By Ashley
"... it is right to give Him thanks and praise." -- The Nicene Creed
What an Easter weekend! Last week was the somber holy week before Easter and I couldn't help but notice the movement of the weather and how it encouraged me each day to hold the somber days as Holy and reverent and celebrate the sun shining on the celebrant day of Easter. My heart is moved through grief and joy during this time remembering not only the sacrifice of my savior, but I am also reminded of those who live their lives through faith and conviction through their trust in our Lord. It's through rocky times, hard times, good times, times of joy and sorrow that we are brought closer to God through faith. And boy have times been hard for me!
It is a funny thing for me to say, seeing as here at the farm we truly live a blessed life. I am housed, fed, supported, and seen, which will never cease to amaze me. But I have an announcement, I am pregnant! And though my fiance and I are so excited because we have always wanted children, this pregnancy has been way more difficult than I ever thought. I slept about 8 extra hours a week and could barely get down any food for the first two months. Not to mention those pesky emotions that seem to disrupt every thought process I had. I don't know if I could have entered into this second trimester with any kind of joy without daily prayer.
Yet, with the grace of God, I not only entered into the 4th month with joy, but also in time to celebrate a new year of life for myself! I'm 27! My birthday was on Easter this year, which happens only once in a awhile and what a beautiful way to celebrate my life than with the second life of Christ. My fiance came up from Oakland to be with me, eat good food, read the Bible over breakfast and take pictures and plan the announcement of our baby to our families.
I've spoken before on my last letter to you all about rapid changes here on the farm and it still feels that way to me. This year of 2024 has been intense and ripe with change. We found out I was pregnant in January and since then it has been a rush to find someone to replace me here at the barn and for my little family to find a place to live. Unfortunately, this means my time here at the farm is ending. I will be moving in May to a new state, this month of April will be my last with you and all of my crew mates.
With looking ahead, we always have to make time to look behind and at the present. I came here winter of 2021, heart broken and unsure of who I was. It was through hard work and the love of those here that I had the freedom to discover who I was, what I wanted, and where I was headed. And through this time I have grown into a woman, soon to be mom, and witnessed (and encouraged) at all times by Sarah, Aj, Kelsey, and Alyssa.
This spring has been very bittersweet. Planting seeds for crops I will not see, touch, or smell. Training new minds that I will not see grow in their comfort here, it is difficult. I will soak up the California sun as much as I can, swim in the pond where I find the time, and prepare to embark on another journey into building a family, a new home, and a deeper connection with God and his ever present blessings.
CSA Barn Hours:
Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM
(Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)
Pick List:
Eggs
Sangre Red and Harvest Moon Purple Potatoes
Cabernet Red Onions
Leeks
Green garlic
Yaya carrots
Rhonda Beets
Purple Daikon and Watermelon Radish
Joan Rutabaga
Mars Celeriac
Hablange Parsnip
Kossack Kohlrabi
Green Cabbage
Mei Qing Choi
Rubro Radicchio
Mixed Looseleaf Chicories
Ruby Red Chard
Fava Greens
Lettuce Mix
Regiment Spinach
Cilantro
Winter Sweet Kabocha, Tetsukabota, and Acorn 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
Maple-Fried Egg and Black Pepper Biscuit, from food52.com
For the Black Pepper Biscuits:
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper (use less if you like less heat)
9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, divided
3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
For finishing:
4 large eggs
3/4 cup high-quality grade A maple syrup
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 slices cheddar
Make the Biscuits: Place the flour, and black pepper in a large bowl. Cut 8 tablespoons of cold butter into cubes. Using your clean fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the crumbs are the size of peas, flattening the butter pieces a little as you go to create flat, shingle-like butter pieces.
Drizzle in the cold buttermilk, and stir with a fork or spatula just until the flour is moistened. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and using your hands or bench scraper, press the dough into a rough rectangle shape that's about 1-inch thick.
Using the bench scraper, lift and fold the long edges into the center to meet, similar to how you fold a letter. Roll the biscuit dough out once more into a rough rectangle shape and repeat the letter fold. If at any time the dough seems soft or difficult to lift or work with, pop it in the fridge or freezer to firm up before proceeding. (The biscuit dough can be made several hours ahead of time and chilled.)
Cut and bake the biscuits. Preheat the oven to 450°F/232°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon maple syrup in a small bowl using the microwave or stove top. This will be used to brush on the just-baked biscuits.
Turn the chilled biscuit dough dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll dough with a rolling pin until 1-inch to 1 ½-inch thick. Cut out biscuits using a floured 2-inch to 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter, the rim of a cup works great as well. You will ideally have 4 perfectly round biscuits and some leftover dough. With the remaining scraps, you are welcome to reroll and cut to make additional biscuits.
Place the biscuits on the baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown, rotating once halfway through the bake time. Remove from the oven. Brush the tops with the melted butter and maple mixture. Set aside to continue to cool.
Once slightly cooled, prep your biscuits. Slice each in half, then lay them open face on a sheet pan. Lay a cheese slice on each of the biscuit bottoms. This will make your maple egg sandwich assembly go smoothly.
Make the fried maple eggs. In a small skillet—8 inches if you have one—warm 3 tablespoons of the maple syrup over medium heat. Crack 1 egg into the center and season with salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes, or until the white has set and the yolk is still runny. You will want to watch the heat and keep it low so as not to burn or cook the maple so much that it turns to candy.
With a fish spatula or other wide and thin spatula, lift the egg from the syrup and place on one of cheese-clad bottom biscuits. Continue to fry the eggs, wiping out the skillet as you go, adding 3 tablespoons of maple for each egg.