WHAT TO EXPECT IN NEXT WEEK'S SHARE: WEEK EIGHT

MICRO MIX or SUNFLOWER MICRO GREENS
MUSHROOMS
KALE
SPINACH
POTATOES
SWISS CHARD
DAIKON RADISH

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK SEVEN

Hello Everyone!

Well, it turns out that I spoke too soon. Last week I thought we might be coming out of our frigid spell, but it seems as if we are quickly returning to it by the looks of the forecast for this week. As a result of the cold temperatures of two weeks ago, our poor salad mix lettuces have practically quit growing and we ended up having more casualties than we originally thought. Since winter is such a tough time of year for these plants, we do try and have a few successive plantings going so that all is not a total loss. Unfortunately, this loss means that there will not be salad mix in your shares this week. In fact, the shares are a little slim and we will make it up to everyone with a somewhat larger share later in the season when things are growing at a more consistent rate. It can't hurt that the days are getting noticeably longer either, so cross your fingers and maybe we will get through this cold week with less damage than last time.

I just put some new photos on our blog, so if you are curious about what the farm looks like in the winter, check it out. I hope to post more this week, including some of us harvesting so that you can see how we get all of those lovely veggies to your table from our greenhouses.

I want to extend a big thank you to everyone for returning your boxes (and bags if you pick up at Bexley) so consistently. We really appreciate it! Keep up the good work! I hope you have a wonderful week and that you have time to cozy up in your warm homes with a good book or magazine and some great food!

Best Wishes,

Claudia

**PS: If you are not going to use them right away, please store your potatoes in a paper bag in the fridge to extend their shelf life.

FEATURED VEGGIES

(If you have questions about any of these veggies, email me and I will do my best to get back to you right away with storage ideas, serving suggestions, etc.)

Micromix Microgreens (We grow an array of tiny little nutritious greens and this week you get to sample some of your own. Included in the mix are our sunflower, buckwheat, radish, cabbage & kogane (pac choi) micros. They make a delicious salad of their own, but would work great on sandwiches, egg dishes, etc.)

Kale (What a wonderful and nutritious green this is! Sauté with some garlic and you have a simple and tasty filling for a quesadilla. Check out the blog for a wonderful & simple way to prepare these, which was submitted by one of your fellow members.)

Tatsoi (I love this Asian green! In fact some of you may know just how good it is raw, not to mention its tastiness cooked. Enjoy trying your own takes on this great green.)

Potatoes (Yummy, yummy! These are always a fantastic treat, especially on a cold winter's evening like we're expecting this week. These potatoes make a fabulous soup especially when you mix in some sautéed greens--tatsoi is wonderful in soups.**)

Canned Heirloom Tomatoes (Yes, that's right, what you may be missing most from the summer season is right here in your share this week. We toiled in our kitchen on the hottest of summer days to can these up for what we anticipated would be a grand winter treat. I hope you think they're as fabulous as we do!)

A Note from Becky:

I wanted to take a little space here to thank all of you for your patience and understanding as we weathered one of the worst storms we have experienced at the farm since the -30 degree temperatures of the mid-nineties. There is really nothing quite like these times to remind us that control of our lives is an ever-fleeting illusion. Perseverance, patience, commitment, faith, endurance, love – these are the qualities that we strive to maintain daily as we move through the world. Thanks for being a part of our farm community.

We are looking forward to the summer, already planning for the bounty. Look for our newest additions for the summer CSA cycle in the near future, as we strive to bring you more of the goodness of the rural countryside of southeastern Ohio.

Peace to all! Becky

Becky’s Quick Tomato Sauce

Put iron skillet with about 3-4 Tbs. olive oil on stove at medium heat. Chop 1 medium to large onion and begin sauté. Add lots of fresh chopped garlic (to taste) or garlic powder and stir. Add I qt. of tomatoes. Add at least one tsp. salt, then pepper (to taste). Fill palm of hand with dried basil (sweet or lemon works great), crush and add. Fill palm half way with oregano, crush and add. Stir. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Have a taste and adjust spices/herbs. Add a little (1 Tbl) sugar of any kind if necessary. Pour over pasta, meat, etc. Enjoy! ENJOYENJOY!

Recipe: Kale-Gruyere Gateau De Crepes (Serves 6) (For our Full Share & Athens members, this may look familiar. I just thought it was so good that I wanted to share it with our Columbus Half Share folks too.)

For the crepes...

1 ¾ C. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. coarse salt

2 C. whole milk, room temperature, plus

more if needed

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 ½ oz. (5 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

plus more for skillet

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day). Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.

Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 tablespoons batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute. Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and gently flip in one swift gesture. (If it doesn't land quite right, that's okay; use the spatula to unfold or rearrange it.) Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and cover. (The first one will not be your finest.) Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 to 3 crepes). Serve immediately.

For the béchamel...

½ medium onion, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, plus more

for sheet

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 ½ C. whole milk

1 ¼ C. grated Gruyere cheese (4 oz.)

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

For the assembly...

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbs.)

5 oz. kale (1/2 bunch)

pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 lemon, for squeezing

12 small crepes

Make the béchamel: Place onion and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook until onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk in a slow, steady stream. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup Gruyere, and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat, add nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.

To assemble: Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add spinach, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes, and season with slat, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Let cool slightly. Squeeze out any excess liquid, and coarsely chop.

Preheat oven to 450F. Reserve 2 tablespoons of béchamel. Mix remaining béchamel and spinach in a medium bowl. Butter a rimmed baking sheet. Place 1 crepe on center of sheet, and top with 3 tablespoons spinach mixture, spreading evenly. Top with another crepe, then 3 tablespoons spinach mixture. Repeat with remaining crepes and spinach mixture, ending with a crepe. Spread reserved béchamel on top, and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Bake until cheese melts and turns golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer gateau de crepes to a platter. Cut into wedges, and serve warm.

(Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living, February, 2009.)

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS WEEK'S SHARE: WEEK SEVEN

MICRO MIX
KALE
TATSOI
POTATOES
CANNED TOMATOES

(Because of the recent frigid weather our Salad Mix is not regrowing very quickly and so this week's share is relatively small. We are hoping to make this up to you all sometime around Week Eleven. Thanks for your understanding and enjoy this week's share! --Claudia)

MORE DELECTABLE DELIGHTS...(Thanks Ruth for contributing!)

EASY SAUTEED GREENS (You can substitute any of our greens for the kale.)

• 1 1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

(Recipe courtesy of The Food Network website)


CHEDDAR-STUFFED SWEET POTATOES

4 medium sweet potatoes (about 6 ounces each)
1 cup grated cheddar or cheese of choice
1/4 cup yogurt
paprika

Preheat oven to 350 to 375 degrees.
Bake potatoes.
Hold potatoes with a kitchen towel, cut a slice from the top, and scoop out pulp. leaving the shell intact.
Mash pulp with 3/4 cup cheese and yogurt until light. stuff back into shells, top with remaining cheese, and sprinkle with paprika.
Return to oven for 5 min to melt cheese.

Serves 4

(Recipe courtesy of Nikki & David Goldbeck's American Wholefoods Cuisine.)

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK SIX

Hello Everyone!

I do believe we might be coming out of this cold spell we've had over the last week. Just when we were getting into a regular winter routine here at the farm, Mother Nature decided to shake things up and show us what winter can be. This is the longest I've see snow on the ground down here in the hills since I moved here almost four years ago. Luckily, even with the frigid temperatures, we managed to avoid any pipes freezing, any big vegetable losses, any frostbite, and we were still able (with a few evenings working overtime) to harvest all of the veggies we needed for you all, our Farmers' Market customers, and our restaurants. It is very satisfying to be able to do that for everyone. If you would like to see what the farm looks like in the winter, check out the blog this weekend. I'm hoping to post some new photos to give you an idea of how different it is here at this time of year.

One of your fellow members sent us a couple of recipes last week that I will post on the blog as well. They sound simple and delicious--just what we could all use after a hard day's work. Thanks Ruth!

I just want to extend a big thank you to everyone for returning your boxes (and bags if you pick up at Bexley) so consistently. We really appreciate it! Keep up the good work! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that you enjoy these couple of days of "warm" weather!

Best Wishes,

Claudia

FEATURED VEGGIES

(If you have questions about any of these veggies, email me and I will do my best to get back to you right away with storage ideas, serving suggestions, etc.)

Salad Mix (The mix this week includes two romaines, green & red salad bowl, and two Asian greens—petsai & mizuna. It’s a beautiful & tasty array of greens! )

Micromix Microgreens (We grow an array of tiny little nutritious greens and this week you get to sample some of your own. Included in the mix are our sunflower, buckwheat, radish, cabbage & kogane (pac choi) micros. They make a delicious salad of their own, but would work great with the crepe recipe this week.)

Mushrooms (Shiitakes are the name of the game this week. By now many of you will be fluent in the wonders of this fungus. Share your taste adventures with us on the blog!)

Swiss Chard (This is one of our tried and true winter greens. It's wonderful in so many dishes, but my favorite way to prepare it is to steam it (stems removed) and place layers of it in my favorite lasagna. It adds great color and flavor, not to mention all the nutrition, to a meal that has become a standard in my household.)

Spinach (You will not believe the sweetness of this favorite! If you manage not to completely devour it raw, check out the crepe recipe in this newsletter.)

Beets (We have another sweetie here this week. Again these will be hard to resist raw, but are fantastic roasted with some of your other favorite root veggies.)

Recipe: Russian Beet Salad (Serves 4 to 5)

8 healthy beets

¼ C. cider vinegar

1 medium clove garlic

1 to 2 tsp. honey

½ tsp. salt

½ C. minced red onion

2 scallions, minced

1 medium cucumber,

peeled, seeded &

minced

2 hard-boiled eggs,

chopped

2 Tbs. minced fresh dill,

or 2 tsp. dried

1 C. firm yogurt (optional)

freshly ground pepper

Trim the beets of their stems, and place the beets in a medium-large saucepan. Cover them with water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 25 minutes, or until tender enough for a fork to slide in easily.

Meanwhile combine the vinegar, garlic, honey, and salt in a medium-large bowl.

Rinse the cooked beets under cold running water as you rub off their skins. Chop into ½-inch bits, and add them, still warm, to the vinegar mixture. Stir and let stand about 30 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients, seasoning to taste with black pepper. Mix well, cover tightly, and chill until very cold.

(Recipe courtesy of The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest, 2000.)

Recipe: Spinach-Gruyere Gateau De Crepes (Serves 6)

For the crepes...

1 ¾ C. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. coarse salt

2 C. whole milk, room temperature, plus

more if needed

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 ½ oz. (5 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

plus more for skillet

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day). Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.

Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 tablespoons batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute. Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and gently flip in one swift gesture. (If it doesn't land quite right, that's okay; use the spatula to unfold or rearrange it.) Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and cover. (The first one will not be your finest.) Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 to 3 crepes). Serve immediately.

For the béchamel...

½ medium onion, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, plus more

for sheet

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 ½ C. whole milk

1 ¼ C. grated Gruyere cheese (4 oz.)

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

For the assembly...

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbs.)

5 oz. spinach (about 6 cups)

pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 lemon, for squeezing

12 small crepes

Make the béchamel: Place onion and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook until onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk in a slow, steady stream. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup Gruyere, and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat, add nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.

To assemble: Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add spinach, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes, and season with slat, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Let cool slightly. Squeeze out any excess liquid, and coarsely chop.

Preheat oven to 450F. Reserve 2 tablespoons of béchamel. Mix remaining béchamel and spinach in a medium bowl. Butter a rimmed baking sheet. Place 1 crepe on center of sheet, and top with 3 tablespoons spinach mixture, spreading evenly. Top with another crepe, then 3 tablespoons spinach mixture. Repeat with remaining crepes and spinach mixture, ending with a crepe. Spread reserved béchamel on top, and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Bake until cheese melts and turns golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer gateau de crepes to a platter. Cut into wedges, and serve warm.

(Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living, February, 2009.)

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS WEEK'S SHARE: WEEK SIX

SALAD MIX
MICRO MIX
MUSHROOMS
SWISS CHARD
SPINACH
BEETS

Hello all,

I just wanted to apologize for the appearance of the blog over the last couple of weeks. I'm trying to figure out how to copy the newsletter to this blog without any issues and so far (as you can see) I haven't solved that problem. Thanks for bearing with me and I hope that you enjoy the recipes, etc. despite the formatting issues. Have a great winter week!

Sincerely,
Claudia

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK FIVE

Hello Everyone!

Happy 2009 to those of you who are joining us again this week! I hope that the New Year is treating all of you well so far. Here at Green Edge we are missing John who is gone for the month on an extended substitute-teaching job. Despite his absence the rest of us have settled into a good winter routine on the farm and thoughts of spring plantings are starting to enter our heads. While we won't actually begin seeding anything until next month, all of the seed catalogs that arrive daily in the mail keep us occupied with ideas for the next season here and at home in our own gardens (yes, many of us are crazy enough to have our own to deal with in the warmer months!).

This week I've included some recipes from a cookbook that our mushroom guru Rob got this Christmas. Jessica Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld's wife, wrote a wonderful cookbook based on veggie and fruit purees that can be used to "sneak" these valuable foods into a picky child's meals. So many of the recipes sound delicious and I've chosen a few based on what is in your share this week. I hope you enjoy the innovations she's developed!

As I mentioned in last week's newsletter, I just wanted to remind everyone that we would like for you to return your boxes from your previous share when you pick your next share up. In an effort to conserve, we reuse these wax boxes each week, which really helps us keep our costs down, but more importantly, it helps us keep our impact on this planet to a minimum. For our Bexley members, please return your bags in the same manner as above, and if you need another copy of the care instructions please email me and I will get that to you right away. Thanks for your help with these ongoing endeavors and welcome back to all of you! Have a great week!

Best Wishes,

Claudia

FEATURED VEGGIES

(If you have questions about any of these veggies, email me and I will do my best to get back to you right away with storage ideas, serving suggestions, etc.)

Salad Mix (The mix this week includes a romaine, green & red salad bowl, and two Asian greens—petsai & mizuna. It’s a beautiful & tasty array of greens! Try the recipe included for a fresh lunch or dinner option.)

Sunflower Microgreens (Great on salads, sandwiches, on top of your eggs benedict, or just on their own. Share your ideas for these little gems on our blog.)

Mushrooms (Shiitakes are the name of the game this week. Check out the recipe I've included this week for a new taste adventure with these delights.)

Swiss Chard (This is one of our tried and true winter greens. It's wonderful in so many dishes, but my favorite way to prepare it is to steam it (stems removed) and place layers of it in my favorite lasagna. It adds great color and flavor, not to mention all the nutrition, to a meal that has become a standard in my household.)

Arugula (Spice up those cold early winter evenings with this bold peppery green that we love so well. If spice is not what you are looking for, just cook the arugula with your favorite pasta sauce, or sauté it with our garlic to mellow it out.)

Sweet Potatoes (Try these gems in the recipes I've included this week. Or, if you have a favorite way of enjoying them, feel free to share those ideas with us and the rest of your Winter CSA community via an email to me or by posting a comment to this newsletter on the blog.)

Recipe: Oatmeal with Sweet Potato (Serves 2)

1 C. skim milk

¼ C. firmly packed brown

sugar

¼ C. sweet potato puree

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp. cinnamon or pump-

kin pie spice

1 C. old-fashioned oats

2 tsp. natural peanut

butter (optional)

dried fruit and nuts

pure maple syrup

For the puree...

Wash the sweet potatoes, but do not peel. Cut the sweet potatoes into quarters and steam for 40-45 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and puree in a food processor or blender. Whatever you do not use for this recipe can be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for later use.

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, sweet potato puree, vanilla, and spice. Bring to a gentle boil and stir in the oatmeal. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the oatmeal is soft and creamy. Stir in the peanut butter if using.

Spoon the oatmeal into bowls, sprinkle with dried fruit and nuts, if you like, and serve with maple syrup.

(Recipe courtesy of Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, 2007.)

Recipe: Pasta with Bolognese Sauce (Serves 4)

This recipe makes twice as much sauce as you need to serve pasta for 4; freeze the rest for another meal. Finely chopped raw sweet potato may be substituted for puree.

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

nonstick cooking spray

1 Tbs. olive oil

3 carrots

1 stalk celery

½ lb. lean ground sirloin

½ lb. lean ground turkey

½ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 large (26-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (8 oz.) can reduced-fat low sodium

chicken or beef broth

1 Tbs. sugar

½ C. sweet potato puree

2 Tbs. grated Parmesan

1 lb. any pasta, preferable whole

wheat or whole grain

Put the onion and garlic in the food processor and finely chop (or chop by hand).

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil, then the onion & garlic, and cook until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the carrot and celery in the food processor and finely chop; add to the skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer.

Increase the heat to high, add the ground meats, and break them into small chunks with a wooden spoon. Add the salt & pepper and cook until the meat begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, and sugar. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Stir in the sweet potato puree and Parmesan.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander, then return the pasta to the pot. Pour the warm sauce over the pasta and toss.

(Recipe courtesy of Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, 2007.)

Recipe: Hot Cocoa with Sweet Potato (Serves 2)

(The familiar taste of chocolate syrup hides the sweet potato puree. It's the puree, though, that makes the cocoa so thick and creamy, even made with skim milk.)

1 ¼ C. skim milk

½ C. sweet potato puree

2 Tbs. chocolate syrup

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

marshmallows

Combine the milk, sweet potato puree, chocolate syrup, salt, and spice in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour into mugs and top with marshmallows.

(Recipe courtesy of Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, 2007.)

I hope you find this information helpful! Enjoy your share and keep in touch. Have a great (warm) week!