Author: Bryan Housel

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – July 14, 2025

Hello Folks! It has been a little dry on the farm this past week. We have sandy soil, so it dries out quickly, and we are still sowing seeds and transplanting brassicas for the fall crop. We are in the part of the summer when rainfall typically depends on scattered thunderstorms, where scattered is the operative word. As I write this update, we are receiving a light rain and hoping for more overnight, otherwise we will be moving the sprinklers around tomorrow. Fortunately, the temperatures have been moderate and are forecast to remain so for the next ten days. (more…)

Green Beans

Beans

Green beans, also known as snap beans because they “snap” when broken, are harvested when young, when the beans inside the pod are small and tender and the pods are thin. They are very low in calories and loaded with vitamins K, A, and C, fiber, folate and anti-oxidants. Interestingly, green beans were originally cultivated in Peru and were then spread throughout Central and South America by Indian tribes. Spanish explorers brought them back from the “New World” to Europe in the 16th century, and from there they spread around the world. (more…)

Chinese Dry-Fried Green Beans

Chinese Dry-Fried Green Beans

This Sichuan-style (also spelled Szechuan) green beans recipe, found on The Modern Proper food blog, is inspired by the deliciously blistered green beans just like you can get from your favorite Chinese takeout restaurant.  The dry-fry is a technique that intentionally dries out the food that’s being cooked—in this case to make our spicy green beans recipe. Stir frying the green beans in hot oil causes them to release moisture and take on a crisp-chewy texture.  Serves 4. (more…)

Eggplant and Orzo Salad

Eggplant and Orzo Salad

When in Cape May, stop by George’s Place restaurant on the corner of Beach and Perry Streets for delicious Greek food.  They won’t part with their recipe but I came pretty close to re-creating this delicious side salad they serve with many of their entrees.  This serves 6 nicely as a side. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – July 7, 2025

Hi Everyone! We had a few heavy rains over the past week, which set me back some with my planting schedule – other than that the weather has been acceptable. I was finally able to plant the last of the winter squash and pumpkins this morning. These crops need 3+ months to grow and mature, so I have been up against the end of the planting window. I am also running out of time to plant sweet corn, which has a similar “days to maturity” number. (more…)

Tzatziki

Tzatziki

Last week, someone asked what she can do with just one cucumber?  Simple – make tzatziki!  This delicious, creamy, Greek cucumber sauce keeps for about a week, and is great with grilled chicken, turkey or lamb.  You can use Greek or plain yogurt (using plain yogurt will result in a slightly “runnier” sauce, but it holds the flavors and texture just as well so don’t panic if you don’t have it handy).  It is a snap to make.  Try it! (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – June 30, 2025

Hello All! So we made in through the first heat wave of Summer 2025. We sustained some damage to the crops, but it was minimal. By far the greatest hit was to our pea crop. I love peas, especially sugar snaps. I plant a lot of different cultivars of sugar snap pea, many are dwarf types that flower and produce their crop quickly, but the best are the tall ones that grow six or more feet tall and require trellis. We begin planting as early as possible, with hopes of getting a crop in late June and early July. (more…)

Summer Squash

Summer Squash

Welcome to Summer Squash season!  As you may have noticed already, summer squash appears in a variety of shapes and colors, the most prevalent being the well-known green zucchini, the straight or crooked necked yellow squash, and the round, flat, often scalloped edge, patty pan squash.  All these varieties are tender, warm-season vegetables that differ from their fall and winter cousins in that they are selected to be harvested while still immature.  Thus, the entire vegetable, rind, flesh, and seeds, can be eaten. (more…)

Broccoli Soup

Broccoli Soup

If we are lucky enough to get broccoli leaves, they are perfect in this soup.  If not, feel free to just use broccoli.  This will be a very dark green soup. (more…)