Running

By Sarah

It is the time of year when we are running on harvest days to get everything in. The wash station and barn are so full. We are grateful for the abundance and chaos, even if we are overwhelmed at times. We are definitely tired by the end of the day!

It is my week to lead morning circle. I almost always lead with a poem, often picking one poet or book to focus on for the week. This week I chose Pablo Neruda’s Love Sonnets. I get daily poem from the Poetry Foundation and they featured one of the sonnets recently. It swept me back to studying abroad in Chile and to visiting his home in Vina del Mar. Seth and I also had one of his sonnets as part of our wedding ceremony. This particular sonnet spoke of a flower always living in a plant, even if it didn’t bloom, which is an image I am carrying with me. I also appreciate being able to read the poem in Spanish one day and English the next, even if I cringe at my horrible accent when reading the Spanish.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49236/one-hundred-love-sonnets-xvii

Upcoming Farm Events:
Potluck Friday 9/20 at 5:30 pm
Potluck Friday 10/25 at 5:30 pm
Fall Harvest Festival Saturday 11/16 11 am - 3 pm

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold Potatoes

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radishes

• Ailsa Craig and Red Long Onions

• Parade Scallions

• Poinsett 78, Green 18, and Silver Slicer Cucumbers

• Addis and White Heron Pickling Cucumbers

• Mutabile, Goldini, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Sweet Corn

• Diamond and Annina Eggplant

• Sweet Peppers

• Cabbage

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Rhubarb Chard

• Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro

• Tomatilloes

• Hot Peppers

• Tomatoes

• Melons and/or Watermelons

• Strawberries

• Pick your own raspberries, cherry tomatoes, padron peppers, green beans, ground cherries, flowers, and herbs

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread for sale on Tuesday and Friday

Summer Steak with Corn and Tomatoes

Servings: 3 to 4 Time: 40 minutes Source: Smitten Kitchen

Steak

• 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-pound skirt steak

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon sweet or hot smoked paprika

• Freshly ground black pepper

Salad

• 2 ears fresh corn

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green)

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

• 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped

• 1 cup finely-chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, basil, chives, or a mix thereof

Prep the steak: Pat steak dry and place on a plate or tray. If your grill or pan for cooking is smaller than the length of it, cut the steak into segments that will fit. Combine sugar, salt, paprika, and many grinds of black pepper in a small bowl then sprinkle half of it over the top of the steak; flip steak over and repeat on the second side. Transfer to the fridge and let chill for 30 minutes or up to a few hours, until you’re ready to grill. I do this uncovered to encourage the edges to dry out, which is just my preference; loosely covered works too.

Make corn and tomato salad: Cook the corn your favorite way; I use the grill. Heat your grill to a high heat. Shuck the cobs, removing any stringy bits, and lightly oil the cobs. Place directly on the grill and cook until charred spots form, rotating the cobs as needed. This can take about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how robust your grill is. Set the cobs aside to cool slightly while you make the dressing.

Pour olive oil, cider vinegar, kosher salt, many grinds of black pepper, and minced garlic in a medium-large bowl and whisk to combine. When corn is cool enough to handle (with a towel, if needed), cut the kernels from the cob and add to the dressing in the bowl. Scatter tomatoes, jalapeño, scallions, and herbs on top of the corn in layers, but I don’t bother mixing it at this point. I like the corn to marinate and gently pickle in the dressing while I cook the steak. Do ahead: Corn salad can be made 1 hour in advance. If you’d like to make it even earlier, I’d leave the herbs off until right before serving so they don’t discolor.

Cook the steak: On a grill: Heat your grill to high for 10 minutes before using it. I like my (small, gas) grill as ripping hot as I can get it for a skirt steak, since it’s so thin and I want to get color on the outside before it overcooks in the center. Lightly oil the grill and the steak, cooking for 2 minutes on the first side, then flipping it and cooking it for 2 minutes on the second side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 to 7 minutes.

On the stove: Heat your heaviest skillet, ideally cast-iron (this is my forever go-to) over high heat for several minutes, until the pan is smoking hot. Lightly coat it with a neutral oil and add the steak. If you had to cut yours into a few segments, you might only be able to cook two at a time. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip the steak and cook it for 2 minutes on the second side for a medium-rare steak. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 to 7 minutes.

Assemble and serve: Stir tomato-corn salad to mix the ingredients and taste, adjusting seasoning if needed. Once the steak has rested, cut it across the grain into 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange steak fanned on a serving platter and drizzle any juices that have collected on the cutting board over it. Season lightly with additional salt and pepper. Spoon some tomato-corn salad over it, leaving the rest in a bowl on the side for adding more at the table. Eat right away.

Productivity

By Ellie

I love to read and this past week I started rereading Harry Potter! I remember a couple months ago when we spent days planting potatoes in our field called “Lupin”, I thought about Harry Potter constantly (since there is a character in the series called professor Lupin for those who don’t know). Since then I’d been thinking about rereading the books since I’d only read them for the first time last summer! 

Deciding to start reading the series again was hard for me because I have this reading goal on an app called Goodreads and for some reason in my mind I wanted them all to be new books that I’d never read before to contribute to this goal. I thought rereading books wouldn’t count toward the goal so I couldn’t bring myself to read Harry Potter again. But I feel like in our society there is a pressure to always be productive and sometimes it manifests in weird ways like me not letting myself read the books I want. I’ve been wanting to read Harry Potter for MONTHS and I wouldn’t let myself do it until now and I actually feel so excited about it! So what if I’ve read them before, I’m still reading and I decided they will still count towards my reading goal!

Another thing my decision has made me think about is the passage of time and how things come back which I frequently think about while farming. I thought about Harry Potter for days on end a few months back while planting potatoes on the back of the tractor and harvesting those potatoes about 2 weeks ago is what made me start reconsidering rereading the series again. Now I’m happily listening to the audiobooks and eating our delicious potatoes. What I’m trying to say is don’t let months go by not doing what you really want to do just because it’s not “productive”.

By the way, I’m a Slytherin :-)

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold Potatoes

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radishes

• Finale Fennel

• Ailsa Craig and Red Long Onions

• Parade Scallions

• Poinsett 78, Green 18, and Silver Slicer Cucumbers

• Addis and White Heron Pickling Cucumbers

• Mutabile, Goldini, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Diamond and Annina Eggplant

• Sweet Corn

• Lettuce

• Cabbage

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Champion Collard

• Rhubarb Chard

• Regiment Spinach

• Tomatilloes

• Tomatoes

• Hot Peppers

• Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro

• Melons and/or Watermelons

• Strawberries

• Pick your own raspberries, cherry tomatoes, padron peppers, green beans, ground cherries, flowers, and herbs

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread for sale on Tuesday

My grandma’s zucchini bread!
I’ve made this a couple times this summer so far and it’s so good and nostalgic every time. 

• 1 and 1/2 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• Combine dry ingredients then add:

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 and 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

• 1/4 cup oil

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes

Food for Babies

By Kelsey

Recently Sarah gave me the cookbook, “Let Them Eat Dirt” by Andrea Bemis. I’ve been having a lot of fun drawing inspiration from her baby-friendly recipes for my new little eater. The title of the book is perfect, because all J wants to do when we’re out in the flower garden is eat dirt. I just tell myself it’s good that he’s building his immune system! Though it was a bit daunting at first, introducing foods has actually been really fun. He loves farm food, especially eggplant, tomatoes (which he eats whole like an apple), zucchini, potatoes, and of course, strawberries. He also likes the ground beef and bone marrow. Yum!

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold Potatoes

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Finale Fennel

• Ailsa Craig and Red Long Onions

• Parade Scallions

• Alto Leeks

• Poinsett 78, Green 18, and Silver Slicer Cucumbers

• Addis and White Heron Pickling Cucumbers

• Mutabile, Goldini, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Diamond and Annina Eggplant

• Sweet Corn

• Lettuce

• Cabbage

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Champion Collard

• Rhubarb Chard

• Tomatilloes

• Tomatoes

• Hot Peppers

• Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro

• Strawberries

• Pick your own raspberries, flowers, and herbs

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread for sale on Tuesday

Here is one recipe from the book that my whole family has been enjoying for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner! I make some substitutions because I’m apparently allergic to following recipes exactly, and because I like to use as much as I can from the farm.

Savory Veggie Muffins From “Let Them Eat Dirt” by Andrea Bemis

1/2 c buckwheat flour*
1/2 c millet flour*
(*I just use 1 cup Sonora wheat flour)
3/4 c plain whole milk yogurt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp fine sea salt (optional if serving to a baby under 1)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c melted unsalted butter, ghee, or olive oil
1/2 c shredded Swiss cheese*
(*I use goat cheddar)
1/2 c shredded sweet potato*
1/2 c finely chopped/minced broccoli florets*
(*I use whatever veggies sound best to me from the farm! I’ve done 1/2 c shredded carrots and 1/2 c shredded zucchini, or a combo of carrot, zucchini, & broccoli)

The evening before baking, whisk together the flour and yogurt in a large bowl. Cover with a dish towel and place in a warm spot in your kitchen overnight. The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a mini-muffin tin with parchment paper liners or lightly grease the tin. Set it aside. Add the baking soda, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt and nutritional yeast (if using) to the bowl of dough. Use a wooden spatula to mix (the dough will feel gummy at first and that’s totally normal). Add the beaten egg and melted butter. Mix to combine. Fold in the cheese and veggies and divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Transformation

By Alexis

After taking a trip back to my home state of Florida - and getting eaten my mosquitos while camping - I am grateful to be back in the dry, cool land. I may not feel the same when the wet, cool winter hits. Still, I am enjoying the Summer, and already I can feel that it will be gone sooner than later. My body is enjoying the change of pace the summer provides, after the spring time rush of planting - and before the fall harvest. It has been a gift to see the moon follow the sun so closely in the sky lately with the changing of the season. The summer heat has also prompted the birds to come drink and bathe in Shiloh’s water bowl. If the bowl is not outside, they have even come to ask me for water. I feel grateful to be able to give back to them. The wasps also enjoy a drink and bathe too. Everyone has a place in my home, and Shiloh is very good at sharing. As we are soon to transition from summer to fall, it has also been a time where I have been reflecting a lot lately on my own personal transformation. As with all things, transitions must take place to become whole. The flower must senesce for the seeds to be born. And so, I am being asked to bloom in ways that still feel foreign or impossible; to let parts of me die with the planting of new seeds. It will be well worth the unfamiliar territory. 

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Gold Potatoes

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Ailsa Craig and Red Long Onions

• Parade Scallions

• Alto Leeks

• Poinsett 78, Green 18, and Silver Slicer Cucumbers

• Addis and White Heron Pickling Cucumbers

• Mutabile, Goldini, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Diamond and Annina Eggplant

• Lettuce

• Cabbage

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Champion Collard

• Rhubarb Chard

• Tomatilloes

• Tomatoes

• Hot Peppers

• Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro

• Strawberries

• Pick your own raspberries, flowers, and herbs

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread for sale on Tuesday

Baba Ganoush  
    • 2 medium eggplants, pierced with a knife or fork
    • ¼ cup tahini
    • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 2 garlic cloves
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • Finely chopped fresh parsley
    • Smoked paprika
    • Red pepper flakes, optional
    • Pita bread, for serving
    • Veggies, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400°F and wrap the eggplants in foil. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until they are soft and collapse to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Once cool to the touch, peel the skin from the eggplants, removing any big clumps of seeds. Place the flesh in a strainer set over a bowl and let stand for 20 minutes to remove excess water.
Place the eggplant flesh, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt in a food processor and pulse until smooth. 
Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving dish and sprinkle with parsley, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve with pita and veggies.

Bindweed

By Cici

Hi all! 

This week I’m going to share a poem I wrote while in the field while pulling bind weed (morning glory)! I leaned into the theatrics quite a bit, but Sarah reminded me that farming is dramatic as its a constant cycle of creation and destruction so why not let the mind exaggerate it. 

Morning glory 
In her battered glory 

Its lactonic blood that she cries 
Wounded 

Is her flower a white flag held high? 
With it does she plead “will you spare me if I look pretty?”

Is she simply a weed because she comes from a seed 
Never sowed? 

This land is not for her 
Nor this soil 
And no invitation posits her a common foe

Will her sticky sacrificial resin bless what is to be grown?

We pull and we pull and we pull 
But pieces remain 
And with these, she retrains 

In her vengeance 
She strangles what she can reach 
Those delicate tendrils 
Grip and gasp and grasp 
And when asked 
They quietly say, “but this is how i become free” 

Is her sin trying to survive? 
Will she be turned away at the gates? 

Faithfully, she will return 
What hope!

Morning glory 
In her battered glory 

She will not be thrown out of her garden

Upcoming Event: Farm Potluck Friday 8/23 5:30 pm

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Ailsa Craig and Red Long Onions

• Parade Scallions

• Alto Leeks

• Fennel

• Poinsett 78, Green 18, and Silver Slicer Cucumbers

• Addis and White Heron Pickling Cucumbers

• Mutabile, Goldini, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Diamond and Annina Eggplant

• Lettuce

• Cabbage

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Champion Collard

• Rhubarb Chard

• Tomatilloes

• Tomatoes

• Hot Peppers

• Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro

• Strawberries

• Pick your own raspberries, flowers, and herbs

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread for sale on Tuesday

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/crispy-salmon-with-tomatillo-salsa

Crispy Salmon With Tomatillo Salsa

By Vanessa Casillas

SALSA

• 1 lb. tomatillos, husked, rinsed

• 2 serrano chiles

• 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

• ¼ tsp. cumin seeds

• Kosher salt

• 1 spring onion or 2 scallions, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped

• 3–4 sprigs cilantro, tough stems removed, chopped

• ½ tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican

• Lime wedges (for serving; optional)

SALMON AND ASSEMBLY

• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• ¼ tsp. cumin seeds

• 4 6-oz. skin-on salmon fillets

• Kosher salt

• Dried oregano, preferably Mexican, cilantro leaves, avocado slices, and lime wedges (for serving)

SALSA

Preheat broiler. Place tomatillos, chiles, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, tossing once, until tomatillos are blistered in spots and starting to release some juices, 7–10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cover. Let sit until tomatillos are softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Remove skins from chiles if desired and peel garlic; place in a molcajete or mortar and pestle along with cumin seeds and a pinch of salt. Grind until smooth. (Or you can use a blender if you grind the cumin seeds before adding.) Add tomatillos and grind until a coarse purée forms. Stir in spring onion, cilantro, and oregano. Season with more salt if needed; squeeze in lime juice to taste if desired.

SALMON AND ASSEMBLY

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle in cumin seeds. Season salmon with salt; arrange, skin side down, in skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook, pressing down gently on fish, until skin is golden brown and crisp, 6–8 minutes. Turn over; cook until just cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Divide salmon among plates; spoon salsa over. Scatter some oregano and cilantro on top. Serve with avocado and lime wedges alongside.

A sprain

By Alyssa

Last week, I sprained my right wrist playing volleyball. It’s a silly little sprain – nothing serious – but it’s annoying when you work with your hands, and you happen to be right-handed. Over the years, I have grown more ambidextrous in various farming tasks, not only as a way to work faster (picking or weeding with two hands simultaneously is always faster than one), but also as a way to spread the impact of our work across my body. I can keep shoveling a lot longer if I switch sides every few minutes. But in the last few days, I have discovered that my ambidexterity only goes so far. Cabbage has challenged me to become better at using a harvest knife left-handed. And when I’m driving the big tractor and spading, most of the controls are on the right-hand side.

       I think a lot about how many of the tools we use every day are developed and built for supposedly “average” people, who are often considered to be right-handed and six feet tall. My current predicament aside, different pieces of farm equipment can be challenging or uncomfortable to operate depending on your height and weight. Weight-based safety features sometimes require us to drive with a sandbag on our laps or on the seat behind us, so that the equipment can sense there is someone in the seat. The counter height in the wash station and the handle on one of our wheel hoes is taller than is ergonomic for some of our crew.

       Conversations about inclusivity in agriculture often focus on industry and workplace culture, educational opportunities, and hiring practices. But sometimes it’s simpler than that. Sometimes it is literally structural. I appreciate that at Open Field, we try to think about these things and figure out safe and reasonable accommodations. It makes the work more sustainable for us all. But workplace culture can’t fix the problem. I don’t have a great closing statement here – mostly, this is just something I think about a lot, especially when training new crew.

       Other exciting news – we have tomatillos this week! We are growing them in our veggies this year, and the plants look a lot healthier than when they were in the pick-your-own garden.

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Yaya Carrots

• Rhonda Beets

• Ailsa Criag and Red Long Onions

• Parade Scallions

• Alto Leeks

• Mideast Peace and Silver Slicer Cucumbers

• Mutabile, Goldini, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Diamond and Annina Eggplant

• Lettuce

• Cabbage

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Champion Collard

• Rhubarb Chard

• Tomatilloes

• Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro

• Strawberries

• Pick your own raspberries, flowers, and herbs

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread for sale on Tuesday

Gaji-Namul (Korean Marinated Eggplant Banchan)

By Sunny Lee on Serious Eats

This is one of my favorite eggplant recipes to make in the summertime. It makes a big batch, but I like to eat it cold out of the fridge all week with rice and eggs.

· 2 pounds (910g) Japanese eggplant (4 to 6 eggplants, depending on size), ends trimmed and halved lengthwise

· 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil

· 1 teaspoon (4g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume or an equal amount by weight

· 3 tablespoons (45ml) honey

· 3 tablespoons (45ml) distilled white vinegar

· 3 tablespoons (45ml) toasted sesame oil

· 2 tablespoons (30ml) fish sauce

· 1 tablespoon (15g) doenjang

· 2 medium garlic cloves (10g), finely chopped

· 1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) coarsely ground black pepper

· 1/4 cup (30g) toasted sesame seeds

· 2 scallions (30g), sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

1. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss eggplant with vegetable oil and salt until evenly coated on all sides. Arrange eggplant, cut side down, on prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1/2-inch of space between each piece; set bowl aside, but don’t clean. Roast eggplant until it is browned all over and completely tender, offering little resistance when poked with a paring knife, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating baking sheets back to front and top to bottom halfway through roasting. Set aside until cool enough to handle, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in the now-empty bowl, whisk together honey, vinegar, sesame oil, fish sauce, doenjang, garlic, and pepper until well combined (dressing will not be fully emulsified). Stir in sesame seeds.

3. Once eggplant is cool enough to handle, using clean hands, tear eggplant pieces lengthwise into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-wide ribbons, and add to bowl with dressing.

4. With one hand, form your fingers into a claw and gently massage dressing into eggplant, swirling your hand around the contents of the bowl but without squeezing the eggplant, until the dressing has been fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold in scallions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve chilled.

Sheep Thoughts

By AJ

It has been such a relief to get a little respite from the heat we’ve been having. I’ve become one of those people who gets aggressively cranky in the heat, determined to hide from the world between the hours of noon and five, at least. I’m very privileged to have that option. With all the fire and all the heat, an existential dread culminates. I think about other folx and other places that are far worse affected. I think about how, at this point in time, we can make it through a heat wave and still have water and food to offer. I think about that on a global scale and I wonder if that will change. And I wonder how many other-than-human species will make it out of our collectively misguided human ventures. I wonder if the sheep and cows have these thoughts and reflections. Do they carry in their bodies the memory of how hot it was last June, compared to this June?  Do they have the inter-generational wisdom to know that “shit ain’t what it used to be”? And i wonder if they talk about us. If so, what do they say? Do they shake their heads at our buzzing days or pity us? I try not to anthropomorphize their lives and experiences, but I do wonder, as a way of relating to them, if they have the same feelings I do.

Upcoming Event: BBQ and Baseball this Sunday 8/4 4 pm - PLEASE RSVP HERE!

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Yaya Carrots

• Pink Beauty Radish

• Mideast Peace Cucumbers

• Mutabile, Goldini, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Diamond and Annina Eggplant

• Parade Scallions

• Alto Leeks

• Cabbage

• Green Beans

• Rainbow Lacinato and Dazzling Blue Kale

• Champion Collard

• Rhubarb Chard

• Lettuce

• Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro

• Strawberries

• Pick your own raspberries, flowers, and herbs

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread for sale on Tuesday

Wheat Berries

I don't have a specific recipe for this post. But I have rediscovered an appreciation for our wheat berries, especially in the heat. I cook them up and put them in the fridge and the next day I add cucumbers, herbs and cheese (and whatever else suits my fancy) for a nice cool salad option.

Carrots

By Sarah

I have been grumpier than usual this week and somehwat curious as to why. The extended heat wave is an obvious answer. It is stressful on the people, the plants, and the animals. It also means that we need to move slower and make adjustments, which over time can lead you to feeling behind. However, it is also true that this time of year is always an inflection point: a time when we have to make choices about where to put our energy and accept some compromise. We will not be able to weed everything, or to time everything perfectly.

I am also feeling ready to be swimming in abundance, to not have limits on zucchini and cucumbers, and to feel so full of food. The truth is when that time comes it can be overwhelming because we need to be able to harvest it all! I know it is almost here but it has felt slow to me. When I find myself lost in this way, it is grounding for me to scroll through the blog from previous years and to look at the same dates. I can see that our timing this year is similar to last year, which was also a late spring. However, last year was also a cool start to summer, in contrast to this year. I would have guessed that the heat would speed up the growth of the crops but they have their own timing.

For now, I am going to focus on the fact that we have carrots again! While they are small, they are plentiful and sweet. I seriously love carrots. I hope you all enjoy them too.

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Yaya Carrots

• Red Gold Potatoes

• Mideast Peace Cucumbers

• Mutabile, Goldini, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Song Cauliflower

• Parade Scallions

• Alto Leeks

• Rhubarb Chard

• Rainbow Lacinato and Dazzling Blue Kale

• Champion Collard

• Lettuce

• Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro

• Strawberries

• Pick your own raspberries, flowers, and herbs

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread for sale on Tuesday

CILANTRO LIME VINAIGRETTE, from dishingupthedirt.com

• 2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

• 1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small food processor add all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste for seasonings and adjust. To make this a creamy dressing you can add 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or 1/2 of an avocado. Both taste great!

Blooming

By Sarah

Celeste came to advise Seda and I on the flower field today, what to pinch, harvest, and stake. She ended up jumping in and helping to harvest the blue cloud larkspur.

I got lucky with my vacation timing and missed most of the recent heat wave. I came home to blooming Yellow Finn potatoes, phacelia, and more. We watered every day during the heat wave (rather than every other day), allowing the plants (and the weeds unfortunately) to grow in record time. The fields are glowing green and starting to burst with food. We have new crops this week including shelling peas which we will only have this week. Next week we will add carrots, potatoes, and green beans. Yum!

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Rhonda Beets

• Mideast Peace Cucumbers

• Mutabile, Goldini, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Parade Scallions

• Alto Leeks

• Fennel

• Shelling Peas

• Rhubarb Chard

• Rainbow Lacinato and Dazzling Blue Kale

• Champion Collard

• Lettuce

• Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro

• Strawberries

• Pick your own raspberries, flowers, and herbs

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread for sale

Kale and Strawberry Salad, with Fennel, Pistachios, Pickled Onions, from The Department of Salad 

• 1 big or 2 small bunches kale, bottom stems removed and leaves sliced crosswise into very thin strips

• 3 cups sliced ripe strawberries (I slice them into rounds, mainly because it keeps me from having to trim the ends)

• 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced (use your mandoline)

• A small tangle (a scant ¼ cup or so) of Quick Pickled Shallots (or Red Onions) (method below)

• ⅓ to ½ cup roughly chopped roasted pistachios (feel free to use the entire half cup—I think they add so much here)

• Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette (method below)

• Freshly ground black pepper, if desired

Place the sliced kale in a large bowl and sprinkle with a big pinch of salt (about ¼ teaspoon). Massage the salt into the kale with your hands until it begins to shimmer with moisture. Set aside for a few minutes, then toss with a couple of tablespoons of the Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Add the strawberries, fennel, pickled onion/shallots, and most of the pistachios; toss gently to combine. Taste for more dressing and adjust. To serve, transfer to a platter and garnish with the remaining chopped pistachios and several grindings of black pepper, if using.

Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

• Zest of 1 lemon

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 1 teaspoon honey

• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

• Good pinch of cayenne

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt (to start)

• Freshly ground black pepper

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all ingredients and shake until well emulsified. Taste for salt and pepper; adjust.

Quick Pickled Shallots (or Red Onions)

This makes much more than you need for 1 salad but you can put them on grilled cheese sandwiches and use them in other salads, etc. You can also, of course, cut the recipe in half, use a different vinegar, etc. In the kale and strawberry salad, I may have preferred the red onion.

• 3 or 4 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds (or an equivalent amount of red onion slices from a quartered red onion)

• 1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 2 teaspoons salt

Place the shallots or onions in a heatproof bowl or jar. Heat the vinegar in a saucepan until it begins to bubble, then stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the shallots. Let this cool a bit then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before using. You want them cold and crisp not warm and limp.

Another Herb Highlight: Meadowsweet, Queen of the Meadow

By Kelsey

Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria, is a Rose family member and, similar to its better-known cousin, is evocative of romance, love, and beauty. 

I mean, look at her! How could you *not* want to fashion yourself a long braid woven together with these creamy-lace flowers and prance around the garden like a faerie queen?! I can’t be the only one! 

Traditional uses of meadowsweet in Celtic history include being strewn on the ground at marriage ceremonies and other joyful celebrations to promote feelings of love (another name for it is bridewort), warding off malevolent spirits with its sweet scent, and enhancing psychic abilities.

Medicinally, meadowsweet contains salicin (along with willow bark and a few other herbs), which is the precursor to aspirin. Thus, it is a potent anti-inflammatory herb useful for arthritic joint pain. As well, it is a gentle digestive tonic and vulnerary, or wound-healing plant. This means it is indicated in conditions such as gastritis, GERD, and peptic ulcers. You can find Open Field meadowsweet in the Happy Belly tea blend as well as the Reset blend.

I encourage you to take a walk out to the perennial flower garden and try to find meadowsweet! If you do, pinch off a bit of the leaf and give it a taste. To me, it tastes like bitter marzipan- yum! 

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Mideast Peace Cucumbers

• Mutabile, Goldini, and Cocozelle Summer Squash

• Scallions

• Fennel

• Chard

• Kale

• Collard

• Lettuce

• Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro

• Strawberries

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread for sale

Tzatziki

from https://www.loveandlemons.com/tzatziki-sauce/

-1/2 cup finely grated cucumber
-1 cup full fat Greek yogurt
-1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
-1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 garlic clove
-1/4 tsp sea salt
-1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
-1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (optional)

1. Place cucumber on a towel and gently squeeze out excess liquid

2. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.

Zucchini!

By Ellie
Two of the important things farming has taught me about is the seasonality of life and trying new things.

I try to eat mostly food from the farms I’ve worked at over the years and making sure I’m trying new vegetables and learning from my coworkers on how to prepare them. Because I give mostly everything a chance, I’ve grown to love certain vegetables that I’d never heard of or previously hated before I started farming like kohlrabi, fennel, radishes and especially zucchini! Everyone on the farm knows how I excited I am for our zucchini to get rolling and this past week I finally ate my first summer zucchini!!! Soon you all will know exactly how good that felt and tasted. So I just wanted to take this space to say GET EXCITED FOR ZUCCHINI!!!!!

Right now, the farm is taking a big breath in and is about ready to let it allllll out. By that I mean that we have so much planted and growing, but not quite ready to eat yet. Sometimes this can be hard because there is a small pause when we eat seasonally. But that just means we get more creative! Ever since we ran out of onions on the farm, I’ve been distraught since onions are such a big ingredient in mostly everything so I asked Alyssa what I should do. If you’ve been having this same dilemma, listen to the wisdom Alyssa instilled upon me: just use green onions. Every day Alyssa astounds me with how much of a genius they are. We are so close to having a full and abundant summer and I can’t wait until we can share the bounty with all of you.

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Pink Beauty Radishes

• Mideast Peace Cucumbers

• Scallions

• Fennel

• Chard

• Kale

• Collard

• Lettuce

• Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro

• Strawberries

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread on Friday

Recipe:
One of my favorite ways to eat zucchini is to simply slice it and fry it!
First slice the zucchini in not-too-thin slices and dip it in flour, egg, then flour again
Heat up enough oil to cover the bottom of your pan and fry the slices on both sides until they’re both golden.
I also love to dip the slices in an aioli which is as simple as mayo, lemon juice and garlic!
(All of these ingredients are available in the CSA barn minus the mayo!!!!!)

German Chamomile- Matricaria recutita

By Kelsey

Last week, Seda and I brought in the first chamomile harvest of the season! Harvesting chamomile is a task that requires patience and stamina. We use chamomile rakes and gently comb through the plants, trying to get as many open flowers as we can into our baskets. It is hard on the back, but it is also soothing to breathe in the nutty, floral aroma of the sweet little flower. 

Chamomile is a plant that often gets pigeonholed as either “for sleep” or “for digestion.” And while it is absolutely a wonderful sleep aid and digestive remedy, I think sometimes its true power is underestimated. One of my herbal teachers, David Hoffmann, has a quote: “when in doubt, use nettle.” I think one could just as easily say, “when in doubt, use chamomile.”

Chamomile is so powerful precisely because it is so gentle. It relaxes and tones the nervous system, eases tension in the body, and soothes inflamed and irritated tissues. Its ability to work on both the physical and psychological make it well suited to all kinds of conditions: insomnia, anxiety, migraines, ulcers, colic, diarrhea, vertigo, conjunctivitis, flu, neuralgia, muscular tension, head colds, allergies, teething (which has been very important for me these days!)… the list could go on and on. Drink a cup of hot tea, add it to a bath, infuse it in olive oil or honey… there are so many ways to prepare this pretty little flower and they are all delicious!

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Fresh garlic

• Scallions

• Fennel

• Chard

• Collard

• Lettuce

• Parsley and Cilantro

• Strawberries

• Pick your own flowers and herbs, mostly in the herb circle and perennials

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

Strawberries with Chamomile Cream

Adapted from https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/strawberries-with-chamomile-cream

• 1 cup chilled heavy cream divided in half

• 2 teaspoons dry or 2 tablespoons fresh chamomile flowers

• 2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered

• 3 tablespoons sugar divided in half

1- heat 1/2 cup cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form around edges of pan. Remove from heat; add chamomile. Let steep 20 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover and chill until cold.

2- meanwhile, toss strawberries with half the sugar in a medium bowl to coat. Set aside to allow juices to form.

3- strain chamomile through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Add remaining cream and sugar. Using an electric mixer (or if you want a workout, a fork) beat chamomile cream until soft peaks form.

4- divide berries among bowls. Spoon chamomile whipped cream over the berries. Enjoy!

Perfect Dessert

By Cici

Many memories from my early childhood are centered around one common element: sugar. Yet, it wasnt not always sweet because if there was anything that landed me in timeout, it was sugar. One vivid and somewhat shameful memory stands out: I remember hiding underneath the dinning room table, clutching a container of strawberry nesquick powder behind my back. Upon discovery, puffs of powder spouted from my bright red mouth while saying “NOTHING” in response to no question, but just a disapproving mom look.  

It is my mom who I inherited this wicked sweet tooth from. Her love for sugar was expressed in a much more evolved manner through diligent study and meticulous baking trials of same dessert until she felt it was perfected (this is where I would get impatient and sneak away with the Nesquik). Baking started as a hobby that was guided by the Joy of Cooking and gradually became a profession as she later obtained her pastry degree from the Culinary Institute.

This is all to emphasize that we take desserts quite seriously. We have a shared mental list of ‘perfect desserts’ that guides us to seek out the best at every bakery or restaurant we visit, whether together or apart. However, it is in the strawberry field harvesting that I’m always reminded of the creme de la creme of this list: my mom’s strawberry shortcake. Despite her ability to create much more complex desserts, this simple delight reminds me the most of her, those early days in the kitchen, and the sweetness of summer. 

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Fresh garlic

• Scallions

• Kale

• Lettuce

• Parsley and Basil

• Strawberries

• Pick your own flowers and herbs, mostly in the herb circle and perennials

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

This recipe is pulled from Sally’s Baking Addiction, only because my mom hasnt texted me back with her recipe. Alas, some things remain sacred. 

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/easy-homemade-strawberry-shortcake/

Notes from tilling

By Alyssa

Most of the month of May, I spent on the big tractor, tilling. It’s a funny task, in the kind of attention it requires from you. You repeat the same exact order of operations every ten minutes or so, so it is very repetitive. Yet you still have to maintain strict focus on what you’re doing, paying close attention to the sounds of the tractor and the spader (the implement we use to till), the quality of the tilth, and the direction you are driving.

Unlike AJ, driving in a perfectly straight line does not come so easily to me, especially when the mowing lines aren’t square to the field and there’s nothing else in the field to guide me visually. The first pass of spading is the hardest for me, for keeping everything perfectly lined up. It’s like freehand drawing a straight line on a piece of paper, only you don’t even have the edges of the sheet to guide you. And you’re sitting on the pencil, and you’re going .2 mph. Throw in some low fog so that you have nothing far enough in the distance to sight against, and it becomes an exercise in hilarity.

For the first three weeks of May, I spent most of my work hours tilling. I didn’t touch dirt or plants, or talk with many of my coworkers. I listened to a lot of music. I danced a lot while driving, to entertain myself, but also for back health – I don’t know how you office workers do it, sitting that long seizes everything up for me! I drank coffee every morning, and figured out how to brew my perfect, tiny cup. I worked weird hours, and I didn’t harvest a single thing for almost a month.

But because I was on the tractor, I got to watch so many things I don’t usually get to see, when I’m looking down at the dirt. One week, I started early and watched the sun rise every morning. I felt so lucky. Another morning, I saw a coyote running across the land. Even if I didn’t talk much with the crew, we’d wave in passing to each other and the blackbirds and killdeers kept me company, feeding on the turned up insects behind the tractor. One fearless bird even landed on the tractor bucket, and rode with me for a whole pass of the field. Two killdeers somehow felt safe enough to mate right next to that large, rumbling machine. I saw a group of birds I’d never seen before, greyish-brown with long, curved bills. Vultures and ravens came and said hello.

Every task at the farm can teach me something, if I am open to receiving the lesson. Tilling encourages patience, mindfulness, and focus. It offers a different perspective. It gives me the opportunity to look at the whole farm, big picture, and not just the particular part of the earth I am working in. It gives me time to think, reflect, ponder. And when I get to touch plants, dig my hands into the soil, and be with people again, it is all the sweeter for having had time to miss it.

Upcoming Events: Farm Potluck Friday 6/14 at 5:30 pm!

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Fresh garlic

• Kale

• Lettuce Mix

• Spinach

• Parsley and Basil

• Strawberries

• Pick your own flowers and herbs, mostly in the herb circle and perennials

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

Beef Noodle Soup

Adapted from Cooking South of the Clouds: Recipes and Stories from China’s Yunnan Province, by Georgia Freedman

Really, this is just a simple bone broth with noodles and wonderful toppings from one of my favorite cookbooks. I made this for my friend Joyce when she visited me a few weeks ago, and we both loved it so much.

To make the beef broth:

• 2 lbs osso buco

• 1.5 lbs beef bones

• 2 black cardamom pods

• 2 whole star anise

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

Combine in a large pot with 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off any foam or detritus that comes to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 3-4 hours.

Add 1 T salt, and strain. Save and dice the cooked meat, to add back in later.

To make the noodle soup:

Dry or fresh rice noodles

Heat 2 cups of strained broth per serving. Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Add noodles and diced beef to the bowl. Serve with toppings of your choice (list below).

Topping options!

• Chinese black vinegar / Zhenjiang vinegar (this is really key to adding some complexity to the broth)

• Soy sauce

• Chili oil or chili flakes

• Minced green garlic

• Minced, peeled ginger

• Thinly sliced scallions

• A handful of torn mint

• A handful of torn chrysanthemum greens (find them in the herb garden!)

• Pickled greens or chilies

Ritual

By Alexis

We have a ritual here on the farm. It is simple, but heart warming. This ritual is called “morning circle” where we take no more than five minutes before we begin our workday to stand in a circle and share space together. Sometimes we stretch, other times we recite poems - but most days, we have a moment of silence. I think for most of us, this moment is an emotional moment, as it is used as a remembrance of gratitude - a prayer if you will. I remember when I was working in elementary schools, the most effective way to create smooth transitions between activities was to make everything a “ritual” - a practice of doing things in the same manner each time. We’d use small cues like chimes, songs or role play. When the day got busy or rushed it was easy to forget time for ritual. And it affected the flow of the day for the kids. Rituals allow us to slow down, hold space for the present and ground ourselves in mindfulness. Moving forward this year I hope to create more space for ritual (and time management) both within work and as I extend myself into other activities that call my spirit. Ritual may look like setting an intention or affirmation, listening to a specific song or mantra, or a moment of silence.  How will you move forward with ritual this week? Whatever you choose, make sure to include the two simple strawberry recipes below :) 

Upcoming Events: Farm Potluck Friday 6/14 at 5:30 pm!

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Fresh garlic

• Scallions

• Kale

• Mei Qing Choi

• Spinach

• Parsley and Basil

• Strawberries

• Pick your own flowers and herbs, mostly in the herb circle and perennials

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

Strawberry Reduction

What is strawberry reduction? Strawberry reduction is essentially strawberry sauce. Strawberries are cooked down, reduced, and blended to create a smooth, concentrated sauce. It is a strawberry puree that is not sweetened and can be used as an ingredient in many recipes.

• 32 oz fresh or frozen strawberries

• 2 oz sugar

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 2 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 pinch salt

Defrost strawberries if frozen or cut up strawberries if whole.

Blend your strawberries.

Place strawberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over med heat.

Once bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let slowly reduce until berries begin to break up and the liquid is almost gone. This can take between 40-60 minutes depending on how much liquid you have. 

Occasionally stir the mixture to prevent burning. Transfer to another container and let cool before use. If storing for later, store in airtight container for 2-3 days. 

Use in your favorite baking recipes! 

Strawberry Balsamic Reduction 

• balsamic vinegar

• strawberries

• honey

• sea salt

Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan, bring to simmer and reduce by half. (approx 8-10 minutes).

Strain into small container and cool.

Reduction will thicken as cools.

Serve as a dipping sauce, on sandwiches or salads.

A new one?

By AJ

I've been distracted by thinking about a visit I just had with a friend a couple weeks ago. He flew out here from my hometown for the weekend. We've known each other since high school. And he's a city boy through and through. It was funny to watch him take this place in-- the smells, sights and sounds. Watching him almost vomit at the smell of chicken shit will forever live in my brain. The way he complained about the birds waking him up in the morning, the way he took a deep breath every time we went outside, and the outfits he tried to wear around the farm all made me wonder what the heck everybody else's life is like. 

Some days i think to myself "i've never done anything else with my days. Who knows, maybe i would enjoy a different life." I could be a city boy. I could diversify my experiences and meet more people. I could find rigorous extracurriculars, instead of rigorous extracurriculars being my job. I could bike wherever i needed to go.

But I can't imagine a life where I don't wake up with the birds every morning and I can't imagine EVER being annoyed by it. I can't imagine a world where i don't hang out with animals or where I am phased by the smell of chicken shit. There's a whole world out there but I love my life and I don't think I need to try a new one. 

Upcoming Events: Farm Potluck Friday 6/14 at 5:30 pm!

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Purple Daikon Radish (Last week, may be limited!)

• Fresh garlic

• Scallions

• Spinach

• Lettuce

• Parsley

• Strawberries

• Pick your own flowers and herbs, mostly in the herb circle and perennials

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

I love making dutch babies. ANd now that we have strawberries, I love to throw those on top!

• 3 large eggs

• 1/2 c flour

• 1/2 c whole milk

• 1 T sugar

• Pinch of nutmeg

• 4 T unsalted butter

Heat to 425

Throw everything except butter into a blender or bowl and mix well

Put butter in skillet or pie pan and place it in the over to melt. 

Once melted, remove from oven and add batter to pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Serve with goodies.

Stephanie

Hello blog! It’s me! Stephanie, another new person here on the farm. I just moved to the farm in March to join the veggie crew and I am so happy to be here. This is only my second year farming after spending last year on a small farm up the road in Bodega, so I still have a lot to learn but am excited to grow and learn along side the plant, animals and other individuals all doing the same thing here. 

These past weeks have felt like big weeks as the anticipated field planting has begun!  Which has come with a lot of excitement and nervousness  as me, and others who are new to the veggie crew, have been learning the world of tractors for the first time. Which has been less intimidating than I thought after trying it, and has brought moments of confidence and reassurance from the team as we are figuring this out together. Getting things in the ground has made me really excited to this coming seasons and all the beautiful thing that are going to grow and be enjoyed and made me feel very appreciative for this land and all the beautiful gifts it give us! Yay! 

Upcoming Events: Farm Potluck Friday 6/14 at 5:30 pm!

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Purple Daikon Radish

• Mars Celeriac

• Fennel

• Scallions

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Prize Choi

• Spinach

• Lettuce

• Parsley and Basil

• Pick your own flowers and herbs, mostly in the herb circle and perennials

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

Egg Salad with Fresh Herbs on Toast

• 8 eggs

• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise

• 2 scallions, very thinly sliced

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup torn basil leaves

• 1/4 cup chopped dill (fronds and stems)

• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (leaves and stems)

• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

• Olive oil for drizzling

• Flaky sea salt

• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 4 slices sourdough bread, toasted

Bring a large saucepan filled with salted water to a boil over high heat. Prepare a bowl filled with ice water and set it nearby.

Reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer and gently lower the eggs into the water; cook them for 8½ minutes. Immediately transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to the ice water.

When the eggs are cool enough to handle, pat them dry and peel them. Chop the eggs into large pieces and add them to a medium-sized bowl, along with the mayo, scallions, and garlic. Gently toss the eggs to coat in the mayo mixture. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a small bowl, toss the basil, dill, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Add the red wine vinegar, drizzle the mixture with oil, and season with flaky sea salt. Toss to coat.

Spread 1 teaspoon of the mustard onto each slice of toasted bread. Spoon the eggs over the bread. Pile the herb mixture on top of the egg toast and serve.

Seda

By Seda

Hello! Another new face here, my name is Seda. I have been working at Open Field since April 1st, working the CSA barn and helping Kelsy with herbs. What a full, beautiful month and a half it has been! I feel as though I’ve learned so much yet still know nothing at all.

I am excited to be back in California after living in the Pacific Northwest for some years. I grew up in Willits, California until I was 15, on my family's 5 acre property named Green Uprising Farm. This land became a home to my multi-generational family. My grandparents grew food and raised goats, while my parents built our house and raised chickens. I spent my days, alongside my brothers, climbing trees, building fairy houses and swimming in the creek. Farming, as far as I was concerned, was an “adult” thing and something I was not interested in whatsoever.

Yet somehow the importance of growing food for one's community, working with the earth in the elements and throughout the seasons was not lost on me. Because here I am 23 years old and planning a life around farming.

I recently graduated from college with a degree not at all related to sustainable farming, but still very much related to community advocacy. While in school I worked on an urban farm run by two kind and extremely knowledgeable farmers. This work allowed me to reflect on my roots in many ways and encouraged me to pursue farming, the work that many of my relatives have been doing since before I was born. That being said, I am thrilled to be here at Open Field, to continue my journey as a farmer, and be a part of this community of people that acknowledges the importance of locally grown food. I am honored to be living and working on this land. I am confident that this land will teach me so much about the natural world and about myself.

Anyway, come say hi in the CSA barn

Upcoming Events: Farm Potluck this Friday 6/14 at 5:30 pm!

Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Purple Daikon Radish

• Mars Celeriac

• Asparagus

• Fennel

• Scallions

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Prize Choi

• Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Parsley

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

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

• Sonora Wheat Flour

• Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

Kale, Feta and Onion Quiche (in an Olive Oil Crust), from fennel-twist.com

Makes 4-6 servings

• 1 tbsp unsalted Butter

• 1 small Onion, chopped (I used a red one, because that’s what I had)

• 1 small Leek, white part cleaned and sliced into half rings

• 2 cloves Garlic, minced

• 1 bunch Kale, stems & ribs removed, leaves chopped

• 1 tart or pie shell, unbaked (This recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini is recommended.)

• 1/2 cup crumbled Feta Cheese

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

• 4 eggs

• 1/2 cup Cottage Cheese

• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard

• 1 tbsp Heavy Cream (can be omitted or replaced with low-fat milk)

• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

• 1/4 tsp Pepper

• 1/8 tsp ground Nutmeg

• For top of quiche: a little Paprika (~1/8 tsp) for color

Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, leek, garlic and a pinch of salt. Saute until about 6-8 minutes. Add kale and stir, turn heat down to low, cover and cook about 3-5 minutes until kale is wilted. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Sprinkle feta cheese and 1/2 of the Parmesan over bottom of crust. Top with kale-onion mixture. In a blender, combine eggs, cottage cheese, salt, pepper, mustard and cream. Pour over kale. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese and a little paprika (smoked if you’ve got it) on top. Bake until filling is set, about 40-50 minutes. Cool slightly and then cut into slices and serve.

Welcome new members!

By Sarah

We are excited for the first week of the new season. We have beautiful lettuce and spinach from the tunnels, as well as the last of the winter roots (harvest last fall!). There is a bountiful amount of tea blends as well. While you may not think of hot tea in the summer, you can make a big pot of tea at night and drink it cold throughout the day. It is so refreshing! You are also welcome to give the tea as gifts.

For the next two months, the selection in the barn will be slim, but will start to increase around July 1st. We hope that you can support each other in being creative with the herbs from the pick your own, the abundant eggs, and more. Hopefully, the strawberries will start to come in, bringing spring sweetness with them.

We started tilliing the fields last week, which is always a moment of hope and sadness. To till the fields, we first mow, allowing us to work the green matter into the soil, then we use a spader to bring air and light into the soil. This process breaks down one ecosystem to build another. We look forward to being able to plant the seeds and dream of having a barn full of produce again, while we also give thanks to the grass and cover crop that has covered the soil. I always think of the last line of a Mayan prayer for clearing a field: “With all my heart, I will work you.”

Upcoming Events: Farm Potluck this Friday 5/10 at 5:30 pm!

CSA Barn Hours:

• Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM

  (Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cabernet onions

• Yaya carrots (Last week-limited amounts)

• Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Mars Celeriac

• Hablange Parsnip

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Mei Qing Choi

• Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Parsley

• 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!)

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

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

• Revolution Bread on Tuesday and Friday

Fudgy Maple Syrup Brownies, from thecheerfulagrarian.com

These brownies are our go to dessert on the farm. We have served them at the All Member Meetings for many years. Danny calls them “pastelitos de choclate” amd he loves them with “nieve” (vanilla ice cream).

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1/3 cup cocoa

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 3/4 cups flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

Mix all together, pour into 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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.