Author: Bryan Housel

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – August 14, 2023

Hello Folks! It continues to rain frequently here on the farm, but we have not had any extreme weather during the past week. The moisture is beneficial to most of the crops, not so much the tomatoes and the melons, both of which are highly susceptible to fungal diseases – blights and mildews. The challenge is getting seed sown when the ground is constantly saturated. We have small windows of opportunity in between the storms when conditions permit us to prepare beds for planting. (more…)

Tomatoes

Tomatoes

The tomato, like the eggplant, is a member of the Solanaceae, or Nightshade family.  Tomatoes are native to western South America, but were cultivated in Mexico by Mexican Indians, who were intrigued by its resemblance to the tomatillo – a staple in their cuisine.  With the discovery of the New World, tomato seeds were brought back to Spain, beginning the introduction of the fruit into Europe.  Tomatoes made their way to North America with the colonists who first settled in Virginia. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – August 7, 2023

Hi Folks! We have been scrambling today to get a lot of harvesting done and to batten down the hatches for the strong storms moving through the area. What was likely the strongest front just passed through and, while we received an inch of rain, we did not sustain any damage from wind or hail. Hallelujah! (more…)

Peppers

Bell Peppers

Bell peppers belong to the nightshade (Solanaceae) family of plants, along with chili pepper, cayenne pepper, eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes (except sweet potatoes and yams).  Their scientific name is Capsicum annuum.  This scientific name, however, is used to refer not only to bell peppers, but also to wax peppers, cayenne peppers, chili peppers, and jalapeño peppers. (more…)

Southern-Style Green Beans

Southern-Style Green Beans

These Southern-style green beans, found on the Spicy Southern Kitchen food blog, are flavored with lots of bacon, and cooked long and slow until they’re melt-in-your-mouth tender. You’ll want to cook them for at least an hour, preferably closer to 2 hours, to get them really soft, but not mushy.  Just before serving, you can mix in a Tablespoon or so of butter to give the green beans a buttery coating.  Serves 6. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – July 31, 2023

Hello Everyone!  I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather as much as we are here on the farm. It is a real treat to have such mild temperatures, cool nights, and lower humidity in early August!

We have peppers for you this week and the tomatoes are coming in heavy now. We will have sweet corn for as many groups as the supply allows and take care of the rest next week. The first planting of summer squash is in decline and the second is just getting started. We are in a similar situation with the beans. We will make sure everyone gets both over the next 2 weeks. The beets will be arriving topless – I hope that’s not too shocking for you lol. (more…)

Classic Ukrainian Borscht

Classic Ukrainian Borscht

This recipe for classic Ukrainian borscht was found at Natasha’s Kitchen food blog.  This recipe is meatless, but you can add in cubed beef, broth, and bones to add more flavor.  This soup takes about 2 hours to cook everything completely, and serves 10-12 as a side.

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