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.

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February 23, 2011

Week #11 February 23, 2011

      This last week has been a whirlwind of activity!  I spent one day in Columbus at a CSA conference sponsored by OEFFA.  It was gratifying to know that other CSA’s face some of the same concerns that we find ourselves dealing with.  For example,  how to explain just how much is in a share, or what should you include in your newsletter, just to name a couple.  I had the most fun talking to the two young men at my table who are both just beginning to grow commercially.  One was from Granville and the other from Cleveland.  Both had had some experiences mainly as interns in other states.  Both were eager to begin, and this conference for them was a good starting step.  I was so pleased to see such young eager faces ready to begin this adventure of growing food.  It seems their timing couldn’t be better!                                                                        Kip spent two or so days talking with the folks who always assist us when a building project looms.  Recall that we are planning to build an open-sided pole barn to give shelter to the many pieces of equipment needed for the field work.  Tractors and other implements like the disc, the potato/garlic planter and other pieces that have accumulated in the past 20-30 years will finally all be housed in the same place.  This will save much time and improve our efficiency even more.                                                                                                                                                   The article about our winter growing in Our Ohio magazine continues to generate calls from all sorts: long-lost friends and relatives, other farmers who need/want information, and the general public who would  like to come and take a look at what we are doing and how we are doing it.  Responding to all takes time since each has an individual question or comment.  Still we are grateful for the attention and publicity.  We are also seeking copies of the magazine, so if any of you have one and don’t want it, we would happily take it.  You can  just leave it at the host site when you think of it.  Thanks.                                                                                                               All of the recipes this week are from the 1977 publication, Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen.  I had forgotten about many of these recipes and was happy to be reminded of them.  I hope you find them interesting, tasty, and inspirational.
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky  (Kip, Dan, John, Rob, Cale, Julia, Penny, Guinevere, and Morgan)

Carrots -  Many of you have written to say that you agree about  t he flavor of these sweet things.  And thanks for that.  What a special flavor and treat on a gloomy winter day. 

Spinach Please refer to Week 7 for storage tips about this prize.  Loaded with Vitamin A and other things good for you, it’s easy to see why Popeye was so hearty.  Argghhh!
Kale  - One of our all-time favorites.  We love it raw, massaged, steamed, in soup, etc., etc. According to nutritiondata.com, the complete amino acid score of this food is 92 – that’s with 100 being a complete protein!
Mushrooms  -  We hope you all enjoyed the oyster mushrooms last week.  This week we’re back to shiitakes.  Truly, they are more reliable to grow, and seem to be more tolerant of the fluctuations that can occur in the grow room.
MicroMix  Microgreens  - We are so pleased to once again bring you a generous portion of the other microgreens that we grow.  Unlike the sunflower ones, these are more delicate, don’t store as well, and have the tangy flavor of cabbage and radish.  We hope you enjoy them.
TurnipsThe clamor for more  continues and we can certainly oblige.  Delicious raw, steamed, mashed or in soups, turnips are high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber.
The Combo Corner 
The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard will be the same until the season’s share ends:  Fuji, Red Delicious, and Yellow or Golden Delicious.                                                      
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Challah.  This is made from organic flour, olive oil, and local eggs.  Then it is topped with sesame seeds. 
PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS
NEW ALBANY – 614-216-9370  12-8pm
TIBET – 614-784-8124    11am-6pm
BEXLEY MARKET-614-252-3951 3-8pm
UPPER ARLINGTON- 614-506-3086 4-8pm
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!
Mushroom Barley Soup 
(6-8 servings, 1¼ hours)
½ cup raw pearled barley                                                                                         6½ cups stock or water                                                                                         ½-1 tsp. salt                                                                                                            3-4 Tbls. tamari                                                                                                      3-4 Tbls. dry sherry                                                                                                   3 Tbls. butter                                                                                                             2 cloves minced garlic                                                                                             1 heaping cup chopped onion                                                                                                          1 lb. fresh mushrooms,   sliced                                                                                  freshly ground black pepper
Cook the barley in 1½ cups of the stock or water until tender.  (Cook it right in the soup kettle.)  Add the remaining stock or water, tamari and sherry.
Sauté the onions and garlic in butter.  When they soften, add mushrooms and ½ tsp. salt.  When all is tender, add to barley, being sure to include the liquid the vegetables expressed while cooking. 
Give it a generous grinding of black pepper and simmer 20 minutes, covered over the lowest possible heat.  Taste it to correct seasoning.
from Moosewood Cookbook, Katzen, 1977
Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
from: Moosewood Cookbook, Katzen, 1977  (I actually adapted the recipe for Swiss Cheese and Mushroom Quiche to include some spinach that needed used.  It was delicious.  Hope you enjoy it too.  Becky)
This makes 1-9” pie, and by making a little more of the custard, makes 2 - 8” frozen pie shells.
* Follow you own favorite pie crust recipe
* Cover the bottom of the crust with 1½ cups grated Swiss, Gruyere is best. (I usually use cheddar or some combination of other varieties.)
* Cover cheese with:                                                                      1 medium onion and ¼ lb of mushrooms, chopped and sautéed with                    1-2 cups spinach, chopped and added at the last few minutes                                                                                 salt, pepper, & dash of thyme
* Make a custard: beat well together                                                   4 eggs        1½ cups milk     3 Tbls flour                                              ¼ tsp. salt       ¼ tsp. dry mustard
* Pour custard over mushroom layer.
* Sprinkle with paprika.  I also sprinkled parmesan cheese.  Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes, or until solid in the center when jiggled.
Variations:  1. Use fresh tomato slices instead of mushrooms (no need to sauté them) 2.  Sub 1 cup chopped scallions for the onion.  3. Add 1 tsp. prepared horseradish. 
This seems to be delicious no matter what you have to put in it.
Carrot-Mushroom Loaf
1¼ hr. to prepare including baking   4-6 servings
1 cup chopped onion                                                                                                                             4 ½ cups grated carrots                                                                                                                       1 lb. chopped mushrooms                                                                                                                    5 Eggs                                                                                                                                                      2 cloves garlic                                                                                                                                        1 cup fresh, whole wheat bread crumbs                                                                                           1 cup grated cheddar cheese                                                                                                            ¼ cup butter                                                                                                                          salt                                                                                                                               pepper                                                                                                                            basil                                                                                                                                                   thyme
Crush garlic into melting butter.  Add onions and mushrooms and sauté till soft. 
Combine all ingredients (saving half the breadcrumbs and cheese for the top).  Season to taste.
Spread into buttered oblong baking pan.  Sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs and cheese.  Dot with butter.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered, then for 5 minutes uncovered or until browned.
 (You have received enough  mushrooms and carrots to prepare ½ of this recipe which normally serves 4-6.) 
STUFFED SQUASH
For 4 servings of stuffed squash, split 2 acorn or butternut squashes lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Bake face-down on an oiled sheet for 30 minutes at 350, or until tender enough to eat.  Make your filling while the squash is baking.
Mushroom-Cheese Filling
½ lb. chopped mushrooms/ 1 cup onion/ 1 clove crushed garlic/ 1 cup cottage cheese/  ½ tsp. basil/ ½ cup chopped parsley/ salt, pepper/ ¾ cup bread crumbs or cooked rice/   2 Tbls. dry white wine/ butter
Sauté mushrooms, onions, & garlic in butter with salt and pepper until onions are soft.  Drain well (save liquid) and combine with remaining ingredients.  Fill the squash cavities amply and bake, uncovered 25-30 minutes at 350.  Baste with liquid from sauté while it bakes.


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.

1 comment:

My Miracle Baby said...

Nice guide! thank you!/I love it ! Very creative ! That's actually really cool Thanks.

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