Farm News October 10, 2023
Please note our Fall Farmstand Hours:
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Reminder: 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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This week’s drenching rain installment caused the usual mischief. The driveway was washed out yet again, another seeding of spinach bit the dust, and the Fort Hill Farm mosquito count pushed to a record high. Some cooler, drier air blew in on Sunday and looks to be with us for most of the week, bringing some more fall-like weather and a nice reprieve for all of us from the monsoon.
Faye is not taking a selfie, but rather, documenting the choice dahlia varieties to update the website and dahlia tuber store.
We’re still in full squirrel mode at the farm. The crew took advantage of a warm afternoon and brought in the bulk of the butternut and Koginut squash harvest. These are the heavy hitters of the winter squash world, and we like to get them nice and toasty in the greenhouse for a few weeks so they will roast up sweet in the oven. We brought in a pre-harvest of butternut and Koginut a few weeks ago and they are indeed yummy and ready to go. We also brought in the rest of the sweet potatoes, which despite a low yield in 2023, luckily taste great. We are also chipping away at digging up the fall roots.
The crew wrangled in the sweet potatoes in a few dry moments over the last few weeks.
Surprisingly to some folks, we are still going strong in the planning and planting department. Greenhouses need to be sowed and planted, fields need cover crops to tuck them in for the winter in accordance with what crop they will grow in 2024, and Matt and CJ are turning compost like crazy whenever we get a dry couple of days. We are getting a third of an acre spaded and composted to plant the garlic, which needs to go in the ground in early-November.
Above: At our farm’s scale, the only way to get these babies in is the old fashioned way, as Mozammel tosses to Kolade. Below: The end result is a satisfying, double-headed load of squash.
One thing that’s been on our minds is to thank all of YOU who have braved rainy, muggy, and buggy days all summer to make it to the farmstand or to the farmers markets. We know that time is the most valuable thing any person has, and really appreciate that you make an extra effort to buy our farm’s produce … even when the weather is just plain crappy. It means so much to all of us at Fort Hill Farm. Thanks for your support!
We hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,
Paul, Rebecca, and the Fort Hill Farm Crew
Featured veg:
Butternut squash: A New England classic and hands down the favorite winter squash of many. We have a great crop this year, with plenty to go around. Like all winter squash, prepare by cutting in half, scooping out the seeds, oiling the cut edges, and putting face down in a baking pan with a quarter inch of water in it. Bake at 375F until a fork slides in easily, let cool a bit, and enjoy. Serve with butter. Or peel and cube, toss in olive oil, and roast in the oven with other fall roots. Don't forget to roast the seeds too! It should store for many weeks in a dry place between 55F and 65F.
Bok Choy: We are starting to harvest a prolific fall crop of Choy, providing the rains don’t wreak havoc. Bok choy is great for stir fry, or a quick sauté in oil and tamari sauce. We especially love it raw in the Chinese Cabbage Salad recipe on our website (where it replaces its Chinese cabbage cousin). We also give it a quick sauté and then add it to ramen for a super easy yet nutritious dinner.
Also available:
Head lettuce; arugula (limited); salad mix; pea shoots; French Breakfast radishes; curly and lacinato kale; rainbow chard; Collards; radicchio; baby bok choy; scallions; leeks; celeriac; parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme; fennel; escarole; green cabbage; German Extra Hardy garlic; red and Chioggia beets; carrots; beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes (heirlooms are tapering); Sungold & red cherry tomatoes (tapering as well); 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; red and green bell peppers; fresh, young ginger, sweet potatoes, Koginut squash
Coming Soon:
Brussels sprouts
Pick Your Own:
FLOWERS:
Take advantage of the warm October – 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
Butternut Squash with Ginger Tomatoes and Lime Yoghurt
By Yotam Ottolenghi
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 medium butternut squash, trimmed, unpeeled, halved lengthways, seeds removed, then cut widthways into 2½ cm wide slices (800g)
1.5 oz. or 45ml olive oil
6 large tomatoes, halved lengthways (500g)
1.2 in or 3cm piece of ginger, finely grated (25g)
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 oz or 30g dark muscovado sugar
coarse sea salt and black pepper
Lime yoghurt:
4.25 oz or 120g Greek yoghurt
¼ tsp GROUND CARDAMOM
Finely grated zest of ½ lime, plus 1½ tsp lime juice to serve
1/3 c. or 5g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1 oz. or 30g cashew nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 Tbsp or 10g crispy shop-bought shallots (optional)
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 475F/ 240°C/220°C fan/gas mark 9.
2 Mix the squash with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 2 teaspoons of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Spread out on a large parchment-lined baking tray and roast for 35–40 minutes, until golden-brown. Set aside to cool.
3 Reduce the oven temperature to 325/ 170°C/150°C fan/gas mark 3.
4 Place the tomato halves on a parchment-lined baking tray, skin-side down. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, drizzle with the last tablespoon of oil and cook for 80 minutes, until softened.
5 Place the ginger, chilli, garlic, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Mix to form a paste, then spoon this on top of the tomatoes. Cook for another 40 minutes, until caramelized, and set aside to cool.
6 Place all the ingredients for the lime yoghurt in a small bowl, with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
7 Spread the squash out on a large platter and arrange the tomatoes in between. Drizzle over the lime yoghurt, sprinkle with the coriander, cashews and shallots, if using, and serve.