ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK TEN

Hello Everyone!

Well, I suppose winter was going to come back at some point, just as the groundhog said at the beginning of the month. However, I hope that the distractions of Friday the 13^th and St. Valentine's Day were enough to help you forget at least momentarily that we are still in the cold of the year. We knew last week that it was only a matter of time before we would be back to covering all of the veggies with their blankets of remay and plastic. And this week, it begins again. I suppose these little weather teasers are meant to remind us that spring is just around the corner, and at least for us, that means more hustle & bustle with new plantings in the houses, readying the fields for the crops that will shortly follow, preparing for a new greenhouse, and so on. I quickly return to appreciating the calm of winter when thoughts like that enter my head :).

Last Thursday I was able to accompany Kip on his regular Columbus delivery route. That meant I was able to visit all of the CSA hosts and see where all of you pick up your shares. It was a gorgeous, although windy, day and I had a great time following Kip & Kate around, helping whenever I could. About twelve hours after we left the farm, Kip & I were back in the hills of Amesville unloading the truck and heading home to rest after a very busy day. I have a new appreciation for what Kip & Kate do each week, and I just wanted to let you know that they do it all with a smile. Thanks guys!

For those of you who don't have a use for the canning jars that the last batch of tomatoes came in, we would love to have them back to use again this summer. We will be setting out brown boxes this week for you to place them in when you come to pick up your shares. Thanks so much for your help with this and 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.)

Micro Mix Microgreens (Yes, the dynamic combination of sunflower, radish, buckwheat, cabbage and kogane is back this week. These fresh little greens always remind me that spring is just around the corner. I hope they give you that ray of hope as well.)

Mushrooms OR Canned Tomatoes (Whichever one you get this week, I hope that you are able to put them to good use in your meals for the week. Enjoy the surprise!)

Pac Choi(This member of the cabbage family is fabulous eaten raw as part of a vinegar-based slaw, or as part of a lovely winter salad. It can also be enjoyed in a stir-fry with our mushrooms and other veggies. It is also fantastic sautéed or steamed with your favorite herbs & spices as a side dish to compliment any main course.)

Spinach (Yes, here it is again this week. If you are feeling overwhelmed with this fabulous green, just steam it briefly, drain, let it cool, and place it in freezer bags in your freezer to enjoy later this year when you can't get fresh sweet spinach.)

Potatoes (In preparation for Mardi Gras, I turn to my new cookbook from Emeril for a lovely recipe that might help you see the light of spring at the end of this winter tunnel.)

Turnips (These beauties are fantastic boiled, tossed with olive oil, rosemary, salt & pepper, and roasted for a warm winter side dish that is sure to please.)

Recipe: Caramelized Salmon with Cilantro Potato Salad (Serves 8)

1 C. Emeril's mayonnaise (see

recipe below)

¼ C. chopped fresh cilantro

leaves

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1/3 C. finely chopped red onion

1/3 C. finely chopped celery

salt & freshly ground pepper to

taste

2 lbs. potatoes, quartered,

boiled in salted water to

cover until fork tender &

drained

4 small salmon fillets, cut in

half crosswise

1 C. sugar

2 Tbs. olive oil

sprigs of fresh cilantro &

parsley

For the mayonnaise...

1 large egg

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

2 C. olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

In a food processor or blender, blend the egg, mustard, and lemon juice together for 20 seconds. With the machine running, slowly pour in the oil through the feed tube. The mixture will thicken. Season with salt & pepper and pulse once or twice to blend. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Best if used within 24 hours. (Makes 2 ¼ C.)

For the Salmon & Potato Salad...(continued on next page).

In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, onion, and celery, mix well, and season with salt & pepper. Fold in the potatoes carefully so as not to break them up. Season again with salt & pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Season each salmon fillet with salt and pepper then dredge each in the sugar, tapping off any excess. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the fillets and cook until the sugar caramelizes, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

To serve, place the potato salad in the center of a serving platter. Lay the salmon on top of the salad, and garnish with cilantro and parsley sprigs.

(Recipe courtesy of Emeril's TV Dinners, 1998.)

Recipe: Exotic Mushroom Flan with Warm Spinach Salad (Serves 6)

1 Tbs. olive oil

½ lb. shiitake mushrooms, sliced

salt & freshly ground black pepper

to taste

½ C. minced yellow onions

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves

4 large egg yolks

1 pint heavy cream

½ C. freshly grated Parmigiano-

Reggiano cheese

1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

3 slices bacon, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly butter 6 4-ounce ramekins.

In a medium-size sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Add the yellow onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the herbs, and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and heavy cream and whisk to blend. Stir in the cheese, nutmeg, and the mushroom mixture. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and fill the pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the flans set, 50 to 55 minutes.

In a medium-size sauté pan, fry the bacon until crispy, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon and 1/8 C. of the bacon grease to a large mixing bowl. Add the vinegar, mix and season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach and red onions and toss to coat evenly.

To serve, gently loosen the mushroom flans with a knife and invert each onto a plate. Mound a small amount of the spinach salad in the center of each flan and serve.

(Recipe courtesy of Emeril's TV Dinners, 1998.)

I hope you find this information helpful! Enjoy your share and keep in touch. Have a wonderful week and don’t forget you can contact us at:

(740) 448-4021 OR

greenedgegardens@verizon.net