Fort Hill Farm started attending the Weston market in 2003, the first harvest year for our farm.   Many of you have become friends and familiar faces over the years, and we have received a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and support from our Weston Farmers market customers, the Weston Womens League, and other vendors over the past five years.

We have found ourselves with a huge waiting list for CSA shares, and wanted to expand our on-farm CSA program here in New Milford.  In order to do that, we needed to be here at the farm on Saturday mornings.  And, we were also hoping to make the farm work week a little less grueling by working in fields and distributing produce on the farm on Saturdays, and travelling off farm a little less.

We have made a difficult decison to not attend the Weston Farmers market this season.  We  trust that the other Weston organic growers, or perhaps new organic  farmers looking for hungry veggie customers, will take our place.  We will still attend the Westport farmers market this season, on Thursdays from 10AM to 2PM at the Westport playhouse, so if you can make it there we would love to see you.  If you are curious about our CSA program, you can check it out at www.forthillfarm.com.  Our CSA is currently sold out for the season.  We will open our wait list in January, but please be advised that it may take several seasons before we will be able to get to our 09 wait list people.

All of us here at Fort Hill Farm want to thank the Weston area people who have supported local agriculture by attending the farmers market.  We know it is an extra trip that you must fit into an already busy schedule, and we appreciate your extra effort to buy local food. 

 Sincerely,

Paul Bucciaglia

Farmer, Fort Hill Farm

Box Shareholders can pick up their first box on Wednesday June 11th.

Mix and Match shareholders can come to the farm on the week of Tuesday June 10th.  Distribution days and hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:30 - 6:30 pm and Saturdays 8am to noon.  Shareholders can come any day, one visit per week.

Crops are looking a little on the light side, it’s been a cool, dry spring.  But we do have some nice greens on the way, and with a little heat and a little rain we should get up to speed soon.  Hope you enjoy the produce, and we’ll see everyone at the farm soon. 

So many people have made this year a success. Our hard working crew of apprentices did a great job of bringing you this year’s harvest. Apprentices Brian Reardon, Susan Corrigan, and Jenny Kolin brought a lot of energy and dedication to the farm. They are looking ahead toward next year, and I am confident that the right opportunities will come their way. Janine Meyer was in overdrive as Fort Hill Farms first ‘official’ Assistant Manager. Her attention to detail and creativity helped increase the quality of our produce, and made sure our deliveries, distributions, and farmers markets went off without a hitch. The Fort Hill Farm summer crew swelled to its largest size ever this year. Jean Wiltshire, Bob Cornell, Richard Yonkers, Tynne Clifford, and Colin Vannucci helped us bring in the harvest and keep the weeds at bay, while Heather Phillip and Rebecca Batchie filled in on the Wednesday box packing line so we could get the delivery trucks rolling on time. Once again the Myers family (Katy, Tom, and Emily) were the enthusiastic face of Fort Hill Farm at the Weston farmers market, and Terry Westby helped serve up the salad at the Westport Market. Ace mechanic Doug Eriquez kept our rusty equipment up and going, and Jim Wooley did a fabulous job of keeping the farm grounds mowed and trimmed. My father Joe Bucciaglia out did himself again this year in the greenhouse construction trade, fueled by lunches packed by my Mom.

Thanks to all of you who were part of the CSA. Your support and commitment to this farm are what makes it all happen, and I am deeply grateful to all shareholders, and to all of you, named and unnamed, who contributed to making this year a success. Have a safe and restful winter, and I hope to see you back at the farm in 08!

Sincerely,

Paul, for Janine, Susan, Brian, and Jenny

!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Attached to this newsletter is a survey. Please take a few minutes to fill out the form. We read every survey we get back, and to the extent possible, tailor our crop plan to get you the produce you want.

-This is our last regular distribution week! Thanks for being part of the 07 season!

-LAST BOX RETURN: For CSA box shareholders, you have a couple of options. 1) Load your share into some bags and leave the box this week. 2) Return the box within one week to your drop site. 3) Hang on to the box and return it at the first pickup in 2008. We need all boxes back, clean and unripped!

Important info continued…..

-The form for 07 CSA members to reserve their share for 08 is available, email the farm if you did not find one attached to Week 18 newsletter. Deadline for renewal is November 30. This is a firm deadline! We are trying to move more of the administrative work to winter time, and would really appreciate your cooperation in getting your renewal back to us on time.

-We will open our wait list for new CSA members in January of 2008. If you have friends who are interested in joining the CSA, please point them to www.forthillfarm.com, they can enter their info on our website in January 08. Those already on the wait list do not have to re-enter their info.

Featured this week:

Celeriac: This funky relative of celery grows a delicious root that is great for roasting, soups and stews. Just wash, peel, and cube it. The greens are also good for soup stock. Will store for weeks in your fridge crisper drawer. See au gratin recipe below.

Green cabbage: so many ways to eat cabbage. Grate it and eat raw as salad, steam it, make pigs-in-blankets, or good old boiled dinner. You can even try your hand at home made sauerkraut. This variety of cabbage will store for months, uncovered in your refrigerator, and still taste sweet and crisp. See recipe below.

Also available: carrots, butternut squash, potatoes, leeks, beets, garlic.

Recipes:

Savory Butternut and Potato Gratin, Eberhard Muller *adjustments by Janine Meyer

3 large potatoes, sliced thin ½ Butternut Squash, peeled and sliced thin

1 celeriac, peeled and sliced thin 2 cups heavy cream

2 TBSP sour cream 1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp minced thyme salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 300. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Combine the heavy cream, sour cream, garlic, and thyme. Season generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the thinly sliced potatoes, butternut squash, and celeriac. Toss them all together so they are evenly distributed. Add the heavy cream mixture, toss to coat well and then spread into the baking dish in an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to 325 and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes longer, or until the veggies are tender and top is browned. Let the gratin stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Cabbage Pie, Nikki-Lee Carelton

My best friend shared this recipe with me, it’s easy, delicious, and a great way to use a head of cabbage.

5 cups of cooked polenta, follow package directions (season with salt and pepper)

1 medium head cabbage, thinly sliced 1 large onion or 2 to 3 leeks, sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced 2 TBSP butter or olive oil

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Tortilla chips, crushed into small pieces

3 TBSP chopped fresh herbs (such as basil, thyme, parsley, sage, chives, whatever you’ve got around, I love using basil or parsley and thyme.)

Preheat oven to 375.

Follow the package directions and cook your polenta. Polenta is easy to cook and nutritious but doesn’t have a lot flavor. Add some salt, pepper and herbs if you like. While your polenta is cooking grease a 10 inch pie plate and set aside. Once your polenta is done, set aside with a lid on to begin to cool slightly and set.

Meanwhile, heat the butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions or leeks and sauté until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring fairly often, until it’s soft and wilted (cabbage will have reduced by about half). Add the herbs, salt and pepper to taste, and the cheese. Mix well, remove from the heat and set aside.

Using your hands or a spoon, form a “crust” into the pie plate using the polenta. Then add the cabbage mixture and spread evenly in the crust. Top with the crushed tortilla chips and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Let the cabbage pie stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Word Version: nl07week211.doc

For the moment, the warm weather keeps us very busy in the field. We are still waiting for a frost, which feels downright strange. There’s no sign of frost in the seven day forecast, so we may make it into November without one. We are also switching gears a bit, and doing a little less harvesting while we pick up spring projects that we had to put aside in June. Some days it has been oddly warm and humid, but we’ve also had some of those splendid New England autumn days with clear skies and crisp temperatures, which I think are the kind of day people are thinking of when they tell farmers that we are lucky to work outdoors.

Hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest.

Paul, for Janine, Susan, Brian, and Jenny

PYO at the Farm: Pumpkins are still available, but the pickins’ are getting slim. One per share per season, extra pumpkins available for purchase, check the PYO board in the white barn for details. Some herbs still available for fresh use and drying.

Award winning veggies at Fort Hill Farm! Apprentice Susan Corrigan attended a national meeting of flower growers earlier in October. She competed in the bouquet design category with a most creative and unusual entry: a bouquet of rainbow chard, lettuce mix, and kale! Her ‘veggie bouquet’ bested over 70 entries, which included very fancy floral designs by accomplished arrangers. Congratulations to Susan!

!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-The form for 07 CSA members to reserve their share for 08 is available, email the farm if you did not find one attached to Week 18 newsletter. Deadline for renewal is November 30.

-Next week is our last regular distribution week! The last box distribution will be Oct. 31, and the last Mix and Match distribution will be Nov. 2.

-We will open our wait list for new CSA members in January of 2008. If you have friends who are interested in joining the CSA, please point them to http://www.forthillfarm.com/, they can enter their info on our website in January 08. Those already on the wait list do not have to re-enter their info.

Featured this week:

Turnips: great for roasting, mashing, or soups and stews. See lamb stew recipe below.

Spinach: we have some very tasty fall cut leaf spinach for you this week. Be sure to soak your spinach in a big pot of cold water, stirring it to remove sand from the leaves, and then put it through a salad spinner. This spinach is delicious eaten fresh in salads, or you can also wilt it with a bit of garlic and oil.

Also available: carrots, butternut squash, potatoes, green kale, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, Farmers choice (eggplant or red peppers).

A note on the eggplant: we had a late season flush of eggplant after a disappointing summer crop. We are finding that this eggplant is not holding well in storage, so please cook it quickly. We have two types available: the large round eggplants which are great for eggplant Parmagian, and the slimmer Asian varieties, which are best sautéed, roasted, grilled, or stir fried.

Recipes:

Brussels ala Burkhouse, by Paul Burkhouse, Foxtail Farm CSA, Osceola WI.

Cut Brussels sprouts off stalk and cut in half. Thinly slice one half of an onion. Sauté the sprouts in about 1/3 cup water for a few minutes, add the onion and continue to simmer until sprouts are just tender. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and simmer until water is evaporated, add 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, salt and pepper to taste, and continue to sauté until sprouts are lightly browned and water is evaporated.

Potato and Kale Soup, by Janine Meyer

This recipe is vegan friendly, but it’s also delicious with sausage added.

1 onion, diced 2-3 celery ribs, diced

2-3 medium carrots, diced 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 medium potatoes, cubed 1-2 TBSP olive oil

1 Bay Leaf, broken into pieces 1 Quart Veggie Stock (maybe more)

salt and fresh black pepper to taste 1 tsp fresh thyme

1 TBSP fresh parsley ½ bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped

In a medium soup pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Saute 3-5 minutes, until the onions are transparent and the carrots just begin to get tender. Add the potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme, sauté one minute more. Add the stock, simmer for 10 -20 minutes (the amount of time needed for simmering depends on how big you’ve cubed your potatoes. Check the potatoes, you don’t want them to be mushy). Once potatoes are done, you have a choice. You can either blend the soup in a blender or food processor for a smooth and creamy texture, or leave everything whole. Both ways are fun, (I suggest not blending if you’re adding sausage) then add the kale, salt and pepper to taste and the parsley. Turn the heat off and let the soup sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Marrakesh Lamb Stew, from “Simply in Season”, a generous gift from CSA shareholder Susie Buckley

1.5 lbs lamb, beef, or venison, shopped into bite size pieces

1 large onion (chopped) 2 cloves garlic (minced)

5 medium carrots (chopped) 2 cups stewed tomatoes

2 medium turnips (chopped) 1 medium potato (chopped)

1 cup beef broth or tomato juice 1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon each ground cumin, coriander, cloves, turmeric

¼ teaspoon crushed hot chillies

Pinch of ground allspice and ground nutmeg 2 cups cooked chick peas

½ cup pitted prunes ½ cup raisins

2 Tblsp fresh parsley

Brown lamb in 1-2 tablespoons oil in a soup pot and set aside. Stir garlic and onion into drippings, sauté until translucent. Return meat to pot. Add carrots, tomatoes, turnips, potatoes, broth, and spices. Bing to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer 40 minutes. Add 2 cups cooked chick peas, ½ cup pitted prunes, and ½ cup raisins. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender. Stir in 2 Tblsp. fresh parsley. Serve on a bed of couscous or rice.

word version: nlweek20.doc

  But really I’m not complaining.  I love what I do!  I’ve returned this year for my 3^rd season at Fort Hill Farm as the first Assistant Manager.  It has been a great year, challenging, fun, and new.  It’s always such a pleasure to see familiar faces from past years and to meet new shareholders and watch everyone enjoy the harvest throughout the season.  My work is so rewarding knowing that all of you are able to fill your table, and more importantly your tummies, with nutrient rich, organic produce.  

Hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest.

Janine, for Paul, Susan, Brian, and Jenny

PYO at the Farm:  Pumpkins are still available, but the pickins’ are getting slim.  One per share per season, extra pumpkins available for purchase, check the PYO board in the white barn for details.   

!!!!!!!!!!!!!            IMPORTANT SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION        !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-The form for 07 CSA members to reserve their share for 08 is available, email the farm if you did not find one attached to last weeks newsletter. 

-The CSA regular distribution schedule will go through the month of October.  The last box distribution will be Oct. 31, and the last Mix and Match distribution will be Nov. 2.

-We will open our wait list for new CSA members in January of 2008.  If you have friends who are interested in joining the CSA, please point them to http://www.forthillfarm.com/, they can enter their info on our website in January 08. Those already on the wait list do not have to re-enter their info.

Featured this week:

Parsnips: these are not fat white carrots!  They’re delicious roasted(try recipe below), in soups, and in stews. Pie Pumpkins: these are sugar pumpkins, the flesh is great for baking, and seeds good for roasting.  Prepare pumpkin puree by cutting pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds, bake at 375F in a greased pan cut side down in about ½ inch of water until a fork slides in easily.  Puree or mash the flesh, this will freeze well for future use.

Sweet Potatoes: These are great baked whole, mashed, au gratin style, or cube and roast them, (see Roasting Tips from Oct 3, 2007 Newsletter). Sweet potatoes will store for weeks (or even months) in a cool (not the fridge), dry place.

Collard Greens: a staple of Southern cooking, collards just don’t get any respect, and that’s too bad, because they are a great green to cook with.  A close cousin of kale and cabbage, these guys have lots of vitamins and like all brassicas they have anti-cancer compounds. 

Also available: carrots, red peppers, red cabbage, radishes

Recipes:  (Recommendations from Janine)

Cider Glazed Squash and Arugula Salad, Cooking with Shelburne Farms

For the Salad:1 Pie Pumpkin or Butternut Squash,         1 TBSP olive oil

   peeled, seeded, flesh cut into ¾ inch cubes                 2 TBSP apple cider or natural apple juice

½ tsp. kosher salt                                                                 1 Bag of Arugula, washed

½ cup crumbled goat cheese                                             20 raw, peeled hazelnuts

Fot the Cider Vinaigrette: ½ cup apple cider or natural apple juice

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar                                                1 tsp pure maple syrup, Grade B for strongest flavor

1 shallot, finely minced                                                       ½ tsp coarse kosher salt plus more to taste

¼ cup olive oil                                                                      Freshly ground black pepper to taste

  Preheat oven to 400.  In a shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet, toss the squash or pumpkin with olive oil, apple cider, and salt.  Roast the squash for 20 -25 minutes, turning once, until it’s starting to color and all the liquid has evaporated.  Allow squash to cool.  While the squash is roasting, coarsely chop the hazelnuts and put them in the oven in a small baking dish.  Toast for 10 to 12 minutes until golden and fragrant.  Make the vinaigrette.  In a blender or food processor, blend together the cider, cider vinegar, maple syrup, shallot, and salt.  Gradually add the olive oil and blend to emulsify.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Arrange the Arugula on a platter, toss it with about 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette.  Top with the squash, goat cheese, and toasted hazelnuts.

Short-Cut Collard Greens, Ellie Krieger

1 bunch Collards                                                                  Water for steaming

2 slices Canadian Bacon                                                     1 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP cider vinegar                                                           1 small onion chopped

1/8 tsp hot red pepper flakes                                              1 TBSP maple syrup

Salt                                                                                         ¾ cup chicken broth

   Remove the stems and the center ribs from the collard greens and discard.  Cut the leaves into ½ inch strips.  Place the greens in a large, microwave safe bowl with 1 TBSP water and cover tightly.  Microwave on high for 5 minutes.  (or steam on the stove top with a steamer basket for a few minutes).   In the meantime, preheat a large skillet and cook the bacon for 2 minutes on each side.  Remove the bacon from the pan, chop, and set aside.  Add the oil and onion to the pan and cook until the onions have softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the collard greens and stir in the vinegar, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, and broth.  Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes.  Add the chopped bacon to the pan and season with salt.

Roasted Parsnips, Your Organic Kitchen

1 pound Parsnips, peeled and cut into 3″x1/2″ sticks    ¼ tsp each salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 TBSP olive oil                                                                    1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

   Preheat the oven to 375.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.  Place the parsnips in  a large bowl.  Add the oil, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Toss to coat well.  Place on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast, turning occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the parsnips are tender and lightly browned.

Winter Vegetable Pasta with Cheese, Your Organic Kitchen

Ever wonder what to do with leftover veggies!? This recipe is so versatile you’ll never have to make it the same way twice!

12 ounces angel hair or linguini pasta                              2 TBSP chopped fresh oregano

3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil                                               3 TBSP chopped fresh Italian Parsley

1 onion, peeled and cut into small wedges                      Salt

2-3 garlic cloves, minced                                                     Fresh ground black pepper

2 TBSP balsamic vinegar                                                    6 ounces cheese (such as goat, feta, Cheddar, Jack), crumbled or shredded

½ cup chicken or vegetable broth                                     ¼ cup (1 ounce) grated Romano, Parmesan, or Asiago cheese  

4 cups cooked winter vegetables (such as                     

   Parsnips, rutabagas, winter squash, beets, Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale) Cut into bite-size pieces

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and place in a large bowl.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes, or until almost soft.  Add the garlic, vinegar, and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the cooked vegetables, oregano, parsley, and season with salt and pepper.  Simmer for 3 minutes, or until heated through.  Pour over the pasta, top with the cheeses, and toss to coat well.

 Word Version:   nl07week19.doc

As we near the end of the season, I’d like to thank you all for carefully reading this newsletter.  As you know, it contains information essential to knowing how to store, cook, and eat your veggies, and important administrative info.  It is our way to keep in touch with all of you.   I’m going to keep this weeks farm news ‘extra brief’ so you’ll have plenty of time to check out the important info in and attached to this weeks newsletter.  Even though the 2007 veggies keep pouring in, its time to think about the 2008 season!

Hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest.

Paul, for Janine, Susan, Brian, and Jenny

PYO at the Farm:  Pumpkins are ready for picking.  One per share per season, extra pumpkins available for purchase according to size, check the PYO board in the white barn for details.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!            IMPORTANT SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION        !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-A form for 07 CSA members to reserve their share for 08 is attached to THIS newsletter.

-The CSA regular distribution schedule will go through the month of October.  The last box distribution will be Oct. 31, and the last Mix and Match distribution will be Nov. 2.

-We will open our wait list for new CSA members in January of 2008.  If you have friends who are interested in joining the CSA, please point them to www.forthillfarm.com, they can enter their info on our website in January 08. Those already on the wait list do not have to re-enter their info.

Featured this week:

Butternut squash:  traditional winter squash, great baked in the usual fashion:  cut in half, scoop out the seeds, oil the edges, place cut edge down in a cookie sheet with ¼ inch water, and bake at 375F until a fork goes in easily.  Then flip it over, add some butter, and enjoy.  Or cube it, toss in olive oil, and roast it.  Butternut squash will store for several months in a cool, dry location (not in the fridge).  I had one last a complete year!  If you have other varieties of winter squash accumulating in your pantry, use them up first!

Salad mix:  we’ve had a great year for salad mix and have made extra efforts to make this popular but labor intensive crop available to CSA shareholders as much as possible.  We should have enough for another delivery barring any freezes in the next few weeks.

Beets:  try ‘em roasted!  Or grate raw on your salad.  Will store for months in your fridge crisper.

Brussels sprouts:  these little sprouts grow in the leaf axils of what amounts to a very tall cabbage.  Pick off the sprouts, clean, rinse, steam until tender, and top with salt and butter.

Also available:  red peppers, leeks, lacinato kale, Austrian crescent fingerling potatoes, farmers choice.

Recipes:  (Recommendations from Janine)

*A couple tips on roasting vegetables*

-Try to keep the size of the chopped vegetables consistent so that they cook in the same amount of time.  Don’t forget to peel the veggies, even a butternut squash is easy to peel, as long as your peeler is sharp!

-Use a high heat oven, 450 -500 degrees F, this allows the sugars in some of the sweeter winter vegetables (such as winter squash, sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots, beets etc..) to caramelize and add a sweet crunch on the outside, and on our more savory winter vegetables, (such as bristle sprouts, potatoes, rutabagas, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower etc..) it’ll allow them to brown and adds a flavorful crunch. 

-At a high heat, it’ll take between 10 to 20 minutes to roast your veggies, (this depends on the vegetable, for example, broccoli will cook quicker than sweet potatoes.) check them and turn, but don’t turn too often.  Once or twice is enough.

-Arrange vegetables in a single layer on your baking sheet.  It’ll help them crisp up and cook evenly.  It’s better to use 2 baking sheets than to overload one.

-Always toss vegetables with oil to prevent sticking or use less oil for lower fat veggies but put parchment paper down to prevent sticking.

-Then get creative, add garlic, herbs, and spices before roasting or flavored herb butters and sauces after roasting!

Pancetta, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Brussels Sprout Pasta, Emeril Lagasse, 2007

2 TBSP olive oil, plus more for drizzling              2 cups diced pancetta

3 cups Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed                ¼ cup diced shallots

*if large, cut in half                                         1 cup dry white wine

2 tsp chopped garlic                                           1 lb angel hair pasta

Salt and fresh ground black pepper                     Parmigianno-Reggiano, for garnish

In a large stock pot over high heat, bring 4-quarts of salted water to a boil.  In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and pancetta.  Let pancetta render, about 3 minutes.  Add Brussels sprouts and toss to coat with oil.  Cook for 5 minutes or until Brussels sprouts begin to brown.  Add shallots, wine, and garlic and let the mixture reduce, about 3 minutes.  In the meantime, drop the angel hair pasta into the water, being sure not to overcook.  Drain the pasta well and pour into the sauté pan.  Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to coat with the Brussels sprouts mixture.  Pour into a large serving bowl and garnish with Parmigianno-Regianno.

MSWord Version: nl07week18.doc

Walking into a brisk, dewy morning, hearing and then seeing Canadian geese flying in a wedge, you hear the death knell of summer, bringing the transformation to fall, anticipating the leaves turning color and falling down.

We see bees and butterflies and think how they’re doubly busy, working til dusk trying to pluck out the last precious bits of pollen from the asters, because deep down we have that inner knowledge too, to put up stores, reach for a sweater and enjoy a hearty hot soup.

And so it goes that we’ve set to bringing in the fall fruits; the squash and leeks, the later crop of broccoli and cauliflower, and soon the busting out Brussels sprouts, as the birds delve into the waning sunflowers for seed.  With a sense of urgency the cover crops of rye and vetch are scattered and sown, completing the circle and dressing the farm in its own coat for the winter ahead.

Enjoy the autumn.

Hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,

Brian, for Paul, Janine, Susan, and Jenny

PYO at the Farm:  Pumpkins are ready for picking.  One per share per season, extra pumpkins available for purchase.

***Thanks to everyone who came to the pot luck.  Great food, great weather, and a great time!***

!!!!!!!!!!!!!            IMPORTANT SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION        !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Forms for 07 CSA members to reserve their share for 08 will be attached to next weeks (Oct. 10) newsletter. 

-The CSA regular distribution schedule will go through the month of October.  The last box distribution will be Oct. 31, and the last Mix and Match distribution will be Nov. 2.

-We will open our wait list for new CSA members in January of 2008.  If you have friends who are interested in joining the CSA, please point them to http://www.forthillfarm.com/, they can enter their info on our website in January 08.  Those already on the wait list do not have to re-enter their info.

Featured this week:

Sweet Dumpling squash:  a very sweet squash, great baked in the traditional winter squash fashion:  cut in half, scoop out the seeds, oil the edges, place cut edge down in a cookie sheet with ¼ inch water, and bake at 375F until a fork goes in easily.  Then flip it over, add some butter, and enjoy.

German Butterball potatoes:  we’ve been growing trial amounts of this variety for a few years, and increased our planting of it this spring.  It’s a specialty potato, great roasted, or mashed.

Cauliflower:  we’ve had an enormous crop of beautiful cauliflower this fall.  One of the most difficult vegetables to grow, the fall crop enjoyed dry weather and lots of irrigation to produce these nice heads.

Escarole:  Back for a second appearance this year, this green is great in the very popular Escarole and Beans recipe, see 07 Newsletter 2 at http://www.forthillfarm.com/, or see recipe below.  For those who get a box, we put an elastic band around the escarole so you can tell it from the lettuce.

Also available:  spinach, lettuce, carrots, red peppers, parsley, onions.

Recipes:  (Recommendations from Janine)

Cauliflower Cheese Pie with Grated Potato Crust, Moosewood Cookbook

Brian made this for our potluck this past Sunday with sweet red pepper added, it was a big hit!

CRUST:

2 cups (packed) grated raw potato                      1 egg white, lightly beaten

¼ cup grated onion                                            flour for your fingers

½ tsp salt                                                          a little oil

FILLING: prepare the filling while the crust bakes

1 TBSP olive oil or butter                                   ¼ tsp thyme

1 cup chopped onion                                          1 medium cauliflower, in small pieces

2 medium cloves garlic, minced                          2 eggs (or 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white)

½ tsp salt                                                          ¼ cup milk (lowfat ok)

black pepper, to taste                                         1 cup (packed) grated cheddar cheese

½ tsp basil                                                         paprika

   Preheat oven to 400.  Oil a 9- inch pie pan.  Combine grated potato and onion, salt, and egg white in a small bowl and mix well.  Transfer to the pie pan and pat into place with lightly floured fingers, building up the sides into a handsome edge.  Bake for 30 minutes, then brush the crust with a little oil and bake it 10 more minutes.  Remove from oven and turn the temperature down to 375.

   Heat the olive oil or butter in a large skillet.  Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add cauliflower, stir, and cover.  Cook until tender, stirring occasionally (about 8 to 10 minutes).  Spread half the cheese onto the baked crust (ok if it’s still hot).  Spoon the sautéed vegetables on top, then sprinkle on the remaining cheese.  Beat the eggs and milk together, and pour this over the top.  Dust lightly with paprika.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until set. *You can add the red pepper into the filling before it goes into the crust.

Braised Escarole with Apples, Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine, from Sara’s Secrets

¼ cup unsalted butter                                         1 crisp apple such as Gala or Granny Smith

2 large shallots, thinly sliced                                   cut lengthwise into 1/8 inch-thick slices

4 garlic cloves, minced                                       1 large head escarole, cut crosswise into

3 TBSP apple cider vinegar                                   ½ inch pieces

2 TBSP water                                                   ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted

   Heat 2 TBSP butter in a large skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté apple, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes.  Transfer apple to a dish with a slotted spoon.  Cook shallots in remaining butter over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.  Add escarole and toss over moderately high heat until it begins to wilt, about 1 minute.  Add vinegar and water and cook, covered, until escarole is tender, about 4 minutes.  Stir in apples, pecans, salt and pepper, a cook until just heated through.

Grilled Chicken with Spinach, Pine Nut Pesto, Everyday Italian courtesy Giada De Laurentis

2 boneless chicken breasts                                 2 cups spinach leaves, chopped and rinsed

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted                                     2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1 to 2 tsp grated lemon peel                                1/3 cup plus 2 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste                                      1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan

   Heat a grill pan on medium high heat.  Lightly oil the grill pan, sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.  Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.  Combine the spinach, pine nuts, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a food processor.  Lightly pulse.  With the machine running, gradually add 1/3 cup of the oil, blending until the mixture is creamy.  Add salt and pulse.  Put half the pesto into ice cube trays and store in the freezer for future use.  Transfer the rest of the spinach mixture to a medium bowl.  Stir in the parmesan.  Season the pesto with salt and pepper to taste.  Spread the pesto over each piece of chicken and serve. 

Word document: nl07week17.doc

Frost formation is fickle phenomenon.  On that cold night it was just starting to form on the lowest part of the farm, which is the gate in the deer fence by the parking area.   Then the sun began to rise a bit, and the frost disappeared.  Our friends at Riverbank Farm faced a very different situation.  Their farm is in a small hollow in the Shepaug River valley.  Cold air moves much the same way as cold water, it flows down hill and settles into little pools in the valleys.  Fort Hill Farm is perched on a terrace, with a hill (Guarding Mountain) to our west, and a small down grade to the Housatonic River to our east.  So as cold air enters our valley, it can escape down to the river.  Riverbank Farm is a ‘dead end’ for cold air.  Cold air collects there at night, and even when the forecast is for the low 40’s, they can still get a frost.  Of course, the next cold night, probably in the two to three weeks, will fill the Housatonic valley with enough cold air to form frost on our fields.  Though the frost takes away the tender crops, it does make cold tolerant crops (coming soon) like cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts taste very sweet!

Hope you enjoy the farm and the harvest,

Paul, for Janine, Susan, Jenny, and Brian

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FIFTH ANNUAL FORT HILL FARM HARVEST POT LUCK

When:  RAIN OR SHINE, Sunday, September 30 from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM.

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, and a chance to see where all your veggies have been coming from.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the farm!

Please do not bring pets or alcoholic beverages to the farm.  Thanks!

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PYO at the Farm:  PYO is winding down.  We still have some nice green beans, sunflowers, and herbs.

Featured this week:

Delicata squash:  a very sweet squash, great baked in the traditional winter squash fashion:  cut in half, scoop out the seeds, oil the edges, place cut edge down in a cookie sheet with ¼ inch water, and bake at 375F until a fork goes in ‘like buttah’.  Then flip it over, add some butter, and enjoy.

Garlic:  we grew a huge crop of garlic this year, and the quality is very high.  We grow a variety of hard neck garlic, German Extra Hardy, that is great minced for sautés, or peeled, oiled, and roasted with root veggies.

Bok choy:  fall is like a second season, and the cool loving veggies like bok choy are making a second appearance.  We have another crop coming for early October.

Kennebec potatoes:  the crew put in a real hard day last week, and at days end we had 3,500 lbs. of spuds overflowing from our ‘spud hut’ cooler in my backyard.  Kennebec potatoes are a general purpose, white potato that make great in soups, stews, mashed, or baked.

Leeks:  are a tasty member of the onion (allium) family.  Try in the potato and leek soup recipe below, in a sauté with other veg as a substitute for onions.

Also available:  salad mix, radishes, red sweet Italia or Bell peppers, carrots, farmer’s choice.

Recipes:  (Recommendations from Janine)

Fall Spinach, Leek, and Potato Soup with Shitake Mushrooms, Fresh Market Wisconsin

2 leeks (about ¾ pound)                                     ½ lb. potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

4 oz. Fresh shitake mushrooms                           1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (1/2 tsp dried)

2 TBSP olive oil                                                salt and fresh ground black pepper

½ lb spinach, cleaned and stemmed                    fresh grated parmesan cheese (optional)

5 cup vegetable or chicken stock, divided

Chop leeks and rinse well.  Remove and reserve mushroom stems; cut mushroom tops into thin strips.  Heat oil in soup pot.  Add leeks, mushroom stems and ¼ of mushroom strips; cover and cook over medium-low heat until leeks are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add 2 cups stock, bring to a boil.  Add spinach, cover and simmer 5-6 minutes.  Puree this mixture in food processor or blender.  Return mixture to pot, stir in remaining 3 cups stock and bring to simmer.  Stir in potatoes, remaining mushroom strips, rosemary, and salt to taste.  Bring to simmer, partially cover and cook until vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes.  Season to taste with pepper, and add more salt if necessary.  Sprinkle each bowl with grated parmesan, if desired.

Simple Spinach and Red Pepper Saute, Janine Meyer

I make this fairly often this time of year and I always enjoy it.

1 bag or 1 bunch spinach, cleaned and chopped

2 medium or 1 large red pepper, cut in thin strips

2-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

3-5 cloves garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium to medium-high heat.  Once hot, add the garlic and sautee for about a minute, add sliced red pepper and sauté until tender, but not too soft.  Add the spinach one handful at a time, just barely wilting the leaves.  Once you add the last handful, turn off the heat and just toss in the fresh leaves with the hot wilted ones.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ginger and Garlic Baby Bok Choy and Carrots, Vegetable Love

3 TBSP vegetable oil                                         1 lb. Baby Bok Choy, halved lengthwise

4 quarter-sized slices peeled fresh                      3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled,

ginger, cut into matchstick pieces                        and cut into thin strips

(about 4 TBSP)                                              1 tsp rice wine vinegar

3-4 medium carrots, peeled and cut                     salt to taste

into matchstick pieces

Heat an inch of water in a medium sauce pot and steam the carrots in steamer basket until just tender, 4-7 minutes.  Remove and set aside.  In a large fry pan heat the oil over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until very hot.  Add the bok choy, ginger and garlic.  Cook, tossing regularly with two wooden spoons, for about 7 minutes, add the carrots and continue to cook and toss regularly for another 7-10 minutes or until the leaves are completely wilted but the whites are still crunchy.  Keep the heat between medium and medium-high so that the pan is sizzling but the oil is not sputtering.  Add the vinegar and salt.  Cook 1 minute more.  Remove from heat and serve.

Word version: nl07week16.doc

[Webmaster note: Check out Paul interviewed in the Hartford Courant on the "Press" page.]