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A word (or a few) from farmer Alex: “Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields…Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness.” ~ Mary Oliver After experiencing … Continue reading
An enormous, beautiful and flavorful Striped German
One word: Tomatoes! We’re picking almost everyday and hardly have enough room for them! So, now’s the time to be making your homemade salsa, tomato sauce, puree and whole peeled tomatoes. If you’re interested, we have perfect seconds for just those recipes: 15 pounds for $20.00! We’ll have some ready at pick-up tomorrow, but we recommend calling Digga at 860.912.2352 to reserve yours.
So, in addition to tomatoes, here’s what you can expect in your box tomorrow:
So, what’s for dinner? Nicole and Alex recommend making this sprouted quinoa salad - perfect for lunch or dinner on these hot summer days!
We can’t believe it’s August already! Our first plantings of the cucumbers and summer squash are slowing down (no worries, a third is planted and ready to grow!), but the green beans are in, tomatoes are in full force and the peppers and eggplant patches are bursting with color.
Get excited and your cooking juices flowing because here’s what you can expect in your box this week:
Now, there are many, many options for flavorful dishes, but here’s a great recipe for incorporating many of the ingredients into one recipe:
Summer Vegetable Medley (from “Local Bounty: Seasonal Vegan Recipes” by Devra Gartenstein)
Ingredients:
That’s it! It’s a great way to incorporate fennel into family dinners. And, you can incorporate any other vegetable you’d like; squash would be delightful in this. Serve as a side or serve over fresh pasta, quinoa, brown rice or millet. Delicious!
The first taste of a ripe tomato is perhaps among one of the most memorable sense memories we have as eaters and advocates of healthful, beautiful food. As farmers, we have a strong connection to all of our crops; tomatoes are no exception. We raise them from seed, watch them grow, help them in their journey from the safe warmth of the greenhouse to their transition to the field or high tunnel in late spring. Our hearts ached last week as our friends at Provider Farm discovered that their tomatoes had late blight and had to destroy them – for the health of their farm and that of surrounding farms. On Friday, we apprehensively surveyed our own plants and waited – with bated breath – to receive an analysis from a plant pathologist who would determine the fate of our beloved tomatoes. After a few anxiety-ridden hours, it was determined that we do not have late blight. (Yes, there were tears shed!)
It has been an emotional and reflective week here at HBF. It has been a stress-filled growing time for farmers this year, full of disease, pests and prolonged drought. So, you ask, why do we still farm with all this risk? Well, in short, we LOVE it. We want to share with you what happens behind the scenes. Beyond the physical items in your box or at the market stand, there is a deep emotional backstory as to what it actually takes to get that food from the field to your table.
With many thanks for your support, see you on Wednesday to gather all of the glorious bounty of July:
Blessings ~ The farmers
Hello, everyone! Sorry we missed you last week… Apparently we were too hot and tired to remember the blog! We’ve been braving the heat and reaping the season’s bounty: early field tomatoes and peppers, eggplants, potatoes, onions, carrots, beets and more.
So, here’s what you can expect in your box tomorrow (Wednesday):
Here is a quick and easy summer cucumber, tomato, and basil salad…
Peel your cucumbers, slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Chop the sliced cucumber to make little half moons:) Chop up the tomatoes to whatever size you like and add finely chopped basil. This salad is delicious with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. You can make the dressing easily by adding equal parts olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey to a jar and shaking the jar to mix the dressing thoroughly.
Enjoy!
calendula in bloom!
When it rains, it pours, at least that’s how it’s been with all the vegetables coming in lately at HBF. Sad to say that snap peas are on their way out (CSA members can glean from the patch tomorrow at pick-up!), but other delicious things are fruiting! Broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, summer squash, zucchini AND the beginnings of our tomatoes, peppers and eggplant! (Check out the meal that Nicole and Alex made for themselves this weekend.)
So, here’s what can you expect this week:
Too hot to turn on your oven or stove? Salads are always a great option for a quick, healthful meal. Look at this recipe for a kale, fennel and kohlrabi slaw!
Stop by our farmstand tomorrow if you would like to stock up on some extra goodies, including some tomatoes and beautiful cut flower bouquets.
Happy 4th everyone!
Well, good news – our markets are in full swing and our farmstand has been open for a few weeks. Here’s some details…
NIANTIC FARMERS’ MARKET
Thursdays, 3-6
Methodist Street parking lot, between Pro-Tek Auto and Niantic Cinema
WATERFORD FARMERS’ MARKET
Saturdays, 9-12
June 23-October 27
Waterford Town Hall, 15 Rope Ferry Rd., Waterford, CT
CHESTER SUNDAY MARKET
Sundays, 10-1
June 17-October 21
Downtown Chester Center
Also, our farmstand (108 Hunts Brook Rd., Quaker Hill, CT) is open from 9-6, Tuesday-Sunday with our produce and local eggs from Terra Firma Farm in Stonington!
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