Next Week's Offerings

WHAT TO EXPECT
IN THIS WEEK'S SHARE
Week 4: Pick-ups Wednesday 1/6
and Saturday 1/9

SALAD MIX
SPINACH
TATSOI
SWISS CHARD
SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
POTATOES
BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Holiday Schedule

CSA HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Below are the dates of your first pick-up after the holiday break.

COLUMBUS FULL SHARE MEMBERS:
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6th
COLUMBUS HALF SHARE MEMBERS:
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13th

ATHENS WEDNESDAY FULL SHARE MEMBERS: JANUARY 6th
ATHENS WEDNESDAY HALF SHARE MEMBERS: JANUARY 6th

ATHENS MARKET FULL SHARE MEMBERS:
SATURDAY, JANUARY 9th
ATHENS MARKET HALF SHARE MEMBERS:
SATURDAY, JANUARY 9th

Athens HIlls CSA Week 3

While Kip was delivering the shares last week, the wind was battering the farm and surrounding areas. Dead limbs and trees were strewn all around the landscapes from the farm to the town. And here at the farm in a split second the wind pulled the wiggle-wire track from its wooden slats all along one side of one greenhouse. The cover rose up above the top of the house ripping all along the two endwall tops and landed on the ground along the other side of the house with the metal track still attached. Fortunately, the crops inside were still covered for the cold. And then, we scurried. More row cover and more plastic, straw bales, concrete lintels were our defense from the penetrating and relentless fingers of the wind. Many thanks are heaped upon Rob, Cale, and John for their non-stop efforts to secure protection for the plants before night fell. Meanwhile, Kip detoured to the supply house in southwestern Ohio for new plastic and wiggle-wire. Becky called upon our good and long-time friend Paul to cut more oak for the new track supports. For two days the wind and light rain continued while the new wood and track were installed. On Saturday, the sun shone, the wind calmed, and the new plastic was pulled and secured. Then, the protective coverings were removed. Everyone stared in amazement as the unharmed plants were slowly revealed. Truly we felt blessed. By the next morning, all the plants were standing straight – unharmed and ready to continue their growth… No wonder they’re so good for us to eat! This is the last delivery for this year. Look in the next column for the delivery schedule to see the date of your next one.
Happy Holidays & Peace on Earth,
Becky (for the whole crew – Kip, Dan, Rob, Cale, John, Julia, Penny
VEGGIES THIS WEEK:
Salad Mix – This is a blend of 5 lettuces and 1-3 mild Asian greens. We harvest this the day before your delivery. It will stay fresh for at least a week in the bag in your refriger-ator. We pick whole leaves to extend the storage time.
Spinach – We welcome this favorite green to the list. This dark green wonder is full of goodness and flavor.
Baby Pac Choi or Tatsoi – Tatsoi is a delicate Asian green for eating raw(stems and leaves) or mildly steamed or stir-fried. Baby Pac Choi has a little more body and requires a little cooking, but its flavor is also very mild. Both are sweet too.
Japanese White Turnips – Both the leaves and the turnips of these mild beauties can be eaten raw in salads. The turnips are juicy, sweet and crunchy. You’ll be amazed!
Yellow Fin Potatoes- These yellow fleshed potatoes are delicious boiled, fried, or baked.
Arugula – This versatile green can be used raw in salads or steamed. Its peppery flavor will delight or disgust you.
Carrots - Rob was skeptical when he saw the bunches before they were rinsed – then he was really excited. These are sweet and crunchy!
Sweet Potatoes - We grow Beauregard sweet potatoes. These are the most common around here for their hardiness, reliability, and flavor.
The Combo Corner from our Athens partners ~
The fruit selection from Cherry Orchards this week contains the now familiar BEURRE BOSC pear; YELLOW DELICIOUS apples; FUJI apples; and a variety of apples called MUTZU which was developed in Japan by crossing the Yellow Delicious with the popular Japanese yellow apple called Indo. Neil and his family extend wishes for a merry and peaceful holiday to you all!
The bread selection from the Village Bakery and Café is Italian Herb Garden Wheat with extra virgin olive oil, thyme, rosemary, and fennel.
PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS
NEW ALBANY – 614-216-9370 3-10pm
TIBET – 614-784-8124 3-6pm
BEXLEY MARKET-614-252-3951 3-8pm
UPPER ARLINGTON-614-284-1181 2- 6pm
Please remember to call your host first if problems arise. Since they are closer to you, they can usually resolve the problem. Feel free to call us if the host is unable to help you – 740-448-4021 Thanks!

REMEMBER -------
 There are no deliveries for the dates of December 23rd and December 30th.
 January 6th – Columbus and Athens Full Shares; Athens Half-shares
 January 9th – Athens Farmers Market Full- and Half-Shares
 January 16th - All Columbus Half-shares

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ONE AND ALL!! IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT HOLIDAY YOU CELEBRATE – WHEN YOUR WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH LAUGHTER SURROUNDING ONE AND ALL – IT’S GOOD!
~~~~
Don’t forget to check the blog on Friday to find out what’s coming next week! And check out the pictures of the storm damage to the greenhouse.
~~~~ California Carrot Salad – Serves 6-8
4 Cups diced carrots 2 Cups diced potatoes 1 ½ cups sliced black olives ½ cup chopped scallions, including green tops 2 Tbls. minced fresh dill 2 Cups flaked tuna (13-ounce can) ¾ Cup olive oil ¼ Cup wine vinegar 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon paprika ¼ Cup tomato puree or catsup 1 tsp. honey or sugar salt and pepper lettuce leaves 1 Cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
Parboil the carrots until just tender 2-3 minutes. Plunge into cold water. Drain.
Parboil the potatoes until just tender, 5-10 minutes. Plunge into cold water. Drain.
Combine the carrots, potatoes, olives, scallions, dill, and tuna in a large salad bowl. Toss to mix.
In a blender ot food processor, combine all the remaining ingredients except the lettuce leaves and cherry tomatoes, and blend until smooth. Pour the dressings over the salad and toss to coat. Pack the salad into a 5-cup ring mold. Chill for at least 2 hours. Invert the mold onto a serving plate lined with lettuce leaves. Fill the center with quartered cherry tomatoes and serve.
CARROT ORANGE GINGER STEW Serves 6 - 45 mins, to prepare and cook 2 Tablespoon butter 1 ½ cups diced onion 6 Cups sliced carrots 3 Cups orange juice 2 Cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root 1 whole orange rind with rind, quartered 3/4 cup of heavy cream 2 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate salt and pepper
In a soup pot, melt the butter and sauté the onion on medium heat until limp, 3-5 minutes. Add the carrots, orange juice, chicken broth, ginger root, and orange. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the carrots are very tender. Let the soup cool a little.
Remove the orange pieces and discard. In a blender or food processor, blend the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the heat, add the cream, orange juice concentrate, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Helpful Hint for Sweet Potatoes: Keep sweet potatoes from the cold – do not refrigerate them; they will become soft and yucky! Store at temperatures between 55 and 600 with the humidity at 75-80 percent.
Herbs that pair well with sweet potatoes include: chives, rosemary, tarragon, parsley thyme, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Sweet potato flesh turns brown quickly when exposed to air. To prevent this, drop the pieces in a bowl of cold water as you cut them.
CARROTS - SOME INFORMATION…
Carrots store easily. Remove the tops, and store in food-safe perforated bags. They will keep several months in your vegetable crisper.
Limp carrots can sometimes be restored by soaking in ice water for 30 minutes.
Herbs that complement carrots include: anise, caraway, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, mint, curry, cilantro, thyme, basil, rosemary and mustard.
We pray for peace in the world, in our lives, in your lives.
**************
Don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or comments, visit the blog for more picture or updates. 740-448-4021 greenedgegardens@verizon.net

Next Week's Offerings

WHAT TO EXPECT IN NEXT WEEK'S SHARE
Week 3: Pick-Ups Wednesday 12/16 & Saturday 12/19

SALAD MIX
SPINACH
ASIAN GREENS (BABY PAC CHOY and/or TATSOI)
JAPANESE WHITE TURNIPS
ARUGULA
CARROTS (instead of Spaghetti Squash as previously listed)
SWEET POTATOES
YELLOW FIN POTATOES

Week 2 Newsletter

ATHENS HILLS CSA

WEEK #2

December 9, 2009

Joining us this week are the folks from the Athens Half-Shares - so another hearty welcome to them! We are constantly blessed to have such support from those so close to home. I’m reminded of Garrison Keillor’s intro sometimes – “It’s been another busy week…” For the crew here, it’s not only been busy, but cold. We were surprised to awaken to the first snow on Saturday which made our morning at market a little more interesting. But all the children who attended were filled with excitement. The winter market is the true foundation for this local market. The sense of community among those who come weekly is intense and full of laughter and jokes about frozen things. Last evening was the annual Producer Appreciation Night at the Casa Nueva Restaurant here in Athens. They are a cooperative restaurant run by people dedicated to buying and serving locally grown foods. All the crews and families from all of their local vendors are invited for amazing food and libation. It’s a party we all love. Their spaghetti squash recipe is included this week. Besides the normal tending of crops, we have been busy tending to all the equipment this week. With just one or two pieces left to go, we are fully ready to begin again in just a few short months. Kip is very thankful to have this checked off from his list. I have included the host’s contact numbers again this week along with a reminder about the Christmas and New Year’s dates and schedules for the January resumption of deliveries. AND, the date of the March Open Farm Day and Poluck is March 21^st, and not the 31^st as reported last week.

Best wishes, Becky & the crew–(Kip, Dan, Rob, Cale, John, Julia, Penny)

VEGGIES THIS WEEK:

Salad Mix – This is a blend of 5 lettuces and 1-3 mild Asian greens. We harvest this the day before your delivery. It will stay fresh for at least a week in the bag in your refriger-ator. We pick whole leaves to extend the storage time.

Sunflower Microgreens – These crunchy beauties are by far the favorite of most people. The mild, juicy flavor is a perfect complement to sandwiches, salads, pizza – or most kids love them right out of the bag.

Shiitake Mushrooms- The meaty consistency of this mushroom and its distinct flavor combine to make it a real crowd pleaser. Whether in an omelet or on a steak or marinated raw, its versatility is renown.

Arugula – This versatile green can be used raw in salads or steamed. Its peppery flavor will delight or disgust you.

Swiss Chard – Chard is the only green which we grow in all seasons. It’s mild versatile flavor works well steamed, sautéed, stir-fried or in soup.

Squash – It’s spaghetti squash this week. Check out the recipe on page 2! It’s simple and delicious!

Sweet Potatoes - We grow Beauregard sweet potatoes. These are the most common around here for their hardiness, reliability, and flavor.

You may find some items repeated this week for reminders and so that the people just joining us don’t miss the information…..

The Combo Corner from our Athens partners ~

The fruit basket this week contains BUERRE BOSC, the French heirloom pear as well as three varieties of apples: SHIZUKA, a large yellow Japanese variety; ENTERPRISE, a tart disease resistant apple, and FUJI another crisp sweet Japanese variety.

This week’s bread selection from the Village Bakery and Cafe is the UKRAINIAN RYE.

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

NEW ALBANY – 614-216-9370 3-10pm

TIBET – 614-784-8124 3-6pm

BEXLEY MARKET-614-252-3951 3-8pm

UPPER ARLINGTON-614-284-1181 2- 6pm

Please remember to call your host first if problems arise. Since they are closer to you, they can usually resolve the problem. Feel free to call us if the host is unable to help you – 740-448-4021 Thanks!

REMEMBER -------

à There are no deliveries for the dates of December 23^rd and December 30^th.

à Delivery resumes for all Full-Shares on January 6^th and Athens Half-Shares. For Columbus Half-Shares, delivery resumes on January 14^th. Athens Farmers Market pickups resume on January 9^th for both Full- and Half-Shares.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

30 mins. to prepare

serves 4-6

1 Cup grated white potato 1 Cup grated sweet potato ~these packed tightly 1 Cup grated carrot 4 beaten eggs 1/3 Cup flour 1 Teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons grated onion ¼ Cup chopped parsley juice of ½ lemon 1 crushed garlic clove fresh black pepper dash of nutmeg

Place grated sweet and white potatoes in a colander over a bowl. Salt lightly and let stand 15 minutes. Rinse and squeeze out well to get rid of all the extra water (you can save this water for soup stock). Combine all ingredients and mix well. Fry in butter in a heavy skillet until brown and crisp. Serve immediately, topped with yogurt or sour cream and fresh-chopped chives. Garnish with tomato wedges and lots of fresh, raw vegetable sticks. ~The Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie Katzen, 1977

CABBAGES AND ‘NOODLES’

by Michelle Wasserman created for the 2009 Producer Appreciation Night at the Casa Nueva Restaurant.

1 ½ Cups onions, sliced

¼ Cup butter

1 ½ Tablespoon paprika

8 Cups green cabbage, sliced

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 medium spaghetti squash

1.) Melt the butter in a large pot. When bubbly, stir in the onions and paprika. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir once or twice.

2.) Add sliced cabbage and salt; stir well; cover and cook on low heat for 50-60 minutes. Stir every 15-20 minutes.

3.) While the cabbage cooks, cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out seeds, rub the flesh with a little olive oil and place on a cookie sheet with the skin side down (so they are like cups – slicing a little from the end keeps them from rolling around). Bake at 375⁰F for 45 minutes.

4.) Let the squash cool a bit, then using a fork, shred the flesh out of the skins and into the pot of cabbage. Use a hot pad to protect your hands!

5.) Mix it all together, then eat till you burst!!

This was a hit with the folks from here, and believe me they have eaten their fair share.

Some useful tips –

Shiitake stems can be tough and savory, so before chopping the caps, remove the stems. If you can’t deal with them immediately just put them in the frig until you can. When you’re ready, simmer them for about an hour in salted water. Now the stems are soft enough to use, or throw away, but you now have a great soup base or flavoring for gravy, etc. I like to freeze this broth in small containers, and after they’re frozen, pop them in a bag, and keep them in the freezer until I need one.

To keep shiitakes at their best, keep them in the paper bag, but put the paper bag inside a plastic one. This keeps the moisture in but away from the flesh of the mushrooms.

To keep the Salad Mix crisp, try putting a piece of paper towel or cloth in the plastic bag. Just like the mushrooms, this will keep moisture in the bag but not drowning the leaves. This can also be used for the microgreens, but sunflower microgreens seem to keep well all by themselves too.

Thanks again for joining us –We love hearing your comments, so write, call, email, or blog to us. Have a great week and we hope you enjoy your share.