|
WINTER SEASON SHARES NOW AVAILABLE!
Extend your Farm season through February!
Starting the Friday before Thanksgiving and continuing every two weeks, swing by the Farm Shop to pick up carrots, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, celery root, parsnips, cabbage, kohlrabi, radish, turnips, winter squash, burdock, garlic, shallots, wheat berries and much more. Plus eggs and fresh greens grown in the greenhouses. And, from QHF fields, dried beans and frozen tomatoes.
SINGLE PERSON & FAMILY SHARES
Sign up today! Spread the word!
Info: Robin Harris at Peconic Land Trust -- 631.283.3195
Farm members Kathy Masters and Kevin Coffey welcome you!
WEATHER REPORT
a note from Scott Chaskey
 What a beautiful, productive season! I know so because so many of you have confided, and because I have lifted the weight of potatoes, cucumbers, and squash. Our season -- the Summer Share -- is actually 3 seasons: Spring, Summer, and Fall, and you are now tasting the sweetness that arrives with the cooler Autumn nights. The late summer dry weather encouraged tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and pumpkins, though the recent, desired rains have revived the kale, collards, cabbage, and oriental greens. After a very long dry spell we welcome some grey skies, accompanied by moisture (as long as the sun continues to stream through the clouds). And we welcome the cooler nights that will sweeten the roots, and that will also persuade some pesky insects to seek the comfort of the hedgerows.
Saturday, November 1, will be the last Harvest Day of the summer season. After a 2-week siesta we will be harvesting again for the Winter Share, which begins on the weekend preceding Thanksgiving. If you have not taken part, I encourage you to do so, the harvest is extraordinary: carrots, beets, rutabaga, radish, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, cabbage, garlic, shallots, wheatberries, dried beans & more.
At the close of the 2014 "Season" I raise a toast to you, the harvesters. In all weathers you have walked the fields and felt the soil as a thing to hold and to let go, a nourishing earth. Your footsteps on this soil are recorded in the memory of the silt loam, and the communication inspires another round of planting and tending and harvesting.
Thank you!
TALES FROM THE FIELD
as told by QHF farmer
Ella Fleming
I've been thinking about strength lately. Perhaps because of the enormous squash and pumpkins we're throwing around right now. Maybe because for the 50-60 pound crates that we lift -- out of field, into truck, to cooler, to the stand, to the markets -- strength is required.
But what does lifting something heavy have to do with actual strength? Everything is hard. Life is hard. Life is hard? Compared to what? It's strength because it's challenging. Farm work is challenging. I think that's why we farmers all have chosen it. I think it's a part of why Quail Hill is so unique, to go and pick your own share of vegetables. In the hot sun. In the rain. On the chilly mornings when you would rather just tuck right back in to bed. But there you are, every time, focused on how good it will feel to have those veggies.
Where there are challenges there are rewards. I'm in it for the rewards. I'm here to make friends. I'm in it to love it. Strength is seeing the reward before you know it's there. It's reining that beast of laziness. It's coming up with creative solutions to the world's worst problems. Not because it's easy, but because it's hard.
Is it hard to work at a farm? To muck through the dirt and mud and sweat in the hot sticky sun? To spend 8 months with the same people with whom you eat and breathe everyday? Damn right it's hard. Is it totally and completely worth it? Damn right it is. We're all here to learn, right? Well I've learned to learn, learn from it all, and grow stronger.
Gratitude. Theme two. I have received so much from the universe this year. Did you know I was trampled by an elephant last February? True story. Despite the wounds and bruises, the most overwhelming feeling I had was gratitude. When you truly love something and it's almost taken from you, that's the only time you realize how much you love it.
My strength was kicked right out of me, and it was a gift. My gratitude for not being more injured, my gratitude for being alive. That became my strength. And gratitude continues to boost me up and shield me from giving up. I am grateful for Quail Hill, and I am grateful for all the people and members who make it the beautiful place that it is.
Because it is. Just think about it not being there, just think about it getting trampled by an elephant, and it will come to you like that. I'm grateful for this year and this season, and to my co-farmers, who are strong in so many ways and who are great.
WHAT IS IT? / HOW DO WE PREPARE IT?
Hot peppers or chiles -- to use the original Spanish-Mexican spelling -- come in all sizes, shapes and colors, and have varied uses (described below). Chiles can be fairly mild or blisteringly hot, their heat measured by the Scoville Heat Index, developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912. The mildest peppers (bell) hover at the bottom of the scale (0). In the middle are jalapeños and chipotles (2,500-10,000 units) and serranos and red cayenne (25,000-100,000 units). At the top are the habaneros (200,000-300,000 units). There are some cultivars bred especially for pain; they can score up to 1 million Scoville!
The heat comes from an alkaloid compound called capsaicin, concentrated in the membrane (placenta) surrounding a pepper's seeds. Capsaicin itself doesn't have any flavor; it stimulates pain receptors in the mouth rather than the taste buds. To keep the heat down, remove the membrane. However, the seeds which rest near it absorb capsaicin, so your heat tolerance will determine how many of them you retain.
Quail Hill Farm grows the following varieties:
 Shishito. The slender fruit of this mild Japanese pepper (2-4" long) is usually harvested and used green. It eventually turns bright orange-red and attains a slightly sweeter flavor. Its thick walls make it especially suited to roasting, pan-frying and grilling. Under heat it blisters and chars easily, taking on rich flavor. For a delicious appetizer, cook until soft, then sprinkle with sea salt.
 Padrón. Named after the Spanish town where they originated, Padrons are usually harvested when they are 1-1½" long. About 1 out of 20 fruits will be hot, the rest mild. If allowed to grow to 2-3", the fruit becomes hot. As an appetizer, sauté them in a bit olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
 Jalapeño. These popular chiles have a good amount of heat (Scoville: 5,000 units) and rich flavor. A mature jalapeño fruit is 2-3" long. It is commonly picked and consumed in late summer while still green; in early fall it fully ripens and turns crimson red.
 Hungarian Hot Wax. This yellow pepper (5½" long x 1½") has smooth, waxy fruits tapering to a point and is hot, but not searing. Its thick flesh makes them easy to stuff, roast (and peel), and fry. The peppers change from yellow to orange to red and are good for canning and pickling.
 Cayenne. Quail Hill grows both short and long varieties. The wrinkled, pencil-thin, thick-fleshed fruit can grow up 6" long. Very pungent, even when small (Scoville: 60,000 units), green cayennes appear in the summer, the heat increasing along with their fall red color. Named for the Cayenne district of French Guiana, they are used fresh in hot sauces, and dried or ground for cayenne pepper or pepper flakes. 
Maya Red Habanero. These 3-4" peppers are lantern shaped and hot (Scoville: 60,000 units). Their color changes from green to bright red.
 Orange Habanero. Among the hottest chile grown, its fruit is small (1-1½" long), lantern shaped, and wrinkled. Ripening from green to light orange, they are extremely pungent with an aromatic flavour and a clean but very intense heat (Scoville: 200,000- 300,000 units). For the uninitiated even a tiny piece of a habanero can cause intense and prolonged oral suffering. Yet, underneath the heat is a delicate plum-tomato apple-like flavor. Good in chutney and salsas, it can also be dried and powdered.
 Ancho Poblano. When fresh, this large pepper (4" long x 2½") is called "poblano" -- names for the valley of Puebla, south of Mexico City, where it was first cultivated. Heart-shaped and mild (Scoville: 2,000 units), it has a rich, mellow flavor and its thick walls make it great for stuffing. An immature poblano is dark green, almost black, ripening to green and eventually red. Then, when dried, ground and used as a flavoring spice, it is known as an "ancho."
 Hidalgo Serrano. Hotter than a Jalapeño (Scoville: 6,000-17,000 units), the 2½-3" x ½" light green fruits change to orange and scarlet red as they mature. They have thin walls and a long seed cavity and are typically used for fresh salsa and pickling.
 Fish. This medium hot African-American heirloom was popular in the Philadelphia/Baltimore region and commonly used in fish and shellfish cookery. The 2½-3" fruit start off a creamy, pale yellow with light green stripes, then darken to yellow with green stripes. They move onto orange with dark green stripes and finally red; when fully mature, most lose their stripes.
Cyklon. This red hot Polish pepper has well flavored tapered fruits 5" long. Thanks to its thin flesh, it dries easily and is most often ground into a powder and used as a spice.
 NuMex Joe E. Parker Hot Pepper. This Southwestern-style traditional Anaheim chile is usually harvested green and used for stuffing, grilling, and roasting. The fruit averages 8" long and has a thick, crisp flesh with mild heat (Scoville: 5,000 units) and excellent flavor.
JESSE'S HOT SAUCE
Blend as many hot peppers as you have, using a nice combination of padrons, serranos, habaneros. How many seeds you include will, in part, determine the heat. Add salt (a lot), white vinegar, garlic, and sugar to taste. Optional: Add roasted sweet peppers or smoked hot peppers. Note: Carefully remove the membrane from the peppers and thoroughly wash your hands immediately afterwards. Touch your eyes or mouth and you will feel the sting for a long while.
****
This recipe from Jesse Schaeffer was featured in the lovely article (East Hampton Star, 10/3/14) by Laura Donnelly about the delicious farm lunch prepared by the Quail Hill Farm apprentices -- a sought after At The Common Table silent auction item. Read the article here.
PHOTO GALLERY Thank you, Hugh Brown, for sending these "few shots of the littlest farmers and the tomatoes and squash." DOWN IN THE VALLEY
Member and (former) Farmer News & Events
PLANT & SING
Saturday, October 11 from sunrise to ....
Sylvester Manor, Shelter Island
A day of bluegrass and traditional American music celebrating local food and community. Schedule: yoga (7 AM), planting garlic (9 -11 AM), music by, among others, Bennett Konesni & Edith Gawler, Martha Wainwright & Lucy Wainwright Roche, and The Deadly Gentlemen (noon - 7 PM, contra dancing (7 PM) and from 9 - 11 PM songs and a late night jam. During the day, Scott Chaskey and Megan Chaskey will be featured at the festival's poetry performances on the porch. Info/Tix: www.plantandsing.com/wp/
OKTOBER FEAST
Sunday, October 12. 4 - 7 PM
 Amber Waves Farm, 275 Main Street, Amagansett
Celebrate the fall harvest with area farmers, family and friends! Local food and drinks featuring Amber Waves Farm, Quail Hill Farm, Balsam Farms, Dock to Dish, Carissa's Breads, Mecox Bay Dairy and many others! Info: www.amberwavesfarm.org
PLEIN AIR PECONIC IX
Saturday-Monday, October 11-13, 10 AM - 5 PM
Ashawagh Hall, 780 Springs FIreplace Road, East Hampton 
Celebrating the East End's farmland, wildflower fields, salt marshes and beaches, Land, Sea, Sky is an exhibition of work by the artists of Plain AIr Peconic and includes paintings and photographs of land conserved by the Peconic Land Trust. A portion of all sales will benefit the Trust. Opening reception: October 11 from 5 - 8 PM. Info: www.PleinAirPeconic.com
REVERSE PAINTINGS ON GLASS
Friday-Sunday, October 24-26 
Ashawagh Hall, 780 Springs FIreplace Road, East Hampton
Front & Back -- a solo exhibition of work by Gabriele Raacke. Opening reception: October 24, 5-8 PM. Hours: Saturday (10/25) and Sunday (10/26): Noon - 5 PM. Info: www.raacke.us
LUCIA's ANGELS
Saturday, October 18, 5:30 -8 PM
Southampton Social Club. 256 Elm Street (near Train Station)
Nest Egg by Gabriele Raacke is just one of many marvelous abodes at the 10th Annual Birdhouse Auction to benefit women and families on Eastern Long Island with late-stage women's cancers. Info: www.luciasangels.org
SEEDTIME TALK 
Sunday, October 26, 3 PM
Peconic Landing Auditorium, 1500 Brecknock Road, Greenport
Scott Chaskey will discuss his new book, Seedtime: On the History, Husbandry, Politics, and Promise of Seeds. Free to the public. RSVP to www.peconiclanding.ticketleap.com or 631.477.BLUE
MURAL TALK
Sunday, November 2, 3:30 PM
Montauk Library 
Jane Weissman presents Protest & Celebration: Community Murals in New York City. For five decades, NYC artists and neighborhood groups have worked together to create murals that beautify, celebrate, protest, educate, organize and, on occasion, inspire action. Tracking the evolution of themes and aesthetic styles, Jane focuses on the murals' significance in the larger social, historical, and political context. Info: www.montauklibrary.org
VOICES OF HOPE IN A TIME OF CRISIS 
Saturday November 8, 10 AM - 6 PM
The Great Hall, The Cooper Union, NYC
Join Scott Chaskey along with many other distinguished speakers participating in Voices of Hope in a Time of Crises, a one-day even exploring localized solutions -- the "economics of happiness" in the words of Helena Norberg-Hodge -- to global problems and launch the International Alliance for Localization. The goal is to establish international alliances that work to resist corporate power while simultaneously promoting the renewal of local communities, economies and cultures. An excerpt from Scott's book Seedtime has been posted on Economic of Happiness blog.
CARROTS -- an Essential in Every Kitchen
Wednesday November 12, 3 PM
Estia's Little Kitchen, 1615 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike
 The first in a series of root tastings.
Chef and Estia owner Colin Ambrose
invited seven farm (including Quail Hill) to grow one control carrot (Scarlet Nantes) and a second carrot of their choosing in 20-foot beds. Production will be compared, carrots tasted raw and steamed, and a chef paired with each of the farms will prepare a dish. Unused carrots will be donated to the Sag Harbor Food Pantry. Info/RSP: Colinambose@me.com or 631.725.1045.
AMBER WAVES ON THE CHEW
 Along with First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Initiative, Amber Waves Farm's food educational programs were featured on ABC's The Chew on October 3. See the Family Table episode here. Giving children the opportunity to connect with their food through touching, tasting, and exploring the farm, Amber Waves helps create a next generation of healthy eaters.
| 
