By Kelsey
I hope you've all enjoyed copious amounts of raspberries and strawberries this summer. Not that we need a reason to freely indulge in these juicy ruby delights, but it is a pretty cool bonus that they're packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Who even wants candy when we have Open Field Farm berries?!
A lesser known gift of these two Rose family plants lies in their greenery. Throughout the harvest season, we go through and glean leaves off of them, cutting back the parts that are growing outside the trellis or runners that need to be cut anyway. Then we dry and store them to be used for teas in the winter and spring, extending the amount of time we get to enjoy the benefits of these plants, albeit in a less sweet manner.
Raspberry leaf tea has been used as a uterine tonic by traditional cultures for centuries, and is popularly used in the here & now as a tonic during pregnancy. It makes a lovely tea for all people to drink regardless of gender or life stage because of its deeply nutritive properties. It contains ample trace minerals (in which many of us are deficient!), antioxidants, vitamins, and bioflavonoids which benefit the cardiovascular system. It also contains tannins, giving it an astringency and flavor similar to that of black tea, making it a nice alternative for anyone trying to cut back on caffeine. Strawberry leaf tea is similarly nutritive, with a high concentration of vitamin C in particular. This gives it some immune system benefits. Its also a gentle digestive aid and anti-inflammatory. Its flavor is mildly fruity.
Upcoming Event: Farm Potluck Friday October 16th at 6 pm - Date Change!
CSA Barn Hours:
Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm
Pick List:
Eggs
Canada Gold and Red Potatoes
Dragon Fennel
Yaya Carrots
Merlin Beets
Pink Beauty Radish
Ailsa Craig Sweet, Red, and Yellow Onions
Parade Scallions
Cocozelle and Dark Star Summer Squash
Silver Slicer, Poinsett 76, Green Finger Slicing Cucumbers
Commonwealth and Salt & Pepper Cucumbers
Emiko Napa Cabbage
Farao and Caraflex Green Cabbage
Champion Collards
Annina, Diamond, and Ping Tung Eggplant
Sweet Peppers
Lettuce
Rhubarb Chard
Madeley and Dazzling Blue Kale
Cilantro, Dill, Parsley, and Basil
Song Cauliflower
Covina Broccoli
Highlander Green Chile and Poblano Peppers
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Strawberries
Corn
Melons and Watermelons
Whole Dried Hot Peppers
Pick Your Own Flowers, Herbs, Padron and Shishito Peppers, Green Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Ground Cherries, Raspberries
Beef Bone Broth (Made by Olla Products)
Apollo Olive Oil
Revolution Bread available
Open Field Farm Swag!
Homemade Tomato Sauce from allrecipes.com
10 ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup Burgundy red wine
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 sticks celery
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Gather the ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Plunge whole tomatoes in boiling water until skin starts to peel, about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in ice bath. Let rest until cool enough to handle. Remove peels, squeeze out seeds and chop 8 tomatoes. Puree tomatoes in a blender or food processor until smooth. Chop remaining 2 tomatoes and set aside. Heat butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook and stir until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Pour in pureed tomatoes, then stir in chopped tomatoes, wine, basil, and Italian seasoning. Place celery stalks and bay leaf in the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Stir in tomato paste; simmer for an additional 2 hours. Discard celery and bay leaf and serve.
Scale up and freeze leftovers in zip-top storage bags, laid flat in the freezer with excess air squeezed out.