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May, 2008

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FrontRangeLiving.com -> Cooking -> Berry Patch Farm

From the Field to the Plate: An Indian summer odyssey at a Colorado organic farm

By Stephanie Janard

So, one sunny day in early fall, I set off for the Berry Patch Farm in Brighton. It is one of those unbelievably perfect days we are blessed with during autumn in Colorado – a flawless blue sky, and sunshine that infuses the very air with a golden glow. Despite the high temperature, there is a marked lack of humidity that hints of the cooler days ahead.

The Berry Patch farm is located on a small paved road just off I-76. The farm encompasses forty acres of fields, some fallow but most still bursting with produce like bright red strawberries and raspberries, beans, salad tomatoes, and peppers.

In addition to the vast fields, there is a historic farmhouse and a charming two- story red barn--the old-fashioned kind, with plenty of chinks between the boards to let the sunshine in. The first floor of the barn is a store where visitors can buy freshly picked produce, or get a basket to pick their own. The second floor is a classroom for visiting children, where organic farming is discussed.

Guinea hens and chickens peacefully stroll the yards, and here and there a dog or cat dozes in a carefully chosen shady spot.

The farm is owned by Tim and Claudia Ferrell, two people truly called to work the land. Tim has been farming since 1985, Claudia, a physician, since 1994. Both are strong advocates of organic farming, and as soon as you see and taste their produce, you will understand why. They have several employees equally passionate about organic farming and clearly love the Berry Patch Farm. Kay, an accomplished photographer, was widowed three months ago. She started working at the Berry Patch as a way to bring some much needed comfort and peace into her life.

As I arrive at the farm, a class from a nearby Montessori school is finishing up their lunch after a morning spent picking raspberries. One child gleefully tells me they have already eaten them--a teacher assures me the children each have a remaining carton to take home with them to their families. Most importantly, Kay assures me there are still plenty left for me to pick!

I consult with Claudia on produce that is currently in season and available at the farm. She is impressed with my mission – to create a menu made from ingredients almost all entirely obtained from the farm. As she lists off available produce – candy onions, numerous squashes like acorn, patty pan and butternut, peppers, garlic, eggplant, herbs, and of course, abundant strawberries and raspberries – I mentally form a potential menu, run it by Claudia for her endorsement (she’s also an excellent cook) and together we decide upon:

• Appetizer: Roasted sweet Spanish pepper spread with baguettes

• Soup: Butternut squash harvest soup

• Entrée: Roasted autumn vegetable skewers

• Dessert: Raspberry & Strawberry pie

With basket in tow, I hop onto the back of a tractor-trailer, with Kay behind the wheel. As we drive slowly down a dirt road, bits of bright red peep from the fields. Strawberries and raspberries are in full bloom, and will last until the first freeze. Last year, that was October 14^th, so there is still time to take family and friends out to pick these delectable fruits and put them in your favorite cobbler, pie, and dessert recipes.

Kay picks a row for me to start, and I climb down from the trailer, surveying the bounty that waits for me. Just before she drives off, I ask her if there is any particular feature that indicates a perfectly ripe berry. She calls over her shoulder, "Pick the bright red ones."

Somehow, the twinkle in her eye as she says this detracts from the fact that I’ve asked the day’s most obvious question.

As I move down the row, I soon realize I have plenty of company also angling for the ripest berries. Bees. Apparently, they’ve adapted to human competition, and simply buzz away from my hand whenever I reach toward a particularly attractive berry. There is plenty to go around.

(Later, Claudia explains to me that bees play an important role on the farm. Not only do they pollinate the berries, they produce honey that the farm sells to customers. There is a special hive built in the second floor of the barn, connected by a chute in the wall that allows the bees to come and go back outside as they please).

I start with the strawberries and pick a pint of varying shapes and sizes, all bright red with vivid green tops. I love strawberries, but what I’m really excited about are the raspberries, and I soon discover that the berries with a bright red first layer covered with a purplish cast are the tastiest ones.

I could spend hours in the field. It’s bringing back memories of the small farm my family lived on in my youth – the languorous buzzing of bees and grasshoppers, and the sense of timelessness that saturates a desultory Indian summer afternoon in the country. The sun is warm and gentle on my face, and the air smells fresh and wholesome.

Eventually, I troop back to the barn with my sweet treasures. Meanwhile, Claudia has picked eggplants for my vegetable kabobs, including the more rare white variety. She’s also found a large butternut squash that will be perfect for my soup. We walk down an aisle where there are baskets onion varieties. She advises me to try the candy onions for my soup. Colorado’s candy onions are famous for the intensely sweet flavor drawn out when they are cooked. I put some of those in my basket, and add several small purple onions for the kabobs. I also add a huge bulb of garlic, and several squash of varying shapes and colors.

I ask her about tomatoes for my kabobs, and herbs for the baguette spread, and she points me to a field just behind the barn. There I find fresh basil, and the best salad (cherry) tomatoes I have ever tasted. If you have never plucked a salad tomato right off the vine, dusted it off and then popped it into your mouth, you are missing out on a sublime experience. Let’s put it this way: if Colorado’s sun had a flavor, it would be these slightly sweet, slightly salty tasting tomatoes. The tomato’s firm skin covers a juicy center that bursts with a golden flavor as soon as you sink your teeth into it.

While I’m picking my herbs and tomatoes, Claudia is off to another field to pick a basketful of sweet Spanish peppers for my baguette spread. When she comes back, I ask her if she has a recipe that will explain how to properly roast them. To my surprise, she says the farm has its own pepper roaster, and she’ll throw them in there for me.

Sure enough, there is a large metal mesh roaster on the side of the barn that rotates and shoots up gas-powered flames. Within moments, the sweet smell of roasting peppers fills the air, and a few chickens and a dog stroll up to check it out. The seeds and skins fall off the peppers, which are done in about fifteen minutes.

Claudia wraps them up in several bags, and hands me one. She tells me they sell almost as soon as they are placed on the shelves. With that in mind, I take another bag.

All told, I’ve spent just over $28 at Berry Patch Farm, less than $5 per person. Who says that eating organic has to be expensive?

Visit www.berrypatchfarms.com for updated fall hours. There are lots of special events going on at the Berry Patch Farm during October, including pumpkin patches, hayrides, a straw maze, and classes. Plenty of organic produce is available including apples, corn shocks, winter squash, and of course, pumpkins. Also to be tried is the farm’s homemade honey, apple cider, delicious jams and dried flower arrangements.

Obviously, you want to use fresh produce as quickly as possible, but I was not able to prepare my dinner until two days later. All of the produce had kept extremely well, and none had started to soften or become overly ripe.

Time saving tip: I suggest that you cook the roasted red pepper spread and butternut squash soup a day in advance, for two reasons. First, it alleviates your workload on the day of your dinner. Second, it gives the flavors an extra day to meld together and intensify. I also baked my pie the night before, although many bakers advise that pie tastes best when fresh from the oven. I don’t disagree with this opinion, but happily, mine tasted delectable and received rave reviews from my guests.

This harvest meal is lovely when served in earthenware dishes that evoke the colors of fall. You can be quite creative when decorating your table; keep some of the brightly colored squash on hand to use as centerpieces, along with pumpkins, stalks of corn, and flowers. (Note: The Berry Patch Farm also grows organic flowers!)

The Recipes:

This recipe is sure to be a hit with guests and could become your signature party appetizer! It’s also a great sauce for pasta – a nice deviation from the usual tomato sauce.

• Six cups of roasted red peppers
• One bulb of roasted garlic
• One handful of washed, de-stemmed basil leaves
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional ingredient: This is a very mild and sweet spread, and if you want a little more kick, season to taste with crushed dried red pepper.

Pull remaining seeds out of peppers and cut off tops. Place all ingredients in blender or food processor along with ¼ to ½ cup of olive oil. Blend until pureed.

Serve with warm baguette or French bread.

A note on roasting peppers: Most of us don’t have a roaster, but there are several stands throughout Denver where vendors sell these delicious treats. Or you can simply roast them in your own oven. Remove the stems and seeds, place in a baking dish and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the peppers. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.  Roast at 400F for about one hour. Remove the foil and continue roasting for another 30 minutes or until the peppers start to char.

With fragrant hints of cinnamon and cloves, this comfort soup brings Thanksgiving to mind.

• One large butternut squash de-seeded and diced (I boil the entire squash first so that it’s easier to cut. You don’t lose any flavor and you can keep some of the water for your broth).
• One quart of vegetable broth - homemade or your favorite store brand. (I used Pacific brand organic broth).
• Two Colorado candy onions, peeled and diced or sliced
• One tsp cinnamon
• One tsp cloves
• Three garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• Olive Oil

Sauté onions in olive oil until onions are clear. Add the ginger, cinnamon, garlic, and cloves. Sauté another five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the broth and the soup. Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes (longer if using uncooked squash). Scoop out onions and squash and blend, then put back in soup. Stir frequently, and cook on low for another thirty minutes. Optional ingredient: Sage compliments this soup very well. You can garnish the soup with a few sage sprigs, or add chopped sage in with the garlic, ginger and spices.

This is a wonderfully hearty preparation of vegetables. Roasting them with a light marinade creates a delicious smoky taste that your guests will savor.

To make about eight skewers:

• Two medium eggplants, cut into large slices or chunks
• About 16 small salad (cherry) tomatoes (use two per skewer)
• Assorted squash, cut into large slices or chunks
• Red peppers, cut into large slices or chunks
• New potatoes, cut in half (again, I parboil these a bit first so that they are evenly cooked with the rest of the vegetables which cook faster)
• Small purple onions or large chunks of Colorado candy onions

Marinade:

• ½ cup of olive oil
• ¼ cup of balsamic vinaigrette
• Oregano or your favorite dried herb
• Optional ingredient: One tablespoon of your favorite BBQ sauce

Mix all ingredients together until vigorously stirred.

Thread the vegetables onto metal skewers. Place on foil-covered rack in the oven, and generously brush vegetables with marinade. Roast at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, occasionally brushing more marinade over skewers. Rotate skewers halfway through cooking time. Serve with wild rice, or your favorite rice dish.

This mix of berries produces a tangy yet sweet pie that is fulfilling, yet not heavy. Use your favorite pie-crust, or the simple recipe below, for a flaky, tender crust.

• 1 cup of strawberries
• 2 cups of raspberries
• ¼ cup of sugar
• 4 tbsp of flour

Mix ingredients together, and let stand while you prepare the crust. Put crust on top of pie dish, then place berries on top of crust. Cover with remaining crust, and lightly slash top a few times with sharp knife. Place in oven on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Any baker will tell you that chilled ingredients are the secret to a flaky and tender crust. With that in mind, chill your flour for at least a couple of hours before preparing this crust.

• 2½ cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup of Earth Balance brand non-GMO margarine (dairy free and yummy! You’ll never go back to "real" butter again!) You can also use 1 cup of solid vegetable shortening instead, but I think this makes for a less flavorful crust
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp ice water

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut Earth Balance into small pieces and add to dry ingredients. Cut the Earth balance into the flour mixture by chopping vigorously with two knives or a pastry blender, if you have one. What you’re aiming for is a mixture that is mostly the consistency of crumbs, with some pea-sized shaped.

Add the ice water, and work into the dough. Eventually, you want a dough that sticks together but isn’t actually sticky. If needed, add tiny amount of additional ice water to get crust to desired consistency. Then separate into two balls. Flatten each into an orb, wrap tightly with plastic, then refrigerate for at least an hour.

Then the dough is ready to be taken out and rolled into two piecrusts – one for the bottom of the pan, the other placed over the top of your berries. Tip: Always briskly and quickly roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface! (This crust is also ideal for vegetable pot pies, minus the powdered sugar).

Other U-Pick Farms:

Miller Farms, 9040 Highway 66, Platteville, 970-785-6133 or 970-785-2681

R&K Farms, 29920 Morgan County Road H, Brush, 970-842-0926, U-Pick as available.

Osborn Farm, 1933 S.E. 14th, Loveland, 970-669-4407

Rock Creek Farm, 2005 S. 112 Street, Broomfield, 303-465-9565; www.rockcreekfarm.com

Munson Farms, 7355 Valmont Road, Boulder, 303-442-5330, pumpkins only.

Pantaleo Farms & Produce, 39651 South Road, Pueblo, 719-948-4556; www.pantaleofarms.com

Vic Mauro Produce, 35455 Ford Road, Pueblo, 719-947-0655

Gary Hanagan Farm Market, 25388 Road 24.5, La Junta, 719-384-5067

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