By Cecilia
Yesterday I was thinking about the first year that I started working at Open Field. It rained heavily through all of April and into May. I don't think the fields dried out enough for tillage until the first week of June. It's amazing to think about how much water we had that year, but it also stresses me out to think of how long we waited before having fresh spring crops. And we didn't even have any tunnels to harvest out of! Somehow we made it work.
Even though we got enough water this winter to fill our pond, this is the earliest season we've ever had. We began tilling in early April and were planting not too long after. While we are still in a drought, it is completely different from the predicament we were in last season. Every year on this land feels so different. It is amazing to be able to observe the way the crops react, our animals react, and even the way the weeds and wild critters react with each year's circumstances.
While we would have loved to get more water, it is so exciting to see how much is already growing in the fields. Our new potatoes have sprouted, our first planting of field lettuce will be ready next week, and the tunnel cucumbers are setting fruit. Both crops and crew have been full steam ahead for weeks now, and soon we'll be able to see the benefit of this early season in the CSA barn. In the meantime we will be eating lots of beets and kale!
Pick List: The pick list is still small but the plants are growing. We have been snacking on a few strawberries and we hope to offer them next week, along with lettuce mix and fennel.
Eggs
Fresh garlic
Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions
Rhonda Beets
Purple Top Turnips
Watermelon and Purple Daikon Radish
Primo Cabbage
Joi Choi
Dazzling Blue Kale
Parade Scallions
Regiment Spinach
Parsley
Tea Blends and Ground and Whole Chiles (Please bring your own containers!)
Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries
Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)
Starts available in the shade tunnel (Please only take starts from area in between the two signs!)
Kale and Roasted Beet Salad
2 beets
kosher salt and fresh pepper
6 thick cut bacon slices, diced
1 bunch kale
1/3 cup chicken or beef stock
4 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Wash and trim the beets, removing both ends. Place them on a 12-inch square sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Seal up the foil packet and roast until the beets are fork-tender, about 1 hour.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until medium-crisp (or however you prefer your bacon). Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Increase the heat to high and add the kale, stirring to coat in the rendered bacon grease. Cover and cook for a few minutes, and then add the chicken stock and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Stir to combine, cover and allow to wilt for 6 to 8 minutes.
Peel and cut the beets into chunks and add them to the kale. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar. Add the bacon, stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.