Farm News

What a storm that was last Wednesday! We hope you all got through it OK. As you would expect, at the farm we had to clean up some fallen trees and branches – that could have been much worse!
 
At this time, we have harvested most of the storage crops – potatoes, onions, winter squash, and sweet potatoes are filling our barns. The farm is starting to look very green from the cover crops we seeded after harvests, and we soon should find the time to work on the first plantings for 2021. We are going to try to replicate the success of the overwintered greenhouse onions – and of course we need make a start on planting the 2021 garlic crop!
 
Talking about 2021, over the next two weeks (starting 10/13), we will be running an early sign-up special. More information about that is elsewhere in this newsletter.
 
Produce deliveries: We are well situated to continue our harvests and deliveries as planned through the end of October – with the delivery of the optional winter storage shares in the first week of November.

Your farmers,
 
Raymond and Sara

Harvesting potatoes

Pre-announcement:
Fox Creek Farm's 2021 early sign-up campaign

Exceptional produce, home delivered! With the 2020 harvest season still strong, we have finished our plans for 2021. Considering the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, we will continue home deliveries!
We are offering an early sign-up special from Tuesday October 13 to Sunday, October 25. Sign up early and receive a free Fox Creek Farm T-shirt with your first deliveries in 2021, and, if you pay in full, take our early full payment discount.
 
Mark your calendar: our early sign-up campaign goes live on our website on Tuesday, 10/13!
 

Early morning fall harvest at the farm

About the produce in this week's share

Nantes carrots, Kathadin or Kennebec potatoes, yellow onions, lettuce, garlic, and sweet potatoes, as well as spinach, chard, or kale. We are continuing to rotate the fall broccoli.
 

Cover crops are turning our fields green - and if you look careful, you can see Richard, Barryton, and Richard harvesting potatoes.

Recipe: Spiced sweet potato sandwich with Feta

This week’s delivery features sweet potatoes. We have been growing them for a couple of years now. And while Irish potatoes are in the nightshade family of plants, sweet potatoes are considered morning glories. While regular potatoes grow from a (piece of) potato, sweet potatoes grow from ‘slips’, little pieces of rooted plant.
 
Looking around for a good sweet potato recipe, we came across roasted sweet potatoes, sweet potato pies, and baked sweet potatoes. Then we saw the recipe featured in this newsletter: for a sweet potato sandwich.
 
For an exceptional lunch, or maybe as part of a dinner. The seasoning of each component in this vegetarian recipe makes it pop! (adapted from Epicurious.com; recipe makes 2 large sandwiches)
 
Ingredients:
 
1 large sweet potato (about 12 oz.), peeled, sliced lengthwise into 1/4"–1/2"-thick planks
1 tsp. ancho chile powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium beet, peeled, cut into thin matchsticks or grated on the large holes of a box grater
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large garlic clove, finely grated
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 (Kaiser) rolls, split
1 1/2 cups parsley, mint, and/or cilantro leaves
5 oz. block feta, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
 
Directions:
 
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine sweet potato, ancho chile powder, cumin, and 3 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl; season generously with salt and pepper and toss until sweet potato is evenly coated. Heat a dry large skillet, over medium heat. Arrange sweet potato in a single layer without overlapping. Cook, undisturbed, until blackened in spots, about 4 minutes. Turn slices over and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until tender, 10–15 minutes. Remove from oven.
 
Meanwhile, combine beet, onion, and vinegar in a medium bowl; season generously with salt and pepper and toss well. Mix mayonnaise, garlic, and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in a small bowl; season generously with salt and pepper. Heat broiler. Toast rolls, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown, 30–60 seconds. Remove rolls from oven.
 
Toss herbs with remaining 1 tsp. lemon juice in a medium bowl to coat. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss again to combine.
 
To build sandwiches, pour off any accumulated liquid from beet mixture. Spread seasoned mayonnaise over cut sides of reserved rolls, dividing evenly. Arrange feta slices over bottom halves of rolls. Top with sweet potato slices and pile some beet mixture on top. The herbs go on top of the beets. Close up sandwiches with top halves of rolls and cut in half.
 

Johanna trying to convince Mister Oscar to step in the pond

We love to hear from you!

We always welcome your feedback - and our farm crew loves to hear from you, too! Email is best, but if you would like to leave us a message on the phone we will return your call at our earliest convenience (518-872-2375).