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LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!
Saturday, June 26 in the Apple Orchard
Ready for your close up? Here's an opportunity to be an "unpaid" extra in the independent film tentative titled Good Bones. In the words of the filmmaker: "Danny O'Brien dedicates one last summer to his family's failing real estate agency and to his father Joe's seemingly obsolete values: poetry, integrity and community. Think Local Hero. The Saturday shoot will replicate an "event" that commonly takes place at farms like Quail Hill. Filming starts mid-morning and ends by mid-afternoon; precise times TBA.
Info: see Scott or call Yvette at the Trust: 631.283.3195 ext. 12.
FARM MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE!
Single Person and Family Shares
Info: Robin Harris at PLT-- 631.283.3195
Scott and Layton welcome you!
Tales From The Field
as told by QHF farmer Brendan McMullan
In the back of the red Mazda pickup, I lounge with my comrades in soil. We are returning from a harvest of beans, zuchini, potatoes, cucumbers and garlic to the "shop" for our midday meal. My legs are dirty and tired, a slight twinge in my knee tells me it is July and I've been doing heavy work for three months. It's satisfying to sit, to have nothing to do but to smile and joke, to hydrate, and to look about. The fields north of Town Lane have a wonderful tilt to them. From the gate, with Town Lane and the endless piles of composting horse manure at your back, you are met with a broad swath of amber wheat tussling and rushing to follow the vagaries of the wind. Gently sloping to the southwest are potatoes, storage onions, storage roots and a bright laughing patch of cosmos, followed by more wheat and new broken ground, fallowing in wait of a cover crop. Here the ground levels out for a few yards and begins to rise again, so that from the gate one can see the winter squash, sweet potatoes, beets, beans and more wheat rising to the edge of our fields. It's so nice to pause from this vantage and in one glimpse drink in the state of so many crops, the results of so much work, and the promise of so much bounty. Some time ago Layton and I stood here and she pointed out the pigweed infesting our winter squash, from this distance only discernible as a violet blush.
Now as the Mazda slides through the gate, past the rows of compost and onto Town Lane, some stray cloud or a jolt in the road brings my eyes up to the sky. It is an odd thing to be peering up into that infinity of space, populated with clouds and shaded blue by our atmosphere. The sky has no tractor paths, no potato plants, no laughing wheat or beets to weed. The sky asks not for my work, nor shows any sign of past labor. Yet in this accidental peering into the sky with eyes trained to look for things done or things to be done, I am struck by a wonderful feeling of relief. The sky does not require my attention, it only rewards my inquisitive eye with beauty and immensity. I can look to the sky for advice, asking "will it be hot?" or "will it rain?" and the sky will answer however it sees fit. In this moment, rolling to my lunch, the sky seems to be advising me to let go my labors, let go my worries. It asks me just to sit, and wonder.
25!
 Five o'clock and Mother Nature taunted early arrivals to Quail Hill Farm's 25th anniversary potluck supper with a few raindrops. At evening's end, she delivered a rare rainbow and a spectacular sunset. In between, everyone feasted on inventive culinary offerings -- thank you, all! -- inspired by farm produce and joined in a work song sing-along led by Steve Eaton on guitar with banjo accompaniment from Layton Guenther. The orchard looked lovely, its  garlands and centerpieces devised from blooms picked and donated anonymously by many farm members. A great time was had by all!
Special thanks to...
Christine Sciulli for seamlessly organizing the potluck and assuming the baton from Linda Lacchia who, passing on years of knowledge with patience, grit and the fixings for s'mores. Sean Barrett of Dock to Dish who generously contributed 25 pounds of locally caught Yellow Fin tuna, so fresh that two of the three preparations were sushi. Julie Resnick for the introduction. Layton for her mastery at the grill and with salsas, greatly helped by Michele, Matt, Ella, and Brendan, her talented sous chefs. (Thanks, too, to apprentices Jesse, Nick, Morgan and Greg who provided pre-event help.) Charlotte Sasso of Stuart's Seafood for the bountiful cheese plate. Carter, Tycho and Tor  Burwell for setting up, and Judy Rall and Margaret Farrell for spearheading cleanup. Peconic Land Trust for the wine, beer, and chicken; Lisa Pepe (for supplies); and Yvette DeBow-Salsedo (beautiful cake!) and Pam Greene for publicity and setup and cleanup. Special thanks to Scott Chaskey for just about everything, but especially for saving the trellis.
Congratulations to...
Tor Burwell for clinching first prize in the slalom run and speed races, and the team of James Farrell and Tor for grabbing the gold (in reality, QHF hats) in the wheelbarrow race. Irene Berkowitz and Ella Fleming
for their sinfully delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter cake. And thank you, Donna Hadjipopov, for donating the gorgeous prize platters.
Found! Cover to red salad bowl. Contact Christine at 917.365.6850
WHAT IS IT? / HOW DO WE PREPARE IT?
DIGGING POTATOES
Potato plants die back when they ready for harvesting. Look for a withered brown stalk; they are spaced about 18 inches apart. Pull up the stalk. Sometimes, but not always, potatoes will be attached to the roots. Even so, with your hands dig deep and all around, and you will turn up plenty of spuds. If using the spade to turn over the earth, don't reject speared potatoes but do eat them that day. Click here for a video on how to harvest potatoes.
EDIBLE FLOWERS
On Birch Hill, the edible Calendula and Borage are growing in adjacent rows and both are wonderful used fresh in salads and as a garnish.
 A member of the daisy family, Calendula sometimes substitutes for saffron thanks to its color. Romans and Greeks wore garlands made from the yellow blooms in special ceremonies. Also called "(Virgin) Mary's Gold," it was used in events in the dawning days of Christendom. Sacred in India since early times, the orange blooms are used for protection and to decorate the statues of Hindu deities. Calendula lasts only two or three days in water. Better to strip the petals and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they will last a week or longer.
 Hanging in downward facing clusters, the deep blue, star-shaped flowers of Borage have a sprightly, cucumber-like flavor. Stored a jar of water, buds will open as the days pass; pinch off the flowers as needed. Young leaves are sautéed in Spain and turned into a sauce in Germany. In Italy, borage is used to fill ravioli and, in Poland, it flavors pickled gherkins.
When making quick pickles (cover sliced cukes with 1 c. white vinegar, 1/3 c. sugar, sliced onion, peppercorns and let stand two hours), be sure to add the yellow flowers of Dill along with the plant's soft threadlike leaves. Let stand longer for a "truer" pickle, shorter for a refreshing salad garnished with borage and calendula. Dill's use dates back to the bible; it was once so valuable that it was kept under lock and key. It was also an important herb in witchcraft. Perhaps that's why it was locked up.
The third edition (2011) of the Quail Hill Farm Cookbook, edited by Hilary Leff and Linda Lacchia and containing recipes contributed by farm members to the QHF E-News between 1998 and 2007, is an indispensable addition to your kitchen library. Click here for a compilation of RECIPES that appeared in the QHF E-News between 2008 and 2012.
RECIPES contributed by Julie Resnick ZUCCHINI CARPACCIO contributed by Julie Resnick  Slice 1 large zucchini on a mandolin (or very thin) and arrange nicely on a platter or large plate. Squeeze the juice of 2 lemons on top of the zucchini and then drizzle with 2 or 3 Tbs. olive oil. (The raw zucchini really soaks up the oil.) Set aside for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the salt, pepper, toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese and torn basil leaves. POTATO SALAD WITH MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE from markbittman.com perfect with Quail Hill's red gold spuds now being dug  Scrub and cut 1½ lbs. potatoes into bite-sized pieces, In a pot, cover them with water, add large pinch salt and bring to boil. Lower the heat and cook until he potatoes are tender but still firm, not all mushy, about 15 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water for a minute, then drain again. Toss the still-warm potatoes with ½ c. parsley leaves, minced, ¼ c. scallions or red or yellow onion, chopped. Dress with the Mustard Vinaigrette: In a blender, combine ½ c. olive oil, 3 Tbs. wine vinegar, 1 tsp. mustard or ½ tsp. dry mustard, 1-2 Tbs. honey (optional). Add more vinegar by the tsp. to taste and black pepper. FEEDFEED contributions from Quail Hill Farm members
Grilled kale, charred greenbeens and toasted, and spiced, pistachios. Original Post. from Dan Resnick
Infused water with raspberries, cucumber, lavender and mint with a touch of Bees Needs honey. Original Post. View what farm members are making at
Contribute your tasty dishes created from farm produce to FeedFeed.
Post images (with descriptions) on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter,
and add the hastags #feedfeed #QuailHillFarm
DOWN IN THE VALLEY Member and (former) Farmer News MEXICAN MURALS
 Community muralist and author Jane Weissman will present two illustrated talks at the  Amagansett Free Library (215 Main Street) on two succeeding Thursday evenings at 6:30. July 31 -- Mexico from Independence through Revolution: The Murals of Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco. August 7-- Man of Fire: The Murals of José Clemente Orozco. Reservations suggested: 631.267.3810.
Info: www.artmakersnyc.org  
TALL HATS AND... Continuing through July 31, Sydney Albertini's provocative installation That Left Eye Twitch of Yours Really Turns Me On at the Jackson Carriage House in Amagansett (corner Windmill Lane & Main Street). Open daily from 11 Am to 6 PM. STIRRING THE POT Kathleen Masters, Amagansett Food Institute's Executive Director, and Carissa Waechter, manager of South Fork Kitchens and owner of Carissa's Breads appeared on Stirring the Pot, hosted by Stefanie Sacks (WPPB/88.3) on July 17. If you missed the show, check out the podcast SCULPTURE AT DUCK CREEK FARM  Continuing through Sunday, August 10, a buoyant installation of five large-scale outdoor aluminum sculptures by Bill King, playfully arranged throughout this pastoral site. 367 Three Mile Harbor Road, East Hampton (parking adjacent on Squaw Road). Info (info@artandestate.com) SUMMER CAMP AT AMBER WAVES FARM Katie Baldwin and Amanda Merrow of Amber Waves Farm -- they were QHF apprentices in 2007 -- are hosting Our Sons & Daughters Summer Farm Camp from 9 AM to Noon throughout the summer. Join the fun -- outdoor farm and artistic activities, creative and imaginative play, circle time with song and movement, and organic snacks from the field. Info: 518.265.9423 or info@oursonsanddaughters.org LOST LADYBUG PROJECT Tuesday, AUGUST 12. 10 AM to Noon. The July 15th search for "lost ladybugs" turned up nine of the 9-spotted creatures. New York State's official insect, the species had not been seen for 29 years until, in 2011, a colony was discovered in Quail Hill's fields. Led by Cornell University scientist Leslie Allee, the search continues on August 12.     Sponsored by Peconic Land Trust and the South Fork Natural History Museum and Cornell University. Meet on Town Lane near entrance to Birch Hill. Heavy rain cancels. Info. BEES and THE BEEKEEPER Tuesday, AUGUST 19. 10 to 11:30 AM 
Tender of QHF's hives and owner of Bees Needs, Mary Woltz talks about the life cycle of bees, colony collapse and other issues affecting these important insects that, by pollinating the farm's flowering plants, play a vital role in the health of our food supply. Meet at Farm Stand. Heavy rain cancels. $5/adult; free for children and for QHF members. Info. FARMER WISH LIST An apprentice farmers needs the LOAN of a car now through August 3 Call: 631.267.8492. Thank you! WEED ALERT Rain and sun are good for crops. They're also a boon to weeds. Your farmers can use your help. To volunteer, please call the farm -- 631.267.8492 -- the day before (1 PM is good). If you get voicemail, leave your name and phone number and indicate if you plan to work in the morning or afternoon. Thank you! 
NUTGRASS GOES NUTS
When harvesting in the field, please spend a few minutes pulling out a few yards of nut grass ( Cyperus rotundus), an invasive weed. Be sure you remove the nut-like tuber attached to its roots or it will quickly grow back. Thank you! Thank you! | 
