Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/category/grow/page/47/)
The cold depths of New England winter offer a (relatively) quiet time for its farmers, yet the Friends of Holcomb Farm are kept warm by the good things happening in our community. We think you should be, too.
I know that Winter is coming, but I am still dreaming of warm weather and tropical beaches. And even though I am looking forward to some winter comfort food, I had to share one more recipe that tastes like summer to me.
Bittersweet is an extremely vigorous woody vine that can grow dozens of feet, smothering the tops of small trees, strangling them, and pulling them down, similar to the southern kudzu vine. In large mature trees, bittersweet can wrap around the trunk, climb 60 feet or more and follow branches out in search of sun.
Harvest Dinner and Auction
Almost 100 friends of Holcomb Farm filled the gorgeous new Gallery at Metro Bis in November to relish expertly-prepared food, bid on donated items, and enjoy the community spirit of so many who make it possible for the Friends of Holcomb Farm’s Fresh Access program to continue to provide fresh, local produce to those otherwise without access. While some may assume November isn’t the best time to eat fresh from the garden, that’s not the case when Farmer Joe O’Grady, his crew, and Metro Bis Executive Chef Chris Prosperi join forces: Moroccan carrots; lettuce, radicchio, and roasted turnips salad; Brussel sprouts with Jerusalem artichokes; Red Dragon Napa cabbage slaw; sausage with sauerkraut; the best mashed potatoes ever; and warm bread pudding for dessert.
One of the great benefits of being a farmer is knowing where to get the best food. You don’t have to farm in the same town for generations and generations to find where the best food in your area is.
When I am not looking in my personal recipe box for dinner ideas, I like to search websites; two of my favorites are allrecipes.com and epicurious.com.
A dense bush 2 to 7 feet high, Japanese Barberry has spikey thorns every inch or so along each branch. Small leaves along the branches are green in spring and summer.
For our farmer, Joe O’Grady, and for our many other talented farming friends in Granby, this fall has delivered a great harvest.
My husband had a terrible accident six weeks ago and has been recovering with baby steps back to health since. And, in this darkest time for our family, our community has been the light that shines through.
It is fall in New England, and Granby offers some of the best open space hikes around; the Town’s own Holcomb Farm is one of them. The Friends’ Stewardship volunteers have been busy mowing the east field, maintaining walking paths, planting and labeling trees, installing eight new interpretive signs, installing new boardwalks over muddy areas, and rehabbing the South East Field.