Bicycle Plans

By AJ

So, I have bicycle plans. Some of you may notice me riding around the farm on a red cruiser bike with an odd contraption on the front of the handle bars. This contraption is part of an electric conversion kit i bought from SWYTCH, out of the UK. 

Back in the day, when I ran Brookside School Farm, I didn’t own a vehicle. So I went around on this same cruiser (which someone dumped in their yard with a “FREE” sign attached) with a bicycle trailer from BIKES AT WORK tagging along in the back. Every week, I loaded up that trailer with my produce, tables, signs, etc.,  and rode the 8 blocks to the farmers market.

 I didn’t have any electrics attached back in Mendocino county, but I was also younger and only navigating smooth and flat terrain. I’m honestly not trying to work that hard, nor do I need to, so adding the electric assist will rescue me from additional physical labor.

My plan is to use this electric assist/trailer combination as much as possible for my sheep duties and general transportation needs around the farm. There is a BIKES AT WORK trailer on its way here soon. A smaller version of the one I used to have, just big enough for 2 bales of alfalfa, or the sheep fencing, which is all I need. I’m very enthusiastic about it and i think the sheep might be too. We all enjoy the quiet, especially in the morning. Now, instead of screaming at the 4x4’s and the ATV’s, they are starting to scream at me and my bike. Except they still scream at Danny, because all the animals love Danny. 

 If you see me or my new mode of transportation around the farm, feel free to check it out or ask questions!

Upcoming Events: Farm Potluck Friday July 28th
BBQ and Baseball Sunday August 27th

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow Onions

• Garlic

• Dark Star, Cocozelle, and Yellowfin Summer Squash

• Mideast Peace Cucumbers

• Song Cauliflower

• Finale Fennel

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Lettuce

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Regiment Spinach

• Cilantro, Dill, Parsley, and Basil

• Albion Strawberries (Just a taste for now!)

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea (Blends are done until the fall)

• Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs - You can pick out of the herb garden, the annual field and the perennial field! There are flowers in all that are ready.

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

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Friday (Frozen bread available.)

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Frida Kahlo’s Zucchini Salad (Ensalada de Calabacín), from saveur.com

•  8 tbsp. olive oil

•  3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

•  1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more

•  ½ tsp. sugar

•  6 small zucchini, sliced

•  2 ripe avocados, sliced

•  3 oz. crumbled queso añejo or parmesan

•  2 tbsp. cilantro, roughly chopped

In the 1930s, artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo often hosted festive dinner parties—which Frida called "día de los manteles largos," the days of the long tablecloth—at their Mexico City home. The recipe for this simple Mexican salad of grilled zucchini, avocado, and salty, crumbled añjeo cheese was served at a dinner party attended by Mexican composer Carlos Chávez and Nelson Rockefeller. It comes from Frida's Fiestas by Guadalupe Rivera and Marie-Pierre Cole (Clarkson Potter, 1994). This recipe appeared in our November 2014 issue with the story The Art of the Meal.

Shake 6 tbsp. olive oil, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a glass jar until emulsified; set aside. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high; cook zucchini until golden, 10–12 minutes. Let cool slightly and overlap on a serving platter with avocados. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with the vinaigrette; garnish with queso añejo or parmesan and cilantro.

Misozuke

by Abby

Hello all and happy summer! 

It has been nice to meet some of you in the barn recently. I am so happy to support the herb, flower, and u-pick offerings at Open Field this year, and hope you will make it known if you have any questions about how to access them!  I’ve been loving to see everyone’s flower bouquets. 

I want to share some of the herbal friendships that have stuck out to me during this part of early summer, and what we’ve been tending to for later in the season. We planted chamomile, marshmallow, ashwaganda, tulsi, sages, motherwort, poppies, columbines, red clover, and more. 

We’ve been steadily harvesting rose petals, lemon balm, and calendula for winter tea blends. A handful of fresh lemon balm in my water has strengthened my mood in the past weeks with on/off overcast and sun. Each time we harvest rosa rugosa petals, I get to watch bees joyfully rolling around in their pollen. 

We are slowly clearing away weedy sections to let more sunlight into the perennials. This field is home to elegantly tall milkweeds and scabiosas. One of my best friends also lives there—magic mugwort. I can hardly explain the love I have for this plant. When I see her, my heart swells because one of mugworts gifts to people is channeling vivid dreams. Dreams are still a bit of a scientific mystery, so I love that we share a connection with this plant that cannot be explained, only experienced. She’s out and about this year— I have been seeing her every time I go to a hiking trail where there’s water. 

Recreationally Kelsey and I tried out a little solstice natural-fabric-dye potion making… honestly can’t say it was successful but fun to try it out and I hope someone out there has the touch to work with the plants in this way! Our favorite resident herbalist also made a folk-tincture with May-planted spilanthes… tongue and tooth numbing!! 

I would also like to take a moment to recognize that some of the cows are being taken from the herd this week. We honor this passing among our crew, and I hope you will give thanks for their offerings in your share. I am deeply grateful for Danny and Jesse, and uphold their work for stewarding their lives and the transition in the cow families. 

Pick List:

We are so excited to be able to offer more food this week. The soil and the plants are truly starting to awaken. Here’s to hoping the heat wave brings more growth and not a lot of stress for the plants.

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow Onions

• Joan Rutabaga

• Garlic

• Mideast Peace Cucumbers

• Pink Beauty Radishes

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Lettuce

• Champion Collards

• Lacinato and Rainbow Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Albion Strawberries (Just a taste for now!)

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea (Blends are done until the fall)

• Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs - You can pick out of the herb garden, the annual field and the perennial field! There are flowers in all that are ready.

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

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Tuesday and Friday (Frozen bread available.)

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Miso Turnip and Cucumber Tsukemono

Clean your kitchen surfaces and jars well— water and cleansing are shinto rites :) 

Chop your hakurei turnip and/or cucumber into moons or half-moons 

In a large bowl, lightly salt the veg and after 30 mins, drain the excess water. 

Then mix in miso. Approximately 1/4 cup of miso for every 3 cups veg. I like brown miso because they are less sweet.

The miso provides more salt and microbials. Salt is used in quick pickling for reverse osmosis (drawing out fresh water, replenishing with salt water); the microbials make a slight and safe ferment. 

Once you mix the paste onto the veggies and put it in your jar, give it some patience. 

A bit more water will draw out, and you should press down periodically to submerge the veg and release bubbles. Because this method is not for long storage, I usually just stick it right in the fridge, check to press down every 12-ish hours, and enjoy it from the next day through the rest of the week. If you want to try it tangy,  leave your jar in a cool counter spot for a day. Press down every 6-ish hours to release the bubbles, then refrigerate. 

Shibazuke is a tradition pickle with cucumber, eggplant, and Red/Aka Shiso seeds or leaves for flavor, antioxidants, and minerals. In the flower field we are growing a Korean variety from the same plant family, 38N Kkaennip from Second Generation Seeds. I am proud to say that I stewarded some of the other seeds in their catalog while farming last season at Shao Shan Farm! While the distinction between these cultures is important, using a Korean herb in my tsukemono reflects the beautiful mixed community that I share with my friends here. 

Our sweet plants in the annual flower fields are just about ready to pinch a couple leaves off.  

For my tsukemono this week I’m using both miso and kkaenip for a deep flavor. 

Other flavor combinations can be made with garlic, ginger, scallions, etc. Tsukemono is a great way to enjoy fresh produce without having to prep every meal. Add to any dish! Hot rice, fried eggs, on salads, etc. etc.  Itadakimasu! 

For more instruction and a breakdown of ingredient combos— 

https://www.justonecookbook.com/tsukemono-misozuke-miso-pickling/

https://www.justonecookbook.com/tsukemono-guide-to-japanese-pickles/

https://www.justonecookbook.com/tags/pickle/

By Sage

Activity on the farm is picking up and since most of the fields have been planted, we are shifting our focus to making sure everything is growing well - weeding, cultivating, trellising, and transplanting to fill in any missing plants. I had my final tractor training last week and can now help drive the tractors when we are planting and watering plants in the field. I had never used a transplanting implement on a tractor before and it is really cool to watch the tractor move forward and leave plants in the soil behind it. After a few days of planting eggplants, peppers, brassicas, and some lettuce and celery, we transplanted all of the winter squash on Wednesday and it is so exciting to see how many plants are sprouting and getting bigger in the sun. On Friday, we harvested the rest of the green garlic and laid it out. This was a big project, but it gave us a chance to peek at the strawberries that are situated right next door. (They are just about ready!)

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

This week, the list is yet again slim and quantities will be limited. Last week, with the warmer afternoons, we saw tremendous growth in the plants. We are back to cooler weather this week, which makes harvest predictions difficult. We have so much food planted in the fields and it will be ready at some point! We had our first taste of strawberries this week and we can’t wait to have enough to offer.

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow Onions (Last week!)

• Joan Rutabaga (Last week!)

• Fresh garlic

• Mideast Peace Cucumbers

• Evergreen Hardy Scallions

• Lettuce

• Spinach on Tuesday; Pink Beauty Radish on Friday

• Cilantro and Dill

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea (Blends are done until the fall)

• Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Tuesday and Friday (Frozen bread available.)

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Personal Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my go to recipes is for a personal batch of chocolate chip cookies. It’s the perfect amount for a quick dessert and fits perfectly in my tiny oven. Using flour and eggs from the farm, these cookies are crispy on the outside, but gooey in the center. I usually use one less tablespoon of sugar, and have found that this ratio of liquid to flour works well without any all purpose flour. 

• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

• 4 Tablespoons brown sugar, packed

• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 6 Tablespoons all purpose flour

• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 Tablespoons chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Brown the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter begins to foam and turns a golden brown, emitting a nutty aroma. Take butter off the heat and allow to cool.

3. In a small mixing bowl combine the butter and the sugars and mix well. Add the egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and homogenous.

4. Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Last, fold in the chocolate. Do not over mix.

5. Shape into 2 huge cookies or 2 medium size cookies and place on your prepared cookie sheet.

6. Bake for 11 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown and the centers have puffed up but are still gooey.

7. Allow to cool before eating!

Recipe from bromabakery.com

Open Field - Open Heart

By Autumn Fuentes - Member since 2017

I feel so grateful for our membership at Open Field Farm.   We are always so impressed by the delicious bounty - the flavor and quality of the produce reflect the care and hard work of all the farmers.  Whether we are enjoying roasted root veggies or fresh spinach salad or milky oats tea or a tasty steak or a bouquet of heritage flowers on our table - each product has the taste of the earth - our Sonoma County - in it.  Thank you, Farmers!

But my newest gratitude toward Open Field Farm is for the peace I find walking the hills.  Over the past few years I have committed to a daily practice including a solitary walk in nature combined with a yoga routine compiled of my friends’ favorite yoga poses. This practice was born during Covid with all its change.  Too much change really.  My mother began to loose her long battle against breast cancer which has been heartbreaking and all-consuming. My old doggie Cosmo passed over the Rainbow Bridge - Doggie Heaven got a good one.   And our neighborhood open space meadows of sanctuary were sold and fenced off.  

Navigating these changes has been very challenging - I know this is a common story.  So many friends and family members have been facing huge challenges.  Facing Those-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named battles (I’m reading Order of the Phoenix with my youngest son Jake right now).  Too many of us have had to face a new day with new determination again and again.  I’m past being surprised by the persistence of these challenges and battles around me.   Instead I’m impressed by the resilience I see every day in the smiles and hugs of my friends and family.

And for my resilience recharge I now often turn to Open Field Farm.  As they say, when one door closes, another one opens.  If I hadn’t lost the convenience of our neighborhood nature walk I would never have explored the idea of walking at Open Field Farm.  As I turn up the driveway of Open Field I can feel my sadness and heaviness lift.  As our doggie Roxie and I start to walk from my car out into the fields I can feel my focus shift.  Internal dialogues about daily challenges are replaced with wonder as the Red Tail Hawks circle and call overhead.  Sadness and apathy are replaced by gratitude as the sun shines on my face and the wind blows through my hair.  

I’ve explored many parts of Open Field Farm. The walk to the pond, the walk to the grandmother oak, the walk to the quarry.  The eucalyptus trees always have a glorious group of birds - sometimes I’ve even been lucky enough to spot owls.  The seasonal creek has been flowing beautifully with all the rain this winter and spring. I do always make considerations for the farm - I mostly keep Roxie leashed so she doesn’t take off across the meadows chasing jackrabbits, of course I always triple check for the location of the beef herd and I always pick up after Roxie.  These considerations keep my time at Open Field peaceful and stress free.

And so to wrap my thoughts of gratitude for Open Field Farm and how it always opens my heart I’d like to share a quote from Thoreau, one of my mother’s favorite authors.  My time at Open Field Farm has helped me navigate my grief over loosing her by reminding me that nature has inexhaustible vigor.  Thank you, Open Field Farm. 

“We can never have enough of nature. We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, vast and Titanic features, the sea-coast with its wrecks, the wilderness with its living and its decaying trees, the thunder cloud, and the rain which lasts three weeks and produces freshets. We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.” — Henry David Thoreau, "Walden"

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

This week, the list is still slim. We will have lettuce mix (and maybe some lettuce heads) and radishes next week. Mideast peace cucumbers and strawberries are coming as well, but mostly small tastes to start. After next week, it should start increasing, although I cannot predict how much and how fast.

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow Onions

• Joan Rutabaga (Last week!)

• Fresh garlic

• Regiment Spinach

• Basil

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea (Blends are done until the fall)

• Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Tuesday and Friday (Frozen bread available.)

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Quick Slaw Recipe

We love making this in our house! 

We take a fun selection of root veggies from Open Field - Parsnips, Carrots, Celery Root, Beets etc.

We clean them.

We grate them using a cheese grater.  

If your kids are open to the idea of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. they make a delicious addition - sadly our kids aren’t.

Then we make a custom salad dressing - balsamic vinaigrette usually or honey mustard.  Mix it all together and YUM!

The leftovers are also lovely after sitting in the dressing in our fridge for a couple days. 

Stinging Nettles

By Kelsey

Stinging nettles were my gateway herb. I first learned about nettles (Urtica dioica) in 2015, when I had my first farm job at Greenstring. I recall wild nettles growing throughout the lettuce patch, no attempts made to weed them out for easier harvest of the lettuce because, as it was explained to me then, nettles have the ability to pull minerals up from deep in the soil, making the minerals available to plants growing near them. This was so fascinating to me, I was inspired to learn more about the pokey plant. It seemed like every new indication I read about for their use in medicine was something I needed, whether that be more iron & B vitamins in my diet (taking nettles is almost like taking a multivitamin, except better IMO), help with clearing my skin issues, kidney/urinary support, or a boost for my general lack of energy/vitality. Whatever health issue I was experiencing, nettle had something to offer me. Later, in herb school, I would learn that this is because they act as an alterative in the body, meaning that they help the body's pathways of elimination in clearing out toxins. They also have a trophorestorative action, specifically on the kidneys, meaning that they work to deeply nourish the tissue of that organ. I'd also learn that many, many people agree with me on feeling like nettles can help with almost anything! One of my teachers, herbalist David Hoffmann, even has a quote: "When in doubt, use nettles."

Sarah is also a nettle-lover. She and I tried for several years to get a good patch established here-first in the perennial garden, then along the drainages (nettles tend to prefer some shade & dampness). But we struggled to get a good stand! Finally, last year we opened up a new field for the asparagus and decided to plant a few other native & medicinal perennials in the 2 beds on the end of the field, including nettles. They have totally taken off, even to the point of crowding out some of the trees and shrubs we planted! It was been so exciting to watch them growing in such abundance, knowing that we will finally have enough to dry and store to add to the winter tea blends.

In addition to tea, nettles can also be eaten as a spring green. They will be offered as such in the barn this week. Blanching them will neutralize the sting! Take care and use tongs when placing them into your pot of salted water, but don't panic if you do get stung. It hurts, but the sting is safe (flogging with nettles, aka urtication, is an old therapy for rheumatism!).

Upcoming Farm Events: Farm Potluck Friday June 9th at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

This week and next week, the list is very slim. We hope to have lettuce mix and basil next week, although the amounts may be limited. Mideast peace cucumbers and strawberries are coming as well, but mostly small tastes to start. After next week, it should start increasing, although I cannot predict how much and how fast.

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow Onions

• Joan Rutabaga

• Fresh garlic

• Regiment Spinach

• Stinging Nettles

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea (Blends are done until the fall)

• Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Tuesday and Friday (Frozen bread available.)

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Sauteed Stinging Nettles (https://www.thespruceeats.com/sauteed-stinging-nettles-2217561)

• 1 pound stinging nettles

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or any other cooking fat

• Salt, to taste

To clean the nettles you have 2 options. Wear gloves and swish them around in a large sink or basin filled with cool water. Lift the nettles out, leaving any grit behind, and drain them. Reserve.

Alternatively, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the nettles for 4 minutes. Cool them quickly in a bowl of ice water. Squeeze the nettles as dry as possible before sautéing them. (I recommend this option as these nettles can sting through gloves!)

Once your nettles are cleaned or blanched, heat up a large pan over high heat—the wideness of the pan or skillet will help any liquid cook off quickly so the nettles sauté instead of steam. Add the oil or preferred cooking fat.

Add the nettles and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are tender—about 2 minutes for blanched nettles and 5 to 8 for raw nettles. If sautéing raw nettles, make sure to keep the heat high so the liquid they throw off as they cook evaporates quickly.

Sprinkle the nettles with salt to taste and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Nettle Pesto (https://honest-food.net/nettle-pesto/)

• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

• 2 heaping tablespoons toasted pine nuts

• 2 tablespoons grated cheese (any hard cheese will do)

• 1/2 to 2/3 cup blanched, chopped nettles

• Salt

• Olive oil (use the good stuff)

Pesto is best made with a mortar and pestle, thus the name, which means "pound." You can make this in a food processor, but it will not be the same. First add the toasted pine nuts and crush lightly -- as they are roundish, they will jump out of your mortar if you get too vigorous. If you are using a processor, pulse a couple times.

Add the garlic to the mortar, then pound it all enough so that the pieces don't fly around.

Add the salt, cheese and the nettles and commence pounding. Mash everything together, stirring with the pestle and mashing well so it is all fairly uniform. With a food processor, run the machine so everything combines, but isn't a smooth paste. You want it with some texture.

Start adding olive oil. How much? Depends on how you are using your pesto. If you are making a spread, maybe 2 tablespoons. If a pasta sauce, double that or more. Either way, you add 1 tablespoon at a time, pounding and stirring to incorporate it. If you are using the processor, drizzle it in a little at a time. Serve as a spread on bread, as an additive to a minestrone (like this one), as a pasta sauce or as a dollop on fish or poultry.

Abundant Life

By Sarah

The amount we have planted in this last 3 weeks is impressive! After the potatoes are in the ground this week, our spring planting frenzy will be done. We will still plant every week but it will only be one part of the routine, rather than the focus. We will add weeding to the chore list, and hopefully the harvesting will pick up very soon!

We had an explosion of tarnished plant bugs, as well as slugs, in the tunnels, which is wreaking havoc on some of the crops. We were hoping to have offer the last planting of mei qing choi this week but it is too infested. Instead, we will clear the tunnel of all plants, carrying a lot of the bugs and eggs with them, and start over. It is hard to lose crops at this time when we have so little to offer. The tarnished plant bugs live in the pasture; you can see evidence of their feasting on the clover leaves in the heavily infested areas. With the abundance of water this year, it is encouraging to see the insects flourishing again even if they cause us trouble as well.

Upcoming Farm Events: All Member Meeting: 6 pm on Thursday June 1st
Farm Potluck Friday June 9th at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

It will be a couple of months until the pick list starts increasing, usually around July 1st. We will do our best to keep a steady supply of spinach and lettuce from the tunnels. We will have fennel and bok choi again next week, and hopefully radishes, cilantro, dill, and basil in about a month.

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow Onions

• Joan Rutabaga

• Fresh garlic

• Parade Scallions

• Finale Fennel

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Spaghetti Winter Squash

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Friday (Frozen bread available.)

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

The selection in the barn is slim right now, but the herb garden is beautiful!! The mint is lush and thriving, as well as the thyme and rosemary. I know that we can struggle to create meals when the selection is limited so I included 3 recipes for inspiration this week.

Wheatberry Salad with Fennel and Mint, adapted from food52.com

For the Salad

• 1 cup cooked wheatberries (or other cooked grain such as quinoa or couscous)

• 1 cup finely chopped mint

• 1 small bulb fennel, minced (about 1/2 cup of minced fennel) 

• 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, minced

• Zest of one orange

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

• 1/2 cup finely chopped olives (optional)

For the Salad Dressing

• 1/3 cup fruity olive oil

• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Toss salad ingredients together. Whisk together olive oil, orange juice and vinegar. Taste and adjust as desired. Add dressing to the salad a little at a time, tossing until just coated. Taste, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mint Chutney, from food52.com

• 1 cup mint leaves

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 green chile (If you you still have farm ground chile you could substitute it, but it will change the color!)

• 4 tablespoons yogurt

• 1 splash lime juice

• Salt, to taste
  To make the chutney, grind the mint leaves, garlic and chiles to a fine paste. Stir in the yogurt, lime juice, and salt.
  

Blueberry-Thyme Yogurt Cake from Dorie Greenspan, on food52.com

• Softened butter or baker’s spray, for the pan

• 1 1/2 cups (204g) flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 cup (200g) sugar

• 1 or 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme

• 1 lemon

• 1/2 cup (120ml) plain yogurt, at room temperature

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup (120ml) butter

• 1 cup (150g) blueberries

• Lightly sweetened crème fraîche, for serving (optional)

Get prepped: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Generously butter the inside of an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch (21 by 11cm) loaf pan (or coat it with baker’s spray). If your pan is 1/2 inch/1.3cm bigger all around, that’s okay—check the cake a little earlier as it might bake faster.

Mix dry, mix wet: In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. To a medium bowl, add the sugar and thyme and finely grate the zest of the lemon over it with a Microplane (save the naked lemon in the fridge for salads and use within a few days, before it dries out). Working with your fingertips, rub the ingredients together until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Whisk in the yogurt until it’s thoroughly incorporated, and then add the eggs one at a time, blending each egg into the batter before you add the next. When all the eggs are in, give the mixture a few energetic beats to bring it all together.

Mix dry into wet: Switch to a silicone spatula and stir in half of the flour mixture. When it’s well incorporated, add the remaining flour and stir until blended. Add the butter to the bowl gradually, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides until you have a thick, smooth batter with a light sheen. Drop the berries into the batter and stir to mix them in evenly. Scrape the batter into the buttered pan, smoothing the top.

Bake the cake: Bake the cake in the center of the oven until the cake is golden brown and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick or long, dry noodle inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging, 55 to 60 minutes. With oven mitts, take the cake out of the oven and set on a wire rack or cool stove burner. Wait 5 minutes, then run a table knife between the cake and the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Carefully invert the pan onto the rack, then flip the cake so it’s right-side up and finish cooling to room temperature. Serve with lightly sweetened crème fraîche, or nothing at all.

Make ahead and store: The cake keeps best well-sealed at room temperature; it will be good for at least 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month—defrost, still sealed, at room temperature.

Interplanting

Hi all, 

Gemma here with an introduction and an update on the season. I’m so excited that we’re ramping up production and getting plants out in the fields. But first I wanted to give you all a bit of an introduction to who I am. This will be my third farm season and the first in my home state of California. After graduating from Bard College with a liberal arts degree in 2020, I went straight into working on a small farm in the Hudson Valley of New York State. My degree in environmental studies with a focus in food and agriculture provided a solid foundation for this work. With a knowledge of soil health, and the social implications of farming sustainably, I was thrilled to connect the intellectual with the practical, and start doing rather than thinking. I’m so glad to be at Open Field Farm this year, and am stoked to be participating in a production model focused on feeding families, and building a resilient community around the farm. 

The past couple weeks we’ve been focused mostly on getting plants in the ground. The greenhouse is slowly emptying as we make our way through. Yesterday we finished planting our first succession of brassicas (broccoli, collards, cauliflower, cabbage). This planting takes time and focus as we interplant alyssum and cilantro into the beds as well as the brassicas themselves. In this case the interplants act as a magnet for beneficial pollinator insects and to help attract pests to the flowers of the interplant, rather than our main crop. I like to get a little nerdy sometimes when it comes to practices I’m personally partial to. So let’s define what interplanting is for those who don’t know. Interplanting is the practice of growing more than one crop in a given growing area. We see this practice on a few different scales currently. One being the brassicas I just described, two being an entire bed of marigolds in between each of our field tomato beds. Another being that we planted basil as an interplant in tunnel B (our unshaded hot house) a few weeks ago, bordering our tomato and cucumber rows. This allowed us to maximize growing space where real estate is limited, and where the main crop takes a longer time to mature. This allows us to harvest the beds multiple times yielding more efficient use of timing and space. Plus an early basil harvest for us all to get excited about. 

Intercropping has been proven to increase yields and productivity of agroecosystems. Studies have shown the use of interplanting benefits both the plants and soil health. By increasing plant diversity, we’re setting up an agroecosystem that thrives. Some interplanting combinations increase the soil microbial diversity. This practice works well with crops whose root systems differ so that the soil can be shared and the nutrients in the soil can be efficiently used. However, not all interplanting combinations work, sometimes the plants in a given space will compete rather than benefit one another. I’m anxious to see how the ways we use interplanting differ, and how the plants in the field mature under this treatment. 

Upcoming Farm Events: All Member Meeting: 6 pm on Thursday June 1st

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

It will be a couple of months until the pick list starts increasing, usually around July 1st. We will do our best to keep a steady supply of spinach and lettuce from the tunnels. We will have fennel and bok choi again next week, and hopefully radishes, cilantro, dill, and basil in about a month.

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow Onions

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Green garlic

• Parade Scallions

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Spaghetti Winter Squash

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Friday (Frozen bread available.)

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

I made this lemonade twice last week and it served as such a refreshing beverage for the hot days and warm evenings we’ve been having recently. It also works as a lovely base for your favorite cocktail or mocktail. All measurements/ ingredients can be adjusted to your taste.

Basil Lemonade:

5 large sprigs Basil

3-4 cups water 

1.5 cups meyer lemon juice (15-20 lemons worth)

Many slices of lemons

Lemon zest (optional)

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar 

¼ cup honey 

1. Slice your lemons and place in a large pitcher or jar

2. Remove basil leaves from stems and add those in too.

3. Place sugars and honey in a heat proof bowl 

4. Boil 1 cup of water and pour over the sugar mixture and stir to combine

5. Let the syrup cool completely while you squeeze the lemons. 

6. Add two cups cold water to the pitcher followed by the lemon juice

7. Add your simple syrup and shake to combine

Taste, adjust, and let sit in the fridge to allow the basil to infuse. Pour over ice and enjoy!

Sea of crimson clover

By Sarah

There is a beautiful cover crop in the field we call Frog this year, mostly crimson clover but also including purple vetch, phacelia, lupine, and various other wildflowers and weeds. We have struggled to grow stands of dense cover crop so I am relishing the success of this one and doing my best to stop and marvel in its splendor whenever I pass by.

Considering the wet winter we have had, all the fields have tilled up excellently this year. It is satisfying to be able to see improvement in our practices and to know that we are beginning to understand this land and how to work with it.

The veggie rocked the first planting of onions, direct seeded crops, and potatoes. It was seamless and we finished ahead of when we had planned. May every planting this year be so smooth!

Upcoming Farm Events: Email coming this week with an updated dates for events!

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

It will be a couple of months until the pick list starts increasing, usually around July 1st. We will do our best to keep a steady supply of spinach and lettuce from the tunnels.

Strawberries will be much later this year; the plants are just truly starting to grow. They may also be in limited amounts to start as we had many plants die in all the rain. However, I am confident there will be a time this summer when there is an abundance of strawberries.

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow Onions

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Finale Fennel

• Green garlic

• Parade Scallions

• Prize Choi

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Basil and Cilantro

• Spaghetti Winter Squash

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Tuesday and Friday (Frozen bread available if we sell out.)

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Baked Spinach Rice, from nytimes.com

• 1 pound spinach (about 2 bunches), washed

• 1½ cups long-grain white rice, such as Carolina or jasmine

• Salt and pepper

• 2 tablespoons butter, plus more to butter the baking dish

• 1 cup grated Parmesan

• ½ cup slivered almonds

• 1 cup ricotta

• 1 cup grated Gruyère or other Swiss cheese

• ¼ cup currants

• Pinch of grated nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme

• 1 teaspoon chopped sage

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add spinach and wilt for 30 seconds. Remove with a wire mesh spider or tongs and rinse in a colander with cold water. Squeeze dry and chop roughly.

In the same pot, boil the rice for 10 minutes, keeping it slightly underdone. Drain and spread on a baking sheet to cool, thentransfer to a large bowl.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 2-quart soufflé dish (or other baking dish) and dust with about 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and add contents of skillet to rice.

Add remaining Parmesan to rice, along with the ricotta, Gruyère, currants, nutmeg, lemon zest, thyme and sage. Season lightly with salt and add pepper to taste. Add chopped spinach and gently toss rice with hands or wooden spoons to distribute ingredients evenly. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. (May be prepared up to this point several hours in advance of baking.)

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until top is browned.

Bone Broth Fat

Hello Cecilia here with another update about eating food only from the farm (except for going
out for coffee and eating out with friends!). A major motivating factor for doing this was to
become more creative with, and connected to the food we have here. I have already started to
see necessity leading to creativity for me in the kitchen. This has definitely been true of the
way that I am using fats. I figured I would end up using more beef fat in my cooking without
access to butter, but I was pretty nervous about the prospect. I love cooking with lard, but I
really didn’t have much experience using tallow. Our abundance of olive oil from Saltonstall is
really a critical element in all of this, but sometimes olive oil just doesn’t cut it.
In the last couple months I have been making A LOT of bone broth. I have always felt unsure
about the best way to use the incredible fat cap that results from broth made with our bones. I
know it’s basically liquid gold, but using that much fat in my broth was really hard on my
stomach. I have now started to save these enormous chunks of fat flavored with onions and
green garlic and herbs and lots of chili powders (I put a lot of random stuff in my broth). Once
the fat cap solidifies in my fridge I break it up into chunks and save it in a jar. I have been frying
my secret stash of potatoes in ridiculous amounts of this fat. I can’t even really express how
delicious it is. If nothing else good comes from this farm food challenge, I now know that my
absolute favorite way to eat potatoes is fried in a cast iron skillet with fat from beef broth. This
feels like a huge win.
I am super excited about our first green garlic harvest this week. I will not be making this recipe
with ricotta unless a cheese fairy shows up at my house, but I hope that all of you do and tell
me how delicious it is!

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 5/19 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

We are planting our first field crops this week! Still it will be a couple of months until the pick list starts increasing, usually around July 1st. We will do our best to keep a steady supply of spinach and lettuce from the tunnels.

Strawberries will be much later this year; the plants are just truly starting to grow. They may also be in limited amounts to start as we had many plants die in all the rain. However, I am confident there will be a time this summer when there is an abundance of strawberries.

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow and Cabernet Red Onions (Last week of Cabernet)

• Joan Rutabaga

• Mars Celeriac

• Finale Fennel

• Green garlic

• Parade Scallions

• Prize Choi

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Cilantro

• Spaghetti Winter Squash

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Tuesday and Friday (Frozen bread available if we sell out.)

Open Field Farm 2023 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members 

Green Garlic, Chive, and Red Pepper Frittata, from nytimes.com

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut in small dice

• 2 bulbs green garlic, trimmed of stalks and papery layers, sliced

• Salt

• 6 eggs

• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta

• ¼ cup minced or snipped chives

• Freshly ground pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy 10-inch nonstick skillet and add the bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until it is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and salt to taste and cook, stirring often, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the ricotta, salt (about ½ teaspoon) and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir in the chives and red pepper and garlic mixture. Clean and dry the pan and return to the burner, set on medium-high. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet. Hold your hand above it; it should feel hot. Drop a bit of egg into the pan, and if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with a spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking.

Turn the heat down to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time remove the lid and loosen the bottom of the frittata with a wooden or heatproof spatula, tilting the pan, so that the bottom doesn’t burn. The eggs should be just about set on the bottom; cook a few minutes longer if they’re not.

Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler, not too close to the heat, for 1 to 3 minutes, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn’t burn (at most, it should brown very slightly and puff under the broiler). Remove from the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn’t sticking and allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes and for up to 15. Loosen the edges with a wooden or plastic spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut into wedges or into smaller bite-size diamonds.

Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold

Tilling

By Alyssa

The close of one season, and the opening of the next! The heat is coming, the sparrows are nesting, and so much grass is beginning to head out. With such late rains this spring, we are tilling much later than last season. We are planning to run the tractors continuously twelve hours a day, seven days a week for the next two weeks, implementing split shifts and swapping weekend days so that someone is tilling at all times (but hopefully no one works overtime). We try to till each field three times to break apart the grass and create nice, loose beds to plant and seed into through the coming weeks and months. 

We will have to take breaks in order to grease the spader (our tilling implement), and Cecilia, Jesse, and AJ will be working hard to mow, spread compost, and mark out the field ahead of the tilling. It is a dance of tractors and personnel that Sarah is orchestrating masterfully! Much different from the slow pace of tilling last season, when we had such a long, dry spring. I can feel the energy of the season building, and I am ready.

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 5/12 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow and Cabernet Red Onions

• Rhonda Beets

• Joan Rutabaga

• Hablange Parsnips

• Mars Celeriac

• Finale Fennel

• Parade Scallions

• Mei Qing Choi

• Fava Greens

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Cilantro

• Spaghetti Winter Squash

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!) - Note there has been a price increase!

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Tuesday and Friday (Frozen bread available if we sell out.)

Bok Choy Stir Fry

This is one of my favorite winter recipes, when our bok choy is delicious and abundant. The dou ban jiang is a fairly easy-to-find Chinese fermented chili and bean taste, and provides an easy boost of salty, spicy, sour flavor that pairs well with a side of white rice. 

• 4 heads of mei qing choy or 2 heads of prize bok choy

• 1 lb of ground beef or one package of firm tofu

• 1 spoonful of chili oil

• 1 spoonful of dou ban jiang (a fairly easy-to-find Chinese fermented chili and bean paste)

Pull apart and rinse the stalks of bok choy. Chop into ½-1 inch long pieces, separating the stemmier pieces into a different pile than the leafier pieces. Heat a wok or large cast iron pan until smoking, then add your protein of choice, breaking it up into pieces. Once it is browned but before it is cooked through, add the stemmier pieces of bok choy, stirring continuously. Once those pieces release some water and wilt down, add a spoonful of each Chinese condiment, and keep stirring. Add the leafier pieces of bok choy, and stir. Serve with cooked white rice, or just on its own!

Wool

By AJ

I want to update you on sheep, but first, I want to try to incorporate a “quote of the week/month” as part of my (and maybe others’) blog posts. Because, truthfully, some of the best conversations happen betwixt us out and about on the farm, and I feel the need to document it. This week, I have chosen a quote that happens to relate to the sheep:
“Wool is my second favorite thing. My first favorite thing is frogs.”
-Seth
You can expect lamb for purchase in the CSA barn soon, as we have harvested 20 sheep for this year. The sheep and lambs you have seen bopping about near the CSA barn in the last couple weeks are here to stay for the year. One lamb that is getting a lot of attention, in particular, is the black lamb we have named “Anya” (any Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans out there??). We are very excited about being able to shear her next year! It will add a bit of diversity to our wool products. 

The sheep will be naked this week! We are shearing on Thursday, in time for the heat and weed seed blooms.

We have an ABUNDANCE of yarn from the last couple years of shearing. Don’t be shy! I also recognize that even the most avid fiber-artists and tinkerers can only use so much yarn. 

Thus, I am inviting folks to let me know if there are other products from the sheep you want to see available in the CSA barn— Pelts? Pre-made wool products(dog beds, dryer balls, etc)? — as well as any ideas for workshops or classes that may interest you. You can email me directly at amandasenseman@yahoo.com or try your luck at catching me on a CSA day.

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 5/12 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow and Cabernet Red Onions

• Rhonda Beets

• Joan Rutabaga

• Hablange Parsnips

• Mars Celeriac

• Finale Fennel

• Parade Scallions

• Mei Qing Choi

• Fava Greens

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Lettuce Mix

• Cilantro

• Spaghetti Winter Squash

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!) - Note there has been a price increase!

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Tuesday and Friday (Frozen bread available if we sell out.)

KOREAN PANCAKE WITH SCALLIONS (PA JUN)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (in any recipe involving flour, I always use Open Field Farm flour, or half and half)

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 bunch scallions, green and white parts; halved lengthwise and cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, for frying

• Soy sauce, or spicy dipping sauce, for serving

-In a medium bowl, mix the flour, eggs, salt, scallions, and water, and let sit for about 10 minutes. Check the consistency before cooking. The batter should be a little bit runnier than American pancake batter, which allows the pa jun to cook quickly and evenly. Add more water if needed.

-Heat skillet over medium heat and coat it with the oil.
-Pour batter to just coat the bottom of the skillet.

-Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until set and golden brown on the bottom.

-Flip the pancake over with the help of a spatula 

-Cook 2-3 more minutes
-Serve with soy sauce or a spicy dipping sauce. Kim Chi on the side is also nice.

Seasonal Prep

By Sarah

It truly feels like spring now: the grass is growing, wildflowers are blooming, the first calf was born yesterday. We welcomed 2 new crew members: Sage and Gemma in mid March. We disperse our trainings for new crew through the first month, mostly when we are about to do a new task. However, some trainings are not so specific to tasks, instead oriented toward building connections amongst ourselves and the land. In the first week, we have a circle, during which we all share a short biography. Yesterday, we walked the land, mostly focusing on the waterways. It was a beautiful day.

As well, with Sage and Gemma’s enthusiasm and energy, plus the return of all the crew to full hours, we have been able to complete many tasks that were lingering on our list! While the spring has felt slower and we will not till any fields until May 1st at the earliest, the late start has some silver linings. Most of the barns have been thoroughly cleaned and organized; the tools sanded and oiled. Even though it was a little wetter than ideal, we weeded and mulched the asparagus last week, and hope to tackle the rhubarb and raspberries next week. We are getting the tractors ready and the greenhouse is filling up with starts!

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck This Friday 4/14 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow and Cabernet Red Onions

• Rhonda Beets

• Joan Rutabaga

• Hablange Parsnips

• Mars Celeriac

• Bora King Daikon Radish

• Rubro

• Noble Jade Gai Lan

• Finale Fennel

• Parade Scallions

• Prize Choi

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Cilantro

• Spaghetti Winter Squash and Pie-Pita Pumpkin

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!) - Note there has been a price increase!

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Tuesday and Friday (Frozen bread available if we sell out.)

Rutabaga with Maple Syrup, Black Pepper, and Rosemary, from Six Season by Joshua McFadden & Martha Holmberg

• 1 1/2 pounds rutabaga, trimmed, peeled, and cut into cubes

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

• 1/8 teaspoon dried chile flakes

Heat the oven to 400°F.

Toss the rutabaga cubes with a nice glug of olive oil and season generously with salt and black pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast until fully tender and lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

Pile into a bowl, sprinkle with the vinegar, and toss to distribute. Let the rutabaga absorb the vinegar for a minute. Add the maple syrup, rosemary, and chile flakes and toss. Taste and adjust with more salt or black pepper.

Sage

By Sage

Hi All!

My name is Sage and this is my fourth week here at the farm. I'm so excited to be here and have been thoroughly enjoying every moment I get to listen to the birds singing in the fields, meeting all the farm animals, and the many rainbows that have appeared thanks to the rain.

I graduated last June from UCLA and have since worked on a goat dairy in Vermont, volunteered on a vegetable farm in Southern California, and WWOOFed on several vegetable farms in Japan. During my time at UCLA I worked at the community garden on campus creating online gardening courses and was part of the student gardening club. I'm from Santa Barbara and moving to Los Angeles, I felt separated from the natural world and overwhelmed by the sheer number of undergraduate students, and gardening was where I first found a community on campus. Six months after starting school in 2019, we were sent home for the Covid lock down, but I stayed tuned in to the Zoom gardening workshops every week and took an online permaculture design course through the local community college. I'm looking forward to spending this season on the farm and learning more about farming in Northern California. 

Hope to see you all around the farm!

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 4/14 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow and Cabernet Red Onions

• Rhonda Beets

• Joan Rutabaga

• Hablange Parsnips

• Mars Celeriac

• Bora King Daikon Radish

• Storage #5 Green Cabbage

• Rubro

• Finale Fennel

• Parade Scallions

• Mei Qing Choi

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Ruby Red Chard

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Cilantro

• Spaghetti Winter Squash and Pie-Pita Pumpkin

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!) - Note there has been a price increase!

• Revolution Bread: Frozen bread Tuesday and Fresh bread on Friday (Frozen bread available if we sell out.)

Oven-Baked Frittata with Veggies, from feastingathome.com

• 1 onion or leek, diced

• 1–2 tablespoons olive oil

• pinch salt and pepper

• 12 large eggs

• 1 cup ricotta (or sour cream)

• 1 cup heavy cream (or sour cream)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (save some for garnish)

• 1–2 cups chopped spinach

• 1–2 cups grated mozzarella (or other melty cheese- cheddar, jack, or crumbled goat cheese)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the veggie filling: At the same time, saute the onion or leek in olive oil, 3-4 minutes, over medium heat. Keep sauteing until tender.

Make the custard: While the veggies are cooking whisk (or blend in a blender) the eggs with the ricotta, cream, salt and pepper. ( Most any combo of ricotta, sour cream and cream will work here- 2 cups total.)

Assemble the frittata: Grease a deep 9 x 13-inch baking dish or 12-inch skillet. Pour 1/2 of the egg mixture in the bottom. Add the cooked veggies (you should have roughly 6 cups). Add the cilantro, spinach and cheese and pour in the remaining egg mixture. Give the veggies and little swirl so egg mixture is incorporated.

Bake: in the middle of the oven until the center is puffed and the frittata is nice and golden about 1 hour. Check at 30-40 minutes and tent with foil if getting too dark.

You’ll know frittata is done with it puffs slightly at the very center and is not too wobbly.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge.

Veggies: Feel free to swap other veggies for these- just make sure they are cooked and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Think roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes, roasted butternut squash, roasted cauliflower, sauteed zucchini, frozen spinach or corn, roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes, chili peppers, wilted kale or chard. In summer I’ll top it with fresh vine-ripened cherry tomatoes. In spring, I’ll add raw asparagus tips. You’ll need 6 cups of cooked veggies total. 

Cast-Iron: If you would like to bake this in a cast-iron skillet- no problem, make sure it is extra-large (12 inches in diameter) and greased well.

If making ahead: assemble, refrigerate, and make sure to bring unbaked refrigerated frittata to room temp one full hour before baking. Frittata can also be baked ahead and reheats well.

When Halving the recipe-bake in a standard 9-inch pie pan, or 9-inch cast-iron skillet.

Passionflower

By Kelsey

Passionflower is one plant that I would love to get established on the farm. I have seeded and planted it the last two years, but it has yet to survive the frosty farm winter. This year my goal is to cut it back and mulch it heavily before the first frost. Hopefully that will do the trick! Here is a mini monograph on passionflower~

Passiflora incarnata 

Family: Passifloraceae

Distribution: Most native species of Passiflora are found in tropical and subtropical regions of Mexico, Central America, Florida, and South America, plus a couple species in Southeast Asia. It has also become naturalized in places outside of its native locations, such as parts of Europe.

Cultivation: Hardy, but frost tender. Plant in early Spring in partial to full sun. Prefers well-drained, consistently moist soil. It is a fast growing vine that can either be trellised or not.

Parts used: Aerial parts (flower, leaf, and stem) are typically used medicinally. The fruit is edible and delicious, often used in jams and jellies.

Herbal actions: Nervine (having some beneficial effect on the nervous system), mild sedative (having a calming effect on the nervous system), anodyne (pain relieving qualities), hypnotic (inducing/aiding in sleep), antispasmodic (relieving/relaxing muscle spasm & cramping)

Constituents: flavonoids, alkaloids

Indications: Insomnia, especially when due to circular thinking or avoiding going to sleep; muscle cramping or spasms (and any condition that includes those symptoms); whooping cough; drug withdrawal; teething; mania; digestive cramping; heart palpitations caused by stress; hypertension; apathy; anxiety and exhaustion due to overstimulation

Pairs well with: Valerian and hops as a sleep aid, Hawthorn for heart concerns, Jamaican dogwood and crampbark as  spasmodic pain relief, Motherwort for menstrual-specific insomnia, skullcap for teeth-grinding during sleep

Cautions and Contraindications: Though generally considered safe, passionflower is a sedative that should not be combined with prescription sleep, pain, or anxiety medications. Passionflower should never be combined with MAOIs.

Personal Reflections: Passionflower is the best sleep aid I have ever tried, as someone with an anxious mind at night. It is very gentle, yet extremely effective, and feels like a comforting lulling to sleep rather than a “knock you out” type feeling. I love to blend the tincture with other nervines such as chamomile, skullcap, Motherwort, and tulsi. I have found that passionflower is better when tinctured fresh than dry, though a tea made with the dry plant works well. I would absolutely love to be able to offer tea blends with passionflower one day, but I think that is a goal for several years down the line!

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 4/14 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Cortland Yellow and Cabernet Red Onions

• Rhonda Beets

• Joan Rutabaga

• Hablange Parsnips

• Mars Celeriac

• Bora King Daikon Radish

• Storage #5 Green Cabbage

• Treviso and Rubro (Last week of treviso)

• Finale Fennel

• Parade Scallions

• Mei Qing Choi

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Cilantro

• Spaghetti Winter Squash and Pie-Pita Pumpkin

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

• Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!) - Note there has been a price increase!

• Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Tuesday and Friday (Frozen bread available if we sell out.)

Shepherd's Pie with Rutabaga Topping, from marthastewart.com

• 1 rib celery, coarsely chopped (or 1 cup celeriac diced)

• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 sprig fresh thyme

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 ½ teaspoons unsalted butter, plus more for rutabagas and potatoes

• 2 pounds boneless beef chuck or leg of lamb for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 2 medium onions, chopped

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 cups dry red wine

• 1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium canned beef stock

• 4 carrots, cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces

• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3 rutabagas (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut into large pieces

• 4 russet or Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into large pieces

• ½ cup hot milk, or more if needed

Tie celery, rosemary sprig, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni; set aside. Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until hot. Melt butter, and brown meat in two batches, taking care not to crowd the pieces or they will steam and not brown; transfer meat to a bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions; cook until slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Return meat to pan and sprinkle flour over the meat and onions, cook about 1 minute, stirring often.

Add wine, and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits. Add the stock and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, cover, and cook on low heat until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the lid after 1 hour; add carrots, and cook, uncovered, for the last 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Place rutabagas and potatoes in separate saucepans; cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, 30 to 40 minutes for the rutabagas and 25 minutes for the potatoes. Drain; return to the saucepans to dry out any moisture from the vegetables for a few minutes.

Put the rutabagas and potatoes through a food mill fitted with a fine disk, or ricer, or mash by hand. Add butter, as desired, and enough hot milk to make a creamy puree. Season with salt and pepper; stir in chopped rosemary.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove bouquet garni; transfer stew into a deep 2-quart baking dish. Top with puree; dot lightly with butter. Bake 1 hour, or until top is brown and crusty. Serve hot.

Happy Spring and Some Musings about the Weather

By Kelsey

I am always peeved when I hear people refer to discussions about the weather as "small talk," as though it's mundane and insignificant. As though the weather doesn't play a massive role in our moods, energy levels, circadian rhythms, and consciousness. As though our bodies are not also composed of earth, water, heat, and air, continuous with the rest of nature. Perhaps it's because I'm outside for a good chunk of every day- although I think if I had more time I could write a pretty convincing argument- but in my view, weather is everything.

The other day, I was talking with a member about how just two years ago I remember thinking, "what if it never rains again?" And of course this year I've found myself wondering, "is it ever going to stop raining?" I wish that I could say that I am reflecting on this and coming away with lessons on accepting what is, surrendering to what I cannot know, and trusting that the Spring will always return. But the reality is, if I seem grumpy in the barn, it is probably because I am mad about the weather.

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 4/14 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Yellow Finn Potatoes

• Cortland Yellow and Cabernet Red Onions

• Rhonda Beets

• Joan Rutabaga

• Hablange Parsnips

• Mars Celeriac

• Bora King Daikon Radish

• Storage #5 Green Cabbage

• Treviso and Rubro

• Parade Scallions

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Spaghetti Winter Squash and Pie-Pita Pumpkin

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

• Revolution Bread: This week frozen bread on Tuesday and fresh on Friday (Most weeks, we will have fresh both Tuesday and Friday. We will also sell frozen bread if we have it.)

Beef Picadillo

https://thenovicechefblog.com/beef-picadillo/

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium white onion, diced

• 1 lb ground beef

• ¼ cup sofrito

• 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning

• 1 packet sazon seasoning

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon dried, ground oregano

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic or garlic paste

• 1 cup tomato sauce

• 1 cup green olives with pimento

• cilantro, optional garnish

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and ground beef. Cook breaking the beef apart and stirring often, until meat is evenly browned and onions are tender.

2. Drain the excess liquid/grease from the pan and add the sofrito, adobo, sazon, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.

3. Stir and cook for an additional minute or so, then add the garlic and cook for two more minutes or until the garlic becomes fragrant.

4. Turn the heat down to low-medium then pour in the tomato sauce and stir. Bring the sauce to a low simmer, then turn the heat off and stir in the olives.

5. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

A Tale of Two winters

By Sarah

Walking in the hills this weekend, there was water oozing out of the soils everywhere. The ground is so saturated. It reminded me of when your skin is so soft and pruned, which I imagine many of us have been this winter. While this amount of rain has been overwhelming at times, I am still so grateful to be so completely full of water, and for so many rainbows!

We have lived on the farm for 11 winters now (which truly is not that much time). We have only had one other winter with constant rain. We have definitely been inundated with large storms in other winters, but then there has been a break. During the winter of 2016-2017, it rained consistently, similar to this winter. The difference has been the temperature. That winter was our best grass year yet. We did not feed any hay. While the cows did have to graze through wet pasture, I could not believe how well the grass grew even though it was so wet. This year we have fed more hay than any other year. The cold temperatures have greatly slowed the growth rate of the grass. Who knows what the spring will bring but I am very curious to watch and see.

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 4/14 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Summer hours start this week: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Yellow Finn and Harvest Moon Potatoes

• Cortland Yellow and Cabernet Red Onions

• Rhonda Beets

• Joan Rutabaga

• Hablange Parsnips

• Mars Celeriac

• Purple Top Turnips

• Bora King Daikon Radish

• Finale Fennel

• Storage #5 Green and Ruby King Red Cabbage

• Treviso and Rubro

• Prize Choi

• Parade Scallions

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Cilantro

• Spaghetti Winter Squash and Pie-Pita Pumpkin

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

Parmesan Cabbage Soup, from nytimes.com

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated

• ⅛ chile powder, plus more for serving (optional)

• 1 small head of green cabbage (about 1¼ pounds), cored and coarsely chopped (about 9 cups)

• 1½ teaspoons fine sea or table salt, plus more to taste

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

• 2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock

• 1 cup long-grain rice

• 5 thyme sprigs

• 2 Parmesan rinds, or use another 2 tablespoons grated cheese

• 1 lemon

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a stock pot or large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and chile (if using), and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cabbage, salt and pepper, and cook until cabbage wilts slightly and begins to caramelize, about 10 minutes.

Stir in stock, rice and thyme. If using the Parmesan rinds, add them now, and bring everything to a simmer. Cook, partly covered, over medium-low heat until cabbage and rice are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Discard thyme sprigs and Parmesan rinds. Using a Microplane or other fine grater, grate in the zest from the lemon. Stir in grated Parmesan and cilantro.

Halve the lemon and squeeze in the juice from half of it. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges for serving. Taste soup and add more salt and pepper, if needed. To serve, ladle into soup bowls, and garnish with more grated cheese, a lemon wedge and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.

Farm Food Challenge

By Cecilia

This year I am challenging myself to eat exclusively from the farm.  This is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but never quite felt ready to take the plunge.  I am having some misgivings about starting this endeavor during what looks like a long, wet, and probably food scarce spring.  I don’t expect to do this perfectly.  I hope that through the season I can update everybody about how well (or horrible) it’s all going.  I would love to be able to share some of my reflections on what it feels like to really get creative with the food we grow here.  If I knew I would be doing this I definitely would have spent more time canning last summer, but I am excited about the way this will inspire more commitment to food preservation techniques. 

I’ve always thought about how easy it would be on this particular farm to never have to go to the grocery store for anything.   Because we have meat, eggs, oil, bread, herbs, and vegetables, there is really no need to buy food off farm.  Of course, we don’t grow peanut butter, chocolate, or pamplemousse LaCroix. 

I think it will be motivating for me to feel like the entire Open Field community is on this journey with me.  In the spirit of food blogs everywhere that nobody asked for, I will lay out the perimeters of this year-long challenge. 

·      No Buying Groceries: this is the goal, but it might take time to fully wean.  If you see me in the fancy cheese section of Petaluma Market, please mind your own business.  Or actually please reprimand me. 

·      Eating Out with Friends Okay:  This is not about self-denial and I don’t want my social life to suffer as much as local Reese’s sales inevitably will.  

·      Pantry Items Okay:  I have a lot of food in my pantry and I am not going to let it go to waste just because it is not from the farm.  I am hoping that this helps me feel like my diet is still bountiful until we start really having summer harvests. 

·      Gifts Okay:  Any gift of food brought to the farm counts as farm food.  Shout out to members that bring extra lemons from their trees!  And also to Seth and Sarah when they can’t eat all the yogurt from their milk share. 

·      Salt: I will be buying salt.  Diamond Crystal, specifically.  I don’t know what else to say about that. 

 My main motivation in all this is to create a deeper sense of connection to the land I live on and the community I share it with.  Even though I only started this a little over a month ago, I already feel aware of the deeper sense of gratitude.  Because I don’t have a constant immediate access to sugar, the candies Kelsey brought back from Japan felt so special (as they were!).  Every bite was a gift.  It is a good feeling to have a deep sense of appreciation for everything I eat. 

I am also already amazed by unexpected abundance, even in this time of year.  Last week I almost cried because I used the last of my popcorn from my pantry.  Four days later, AJ sent me a message saying that she had milled all the popcorn from our experimental trial last summer and that it was bagged and ready to eat.  Honestly I had kind of forgotten that we tried growing popcorn.  

 I don’t really have a recipe this week, instead I would like to share my menu for a dinner I hosted this weekend.  When I told my non-farming friends what I’m doing, they all seemed to think I am on some kind of extreme diet.  In reality my eating has not changed too much.  Even without summer veggies, there is still so much to eat (but I might have to reassess that when we finally run out of spaghetti squash). 

I had two friends over for burger night and this was all the ingredients used:

 BIG SALAD:

Rosalba chicory

Mei Qing choi

Thinly sliced watermelon radish

Grated celeriac

Chopped scallions (scallions available next week!)

Lots of cilantro

Dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt

 BURGERS:

Ground beef seasoned with salt and Chimayo ground pepper, with an egg mixed in

Revolution bread baguette for buns

TOPPINGS:

Cabernet onion slices

Pickles made from our salt & pepper cucumbers

Ketchup canned from our paste tomatoes

Salanova butter lettuce

Diced fermented Aji Crystal peppers

 CRISPY ROASTED POTATOES:

Thinly sliced Harvest Moon potatoes roasted in lots of oil at high heat until crispy

Seasoned with salt, thyme, and Basque ground

 pepper

Dipped in homemade ketchup!

 DILLY BEANS:

I’m actually still going through jars of Dilly Beans that I preserved 2 years ago.  They are the ultimate side dish for any meal. 

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck This Friday 3/10 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

• Summer: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Norland, Yellow Finn, and Harvest Moon Potatoes

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions

• Rhonda Beets

• Joan Rutabaga

• Hablange Parsnips

• Mars Celeriac

• Purple Top Turnips

• Bora King Daikon Radish

• Finale Fennel

• Storage #5 Green and Ruby King Red Cabbage

• Treviso and Rubro

• Ruby Red Chard

• Prize Choi

• Lettuce Mix

• Cilantro

• Spaghetti Winter Squash and Pie-Pita Pumpkin

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

Cycles

By Ashley

There is a steady amount of death as well as visceral feeling of lack on any given day.
Here at the farm, for me at least, and I know of at least one other, it has been a hard week. We have lost lives of young and old animals alike and I have touched that death with my hands. I have heard with my own ears the bleets of an ewe who could not give birth to a live, healthy baby, the whispered cries of humans saying goodbye to their bestfriends, laughter at the remembered memories, and deep heavy sighs in an effort to move through the grief. We have spoken to each other the worry we have about the cold and wet weather that will push back when we can open our fields for summer crop and makes our grass grow oh so slowly. 
This is not written to worry you or to strike fear into your heart, dear reader. But to remind everyone, including myself, that to be abundant all the time, to live in the illusion that nothing changes and life is forever, is just that: Illusion. Life would not be as strikingly beautiful without the shifts and changes death brings to us. We would not hold each other so securely and with grace without death. The grief of being a human and living amongst those who also grieve is, to me, one of the most fundamental human experiences. A foundational piece, if you will. It creates the experience of deeply enjoying a sip of tea, being satisfied at the end of the day of hard work or hard love. It creates the experiences that are once in a lifetime and the mundane beauty of day to day routines. 

McCall Erickson writes:

“The hallmark of a human life is loss, it seems. And the body is a vessel for grief. 

This is not an if, but a when. When is loss gonna hit? 

And then it's how. How do you carry it? All that grief. And don't even ask why. Why is not a question that grief ever answers."

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 3/10 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

• Summer: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Norland, Yellow Finn, and Harvest Moon Potatoes

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions

• Rhonda Beets

• Joan Rutabaga

• Hablange Parsnips

• Mars Celeriac

• Purple Top Turnips

• Bora King Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Storage #5 Green and Ruby King Red Cabbage

• Treviso and Rubro

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Prize Choi

• Regiment Spinach

• Spaghetti Winter Squash and Pie-Pita Pumpkin

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

Cabbage Kuchen, from Laurel's Kitchen

Topping: 2 onions, 4 cups shredded cabbage, 2 T butter, 1 cup yogurt, 2 eggs beaten, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, 1 T caraway seed.

Dough (Kuchen): 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 tsps baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg beaten, 1 cup milk, 2 T butter melted.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

To make topping , slice onions thinly and saute with cabbage in butter. Mix in other topping ingredients and set aside.

Stir flour, baking powder and salt lightly with a fork. Combine egg, milk and butter and stir briefly into dry ingredients.

Spread in greased 8 x 8 pan. Spread with topping and bake for 35 minutes.

Tunnel B

By Alyssa

The weather change is on the wind this morning. When a harvest day dawns breezy and cool like this, starting in the tunnels is a welcome reprieve. Wind is a powerful force on this land. We try to work around it, or with it, but we don't always succeed. As we begin to till and plant, you might see us battling with huge tarps that turn into sails when the breeze picks up.
During those windy storms in January, the plastic covering Tunnel B tore in several places. At the time, Jesse and Danny did a quick fix with Tyvek tape, and the veggie crew threw shade cloth over the whole thing to help keep it in place against the winds. It stayed secure, but began to slow the growth of some of the crops in that tunnel. 
Over the weekend, after several false starts, we finally had both the necessary number people (four) and the good weather (warm, no wind) to replace the old plastic. Using the high tech tools of tennis balls, rope, pliers, an electric drill, and several ladders, Jesse, AJ, Cecilia, Sarah, and I removed the old plastic and secured the new plastic without much of a hitch. There is a little bit left to do, but at least for me, it is a relief to have the majority of the task completed. I hope everything growing in B will get a good boost from the added light and warmth. Next up (eventually): the shade house! 

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 3/10 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

• Summer: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Norland, Yellow Finn, and Harvest Moon Potatoes

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions

• Rhonda Beets

• Joan Rutabaga

• Hablange Parsnips

• Mars Celeriac

• Purple Top Turnips

• Bora King Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Storage #5 Green and Ruby King Red Cabbage

• Rosalba, Treviso, and Rubro

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Prize Choi

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Spaghetti Winter Squash and Pie-Pita Pumpkin

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

Sauteed Rubro with Onion and Apple

This is a side I like to make for lunch with a slice or two of bread and a few fried eggs, but it would also go well with meat or beans. The sweetness of the onion and the apple easily balances out the bitterness of the radicchio. For a single serving, I usually use 1/4 onion, 1/2 small head of rubro, 1/2 a small apple.

• 1 head of Rubro, chopped 

• 1 apple, diced

• 1 onion, diced

• salt and pepper to taste

Heat a pan with a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch or two of salt. Once translucent, add the apple, and cook both until they begin to brown. Add the chopped Rubro, and cook, stirring occasionally until wilted and beginning to brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar or wine to deglaze would not go amiss, either!

Sheep on pasture

By AJ

The sheep are currently split into two groups. 

The pregnant ewes are in the barn, where they loaf around, preparing their bodies for the labor that is lambing. (Any day now!)

The rest of the gang are finally out grazing what was very recently "the swamp", after receiving so much rain. Even though they are accustomed to the winter regime of eating alfalfa, their memory of pasture life is very accessible. They know how to get what they need and are content to be the wandering, grazing creatures that they are. 

We will be harvesting lambs in April, when we will have more merguez, along with other cuts. Until then, we still have sirloin and chops available.

Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 3/10 at 5:30 pm

CSA barn hours:

• Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)

• Summer: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)

Pick List:

• Eggs

• Red Norland, Yellow Finn, and Harvest Moon Potatoes

• Cortland Yellow and Monastrell Red Onions

• Rhonda Beets

• Joan Rutabaga

• Hablange Parsnips

• Mars Celeriac

• Purple Top Turnips

• Bora King Daikon and Watermelon Radish

• Storage #5 Green and Ruby King Red Cabbage

• Parade Scallions

• Rosalba, Treviso, and Rubro

• Dazzling Blue Kale

• Joi Choi

• Regiment Spinach

• Lettuce Mix

• Esmee Arugula

• Cilantro

• Spaghetti and Butternut Winter Squash, Pie-Pita Pumpkin

• Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries

• Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)

• Pick your own flowers and herbs

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

LAMB SIRLOIN ROAST

this recipe is super quick and easy! serve it up with some roasted winter root vegetables

• 1 lamb sirloin roast

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

• salt and pepper

Rub olive oil over both sides of the lamb

Slice garlic into thin pieces and then with a sharp paring knife, poke holes in the lamb, then slide one garlic slice in each hole nad follow that with an end piece of fresh rosemary.

Grind salt and pepper over the roast, then sprinkle the rosemary and thyme.

Preheat oven to 400F

Leave lamb to come to room temperature while oven is heating.

Place lamb into the oven and cook for 20 minutes - check internal temperature with a thermometer 

Rare = 120-130F

Medium Rare =130-140F

Medium = 140-150F

Well Done =150-165F