Foodies with a conscience, rejoice! Two New York State enterprises are harnessing the power of geoponic technology and smart design to address today’s demand for healthy, sustainable food. Farmers and Chefs Restaurant in Poughkeepsie and Evergreen Market in Monsey are now offering fresh, local produce 365 days a year thanks to their revolutionary new Vertical Field urban farm installations.
The urban farm is the brainchild of Israeli startup Vertical Field (www.verticalfield.com), an agro-tech company dedicated to a sustainable environment and improving human health conditions worldwide. Vertical Field technology is an energy-efficient, space-saving alternative to traditional crops that shortens the supply chain with on-site urban farming.
Chefs, restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and city planners are embracing these “portable farms” to create lush, green edible spaces around the world. And New York’s vertical farmers are celebrating the season with a quartet of recipes that highlight the bounty of autumn greens in surprising new ways (see below).
Strawberry Basil Vegan Ice Cream
Vegetable Knishes in Phyllo Leaves
Harvest Salad
What is a Vertical Field urban farm?
This eco-friendly, state-of-the-art farming method grows organic produce on a 20-foot high geoponic wall. Healthy, high-quality vegetables flourish in soil beds containing a proprietary mix of minerals and nutrients. Advanced sensors constantly monitor, irrigate, and fertilize the crops throughout every growth stage.
The result: produce with a longer shelf life that’s cleaner and healthier than veggies shipped from miles away. Moreover, the sterile environment means that fewer hands are involved in the production of healthy lettuce, kale, arugula, basil, and cilantro – a welcome benefit in the age of Covid-19.
What are the advantages of a Vertical Field?
Less waste – uses 90% less water
No exposure to bugs – 100% pesticide-free crops
Shorter growing cycles, longer shelf life
Plants are “in season” 365 days a year, no matter the weather or climate conditions
Consistent quality
Modular, expandable, and moveable farm
Automated crop management
If you’re in the neighborhood, you can visit these innovative Vertical Fields and see just where your hyper-locally grown organic produce comes from. Farmers and Chefs is located at 40 Albany Street in Poughkeepsie. Evergreen Kosher Market is located at 59 Route 59 in Monsey.
STRAWBERRY BASIL VEGAN ICE CREAM
A mouth-watering, dairy-free delight courtesy of Chef John Lekic of Farmers and Chefs Restaurant.
5c oat milk
4c water
4c sugar
20 Tbsp coconut oil
5Tbsp coconut cream
1tsp salt
1tsp arugula powder
1tsp citric acid
4oz basil oil
10c strawberry puree
2-3 Siamese Basil leaves (Vertical Field)
Step one: take your strawberries and blend them in a Vitamix until a smooth consistency, after place item into mixing container.
Step two: add oat milk, water, oil, cream, basil oil and one basil leaf into the container and blend together with a handheld mixer.
Step three: add sugar, salt, arugula powder, citric acid and mix again with the handheld blender.
Step four: take your completed mixture and put into ice cream machine and let it go until it’s a nice soft serve consistency.
Step five: a stretch product from the ice cream machine and let cool in the freezer overnight or serve right away! Garnish with Basil leaf.
VEGETABLE KNISHES IN PHYLLO LEAVES
Veggie-lovers will love this hearty side dish created by Evergreen Market. Wonderful for holidays or anytime.
1½ medium onions, diced
1 clove garlic
1 carrot, diced
1 lb. mushrooms, diced
½ green pepper, diced
1 sprig Vertical Field dill
1 cup chopped kale (Vertical Field)
Several springs parsley (Vertical Field)
¾ cup oil
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup cooked kasha
1 large egg
1 tsp salt.
1 tsp pepper
½ cup margarine, melted
24 phyllo leaves
In a large skillet, heat ¼ cup oil. Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add carrots, mushrooms, and pepper, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, kasha, egg, salt, and pepper. Season to taste and cool.
Combine melted margarine and remaining ½ cup oil. Preheat oil to 350 F. Place phyllo leaves on wax paper and cut crosswise, giving you two 8½ x 11 pieces. Brush with margarine and fold in half again, giving you an 8½ x 5½ leaf. Brush again with melted margarine. Place a heaping teaspoonful of filling on the shorter end. Fold sides and turn top edge over filling. Brush edges with margarine and roll, as a jelly roll, until you reach the other end. Be sure to enclose the filing.
Place rolled knish, seam side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with melted margarine. Repeat the steps until all the filing is used. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Garnish with sprigs of Vertical Farms parsley. (This freezes well).
HARVEST SALAD
Chef John Lekic at Farmers and Chefs uses Russian red kale for this fresh fall salad, but you can use any farm greens that strike your fancy. Courtesy John Lekic, Farmers and Chefs Restaurant.
1 1/2 cups Mustard greens (Vertical Field)
1/2 cup Baby kale (Vertical Filed)
1/4 cup Butternut squash roasted
10each Dried cherries
1 Tbsp Pecans roasted
2 Tbsp Granny Smith apple
2 Tbsp Goat cheese
Ingredients for dressing
1 small shallot
1garlic clove smashed
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Step 1- take shallots, garlic, mustard, honey, vinegar, salt & pepper into blender. Pulse until smooth. Step 2- add the olive oil slowly till the liquid starts to Emulsify. Yields one serving size.
About Vertical Field: Vertical Field is a leading agro-tech provider of vertical farming and living green wall solutions for urban environments and smart cities. The company is operated by professionals, agronomists, researchers, and a multi-disciplinary team, enabling the development of smart walls that combine the best of design and manufacturing, smart computerized monitoring, soil-based technology, water and lighting technology and more. Vertical Field delivers next-generation vertical farming systems for a global clientele, including Facebook, Intel, Apple, Isrotel, Microsoft, and many more.
