
1 1-inch piece peeled ginger
1 peeled shallot
1 dried chile, on the hot side (I like de árbol)
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil or a neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed
1 cup cubed sweet potato
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 quartered
1 pinch salt, to taste
For the crispy shallot topping
1 peeled shallot, sliced thinly
1 cup neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed
For the soup
Cut the chicken thighs into about 1-inch pieces and marinate overnight with the dried ginger, turmeric, coriander, and 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. I like the overnight marinade, but if you forget, simply toss the chicken pieces with the spices before you start cooking.
In a food processor, mince the garlic, ginger, shallot, dried chile, and the roots and/or stems of the bunch of cilantro.
In the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, heat the coconut oil. Then add the cubed sweet potato. Fry until golden brown on at least 2 sides of each cube. Scoop out of the pan, leaving the oil, and set aside. Add the chicken pieces (a few at a time so you can brown them without having them cool the pan down) and let them begin to brown. Season with a pinch of salt. When they are mostly browned, add the minced shallot-ginger-garlic-cilantro stem mixture and let cook out a little. Add a couple tablespoons of the chicken stock and let reduce until the mixture is soft and cooked. Add the rest of the chicken stock and the reserved sweet potatoes and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile use the method below to fry the crispy shallots (this can also be done as much as a week ahead of time, as the shallots will keep in a closed container at room temperature for a week at least).
Simmer the soup for about half an hour, until the chicken and sweet potatoes are close to tender. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and coconut milk and bring up to a simmer. Stir in a quarter cup of cilantro leaves and taste for salt. Serve garnished with the crispy shallots, a couple of sprigs of raw cilantro, and the lime wedge.
For the crispy shallot topping
In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the shallots and stir frequently. As the oil continues to heat, the shallots will start to color. When they get to golden brown, scoop them out of the oil and drain on a paper towel. You want to pull them out of the oil a little before dark brown, as they'll continue to cook and crisp up on the paper towel.
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Fort Hill Farm Schedule:
FARMERS' MARKETS:
New Milford Farmers' Market
Saturdays from 9 - Noon
-through Nov. 18
Westport Farmers' Market
Thursdays from 10 AM - 2 PM
-through Nov. 9, then Thursdays at Gilbertie's starting Nov. 16
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NEW FALL FARMSTAND HOURS:
Tuesday & Thursday
(closed Friday)
2:00 - 5:30PM
Saturday 9:00 AM- 12:30 PM