Monique

Hey everyone! My name is Monique and I am part of the 2020 veggie crew. While I may be new to Open Field Farm, I am not new to farming. I was born and raised in Petaluma and grew up surrounded by agriculture – my great grandparents  had a productive backyard garden, my grandma had two goats in her suburban backyard on the eastside of town, and my neighbors all had some combination of livestock and crops growing on their property.

After my first year away at college, I came home to spend the summer interning at Petaluma Bounty. This was my first exposure to farming, not just gardening. It’s where I gained new respect for farmers and farm workers and began to understand everything that is required for me to enjoy the food that I eat. While I earned my degree in environmental engineering, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career that would more closely tie me to the land and to food. 

After college, I participated in the internship program at Green String Farm. A few months after that, I began my service as a Sustainable Agriculture Volunteer with the Peace Corps in Panama. I spent two years in Panama working with coffee producers in the indigenous lands of the Ngäbe-Buglé tribe. I often think about the community, about my Panamanian friends and family, when I’m working in the fields here at the farm. While I miss them, I am grateful to have found a new community to be a part of here at Open Field Farm. I have learned a lot not only from Sarah and Seth, but also from all of the other crew members. 

P.S. If anyone is looking for good resources on learning about anti-racism in food and agriculture, Food+Tech Connect has put together a list of resources including articles and books to read, videos to watch, media to follow, podcasts to listen to, and more! Here’s the link: https://foodtechconnect.com/2020/06/29/food-ag-anti-racism-resources-black-food-farm-businesses-to-support/

This week’s pick list:

• Eggs

• Albion Strawberries

• Rhonda Beets

• Yaya Carrots

• Kolibri Kohlrabi

• Summer Squash: Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle

• Cucumber: Mideast Peace, Summer Dance, Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, and Addis Pickle

• Solaris Fennel

• Pink Beauty Radishes

• Everygreen Hardy Scallions

• Alto Leeks (We plant these spring leeks in clumps and harvest them young and tender.)

• Garlic: Metechi Hard Neck and Inchelium Red Soft Neck

• Lettuce

• Kale: Rainbow Lacinato and Old Growth Palm

• Champion Collards

• Ruby Red Chard

• Cabbage: Farao and Emiko

• Basil, Cilantro, Dill, and Parsley

• Olive Oil

Great Grandma’s Zucchini Patties

This isn’t the healthiest recipe, but it’s one that fondly remember eating growing up. Especially during the summers when there was always an abundance of zucchinis!

• 2 cups shredded zucchini

• ½ cup finely chopped onion

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 egg

• 1/3-1/2 cup of flour

• 1/3 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

• Pepper to taste

Stir all ingredients together. Add more flour if the mixture seems too watery – it should have the consistency of a thick batter. In a frying pan, heat about ½” of oil for frying (I like to use sunflower oil). Drop the batter in the heated oil by the spoonful. Let the bottom get a light sear on it, then flip it and press it down with a spatula. Let the patty cook on one side, then slip and finish cooking on the other side. Repeat the process until the last of the batter is used up. Let cooked patties drain on paper towels.

Kelsey

Hi! I’m Kelsey. I started working at Open Field in March 2017 as part of the veggie crew. Over the last few years, my position has evolved into part-time veggie harvester and part-time herbalist. I consider tending the herb and perennial gardens, harvesting and drying the herbs, and blending them into teas to be my meditation and my creative outlet.

This past week I harvested the first round of Chamomile, to be dried and used for tea blends come fall. As I was harvesting, taking in the sweet scent of the blossoms, I felt so grounded and grateful for the many, many ways that plants can help keep us healthy. Feeling inspired by the chamomile, I wanted to share just a couple of it’s properties and possible uses.

-Chamomile soothes the nervous system and helps reduce stress and anxiety. It may be added to your bath water for an extra-calming soak, especially when combined with lavender, lemon balm, and/or rose petals.

-I often get dry, itchy eyes this time of year with all of the wind and the dust. A chamomile compress can made by pouring hot water over chamomile flowers in a bowl, steeping (covered) for 15 minutes, then soaking a clean washcloth in the tea, folding it and putting it over your eyes while lying down. You can keep it on for however long feels good, continuing to re-soak the cloth in the tea to re-warm it.

I hope that you are enjoying all of the fresh herbs currently growing in the U-pick gardens!

This week’s pick list:

• Eggs

• Strawberries

• Beets

• Carrots

• Kohlrabi

• Summer Squash

• Cucumber

• Fennel

• Hakeuri Turnips

• Scallions

• Leeks

• Garlic

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Collards

• Chard

• Spinach

• Basil, Cilantro, Dill, and Parsley

• Olive Oil

• Revolution Bread

Jorge

Jorge joined us on the farm in 2013, the summer before our first CSA season. He has been an intregal part of building and running the farm. Currently, he cares for all the animals on the farm: cows, sheep, and chickens, but the cows are his favorite. He is originally from Jalos, Mexico. He leads us in morning circle with motivational phrases. This is from last week:

Se vale caer (It is okay to fall)

Se vale sentir dolor (It is okay to feel pain)

Se vale quejarse (It is okay to complain)

Se vale gritar (It is okay to yell)

Pero rendirse nunca (But never give up)

This week’s pick list:

• Eggs

• Strawberries

• Beets

• Carrots

• Kohlrabi

• Summer Squash

• Fennel

• Hakeuri Turnips

• Scallions

• Leeks

• Garlic

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Collards

• Arugula

• Basil, Cilantro, Dill, and Parsley

• Olive Oil

Strawberry Spoon Cake, Jerrelle Guy, nytimes.com

• ½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing

• 5 ounces/145 grams frozen and thawed or fresh, hulled strawberries (about 1 cup)

• ⅔ cup/150 grams packed sugar

• ½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk, at room temperature

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup/130 grams flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch (square or round) baking dish with butter. Set aside.

Using your hands or the back of a fork, mash the berries to release all their juices, and stir in 1/3 cup of the brown sugar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, milk and salt, then add the flour and baking powder and continue whisking just until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter (it’s not much) to the greased baking dish, and spread evenly into corners.

Spoon the strawberries and all their juices over the top of the cake batter. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or just when a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before spooning into bowls. Serve warm with ice cream.

Jesse

Since this blog started, it has been me, Sarah, writing it each week. I have always wanted to incorporate the voices of the crew but have struggled to make a new routine. Now we are making the change.

As I have mentioned in the past, each week one of us leads our morning circle. At the beginning of each work day, we gather together in a circle and take a moment to connect before we start the day. There are no strict rules of how to lead the circle, simply with what that person chooses, be it with a collective moment of silence, a poem, or stretching. The person who has led us in circle the previous week will then write the blog if they choose.

Jesse led us this week, starting each morning with a moment of silence. These are his words:

“Hi, my name is Jesse. I just want to take a moment to say thank you for being a very important part of the farm and for staying with us during these hard and crazy times we are all going through.

A little bit about me: I did a lot of carpentry growing up and never saw myself doing farm work until I joined Open Field Farm six years ago. All I can say is that I fell in love with the work and, most importantly, with Seth and Sarah. They are the biggest reason I love being here and being a part of this journey.”

This week’s pick list:

• Eggs

• Strawberries

• Onions

• Beets

• Carrots

• Summer Squash

• Fennel

• Pink Beauty Radishes

• Scallions

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Collards

• Arugula

• Basil, Cilantro, Dill, and Parsley

• Olive Oil

• Revolution Bread

Spicy Grilled Zucchini, from nytimes.com

• 1 pound zucchini, cut on the diagonal or lengthwise in thin slices

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed

• Salt

• freshly ground pepper

• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or ground chile pepper (more to taste)

• 1 tablespoon slivered fresh mint or basil

• 1 lemon, cut in half

Prepare a medium-hot grill. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper, and toss with the olive oil. Grill on each side until the slices are tender and there are light marks on the sides. Transfer to a platter, and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes and the herbs. Douse with lemon juice if desired, and serve.

You can serve this at room temperature. It will hold for an hour or two. Don’t douse with lemon juice or sprinkle on the herbs until just before serving.

Milkweed

For the most part, I have been tending the baby chicks this year. They are still in the brooder with heat lamps, needing more close monitoring at this young age of two and three weeks. The work of caring for the chicks is mostly feeding them, cleaning their water of the sawdust and poop that accumulates in the troughs, and keeping them warm but not hot. It is a repetitive task but one that is grounding and rewarding.

When Seth and I were first engaged, I always recall what a stranger said to me in response to learning our news. She sighed and said: Marriage is such hard work. While it was not the most uplifting comment (although it is very true), what struck me the most is what is wrong with work? How do we show love and support but though the work of tending to each other needs, listening, and caring?

I will not shirk away from the hard work of being anti-racist, of recognizing my white privilege, and being uncomfortable. I want to be a part of dismantling a broken system and building a new one. While I have taken some action in the past week to support the Black Lives Movement and to begin this work, I know I have more to do and commit to it.

Michelle Alexander wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times: America, This is your chance https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/08/opinion/george-floyd-protests-race.html In it, she includes many actions we can take and resources. She concludes with this quote: “Our only hope for our collective liberation is a politics of deep solidarity rooted in love.”

This week’s pick list:

• Onions

• Beets

• Fennel

• Scallions

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Collards

• Chard

• Basil

• Cilantro

• Dill

• Strawberries

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil

“Edna Lewis (April 13, 1916 – February 13, 2006) has inspired generations of chefs as the seminal African-American influence on authentic Southern cookery.” from: https://www.ednalewisfoundation.org

She inspired me in high school when I first read The Taste of Country Cooking. Her intimate knowledge and relationship with the plants and the seasons is a trait to which I still aspire. I am grateful those who have highlighted Black chefs and farmers on Instagram and sparked me to reread her book.

Skillet Scallions, from the Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis

• 4 bunches scallions

• 3 Tablespoons butter

Prepare the scallions by picking off any yellow stems. Cut away the fibrous roots from the bottoms. Wash in cold water under tap, then cut the tops down to fit in the skillet. Heat the skillet and add the butter. When the foaming stage is reached, put in the scallions. The few drops of water left on the scallions from washing are enough for steaming. Cover the skillet and cook over a moderate fire. Turn them over after about 3 minutes. Total cooking time is about 4 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook; the white part should be a bit crisp, the tops tender, shiny, and green. No salt or pepper will be needed.

Black Lives Matter

Most of the time, this blog is a way for us to share a glimpse of the weekly happenings on the farm. While the farm work does continue, our thoughts are with the Black Lives Movement and the protests that are happening outside of this bubble. We regret that we have not plainly stated our support before.

We stand with the Black community in demanding an end to police brutality toward them, as well as the systemic and environmental racism that is endemic in our country. The unequal deaths during the pandemic have laid even more clear the dire consequences of allowing this racism to continue. These inequalities have existed since the foundation of our country and we need to do the work to end them. We commit to doing this work ourselves and to support the Black organizers and other leaders of color.

To those in our community who are hurting, we are here. We are listening.

This week’s pick list:

• Onions

• Beets

• Turnips

• Scallions

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Basil

• Cilantro

• Dill

• Arugula

• Strawberries

• Dried Tea Herbs

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil

Field harvest

We are harvesting our first crops from the field this week: radishes and lettuce of course! We also have some small but sweet carrots from the tunnel and the first basil. It smells delicous. The strawberries are starting as well.

We are trying to plan our days around the heat, aiming for lighter tasks that are under cover in the afternoon. On Thursday we hope to catch up on planting and that the heat has started to subside. The fields are starting to fill in!

This week’s pick list:

• Eggs

• Onions

• Beets

• Carrots

• Radish

• Scallions

• Basil

• Spinach

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Strawberries

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil

Shredded Egg Salad, from 101cookbooks.com

• 6 eggs

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil and mint

• 3 sliced scallions

• 3 radishes, shaved thin

to serve: little dollop of salted creme fraiche and/or a drizzle of olive oil

Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Now turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for ten minutes (a couple minutes longer than I normally do). Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking place them in the ice bath for three minutes or so - long enough to stop the cooking. Crack and peel each egg, then use the big holes on a standard box grater to grate the eggs. Place in a bowl and use your fingers to gently toss the eggs with the salt and pepper. At this point you can add whatever you like to the salad, such as herbs, scallions, and shaved baby radishes. Serve topped with tiny dollops of something creamy - like creme fraich or plain yogurt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Just a bit of each so you don't weigh it down.

Clean Up

We have a break in planting this week to focus on weeding, cultivating, and other projects. Most of the plants in the fields have taken root and are starting to take off in growth. Everything is glowing after the glorious rain.

We are tidying the herb room as well. With the first harvests of this season already dried and jarred, we are working to empty the herb room of last year’s harvest. We made one last big mix of oats, anise hyssop, tulsi, chamomile, and spearmint to give out in larger bags this week. Next week, we will have bulk bags of single herbs. Pascale cleaned all the jars so they are ready to be filled again.

There was a beautiful white calf born in the herd this week! It is a stunning sight to see.

This week’s pick list:

• Eggs

• Onions

• Scallions

• Arugula

• Spinach

• Beets

• Fennel

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil

Spinach Pasta, smitten kitchen.com

• 5 ounces baby spinach leaves

• 2 3/4 to 3 cups flour (we use our sonora flour but we sift it first to remove the large bran flakes.)

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

• 3 large eggs

• 3 large egg yolks

• Water (only if absolutely needed)

• Additional flour for rolling

Wash spinach but no need to dry. With water droplets still clinging to the leaves, wilt spinach in a hot skillet until completely soft, about 4 minutes. Let cool and wring all the water — seriously, every drop you can get out — out of the spinach in small fistfuls, and then pressing these little bundles out against a fine-mesh strainer. Rest spinach on paper towels to remove even more water, then mince spinach on a cutting board.

Dump spinach, smaller amount of flour and salt on countertop and mix with your fingers, then form into a pile. Make a deep well in the center and add the whole eggs and yolks to it. Use your fingertips to break up the eggs and begin moving your fingers in a circular motion, keeping the eggs within the well (or you’ll have egg lava running everywhere and be in a very bad mood). Each circular movement pulls in a little bit of flour from the sides. In a few minutes, the mixture will become thicker and thicker, finally becoming too tight to move easily with your fingers. At this point, you can use a bench scraper (a perfect tool here) or spatula to start adding the remaining, a little pile at a time. Once a shaggy dough has formed, begin kneading the mixture, scraping it up when it sticks, until a ball is formed. It will look flaky but will hold together.

Knead the dough, pressing it away with the heels of your hands then forming it back into a blob, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the dough is moist but not sticky. Add remaining flour, a spoonful at a time, only if dough is too sticky. Add a drop or two of water only if it’s cracking when you knead it. In almost all cases, I find that erring on the side of firmer pasta is safer than softer pasta, which doesn’t hold shapes well and will want to stick a pasta roller. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then knead it again for 5 to 8 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic and let rest at room temperature for an hour.

Divide dough into sixths. On a floured surface, roll the pasta as thin as you can; as thin as a credit card and translucent is ideal. Letting rolled-out pasta rest for 10 minutes before cutting it into your desired shape helps yield cleaner, easier cuts.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, well-salted water for anywhere from 2 to 6 minutes (depending on thickness), until al dente. Drain and toss with fixings of your choice — garlic-sizzled olive oil or melted butter, parmesan or pecorino, dollops of ricotta or mascarpone. Eat immediately.

Beginning

We harvested our first variety of garlic this year: inchelium red garlic. Jesse built a beautiful rafter system from which we hung the garlic rather than laying it out in the shade house. We are hopeful that by drying it inside with fans, it will cure better and last longer.

We are hoping to take as much advantage of the rain as possible to work the soil and break down some of our clods. We are so grateful for any moisture that comes!

This week’s pick list:

• Eggs

• Onions

• Garlic scapes

• Scallions

• Pac Choi

• Spinach

• Beets

• Fennel

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil!

Kale Miso Pesto, from sfchronicle.com

• 2 cups fresh kale, rinsed (If you don't have kale, you can substitute another leafy green like arugula or spinach)

• 1 small handful fresh mint

• ½ cup nuts (pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios or cashews)

• 1 heaping tablespoon white miso

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions: In a blender or food processor, combine the kale, basil, mint, nuts, miso and garlic and blend or process until smooth. With the machine running, add the olive oil. Add a bit of ice water as needed to achieve the proper consistency; it shouldn’t be too thick, but you don’t want it too runny, either.

Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper or a touch more miso. The pesto will keep in a lidded container, refrigerated, for a few days or can be frozen for up to a month (McNaughton freezes it in ice cube trays, then pops the cubes out and stores them in a ziptop freezer bag).

Neighbors

The sheep have been grazing around our house for the past week. It is one of my favorite times of the year. The grass is tall and full of nutrition for them. Watching the sheep all lying down, chewing their cud, and basking in the morning sun, is relaxing and fulfilling. We love to walk by our windows and see them, sometimes right up close!

We are planting onions, celery, celeriac, new potatoes, and tomatoes this week. The first round of direct seeded crops are emerging and Cecilia is cultivating them today.

This week’s pick list:

• Eggs

• Apples from Filigreen Farm

• Onions

• Garlic scapes

• Rutabaga

• Beets

• Turnips

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil!

Layered Yogurt Flatbreads, from smitten kitchen.com

• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (I use Diamond, use half of another brand, here’s why)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 cup plain, full- or low-fat yogurt (Greek or regular)

• 2 to 4 tablespoons water

• 4 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter, olive oil, coconut oil, or ghee (for assembly)

Make dough: Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add yogurt and the first two tablespoons of water and stir to combine — you’ll have to mash it a bit to get it mixed in. For plain, non-Greek yogurt, you might need 1 more tablespoon of water to bring it together. For Greek, I needed 2 more tablespoons. Mix as best as you can with a spoon and then, if you can reach your hands into the bowl, use them to bring the dough together into a rough ball. Transfer — along with any unmixed bits — to your counter and knead into a smooth ball, about 1 to 2 minutes. Lightly flour a spot on the counter, place the ball of dough on top of it, and upend the empty bowl over it. Let rest for 30 minutes.

Layer dough: Divide dough into 8 wedges. Working with one at a time, very lightly flour your counter and roll out each into a round or oblong shape as thin as it will go — usually about 6″ in diameter. Brush thinly with 2 teaspoons butter or oil. Roll dough away from you into a thin cylinder, then wind each cylinder into a coil (it will look like a sideways snail). Place each coil of dough back on a floured spot and cover, resting for another 15 to 20 minutes; repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

Heat your oven to 300 degrees F and have a big baking sheet ready. (Flatbreads fully cook on stove, but you can keep them warm and lightly puffed in the oven.)

Cook flatbreads: Working with one coil at a time, roll into a thin round (about 5″). Brush the top with more butter, you can be a bit more generous here. Repeat with as many flatbreads as you think you can fit in your pan; leave the remaining coils continue to rest, covered.

Warm a frying pan over medium-low heat. Flip flatbread butter-side-down onto pan and cook until a deep golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Brush the top with more butter as it cooks on the first side, then flip and continue cooking until the same deep golden brown on the second. Transfer to baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Continue this process with the remaining coils and flatbreads.

Do ahead: These layered yogurt flatbreads keep perfectly in the fridge; I wrap mine in foil. Rewarm in a 300-degree oven for about 10 minutes.

The radishes and peas we planted last week have sprouted, a sign that more abundant food is on the horizon. Even though it will be a while until we are eating them, it is exciting to see the sprouts and to be putting plants in the ground. The buckwheat cover crop is also up!

We filled the newly built tunnel with cucumbers, eggplants, and sweet peppers last week. They are now straw mulched and trellised. We planted the first round of basil as well.

In Hawk, we will be planting the first round of brassicas: kale, cabbage, and more.

This week’s pick list:

• Eggs

• Apples from Filigreen Farm

• Onions

• Green garlic

• Fennel

• Rutabaga

• Beets

• Turnips

• Scallions

• Pac Choy

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Spinach

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil!

Beet Rosti with Rosemary, from nytimes.com

• 2 pounds beets (3 very large or 4 to 6 medium)

• 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• ½ cup flour

• 2 tablespoons butter

• Minced parsley or a few rosemary leaves for garnish

Trim beets, and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in food processor or by hand. Begin preheating 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Toss grated beets in bowl with rosemary, salt and pepper. Add about half the flour; toss well, add rest of flour, and toss again.

Put butter in skillet; heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape beet mixture into skillet, and press with spatula to form a round. With medium to medium-high heat -- the pancake should gently sizzle -- cook, shaking pan occasionally, until bottom of cake is nicely crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Slide cake onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and return cake to pan. Keep cooking, adjusting heat if necessary, until other side is browned, another 10 minutes or so. Garnish, cut into wedges, and serve hot or at room temperature.

Egg helpers

We planted our first seeds in the fields: sugar snap and english peas, plus transplanted fennel, lettuce, and scallions. Tomorrow we will seed the first round of carrots, beets, and more.

Since the farm is ramping up in activity and the kids are home from school, they are helping to wash the eggs each day. Teddy, Oliver, and I wash 3 days a week and Margrethe does the other two. It is a good way to start the day, except Margrethe does it much later than us!

The chickens are starting to move this week. We are excited to see them back on grass. We have 15 or so baby calves, all different colors and sizes.

This week’s pick list:

• Eggs

• Apples from Filigreen Farm

• Onions

• Green garlic

• Fennel

• Rutabaga

• Beets

• Radish

• Turnips

• Scallions

• Pac Choy

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Chard

• Spinach

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil!

Swiss Chard Tahini Dip, from bonapetit.com

• 2 bunches Swiss chard (about 1½ lb.)

• ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more

• 2 green garlic, finely chopped

• ½ cup tahini

• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

• Kosher salt

Remove ribs and stems from Swiss chard leaves and finely chop. Tear leaves into small pieces. Set both aside separately.

Heat ⅓ cup oil in a large pot over medium-low. Cook reserved ribs and stems, stirring often and adding a splash of water if they start to brown, until tender, 5–7 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add reserved chard leaves by the handful, letting them wilt before adding more; cook, tossing, until all the leaves are wilted and tender, 10–12 minutes total. Let cool. Squeeze excess liquid from mixture into a measuring glass. (You should have about ½ cup liquid.)

Place Swiss chard mixture and 1 Tbsp. cooking liquid in a food processor and add tahini, lemon juice, and ⅓ cup oil. Season with salt and process, adding more cooking liquid if needed, until dip is creamy and only speckles of chard remain. This could take up to 5 minutes. Season with more salt if needed.

Transfer dip to a serving bowl and drizzle with more oil. Serve with flatbread and lemon wedges.

Tea cakes and rainbows

Watching Kelsey and Celeste make tea blends, it looked like beautiful layers of a cake in the jar! On Sunday we spotted of a rainbow that ended right on top of the new tunnel Matt and Tim are building, where we are about to plant our first succession of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and cucumbers next week. We are grateful for all the beauty that is around us.

We spaded our first field for the second time today. Next we will bury the irrigation header, shape beds, and hope to direct seed our first round of crops on Thursday. But that may be too ambitious. It is an early spring and it seems everything is colliding, the to do list is so long.

The pick list is shrinking as the overwintered crops are fading away. The tunnels are producing beautiful greens that we hope to continue until we have fresh produce from the fields. The benefit of the dry winter and early spring is that we can plant earlier and have more food for you soon.

This week’s pick list:

• Eggs

• Apples from Filigreen Farm

• Onions

• Green garlic

• Parsnips

• Rutabaga

• Beets

• Radish

• Turnips

• Celery

• Scallions

• Pac Choy

• Lettuce

• Kale

• Chard

• Spinach

• Arugula

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil!

SPINACH WITH SORREL, MINT, AND ANCHOVY from nytimes.com

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 4 anchovy fillets

• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped

• 1 large bunch (about 1 pound) spinach, trimmed and washed

• 1 cup gently packed, thinly slivered sorrel leaves

• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped spearmint

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add anchovies and shallot, and cook, stirring and mashing anchovy fillets with the back of a spoon until the shallot is softened but not browned and the anchovy is dissolved.

2. Add as much spinach as will fit in pan, increase heat to medium-high, and toss spinach with tongs until it is wilted. Add remaining spinach, along with sorrel, mint and salt. Continue to toss until all the spinach is wilted and most of the liquid has cooked off, about 3 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve.

Cobwebs

Cecilia cleaned the pump house which was full of cobwebs and other creatures. It looks amazing! I wish I had before and after pictures. Cecilia and Jesse also changed the sand in the filters and we are slowly getting the irrigation system ready for planting.

Sam, Monique, and Sarah H. have been prepping the old artichoke beds to be planted with asparagus, rhubarb, and horseradish. We abandoned growing perennial artichokes in the beds as the gophers still attacked the artichokes through the gopher baskets!

We took a walk on Sunday to visit the mother cows. The calves with their pink noses were curious about us but also stayed close to their moms.

• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Spinach

• Beets

• Chard

• Castelfranco Chicory

• Radish

• Turnips

• Rutabaga

• Fennel

• Lettuce

• Arugula

• Onions

• Green garlic

• Celery

• Parsnips

• Leeks

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil!

Savory Onion Cake (adapted from Classic German Baking by Luisa Weiss)

This onion cake becomes very sweet thanks to caramelized onions. It pairs beautifully with a bitter green salad a steak.

DOUGH
- 1 2/3 cups, scooped and leveled plus more for kneading
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon oil

TOPPING
- about 1 pound yellow onions 
- 4 tablespoon oil
- 2 ½ oz bacon OR cheese for vegetarian option cut in small pieces
- ½ to 1 teaspoon caraway seeds OR cumin seeds
- fresh ground pepper
- 2 eggs

To make the dough: Place flour in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Put yeast and sugar in the middle. Slowly pour in water, stirring gentle with a fork. Keep stirring adding the salt and 2 Tablespoon oil. 
As soon as you have a shaggy dough dump it out on a lightly floured surface and knead vigorously until dough is smooth and silky, 4 -5 minutes. Resist adding more flour; you want the dough to remain as soft as possible. Put dough in an oiled bowl, cover with wet dishcloth. Place in a warm, draft free spot for 1 -2 hours.

Grease a 10 inch cake pan 

After dough has risen place it in the pan. Gentle push dough down and out to cover the bottom of the pan and make a small rim, about ¼ inch. Take care not to stretch the dough so much as simply spread it out with your fingertips. The dough should be even and slightly dimpled. Cover with same dishcloth and set aside for additional 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, heat oven to 400F and prep topping. Thinly slice onions into rings. Heat the oil in a medium skillet and add the diced speck (Let the speck render for a few minutes then add onions). If not using Speck add your onions, seeds and season with pepper. Sautee over medium until onions soften, translucent, and take on some color, 10-20 minutes (the longer they sautee the sweeter they get). Take off pan and cool slightly.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add slightly cooled onions and cheese and mix together. When dough is finished resting pour onion mixture on top of dough and spread evenly. Bake for 40 minutes, rotating half way through. If the onions are browning too fast cover the cake with a piece of aluminum foil. 

After 40 minutes, if the top is not too dark turn on broiler for a short moment until the cake has your desired browning (I like mine slightly charred in some areas).

Remove pan and let cool. Serve immediately or store in fridge. Can be reheated at 350F for 5 minutes.

A Pause

This spell of cool and wet weather has been lovely. While it is not bringing a huge amount of rain, it is still providing us with a break from the warm weather of recent, allowing the grass to grow and the moisture to stay in the ground.

We are tilling our first field tomorrow. We have honestly not tilled this early before or with rain in the forecast but we are excited to see what happens. We are hopeful that it will help break down the large amount of grass and will make our first beds easier to plant.

• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Kale

• Beets

• Chard

• Castelfranco Chicory

• Radish

• Turnips

• Rutabaga

• Kohlrabi

• Celeriac

• Arugula

• Onions

• Green garlic

• Celery

• Parsnips

• Leeks

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil!

One-Pot Mujadara With Leeks and Greens, from nytimes.com

• 1 cup brown or green lentils

• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, roots trimmed

• 2 ¼ teaspoons salt, more as needed

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ! green garlic, thinly sliced

• ¾ cup long-grain rice

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon ground allspice

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 4 cups trimmed and chopped spring greens (chard leaves, spinach, kale, mustard or a combination)

Place lentils in a large bowl and add warm tap water to cover by 1 inch. Let soak.

Meanwhile, halve leeks lengthwise; run under warm water to release any grit. Thinly slice leeks crosswise.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer half the leeks to a bowl to use for garnish and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Stir garlic into the pot with the remaining leeks and cook for 15 seconds until fragrant. Stir in rice and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in cumin, allspice and cayenne; sauté 30 seconds.

Drain lentils and stir into pot. Add 4 1/4 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Rinse greens in a colander and spread damp leaves over lentil mixture. Cover and cook 5 minutes more, until rice and lentils are tender and greens are wilted. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with reserved crispy leeks.

Sunflower Sprout

In times of uncertainty, I am grateful for the grounding work of farming. When the fear of the future fills me, I take a walk through the fields, asking the plants for guidance. I often slip off my shoes, feeling the ground beneath my feet. Currently it is wet and slimy, although dry in some places. I found a sunflower sprout in the drainage behind the CSA barn and encountered many creatures: rabbits, snakes, birds, and insects.

We are gearing up to till our fields next week as there is no rain in the forecast. It is heartbreaking to proceed knowing the pond has not recharged and so much seems to be in question. Yet we are also more inspired to grow food for our community. We are still praying that more rain comes, prolonging the grass season and providing us with more water security moving forward.

• Cabbage

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Kale

• Beets

• Chard

• Castelfranco Chicory

• Radish

• Turnips

• Rutabaga

• Kohlrabi

• Celeriac

• Lettuce

• Onions

• Green garlic

• Pac Choy

• Parsnips

• Leeks

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil!

Spring Tart with Bacon, Green Garlic, Leek, and Gruyere, from food52.com

For the crust:

• 1 1/2 cup flour

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 10 tablespoons very cold, unsalted butter (5 ounces, 1 cube plus 2 tablespoons), cut into 10 or 12 pieces

• 1 egg, beaten

For the filling:

• 3 strips bacon, diced

• 2 large leeks (white parts), sliced in half lengthwise, then across into 1/8 inch strips

• 2 tablespoons chopped green garlic

• 1 pinch fine sea salt

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 3 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded

To make the tart crust, add both flours and salt to the bowl of a food processor; pulse a few times to combine. Sprinkle butter over top and pulse several times until the largest butter pieces you see are a bit larger than a pea. Pour egg over flour mixture and pulse several times, until clumps begin to form. Turn mixture out onto a work surface. Quickly gather the dough together into a ball, knead it just enough so that you can form it into a 6" disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, transfer the tart dough to a work surface lightly sprinkled with flour. Roll dough into a 12 inch round; lift and turn the dough often to keep it from sticking. Place your rolling pin over one end of the dough round and roll it up. Unroll the dough over a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom, doing your best to center it. Gently press dough on bottom and sides of pan (patch any torn or short areas); trim dough to 1/2 inch overhang. Fold overhang to create a double-thick edge and pierce all over with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1/2 an hour, preferably longer (see headnote).

When you're ready to bake the crust, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim a piece of foil to fit and place on bottom crust. Cover foil with pie weights (whole beans that you don't plan to cook work well too). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Return crust to oven and reduce heat to 375 degrees; bake 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and set aside. (If your filling is ready, you can pour it right in and bake.)

For the filling, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon; cook and stir until fat begins to render, about 3 minutes. Add leeks, green garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir about 10 minutes more, until leeks and garlic are soft and bacon is cooked through. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, thyme, and pepper. Stir in Gruyere and bacon mixture. Pour into crust and bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until set in the center.

Remove from oven; transfer to serving platter and garnish with thyme sprigs. Slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Time Change

Now that it is lighter later in the day it truly feels that spring has arrived. We are not quite ready to let go of winter as we need more rain but we are still hopeful that more will come.

When the time changes, I always wonder about the animals who do not use the clocks but who are still rhythmic and attuned to the seasons. Our habits change, as we feed and do chores an hour later, but we have no way to communicate why. Even the cat and dog who live inside are confused.

Important Dates:

We are closed next week March 16th-20th!

Summer hours begin the week after our break: we will be open until 7 pm starting March 23rd.

All Member Meeting Wednesday April 15th (Adults only event)

This week’s pick list:

• Cabbage

• Winter squash

• Kale

• Beets

• Chard

• Castelfranco Chicory

• Radish

• Turnips

• Rutabaga

• Kohlrabi

• Celeriac

• Lettuce

• Onions

• Fennel

• Pac Choy

• Parsnips

• Leeks

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil!

Fall Apart Caramelized Cabbage, from bonappetit.com

• ¼ cup double-concentrated tomato paste

• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated

• 1½ tsp. ground coriander

• 1½ tsp. ground cumin

• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 medium head of green or savoy cabbage (about 2 lb. total)

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• Kosher salt

• 3 Tbsp. chopped dill, parsley, or cilantro

• Full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream (for serving)

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix tomato paste, garlic, coriander, cumin, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.

Cut cabbage in half through core. Cut each half through core into 4 wedges.

Heat ¼ cup oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Working in batches if needed, add cabbage to pan cut side down and season with salt. Cook, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer cabbage to a plate.

Pour remaining ¼ cup oil into skillet. Add spiced tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tomato paste begins to split and slightly darken, 2–3 minutes. Pour in enough water to come halfway up sides of pan (about 1½ cups), season with salt, and bring to a simmer. Nestle cabbage wedges back into skillet (they should have shrunk while browning; a bit of overlap is okay). Transfer cabbage to oven and bake, uncovered and turning wedges halfway through, until very tender, liquid is mostly evaporated, and cabbage is caramelized around the edges, 40–50 minutes.

Scatter dill over cabbage. Serve with yogurt alongside.

Green shoots

The perennials that we seeded in the greenhouse in January are slowly starting to grow, and some are just emerging. The small and delicate seedlings need cold nights to germinate and take a long time to develop. We enjoy starting them each year and watching patiently as they transform into plants.

Important Dates:

We are closed March 16th-20th!

Summer hours begin the week after our break: we will be open until 7 pm starting March 23rd.

All Member Meeting Wednesday April 15th (Adults only event)

This week’s pick list:

• Cabbage

• Winter squash

• Spigariello

• Beets

• Chard

• Carrots

• Sugarloaf and Radicchio

• Radish

• Turnips

• Rutabaga

• Kohlrabi

• Celeriac

• Celery

• Onions

• Scallions

• Pac Choy

• Parsnips

• Leeks

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread on Friday only

• Olive Oil!

Sauteed Spigariello, from latimes.com

• 2 bunches of spigariello

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

• Pinch red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon good balsamic or apple cider vinegar

Wash the spigarello thoroughly. Pull the leaves off the stems, grabbing the leaves from the top of the stem and pulling toward the bottom to remove (in the same way you’d strip rosemary needles). Discard the stems. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spigarello, return to a boil and blanch for 3 to 5 minutes, until the greens wilt slightly and bend easily in the pan. Drain in a colander.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spigarello, season with salt and saute until slightly crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, turn off the heat and let stand for about 1 minute, stirring often. (If the pan is too thin to hold much heat, cook over low heat for 1 minute after adding the garlic and pepper flakes.) Sprinkle with vinegar and toss lightly. Serve warm.

Sounds of eating

We fed the cows hay for the last time (we hope) Sunday. I rode on the trailer pushing off flakes this time, instead of driving the tractor. I enjoyed being up close to the cows, watching and listening to them eating, jostling each other for space, and then settling in peacefully. On Monday, Jorge, Jesse, and Seth sorted off the bred cows from the rest of the herd and we are now grazing two groups.

The weather forecaster are hinting that a shift in weather may be coming soon and we are praying it does.

This week’s pick list:

• Cabbage

• Winter squash

• Spigariello

• Beets

• Chard

• Carrots

• Sugarloaf and Radicchio

• Radish

• Turnips

• Rutabaga

• Kohlrabi

• Celeriac

• Celery

• Onions

• Lettuce

• Arugula

• Parsnips

• Leeks

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil!

Lemony Braised Leeks and Chard, from butteredveg.com

• 6 cups (about 2 large leeks), chopped

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 4 cups chard, half a bunch

• 1/2 cup water, or vegetable stock if you have it

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, rice vinegar or white balsamic also okay

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard, dijon also okay

• 1 clove garlic, grated or crushed

• 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt, or to taste

Trim the leeks. Retain 2 inches of the deep green part and discard or compost the rest (or use it for stock). Cut off the roots. Remove 1-2 outer layers of the leek if it is damaged or dirty. Slice the remaining leek in half lengthwise, and then chop into 1-inch lengths. Wash the leeks in a large bowl of cold water, swishing them around to loosen any dirt. Rinse and repeat if necessary. Scoop the prepared leeks from the water with your hands or a slotted spoon to avoid disturbing the dirt, which will have settled on the bottom of the bowl. Place leeks on a clean tea towel to air dry a little before using.

Chop the Swiss chard into 1-inch pieces and use the same bowl (with new water) to wash it. This time you can keep the chard in the bowl until it’s time to include it in the recipe.

In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid.

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil and the prepared leeks. Sauté until the leeks turn golden brown. Scoop the chard from the water and add it to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium low. Wait a few minutes for the temperature to reduce, then add the prepared braising liquid evenly over the leeks and chard. Stir to remove any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, until the leeks and chard stalks are nice and tender.

Place in a serving dish along with the braising liquid. Serve as a vegetable side with rice, pasta, or a whole grain. Enjoy the braised leeks and chard as one element of a nutritious healing bowl.

Blue Skies

While the clear weather has warmed us and the soil, we are hoping for more rain in the forecast soon. The drainages are slowly drying up and we are looking forward to the sound of running water in the future.

We are sowing the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant for the tunnels this week, as well as another succession of lettuce, pac choy, fennel, and scallions. We are slowly getting the tunnels under control!

This week’s pick list:

• Cabbage

• Winter squash

• Kale

• Beets

• Chard

• Carrots

• Sugarloaf and Radicchio

• Radish

• Turnips

• Rutabaga

• Kohlrabi

• Celeriac

• Celery

• Onions

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Pac Choy

• Mustard Greens

• Parsnips

• Leeks

• Dried tea herbs

• Dried ground peppers

• Revolution Bread

• Olive Oil!

PICKLED CHARD STEMS, from dishingupthedirt.com

• 1 1/2 cups chopped chard stems (from about 1 large bunch of chard)

• 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds

• 1 cup rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup water

• 3 1/2 Tablespoons honey

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns

Place the chopped chard stems in a glass bowl or large mason jar and set aside.

Toast the brown mustard seeds in a saucepan for about 1 minute. Add the vinegar, water, honey and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the honey has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the peppercorns and let the brine cool for about 10 minutes.

Pour the brine over the chopped chard and cover the jar with a secure lid. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before enjoying.

*Pickled chard stems will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks in a secured glass jar *Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary