Gazpacho Chopped Salad
Adam’s Roasted Pepper Spread (more…)
Archive for August, 2008
Share 13 Recipes
Monday, August 25th, 2008HOG Trough 13
Monday, August 25th, 2008August 26, 2008 Share 13
Whats Happening At the Farm
Putting food away for winter is a passion for me and Sean-each year we try and see how far we can make it without buying produce in a grocery store. Every year we make it a little further, but March is always a tough month. This year we restrained ourselves, and used the last jar of canned tomatoes in June. Like fellow canner Matt says, its like smelling the essence of summer, when you open that jar in the dead of winter! It looks like I passed the canning bug along, because about 25 people showed up for canning day! We put up over 70 jars, and everyone got to take home a few. We should have paste tomatoes for the next several weeks, so I hope we inspired everyone to try canning a few jars at home! If you have freezer space, a quick and easy way to save paste tomatoes is to blanch them to remove the skins, then squeeze out the extra juice and trow them in a freezer bag. Sean and I have also been known to throw all the bruised heirlooms into the food processor, cook it down for an hour or two, and freeze that. Do what you can now, so you can be reminded of the HOG all winter!
Listed below are some of our favorite varieties of heirloom tomatoes. They may not look great, but the seeds were loving saved over generations because of their outstanding flavor. The best way to eat these fresh, heirloom tomatoes is to put a nice slice on on a piece of bread, spread with a little mayo and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Its our standby summer lunch!
Prudens Purple-Fruits ripen very early, and have that quintessential heirloom look-huge 1 pounders, catfaced, cracked, and pink, the flavor is out of this world. Silky texture, minimal seeds, rich and sweet with a nice tartness to balance it out.
Green Zebra-Small, bright chartreusey-green with deep, lime-green stripes. Rich tomato taste with a bit of a bite.
Pineapple-Huge, red streaked yellow fruits with a marbled interior. Meaty fruits with a mild, sweet flavor. Seldom cosmetically perfect, great for fresh eating.
Speckled Roman-Cylindrical red paste tomato with yellowish orange striations. Rich tomatoey sweetness and great texture, suitable for fresh eating or sauce.
Green Moldovan-Yellow-green when ripe, this is a mid-sized, slightly flat tomato. Very citrusy yet sweet, our favorite new find for this year. Eat it fresh like an apple or make a green salsa with tomatillos and this beauty.
Purple Calabash-small, squat, truly purple and very ruffled looking, this tomato is the opposite of what you would buy in a supermarket. Flavor is unique-intense, sweet, yet tart also, worth the effort to cut up! Impossible to get a nice slice off of, but perfect for a chunky tomato salad.
White Tomesol-We got this low-acid tomato from a member, it’s medium sized, well shaped with minimal cracking and a yellowish-white color when ripe. Amazing flavor, this is my standby tomato sandwich tomato.
Cherokee Purple-dark pinkish-purple fruits have greenish brown shoulders when ripe. Stunning sliced, interior colors range from red, pink and purple to green, brown and black. Great smoky flavor, derived from an old Cherokee Indian heirloom.In Season Now
Kale
Cucumbers
Zucchini/Summer Squash
Carrots
Eggplant
Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Garlic
Potatoes
Red Onions
On The Way
Green Beans
Garlic
Edamame
Lettuce
Pick Your Own
Pick your own items are available for you to harvest at any time, as long as it’s not raining. Look for the signs marking the beds!
Basil—no limit, pinch the tops off to pick please! Have mercy on the first plants in the bed and walk further down the bed to the less picked-on plants please. Pick a lot and freeze some pesto!
Cilantro-no limit
Chives-no limit
Mint-no limit
Oregano-no limit
Thyme-no limit
Parsley-5 stalk limit, only pick 1-2 stalks per plant please!
Flowers-25 stem limit zinnias, snapdragons, amaranth, sunflowers, strawflowers, rudbeckia, etc
HOG Farm Calendar
Board meetings are at 9am the third Saturday of every month at the Red Barn in the summer
Zucchini Chocolate Brownies
Thursday, August 21st, 2008These are a treat that volunteer extraordinaire Adam has made several times–they are outstanding!
In the last batch, I added about 1 tablsespoon of finely ground coffee beans to the mix with flour, cinnamon, and cayenne. Also, I’ve found that the texture of the brownies varies quite a bit depending on the exactness of measuring the dry ingredients and the water content of the zucchini.
Ingredients
*1/3 cup vegetable oil
*1 1/3 cups sugar
*2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*2 cups all-purpose flour
*1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
*1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 scant teaspoon cayenne
*1 tablespoon cinnamon
*2 cups shredded zucchini
*1/2 cup chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched.
Share 12 Recipes
Monday, August 18th, 2008Tomato Salad with Olives and Feta
Carrot Ginger Soup
(more…)
HOG Trough 12
Monday, August 18th, 2008August 19, 2008 Share 12
Whats Happening At the Farm
Some of you may not be aware that the H.O.G. does not own any of the land we cultivate. We are allowed to farm these 11 acres free of charge by our two wonderful landlords: the Post-Morrow Foundation and the Puleston family. The original 5 acres of the H.O.G. along with the barn where pick-ups happen and the adjacent meadows belong to the Pulestons. Maybe you have heard of Dennis, the late painter, explorer, naturalist, and co-founder of the Environmental Defense Fund? His children and grandchildren now maintain the relationship with the H.O.G. that has allowed us to develop the farm so sustainably.
Recently, the development rights to this land were purchased by the town of Brookhaven. This means that if the land is ever sold, it can never be chopped into lots with houses, it will remain an agricultural or natural open space for perpetuity! We owe the Pulestons a huge thank you for going through all the legal red tape to ensure that we can continue farmng in this beautiful spot. Hopefully many will come after us to build on the fertile soil we nurture today.
While we are at it we also should thank the Post-Morrow Foundation who own the 6-acres of our back field where most of our field crops have been grown this year. Post-Morrow actually purchased this land from the Pulestons many years ago as part of their mission to preserve land in Brookhaven Hamlet that has historic, environmental, or agricultural value (that should be all of it, in my opinion!)
These models of generosity always make me feel so grateful for the community that is the H.O.G. Thanks to all of you who give extra love to the H.O.G. and tread lightly, we know who you are!In Season Now
Piracicaba- broccoli raab from Brasil
Swiss Chard
Cucumbers
Zucchini/Summer Squash
Carrots
Beets
Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes- we offer a selection of over 40 varieties, all picked ripe, so if you see greens and yellows, don’t be shy, they are soft and sweet. Our rule of flavor is the uglier the better!
Onions
Potatoes- red skinned white fleshed variety called Sangre
On The Way
Garlic
Edamame
Pick Your Own
Pick your own items are available for you to harvest at any time, as long as it’s not raining. Look for the signs marking the beds!
Basil—no limit, pinch the tops off to pick please! Have mercy on the first plants in the bed and walk further down the bed to the less picked-on plants please. Pick a lot and freeze some pesto!
Cilantro-no limit
Chives-no limit
Mint-no limit
Oregano-no limit
Thyme-no limit
Parsley-5 stalk limit, only pick 1-2 stalks per plant please!
Flowers-25 stem limit zinnias, snapdragons, amaranth, sunflowers, strawflowers, rudbeckia, etc
HOG Farm Calendar
Board meetings are at 9am the third Saturday of every month at the Red Barn in the summer
Tomato Canning Workshop Saturday August 23rd 11-???
$5 Covers the cost of the propane, lemon juice, and ice! Please bring your own jars and lids! Come spend the day with Jill and learn the old-fashioned art of putting up tomatoes. Last year we canned about 65 jars! We split what we can so everyone goes home with something! Bring a snack and be prepared to spend the day, it can take awhile, but its worth it!
HOG Trough 11
Monday, August 11th, 2008August 12, 2008 Share 11
Whats Happening At the Farm
It’s been a slow year for volunteer work hours-even though its one of the mildest, least humid, and most mosquito free summers since I started working at the farm 4 years ago, there has been a real decrease in the number of people stopping by the farm to work off some of their share. Members who work 15 hours before August 31 get a $100 refund off the cost of their share. There are still a couple of weeks left to log in some weeding of harvesting, so be sure stop by! Member Work Days are Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9am-5pm. This week tasks include weeding (as always) and we may be cleaning up the onion harvest as well.
If you are interested in working as a pickup coordinator, we still have openings in September and October. You must sign up for these hours by August 31 to count these hours towards your work requirement!
If you don’t want to work at the farm at all, thats ok too! Jill for the HOG crew
In Season Now
Lettuce-a nice batch
Amaranth- nutrient packed green, great sauteed lightly with oil and garlic.
Raddichio or Napa Cabbage
Cucumbers
Zucchini/Summer Squash
Corn
Melons-cantaloupe or watermelon
Peppers
Eggplant
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes? -there might be enough to go around, we’ll find out Tuesday when we harvest
On The Way
Garlic
Tomato madness
Edamame
Piracicaba
Pick Your Own
Pick your own items are available for you to harvest at any time, as long as it’s not raining. Look for the signs marking the beds!
Basil—no limit, pinch the tops off to pick please! Have mercy on the first plants in the bed and walk further down the bed to the less picked-on plants please. Pick a lot and freeze some pesto!
Cilantro-no limit
Chives-no limit
Mint-no limit
Oregano-no limit
Thyme-no limit
Parsley-5 stalk limit, only pick 1-2 stalks per plant please!
Flowers-25 stem limit zinnias, snapdragons, amaranth, sunflowers, strawflowers, rudbeckia, etc
HOG Farm Calendar
Board meetings are at 9am the third Saturday of every month at the Red Barn in the summer
Tomato Canning Workshop Saturday August 23rd 11-???
$5 Covers the cost of the propane, lemon juice, and ice! Please bring your own jars and lids! Come spend the day with Jill and learn the old-fashioned art of putting up tomatoes. Last year we canned about 65 jars! We split what we can so everyone goes home with something! Bring a snack and be prepared to spend the day, it can take awhile, but its worth it!
Share 11 Recipes
Monday, August 11th, 2008Cherry Tomato Salad
Zucchini Pancakes-great way to use 1 or 2 small zucchini or summer squash
HOG Trough 10
Monday, August 4th, 2008August 5, 2008 Share 10
A reminder to please park your car at the barn and walk to the farm for pick your own. Driving creates a problem for farm vehicles and tractors trying to work and is dangerous to the many children wandering in the driveway. If you are disabled you may drive but otherwise please respect this rule.Also please always keep your dogs on a leash. No dogs are permitted onto the farm fields regardless of how well behaved you may feel your dog is. Please tie them to the fence outside of the farm before going in to pick.
Whats Happening At the Farm
There is a fox who lives somewhere around the farm, we see him or her every other day or so. Once I was mowing an old bed of chard and I scared the fox out from where he was hiding in the kale, he ran across the field and before he disappeared into the tall corn, he turned around and i stopped the tractor and we just looked at each other for what seemed like two whole minutes. We first met this fox when he crept into our big greenhouse early this summer, when the cucumbers were in there. He got all tangled up in the trellis and was trapped until morning. We arrived to start harvesting and there he was, a crater dug beneath him from his vain attempts to escape. Slowly I approached, and he stood still and patient with only a gentle leap or two away from me as I cut the trellis away from around his tail and hind leg. Once he was free he bolted, but never snarled at me or exhibited any malevolence. We know it’s the same fox because the fur is short from his tangle with the trellis on the last 8 inches of his tail.
We also share the farm with countless praying mantis, octogenarian box turtles, red-tailed hawks, and a magnificent buck deer with a fuzzy head of antlers I saw just outside the fence on Thursday. These are powerful creatures and we are honored and proud that they can thrive in and around our agricultural endeavour. Perhaps this knowledge can help you all share the feelings of awe and joy that we experience working on the farm. The heads of lettuce might be smaller than you expected and there is a little worm living in the tip of your ear of corn, but once you overlook these truly minor flaws, you can understand that each fruit and vegetable is a token of a vast cooperation between the soil, atmosphere, insects and all of the creatures and plants that nature in its infinite wisdom has brought to our farm. Sean for the HOG Crew
In Season Now
Lettuce or Escarole
Kale or Collard Greens
Zucchini or Summer Squash
Eggplants-We grow a variety of eggplants, including long, thin Japenese Eggplants as well as the standard Italian variety.
Peppers-These are mostly green Cubanelle Peppers, very sweet!
Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Corn
Canteloupes–there may be a crack in some of these, which just means they are extra delicious! Just slice them and put them in the fridge so they don’t get over ripe!
On The Way
Tomatoes
Edamame
Watermelon
Pick Your Own
Pick your own items are available for you to harvest at any time, as long as it’s not raining. Look for the signs marking the beds!
Green Beans-limit 1 quart-look for “dragon tongue” red striped beans in the middle of the bed, don’t forget to walk to the back, where theres lots of new, fresh beans!
Basil—no limit, pinch the tops off to pick please! Have mercy on the first plants in the bed and walk further down the bed to the less picked-on plants please. Pick a lot and freeze some pesto!
Cilantro-1 small bunch
Chives-no limit
Mint-no limit
Oregano-no limit
Thyme-no limit
Parsley-5 stalk limit, only pick 1-2 stalks per plant please!
Flowers-25 stem limit zinnias, snapdragons, amaranth, sunflowers, strawflowers, rudbeckia, etc
HOG Farm Calendar
Board meetings are at 9am the third Saturday of every month at the Red Barn in the summer
Tomato Canning Workshop Saturday August 23rd 11-???
$5 Covers the cost of the propane, lemon juice, and ice! Please bring your own jars and lids! Come spend the day with Jill and learn the old-fashioned art of putting up tomatoes. Last year we canned about 65 jars! We split what we can so everyone goes home with something! Bring a snack and be prepared to spend the day, it can take awhile, but its worth it!
Share 10 Recipes
Monday, August 4th, 2008Ratatouille
Baba Ganoush
