By Celeste S.
As usual, once the Annual Flower Field comes to rest, I try to keep myself busy. For the first time after the festival, I helped my husband Jesse clean his workshop—and honestly, I did an amazing job. Maybe too amazing. Now he can’t find the bolts and screws he used to have scattered in random places, so when he’s looking for something specific, he has to come find me.
I also took on a new task for myself: flower seeds. I’ve never done the seed or crop planning before. Sarah is usually the one who handles that, and I just wait for her to hand me everything I need when it’s time to start sowing. I chose this task because I was craving something different. My job had started to feel very predictable, like I could do it with my eyes closed. So I asked Sarah for a new challenge, and she came up with the idea of letting me create the crop plan and seed list for the field. I’m very excited about the new varieties of flowers I chose, and I’m hoping they do well in our field—and that the weather is in our favor.
On a side note, I’m realizing how competitive it is out there. I had my eye on a new sunflower variety (Darjeeling), a beautiful dark orange color, and a new statice variety (Pink Poker). By the time Sarah went to place the order, they were already out of stock—and the website had only gone live about ten days earlier. I’m manifesting that next year we’ll get them, and I know you’re all going to love them.
In between seed hunting, I’ve also been processing dried peppers. I remove the tops and seeds, toss them into the blender, and turn them into flakes or powder. I’ve been working with Chile de Árbol, paprika, Sarit, Basque, Vallero, and a few others I can’t remember at the moment.
We will put the peppers out as they are ready, starting with the basque and the chile de arbol. They should be in the barn in the next week or so!
Open Field Farm 2025 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members
CSA Barn Hours:
Winter hours: 2:30-6:00 pm
Pick List:
Eggs
Nicola Yellow, Harvest Moon Purple, Red, and Fingerling potatoes
Merlin Beets
Yaya Carrots
Hablange Parsnips
Cortland Yellow and Maria Nagy’s Red Onions
Verdonnet Leeks
Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish
Rutabaga
Mars Celeriac
Passat Green, Kilmaro Red, Deadon Savoy Cabbage
Kohlrabi
White Russian and Dazzling Blue Kale
Rhubarb Chard
Parsley and Cilantro
Chioggia, Treviso, Sugarloaf, and Radicchio
Delicata, Acorn, Tetsukabota, and Butternut Winter Squash
Winter Luxury Pumpkins
Whole Dried Hot Peppers
Herbal Tea Blends
Pick your own flowers and herbs
Beef Bone Broth (Made by Olla Products)
Saltonstahl Olive Oil
Revolution Bread for sale on Tuesday and Friday
Open Field Farm Swag!
Mexican Shredded Beef, from nospoonnecessary.com
Mexican Seasoning Blend
1 TBS EACH: Cumin, Mexican Oregano and Smoked Paprika (SEE NOTES)
1 tsp EACH: Chili Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Coriander
to taste Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
Mexican Shredded Beef:
1 (3-4 pound) Boneless Beef Chuck Roast – trimmed of excess fat & cut into 3-inch pieces
2 TBS Neutral Oil - (vegetable or canola) DIVIDED
1 large Yellow Onion – peeled & medium dice
4-6 cloves Garlic – peeled & minced
2 TBS Tomato Paste
2-7 whole Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (plus 1 TBS sauce) – peppers roughly chopped; keep peppers and sauce separate (SEE NOTES)
1/3 Cup Fresh Lime Juice (about 2 large limes)
1 ¼ Cup Beef Stock
¾ Cup Picante Sauce (salsa)
1 whole Dry Bay Leaf (Mexican bay leaf or regular bay leaf)
Optional for Serving: Pico de Gallo Fresh Cilantro, Lime Wedges, Warm Corn Tortillas, Crumbled Cotija, Guacamole, Sour Cream
Make Mexican Seasoning Blend: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the spice blend – the paprika, cumin, oregano, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder and coriander. Add 1 ¼ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Stir well to combine.
Season the Cubes of Chuck Roast: Place the pieces of beef on a clean work surface and pat them completely dry with paper towels.
Once dry, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the seasoning blend all over the beef. Then use your hands to rub the spices into the beef.
Sear the Beef on Stovetop - Optional, but recommended: Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is shimmering, add the meat (in batches if necessary to prevent the beef from steaming) and sear, turning the pieces as necessary, until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
Once browned, use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a plate.
(Note: If browning meat in batches, add more oil to the pan as needed.)
Sauté Aromatics: Reduce the heat under the now empty pot to medium and add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil.
Add the onions and season with a pinch of pepper and a generous pinch of salt.
Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and remaining seasoning blend. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the tomato paste and chopped chipotles. Cook, stirring constantly, until paste is caramelized, about 1-2 minutes.
Deglaze Pot and Add Browned Beef: Add the lime juice to deglaze the pan. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Stir in the adobo sauce, stock, and picante sauce. Then toss in the bay leaf. Mix well to combine.
Add the seared beef, along with any accumulated juices, to the pot.
Cover and Slow Cook: Bring the contents to a simmer.
Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 3 – 3 ½ hours, or until the meat tender and begins to fall apart. For the best results, I recommend quickly stirring the beef every hour.
Pull The Beef into Shreds: Turn off the heat under the pot. Use tongs to remove and discard the bay leaf.
Use two forks to shred the beef. (Alternatively, you can remove the beef to a cutting board, shred it and return it to pot.)
Gently Simmer Meat: Adjust the heat to low and gently simmer the meat for 10-15 minutes.
Serve Mexican Shredded Beef: Transfer beef to a serving dish. Top with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!
For tacos: Pile shredded cheese inside warmed corn tortillas and top with shredded beef. Finish with chopped veggies, pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, guacamole and/or sour cream. Enjoy!