Making Fig Jalapeno Jam

Figs are ripening non-stop right now. For this harvest we decided to make a Fig Jalapeno jam. Hot and sweet.

We are working on jam labels too and will show pictures of the finished product soon.

In process: Concord Grapes

Concord grapes are on the way. We've made a lot of improvements to the vine for accessibility and future growth. Pies are on the way.

The subway makes it smell nice

The F Train subway line comes out of the ground just down at the end of our street. At night the breeze of the passing subway smells like jasmine tea. The pleasant smell comes from our night blooming jasmine plant along one of our fences.

How we used it: Figs

There is a massive abundance of figs right now. Since we took over the farm three years ago, the fig tree has grown three fold. We are constantly looking for different fig uses. Farmer No. 1 has made vast quantities of jam. We are almost figged out.

This fig tart recipe asked for 1.5 lbs of fresh figs. No problem there.

It is a Fresh Fig Tart with Rosemary Cornmeal Crust and Lemon Mascarpone Cream

The Best Pie in the World

Have you ever heard of Grape Pie? We hadn't either, but when we discovered our Concord Grape vine actually produced lots and lots of fragrant, juicy grapes, we started looking for recipes. A friend recommended Grape Pie, so we tried it. The result is a fabulous, sweet pie similar to blueberry pie, but very grape-y and delicious. Here are the steps to make your very own:

Step 1: Harvest the grapes or buy from the local market (they are in season now!). 4-5 cups are needed for a 9-10 inch pie.

Step 2: A little labor intensive, but each grape has a seed inside that must be removed. Squeeze the grape so the inside pops out into a bowl, and put grape the skin in another bowl.

Step 3: Heat the insides with the seeds in a skillet until they turn pale yellow and the seeds become loose. Push the insides through a fine strainer or food mill to separate the seeds from the juice and pulp.

Step 4: Combine strained juice/pulp with skins, 1 cup sugar, 1 T lemon juice, 3 T cornstarch and stir until smooth. Pour into an unbaked pie crust (homemade crust is worth it!), dot with butter pats, and cover. Cut vents. Sprinkle crust with sugar and cinnamon (the cinnamon is key for the perfect flavor). Bake at 450 degrees for 30 mins, then 375 degrees for 30 mins until bubbling through the vents.

Step Five: Enjoy this slice of heaven with a little vanilla ice cream!

Figlets Are Out

It's hot here. The 80 degree temperatures in the last week has motivated some plants to start earlier than normal. Our fig stump has little figlets popping out everywhere which means there will definitely be jam this year!
And these leaves show that the grape vine survived Farmer No.1's landscaping. Grape Pies!

Harvest: Figs

The inherited fig tree is on a non-stop ripeness express. Every day there is another dozen figs that turn from green to purple. Farmer No. 1 is making fig jam from the harvest and will write about the process soon.

Brooklyn Farm Fashion

Brooklyn Farm was recently featured as the backdrop for an upcoming fashion story in the French magazine Dirrty Glam. The photo shoot was a lot of fun watching the talented team of Anna Wolf, Mike Perry, Nicole Olson, Ainee, hair and make-up lady (sorry!) and the three models (forgot their names too). Here is Anna framing the shot:
A few finished layouts. There are Farm Boxes No. 1 and 2 on the left.
The grape vine plays supporting roles:
The fig tree:

Inheritance Update: Fig Tree

Found: this interesting article on the history (and drama) of fig trees in the Brooklyn Farm neighborhood.

Our own fig tree finally popped out a ripe one. There are a hundred or so green bulbs on the tree that'll eventually turn. That's Farmer No. 1 in the background tending to the field.
This fig was delicious (natural sweetness) and functional (natural laxative).

Inheritance

At first these were pathetic bare stumps taking up valuable dirt real estate. Farmer No.1 considered purchasing a chainsaw to end both of them. It turns out that they are alive and bear fruit. We inherited a concord grape vine tree and a fig tree.