Farm News June 18, 2024
Our Farmstand is in full swing
(PYO & Farmstand Hours):
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 2 - 6:30 PM
Saturday: 8 am - 12:30 pm
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At the end of last week we played “chicken” with a line of thunderstorms that were projected to drop an inch of rain on the farm. While that would have been less than great for all the ripe strawberries we have, we really could have used the rain on our newly planted crops. So, on Thursday we stopped irrigating, and of course that meant that any meaningful rain missed the farm on Friday, and by 9pm we were setting up irrigation systems for the night. We knew this week’s forecast was for some historically hot weather, and going into a heat wave with a dry farm is not a good situation.
CJ, Tony, and Danniella celebrate the first carrot harvest in a couple of weeks!
These events bear out something I have learned over the years, and that is why it’s a very bad idea to make statements like “it’s supposed to rain today.” Forecasts are just an educated guess as to what the weather will be, so the way I like to phrase it is “a good chance of rain is in the forecast today,” which I believe leaves the correct level of doubt about Mother Nature’s plans and will keep a farmer watering until the clouds really open up.
Neko and Darius show off the ton of weed mass that they knifed out of the blueberry patch. We won’t know for a few weeks if this is the year they will be ready for PYO or not.
Up until now the spring weather has been very accommodating, and we have some great crops for you this week. Our tomatoes, grown in compost enriched soil in our greenhouses, are starting to really kick out some fruit, so if you are looking for real tomato flavor, we got you covered. Zucchini and summer squash are coming in strong, and we have a great crop of basil from the high tunnel to go with garlic scapes from the field to make a really special pesto. Our last strawberry variety, “AC Valley Sunset” is putting out some large, sweet berries so it will just take a few minutes in the heat to fill up a quart. Or if you we prefer, the crew has been hard at work the last two mornings putting fresh berries into our cooler for sale at the farm or the farmers’ market. Best picking on strawberries will be early in the week, as the heat dome will likely bring our strawberry season to a close.
We hope you enjoy the harvest,
Paul, Rebecca, and the Fort Hill Farm crew
Featured veg:
Zucchini: is beautiful and is coming in strong and early this year. Everyone loves spring greens, but as we dive into summer, I most appreciate having some “solid” veg to cook with. Grill, sauté, stuff, and grate into breads and cakes, or for a summery dinner, see recipe below.
Rainbow Carrots: Did you know that the wild, and later, domesticated carrots which gave rise to today’s iconic lunchbox veggie was originally the colors purple or white? The story goes that orange carrots started to dominate the scene in the early 1600s Netherlands in honor of the king, William of Orange. 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 cooked whole, either roasted or grilled. PS. Shout out to our regular orange carrots too – they’re back! (Stay tuned for a later newsletter on nematodes and why our high tunnel carrots failed this year and caused a carrot gap.)
Also available:
Head lettuce; salad mix; arugula; pea shoots; curly and lacinato kale; rainbow chard; kohlrabi, fennel, baby bok choy; red and French Breakfast radish; cilantro, parsley, dill, basil; escarole; radicchio; scallions; sprouting broccoli (as available); purplette onions; Sugar snap peas; red beets, chioggia beets (and limited gold beets); Chinese cabbage; garlic scapes; summer squash; heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes (as available); sungold and red cherry tomatoes (as available); conehead cabbage; zephyr and patty pan squash (limited)
Coming Soon:
cucumbers
Pick Your Own:
STRAWBERRIES!
The strawberries are still going strong with the late variety Valley Sunset. Large fruit, so easy to pick (half a quart in the handful above! Best picking will be early in the week . Likely the last week for easy strawberries.
Stay updated on the Hours and Updates link above or on Facebook/Instagram for the latest information. No limit on quarts. $9.50 each, 4 or more $8.50 each. Our crew has been busy picking so we also have pre-picked pints in the barn ready for sale.
How Does PYO Strawberries Work?
1. Read www.forthillfarm.com/visit before arriving.
2. After parking along the fence, walk to the Green tent to pick up quart containers (signs will clearly guide you).
3. Pick ripe, red berries only (we'll show you where to pick).
4. Head to the barn to pay and stock up on the week's veggies. (You will need to pre-pay if your picking will take you past Farmstand hours.)
Recipes
Suggested by Rebecca Batchie
For more recipes, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database
Kolokithokeftedes (Zucchini Fritters)
Kolokithokeftedes are Greek zucchini fritters that can be served warm or at room temperature. They’re perfect for kid’s school lunches, as a starter for a dinner party, or even a vegetarian burger patty. If you’re gluten free, feel free to use gluten free flour and breadcrumbs and swap the semolina for cornstarch. Either way, make sure to drain your zucchini well so these fritters get nice and crispy.
Prep Time 40minutes mins
Cook Time10minutes mins
Servings: 5
Author: Ruth Bardis
Ingredients
For the Fritters:
5 –6 zucchinis (2 ¾ pounds), grated
Salt
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons semolina flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup finely chopped dill
¼ cup finely chopped mint
¼ cup finely chopped green onions
2 eggs, lightly whisked
3 ½ ounces feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
For serving:
Lemon wedges
Instructions
Salt the zucchini. Place the zucchini in a strainer with 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes so juices can be released. After 30 minutes, squeeze out any extra moisture with your hands and place into a bowl.
Make the dough. To the zucchini, add the breadcrumbs, flours, baking powder, dill, mint, green onions, eggs, feta, parmesan, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. If the batter is too wet, add a little more flour.
Get ready to fry. Heat the oil in a shallow wide pan over medium-high heat until it’s very hot.
Fry the fritters. Add spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil. They don’t have to be perfectly round, just level out with a spoon to create a pancake shape. Cook the fritters in batches without overcrowding the pan (I do 4 fritters per batch). Add more oil if it is too dry. Cook until golden and crispy, 3-4 minutes per side.
Drain. Transfer the cooked fritters to a plate lined with paper towels.
Serve. Serve either hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges and Greek yogurt on the side.
Notes
Use a box grater to grate the zucchinis (not a food processor) otherwise they will release far too much liquid and will not hold their shape when fried.
Mix the batter until just combined so your fritters stay nice and light (overmixed=dense fritters). The batter should be thick and sticky and hold its shape when formed into a fritter.
Make sure your oil is very hot to ensure the fritters cook quickly and do not become soggy.
Nutrition
Calories: 228.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.9g | Protein: 12.5g | Fat: 8.7g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 87.5mg | Sodium: 490.6mg | Potassium: 777.3mg | Fiber: 3.7g | Sugar: 6.8g | Vitamin A: 1047.8IU | Vitamin C: 48.3mg | Calcium: 266.4mg | Iron: 2.8mg
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