Farm News

Farmers Note: this week’s edition of the Farm News is being brought to you by John DiZazzo. John has been an apprentice on the farm since April. His love of field work is now legendary around the farm, and we have really enjoyed his steady demeanor and surprising wit this season.

Hello to the CSA members and families! My name is John DiZazzo, and I’m one of the apprentices at Fort Hill Farm this year. I grew up in Shelton, CT, which is also where I got my start with organic farming. I started working at Guy’s Eco-Garden, a small organic farm in Shelton two years ago because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life except that I wanted to work for something that was beneficial to others and to the earth. After my first season there, I realized that I wanted to farm (organically!) for a living, so I spent a second year there, getting more experience and learning a great deal from Guy, the farmer, who would often spend an hour or two talking to me about different aspects of farming. I graduated high school after that, and when I asked Guy if he knew any good farms to apprentice for, he immediately gave me Paul’s name, and told me that he really knew what he was doing. So here I am, for my 3^rd season farming, and I’m enjoying every moment of it. My future goals are to set up a not-for-profit farm starting organization, with a special interest in getting affordable or free food to those in need, as well as spreading social awareness about organic farming and other earth friendly ways of existing. This has turned out to be a great year for me, and I hope all of the folks receiving our produce are equally satisfied with their experience this year – organic food isn’t just a way of eating, it’s a statement about understanding our responsibility to live consciously, to better our world and ourselves. Thanks for sharing the season with my fellow workers and I.

Sincerely,

John

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

THIRD ANNUAL FORT HILL FARM HARVEST POT LUCK

When: Sunday, September 18 from 2:30 PM until dusk.

Who’s invited: CSA shareholders

What to bring: a main dish, side dish, or desert, and chairs if you like.

What’s going on: hay rides around the farm, pick your own pumpkins (one for each share), 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 SATURDAY, SEPT. 10!

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

Featured this week:

Escarole: is an Italian cooking green that makes a great dish with beans, see my Mom’s recipe below. We had a meltdown of escarole in the last rain and lost half the crop, so not all boxes will have it. For those that don’t we substituted a bunch of kale.

Italia Red Peppers: I eat these like candy this time of year. Sweet and crispy, they are great in salads, grilled, roasted or sauted.

‘Sungold’ Cherry tomatoes: great sweet little cherry tomatoes, they are peaking at the farm now and go down hill fast from here so get out and pick some while they are dripping off the plants.

Pick your own: lots of pick your own crops available to all CSA shareholders—cherry tomatoes, green beans, herbs (get your pesto basil now!!!!), and cut flowers. Pick your own hours are Tuesday and Friday from 2:30 to 6:30 PM and Saturday 8AM to noon. Go to the front of the white barn and follow the “PYO” instructions on the white board. All crops are near the flowers, which are pretty easy to spot these days.

Recipes:

Both recipes below are favorites from previous years. Actually, I’ve never seen escarole used in any way other than below so if anyone’s got a different idea please pass it along.

Kale Crunch, from “One United Harvest”, by CT resident Julie Sochacki. Julie’s book contains recipes collected from CSA’s all over the country. It can be purchased at www.farmcookbook.com or at the farm during Tuesday and Friday distributions.

Olive oil spray 3 T. grated cheese

1 bunch kale, roughly cut into 2X2 inch pieces

Line a cookie tray with foil. Spray the tray with olive oil spray or spread out a thin layer of olive oil across the pan. Spread kale across pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, mixing once or twice. Sprinkle Parmesan over kale, and bake for a few minutes, to taste. Cool on another plate or tray. The kale should be crispy and crunchy.

Escarole and Beans, by Ginny Bucciaglia

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 6 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 onion chopped 1/2 cup white wine

2 cans cannelini beans (drained) 1 head escarole, rough chop (par boil for 5 minutes-drain)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth 3 cups water

Salt/pepper to taste 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Warm oil in an 8 quart pan. Add chopped garlic, onion and thyme. Sauté lightly, until translucent Add wine (optional) and simmer 5 minutes. Blend in cannelini beans gently. Add escarole and steam 10 minutes. Add liquid. Simmer together for 30 minutes, partially covered. Taste for seasoning. Season with salt and fresh black pepper or hot pepper to taste.

To Serve: Toast 6 Italian or French bread slices in the oven. Remove slices and rub with peeled garlic clove, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place a slice of the bread in each bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Ladle the escarole/bean soup over the bread. Serve with Italian grating cheese and fresh black pepper to taste.