‘Tis the season for Riverbank gift baskets!

Hello! Although our summer markets have ended (sad), our winter markets (see “2011-2012 Market Schedule” page) and Chef Mike has put-up a ton of unbelievably delicious canned goods this season for you! Here’s a taste:

• Apple butter
  

  Our canned goods are waiting for you!

• Apple jam
• Applesauce (plain and cinnamon)
• Bread + butter pickles (ginger zucchini and curried zucchini)
• Chipotle Pickles
• Dill Pickles
• Mixed Pickles
• Heirloom Tomato Puree
• Hot Pepper Jelly
• Onion Honey Mustard
• Onion Marmalade
• Pickled Watermelon Rind
• Salsa
• Smoky Green Tomatoes
• Strawberry Jam

Also available: our healing salve, herbal tea blend and farm-dehydrated Juliet tomatoes! You can certainly buy all these items individually, but why not give the gift of Riverbank this season with gift baskets filled with these goods? A few options for…

• apple lovers: apple sauce (plain and/or cinnamon), apple jam, apple butter
• pickle lovers: any combination of chipotle pickles, dill pickles, pickled watermelon rind, mixed pickles, curried bread + butter pickles

Apple lovers basket

• spicy food lovers: hot pepper jelly, chipotle pickles, salsa
• tomato lovers: tomato puree, smoky green tomatoes, dehydrated Juliet tomatoes
• the host/hostess: hot pepper jelly, apple butter, strawberry jam, herbal tea
• healing/relaxation: herbal tea, healing salve

Bonus: Every element of the basket is recyclable or reusable! The baskets and mason jars can be used for storage, and the filling is made of colorful shredded magazines and newspapers! A truly local, sustainable gift for those special people in your life.

All baskets are made to order. For more information on pricing and/or to place your order, please e-mail us at riverbankfarmct@gmail.com, subject “Gift Baskets”.

Seasons eatings everyone!

The joys of winter squash + making your own pumpkin puree!

Red kuri, acorn, butternut, sugar pumpkins and more at the Darien Farmers' Market

While we’re active on our Facebook page, it has been awhile since our last post on here! And, it’s been quite a season. Maybe we say or hear it every year, but the tomato, eggplant and pepper season seemed to be too short. And, of course, the weather has proven to be a challenge. Some of our fields have only recently dried out from the flooding caused by Hurricane Irene. Many farms on the East Coast didn’t fare so well.  Fortunately, our crops, especially our winter squash, continue to thrive and we can offer you a wide-range of produce at our markets.

Butternut, sugar pumpkins, acorn, delicata, sweet dumpling, red kuri, spaghetti, kabocha and buttercup – you name it, they’re all delicious! The easiest way to cook most of them:

• Cut and cube the squash and roast alongside your other favorite fall fruits and veggies (potatoes, carrots, celeriac, garlic, apples, etc.).
• Cut in half, scoop out the seeds (save them to make toasted and spiced pepitas!), place on a baking sheet – flesh side down – and roast in a 375-degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until the flesh is fork tender. Eat as-is after it’s cooled, or scoop out and mash with roasted garlic. Yum!

And, before you buy a can of pumpkin or squash for upcoming holiday baking projects, consider making your own pumpkin puree AND supporting your local farmers:

• Follow the same directions as above for 2 small-medium sized sugar pumpkins and/or butternut squash. When the squash is done, tent with a piece of aluminum foil to trap in heat; this is optional, but it allows the skin to separate from the flesh more easily.
• When cool enough to handle (10-15 minutes), scoop the flesh into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth; a tiny bit of water can be added to smooth it out. (Note: You don’t want this to be a watery mixture, so if you’ve added too much water, pour the puree over a sieve or cheesecloth to drain.)
• At the point, you have puree! You can use it in any recipe now, store it in your refrigerator or scoop into an air-tight plastic back or freezer-safe container for use later.

Winter squash is such a versatile ingredient, and we’ll continue to have it at our markets for you to buy and try!

What’s your favorite way to enjoy this seasonal delicacy?

And so it begins: Our 2011 Market Schedule!

Fennel - just for you!

Thanks to everyone who came out to visit us this past weekend in Fairfield, New Haven and our first market of the new season in New Milford!

We’re happy to announce our 2011 schedule, with the Darien market kicking off the week this Wednesday and Greenwich and New Canaan on Saturday!

Wednesdays, 11-6:  Darien (Mechanic St., behind the firehouse) starting May 11th

Thursdays, 10-2:  Westport (Imperial Ave. parking lot), starting May 26th

Fridays, 2-6: Ridgefield, (location TBA), starting June 10th

Saturdays: New Milford (on the green), 9-12, starting May 7th; New Canaan (Old Center School parking lot), 10-2, starting May 14th; Greenwich, 9:30-1, starting May 14th

Sundays: New Haven @ Edgewood Park, 10-2, starting June 5th

We’ll have fresh, field-harvested greens and a wide range of herb, tomato and veggie plants for you to choose from. We hope to see you at one of the three markets opening this week!

Side note: We want more “likes” on Facebook! Join us and/or tell a friend!

Riverbank profiled in CT Farm Fresh newsletter

We were just profiled in the CT Farm Fresh “News to Grow On” newsletter! Alex also offered up a recipe for Curried Carrot Soup with Roasted Garlic.

Click the link to open up the PDF: CT Farm Fresh – “News to Grow On”

See you on Saturday!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the wonderful weather we’ve been having! Things have been busy at the farm – greenhouse sowing, plenty of parsnip harvesting and tree tapping. If we missed you at the Westport market, we’ll be at two markets tomorrow (Saturday):

• We’ll be returning to the Fairfield indoor market @ the Greenfield Hill Grange (1873 Hillside Rd.) from 10-1.

• New Haven @ Wooster Square (DePalma Court, between Chapel + Wooster Streets): 10-1

Come out and support us, as well as other wonderful vendors. Hope to see you there!

Spring parsnips are here!

spring parsnips

After months of storage crops -  although, tasty ones – we have some fresh parsnips to offer you! The snow finally melted and revealed the parsnip bed, ready to be dug up, which is exactly what Alex and new apprentices Ted and Mary did this afternoon!

Parsnips are a wonderful heart-healthy vegetable, with properties similar to that of potatoes and carrots. They’re also a great source of fiber, folic acid, vitamins c + b.

We’ll be selling them at the Westport market on Thursday, as well as New Haven on Saturday. We’ll also return to the Fairfield indoor market this weekend.

Add parsnips to soups and stews. But, here are some other simple ways to cook them up:

• Roast ‘em…in maple syrup: Peel + cut parsnips, along with carrots, potatoes, onions, whole cloves of garlic and any other root veggies, into chunks. Toss with some olive oil, salt, pepper and savory herbs (thyme, oregano, sage, etc.) and arrange in single layer on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Roast veggies in a 400ºF oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove when done and drizzle 1-2 Tbl. of maple syrup and toss again. Return to oven and roast until the veggies are tender (10-15 minutes).

• Parsnip-potato mash: When you make mashed potatoes, add some parsnips and cook as usual. Much like celery root, the parsnips will add a creamy flavor and texture. Season with salt, pepper, rosemary and/or roasted garlic.

Flooding at Riverbank

We saw some serious flooding at our farm Sunday night into Monday. The Shepaug River raged and flowed over onto our fields. Thankfully, no crops are yet planted and the river has receded.

Check out some of the pictures on our new Facebook page.

Coming soon in happier news: Pictures of what’s growing in the greenhouse and the new apprentices!

Riverbank in the New York Times!

Riverbank canned goods. (Andrew Sullivan/NY Times)

Jan Ellen Spiegel included us in her article, “Farm to Table, by Way of Shelf” for the NY Times! The piece looks at how farmers and growers are turning to value-added products, specifically canning, as a source of revenue during the off-season (if there is such a thing!) and as a way to extend the season for produce and farmers’ market customers.
Click here to read the article.

Join us today (Saturday) in Fairfield AND New Haven!

Hello! We hope that the new year finds you happy, healthy and well!

Some exciting news: Riverbank will be at two farmers’ markets today (Saturday)!

• Fairfield @ the Greenfield Hill Grange (1873 Hillside Rd.): 10-1; will run this Saturday through the early the spring!
• New Haven @ Wooster Square (DePalma Court, between Chapel + Wooster Streets): 10-1

It’s been great catching up with some of you at the Westport market, and it’ll be wonderful to see more familiar faces at the Fairfield and New Haven markets! See you there!

Special farmers’ market in New Milford – tomorrow!

Come visit us tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 18) at a special winter farmers’ market in New Milford. It’ll be held in the East Street Building gym, 50 East St. (next to CVS) from 9-12.

It’s a great place to get special items and gifts for the holidays!

Hope to see you tomorrow!