By Sarah
Celeste came to advise Seda and I on the flower field today, what to pinch, harvest, and stake. She ended up jumping in and helping to harvest the blue cloud larkspur.
I got lucky with my vacation timing and missed most of the recent heat wave. I came home to blooming Yellow Finn potatoes, phacelia, and more. We watered every day during the heat wave (rather than every other day), allowing the plants (and the weeds unfortunately) to grow in record time. The fields are glowing green and starting to burst with food. We have new crops this week including shelling peas which we will only have this week. Next week we will add carrots, potatoes, and green beans. Yum!
Open Field Farm 2024 | The "ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW" guide for members
CSA Barn Hours:
Current Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 PM
(Winter hours: 2:30-6PM)
Pick List:
Eggs
Rhonda Beets
Mideast Peace Cucumbers
Mutabile, Goldini, and Cocozelle Summer Squash
Parade Scallions
Alto Leeks
Fennel
Shelling Peas
Rhubarb Chard
Rainbow Lacinato and Dazzling Blue Kale
Champion Collard
Lettuce
Basil, Dill, Parsley, and Cilantro
Strawberries
Pick your own raspberries, flowers, and herbs
Sonora Wheat Flour
Tea Blends (Please BYO jars!)
Beef Bone Broth for sale! (Made by Olla Products)
Saltonstall Olive Oil for sale (Please BYO jars!)
Revolution Bread for sale
Kale and Strawberry Salad, with Fennel, Pistachios, Pickled Onions, from The Department of Salad
1 big or 2 small bunches kale, bottom stems removed and leaves sliced crosswise into very thin strips
3 cups sliced ripe strawberries (I slice them into rounds, mainly because it keeps me from having to trim the ends)
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced (use your mandoline)
A small tangle (a scant ¼ cup or so) of Quick Pickled Shallots (or Red Onions) (method below)
⅓ to ½ cup roughly chopped roasted pistachios (feel free to use the entire half cup—I think they add so much here)
Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette (method below)
Freshly ground black pepper, if desired
Place the sliced kale in a large bowl and sprinkle with a big pinch of salt (about ¼ teaspoon). Massage the salt into the kale with your hands until it begins to shimmer with moisture. Set aside for a few minutes, then toss with a couple of tablespoons of the Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Add the strawberries, fennel, pickled onion/shallots, and most of the pistachios; toss gently to combine. Taste for more dressing and adjust. To serve, transfer to a platter and garnish with the remaining chopped pistachios and several grindings of black pepper, if using.
Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Good pinch of cayenne
¼ teaspoon sea salt (to start)
Freshly ground black pepper
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all ingredients and shake until well emulsified. Taste for salt and pepper; adjust.
Quick Pickled Shallots (or Red Onions)
This makes much more than you need for 1 salad but you can put them on grilled cheese sandwiches and use them in other salads, etc. You can also, of course, cut the recipe in half, use a different vinegar, etc. In the kale and strawberry salad, I may have preferred the red onion.
3 or 4 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds (or an equivalent amount of red onion slices from a quartered red onion)
1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Place the shallots or onions in a heatproof bowl or jar. Heat the vinegar in a saucepan until it begins to bubble, then stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the shallots. Let this cool a bit then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before using. You want them cold and crisp not warm and limp.