Notes from the Field
Week 6     
  

Call for Volunteers!  We started harvesting our garlic earlier this week and it's a big job!  Over the next month we will be harvesting then cutting/ bunching and hanging the garlic.  So there will always be something garlic-related to do here!  Please come to the farm shop Monday - Friday at either 8:30 am or 1:00 pm ready to work.  Bring gloves and water and be sure to wear boots and sunscreen. 

 

 

In the Fields and Ready for Harvest

Looking out into the fields, tomorrow and Tuesday's harvest will include the following:    

  • Potatoes
  • Garlic    
  • Summer Squash (PLEASE do NOT pick the squash blossoms)   
  • String Beans 
  • Kale
  • Arugula
  • Shimonita Onions 
  • Swiss Chard
  • Beets 
  • Herbs  
Vegetable of the Week:  Beets

Harvesting Tips
  • Beets can be harvested when they reach about         1 1/2" in diameter.       
  • Gently pull straight up when you see the "shoulders" peeking from the ground. 

Storage Tips

  • Beet greens are best used fresh, but may be refrigerated unwashed in a plastic bag, eaten within 3-4 days.  
  • For beet roots, cut off leaves and stems 1" above the root.  Store unwashed in the crisper drawer, will store for several weeks. 

Culinary Tips   

  • Young beet greens can be tossed raw into a  mixed green salad, older greens can be eaten steamed or sauteed.  Use in any dish calling for a mild green, such as spinach or chard. 
  • No need to peel the root, only scrub clean; trace minerals lie just below the surface of the skin. 
  • Beets can be grated and eaten raw, steamed, boiled, or baked.  Baking enhances their natural sweetness.   

How Much Do I Have?  

Summer squash: 10 medium = 1 lb. = 2 Cups sliced, diced and  cooked

 

 

Recipes

Chilled Beet Soup With Orange Creme Fraiche & Dill
adapted from Fields of Greens by Annie Somerville
contributed by Jane Weissman

3 lbs. Beets

1 cup chopped Onion 

Salt

3 Garlic cloves 

1/2 cup fresh Orange juice

2 tsp. Lemon juice 

2 tsp. sherry vinegar 

Pepper

  • Cook 3 lbs. of beets; cool, peel and cut into large pieces 
  • Saute 1 cup chopped onion with 1/4 tsp. salt in 1 tbs. olive oil over medium heat until tender, about 7 minutes. 
  • Add 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped and saute 2 minutes more. 
  • Combine onions and beets in a blender or food processor.
  • Add 1 or 2 cups water and puree until smooth.
  • Add 2 to 3 cups more water to reach desired consistency, being careful no to make the soup too thin.
  • Add 1/2 cup fresh orange juice,  2 tsp. lemon juice, 2 tsp. sherry vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, and a few grindings of fresh pepper

Serve  chilled with a dollop of creme fraiche (adding 2 tbs. orange juice and 1/4 tsp. zest per 1/2 cup)

 

Variation:  For a more traditional soup often enjoyed in the 1970s at kosher restaurant on West 72nd, omit the orange and lemon juice and sherry vinegar.  Add a cold boiled potato, cut into chunks.  Top with diced cucumber, sliced radishes and scallions, dill and a dollop of sour cream    

 

 

from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
  • Heat 5 - 6 cups light vegetable broth (or water and beet stems) and keep it at a low simmer on the stove. 
  • Heat 3 Tbs. butter in a large pot and add 1/2 cup onion, finely diced and cook on medium low to medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. 
  • Add 1/2 cup Aborio rice.  Stir to coat well and cook for 1 minute 
  • Add 1/2 cup dry white wine and simmer until it is totally absorbed.
  • Stir in 1 Tbs. parsley, chopped, 2 Tbs. basil chopped, and 2 cups beets, peeled and grated (2 to 3 medium beets). 
  • Add 2 cup stock, stirring until it is totally absorbed. 
  • Add the remaining stock in  1/2  cup increments, stirring constantly until each addition is thoroughly absorbed.    
  • With 1 cup stock remaining, add 2 - 3 cups beet greens, chopped (chard, kale, or spinach can also be used).  
  • Taste for salt, season with pepper, and stir in the zest and juice of 1 lemon (to taste). 
  • turn into a dish, sprinkle over top 1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese, grated, and another 1 Tbs. parsley, chopped, and serve.

 

This Week's Harvesting Tip: Potatoes!




For some outtakes/tips on potato harvesting from dog Buddha click here!
 

 

 

What's Coming Soon

 

In the coming weeks look forward to these delicious vegetables that will be added to your harvest . . . carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes!

 

 

Tuesday Music Series / Recipe Swap

 

Please join us for our 2nd recipe swap this upcoming Tuesday, July 16th at 4:30 pm in the apple orchard.  Bring a dish (and the recipe) made from your latest harvest showcasing summer squash to share. Bring a blanket or chair to sit on and a cold drink to enjoy while listening to music and tasting a few squash dishes. 

 

Farm Store  

 

We just got our first delivery of Consider Bardwell Farm cheese!  It will be for sale at the Farm Store as of this Saturday!  As a reminder, we are selling the Quail Hill Farm Cookbook and French Fridays at the Farm Cookbook, dairy products:  milk, chocolate milk, butter, ice cream, yogurt and Carissa's breads (on Tuesdays and Saturdays)!  

 

Reminders    

 

Harvest Hours:  

8:00 am - 5:30 pm  

Tuesdays and Saturdays

Please be considerate of those around you and remember the No Cell Phone policy while you are at the farm.

Children are invited to participate in the Children's Garden every Saturday at 9:30 am

 

Thank you,

Kate

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Quail Hill Farm is a stewardship project of the Peconic Land Trust.
For information concerning Quail Hill Farm, please contact Robin Harris at 631-283-3195  
or by email, or visit us online at www.PeconicLandTrust.org/quail_hill_farm 
 

The Peconic Land Trust conserves Long Island's working farms, natural lands,
and heritage for our communities, now and in the future.

For more information concerning the Trust, call us at 631.283.3195
or visit us online at www.PeconicLandTrust.org.


Financial Disclosure Statement: A copy of the last financial report filed with the New York State Attorney General may be obtained in writing to: New York State Attorney General's Charities Bureau, Attn: FOIL Officer, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271 or Peconic Land Trust, PO Box 1776, Southampton, NY 11969.