By Alexis
I have spent a lot of hours weeding in the perennials lately. This is one area of the farm that does not get grazed upon by our livestock - nor does it get mulched, mowed or tilled. It is home to the plants that die back every winter, and come back every spring. They grow back in various ways; some grow back on old dead branches that appear dead, or others from mature, hardened rhizome roots. Most people identify plants from their flowers, but currently, the only way to know our plant friends is by the leaves - as they have not yet flowered into spring. The weeding is tedious yet in this time I have witnessed the portal of death as a renewal.
While in the perennials a few weeks ago I lost my water bottle, and the next morning I was feeling… blue. While doing chores, our farm baby Julio came up to me, from what seemed out of nowhere (I’m easily caught off guard). He was holding up my water bottle to me. I was so happy and thought it was so funny because Julio already has a fixation with water bottles. Then, while he was looking at my waterproof apron, I heard him say his third (or fourth.. or fifth) word. He said “blue” - the color of my apron. This made me smile real big and changed my mood for the rest of the day. I listened to music and danced for a while, looking up at the vast sky - blue.
On another note, we have begun to plant herbs and flowers in the flower field! The first thing we planted in the soil was Dahlias. This was my first time planting Dahlias, and Celeste guided me through it. When we finished planting Celeste said a few prayers, one of which made me kinda emotional - I feel there’s a common theme here about me being emotional, which is weird because my zodiac is mostly fire, earth and air. Anyways, get ready for flower season! We are also planting lots of herbs for your tea pleasures! One herb we plant is marshmallow, which is one of my favorite herbs. This plant dates back to Egypt and was used to make the original fluffy marshmallow treat we all love. It has a medicinal affinity for your mucous membrane, the first line of defense in your immune system. Below is a recipe for actual marshmallow!
Upcoming Event: Farm Potluck Friday May 5/30 at 6:00 pm
Open Field Farm 2025 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members
CSA Barn Hours:
Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm!
Pick List:
Eggs
Yaya Carrots
Cabernet Red and Cortland Yellow Onions
Fresh garlic
Fava Beans
Scallions
Kale
Spinach
Parsley
Ground and Whole Dried Hot Peppers
Herbal Tea Blends
Pick your own flowers and herbs (from the herb garden and perennial field)
Sonora Wheat Flour
Beef Bone Broth (Made by Olla Products)
Saltonstahl Olive Oil
Revolution Bread for sale on Tuesday and Friday
Homemade Marshmallow
1 cup water divided
3 tbsp grass fed gelatin
1 cup raw honey
1/2 tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla bean powder
1 tbsp marshmallow root powder
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
Pour half (½ cup) of the water into the bowl of a stand mixer and pour the gelatin on top to bloom. It will take about 10 minutes to fully bloom.
In the meantime, add the second ½ cup of water, honey, and salt into a small pot on the stovetop with a candy thermometer. Toggle the heat between medium to high, also avoid stirring the mixture after the first minute to prevent the mixture from boiling over. You want the temperature to get between 230°-240°F (110-115° C), this will take an estimate of 10-14 minutes.
Turn the stand mixer on low to mix the gelatin, and slowly pour the honey mixture into the stand mixer. Slowly increase the speed to high and whip until the mixture has reached “peak” meaning your mixture will look and feel like pure marshmallow fluff. This takes an estimate of 6-10 minutes, in the last minute add in the marshmallow root powder, and vanilla bean powder.
During the 6-10 minutes your marshmallows are beating, prepare a 9x9 pan with parchment paper. Dust the parchment paper with half (¼ cup) of the arrowroot powder.
When the marshmallow is at its peak, quickly scoop it into the pan and flatten the top with an offset spatula. Dust the rest of the arrowroot powder onto the top of the parchment paper.
Gently place parchment paper over the 9x9 pan, and let the marshmallow set overnight.
The following day, take out the parchment paper by flipping the pan over onto a cutting board. Take off the parchment paper from the marshmallow, and use a sharp knife to cut the marshmallows into squares.
Enjoy the marshmallows right away, or place them into a glass jar and store them in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.