Farm News September 10, 2024
Our Farmstand is in full swing
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(PYO & Farmstand Hours):
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 2 - 6:30 PM
Saturday: 8 am - 12:30 pm
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Some super late summer weather continues to bless the farm with cool mornings, warm afternoons, and the occasional weekly rain event to keep the farm watered. Some crops are loving this—we have had some great harvests of broccoli. Broccoli is one of those Goldliocks crops that doesn’t do well when it’s too hot or too cold, which is why nearly the entire nations supply is grown near coastal California where the great Pacific Ocean moderates out the temps. Peppers continue to perform well, and the dahlias are making their appearance in numbers for those of you looking to pick your own dahlia bouquet at the farm.
Faye does an awesome job of keeping up with the greenhouse work.
It’s the last full week of corn! It’s the best late-season sweet corn crop we’ve grown, and we have plenty for fresh eating. For a special winter treat, try steaming a bunch of ears in boiling water for a minute or two, quickly quenching them in cold water, cut off the kernels, and freeze for a winter treat some dark January evening. Other crops are less happy now, and we are seeing a swan song for cucumbers and summer squash.
See if you can spot the praying mantis crawling on Julia's back during a dandelion harvest.
This transition season is a busy time at the farm. We are in full planting mode in the greenhouses, cleaning out crop residues and amending the soil for the next crop. And we still have beautiful harvests of lettuce, radishes, fresh herbs, bunched cooking greens of all sorts coming in from the field. But we also must be in full squirrel mode, eyeing the big harvests of sweet potatoes, winter squash, and pie pumpkins still to be picked up in the field. Dana led us out to the beet patch to bring in the fall crop, and we came back with truckloads of red, Chioggia, and gold beets to put up for the winter. We are making good progress on the potatoes, and will have 2 kinds of fingerlings this week, La Ratte and Pinto gold. Both are quite tasty roasted in the oven, and Rebecca made an amazing stew out of them with Howling Flats stew meats and our own fall carrots, which look great this year.
Everyone agrees: it feels like kale season, just a bit early!
On a crazier note, I drove by a field last week and thought I saw a crane walking through the one of our cover crop fallowed fields. A closer look revealed it to be a blue heron, which are common in rivers and ponds in the area in summer, but in 22 years we have never seen one in our fields. We have noticed and abundance of frogs on the farm this year, which might be attracting this beautiful bird.
We hope to see you at the farm or a farmers’ market soon,
Paul, Rebecca, and the Fort Hill Farm crew
Featured veg:
Sweet Red Italian Peppers: These pointy peppers are coming in strong now. These are our favorite sweet red peppers for cooking by far – we rarely reach for a sweet bell. The Italian peppers have an incredible sweetness that goes beyond the bells, thin, crisp walls that pack a punch, and a shape that's ideal for easy snacking. Try slow roasting them for a divine treat.
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; arugula; pea shoots; curly and lacinato kale; rainbow chard; purple, red and French Breakfast radish; cilantro, parsley, dill, red beets, chioggia beets and gold beets; red and Savoy cabbage; garlic; (limited) slicing cucumbers and Asian; heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes; sungold, artisanal, and red cherry tomatoes; carrots; broccoli and sprouting broccoli; German Extra Hardy garlic; red and yellow storage onions; jalapeño, cayenne, poblano and shishito peppers; red bell peppers: Sweet Red Italian and orange snacking peppers; Classic Italian, Graffiti, and Rosa Bianca eggplant (limited); sweet corn; Dark Red Norland and Satina Gold potatoes; the last of the edamame (while they last); leeks; celery; collard greens; escarole; dandelion; radicchio; fresh ginger; spaghetti squash and Jester delicata squash
Coming Soon:
Magic Molly potatoes
Pick Your Own:
Pole Beans:
The pole beans are largely past at this point- only the intrepid will want to search for them for dinner!
Perennial Herbs:
There are HERB RINGS provided to establish the bunch size.
Chives and Oregano: trim long lengths from the base of the plant, leaving 1” behind
Sage: clip 4 - 6 inches from the largest stems
Thyme: clip 4-6 from the perimeter of the plant
Flowers:
Bouquets on SALE! The Dahlias are really starting to shine! And there is still a good selection of other blossoms out there. Be sure to use the flower ring provided to establish the bunch size.
Recipes
Suggested by Rebecca Batchie
Not into this particular recipe? For more recipes outlined by crop, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database.
Herbes de Provence-Crusted Branzino and Fingerlings
From Food and Wine
Ingredients
1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 (12-ounce) butterflied branzino or trout
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Toss together potatoes, olive oil, 2 tablespoons herbes de Provence, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper on prepared baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven until potatoes are golden around edges and nearly tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, mash butter, mustard, remaining 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, and 1 teaspoon salt together with a fork in a small bowl. Arrange fish flesh side up, season with salt and pepper, and spread butter mixture evenly on fish.
Flip potatoes and arrange around edges of pan to accommodate fish. Add fish to baking sheet, flesh side up, and roast at 375°F until fish is opaque and flaky and potatoes are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
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