Farm News

One thing I have been meaning to discuss in the newsletter is composting. A lot of us feel these days that the environment is being trashed, but there’s not much we can do about it. So we just go on our way, driving big gas guzzling cars and tossing out big bundles of garbage. One really simple way to lower your impact on the environment is to compost your vegetable food waste and trimmings. This doesn’t need to be messy or stinky if it’s done properly. Composting is not rocket science, you mix some organic materials together, and in the presence of oxygen, aerobic bacteria and fungi will break down these materials to a rich, black compost that makes a great, complete, natural, slow release fertilizer. Like most things in life, there are a few details that can make or break the process. First, you need to have a place to compost your trimmings. It can be as simple as a pile in your backyard or a composting bin you buy at a store. So as not to attract varmints, try not to compost animal or meat waste. The key to the whole process is mix your materials so that you have the correct balance of carbon (from ‘brown’ materials like old leaves, straw, or sawdust) to nitrogen (from ‘green’ materials like corn shucks, grass clippings, and vegetable scraps). There is lots of literature on the subject of balancing carbon to nitrogen ratios, but to keep things simple just remember that for every ‘scoop’ of green stuff you’ll need 3 or 4 scoops of brown material. Which means you just stockpile the brown stuff, and when it’s time to compost your kitchen waste you mix in the green stuff, cover with a little more brown stuff, and go on your way. From time to time, turn your pile with a pitch fork to add more oxygen. When you turn your pile, you should smell a rich, earthy aroma and see and feel some heat escaping. If your pile is cold, and nothing seems to be happening, you need more green stuff. If your pile is slimy and stinky due to the presence of anaerobic decay, you need to add more brown stuff and turn the pile more often, and maybe limit the amount of water going into it. Because we live in a humid climate, adding water is usually not necessary. After you have a nice pile going, stop adding more material to it and let the whole thing cook down. Keep turning until you have a nice, rich, black material. Dig this into your garden, toss it on your lawn, or scratch in around your shrubs. And stop buying that weed and feed, most of it is just ending up in Long Island sound anyways!

Hope you enjoy the harvest,

Paul (For Tara, Michael, Bob, and Jean)

******************************************************************************************

SECOND ANNUAL FORT HILL FARM HARVEST POT LUCK

When: Sunday, September 19 from 2:30 PM until dusk.

Who’s invited: all CSA members and their families

What to bring: a side dish, desert, or appetizer, your beverage of choice; and chairs

What we’ll provide: beef and veggie burgers and buns, and grills

What’s going on: hay rides around the farm, pick your own pumpkins (one for each share plus one for each child in a share family), volleyball, misc. fun, and a chance to see where all your veggies have been coming from.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the farm! Please RSVP by phone or email!

******************************************************************************************

In the box this week:

Tomatoes Bell and/or Italia sweet red peppers

Swiss Chard Lettuce

‘Candy’ Onions Carrots

Austrian Crescent fingerling potatoes Garlic

Spaghetti Squash Eggplant

What do I do with it?

Spaghetti squash: when baked, its stringy flesh makes a great base for sauces, or try the casserole recipe below.

‘Candy’ Onions: somewhere between sweet and pungent. They will store for weeks in a cool, dry place.

‘Austrian Crescent’ potatoes: these are great roasted or used in soups. Fingerlings are very popular these days as they hold up well when cooked and have rich flavors and firm textures. Kind of a pain to grow and harvest, but we feel they are worth the effort.

Garlic: still lots of hardneck garlic to come. If you have extra each week, don’t worry, it will hold until February in a cool, dry place.

Coming soon: Very good chance for celery, acorn squash, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, eggplant, garlic, and onions.

Recipes:

Spaghetti Squash Casserole, from The Moosewood Cookbook.

1 spaghetti squash salt and pepper to taste

2 Tblsp. Butter 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 cup chopped onion 1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese

2 medium cloves garlic, minced 1 cup grated mozzarella

½ pound fresh, sliced mushrooms 1 cup fine bread crumbs

½ teaspoon oregano ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon basil Parmesan cheese

dash of thyme

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Halve the squash and scoop out seeds. Bake face-down on oiled sheet until it is easily pierced by a fork, about 30 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then scoop out pulp and place in large bowl. Meanwhile, heat butter and sauté onions, garlic, and mushrooms with herbs, salt, and pepper. When onions are soft, add tomatoes and continue to cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Stir this mixture into squash pulp with remaining ingredients except Parmesan. Spread into buttered 2-quart casserole. Top with Parmesan. Bake uncovered, 30-40 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.

Ground beef and eggplant skillet, from "Whole Foods for the Whole Family Cookbook"

(This recipe was sent in by shareholder Lani Siciliano, who says her 3 kids under the age of five really like it).

1 lb. ground beef 2 C. chopped tomatoes

1 clove garlic, crushed 1 C. tomato sauce (although I tripled this personally)

1 eggplant, peeled, chopped 1/2 t. salt

1-2 peppers, chopped dash of pepper

1 onion, sliced 1 t. basil

1/2 t. oregano (use more of these spices if using fresh) 1 C. brown rice, cooked (I doubled this too)

Brown ground beef with garlic in skillet, stirring until crumbly; drain. Add eggplant. Cook for 10

minutes, stirring frequently. Add next 8 ingredients; mix gently. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring

occasionally. Serve over rice. May be made ahead and reheated. Serves six.