Our Daily Tasks: Covering and Uncovering

Our Daily Tasks: Covering and Uncovering

The winter wonderland where we grow your veggies.

The winter wonderland where we grow your veggies.
Photo credit: Emily Hammon
Want to join and receive your own share of delicious veggies each week? If you are interested in signing up, please email us at greededgegardens@gmail.com. For more information or to download our Enrollment brochure, visit our website at www.greenedgegardens.com/CSA.

We love sharing our wonderful produce with you! We started this blog so that we can keep you up to date with all that is happening on the farm. It is also an opportunity for all of us to get to know one another better. One of the strengths of a CSA is the direct relationship between the farmer's experience and your experience receiving fresh vegetables weekly.

We want to hear from you, so please feel free to share recipes, thoughts and ideas-just click on the COMMENT below each post to add to our CSA community.

September 30, 2009

Week 15 Newsletter

ATHENS HILLS SUMMER CSA

WEEK FIFTEEN:

9/28-10/03

Last Saturday in Athens, rain brought fall to us - thoroughly drenching the brave crew who worked the market. And besides picking, packing, and harvesting your share this week, the crew is scurrying to finish the winter squash harvest, keeping the sweet potatoes safe from potential frost, and picking the last of the tomatoes, and pulling the plants from the greenhouses. All of this to prepare for the Winter 2010 CSA season.

As a member of the summer 2009 season, you will be receiving in the mail next week, your reservation for this coming winter season. Please take a moment to respond as the winter season fills up quickly.

While there hasn’t been a frost warning issued as of yet, we are still preparing as if there is one. This means that all of the pieces of row covers will be taken to the fields to cover the remaining plants, keeping them away from frost should it come. Basil is being picked to dry or to process into pesto for wintery tastes of summer.

The ground stakes for the new heated greenhouse are ready and will be picked up by someone sometime this week. These will be installed so the ground will settle before the greenhouse construction at the end of the month. This new house will attach to the older heated house and finally uses the built-in expansion capabilities of the boiler.

Lastly, please take a mental look at the past season. In the next few weeks, we will be sending you a survey that will help us plan for next summer. Basic questions will include your opinions about quantities, quality, and variety including the new ‘Combination’ share.

WE NEED THE GREEN BAGS! Please try to return your green bags. We’re running low again. Thanks!!

Becky

(on behalf of Kip, Rob, Dan, John, Cale, Claudia, Penny, Eric, and our interns: Corey, Steve & Julia)


FEATURED VEGGIES

Check out the previous newsletters (on our blog) for serving suggestions, storage advice, etc. for each of these vegetables.

Tomatoes: Our colorful and delicious heirlooms return to your share this week. Each variety has its own taste to savor before they leave us for the season.

Sweet Peppers: Sweet green and colored peppers are coming your way this week. Great for roasting and eating on sandwiches, pasta, or also for stuffing.

Salad Mix: This gorgeous and delicious mix of greens has returned! Toss a late summer salad while some of the warm-loving veggies are still around.

Arugula: You love it or hate it! This herb/green has bold and distinctive flavor. We like it raw in salads or cooked plain or as a herb.

Kale: Our first of the fall plantings is ready and very tasty, sweet, and tender. It is always exciting to see these gorgeous greens after a long hot summer. I hope you enjoy the first tastes of autumn this week.

Sunflower Microgreens: These juicy and crunchy yum-yums work great on salads, pizza and stir-fries. Or try them solo – kids love them that way!

Shiitake Mushrooms: Another bold flavored item this week. Try these in soups, sautéed as a topping, simmered in soup, or any/many other ways.

Acorn Squash: This sweet and mild flavored squash will work with any winter squash recipe (except spaghetti). Try it baked with butter and brown sugar or maple syrup in the well.

Eggplant: This is the last of the season. Please enjoy.


SQUASH PUFF

Yield: 6 Servings.

3 Cups mashed, cooked acorn squash

½ Cup molasses

3 Tbls. whole wheat flour

1 ¼ tsps. salt

¼ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. ginger

3 eggs., separated

¼ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, blend together the squash, molasses, flour, salt, nutmeg, ginger and egg yolk. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into the squash mixture. Turn into an oiled 1 ½-qt baking dish. Sprinkle nuts around outside edge and bake one hour or until golden and crusty.

-from The New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook, 1971


September 25, 2009

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS WEEK'S SHARE

THIS WEEK'S OFFERINGS:
WEEK 15: 9/28--10/3

SALAD MIX
KALE
ARUGULA
SUNFLOWER MICROGREENS
SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
SWEET PEPPERS
WINTER SQUASH
EGGPLANT

September 23, 2009

CSA NEWSLETTER: WEEK 14

ATHENS HILLS SUMMER CSA

WEEK FOURTEEN:

SEPTEMBER 21st - 26th

Tuesday was officially the first day of Autumn, with cool, rainy weather to prove it. The rain was most welcomed, as it has been dusty and dry around here for some time. The rain is especially helpful for the young fall crops, as well as the newly planted cover crops in the fallow fields.

Some of the tomato plants will be pulled from two of the coldframes this week to make room for salad mix and other fall and winter crops. You are receiving Heirloom tomatoes in your share this week---savor them, because though we hope to have another week of them, this could be the last. Other veggies of note in this week's share are the ever delicious and nutritious Kale, and the first offering of Garlic. This time of year it is perfect for the three S's: salads, sautés and soups; and your share this week should be giving you a solid base for all three.

Plans are progressing for the Winter 2010 CSA program. As Summer CSA members, we give you priority in signing up for the Winter program before we accept open enrollment. Later this week, we will be mailing you details on the Winter CSA, including a form for enrollment. Please get back to us as promptly as possible to ensure a spot--the Winter CSA consistently fills up quickly.

Finally, I will be posting some new pictures of the Farm on the blog later this week, so check back to see the changing seasons at Green Edge Organic Gardens.

Thanks so much for your continued support.

Best Wishes,

Rob

(on behalf of Kip & Becky, Dan, John, Cale, Claudia, Penny, Eric, and our interns: Corey, Steve & Julia)


FEATURED VEGGIES

Check out the previous newsletters (on our blog) for serving suggestions, storage advice, etc. for each of these vegetables.

Tomatoes: Our colorful and delicious heirlooms return to your share this week. Each variety has its own taste to savor before they leave us for the season.

Cherry Tomatoes: A mixture of the sweetest ‘Sungold’ and ‘Sweet 100’s. As tasty as they are versatile, we ‘re convinced they are absolutely the best summer candy!

Green and Red Peppers: Sweet green and colored peppers are coming your way this week. Great for roasting and eating on sandwiches, pasta, or also for stuffing.

Salad Mix: This gorgeous and delicious mix of greens has returned! Toss a late summer salad while some of the warm-loving veggies are still around.

Red Potatoes: These Red Sangree potatoes are so fresh, you can't go wrong. Wonderful boiled, roasted, shredded, however and with whatever you desire.

Garlic: One of our favorite root crops. Heart-healthy as well as delicious, use this seasoning for absolutely any recipe that calls for garlic.

Kale: Our first of the fall plantings is ready and very tasty. It is always exciting to see these gorgeous greens after a long hot summer. I hope you enjoy the first tastes of autumn this week.

Micro Mix: This delicious blend of sunflower, buckwheat, radish, cabbage and kogane sprouts is a fantastic topper for sandwiches, salads or as a snack.


Grilled Potato Slices with Salt and Vinegar

1 lb. potatoes, cut lengthwise into ¼ inch slices

2 cups white vinegar

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for sprinkling

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Bring potatoes and vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan (vinegar should cover potatoes). Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer potatoes. Cool in vinegar for 30 minutes. Drain well, and gently toss with oil, salt, and pepper.

Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill potatoes in a single layer until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Sprinkle with salt before serving.

Serves 4.

From Martha Stewart Living, June 2009