September 2, 2008

WEEK 11

FEATURED VEGGIES

Salad Mix (I’m so glad to see this back in your shares! The greens have recovered and now you can get back to all that salad eating you’ve been missingJ.)

Green Bell Peppers (These beauties are doing great this year! If you can't enjoy them right away, think about slicing or chopping them, placing them in a Ziploc and storing them in your freezer for later.)

Mushrooms (You all know these oyster or shiitake mushrooms well by now and are hopefully enjoying them. Don’t forget that you can dry them for later use in soups, etc. by baking them on a cookie sheet at the lowest temperature and checking them until they are dry.)

Slicer Tomatoes (Ah, the round red tomato that we all know so well. Great for everything a tomato is great for, including canning. Unfortunately, these taste so good that they never last that long in my kitchen!)

Cherry Tomatoes (You all know our Sun Golds and Super Sweet 100s well by now.)

Green Beans (Crunchy wonderful green beans, what can I say about these? If you want to freeze these beauties, don’t forget to blanch them first and allow to cool before placing in a freezer bag—they don’t freeze too well if you don’t cook them just a little first.)

Beets (Sweet & tasty—I hope that you enjoy every bite. For easy peeling, just boil whole root, minus the leaves, for about 10 minutes, drain, rinse and rub the peel right off.)

Red Potatoes - Try these with butter and parsley. Mmmm

ATHENS HILLS SUMMER CSA:

WEEK ELEVEN

Greetings to all!

While the radio tells us that it's fall now, the proof is in the gardens. The bounty just keeps coming. We hope you are enjoying the mix. I'm filling in for Claudia today while she and Andy move into their very own house! Congratulations to them.

Maybe you remember a mention a while back about canning tomatoes. It looks like that may be happening at the end of this week. Please let us know if you are interested in learning, helping, etc. You will take home a case of tomatoes for the winter for your efforts.

And speaking of the Winter 2009 season, we are receiving many inquiries already. We will be putting the brochure online at the website in a .pdf file. This is scheduled for the end of this week, so give a look when you get a chance. The prices for winter have increased from last season. With our expenses (utilities and labor) rising, we had to adjust.

We are harvesting potatoes, and sowing cover crops, preparing new fields to incorporate into next year's production, planting the gardens for the fall harvests. It's hard to fathom, I know. It's actually busier now that in the spring!

Let me once again say a huge thanks to all for returning your boxes. You have done a truly great job! Keep up the good work!

For Claudia and the rest of the crew,

Becky

I'm a push-over for new cookbooks, and my newest one is an oldie from the 1950's, Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book.

Stuffed Green Peppers

The Peppers

Cut a thin slice from the stem end of each pepper. Wash outside inside. Remove all seeds and membrane. Place peppers in a kettle with salted water. (1 cup water and 1 ½ tsp. salt for 6 peppers. Cover, and boil for 5 min. Drain, reserving liquid. Lightly fill peppers with desired stuffing. Bake 20 min.in mod. oven.

Ham-and-Corn Stuffing

Combine 1 Cup medium White Sauce, 1 cup cooked whole kernal corn, 2 cups ground cooked ham, and ¼ tsp. dry mustard. Fill loosely 6 parboiled green peppers Sprinkle

With ½ cup buttered bread or cracker crumbs. Bake 20 minutes in moderate oven.

Medium white sauce -

2-3 T. butter

2-3 T flour

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 C. milk

Melt butter over low heat in a heavy saucepan. Blend in flour and seasonings. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth, bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Bring to boil; boil 1 min, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened (for best flavor cook 10 minutes.)