Mullein

By Kelsey

This week I would like to highlight an herb that is, for the first time (despite Sarah’s and my efforts for the last few years), successfully growing in the herb garden: Mullein aka Verbascum thapsus! Mullein is a biennial plant and a member of the plant family Scrophulariaceae, or Figwort family.

It’s an impressive and unique looking plant, with its hairy leaves in a rosette and a very tall stem (1-2 m) with a dense spike of yellow flowers at the end. The underside of the leaves reveal veins arranged in a pattern reminiscent of the bronchi of the lungs.

In addition to its bold stature in the garden, mullein is something of a medicinal miracle. Gentle yet effective, it is an important plant to keep in mind as fire season is in full swing and many days our skies are obscured by smoke. Mullein has an affinity for the respiratory system and is indicated for all manner of respiratory conditions: it can help soothe a sore throat, calm a dry cough, and bring moisture and coolness to inflamed mucous membranes. Breathing smoke dries out the mucous membranes of the respiratory system and a tea of mullein leaves and/or flowers can help support the body in healing from this type of environmental stress.

Mullein leaves may be harvested any time of year, and the flowers should be picked when the morning dew has dried but before it is hot. When using mullein leaf for tea, it is important to strain it very well, or else the hairs will catch you in the throat! Perhaps this is a doctrine of signatures effect—the plant showing you exactly where it is working.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold New Potatoes

• Ailsa Craig and Red Long of Tropea Onions

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Diamond, Money Maker, and Beatrice Eggplant

• Solstice Broccoli and/or Song Cauliflower (depending on harvest)

• Taiwan Flat and Caraflex Cabbage

• Emiko Napa Cabbage

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, Salt and Pepper, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers

• Sweet peppers

• Tomatoes

• Bastan Poblano Peppers

• Jalapeno, Serrano, Rodeo, Aji Crystal, and Wenk’s Yellow Hot Peppers

• Old Growth Palm Kale

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Regiment Spinach

• Parsley, Basil, and Cilantro

• Head Lettuce

• Melons and watermelons

• Albion Strawberries

• Pick your own: padron and shishito peppers, okra, cherry tomatoes and tomatillos, jade and dragon langerie beans. Along with the flowers, there are shiso, purple and thai basil in the annual field.

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Beet and Barley Salad With Date-Citrus Vinaigrette, from nytimes.com

• 2 medium beets, scrubbed

• ½ cup pearl barley

• Coarse kosher salt

• 1 lemon

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2 teaspoons date honey (also labeled date syrup)

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 handfuls of mixed slightly bitter lettuce, like chicory, arugula, romaine, Swiss chard or beet leaves, roughly torn

• 1 cup fresh mixed herbs, like mint, thyme, oregano, parsley, hyssop, lovage and cilantro

• 1 to 2 Persian cucumbers, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch dice

• 2 large shallots or 1/2 red onion, diced in 1/2-inch pieces (see Tip)

• 5 dried figs or 4 fresh figs, quartered

• 1 cup white or red grapes, or a combination, halved

• 1 cup mixed pitted olives, halved

• ½ cup pomegranate seeds

• ½ cup crumbled feta

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place beets in a baking dish with a 1/2 inch of water. Cover and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut into bite-size pieces.

While the beets are roasting, make the barley: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the barley and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until al dente.

While the barley is cooking, make the salad dressing: Squeeze the juice from the lemon (about 2 tablespoons) into a small bowl. Add the garlic and date honey, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oil and set aside.

When the barley is cooked, drain, rinse and drain again. Taste, adding more salt, if necessary, and let cool completely.

When ready to serve, use your hands to gently mix the lettuce and herbs in a large salad bowl and scatter on the barley, beets, celery, cucumbers, shallots, figs and grapes. Top with the olives, pomegranate seeds and feta, and sprinkle on the dressing. Mix at the table and serve immediately.

If you’d like to mellow out the bite of raw shallot, you can soak it in cold water for about 10 minutes, then drain.

Gracias a Jorge

Jorge is moving back to Mexico on Saturday. While we are sad to say goodbye and we will miss him, we are excited for him. Jorge joined us on the farm in 2013, even before we started the CSA. While he knows how to do most everything on the farm, his main love and focus has always been the cows. He certainly knows the cows and the pastures better than anyone else. I am certain they and the land will miss him as much as we will. We are grateful for the great care Jorge has given to all the animals, for the systems he has put in place, and for his work ethic and steadiness. While he is not the most talkative, we will also miss his jokes, his sharp comments, and his music. Most CSA members do not get a chance to interact with Jorge and probably won’t be able catch him to say goodbye, but as you drive by the cows, please join us in thinking of him and wishing him un buen viaje.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold New Potatoes

• Candy and Red Long of Tropea Onions

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Diamond, Money Maker, Beatrice, and Purple Shine Eggplant

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, Salt and Pepper, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers

• Taiwan Flat and Caraflex Cabbage

• Emiko Napa Cabbage

• Aura, Glow, and Jimmy Nardello peppers

• Tomatoes

• Bastan Poblano Peppers

• Jalapeno, Serrano, Rodeo, Aji Crystal, and Wenk’s Yellow Hot Peppers

• Old Growth Palm Kale

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Regiment Spinach

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Head Lettuce

• Melons and watermelons

• Albion Strawberries

• Pick your own: padron and shishito peppers, okra, cherry tomatoes and tomatillos, jade and dragon langerie beans. Along with the flowers, there are shiso, purple and thai basil in the annual field.

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Melon, Cucumber and Cherry Tomato Salad, from nytimes.com

• 1 small melon, such as cantaloupe or honeydew (about 3 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes of different colors, halved

• 2 medium English cucumbers (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus more to taste

• Small handful of basil leaves

• Small handful of mint leaves

Place melon, tomatoes and cucumber in a large salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss well. Drizzle with olive oil and lime juice. Toss lightly and leave to marinate for a few minutes and up to 30 minutes, to let the flavors mingle.

Add the basil leaves, tearing larger leaves into pieces, and the mint leaves.

Just before serving, fold the leaves into the salad and toss well. Taste and add a little more lime juice, as needed.

Collards

A Bone to Pick with All You Northern Kale Eaters

I am a New Englander by birth and certainly by ancestry but I spent most of my childhood in Prince George's County Maryland just south of the Mason-Dixon line. I began working on a farm there in tobacco growing country when I was in High school. It was a beautiful farm and very well run. We grew amazing produce in that hot humid climate. The three things I remember most were the sweet potatoes, the giant watermelons and most of all the Collard Greens ( in caps as they should be). We grew huge thick incredible Collards. Most of the produce we grew ended up in Washington DC and I loved going into the city with the van and meeting all the beautiful older black women who would come pick up our produce and especially those Greens. They were always so excited and had such passion for food and cooking in traditional ways that had been passed down through the community. I think about those times and people often but one time that I always do is whenever I cook Collard Greens. I imagine those women in the market and how happy their families must have been when they got to eat those Greens cooked perfectly with so much love. So here's what I need all you northern kale eaters to do. Eat your Greens, Collard Greens that is! For 7 long years now I've sat idly by and heard how those Greens sit untouched week after week in the barn. In short, Collard Greens are amazing and have everything that kale doesn't: toughness, grit, stamina and loads of things that make you strong and vibrant. But here's the deal, you can't be afraid to cook them. So you can either call your best friend in the south and ask them, consult your Edna Lewis cookbook, or listen to my sorry New England ass tell you how I cook them though I don't know how they would be received at a church super in PG county Maryland we like them. Before I give you the break down theres really only 2 things you need to know to have Collards end up in regular rotation in your family. They need to change to a darker green sort of pail color and the thickest part of the bottom of the stem needs to be able to smush between your fingers for them to be properly cooked. I think that should take about 45 minutes but time is of no mind if those two things don't happen, longer is always better. The all day cook with ham hoc or bacon will not be what I give here but that sure cant be beat.

Slice one onion per large bunch of Collards

get the onions mostly cooked and a little brown in a nice hot pan with 2-4 tablespoons

of lard or olive oil.

Pile the greens and roll them in a tight roll then slice them nice and thin

push the onions to the edges of the pan and toss in a nice big pile of Greens

let them sizzle in the pan a bit then toss them around and let sizzle again

then add a bit of liquid ( we sometimes use Miran or just water)

cover and let cook until done as described above. I sometimes add a bit more liquid as they cook cause you don't want the pan to get dry and the bit of juice left at the end is usually tasty also.

Now sit down with your excited and lucky friends or family and take a moment to celebrate one of the greatest contributions to the American food culture and give thanks to the southern Black folks that have brought so much joy and love to life here. Thats what I do and it helps me stay connected to those important roots I have from my young and formative years and to something that I think is important to remember and think about. I hope you love them and keep coming back for more.

I understand that writing this in this way may be risky but it is meant to be from my own perspective and not more then that and it certainly comes from the heart.

Love, Seth

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold New Potatoes

• Candy and Red Long of Tropea Onions

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Solaris Fennel

• Diamond, Money Maker, Beatrice, and Purple Shine Eggplant

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Mideast Peace, Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers

• Taiwan Flat and Caraflex Cabbage

• Emiko Napa Cabbage

• Old Growth Palm Kale

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Regiment Spinach

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Head Lettuce

• Tomatoes

• Aura, Glow, and/or Jimmy Nardello peppers

• Melons or watermelons (we hope!)

• Albion Strawberries

• Pick your own: padron and shishito peppers, cherry tomatoes and tomatillos, jade and dragon langerie beans. Along with the flowers, there are shiso, purple and thai basil in the annual field.

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Goodbye

Hey guys it’s me Celeste .

It’s been such a roller coaster with the barn .I remember when I started working for Sarah, Pascale and I were packing everything for you , and slowly we started to open the barn adding hygiene rules and limiting the amount of people in the barn . After, we loosen up a little bit and now I’m so excited that we will be able to open the bar to the public ( don’t forget to leave tips ) but it is time for me to say Goodbye , enjoy your freshly cut herbs and veggies and never take it for granted because who knows with this drought maybe next year will be hard to farm .

Last week , was my last week working in the afternoons in the CSA which means I will no longer be around telling you what to do (LOL) I will be only working in the morning in the wash station with Kelsey and Sarah J. The reason why is because I’m officially in my third trimester, Yes I’m very pregnant. And summer veggies are starting to get heavy for me to carry and my beautiful baby bump is on the way. Since the beginning of the year Sarah J. suggested it will be better for me to be more careful with what I do , carry and move around the barn/farm and I agreed, I have never been a mom before so I better listen to the expert. 

Which means that I’m definitely going to miss it and 

The plan is for me now to focus on the flower field with  weeding , direct seeding  , harvesting , and drying  the flowers. Which I think will be perfect; I will be able to nourish every minute of my pregnancy surrounded by beautiful flowers until the end . 

I’m very grateful with all the support the James’s  have given  me and my husband Jesse ( He also works here in the farm ) in this  new journey of our lives, they have been very patient with mood swings and hangriness. 

Here I share a picture of myself 28 weeks pregnant , due in November .We also decided to not know the gender of our baby ,because whatever it is I’m gonna love it with all my soul and being. (Also , Gender Reveals are annoying)

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold New Potatoes

• Candy and Red Long of Tropea Onions

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Solaris Fennel

• Diamond, Money Maker, Beatrice, Purple Shine, and Shimoda Eggplant

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Mideast Peace, Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers

• Taiwan Flat and Caraflex Cabbage

• Emiko Napa Cabbage

• Rainbow Lacinato and Old Growth Palm Kale

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Head Lettuce

• Caiman Tomatoes

• Aura, Glow, and/or Jimmy Nardello peppers

• Melons or watermelons (we hope!)

• Albion Strawberries

• Pick your own: padron and shishito peppers, cherry tomatoes and tomatillos, jade and dragon langerie beans. Along with the flowers, there are shiso, purple and thai basil in the annual field.

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread (Friday only!)

Here I share a simple Recipe which you can also add an Avocado and it will taste just as fine.

https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/pico-de-gallo-recipe/

• 8 Roma tomatoes seeds scooped out, diced small

• 1 jalapeno diced fine

• ½ red onion diced

• ¼ cup cilantro fresh, chopped

• ¼ cup lime juice from about 2 limes

• ½ tsp salt or to taste

• ½ tsp pepper or to taste

Chop the ingredients: Dice the tomatoes and onion into small 1/4" cubes. Dice the jalapeno as fine as you can get it, and chop the cilantro well.

Mix the ingredients: Add the chopped ingredients to a bowl and pour in the lime juice, then season with salt and pepper. Toss everything until well combined and let the ingredients sit together for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Eggplants!

By Cecilia

It's eggplant season! I know there have been some questions in the barn about the five different varieties we are growing, so I thought I would write out a short description of each.

Diamond:

This is our tried and true field-grown variety. This is a thicker skinned eggplant, which allows it to hold up better against pest pressure. It has amazing flavor, but the skin makes it a little less tender for something like sautéing. This is our best eggplant for making a spread, like baba ganoush. The skins will blister and peel off perfectly after roasting. These also make a great grilling eggplant

Money Maker:

This variety is one that we typically grow in the hoop house, but we ran out of Diamond plants for our second succession. We ended up filling in with this type and I am really glad we did because these are delicious and have held up against pest pressure remarkably well. These are a very tender Japanese style eggplant that works great for stir fry or baking. They have a delicate flavor, making them really versatile.

Beatrice:

This is our first year growing this variety and I am completely in love. They have a creamy texture and a slightly sweeter flavor. They are similar to the Rosa Bianca heirloom variety. Their skin is a lot softer than the diamond, but they are hefty enough to hold up well to grilling. I read once that you can salt these for an hour before cooking them to enhance the flavor. I am too lazy of a cook to do that, but if someone tries it please let me know how it goes!

Purple Shine:

This is a great Chinese variety with a super mild flavor and a really thin, delicate skin that melts in your mouth. These are also grown in the hoop house to protect them from insects. Honestly, my favorite part about these eggplants is how easy they are to chop (I am a very, very lazy cook). My favorite way to cook these is to chop them into uniform rounds and just bake them in the oven on a cookie sheet.

Shimoda:

These are my favorite eggplants, but unfortunately we do not have as many because they were grown in an area of the hoop house that really struggled. This is a very thin-skinned Japanese eggplant, but the flesh is very dense and creamy. It's the perfect combination. This is my go to eggplant for saute or stir fry. I also love to cut them in half and grill them. Apparently these are a great variety for pickling, but I have never tried.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold New Potatoes

• Candy and Red Long of Tropea Onions

• Alto Leeks (Last week)

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Hakurei Turnips

• Solaris Fennel

• Diamond, Money Maker, Beatrice, Purple Shine, and Shimoda Eggplant

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Mideast Peace, Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers

• Taiwan Flat and Caraflex Cabbage

• Emiko Napa Cabbage

• Rainbow Lacinato and Old Growth Palm Kale

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Head Lettuce

• Caiman Tomatoes

• Aura, Glow, and Jimmy Nardello peppers

• Albion Strawberries

• Pick your own: padron and shishito peppers, jade and dragon langerie beans. Along with the flowers, there are shiso, purple and thai basil in the annual field.

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread (Friday only!)

• Filigreen Farm Peaches (Tuesday only!)
  

MOUTABAL

• 2 eggplants

• 4 tbsp of tahini

• 4 tbsp of Greek yoghurt

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1/2 tsp table salt

To begin, use a fork to prick the skins of the eggplants several times - this will stop them exploding as they cook

Place over a direct flame for 20 minutes (or until soft) until charred all over to help achieve a wonderfully smoky flavour. Allow to cool for 20 minutes

Carefully peel the eggplants, placing the flesh into a bowl and reserving as much of the charred skin as you can. Gently stir in the garlic, tahini, yoghurt, lemon juice and salt until combined. Season to taste

Add to serving bowls and scatter over garnishes of your choice. Serve warm or cold with pitta bread

August

I love the month of August. I am sure I am biased as it is my birthday month. I relish the ripening of the summer fruits: tomatoes, peppers, melons, and more. It always feels like we have waited so long for them to appear and they are so delicious when they do. The tomatoes we have been offering so far are from the tunnlels but the ones in the field are starting to turn as well. Maybe next week we will have some. The tunnel peppers are just starting to color up.

I am a little worried about the watermelons as it seems the crows have found them this year. I think they are thirsty and looking for water, as so many creatures are right now. Going into this season, we were prepared for more pressure from the deer, rabbits, and more, as there is less forage in the woods and pastures. I have to be honest that I did not think fully about the lack of water in the soil as well. We have had more gopher pressure, plus you may have noticed large holes in the fields around the CSA barn. A badger has taken up residence. We have always had badgers on the farm but never this close to human activity. We think they may be attracted to the wetter soil or gophers (which may be more abundant due to the wetter soil) or both. Please be careful for the holes! Most of the time we are able to accept minimal crop loss to share this space with the creatures, but when the pressure is more intense we do try to deter them. I am hoping the crows leave some watermelons for us. We are also planning to cover them with a shade cloth soon but shade cloth has been backordered.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold New Potatoes

• Candy Onions

• Alto Leeks (Young and tender!)

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Hakurei Turnips

• Solaris Fennel

• Diamond, Money Maker, Beatrice, Purple Shine, and Shimoda Eggplant

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Mideast Peace, Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers

• Taiwan Flat and Caraflex Cabbage

• Rainbow Lacinato and Old Growth Palm Kale

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Head Lettuce

• Albion Strawberries

• Pick your own: padron and shishito peppers, jade and dragon langerie beans. Along with the flowers, there are shiso, purple and thai basil in the annual field.

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

• Filigreen Farm Peaches and Blueberries (Friday only!)

Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree, from foodnetwork.com (Thanks to Emma Logan for the recipe suggestion!)

• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (you can also use whole tomatoes cut into large chunks)

• 3 cloves garlic, whole

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

• 1 pound rigatoni pasta

• 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, place the pine nuts in a small baking dish. Place in the oven on the rack below the vegetables. Roast until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn mint leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables.

Transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the pasta is saucy. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and serve.

Turning Point

As the month of July comes to an end, it is another turning point on the farm. We start to feel the shift toward fall, the changing light, and the harvests grow. Tomatoes and melons should be starting soon. We are slowly planting the last winter crops in the field, still trying to catch up on weeding, and winding down in the greenhouses.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold New Potatoes

• Candy Onions

• Alto Leeks (Young and tender!)

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Hakurei Turnips

• Diamond, Money Maker, Beatrice, Purple Shine, and Shimoda Eggplant

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Mideast Peace, Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers

• Taiwan Flat and Caraflex Cabbage

• Rainbow Lacinato and Old Growth Palm Kale

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Regiment Spinach

• Esmee Arugula

• Head Lettuce

• Albion Strawberries

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

LENTILS & CARROTS WITH SWISS CHARD & YOGURT, from dishingupthedirt.com

• 3/4 cup puy lentils + 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• 4 medium sized carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

• 4 tablespoons melted ghee (or butter) divided

• salt and pepper

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 bunch of swiss chard, leaves thinly sliced (stems saved for another use)

• 4-6 Tablespoons water

• 1/2 cup full fat plain yogurt

• juice of half a lemon

• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for serving

• Extra virgin olive oil for serving

Place the lentils in a pot and cover with 2 cups of water and 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Leave at room temperature for 8 hours (see note). Drain the lentils and rinse them under cold water.

Bring a medium saucepan filled 3/4 of the way with water to a boil. Once boiling, add the lentils, decrease the heat to medium, and cook for about 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are soft but still hold a bit of a bite. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Toss the carrots with the melted ghee, salt and pepper and place them on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven until lightly browned and tender. About 30 minutes.

Add the remaining ghee to a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, caraway, cumin, and a fat pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown and fragrant. Add the chard, cooked carrots, lentils and water. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chard leaves wilt down a bit and become bright green.

Remove from the heat, and top with the yogurt, lemon juice, cilantro, salt and pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Summer

By Sarah Beth

I hope you’re all enjoying the fresh summer veggies as much as I am! This time of year it seems like my dinners are a plate full of fresh veggies which is a big part of the reason why summer is my favorite season. There is even more to look forward to in the coming weeks and months! 

Along with all the wonderful things summer brings we also all know we are anticipating the fire season. Since March of this year I’ve been enrolled at the California School of Herbal Studies in a class titled Body Systems. It’s a mixture of physiology and herbal studies. This past weekend we covered the respiratory system and touched a bit on how to care for our bodies and lungs as we enter fire season. I would love to share some things I learned that might be beneficial to our members as well! 

First, stay hydrated and consume demulcent herbs and foods! An excellent way to stay hydrated is with delicious teas. Our Cold Brew tea (containing marshmallow, rose, and chamomile) that Kelsey formulated is a great option or simply make a cold infusion with marshmallow. In the herb circle you can also find violet which is a demulcent herb you can make as a tea as well. Other demulcent herbal friends are cinnamon (if it’s not too warming for you), plantain (which is found as a weed all around here), chia seeds, flax, and licorice.

Second, use herbs (whether in teas, tinctures, infused vinegars and oils) that have an affinity for the lungs such as mullein (which you can find in our herb circle), elecampane, thyme, tulsi, astragalus, and rosemary.

Third, protect your lungs by wearing a mask outdoors when air quality is poor. When outside for prolonged periods I also think it’s a good practice to shower at the end of the day to cleanse your skin. Last year I enjoyed doing herbal steams after showering. With caution, pour boiling water into a pot, add some lung supporting herbs like thyme or rosemary (NOT the essential oils but the actual plant) and breathe in the steam. Covering your head with a towel draped over the bowl helped to capture all the goodness! 

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold New Potatoes

• Candy Onions

• Alto Leeks (Young and tender!)

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Hakurei Turnips

• Solaris Fennel

• Gypsy Broccoli

• Beatrice, Purple Shine, and Shimoda Eggplant

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Mideast Peace, Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers

• Emiko Napa, Taiwan Flat, and Caraflex Cabbage

• Rainbow Lacinato

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Regiment Spinach

• Esmee Arugula

• Head Lettuce

• Albion Strawberries

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Since we have peaches for sale this week I thought I’d share one of my favorite peach dessert recipes. It’s a peach crisp by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) but I will just share the link because I love all of her photos and commentary. It includes a maple cream syrup which you can totally skip or substitute in vanilla ice cream.

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a10230/peach-crisp-wit/

Cistern

I took a walk to the cistern yesterday to check on its water level and was taken back by how beautiful the water looked, so clear and reflecting the mid morning light. The cistern holds the well water that is distributed to all the animals. It sits on the top of a small hill and then the water gravity flows through pipes to various spigots around the farm. While the drought continues to stressful for us all, I do enjoy these moments when I am able to visit the water sources on the farm and to express my thanks for their presence.

It feels like is the height of the summer on the farm: new crops are appearing each week, there is so much weeding to be done, plus we are still planting and sowing for fall and winter. This week the winter carrots and beets are being planted, as well as the first round of cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold New Potatoes

• Candy Onions

• Alto Leeks (Young and tender!)

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya Carrots

• Hakurei Turnips

• Solaris Fennel

• Solstice Broccoli and/or Song Cauliflower (amounts depending on the harvest!)

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Mideast Peace, Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers

• Emiko Napa Cabbage

• Rainbow Lacinato

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Regiment Spinach

• Esmee Arugula

• Head Lettuce

• Albion Strawberries

• Single Herb Tea (We are offering our remaining dried herbs in bulk now!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Pyaz Ka Laccha (Raw Onion Relish), from nytimes.com

• 1 medium onion, preferably a sweet onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste

• ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

• ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika, plus more to taste

• ⅛ teaspoon ground chile, plus more to taste

Put onions in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside to soak for 15 minutes. (This removes some of the onion’s bite, but you can skip this step if you’d like a stronger onion flavor.)

Drain onions and thoroughly pat dry. Return onions to the bowl and stir in lemon juice, salt, paprika and cayenne. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld before serving. Taste and add more salt, lemon and spices, if you like.

Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Serve alongside grilled or roasted meats and fish; stuff into sandwiches, especially grilled cheese or tuna salad; use as a topping for pizza, burgers and hot dogs; scramble into eggs; toss into salads, especially starchy grain and potato salads.

Abundance

By Kelsey

This early summer season is always an exciting time for me on the farm. While the business of farm life can feel constant, the nature of the work right now, at least for me, highlights the generosity and abundance of what we tend. This is a time when the fields are becoming so full, the barn displays more variety and the majority of the tea herbs are ready for harvest. The herb dryer is filled to the brim and constantly humming, and only ever empty for a brief moment before a new round of freshly harvested aromatics are put in. Keeping up with cleaning and maintaining spaces is admittedly never my strong-suit, but at this time of year I just accept that and let it fall to the wayside while trying to keep up with the flowering chamomile, tulsi, calendula and rose. As the herb room starts to fill up with jars of beautiful bright colors, it feels so rewarding and encouraging that despite all the stress that we experienced in the last year and the lack of water, the plants and animals continue to give so much.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Alto Leeks (Young and tender!)

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya Carrots

• Hakurei Turnips

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Solaris Fennel

• Solstice Broccoli and/or Song Cauliflower (amounts depending on the harvest!)

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Mideast Peace, Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers

• Emiko Napa Cabbage

• Rainbow Lacinato and Old Growth Palm Kale

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Regiment Spinach

• Head Lettuce

• Albion Strawberries

• Single Herb Tea (We are offering our remaining dried herbs in bulk now!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Mineral-rich Pesto, adapted from https://www.farmacopia.net/blogs/recipes/mineral-rich-pesto

• 2 cups mixed herbs, packed: cilantro, parsley, basil, tulsi, lemon balm, mint….Be creative! There are tons of suitable pesto herbs ready to harvest.

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ½ cup pumpkin seeds

• ¼ lemon or lime

Optional:

• 1-2 peeled garlic cloves, chopped

• Pink Himalayan salt

• Freshly ground pepper

Place herbs, pumpkin seeds, garlic, and a few squeezes of lemon juice into a food processor or blender and chop/blend for a minute or two.

While food processor or blender is running, drizzled in olive oil until you reach the desired consistency. Some prefer runny pestos, others thicker spread. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon over julienned zucchini "noodles" or spaghetti squash. Mix into quinoa, or serve as a dip with crudité.

Freeze extra pesto in ice cube trays, and store cubes in a tightly sealed container. Add to soups, stir fries, etc.

Montana

Montana the bull is joining the herd of mother cows this week. He will stay with them for the next 45 days until he returns to his pen by the road with the other bulls and rams. The young chicks are headed outside this week as well.

The harvest list is slowly building as we bring in our first carrots and cabbage. The fields are filling up of growing plants and weeds, which we are doing our best to keep at bay.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions (Last week! We may have spring onions next week.)

• Alto Leeks (Young and tender!)

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Yaya Carrots

• Hakurei Turnips

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Emiko Napa Cabbage

• Rainbow Lacinato and Old Growth Palm Kale

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Regiment Spinach

• Head Lettuce

• Albion Strawberries

• Single Herb Tea (We are offering our remaining dried herbs in bulk now!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Napa Cabbage with Hot Bacon Dressing, from food52.com

• 1 Napa cabbage, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (you’ll need 6 to 8 cups)

• 8 thick slices bacon, cut into 1/ 4-inch lardons

• 1 tablespoon flour

• 2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Place the cabbage in a large mixing bowl. Add the bacon to a medium sauté pan and set over medium heat. Render the bacon fat and brown the bacon, adjusting the heat as needed. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel, then pour off all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat (approximate, don’t measure) from the pan.

Set the pan over medium low heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Season with the salt. Gradually – and slowly! – whisk this mixture into the egg.

Sprinkle the bacon on the cabbage, then pour 3/4 of the dressing over the cabbage and toss to mix. Add more dressing as desired.

Return of the fog

While Seth and I are in Tahoe this week, grateful to be enjoying the lake and family time, I can’t help but to read the weather at home and to think of the crew and the farm. I am imagining the return of the fog after the intense heat wave of last week, the cool relief for the plants, animals, and humans. I am hoping that the next heat wave this weekend is more mild.

We took shelter from the heat last week in the shade tunnels, clearing out the beautiful and enormous kale to make space for the next plantings of spinach, basil, and napa cabbage. All the winter squash, melons, and watermelons are in the ground, growing rapidly. We will plant the next round of brassicas and direct seeded crops this week, as well as the last flowers. The weeds are rapidly growing too and we are doing our best to manage them to allow the crops to flourish.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions (We recommend storing the red onions in the fridge even though they are cured. They are starting to fade.)

• Alto Leeks (Young and tender!)

• Bora King and Cheong Du Radish

• Pink Beauty Radishes

• Hakurei Turnips

• Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Rainbow Lacinato and Old Growth Palm Kale

• Champion Collards

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Regiment Spinach

• Head Lettuce

• Albion Strawberries

• Single Herb Tea (We are offering our remaining dried herbs in bulk now!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Herb Fritters, from www.ottolenghi.co.uk

• 40g dill, finely chopped

• 40g basil leaves, finely chopped

• 40g cilantro leaves,

• finely chopped

• 1½ tsp ground cumin

• 50g fresh breadcrumbs (about 2 slices, crusts left on if soft)

• 3 tbsp barberries (or currants)

• 25g walnut halves, lightly toasted and roughly chopped

• 8 large eggs, beaten

• 60ml sunflower oil, for frying

• salt

These can be snacked on as they are, at room temperature, or else served with a green tahini sauce and some extra herbs. These fritters are a bit of a fridge raid, using up whatever herbs you have around. As long as you keep the total net weight the same and use a mixture of herbs, this will still work wonderfully. The batter will keep, uncooked, for 1 day in the fridge. Alternatively, pile the fritters into pitta bread with condiments: a combination of yoghurt, chilli sauce, pickled vegetables and tahini works well. You’d just need one fritter per person, rather than two

Place all the ingredients, apart from the oil, in a large bowl with ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well to combine and set aside.

Put 2 tablespoons of oil into a large non-stick pan and place on a medium high heat. Once hot, add ladles of batter to the pan.

Do 4 fritters at a time, if you can – you want each of them to be about 12cm wide – otherwise just do 2 or 3 at a time.

Fry for 1–2 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden-brown. Transfer to a kitchen paper-lined plate and set aside while you continue with the remaining batter and oil.

Serve either warm or at room temperature

Rainbows and Flowers

Hey Celeste here again,

Look for an email from me detailing new barn protocols! Please read it!

I’m very happy to announce that baby’s-breath ( Gypsophila ) and Larkspur is ready to be harvest in the Flower Field , and don’t forget that there is a big variety of herbs and flowers in the perennial garden that is ready to be harvested as well. 

From Sarah,

Don’t forget to smell the flowers as well! The milkweed in the perennials is blooming and it has a glorious scent. The other day I was not paying attention enough and almost inhaled a handful of bees that were also relishing the bloom!

We interplanted alyssum in the brassica block to attract beneficial insects and I could not be happier with the results so far! The plants all look healthy and strong. Walking through the field, the sweet smell of the alyssum is uplifting as well.

We are prepping for a heat wave this week and still basking in the glow of the rainbows from Monday morning. We awoke to a good amount of moisture on the ground and were blessed by beautiful rainbows all morning!

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions (We recommend storing the red onions in the fridge even though they are cured. They are starting to fade.)

• Alto Leeks (Young and tender!)

• Bora King and Cheong Du Radish

• Solaris Fennel

• Pink Beauty Radishes

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Champion Collards

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Regiment Spinach

• Head Lettuce

• Lettuce Mix

• Red mustard

• Albion Strawberries

• Single Herb Tea (We are offering our remaining dried herbs in bulk now!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread (Only on Friday this week)

Coconut-Braised Collard Greens, from nytimes.com

• 1 large bunch collard greens (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 1 bunch (6 to 8) scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced

• 1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut off and discard any dry or wilted bits from the collard greens and wash the remaining collards in cold water. Transfer to a colander to drain, then coarsely chop the stems and leaves into 2- to 3-inch pieces.

In a large wok or skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high until rippling. Add scallions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add collards and cook, stirring, just until wilted, about 1 minute.

Add coconut milk and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until collards are cooked to your taste, about 7 minutes for bright and crisp greens or 10 minutes for darker, softer greens.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Tunnel Update

By Cecilia

I am sure you all have been seeing the veggies growing out in the field when you drive by on CSA day, but I wanted to give you an update on what is going on inside the tunnels! At our all member meeting I spoke a little about how we tried to rearrange our crop plan in a way that allows us to grow less while still feeling as abundant as past years. A big part of that plan is our management of the three tunnels. We originally invested in a third tunnel to be able to grow more during our slimmer winter months. In a non-drought year having that much indoor growing space feels excessive for the summer months. Last year we used the extra space to experiment with growing sweet potatoes. Because of our drought plan this year, we had no extra water to spare for testing out new crops. We decided to convert the third tunnel into an extra shade house in order to have more fresh greens through the summer. With the controlled indoor environment we are able to grow much more with a lot less water. So I hope you are all looking forward to more consistent spinach, kale, arugula, etc. through our hot months.

As for the hot tunnel we have peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplant on their way. There are plenty of little green tomatoes waiting to turn red. I am sure they will be worth the wait. I know you can't see them from the driveway, but they are growing fast!

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions (We recommend storing the red onions in the fridge even though they are cured. They are starting to fade.)

• Bora King and Cheong Du Radish

• Balena Celeriac (last week!)

• Solaris Fennel

• Hakurei Turnips

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Regiment Spinach

• Head Lettuce

• Red mustard

• Albion Strawberries

• Single Herb Tea (We are offering our remaining dried herbs in bulk now!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread (Only on Tuesday this week)

Kale Chips

from Smitten Kitchen

1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale (I used Lacinato or “Dinosaur” Kale but I understand that the curlier stuff works, too, possibly even better)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet (I needed two because mine are tiny; I also lined mine with parchment for easy clean-up but there’s no reason that you must). Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.

Kale-Dusted Popcorn!:

 If you’re making the chips with the intention to grind them up for popcorn, I’d use less oil — perhaps half — so they grind without the “powder” clumping. I ground a handful of my chips (about half) in a mortar and pestle (well, actually the “pestle” was MIA so I used the handle of an OXO reamer, not that anyone asked) and sprinkled it over popcorn (1/4 cup popcorn kernels I’d cooked in a covered pot with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, shaking it about with potholders frequently). I seasoned the popcorn with salt.

AJ

My name is AJ, I am the newest crew member at Open Field Farm. I come as a part of a package deal, with a canine companion named Dolly. She is 12 years old and loves to sunbathe. She's a somewhat ambivalent creature but is very kind and gentle. I/We got to meet a few of you at the all-member meeting, but for those of you I haven't had the opportunity to meet, a brief introduction:

I have been farming in California for the past 12 years, predominantly in vegetable production, followed closely by goats and sheep. I accidentally fell into farming in Mendocino County by volunteering on a family farm, where I fell in love with the family and the soil and the goats. I ended up staying for 5 years.

After that, I picked up a lease agreement with the school district in Willits and ran a 1-acre vegetable plot that provided produce to the community through the farmers market and the school cafeterias.

After 4 years, I burnt out on that project, for various reasons, so I took a 6-month hiatus from farming and worked at a wolf sanctuary in Colorado for 6 months. It was magical to be in the middle of nowhere, with dark skies and waking up to howling hills.

Upon my return to Mendocino County, I joined my best friend and her husband at Tequio Community Farm. I love working with them and it was my longer-term plan to continue that partnership, but farming can be really tough on people and after 8 months of working together, they decided to call it quits for their mental health, which steered my in the direction of Sonoma/Marin County.

For the year and a half before I joined the Open Field crew, I was working at a goat and sheep dairy in Tomales. We had almost 300 animals in total, until the mayhem of lambing and kidding season began, when numbers start to double.

During my time there, I definitely missed soil and other elements of vegetable farming, which is why I was very excited to have the opportunity to work at Open Field.

I'm enjoying participating in a true CSA model here (something that has always intimidated me) and look forward to building community with y'all. I'm hopeful for abundant harvest, and hopefully soon, abundant (visible) smiles.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions (We recommend storing the red onions in the fridge even though they are cured. They are starting to fade.)

• Bora King and Cheong Du Radish

• Balena Celeriac (last week!)

• Pink Beauty Radishes

• Solaris Fennel

• Hakurei Turnips

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill

• Regiment Spinach

• Head Lettuce (limited amounts this week but there is more coming!)

• Albion Strawberries

• Single Herb Tea (We are offering our remaining dried herbs in bulk now!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

ALso, I LOVE parsley. Here is a recipe for a parsley salad that I could eat like bowls of spaghetti:

4 oz italian parsley

2 Tbs Fresh lemon Juice (or I use ACV)

7 Tbs Toasted Seame Oil

2 tsp Honey

3 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, sesame oil, honey, and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the parsley and sesame seeds and toss to combine. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving so that flavors meld.

Taking it in

I love to walk by the sheep and see them basking in the sunlight. They tilt their noses upward and close their heads. It relaxes me and reminds me to do the same!

Last week we had a late frost which damaged the new potatoes and did kill a few young flowers and herbs. However, we were lucky in that we had not planted most of our more susceptible crops and were able to wait for the cold to pass. We covered the cucumbers and summer squash with floating row covered which protected them. However they still look very yellow and sad. We are looking forward to warmer nights that will help them bounce back.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Rhonda Beets (Last week!)

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions (We recommend storing the red onions in the fridge even though they are cured. They are starting to fade.)

• Bora King and Cheong Du Radish

• Balena Celeriac

• Pink Beauty Radishes

• Solaris Fennel

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Green Garlic (Last week!)

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Parsley

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Albion Strawberries

• Single Herb Tea (We are offering our remaining dried herbs in bulk now!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Roberta's Parsley Cake, from food52.com

• 4 cups tightly packed parsley leaves

• 1 cup tightly packed mint leaves

• 3/4 cup good olive oil, plus more for the pan

• 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 2/3 cups sugar

To make the herb-oil mixture, put a fourth of the parsley and mint in a strong blender or food processor, and blend it on low speed. Use a blender stick to help crush the herbs while the blade is spinning (or stop the machine from time to time to push the herbs back down toward the blade). Slowly increase the speed to medium (or a steady puree, in a food processor) and continue adding the rest of the herbs until you have added all of them.

In a steady stream, add half of the olive oil. Mix on medium-low speed (or pulsing, if using a food processor) until all is combined. Add the remaining olive oil and blend for no longer than 10 seconds. The mixture will look loose and stringy. Scrape out the blender to get all of the parsley mixture, transfer it to a bowl, and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the eggs for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and mix on high speed until the mixture is very thick and turns a pale yellow color, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer speed down to low and add the herb-oil mixture.

With the machine still running, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into a container and refrigerate it for at least 6 and up to 24 hours (the cake will turn out much greener than it would if you baked it right away).

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 340°F and lightly oil a sheet pan -- ideally a 13- x 18-inch for a thin cake but 11 3/4- x 16 1/2-inch will work with a slightly longer baking time (at Food52, we used a 10- x 15-inch jelly roll pan). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper. Pour the batter into the sheet pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.

Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, rotating the cake halfway through. If the top begins to brown before the inside of the cake is done, turn the heat down to 330° and let it cook a couple of minutes longer. When a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, it's done. Let it cool in the pan.

To serve, tear serving-size squares of cake into a few larger pieces and divide them among individual plates. If desired, serve with vanilla ice cream and lemon zest. Alternately, eat warm with butter for breakfast.

Okra and Hibiscus

By Sarah Beth

This year Sarah James has graciously agreed to grow two of my favorite plants: okra and hibiscus. Being from the Southeast, okra is a large part of my culture. I grew up always having okra in the summer. My family would make fried okra and pickled okra. I also love stewing okra with tomatoes and seasoning and serving it over rice. I know the sliminess of okra deters some from it but we’re growing a variety called Jade that is a beautiful vibrant green color and is less slimy than others. The okra will be planted in the “pick your own” field. Hibiscus (or Roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa) is a plant I discovered when farming in Southwest Florida. This hibiscus is similar but different from the flowering shrub we all know. With this type of hibiscus you wait until the flower has bloomed and closed up and then you harvest the calyxes. You can use calyxes in teas, beverages, or jams and it has many excellent health benefits. These two plants share the same botanical family (Malvaceae- also the same family as marshmallow!) and are both native to Africa but are grown across the world. I hope you are all able to experiment and enjoy these two plants as they start producing in the coming months!

Broccoli and alyssum

This Week’s Pick List:

The pick list is shrinking as we eat through the last of the storage crops. The fall planted chard and celery have gone to seed with the lengthening and warming days. Soon though the list will start to grow!

• Eggs

• Rhonda Beets

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions (We recommend storing the red onions in the fridge even though they are cured. They are starting to fade.)

• Bora King and Cheong Du Radish

• Balena Celeriac

• Hablinge Parsnips

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Green Garlic

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Parsley

• Regiment Spinach

• Salanova Lettuce Mix

• Albion Strawberries

• Single Herb Tea (We are offering our remaining dried herbs in bulk now!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Chloe, one of the two bottle fed lambs this year

Spinach-and-Cilantro Soup With Tahini and Lemon, from nytimes.com

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1/4 cup well-stirred tahini

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 large clove garlic, finely grated or pounded to a smooth paste

• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes or ground

FOR THE SOUP:

• 7 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

• 12 ounces spinach (about 12 packed cups)

• 2 cups roughly chopped parsley, stems and leaves

• 1/4 cup well-stirred tahini

• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed

First, make the sauce: Combine tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin and red-pepper flakes with 2 tablespoons water in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed to achieve a drizzle-able consistency, and set aside.

Next, make the soup: Add stock to a Dutch oven or heavy pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in spinach, parsley, tahini and salt, and return to a boil. Turn off heat, and stir in lemon juice.

Use an immersion blender to purée soup. Taste, and adjust seasoning with more salt and lemon, if desired.

Serve soup immediately, and drizzle with tahini sauce. Cover and refrigerate remaining soup and sauce for up to 1 week, or freeze soup for up to 1 month.

New beginnings

Welcome to the first week of the new season! We are excited to meet new members and to begin the cycle of the new year. We are busy planting, plus getting ready for baby chicks arriving this Thursday.

Leftover vegetable and flower starts available all year!

This Week’s Pick List:

The pick list is shrinking as we eat through the last of the storage crops. The fall planted chard and celery have gone to seed with the lengthening and warming days. Soon though the list will start to grow!

• Eggs

• Rhonda Beets

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions, Matador Shallots (We recommend storing the red onions in the fridge even though they are cured. They are starting to fade.)

• Bora King and Cheong Du Radish

• Balena Celeriac

• Hablinge Parsnips

• Solaris Fennel

• Green Garlic

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Parsley

• Regiment Spinach

• Salanova Lettuce Mix

• Tea Blends (We will offer a bag of tea each week!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Margrethe, Oliver, Teddy on Mother’s Day (Thank you to Carrie Caudle and MCCV for my 3 heart necklaces!)

The kids and Seth made me a delicious dinner for mother’s day: pan roasted steak with shallot and herb butter, plus a salad of purple daikon, fennel, and mint. YUM!

Phacelia

This is the year of the phacelia in the fields! It has thrived in every field and even started popping up in other places around the farm. We chose to add it to our cover crop to add diversity to the mix. As well, the description of its qualities were a perfect compliment to what our soil needs: it provides calcium to build organic matter and has great root structure that helps break up the clay. It is also a very attractive plant for pollinators.

Kelsey added beautiful signs to the herb garden this week. Check them out and find all the new herbs we have planted! Many of them are not yet ready to be picked but you can explore what is there. Please be sure that the signs are kept in their places!

We are finishing the onion planting today and then moving on to planting the first brassicas and summer squash. As well, we are seeding the winter leeks today which always seem wild, to be thinking of winter when summer has not even started!

This Week’s Pick List:

We hoped to have lettuce mix again this week but it has not grown enough to harvest. Next week!

• Eggs

• Rhonda Beets

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions, Matador Shallots (We recommend storing the red onions in the fridge even though they are cured. They are starting to fade.)

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Bora King and Cheong Du Radish

• Watermelon Radish

• Balena Celeriac

• Hablinge Parsnips

• Calypso Celery

• Solaris Fennel

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Green Garlic

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Parsley

• Regiment Spinach

• Tea Blends (We will offer a bag of tea each week!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

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

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 3 green garlic, 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

• 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 3/4 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.

All Member

We are looking forward to seeing those who can attend at the All Member Meeting this Wednesday from 6 to 7 pm!

We are slowly planting out the fields, at a pace which feels oddly slow for the frenzy we associate with spring. In most other years, we are just barely tilling the fields so we do not plan to have starts ready this early. As well, we were waiting to figure out the water so we did not adapt our plans. The greenhouse is very full and in a few weeks time the fields will be as well.

This Week’s Pick List:

• Eggs

• Rhonda Beets

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions, Matador Shallots (We recommend storing the red onions in the fridge even though they are cured. They are starting to fade.)

• Kossack Kohlrabi

• Bora King and Cheong Du Radish

• Watermelon Radish

• Balena Celeriac

• Hablinge Parsnips

• Calypso Celery

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Green Garlic

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Joi Choi

• Parsley

• Regiment Spinach

• Tea Blends (We will offer a bag of tea each week!)

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)

• Revolution Bread

Fried Egg Salad From Ideas in Food, from food52.com

• Butter or olive oil

• Sliced onions, chopped ham, or other tasty mix-ins (optional)

• Eggs

• Mayonnaise

• Finely chopped onions and celery, or other cold, crunchy vegetables (optional)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus any other spices, herbs, or seasonings

• Toast

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat (a 10-inch pan is perfect for 6 eggs, aka 2 servings). Have a lid or sheet pan nearby to cover the pan. Add a knob of butter or a glug of oil to the pan, then add your onions, ham, or other ingredients you’ll be cooking along with the eggs. I like to make sure the onions get soft and translucent and the ham a little crispy.

Meanwhile, crack your eggs into a bowl so you can pour them into the pan all at once. Turn down the heat to medium-low, gently pour your eggs in (aiming them evenly around the pan), and cover the pan to let them gently steam and fry. Peek occasionally so you can take the eggs off the stove when they’re done to your liking. I like to jiggle the pan to make sure the yolks are a little runny and poke the whites with a spatula to make sure they’re set.

Slide the eggs (and any bonuses like onions and ham) into a mixing bowl and chop them up with scissors. Add your mayo, other seasonings, and any cold, crunchy vegetables if using. Gently mix it all together.

Serve it warm on toast for a treat, but any leftovers are delicious cold the next day, too.