Happy Earth Day!

Hello! My name is Ellie and I’m a new crew member here at Open Field. I’ll be working on the veggie crew for the season and I couldn’t be happier to be growing food for you! I graduated college this past June from Western Washington University with my degree in Environmental Studies and after working a summer season at a small farm in Washington, my partner Seda (you might have seen her in the CSA barn!) and I decided to WWOOF in Hawaii. If you’ve never heard of WWOOF, it stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms and basically, we spent the last 6 months working on farms in trade for food and shelter. I had the time of my life at the beach, in the Hawaiian sun, and learning about tropical farming. Looking back, I feel like our time in Hawaii was my last hoorah of “no responsibility” in my young adult life. We met so many people, learned so much about farming and Hawaiian culture and had so much fun!

Now I feel that I’m entering a new stage of my life here at Open Field as this is my first real job post-graduation. It has been so beautiful to be able to sow seeds in trays, water the baby plants in the greenhouse and plant them in the tunnels. Everything is just starting out in the spring, so small and getting ready to have a life; just like me. I feel like the seeds and I are one in the same right now, I’m absorbing all I can and soon enough, my little green head will pop out of the soil and grow big and strong!

Upcoming Events:

Sign ups are due for 2024-2025

All Member Meeting: Wednesday April 24th 6-8 pm - A time to meet all of the farmers, to hear about the coming year, and to ask questions and learn! (Adults only)

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Leeks

• Green garlic

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets (Last week-limited)

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Rubro Radicchio

• Ruby Red Chard

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Fava Greens and Beans

• Lettuce Mix

• Winter Sweet Kabocha and Tetsukabota Winter Squash

• Pie Pita Pumpkin (A pie pumpkin with pepita seeds!)

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Dried Hot Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

Shaved Beet Carrot Salad with Citrus Scallion Dressing

www.foodandwine.com/recipes/shaved-beet-carrot-salad-with-citrus-scallion-dressing

Dressing

• 3 medium scallions, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)

• 1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons mild honey

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

• 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper

Salad

• 5 ounces lettuce mix

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and shaved into thin strips using a vegetable peeler (about 2

• cups)

• 2 small red beets, peeled, trimmed, and very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

• 4 medium radishes, trimmed and very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

• 2 medium clementines, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

• 1⁄3 cup roughly chopped unsalted almonds, toasted

• Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Make the dressing:
Pulse scallions, oil, honey, mustard, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor until dressing is creamy and scallions are finely chopped, about 10 pulses, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Transfer to a small bowl, and set aside.

Make the salad:
Arrange lettuce on a large, wide salad platter. Layer with carrot strips, beets, radishes, and clementines. Scatter with almonds; drizzle with 1/3 cup dressing. Garnish with flaky sea salt. Serve salad alongside remaining dressing.

Dressing may be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

I'm Back!

By Kelsey

After six months of maternity leave, I am officially back at work this week. Its a bittersweet feeling, akin to the first day of school after the most epic summer of my life. My little guy, Julio, will be 5 months this Friday. As I type this, he is up on his hands and knees, rocking back and forth, desperately trying to figure out how to crawl. I'm sure I'm echoing all the mothers who have come before me when I say that this has been the most intense, blissful, humbling, amazing period of my life and he is just the most precious little thing. I will never take for granted how special it has been to have such a long leave to focus solely on bonding with my baby (as a farm worker, its pretty much unheard of) and I am deeply grateful to Sarah & Seth and all of you CSA members for making that possible. I know there will be some growing pains, as there are with every transition, but I am excited to be back out in the field, learning how to be both a farmer/herbalist and mother at the same time (with gratitude to Celeste and Sarah for showing me the way!). Open Field Farm has held me through so much: I discovered my passion for herbalism here and was met with nothing but support. I healed my body after many years of restrictive eating thanks to the bounty of this land. I got married here. I spent my pregnancy toiling in the gardens and wouldn't have had it any other way. This community showed up for me after an extremely difficult birth experience with food, flowers, favors, company, and advice. And now to be spending my child's early life here, teaching him how to love the earth and hard work and sweat and sunshine... Its the answer to a prayer I didn't even know was in me when I first started working here 7 years ago.

Upcoming Events:

Sign ups for 2024-2025 Due Sunday April 24th

All Member Meeting: Wednesday April 24th in the evening - A time to meet all of the farmers, to hear about the coming year, and to ask questions and learn! (Adults only)

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Leeks

• Green garlic

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Rubro Radicchio

• Ruby Red Chard

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Fava Greens

• Lettuce Mix

• Regiment Spinach

• Cilantro and Parsley

• Winter Sweet Kabocha and Tetsukabota Winter Squash

• Pie Pita Pumpkin (A pie pumpkin with pepita seeds!)

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Dried Hot Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

Sheet-Pan Bibimbap, from nytimes.com

• 6 ounces oyster mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces

• 4 carrots (about 6 ounces), scrubbed and thinly sliced into half-moons

• 1 small red onion (about 6 ounces), thinly sliced crosswise into half-moons

• 3 packed cups coarsely chopped Tuscan or curly kale (from 1 small bunch)

• 6 tablespoons olive oil

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 4 cups cooked medium-grain white rice, preferably cold leftovers

• 4 large eggs

• 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus more to taste, for serving

• 4 teaspoons gochujang, plus more to taste, for serving

• Kimchi, for serving (optional)

Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat oven to 450 degrees.

On a large sheet pan, arrange the mushrooms, carrots, red onion and kale into four separate quadrants. Drizzle the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat, keeping the types of vegetables separate. Try to not crowd the vegetables; you want them to brown, not steam. Roast on the top rack until the carrot is fork-tender, the onion and mushrooms are slightly caramelized and the kale is crispy but not burnt, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, place another large sheet pan on the bottom rack to heat. When the vegetables are almost done cooking, in the last 5 minutes or so, remove the heated pan from the oven and evenly drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil on it. Spread the rice over half of the pan. Crack the eggs onto the other half and carefully transfer to the oven. Bake until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny, 3 to 6 minutes (this time may vary depending on your oven, so watch it carefully).

To serve, divide the rice evenly among four bowls. Now divide the vegetables evenly as well, placing them in four neat piles over each portion of rice. Use a spatula to slide the eggs over the vegetables. Drizzle each bowl with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and dollop with 1 teaspoon of gochujang, adding more if desired. Mix everything together with a spoon or chopsticks before diving in, and serve kimchi alongside, if you prefer.

Cici

A Month at Open Field: 

My hands are tougher and cracked 

My back stays sore, my legs are bruised

My arms are stronger and my laugh bigger 

My gratitude stretches further

My time always feels full

My roots expand at the surface, nursed by food, space, and support

Abundance prepares them to reach deeper and give more 

Hello everyone! 

My name is Cici and I am one of the unfamiliar faces you may have seen around the farm this past month. To briefly introduce myself, I graduated this past June from UC Davis with a degree in Sustainable Agriculture and have always had an affinity for the outdoors and creating. My favorite ways to create are primarily through oil painting, crocheting, and cooking. I have felt immediately at home here at Open Field and I’m looking forward to getting to know this land and you better!

Upcoming Events:

Sign ups for 2024-2025 Due Sunday April 24th

All Member Meeting: Wednesday April 24th in the evening - A time to meet all of the farmers, to hear about the coming year, and to ask questions and learn! (Adults only)

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Harvest Moon Purple Potatoes

• Cabernet Red Onions

• Leeks

• Green garlic

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green Cabbage

• Rubro Radicchio

• Mixed Looseleaf Chicories

• Ruby Red Chard

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Fava Greens

• Lettuce Mix

• Regiment Spinach

• Esmee Arugula

• Cilantro

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Tetsukabota, and Acorn Winter Squash

• Pie Pita Pumpkin (A pie pumpkin with pepita seeds!)

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Dried Hot Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

One Pan Lemon Pepper Salmon with Leeks, from Carolina Gelen: 

https://carolinagelen.substack.com/p/one-pan-lemon-pepper-salmon-with

Salmon & Leeks

• 3 to 4 medium leeks

• 1 pound salmon fillet or 2 pre-portioned fillets

• Extra-virgin olive oil 

• Kosher salt

Lemon Pepper Bread Crumbs

• 1 cup panko or other bread crumbs 

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, about 1 small lemon

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

• Kosher salt

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, about 1 small lemon 

• 2 garlic cloves, grated  

Lemon Pepper Yogurt 

• 1 cup Greek yogurt

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, about 1 small lemon

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice about 1 small lemon

• Kosher salt

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• Lemon wedges, for serving 

• Fresh parsley, for serving, optional 

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 425°F (215°C). 

Trim the root end off the leeks. Trim the dark green leaves off (you can freeze them and simmer them in soups!).

Slice the leek stalks into 2-cm thick (3/4-inch thick) coins. Add them to a bowl and thoroughly rinse them with water.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the leeks to the pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with a hefty pinch of salt. Toss to evenly coat.

Push the leeks around the edges of the pan, place the salmon fillet, skin-side down in the center. Season the salmon with salt and set aside.

In a medium bowl, make the lemon pepper bread crumbs: Combine the bread crumbs, lemon zest, and black pepper. Rub them together using your fingers. Add a pinch of salt, the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and mix everything to combine.

Cover the salmon fillet with the bread crumbs. Sprinkle any remaining bread crumbs on the leeks and the sides of the pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bread crumbs look golden and crunchy.

While the salmon is baking, make the lemon yogurt: in the same bowl you used to make the lemon pepper bread crumbs, combine the yogurt, olive oil, black pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and garlic, mixed to combine. 

Drizzle lemon juice and sprinkle parsley (if using) over the freshly baked leeks and toss to combine.

Serve the leeks with the salmon on the side and a dollop of lemon pepper yogurt.

To saying Hello and Goodbye

By Ashley

"... it is right to give Him thanks and praise." -- The Nicene Creed

What an Easter weekend! Last week was the somber holy week before Easter and I couldn't help but notice the movement of the weather and how it encouraged me each day to hold the somber days as Holy and reverent and celebrate the sun shining on the celebrant day of Easter. My heart is moved through grief and joy during this time remembering not only the sacrifice of my savior, but I am also reminded of those who live their lives through faith and conviction through their trust in our Lord. It's through rocky times, hard times, good times, times of joy and sorrow that we are brought closer to God through faith. And boy have times been hard for me! 

It is a funny thing for me to say, seeing as here at the farm we truly live a blessed life. I am housed, fed, supported, and seen, which will never cease to amaze me. But I have an announcement, I am pregnant! And though my fiance and I are so excited because we have always wanted children, this pregnancy has been way more difficult than I ever thought. I slept about 8 extra hours a week and could barely get down any food for the first two months. Not to mention those pesky emotions that seem to disrupt every thought process I had. I don't know if I could have entered into this second trimester with any kind of joy without daily prayer. 

Yet, with the grace of God, I not only entered into the 4th month with joy, but also in time to celebrate a new year of life for myself! I'm 27! My birthday was on Easter this year, which happens only once in a awhile and what a beautiful way to celebrate my life than with the second life of Christ. My fiance came up from Oakland to be with me, eat good food, read the Bible over breakfast and take pictures and plan the announcement of our baby to our families.

 I've spoken before on my last letter to you all about rapid changes here on the farm and it still feels that way to me. This year of 2024 has been intense and ripe with change. We found out I was pregnant in January and since then it has been a rush to find someone to replace me here at the barn and for my little family to find a place to live. Unfortunately, this means my time here at the farm is ending. I will be moving in May to a new state, this month of April will be my last with you and all of my crew mates. 

With looking ahead, we always have to make time to look behind and at the present. I came here winter of 2021, heart broken and unsure of who I was. It was through hard work and the love of those here that I had the freedom to discover who I was, what I wanted, and where I was headed. And through this time I have grown into a woman, soon to be mom, and witnessed (and encouraged) at all times by Sarah, Aj, Kelsey, and Alyssa. 

This spring has been very bittersweet. Planting seeds for crops I will not see, touch, or smell. Training new minds that I will not see grow in their comfort here, it is difficult. I will soak up the California sun as much as I can, swim in the pond where I find the time, and prepare to embark on another journey into building a family, a new home, and a deeper connection with God and his ever present blessings. 

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red and Harvest Moon Purple Potatoes

• Cabernet Red Onions

• Leeks

• Green garlic

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green Cabbage

• Mei Qing Choi

• Rubro Radicchio

• Mixed Looseleaf Chicories

• Ruby Red Chard

• Fava Greens

• Lettuce Mix

• Regiment Spinach

• Cilantro

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Tetsukabota, and Acorn Winter Squash

• Pie Pita Pumpkin (A pie pumpkin with pepita seeds!)

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Dried Hot Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

Maple-Fried Egg and Black Pepper Biscuit, from food52.com

For the Black Pepper Biscuits:

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper (use less if you like less heat)

• 9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, divided

• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

For finishing:

• 4 large eggs

• 3/4 cup high-quality grade A maple syrup

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 4 slices cheddar 

Make the Biscuits: Place the flour, and black pepper in a large bowl. Cut 8 tablespoons of cold butter into cubes. Using your clean fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the crumbs are the size of peas, flattening the butter pieces a little as you go to create flat, shingle-like butter pieces.

Drizzle in the cold buttermilk, and stir with a fork or spatula just until the flour is moistened. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and using your hands or bench scraper, press the dough into a rough rectangle shape that's about 1-inch thick.

Using the bench scraper, lift and fold the long edges into the center to meet, similar to how you fold a letter. Roll the biscuit dough out once more into a rough rectangle shape and repeat the letter fold. If at any time the dough seems soft or difficult to lift or work with, pop it in the fridge or freezer to firm up before proceeding. (The biscuit dough can be made several hours ahead of time and chilled.)

Cut and bake the biscuits. Preheat the oven to 450°F/232°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon maple syrup in a small bowl using the microwave or stove top. This will be used to brush on the just-baked biscuits.

Turn the chilled biscuit dough dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll dough with a rolling pin until 1-inch to 1 ½-inch thick. Cut out biscuits using a floured 2-inch to 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter, the rim of a cup works great as well. You will ideally have 4 perfectly round biscuits and some leftover dough. With the remaining scraps, you are welcome to reroll and cut to make additional biscuits.

Place the biscuits on the baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown, rotating once halfway through the bake time. Remove from the oven. Brush the tops with the melted butter and maple mixture. Set aside to continue to cool. 

Once slightly cooled, prep your biscuits. Slice each in half, then lay them open face on a sheet pan. Lay a cheese slice on each of the biscuit bottoms. This will make your maple egg sandwich assembly go smoothly.

Make the fried maple eggs. In a small skillet—8 inches if you have one—warm 3 tablespoons of the maple syrup over medium heat. Crack 1 egg into the center and season with salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes, or until the white has set and the yolk is still runny. You will want to watch the heat and keep it low so as not to burn or cook the maple so much that it turns to candy.

With a fish spatula or other wide and thin spatula, lift the egg from the syrup and place on one of cheese-clad bottom biscuits. Continue to fry the eggs, wiping out the skillet as you go, adding 3 tablespoons of maple for each egg. 

Perennials

By Alyssa

Next week we welcome the rest of our new crew members to the farm!  We will have many new faces in the field this year. I am excited. I feel the fresh, new energy like a burst of spring growth. As the season begins to pick up, I have been reflecting on my first months at Open Field two years ago. This is the longest I’ve been at a job, and the longest I’ve lived in one place since my childhood home. It feels good. The stability, the connection – I’m beyond grateful to have come to this place.

 In my first few months at the farm, we planted two new areas of perennials, the asparagus and the raspberries. Most of you have tasted the raspberries by now – they fruited the first year they were in the ground, and have been generous with their sweetness ever since. We put out some of the asparagus for a couple of weeks last year, but the crowns were still too young to give us much. Asparagus is slow to establish – it takes the crowns a few years to build enough strength to withstand an extended harvest. I feel a bit like the asparagus. It has taken me time to put down roots, to grow more steady and sure in this ground. I still have so much to learn about being a part of this community, but I am glad to be able to offer more of myself each year.

 Last week’s sunny reprieve dried the soil enough for us to give the perennial planting areas on the farm some love. In the asparagus, we cut the grass back and put down a thick layer of woodchip mulch. We cut back last year’s raspberry canes, to spur the growth of new canes for this year’s fruit. And for the first time, we planted some fruit trees – plum, apple, pear, and persimmon varieties that we hope are hardy enough for our cold, wet winters. It will be years until they fruit productively; as with the asparagus, they are an offering to the future of this place.

 I really wanted to find an asparagus poem, but failed. If you know one, please share! Instead, a poem about moles that reminds me of spring.

Moles

by Mary Oliver

Under the leaves, under

the first loose

levels of earth

they’re there—quick

as beetles, blind

as bats, shy

as hares but seen

less than these—

traveling

among the pale girders

of appleroot,

rockshelf, nests

of insects and black

pastures of bulbs

peppery and packed full

of the sweetest food:

spring flowers.

Field after field

you can see the traceries

of their long

lonely walks, then

the rains blur

even this frail

hint of them—

so excitable,

so plush,

so willing to continue

generation after generation

accomplishing nothing

but their brief physical lives

as they live and die,

pushing and shoving

with their stubborn muzzles against

the whole earth,

finding it,

delicious.

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red and Harvest Moon Purple Potatoes

• Cabernet Red Onions

• Leeks

• Parade Scallions

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green Cabbage

• Fennel

• Prize Choi

• Rubro Radicchio

• Mixed Looseleaf Chicories

• Ruby Red Chard

• Fava Greens

• Lettuce Mix

• Regiment Spinach

• Esmee Arugula

• Cilantro

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Tetsukabota, and Acorn Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Dried Hot Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread only on Friday

Miso Leeks with White Beans, from nytimes.com, by Hetty McKinnon

For the leeks:

• 2 large leeks (about 1 lb), halved lengthwise, white and green parts thinly sliced

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

• 4 eggs

• 2 (14 oz) cans of white beans, drained

• Handful of fresh herbs, roughly chopped to serve

• Toasted bread (optional), for serving

For the miso vinaigrette

• 4 tsp white miso paste

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• 2 tsp red wine vinegar

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

1. Rinse and drain the leeks.

2. Heat a large Dutch oven or skillet on medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the leeks. Season generously with salt and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid cooks off and leeks start to stick to the pan, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Boil eggs for your preferred length of time, and peel.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.

5. Uncover the leeks — they will have reduced into a silky, jammy consistency. Discard the thyme, transfer the leeks to the bowl and stir to coat in the miso vinaigrette.

6. Stir in the white beans and herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and top each serving with a halved egg. Serve with toast, if desired.

Cinder

By AJ

I’m going to mention Palestine in this blog post, by way of Cinder. 

Cinder is one of two bottle-fed lambs this year. Cinder’s mom, Claire, had quadruplets. Yes, quadruplets. And one was folded inside like a donut, which made this an event for intervention. I pulled three of four lambs–Cinder, Cindy, Cider– out of Claire and magically, they all survived. For a while. It is not uncommon for an ewe to be overwhelmed and taxed by this number of offspring, and so after a couple days, whether by accident or quiet intention, Claire sat on one lamb until it was quietly subdued into passing. Still, a mother and three surviving lambs after such a laborious birth is a triumph. 

The next complication to arise from this situation was Cinder. I’m not entirely sure what combination of events led to Cinder’s predicament but I walked into the barn one morning and she was barely alive. At first I thought it was just that she wasn’t getting enough to eat. But after a few days of coaxing her to eat and stand, it seemed it was more than just an empty belly.

On the day I resolved to end Cinder’s life, I scooped her up and walked her into the pasture, laying her down in the wet, green grass. I let her lie there for a bit and then, I’m not sure why, but I lifted her into a standing position. Up until this point, she wasn’t able to get up on her own, and once standing would sway, try to take a step, and fall down. Perhaps she just needed the deep remembering of pasture, but for whatever reason, once standing, she took several steps toward me. For the rest of the day, I visited the barn frequently, lifting her to her feet and walking away from her, watching her following me with her weak legs. Now how could I do what I set out to do, when I am seeing her improve all of a sudden?

What does this have to do with Palestine? Absolutely nothing. 

And everything. 

A genocide actively happening in this moment, and actively being ignored, crosses my mind every day. Whatever feelings or thoughts you may have on the situation in Palestine, I don’t see that as a matter of opinion, but as a matter of fact. And it follows me into the barn, when I go see how everyone fared through the night, when I asked myself if I should try to revive a starving lamb, and whether or not I should put it out of its misery. Would I have tried to revive Cinder, if I hadn’t had masses of  starving children on my mind? Would I have put her on her feet if I hadn’t been weeping about the everyday heartaches that we are confronted with as farmers/stewards? If all of that hadn’t been compounded by the heartache of Gaza, war, genocide, complacency? 

Cinder has only improved since that day and now acts like every other lamb (other than the fact that she runs toward me, instead of away). I’m trying hard to let that fill me with joy and appreciation. But it is shadowed by whether or not I made the right decision, and whether or not it’s enough. Whether or not I’m enough, DO enough? If we ALL do enough? Is a cinder the same as an ember? Can a flame be reignited?

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red and Harvest Moon Purple Potatoes

• Cabernet Red Onions

• Leeks

• Parade Scallions

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green Cabbage

• Fennel

• Prize Choi

• Rubro Radicchio

• Mixed Looseleaf Chicories

• Ruby Red Chard

• Fava Greens

• Lettuce Mix

• Regiment Spinach

• Cilantro

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Tetsukabota, and Acorn Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Dried Hot Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• No Revolution Bread this week (frozen bread is available)

Spicy Sesame Carrot Soup with Red Lentils, from thefirstmess.com

• 1 teaspoon ground chillies or chili flakes

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2- inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

• 1 ½ lbs carrots, scrubbed and chopped

• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

• ½ cup split red lentils, rinsed

• 5 cups vegetable stock

• ¼ cup tahini

• 1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon Tamari soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice

Set a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds to the pot and toast, stirring them up often. Toast the spices until very fragrant, about 45 seconds to a full minute. Dump the seeds out onto a small plate and allow them to cool completely before grinding up to a powder in a spice grinder. Set the ground spices aside.

Return the large soup pot to the stove over medium heat and pour in the olive oil. Swirl the oil around a bit and then add the onions to the pot and stir. The onions should be sizzling, but on the quieter end of sizzling. Lower the heat if necessary. Keep cooking the onions, stirring occasionally, until very soft and translucent (but not browning), about 7-8 minutes.

Add the ground cumin and coriander to the pot, along with the ground chillies as well. Stir and cook along with the onions for one full minute. Then, add the minced garlic and ginger to the pot and stir. Keep cooking until the garlic is very fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the carrots to the pot along with big pinches of salt and pepper. Stir the carrots to coat them in the spices and sautéed onions. Then, add the red lentils to the pot and stir once more. Finally, pour in the vegetable stock and give it a final stir.

Bring this broth-y carrot, lentil, and spice mixture to a boil and then lower your heat to a simmer. Simmer this mixture uncovered, stirring here and there, until the carrots are quite soft, about 30 minutes.

Carefully ladle the broth-y carrot, lentil, and spice mixture into the pitcher of an upright, vented blender. To this mixture, add the tahini, sesame oil, and Tamari. Close the lid on the pitcher and slowly bring the speed of the blender up to high. You may have to add a few splashes of water to get things moving. Blend until you have a completely smooth puree.

Pour the spicy sesame carrot soup back into the pot. At this point, you can leave it as-is or add some water to make the texture a bit more fluid. I personally like a bit of fluidity in pureed soups, so I added 2 cups of water at this point. Bring the soup up to a boil, stirring often. Stir in the lemon or lime juice.

Give the soup a taste at this point to see if you need to adjust some of the seasoning. Maybe it needs even more lemon/lime for your taste, some extra pepper etc. Adjust the seasoning to your liking and then serve! I topped mine with chopped cilantro, drizzles of tahini and chili oil, and sesame seeds.

Reset

By Abby

For many farmers March is the beginning of the season. Hibernation and dormancy on the farm is replaced by the buzz of new energy. New crew, new baby animals, spring cleaning, and new seeds starting in the greenhouse. 

In a way cycles are continuous, but the start of our growing season is a chance to give our best shot after last years lessons. It’s so exciting because each year brings unique surprises.  I feel the year of the Dragon will be one of Ambition and innovation. 

Because Sarah shared about meadowsweet last week I put out a "Reset" tea in the barn that highlights this plant medicine from our 2023 inventory. The aerial parts of meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) contain a sweet and astringent salicylic acid and has been used as an anti-inflammatory, natural analgesic, and digestion support. (Source: https://www.zhiherbals.com/blog/meadowsweet-herb-history-benefits-tea-recipes-and-faq). Oat tops are soothing to the nervous system. I've been enjoying this blend to embrace and reset my days this season. 

"Heart Matters" has seemed to be a deep medicine for our community in the last year, and it's cool to see that rose, tulsi, and oat tops were also some of the best yields in 2023. 

CSA Barn Hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM Start this week!

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Harvest Moon, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cabernet Red Onions

• Matador Shallots

• Leeks

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Celery

• Rubro Radicchio

• Mixed Looseleaf Chicories

• Dazzling Blue Kale (Last week for now, new planting is coming, likely ready in 3-4 weeks.)

• Ruby Red Chard

• Fava Greens

• Lettuce Mix

• Cilantro

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Tetsukabota, and Acorn Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Dried Hot Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday.

Leek Pakora-- this recipe would be great with yogurt sauce with fresh mint and chives from the garden! 

• 2 cups Leeks (chopped finely)

• 2 tbsp Corn flour

• 1/4 tsp Baking soda

• 1 cup Gram flour

• 1 tsp Ginger(grated)

• 1/4 cup Rice flour

• 2 nos Green chillies (chopped)

• 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

• Chopped coriander leaves

• Curry leaves

• Salt

• Oil for deep frying

Take the finely chopped leeks, cornflour, gram flour, baking soda, rice flour,grated ginger, chopped green chillies, fennel seeds,curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves with enough salt.

Mix everything well,sprinkle some water and turn everything as a thick paste.

Heat oil for deep frying. Make small balls from the thick paste, drop gently to the hot oil, fry until they turns crispy and golden brown.

Drain the excess of oil with a paper towel.

https://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.com/2016/12/leek-pakodaleek-frittersleek-medhu.html

Awakening

By Sarah

Even though the ground is saturated, the plants are starting to wake up. One of my favorite spring activities is to walk the perennial fields, looking for signs of plants pushing through. Each plant emerges in a different manner and it is a treat to observe them in all stages. The plant below is meadowsweet, which we have also sown in the greenhouse and are waiting for it to germinate. I saw many of the perennial herbs emerging but no signs of asparagus yet.

We welcomed 2 new bulls to the farm a few months ago: Romero and Ortiga (Rosemary and Nettle in Spanish). They traveled here from South Dakota, through snow and rain. After Atticus’s passing, we needed to find a replacement Corriente bull. After spending a few weeks in the corral, with Danny and Jesse working them each day so that they would trust us, Romero and Ortiga have joined the rams in the bull pen at the end of the road. (Check out the picture of them below.)

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Harvest Moon, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland Yellow and Cabernet Red Onions (Last week of cortlands, may be limited.)

• Matador Shallots

• Leeks

• Scallions

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Rubro, Treviso, and Rosalba

• Dazzling Blue Kale (Last week for now, new planting is coming, likely ready in 3-4 weeks.)

• Ruby Red Chard

• Mei Qing Choi

• Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Cilantro

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Tetsukabota, and Acorn Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Sonora Wheat Flour on Friday (We should have it for several weeks.)

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread on Friday.

Roasted Carrots with Green Labneh and Pistachios, from saveur.com

• 1½ lb. rainbow carrots, leafy tops trimmed, cleaned

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil

• 2 tsp. ground cumin

• 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 12 oz. labneh, or plain full-fat Greek yogurt

• 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

• 1 cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, plus more

• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

• ¼ cup roasted salted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, then place the carrots on top and add the oil, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper; toss to coat. Bake until the carrots are browned in spots and tender when pierced with a knife, 25–30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender, purée the labneh, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and remaining salt. Season to taste 

To serve, spread the labneh sauce over a large platter. Arrange the carrots over the sauce, sprinkle with pistachios, and serve warm.

Spring babies

We are relishing the break in rain this week, enjoying the sunshine and warmth while it is here! We are hoping for the grass and the tunnel crops to have a chance to grow. Even though the soils in the tunnels are covered with plastic, the moisture still finds its way in, whether through gopher tunnels, condensation, or simply the lack of sunshine allowing it to stay.

The barn is filling up with sweet lambs and more are on their way. As well, the mother cows have been separated from the rest of the herd (You may have noticed the cows mooing a lot 2 weeks ago when we first split them into two groups. Even though the calves are nearly a year old, they were not happy about the change at first but have settled now.) The mother cows are out on pasture but still being supplemented with alfalfa hay to support them through the end of their pregnancy. They enjoy some quiet before the new calves are born.

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Harvest Moon, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red Onions, Matador Shallots

• Leeks

• Scallions

• Fennel

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Rubro and Treviso

• Ruby Red Chard

• Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Cilantro

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, and Acorn Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• We should have Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale by Friday (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread is back! We will have bread on Tuesday and Friday.

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

One-Pot Braised Chard With Gnocchi, Peas and Leeks, from nytimes.com

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 3 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced thinly into half-moons

• 1 pound chard, preferably rainbow or red (about 2 bunches), stems thinly sliced and leaves coarsely chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated

• 2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• ¾ cup dry white wine

• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock

• 1 pound potato gnocchi (fresh, frozen or shelf-stable all work)

• 2 cups peas, fresh or frozen

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

• 1 cup torn parsley leaves and tender stems, for serving

• Grated Parmesan, for serving

• Lemon wedges, for serving

• Fresh ricotta, for serving (optional)

• Red-pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

In a 5- or 6-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add leeks and chard stems, and cook until tender and lightly brown, 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in garlic, thyme and a large pinch of salt and black pepper, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add wine, scraping up the brown bits at bottom of pot, and let the wine reduce by half, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour in stock and ¾ teaspoon salt, and bring to a simmer.

Stir in gnocchi and chard leaves. Cook, partly covered, for 15 minutes, until the chard is soft. Add peas and tarragon, and continue to cook, partly covered, until gnocchi are cooked through, another 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

To serve, top with parsley, a generous shower of Parmesan and a big squeeze of lemon. If you like, you can also add a dollop of ricotta and some red-pepper flakes.

Flower Farm

Hi everyone, Celeste here 

It’s been a while since i wrote a blog i usually choose not to write one because during winter there is nothing exiting for me to share with you , im only doing chores , grinding corn for cornmeal and doing the hot peppers .

I wanted to share with you im currently in maternity leave for the second time because i just love being pregnant so i decided to do it again. ( Im not being sarcastic I actually love the feeling of empowerment; being able to create a beautiful life inside of me ; that’s wild ) 

But with this being said it makes me really emotional to say i wont be the one mapping the flower field , sowing the flowers nor planting them ; this process is the most important to me because i start to connect with each seed ; i begin to put my energy , my heart and mind into each flat and visualize their life cycle in the field . 

Since the moment Sarah and I start to talked about what seeds she will buy for the season i already have in my head how this can be combine for the wreath making workshop ; and it is silly to maybe think about it since it will happen 7 months after we plant them but i want every single flower to have a purpose and to thrive on every angle .

 The truth is that i feel really anxious to know someone else will be working the flower field until i come back, i know they will do an amazing job but it is my sacred space after all ; i have been working in this field mostly by myself past 3-4years ( Danny helps me weedwack the pathways) So is like letting someone borrow something very special of you , with that small thought in the back of your mind hoping nothing bad will happen to it. 

And honestly having my first born there with me

makes this space even more special. 

( When i went to maternity leave the first time it was perfect timing i came back when it was time to start planting , kelsey had sowed the flowers for me then and they turned out to be amazing starts )  

I am hoping it will be a smooth transition when i come back on early August to start harvesting the flowers for drying because other women will have been working on this field for 6 months so i will be the intruder and i will have to be the one adapting to their routine. 

I want to share this poem with you.

Flower Farm

A flower farm in August bloom,
Go see for fall is coming soon

Colorful flowers seem to flirt
Vibrant Asters lined up alert

Sunflower’s yellow all aglow
With blackened centers are just so

Flower farms don't feed the world,
As more people are unfurled,

No corn or beans to fill your hat,
Or sugar beets to make you fat

So why plant flowers where crops could grow?
And harvest three rounds of hay before snow

Before Sunday comics and acrobats physically able,
And of course color TV and multichannel cable

Wild flowers in meadows grew,
People must have liked them too

Farming provided means to stay well fed,
Somehow growing flowers entered a farmer’s head.

Not to eat, bake or stew in a pot ,
Only to experience fragrance and forget-me-nots

Unlike golden sunsets and mountains azure,
People  Farming flowers had to be sure

Ephemeral beauty would find a way,
Into homes, hearts, and holidays

Not gathered from the wild,
Purchased from a stand or grocery aisle 
Finally an intrepid farmer agreed,
Flowers planted instead of snap peas

Now we see  flowers at special events,
Celebrations, parties and a wedding in a tent

Back to the late afternoon finding the flowers,
Tranquility, beauty, in the day’s waining hours

After dinner stroll late that summer day,
Still light and warm breeze off the bay.

First a gentle scent of something sweet,
Flowers and flowers in rows so neat.

A moment to pause, cherish, and share with someone
Like an early morning coffee and fresh cinnamon bun

So is the last of late summer eves,
Soon ending with fallen leaves.

Michael Morris, M.D.
Ocean View

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Harvest Moon, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red Onions, Monastrell Shallots

• Leeks

• Fennel

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Rosalba, Rubro, and Treviso

• Prize Choi

• Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Arugula

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut, and Delicata Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread is back! We will have bread on Tuesday and Friday.

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

French Onion Baked Lentils and Farro, from smittenkitchen.com

• 2 pounds (910 grams) yellow onions (4 large or 5 medium), sliced

• 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry sherry, vermouth, or white wine (optional)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) dried farro

• 3/4 cup (135 grams) dried lentils, any variety, but green (le puy) or brown (italian) are my favorites here

• A few sprigs of fresh thyme

• 6 cups (1.4 liters) vegetable broth + splashes more, if needed

• 2 cups (8 ounces or 225 grams) coarsely grated gruyere cheese

Caramelize your onions: Heat butter and olive oil in a large, deep saute pan, ideally one that’s ovenproof, over medium heat. Add the onions, toss to coat them in butter and oil and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the onions slowly steep for 15 to 20 minutes — they don’t need your attention. You want to start the stirring process sooner if they’re browning or sticking to the pan. Uncover the pot, raise the heat to medium-high (for now) and stir in salt — I start with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Cook onions, stirring every few minutes (you can check less often in the beginning, and will have to frequently stir later in the process) until the onions are brown, soft, and sweet, about 20 minutes more. You’ll want to reduce the heat to medium once any water the onions emitted has cooked off.

Heat your oven: To 375°F (190°C).

Assemble casserole: Add garlic to the onions and cook, stirring, one minute. Add sherry, if using, and cook until it disappears. Add the farro and cook for 2 minutes. Add lentils and 6 cups broth and thyme and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season well with salt and pepper as needed. If your pan isn’t ovenproof, transfer it at this point to a casserole dish.

Bake the casserole: Cover the pan and bake, stirring about halfway through, until the lentils and farro are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. If all of the liquid has absorbed, either at the midway through point or at the end, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup splash of broth. We’re looking for a risotto-like looseness or light “slosh” in the pan. Fish out thyme stems.

To finish: Sprinkle the dish with gruyere and broil until browned on top.

Do ahead: The dish keeps fantastically in the fridge for 4 to 5 days; rewarm in a 350-degree oven. You can also prepare the lentil and farro base a few days early, rewarm it (it will likely need more broth at this point), and broil the cheese on top right before serving.

A Big Hug

Thank you to everyone who was able to come to the pancake breakfast this Saturday! We were fortunate to have bright, clear skies and the sun warming us, as we spread seeds and walked to the pond. The multitude of shapes and smells of the seeds fascinated us, and we appreciated the beauty of them. At the pond, we made a giant circle around the water, hugging it and offering our gratitude.

The pasture was moist and brimming with water as we made our way to grandmother oak, where we paused for climbing, before heading back to the barn for pancakes and more.

Otis, the first lamb, was born yesterday. We are prepping for more rain this week!

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Fingerling, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red Onions, Monastrell Shallots

• Leeks

• Parade Scallions

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Rosalba and Treviso

• Mei Qing Choi

• Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut, and Delicata Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers and Ground Chile Flakes

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread is back! We will have bread on Friday.

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Buttermilk Pancakes, from Bette’s Oceanview Diner in Berkeley
(These are the pancakes my mom has made for as long as I can remember. I have a very worn recipe card that I follow.) We rarely use buttermilk, instead do one third yogurt and two thirds milk.

• 2 cups flour (we always use farm flour and love the flavor that it brings!)

• 2 Tbsp sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 eggs

• 2 cups buttermilk

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix dry ingredients. Whisk liquid ingredients together and add to the dry ingredients. Do not overstir!

Strawberry Syrup

We always freeze any leftover strawberries after a CSA pick up. We eat them all winter in smoothies and in other recipes! I do not have an exact recipe for the syrup. My ratio tends to be heavy on the strawberries but you could always add more syrup if you prefer. Here is about what we made on Saturday:

• 1 gallon bag frozen strawberries (Defrosted overnight, it became about 6 cups)

• 1-1.5 cups maple syrup

Put both in a blender and mix well!

The In Between Spaces

By Ashley

There's a big theme on farms: Constant Change.  Of course there are working systems to keep the general every day of life humming along.. but nothing changes faster than life on a farm. 

For me, Ashley, you've been seeing me a lot at the barn during your CSA hours. This is new since Kelsey had her maternity leave and in turn, her baby. It's been lovely getting to know all of you and keep the barn in working order. This change for me has coincided with moving out of the crew house into the tiny house on the other side of the property in preparation for the new crew to join us in March. The crew house will be completely empty for the first time in, who knows really how long, in time to welcome the 2024 veggie crew! 

Speaking of change, the storm this past weekend (2/3/24) was an incredible object of change. Our waterfalls, waterways, and fields are all full of water. The grand winds picked up and moved our sheep barn over a fence and into another field! Imagine our surprise when we woke up the next morning! We are working on moving it out of our field and maybe turning it right side up. Please do not let the children play on the upside down barn, as tempting as it may look. 

Lastly, we are waiting for many babies to arrive here for the spring. Celeste, our CSA/ flower crew, is patiently waiting for her second child to say hello! (And it is always a treat when her first son joins us in the wash station for some fun.) As well as lambs! We are watching our mom group of sheep closely as they will be lambing anytime between now and the end of March. 

It is still cold most days, though we are getting hints of a sweet, warm spring to come. Sip some tea, enjoy the changes in life, and remember to give praise through your day. 

Upcoming Events: Pancake Breakfast and Walk Saturday February 10th

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Fingerling, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red Onions, Monastrell Shallots

• Leeks

• Parade Scallions

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Rosalba and Treviso

• Mei Qing Choi

• Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Spinach

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut, and Delicata Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers and Ground Chile Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread is back! We will have bread on Tuesday and Friday.

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Short Rib Beans

3 garlic cloves
1 large red onion
Peppercorn
Farm ground pepper of choice
One short rib package
One cup dried beans

Crush garlic cloves with your knife, rough chop onion, throw into slow cooker. Place spices, beans, and a defrosted package of short ribs. Salt to taste. In the slow cooker it takes about 3 to 4 hours, on a stove stop it will take around 8 hours. Enjoy as a delicious stew with rice and sour cream!

Cycles of life and death

By Alyssa
Today it was peaceful to harvest in the field to the gentle hum of honeybees. They’ve been buzzing about the mustard flowers, drinking nectar and collecting pollen. I hope you’ve gotten outside these last few days, in this preview of spring before the rains come again! I walked a big loop on the farm Saturday – up to the pond, then up to the oak in the hills above the tunnels, then down the watershed that flows past the tunnels. It’s my favorite place to walk in the winter and spring because of the flowing water. This weekend the grass was thick, but still easy to walk through. The first flowers were beginning to bloom on the hillsides and in the flower field.

I double appreciated the vigorously growing things all around me this weekend, because I have been holding a lot of death in my hands this winter, trapping for gophers and voles in the tunnels. The tunnels are one of the few places on the farm that we seriously trap in, because of how important those crops are to us in the wintertime, how few predators can help us manage them in that specific environment, and how excellent of a habitat they are as some of the driest ground around in the wintertime. It’s been a heavy thing, to start and end each day with trapping. I’m good at it, which I always have mixed feelings about; but I’m not always good at figuring out how to honor and release the weight of it. That being said, weekends like this last one, when I get to spend my time outside around so many lively plants and creatures, are always a balm to my heart no matter what troubles me.

Upcoming Events: Pancake Breakfast and Walk Saturday February 10th

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Fingerling, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red Onions, Monastrell Shallots

• Leeks

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Rosalba and Treviso

• Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Lettuce Mix

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut, and Delicata Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers and Ground Chile Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread is back! We will have bread on Tuesday and Friday.

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Red Cabbage Salad w/ Crispy Spring Onions and Potato Sticks

https://thewoksoflife.com/red-cabbage-salad-w-crispy-scallions-potato-sticks/

For the salad:

• 5 cups red cabbage (shredded)

• 1 medium carrot (cut into matchsticks)

• 1 potato (cut into matchsticks)

• 1 scallion (cut into thin strips)

• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted)

• 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped; optional)

For the dressing:

• 1/2 tablespoon honey

• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 1 ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• salt (to taste)

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/8 teaspoon five spice powder

1. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage and carrots. Rinse the potato sticks in cold water to remove some of the starch and use a kitchen towel to dry them really well. Do the same with the scallion. In a shallow pan, fry the scallions and potatoes in oil until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

2. Combine all the dressing ingredients and toss with the cabbage and carrots. Put the salad in a bowl. Garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro, and the fried potatoes and scallions. Serve!

It’s my birthday, I can cry if I want to

By AJ

Tomorrow, i will be 35 years old. For 15 of said years, i have been farming in California (aside from a short stint of unemployment and 6 months at a wolf sanctuary). That’s basically my whole adult life. I don’t usually reflect on the passage of time in, what feels to me, quite an arbitrary way. But for some reason, today i have feels about it. Not in an I’m-scared-of-getting-older kind of way, just in a don’t-forget-you-are-weightless-to-the-universe kind of way. I generally enjoy the moments in my life when i can be reminded of that— the soil, the sheep, the plants…they don’t give a shit that it’s my birthday. They are far more in sync with the rhythms of sun and grass and water— the kind of passage of time that feels far more reasoned and seasoned than birthdays, or January First’s. But today, as much as i want to revel in the one-ness of all the specks of sand, i just the vegetables to make themselves into a you-deserve-it meal. And I want the sheep to wake me up in the morning and say “haaaaaa-ppy birthday” and make me a grass cake that i can’t actually eat, but appreciate just as much as if I could.

Upcoming Events: Pancake Breakfast and Walk Saturday February 3rd

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Fingerling, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red Onions, Monastrell Shallots

• Leeks

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Rosalba and Castelfranco

• Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Lettuce Mix

• Regiment Spinach

• Cilantro and Parsley

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut, and Delicata Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers and Ground Chile Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread is back! We will have bread on Tuesday and Friday.

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Rutabaga and Carrot Soup

 From "Sundays at the Moosewood restaurant"

• 1 Med Onion, chopped

• 1 Tbs oil or butter

• 3 small carrots, chopped

• 1 small rutabaga, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 cup stock (veg or chick--- you can make both from farm scraps and stewing hens!)

• 1/2 tsp ginger

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 2 C orange juice

• pepper to taste

• top with cream/sour cream and dollop of cranberry sauce (optional)

    Saute onion in oil for about 5 min

    Add chopped vegetables and salt. Saute for another 10 min.

    Add stock and cook, covered, on low for 20-30 min, until vegetables are soft and tender. 

    Add spices

    Puree with juice, until smooth and thick.

To The Rain

The rain this year has been a slow build up. We have had many lovely, small rains and the ground is truly saturated now. The last storm caused the drianages to fill and there is still water flowing around the farm. And yet, the level of the large dam has not risen only about a foot. We are hoping this weekend’s rain will be big rain and replenishing.

To the Rain, by Ursula Le Guin

Mother rain, manifold, measureless,
falling on fallow, on field and forest,
on house-roof, low hovel, high tower,
downwelling waters all-washing, wider
than cities, softer than sisterhood, vaster
than countrysides, calming, recalling:
return to us, teaching our troubled
souls in your ceaseless descent
to fall, to be fellow, to feel to the root,
to sink in, to heal, to sweeten the sea.

Upcoming Events: Pancake Breakfast and Walk Saturday February 3rd

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Fingerling, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red Onions, Monastrell Shallots

• Leeks

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Top Turnips

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Rosalba and Castelfranco

• Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Prize Choi

• Lettuce Mix

• Regiment Spinach

• Cilantro

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut, and Delicata Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers and Ground Chile Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread is back! We will have bread on Tuesday and Friday.

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Cheesy Frittata, from nytimes.com

• 8 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Up to 2 cups frozen, cooked or quick-cooking mix-ins (such as packed kale, cooked rice, leftover pasta, frozen corn, tender herbs, pitted olives, chopped tomatoes or cooked chicken)

• 3 to 6 ounces any cheese (such as mozzarella, Cheddar, feta, halloumi or pecorino)

• 2 tablespoons any fat (such as butter, olive oil, bacon fat, ghee or neutral oil)

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Chop or tear your mix-ins so they are all bite-size. Shred, tear, crumble or chop the cheese into small pieces. Set a rack about 6 inches below the broiler and heat on high.

Add the fat to a 9- to 10-inch well-seasoned cast-iron or broiler-safe nonstick skillet and heat over medium until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add any quick-cooking or frozen mix-ins first, lightly season with salt if needed, and stir frequently until wilted and tender, 2 to 7 minutes. Add any cooked mix-ins next, lightly season with salt if needed, and stir frequently until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in the eggs. Stir to combine and cook. As the edges and sides set, use a spatula to scrape them into the middle, allowing the runny center to flow to the edges. Repeat this process until you have some large curds set within the mostly runny mass, 2 to 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and spread the mixture flat into an even layer, giving the pan a firm tap against the stovetop to evenly settle the mixture. Cook, undisturbed, until the bottom and sides feel set when you shake the pan, while the eggs on top are slightly runny, 2 to 4 minutes.

Remove from heat, dot with cheese and broil until puffed and browned, the top is set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 to 3 minutes. Let rest for at least 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Hello for the last time to the whole Open Field Farm community!

By Cecilia

After six incredibly fun, challenging, wacky, uplifting, and unpredictable seasons, this is my last week working here. It still feels totally unreal to me. This week has been going along like normal, and it is nice to have the stability of the work day rhythms to keep me grounded during this time of immense change.

Open Field is the place that I have lived longest in my adult life. It truly feels like home to me.

The sunrises here on the farm over the last couple of weeks have been some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. So much time has passed since I started my commute to work across the fields (before the farm road!), but being able to watch the sunrise on my way to work never gets old. I have continued to feel so grateful for my time on this land.

More than anything I am grateful for the incredible people. Friends, mentors, crazy characters, an entire pack of dogs, new babies- they have all made my life so full and will continue to do so far into the future. It is difficult to put into words. It is an embarrassment of riches.

And even though I haven’t met all of you in person, so much of my gratitude goes out to our members. It is your choice to support small organic farms that has made it possible for me to experience all of this.

The pictures for this week’s blog post are a collection of pictures I have taken out in the fields over the years. You would think that looking at vegetables, plants, and bugs everyday for years would make it all start to seem mundane and commonplace. It is just the opposite, and my camera roll reflects this. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t see something at work that charms me to the extent that I have to take a picture and show it to as many people as I can. I will deeply miss all the comically tiny pumpkins, weird unidentifiable insects, misshapen tomatoes, and even the most regular old things that bring me so much joy. I wanted to share some of these pictures that are forever draining storage space on my phone.

Upcoming Events: Pancake Breakfast and Walk Saturday February 3rd

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Fingerling, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red, Cipollini Sweet Onions, Monastrell Shallots

• Leeks

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Top Turnips

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Primo Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Rosalba and Castelfranco

• Celery

• Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Prize Choi

• Lettuce Mix

• Regiment Spinach

• Cilantro and Parsley

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut, and Delicata Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers and Ground Chile Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread is back! We will have bread on Tuesday and Friday.

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Salt Potatoes, Crispy Potatoes

My final recipe contribution is just going to be me talking about salt potatoes again. If you don’t remember my last post (or two) about salt potatoes, it is a traditional recipe from New York, originated by Irish immigrants working in salt springs. The recipe is basically to take all the tiny bite sized potatoes that everyone always leaves behind, and boil them in lots and lots of salt. Recipes vary, but many say to use a cup of salt for every two pounds of potatoes. They can be eaten right away with butter, but can also be stored without refrigeration for longer amounts of time because the salt forms a strong crust that preserves them. Salt potatoes have their own Wikipedia page that I highly recommend looking up.

All of that is to get to my real point: crispy roasted potatoes. Just like everyone else on the entire planet, I like very crispy potatoes. But every recipe for crispy potatoes tells you that the trick is to boil them first, and then fry them. I am a very lazy cook. Nothing in this world could motivate me to COOK MY POTATOES before I have to COOK MY POTATOES. And then last week I realized, looking at my beautiful colander full of little salt potatoes sitting on my counter, that I already have cooked potatoes! So I cut each tiny boiled potato in half, making perfect bite-sized wedges. I fried them in a cast iron pan on very high heat with lots of oil and lots of Chimayo chili powder. They were so crispy and so delicious. I just felt like I had to share this information with all of you because it has kind of changed my life. The moral of this story is to take all the tiny little potatoes that accumulate at the bottom of the grey bin on CSA day. They are such a treat, and we often end up composting them because nobody wants them. Instead of compost they can be the crispy potatoes of your dreams!

Happy New Year

We are grateful to be starting the new year with rain and green grass. We are hopeful that a big pond filling storm will appear on the horizon soon!

Upcoming Events: Pancake Breakfast and Walk Saturday February 3rd

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Fingerling, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red, Cipollini Sweet Onions, Monastrell Shallots

• Leeks

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Top Turnips

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Primo Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Covina Broccoli

• Rosalba, Sugarloaf, and Castelfranco

• Celery

• Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Mei Ching Choi

• Lettuce Mix

• Esmee Arugula

• Cilantro and Parsley

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut, and Delicata Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers and Ground Chile Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread is back! We will have bread on Friday.

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Roasted Butternut Squash with Chili Yogurt and Scallions

From Seasoned: Recipes for Rain, Hail, & Shine by Casey Lister

For the salad

• 1 2-pound butternut squash or other winter squash (or “pumpkin” as Australians refer to many winter squashes), unpeeled, seeded, sliced into ¾-inch or so rounds and (when you get to the seed end) half-moons

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup cold plain Greek yogurt

• Handful cilantro leaves

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

For the scallion topping

• 1 bunch scallions, roughly chopped

• ⅓ cup olive oil

• 3 red chili peppers, finely diced (I used Fresnos)

• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon dashi stock (if you don’t have dashi stock, a teaspoon of chicken or vegetable broth will do, or leave it out)

• Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375°F (200°C)

Cut the squash into slices ¾ to 1-inch thick. In a bowl, toss together the sliced squash, olive oil, and salt. Place on a lined sheet pan and roast, turning over once or twice, for about 60 minutes, or until squash is tender all the way through and has begun to caramelize.

Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the scallion topping in a medium saucepan and cook on moderate heat until the scallions are very soft and the spices are fragrant (5 to 10 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, remove the scallions and peppers from the oil and transfer to a plate. Reserve the remaining oil and spices.

Spread the yogurt on the bottom of a serving dish and drizzle with the reserved oil and spices. Arrange the warm squash slices on top of the yogurt then spoon the scallion and chili mixture all over. Scatter with the fresh cilantro leaves. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for individual squeezing.

The Vegetable Prayer

By Cecilia

This week I just want to share a poem that I always like to share during the holiday season. 

The Vegetable Prayer, By Reverend Max Coots

Let us give thanks for a bounty of people.

For children who are our second planting,

and though they grow like weeds and the wind too soon blows them away,

may they remember fondly where their roots are.

For generous friends with hearts as big as hubbards,

and smiles as bright as blossoms;

For feisty friends as tart as apples;

For continuous friends, who, like scallions, keep reminding us that we’ve had them;

For crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb and as indestructible;

For funny friends, as silly as brussel sprouts.

And serious friends, as complex as cauliflowers and as intricate as onions;

For friends as unpretentious as cabbages

And friends, like parsnips, who can be counted on to see you through the winter;

For old friends, nodding like sunflowers in the evening-time

And young friends coming on as fast as radishes;

For loving friends, who wind around us like tendrils and hold us, despite our blights, wilts, and witherings;

And, finally, for those friends now gone, but who fed us in their times that we might have life thereafter;

For this bounty of friends, we give thanks.

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter break: We are closed next week, 12/25-12/29!

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Sangre Red, La Ratte Fingerling, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red, Cipollini Sweet Onions, Monastrell Shallots

• Leeks

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Top Turnips

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Primo Green, Savoy, and Ruby King Cabbage

• Rosalba, Sugarloaf, and Castelfranco

• Celery

• Red Russian Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Prize Choi

• Esmee Arugula

• Cilantro and Parsley

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut, and Delicata Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers and Ground Chile Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread will be on a break while Eli recovers from illness. We wish him a smooth recory!

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

And here is one of my favorite super simple and super delicious recipes:

Ina Garten’s Parsnip Puree

From Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

• 1 ½ lb. Parsnips, scrubbes, sliced 3/4 “ thick

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground pepper

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced

Place 1½ lb. parsnips, scrubbed, sliced ¾" thick, in a medium pot, add 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, and add enough water to cover the parsnips. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, then uncover, lower the heat, and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the parsnips are very soft when tested with a small knife. Don’t drain the pot!

With a slotted spoon or small strainer, transfer the parsnips to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to chop the parsnips. Pour the cooking liquid into a glass measuring cup and pour ½ cup down the feed tube. Purée the parsnips, adding more cooking liquid (about 1 cup total) through the feed tube until the parsnips are creamy and almost smooth but still have some texture. Add 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, diced, and ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper and purée until combined. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

In the Dark of Winter

By Ashley

We are in the heart of winter. I'm sure you have heard the phrase "It's time to be quiet and still" or maybe "Wintertime is the time to go within and rest." Those are good phrases, healthy ways to look at winter as opportunity to connect with yourself.

 We feel it right now at the farm. Summer seasonal crew is gone, it's just a small few now with another leaving us in just a month. The pace of the days have grown slower, more methodical. We have larger projects to do, but not in the way we do in the summer. They are longer projects that take time and attention, like the slow shaving of a whittled down piece of wood. 

I think its hard to be slow. Not only in the sense of we are not used to it and so it doesn't come easily to us, but also in the sense that it is scary. Because it is scary, no? To be slow, to have space, to move with intention is to have the opportunity for the things we have been avoiding to approach us and ask to be seen. It's these slow times where the deepest healing comes from picking up that deeply unsettling object in our lives and integrating it into ourselves. We want to avoid these things, we want to stay busy so we do not see them, don't have to hear them speaking to us. It is easier to avoid them. Yet the nights are long and time spent not moving grows until the solstice and even then, it is a far ways off from spring. 

If I have learned anything from farming is that putting off a project that needs to happen to move the farm along a path of good working only creates larger and more complicated problems farther down the road. It is necessary, even if I personally don't like it, to make potting mix now when it is not raining so we have good soil to put seedlings into for the crops of next year. It is necessary to sit down to oil and sharpen the tools so they last us into the next season, though it may be boring or messy or lonely if doing it alone. It is necessary to get dirty, wet and sometimes a little bit cold to pull out weeds, cut down old growth in the perennial garden so that when the sun comes back around and the soil warms the plants will have space and energy to grow new shoots for us to enjoy. It is not easy and sometimes it is not enjoyable, but it is necessary. 

I find it helpful to face the things I dread when I have filled more of my down time with beautiful things I enjoy. To sketch and to read and maybe to sew had given me enough time to sit and ponder the hard things and take into account all that I've avoided. At the farm, we have more opportunity to sit and chat with one another and gain valuable perspective on the way our lives move around one another. And this rhythm will  never cease, even when we are dead. Time will continue to move and somewhere in the universe there will be creation and destruction moving its way towards infinity.

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter break: We are closed 12/25-12/29!

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold, La Ratte Fingerling, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red, Cipollini Sweet Onions, Monastrell Shallots

• Leeks

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Top Turnips

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Primo and Caraflex Green and Ruby King Red Cabbage

• Song Cauliflower and/or Covina Broccoli

• Brussel Sprouts

• Rosalba, Sugarloaf, and Castelfranco

• Celery

• Red Russian Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Prize Choi

• Regiment Spinach

• Cilantro

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut, and Delicata Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean Dried Hot Peppers and Ground Chile Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread will be on a break while Eli recovers from illness. We wish him a smooth recory!

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Beef Cheek Tacos

• One or two beef cheek packages 

• One red onion

• Small head of garlic 

• 1 tablespoon black pepper 

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 tablespoon basque pepper

• 1-2 pinches of salt

Cabbage slaw

• 1/2 cabbage in a Cuisinart or thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons of lime juice

• 2 teaspoons of cumin

Cilantro lime dressing

• One full bunch of cilantro

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 2 tablespoons mayo

Should make enough for 5 or so tacos

I like to defrost a beef cheek or two and put them into a slow cooker while I'm at work. I will place one large red onion and a head of garlic, black pepper, cinnamon, salt, and basque into the water and let it simmer.

Once it is done and I'm ready to be home I will grab cilantro, mayonnaise and lime juice, blend them together for a citrus sauce, heat up tortillas (homemade will always be more delicious but of course, more time intensive), make the cabbage slaw, and put it all together for a delicious and quick beef cheek taco that tastes delicious with very minimal work. 

Crew changes

By Alyssa

I spend more hours with the veggie crew than with any other person in my life, and we spend quite a lot of those hours talking with each other about every possible thing under the sun. On any given day, we might share some hot gossip, or talk about death and the meaning of life, or tell funny farm stories. I’ve learned the plot to many movies and TV shows that I will never watch. We learn each other’s values and beliefs, and the dreams we might have for our lives. We don’t always agree with or understand each other, but that is okay. That is something that I value, too. While we don’t always spend time together outside of work, the relationships I form with my fellow crew are some of the most important in my everyday life. They are also relationships that are always changing.

 Crew turnover is a normal part of farming, and last week was Gemma and Sage’s last week on the farm. They are each moving on to new chapters in their lives, and we are just as excited for them as we’ll miss them. I feel so thankful to have had the opportunity to know and to work with them, and hope that they are setting off with nothing but good luck at their backs.

CSA Barn Hours:

• Winter break: We are closed 12/25-12/29!

• Winter hours: 2:30-6PM

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30PM (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold, La Ratte Fingerling, and Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland and Cabernet Red, Cipollini Sweet Onions, Monastrell Shallots

• Leeks

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Purple Top Turnips

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Primo and Caraflex Green and Ruby King Red Cabbage

• Song Cauliflower and/or Covina Broccoli

• Brussel Sprouts

• Rosalba, Sugarloaf, and Castelfranco

• Celery

• Lettuce Mix (During the winter, when our tender crops are all coming from the tunnels, we only offer lettuce mix. We will not have lettuce heads until next summer. We hope to offer lettuce mix consistently until then.)

• Red Russian Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Mei Qing Choi

• Regiment Spinach

• Cilantro (We should have parsley again in a few weeks. It is growing slowly in the tunnels.)

• Winter Sweet Kabocha, Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut, and Delicata Winter Squash

• Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

• Pick your own herbs, mostly in the herb circle (and maybe a few flowers)

• New! Stoneground cornmeal from our dry corn! FYI: It does have large pieces of the outer skin in it which creates a different texture than the more uniform cornmeal. If you do not enjoy this, you can sift it with the right size screen. (Please BYO jars!)

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

• Whole Korean dried hot peppers and Ground Chile Peppers

• Beef Bone Broth for sale again! (Made by Olla Products)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)

• Revolution Bread will be on a break while Eli recovers from illness. We wish him a smooth recory!

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Chicken noodle soup (with a stewing hen), from smittenkitchen.com

From Alyssa: To use a stewing hen to make this recipe, I just cooked the hen with the broth ingredients on high in a pressure cooker for 90 min. Then I strained the broth, shredded the chicken, and proceeded with the recipe as written, though I made about twice as much.

You’ll want about 4 to 4 1/2 hours to make this in one afternoon. Or, you can break it up over two days or cooking periods by making the broth either on the stove in 2 to 3 hours or in a slow-cooker for longer (such as while you’re at work), at which point you’ll need just an hour to finish the soup, making it weeknight accessible.

If you’re a total heathen, as we sometimes are, you can use up to 12 ounces soup noodles here for recipe that will be almost more noodle than soup. But I recommend at least starting with the 9-ounce level before determining if overkill will be necessary.

Broth

• 2 medium-large yellow onions, unpeeled, halved or 1 large onion plus 1 large leek, cleaned and cut lengthwise

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed a little

• 1 large carrot

• 1 large parnsip (optional)

• 1 celery rib

• 4 quarts water

• 4 pounds chicken bones (from about two carcasses leftover from a roast or rotisserie) or a combination of fresh chicken wings (my first choice), backs, necks or feet

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh

• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 bay leaf

To Finish

• 3 bone-in skin-on chicken breast halves

• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced or 1 large carrot and 1 large parsnip, diced

• 1 large leek, trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch segments

• 1 to 2 celery ribs, chopped or diced

• 9 ounces thin egg noodles or soup noodles of your choice

• 2 tablespoons finely-chopped flat-leaf parsley

Make the broth:

[On the stove] Combine all ingredients in a large (6 to 8 quart) stock pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a gentle simmer, skim any unpleasant looking foam (“skim the scum” is kitchen parlance for this step, but I’m trying to be polite) and cover with a lid. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

[In a slow-cooker] Combine all ingredients in a large (6 quart or larger) slow-cooker. Cook on LOW for 10 hours or HIGH for 5. Strain into a large pot (5.5 quarts or more) and let rest in the fridge until needed, or, if you’re finishing the soup right away, bring to a simmer on the stove.

Cook the chicken:

[Both methods] Add whole chicken breasts to simmering broth. Simmer for 20 minutes, until they’re cooked through, then strain broth [for stovetop method] or simply remove cooked chicken breasts [from the slow-cooker method] and set them aside. Taste broth, and adjust seasoning if needed.

Finish the soup:

Add diced vegetables to simmering broth on stove and cook for 5 minutes, until firm-tender. Add soup noodles and cook according to package instructions, usually 6 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, once chicken breasts are cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones and shred or chop into small chunks. Return chicken to soup and simmer for 2 minutes, until heated through. Finish with parsley and serve to some very lucky people.

To de-fat the broth: Once the broth portion is complete and the soup has settled a little, you can skim any fat that’s accumulated at the surface with a soup skimmer or spoon, to taste. If you’re going to chill the broth before finishing the soup another day, it’s easiest to take the fat off right before you use it; it will have solidified at the surface. P.S. Don’t toss it, please! It makes for wonderful matzo balls and fried latkes.