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.

December 20, 2010

When Do Shares Resume?

When Do I Get My First Share After the Holidays?
Please remember that there will be no shares delivered on 12/22 and 12/29, so that we may spend time with our loved ones at the holidays.

Here is when you can expect your first CSA share after the holiday break:
Full Share Wednesday Members (Athens or Columbus):1/5

Half Share Columbus Members: 1/5

Full Share Saturday Members: 1/8


Half Share Athens Wednesday Members: 1/12

Half Share Saturday Members: 1/15

December 15, 2010

Week 3 Newsletter

Week #3 December 15, 2010
     Winter has definitely arrived! This week’s lower temperatures weren’t this severe until well into January last year. Fortunately, we keep our attention on the weather forecasts for up to the hour changes in highs and lows. These are the critical factors which determine whether we ‘cover-up’ with row covers, or with row-covers + plastic. These past few days have definitely included the plastic.
     Today is the last delivery of the year 2010. Delivery resumes for all Columbus members, both half- and full-share folks on January 5th. This date also include the Athens full-share folks with the Athens half-shares resuming on the 12th. Please mark your calendars!
     Three weeks ago, we were visited by the FDA (Food & Drug) inspector. His questions were a little more rigorous than the ODA (Ohio Dept. of Ag.) ones. His concerns seemed to be about traceability of products. But all of our procedures are in order, and we are now proud to say that we are a recognized on-farm proces-sor with both of these agencies. Though we don’t know (and neither did he) how the newly passed Food Safety Bill will affect small farms like ours, we feel confident that these inspections can only strengthen our ability to continue to serve our community.
     We are also thrilled to share with you that the Winter 2011 season is completely ‘SOLD OUT”. Even with our expanded availability this year, news about our program has travelled fast, and we now have many names on our ‘waiting list’ for next winter’s (2012) cycle. Thanks! Final plans for this summer’s Summer 2011 season will be finalized within the next 3-4 weeks and will be posted on the website as well as e-mailed to you. This is earlier than in past years and we are ecstatic to be able to plan for summer even as the winter is truly just getting under way.
     Don’t forget to check out the blog for pictures of your veggies, storage tips and even more recipes, some from our famous Friday Farm Lunch and from the newsletters and others sent from members: http\\:greenedgegardens.blogspot.com
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, , Rob, Cale, Julia, Penny, Guinevere

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES
Salad Mix – In the mix t his week are 7 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, and pe-tsai. The last two are mild Asian greens. This mix is best stored in an air-tight container with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any extra drops of water that can form.
Mushrooms - There are shiitake mushrooms this week. Remember to store them in a paper bag either in the crisper drawer of the frig, or with the paper bag inside a plastic one in other area of the frig.
Sunflower Microgreens - If you’re not familiar with micro-greens, you are in for a surprise! Unlike sprouts (which are only grown in water), these are grown in soil and therefore im-part the nutritional additions from the soil. These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy.
Sweet Potatoes – It was a bum-per crop this year! Baking them whole inside of aluminum foil is a new way I’ve tried this year. It seems to keep more of the mois-ture in the potato. Other ways – wash, dry, and grease the skin for baking (w/o foil), steam them, grated them for ‘roasties’.
Butternut Squash – These store wonderfully in a cool, dark area so don’t feel that this must be used immediately. Recent reading of recipes showed me a new way to peel the squash before cooking. Split it and place the cut side down and use a parer – sure beats trying to peel in whole!
Collards - Sweet and crunchy is the best way to describe the flavor of the stems of thee beauties. And the greens are amazing in soups or stir-fried. These need a little longer cooking time than some of the other greens.
Swiss Chard - By far, this is the mildest flavored green we grow. This mildness is what makes it such a perennial favorite with our cus-tomers.

The Combo Corner

The apple selections from Cherry Orchard are: Melrose ("The Ohio Apple"), Golden Delicious and Fuji.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Ukrainian Rye - rich with house made sour cream made from Snowville Cream, and lightly strewn with caraway seeds, this is a traditional recipe from Ukraine, often used to make little rolls called Balabusky. Makes wonderful egg salad sandwiches!

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS
NEW ALBANY – 614-216-9370 3-10pm
TIBET – 614-784-8124 11am-6pm
BEXLEY MARKET-614-252-3951 3-8pm
UPPER ARLINGTON- 614-284-1188 2- 6pm
CLINTONVILLE COOP – 614-261-3663 11 am-8 pm
PLATES STUDIO –DUBLIN - 614-336-9502 4-8 pm
HYACINTH BEAN – 740-594-9302 12-6pm
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!
Already it is time for me to start nagging about the return of the green bags. This is important. Please help us with this. The bags represent your and our commitments to les-sening the burden of packaging, but it only works when the bags are returned. If you have trouble with remembering, try bringing your own bags with you to pickup and simply transfer the veggies to your bags and leave ours at the pickup site. It could work.
 
RECIPES
COLLARD GREENS SOUP

1/2 c. Northern beans
2 qt. water
1 sm. ham bone
1 sm. ham hock
½ lb. beef short ribs
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
2 potatoes, diced
1 bunch fresh collard greens, chopped
½ onion, chopped
½ green pepper, chopped
1 blood sausage (Mor zilla)
3 tbsp. bacon drippings
Soak beans overnight. In a large pot put water, ham bone, ham hock, short ribs, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to boil, remove foam with a skimmer. Lower heat and simmer approximately 30 minutes. Add beans and cook until tender. Add potatoes and collard greens. Sauté onion, green pepper and sausage (cut in 3 pieces) in the bacon drippings. When onion is soft, add to collard greens. Bring to boil and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. (This eliminates bitterness from greens.) Cover the pot and simmer until potatoes and greens are done.
~from cooks.com

HADLEY'S NO PORK LOW CHOLESTEROL COLLARD GREENS
1 med. onion, peeled & whole
2 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. hot sauce (Louisiana style)
2 lg. smoked turkey wings
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. Promise butter
2 lg. bags fresh chopped collards or 2 bunches fresh collard greens
1. Chop greens by cutting up leaves until very small.
2. Start to a boil 1 quart water with turkey wings and butter and onion. Add greens and cook medium high for 1 hour. Add hot sauce, vinegar, sugar and continue to cook until tender, 30 minutes or more.
~from cooks.com

ALL THINGS SWEET (potato)
Sweet potatoes usually cook faster than Irish potatoes. They also get mushy when overcooked. It’s a good thing they taste so good! Whole potatoes will bake in about 45-60 minutes, while sliced potatoes can sauté in 5-8 minutes.
Store them in a warm (55-60F) place with a humidity of 75-80 %. Or you can parboil them for 2-3 minutes and then freeze. Don’t store in a refrigerator as they will develop soft spots.

SWEET POTATOES IN GINGERHONEY SAUCE
2 Tbl. minced fresh ginger root 1 tsp. ground cardamom 2 Tbl. lemon juice 3 Tbl. honey 2 Tbl. butter salt 1 ½ Cups water 6 cups cubed sweet potatoes
In a large sauté pan, simmer the ginger, cardamom, lemon juice, honey, butter, salt, and wa-ter for 2 minutes. Add the cubed sweet potatoes and simmer gently until the potatoes are just tender, 6-8 minutes. Serve immediately.

SWEET POTATO CURRY SOUP
3 Tbl. vegetable oil or butter
1 cup chopped onion
8 cups cubed sweet potatoes
1 cup water
1 tsp curry powder
½ cup cider
4 cups milk
salt and white pepper
In a large soup pot, heat the oil, and sauté the onion until limp, 3-5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, water, and curry. Simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes. Cool the soup slightly. Puree in a blender or food processor, adding the cider and milk. Add more milk if you prefer a thinner soup. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Reheat and serve.
 ~ from Joy of Gardening Cookbook, Ballantyne, 1984

December 10, 2010

Veggie List for Week 3

Veggie List for Shares Delivered Wednesday, 12/8 and Saturday, 12/15

Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Collard Greens
Swiss Chard
Sunflower Microgreens
Salad Mix
Shiitake Mushrooms

December 8, 2010

December 8th Newsletter

Week #2 December 8, 2010


Welcome one and all to the 2nd week of the Winter 2011 season. With this week, a special welcome to all of the Columbus Half-share folks. We’re thrilled and thankful to be here with you again. We are also thrilled to announce that we are completely full! We are now entering people onto our Waiting List! Hopefully you have received your confirmation letter in the post. Please read it with care as there are many topics discussed, and you will find the answers to the most-often-asked questions. Also, please let us know if your share descrip-tion is wrong. These letters are our way of double-checking with you; we may just have sent the wrong letter by mistake, but if you don’t tell us, we can’t fix it.

Also, think of your share in terms of ‘Athens’ or ‘Columbus’, and then as ‘full’ or ‘half’-share. Many of our messages will define folks by those terms, so it’s good to know which group you are in. Thanks so much. As before, your newsletter will be emailed to you every Wednesday morning, and can also be found on the blog: www.greenedgegardens.blogspot.com We update the pictures weekly, so check out your veggies and the crew. If you prefer NOT to receive the newsletter by email, just let us know and we’ll be happy to remove your ad-dress from the list. Since this is just the 2nd delivery and newsletter for this season, we wanted to include reminders about some upcoming dates:

There are no deliveries for the dates of December 22nd and December 29th.
Deliveries resume:
January 5th - ALL Full-Shares Cols. & Athens; Cols. Half-Shares
January 8th - Athens Farmers Mkt Full
January 12th- Athens Half-shares HyB.
January 15th – Athens Mkt Half-shares

The drastic drop in temperatures this week has thrown the crew into hyper-winter mode. Constant monitoring of projected temperatures and precipitation rules the work. Daily covering and uncovering of the greenhouses takes 2 people at least 45 minutes for either of these tasks.
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Rob, Cale, Julia, Penny, and Guinevere)


THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES
Butternut Squash – These win-ter squash are just bursting with flavor. They can be a little daunt-ing to handle, but the insides are definitely worth it.
Potatoes - Kennebec is the va-riety of potato in the shares this week. They are a ‘full-service’ potato – bake, boil, steam, or fry.
Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, and pe-tsai. The last two are mild Asian greens. This mix is best stored in an air-tight container with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any extra drops of water that can form.
Tatsoi – Tatsoi is a mild Asian green. We have put the thinnings in salad mix, but now they are grown and can be used as any other green. The stems are tender enough to eat raw, so when cook-ing these, don’t expect it to take a long time.
Pe-tsai – You may recognize this green in a smaller size in the salad mix. Very mild and juicy, try it in a broth soup like miso, or just cook it as a green. Recipe on page 2.
Arugula - This versatile green can be used raw in salads or steamed. Its pep-pery flavor will delight or disgust. Recipe on pg. 2
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. Storage information on the 2nd page.
Sunflower Microgreens - If you’re not familiar with micro-greens, you are in for a surprise! Unlike sprouts (which are only grown in water), these are grown in soil and therefore im-part the nutritional additions from the soil. These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy.

The Combo Corner
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the French Galette
The milk share is not usually mentioned here since each member orders the type of milk wanted.

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

NEW ALBANY – 614-216-9370 12-8 pm
TIBET – 614-784-8124 12 pm-6 pm
BEXLEY MARKET-614-252-3951 3-8 pm
UPPER ARLINGTON 614-506-3086 4-8 pm *new location; see address in letter
CLINTONVILLE COOP – 614-261-3663 2-8 pm
PLATES –DUBLIN - 614-336-9502 4-8 pm
HYACINTH BEAN – 740-594-9302 1-6 pm
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!

Mushroom Storage

When you find your mushrooms, note whether they have come to you in paper or plastic. If they are in paper, then simply put that bag in a plastic bag to keep their moisture. However, if you worry that you won’t use them in time, don’t use the plastic and keep them in the paper bag in the crisper drawer of the frig. This way simply lets them dry. Basically, excess moisture can cause them to decay much quicker. The length of time you keep them is also critical. I have found paper bags of (now dried) mushrooms weeks after I put them in the drawer. They were dry, but still worked well in sauces and stir-frys.


Recipes
MISO SOUP WITH CABBAGE (Pe-tsai), CARROTS, AND MUSHROOMS
Chopped onions (6 scallions?)
Chopped garlic (4 buds?)
Chopped celery (2 stalks?)
Stock, broth, or water (1/3 cup?)
Sauté veggies in small amount of stock, broth or water until onions caramelize and liquid nearly eva-porates (about 12 minutes in my microwave - check often), stovetop works fine too.

Use a 2 quart pot.
1 head Napa cabbage or Pe-tsai, chopped in big pieces (2" x width of leaf)
thin diagonally sliced carrots (10 tiny ones?)
4 oz of sliced fresh shitake caps
4 cups stock, broth, or water
Add these to sautéed veggies and simmer until cabbage is not quite done (you're going to cook some more in the next step and want it a little crunchy when you're all done).

8 tablespoons cornstarch
water as necessary to dissolve it
Mix till smooth, add a little hot liquid from soup, and return to soup pot. Simmer until it thickens. (I think I could have used more cornstarch here so it would have thickened more quickly.

2 big tablespoons miso (I used Mellow Red Miso, but I bet any salty or mellow miso would be good. If you are unfamiliar with the intensity of your kind of miso, you might start with one tablespoon!)
Thin miso with water, gradually stirring until you have a liquid (no lumps!), then stir into soup. Cook one minute. Do not boil.
Add a jolt of balsamic vinegar (or something else! or nothing) and serve this with fresh bread or cornbread - unbelievable!
Makes 4 good-sized servings with under 1 gram fat each.
~from fatfree.com

Linguine with Arugula, Pine Nuts, and Parmesan Cheese
1 pound linguine
½ cup olive oil
4 ounces arugula, trimmed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add arugula and stir until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Re-move from heat.
3. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add arugula and toss well. Add 1 cup Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste; toss well.
4. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately, adding additional Parmesan, if desired.
~from seasonalchef.com

ARUGULA, BLUE CHEESE & LEMON SIDE SALAD

At last Saturday’s market in Athens, one of our customers told us about a wonderful and simple way to enjoy arugula. Wash, dry, and chop the arugula leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Toss in some crumbled blue cheese. So, I tried it. WOW! I made it again and tried to come up with some idea of quantities:
1 bunch of arugula, chopped
¼ Cup crumbled blue cheese
1-2 Tbl olive oil, drizzled 1-2 Tbl lemon juice, drizzled

One interesting thing about this vegetable is the three separate reactions from the 3 people who shared this dish. One of us could taste nothing but the lemon juice, another could only taste the arugula, and another, thought the ratio very balanced. I guess this is what makes cooking so challenging.

WILTED TATSOI           
 Tatsoi is very similar to spinach in texture and cooking – a little heat can go a long way.  Try these savory leaves with a little sesame oil and garlic in the skillet.  Sauté garlic with the sesame oil, then add a little mustard and some dashes of vinegar.  Whisk together to blend a little sauce. Then add the tatsoi stems and leaves.  Simmer for a few minutes until the tatsoi is tender-crisp.  Serve over rice or as a side dish by itself

December 3, 2010

Week 2 Offerings

Veggie List for Week 2:
Deliveries Wednesday 12/8 and Saturday 12/11

Salad Mix
Tatsoi
Pe-tsai
Arugula
Shiitake Mushrooms
Sunflower Microgreens
Kennebec Potatoes
Butternut Squash

December 1, 2010

Newsletter for Week 1

  Welcome one and all to the 1st week of the Winter 2011 season. We’re thrilled and thankful to be here with you again. Hopefully you have received your confirmation letter in the post. Please read it with care as there are many topics discussed, and you will find the answers to the most-often-asked questions. Also, please let us know if your share description is wrong. These letters are our way of double-checking with you; we may just have sent the wrong letter by mistake, but if you don’t tell us, we can’t fix it. Also, think of your share in terms of ‘Athens’ or ‘Columbus’, and then as ‘full’ or ‘half’-share. Many of our messages will define folks by those terms, so it’s good to know which group you are in. Thanks so much.
  Beautiful days in the break time have allowed us to catch up on several tasks. All of the endwalls on the greenhouses have been replaced; the side walls are battened; the extra lintels that have been languishing unused in an empty field have been retrieved and are now in use; all of the covers, both cloth and plastic are in placed in the houses should the temperatures drop drastically. Yet with all of that done, Kip’s list of “little projects” just seems to grow daily.
  As before, your newsletter will be emailed to you every Wednesday morning, and can also be found on the blog: www.greenedgegardens.blogspot.com We update the pictures weekly, so check out your veggies and the crew. If you prefer NOT to receive the newsletter by email, just let us know and we’ll be happy to remove your ad-dress from the list. Since this is the 1st delivery and news- letter for this season, we wanted to include reminders about some upcoming dates:


There are no deliveries for the dates of December 22nd and December 29th.

Delivery resumes:
January 5th - ALL Full-Shares Cols. & Athens; Cols. Half-Shares.
January 8th - Athens Farmers Mkt Full
January 12th- Athens Half-shares HyB.
January 15th – Athens Mkt Half-shares

From all of us at Green Edge, Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Rob, Cale, Julia, Penny, and Guinevere)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES
Japanese White Turnips - We are so pleased to have these little treasures for you this week. Milder than traditional turnips, these are fabulous grated raw into salad, as veg-gie strips with dip, or just by themselves. They can also be used in any recipe that uses turnips.  Recipe below.

Potatoes - Kennebec is the variety of potato in the shares this week. They are a ‘full-service’ potato – bake, boil, steam, or fry.

Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, and pe-tsai. The last two are mild Asian greens. This mix is best stored in an air-tight container with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any extra drops of water that can form.

Mustard – This spicy green can be used raw for a tangy kick in dips or salads, but is also a tangy addition to soups and stir-frys. Recipe below

Pe-tsai – You may recognize this green in a smaller size in the salad mix. Very mild and juicy, try it in a broth soup like miso, or just cook it as a green. Recipe below

Arugula - This versatile green can be used raw in salads or steamed. Its peppery flavor will delight or disgust. Recipe below

Mushrooms - The meaty consistency of this mu-shroom 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.

Sunflower Microgreens - If you’re not familiar with mi-crogreens, you are in for a surprise! Unlike sprouts (which are only grown in water), these are grown in soil and therefore impart the nutritional additions from the soil. These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy.

The Combo Corner
The apple selections from Neil Cherry Orchards this week are Cameo and Golden Delicious.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Bo’s Brown Bread, a selection made with 100% whole grains.
The milk share is not usually mentioned here since each member orders the type of milk wanted.

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

NEW ALBANY – 614-216-9370 12-8 pm
TIBET – 614-784-8124 12 pm-6 pm
BEXLEY MARKET-614-252-3951 3-8 pm
UPPER ARLINGTON 614-506-3086 4-8 pm *new location; see address in letter
CLINTONVILLE COOP – 614-261-3663 2-8 pm
PILATES –DUBLIN - 614-336-9502 4-8 pm
HYACINTH BEAN – 740-594-9302 1-6 pm
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!

RECIPES
Japanese Turnips With Miso
3 Tablespoons White Miso
3 Tablespoons Butter, Softened, Divided
3 lbs Japanese Turnips with greens
1 1/3 cup Water
2 Tablespoons Sweet Rice Wine

Stir together miso and 2 Tablespoons of butter.
Discard turnip stems and coarsely chop leaves. Halve turnips (leave whole if tiny) and put in a 12-inch heavy skillet along with water, mirin, remaining tablespoon butter, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then boil, covered, 10 minutes.
Add greens by handfuls, turning and stirring with tongs and adding more as volume in skillet reduces. Cover and cook 1 minute. Uncover and continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until turnips are tender and liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Stir in miso butter and cook 1 minute.

-from www.Epicurious.com
Thanks to Helen J. for pointing out this recipe!

Curried Mustard Greens with Kidney Beans 1 bunch mustard greens 1 tablespoon ghee (clari- fied butter) 2 med. shallots, chopped 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root 1 pinch red pepper flakes 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans drained and rinsed 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce 2 teaspoons curry powder ½ cup half and half
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place greens in the pot, cover, and cook 7 minutes, or just until tender. Drain, and rinse under cold water.
2. Heat the ghee in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the shallots until lightly brown. Stir in ginger, and season with red pepper. Mix in greens, kidney beans, tomato sauce, and curry powder. Stir in the half and half, and continue cooking until heated through.
3. Serve over rice, if desired.

~from allrecipes.com

MUSTARD GREEN CASSEROLE

2 c. boiled mustard greens
1 med. onion
1/2 lb. bacon
1 egg
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. Bisquick
1 1/4 c. milk
Boil mustard greens until very tender and drain. Cut the bacon in pieces and fry until it begins to crisp. Set aside.
Sauté onions in bacon drippings. Drain all the bacon drippings from the onions. Mix mustard, onion, and bacon and spread in a pie plate. Set aside.
Beat the egg in a separate bowl and add 1/4 cup milk. Add the cornmeal, Bisquick and the rest of the milk, a little at a time. Mix well and pour over mustard mixture. Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
(Sorry about the ‘Bisquick’ ingredient, but you can probably substitute flour and baking powder and baking soda for it.) ed.’s note


MISO SOUP WITH CABBAGE (Pe-tsai), CARROTS, AND MUSHROOMS


*Chopped onions (6 scallions?)
*Chopped garlic (4 buds?)
*Chopped celery (2 stalks?)
*Stock, broth, or water (1/3 cup?)
Sauté veggies in small amount of stock, broth or water until onions caramelize and liquid nearly evaporates (about 12 minutes in my microwave - check often), stovetop works fine too.
Use a 2 quart pot.
*1 head Napa cabbage or Pe-tsai, chopped in big pieces (2" x width of leave)
*thin diagonally sliced carrots (10 tiny ones?)
*4 oz of sliced fresh shitake caps
*4 cups stock, broth, or water
Add these to sautéed veggies and simmer until cabbage is not quite done (you're going to cook some
more in the next step and want it a little crunchy when you're all done).
*8 tablespoons cornstarch *water as necessary to dissolve it
Mix till smooth, add a little hot liquid from soup, and return to soup pot. Simmer until it thickens. (I think I could have used more cornstarch here so it would have thickened more quickly.
*2 big tablespoons miso (I used Mellow Red Miso, but I bet any salty or mellow miso would be good. If you are unfamiliar with the intensity of your kind of miso, you might start with one tablespoon!)
Thin miso with water, gradually stirring until you have a liquid (no lumps!), then stir into soup. Cook one minute. Do not boil.
*Add a jolt of balsamic vinegar (or something else! or nothing) and serve this with fresh bread or cornbread - unbelievable!
Makes 4 good-sized servings with under 1 gram fat each.
~from fatfree.com

Linguine with Arugula, Pine Nuts, and Parmesan Cheese
1 pound linguine
1/2 cup olive oil
4 ounces arugula, trimmed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add arugula and stir until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
3. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add arugula and toss well. Add 1 cup Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste; toss well.
4. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve imme-diately, adding additional Parmesan, if desired.
~from seasonalchef.com