Farm News June 25, 2024
SPECIAL HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
FOR THE 4TH of JULY:
The Farmstand will be * CLOSED * on Thursday, July 4th.
Please stock up this weekend and on Tuesday, July 2!
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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We are happy to be having a couple cool days after last week’s scorcher. A five-day string of 90 degree plus weather has been rare in Connecticut until recently, but I can’t remember a heat wave that intense in June. That kind of heat becomes very stressful for people and our crops. Because we were going into the hot week with dry soils, the effects were even more pronounced. We spent the week getting up early, doing as much as we could in the cooler morning hours, and trying to save less intense tasks, like washing and packing produce, for the afternoon. Our crew did a stellar job in some tough conditions. And thanks to all of you who braved the heat to come to the farmstand and markets; we really appreciate your dedication to our farm.
CJ cleans up the roots to reveal a rainbow of vivid carrots!
This is peak busy of the busy season for small scale farmers. We are still planting crops, the harvests have become intense, and weeds are sprouting at rates that are almost unbelievable. The good news is we have seen all this before, and we have water and equipment to deliver it to the crops, cultivators to take out (some of) the weeds, and lots of dedicated staff to help with the harvest.
Some of these understated but workhorse spring crops are carrying us into summer: fresh Purplette onions, beets, fennel, kohlrabi, escarole, scallions, radicchio, and dandelion greens.
The summer crops are starting to fill the stand. We have a great crop of early tomatoes, and the cucumbers and summer squash are coming in beautifully. Due to some timely irrigation, we still have plenty of salad fixings and bunched greens to keep you healthy, along with tasty carrots, beets, and basil. The garlic bulbs are filling nicely, and we’ve started pulling a few early for fresh use. We have an abundance of snap peas, but this is an ephemeral crop that won’t be around much longer, so get ‘em while you can. We’ve opened the snap peas to Pick Your Own, and we will also have small bouquets of PYO flowers available. You’ll find summer herbs like thyme, oregano, and sage in the farmstand, which will also be PYO in a few weeks. Summer harvest is here!
We hope you enjoy the harvest,
Paul, Rebecca, and the Fort Hill Farm crew
Featured veg:
Sugar Snap peas: are here and gone in a flash. We transplant all of our peas now to thwart fungal diseases that organic seed can’t successfully combat on its own. Note, they are also available for Pick Your Own this week! Get your sugar snap peas while the getting is good, because for sure they will not last. I like heating them a bit to amp up the flavor, but most folks just eat raw out of hand (also see recipe below).
Fresh garlic: July must be around the corner, because we are staring down the barrel of a half-acre of garlic, all needing to be pulled and hung to cure within a one-week window. The great news is, we love garlic!, and we’ll have fresh, juicy (yes, I said juicy) garlic available this week. Our garlic is a German White (porcelain) variety with big fat, easy peeling cloves and wonderful flavor roasted or chopped into oil for your favorite recipe.
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; red beets, chioggia beets (and limited gold beets); green (and purple) Chinese cabbage; garlic scapes; zucchini, zephyr, and Patty Pan summer squash; heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes; sungold and red cherry tomatoes; conehead cabbage; rainbow and orange fresh carrots, cucumbers
Coming Soon:
Broccoli
Pick Your Own:
Strawberries:
Gleanings of the whole patch. It’s now harder to find good quality berries, so stick to the flagged beds to make it easier. They’re still sweet and worth the pick!
Sugar snap peas:
It’s easy picking (even standing up!) of this ephemeral crop.
Flowers:
Soft opening on the flowers; the very first blossoms are in!
Recipes
Suggested by Rebecca Batchie
For more recipes, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database
Spring Orzo Salad with Snap Peas
From WyseGuide
Servings: 6
Ingredients
12 oz sugar snap peas
1 cup dry orzo
2 heads butter lettuce
1 cup Marcona almonds toasted
4 oz goat cheese
For the dressing
2 tbsp minced shallot
1 clove garlic minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp minced fresh dill
⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
Cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and set it aside to cool
Blanch the sugar snap peas. Have a large bowl of ice and water ready and set aside to shock the peas once cooked. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the sugar snap peas and cook for 1-2 minutes until they are bright green and crisp-tender. Immediately remove the peas from the hot water and place them in the prepared ice water to stop the cooking and keep the color. Once cooled fully, drain the peas and set them aside to dry fully.
Make the dressing. In a bowl or shaker, combine the shallot, garlic, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, black pepper, parsley, and dill. Whisk to combine. Continue to whisk while drizzling in the olive oil until it is combined and emulsified.
In a large bowl or platter, arrange the leaves of the butter lettuce. Some can be torn into smaller pieces depending on personal preference. Season with salt and pepper. Add the dried sugar snap peas and orzo. Toss with dressing to taste. Sprinkle with the Marcona almonds and goat cheese and serve.
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