Week 11 Newsletter

Athens Hills CSA
With Labor Day just around the corner, activities here at the farm have kicked into high gear. Rob and Marie have begun training the new CSA coordinator. Liz replaces Marie, who is moving. Liz has just returned from Vermont where she was working for the Green Mountain Farm to School program. Great timing since we are participating in a Farm-to-School grant for one of the elementary schools in Athens this school year. Rob is also training Cale who has returned to become our new mushroom grower. We are relieved to have both of these positions filled with such great people! And not a moment too soon… We try to help gather statistics for research projects when we can. This week I am including a link to a survey by Joseph Vaillancourt, a graduate teaching assistant in Agricultural Communications from OSU: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/osucsastudy Joseph will be sharing the results from this study on CSA’s with us and other CSA’s who are participating. We’ll share them with you when we receive them. Thanks for taking some time to answer these questions. Farm work continues with more of the same – weeding, planting, transplanting, harvesting, and packing. An amazing discovery was made through on-farm experimentation. The basil disease that came through a few weeks ago has been eliminated. We are monitoring the crop, but it appears that by closing the greenhouse where it is growing, the temperature is raised high enough to kill the fungus without harming the basil. This is welcome news since there in no spray that will kill it. Calls and emails from folks interested in the Winter 2012 cycle continue to come in daily. Monday’s staff meeting concluded that we will expand the shares available for this winter season. That decision means building another greenhouse bringing the total in production to 9. Watch for pictures of this new project on the blog. Several folks have called about coming for a tour. Just give a call ahead to be sure someone will be here to show you around and answer your questions.
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, Kurt, Maria, John, Rob, Cale, Marie, Penny, Guinevere, Diedra, Bethany, Alicia, Corey, and Liz

This Week's Veggies
Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce. We are so excited to have this back for your enjoyment!
Mushrooms - Shiitakes are available for all this week. Don’t forget you can simmer those stems in salted water for a rich broth. Freeze the broth for a rich soup this fall.
Sunflower Microgreens - If you’re not familiar with microgreens, 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.
Beets - Their roots are soooo delicious & sweet and the leaves are vitamin-packed and wonderful sautéed as you might do with any of our greens—a little butter or olive oil and some garlic and onion helps to makes this veggie into a great side dish.
Swiss Chard - This green is the summer stand-by. Versatile, mild, and nutritious with a low glycemic load although a little high in sodium. Stir-fry or sauté are just a few of its uses.
Summer Squash – There is about 1 lb. in the bag this week. We grow several varieties. Look on the blog for pictures to identify the types
Eggplant - We have included a pound of eggplant this week. The varieties include Nubia (striped), Orient Express (dark purple) and Peng Tung(pink tongue?) Don’t bother to peel them; the skins are tender. Try the chunks on a shish kabob.
Long Beans – The traditional bean for Schezuan green beans. These hold up to stir-fry and keep a gentle crunch, but can also be steamed, boiled, sautéed, or eaten raw. Great green bean flavor!

The Combo Corner
The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard this week include Crest Haven peaches, Bartlett pears, and a seeded heirloom grape called Fredonia. It is similar to the more familiar Concord grape.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Italian Wheat.
This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is their brand new variety of mozzarella from the Snowville cows. We are excited to taste this for ourselves!

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!

Please keep those green bags coming home!

OSU/Ag Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/osucsastudy
Please take a moment and answer these questions.


Recipes
Glazed Long Beans
Ingredients:
½ lb. Chinese long beans 2 Tbs. butter 2 Tbs. sliced scallions 1 Tbs. fresh minced garlic Pinch of red pepper flakes ½ C. chicken stock 1 Tbs. ho-ney 1 Tbs. se-same oil Salt and freshly cracked black pepper 2 Tbs. sesame seeds, opt
Directions:
In a large pot of boiling water, blanch long beans for 2 minutes until slightly tender. Allow to cool. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add butter. Add scallions, ginger, and garlic. Mix together. Add red pepper flakes and long beans. Allow to cook for a few minutes. Stir in chicken stock, honey and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add sesame seeds, if desired. Mix together.
~from Aaron McCargo, jr. @ foodnetwork.com
There is a recipe for Schezuan Green Beans in the Week #8 newsletter.

GRILLED ORIENTAL EGGPLANT
Ingredients:
4 Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup dry sherry 2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil 3 cloves finely mince garlic Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted lightly
Directions:
Place eggplant is a large shallow baking dish. Mix together the soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the eggplant and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat grill. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper to taste and grill on each side or 3 minutes, basting occasionally with the remaining marinade. Serve topped with the toasted sesame seeds.
~from Bobby Flay @ foodnetwork.com

STIR-FRIED ASIAN EGGPLANT
INGREDIENTS:
4 Asian eggplants 2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 hot red chile peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS:
Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, then cut diagonally into ½-inch slices. Cover the eggplants with water, add the salt, and stir to dissolve the salt. Soak the eggplants for 5 minutes, then drain well.
In a small bowl, mix the oyster sauce with the sugar and sesame oil and set aside.
Heat a wok or non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil, garlic, chile peppers, and eggplants and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and continue stir-frying for 2 more minutes. Add the oyster sauce mixture and stir well to mix. Remove to a platter and serve hot or cold.
~from Katie Chin, Everyday Chinese Cooking, 2000

Shiitake Mushrooms and Beets
Ingredients:
2 medium beets 8-10 mushrooms 1 teaspoon minced ginger 1 tablespoon soy sauce ½ teaspoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds (for garnish) ½ teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes, or to taste Salt and pepper to taste
Method: Slice the beets in half and boil for about 30 minutes or until tender. Cool.
Puree or mash beets and add ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Remove stems from mushrooms so that cap cam be stuffed.
Place mushrooms in a pan and sppon stuffing in the the mushroom caps.
Place in the oven at 375 F. for about 20 minutes or steam for about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 2.
~shostiok.com

Farro with Shitake Mushrooms and Beets
2 tablespoons olive ol, divided 1 shallot, minced 1 cup slice shiitake mushrooms 1 garlic clove, minced 2 cups faro, rinsed and drained 2 cups chicken stock (or water ) ¼ cup soy sauce 2-3 medium beets, peeled, cut in ¼” dice Salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Heat 1 tbs. olive oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or large sau-cepan. Add shallot and sauté until translucent. Add mushrooms and sauté until they soften, 2 minutes. Add garlic and stir briefly until fragrant. Add farro and cook, stirring to coat the grains and prevent sticking, 1-2 minutes. Add chicken stock, soy sauce, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until farro is tender but chewy, about 20 minutes Add chicken stock ¼ cup at a time, to achieve desired consistency. When farro is cooking, heat 1 tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add beets and sprinkle with salt. Sauté until tender and golden brown, 6-8 minutes.
To serve, toss faro with the beets and parsley. Garnish with feta cheese. Serve at room temperature. ~from tastefoodblog.com

Week 11 Veggie List

Sunflower Microgreens
Mushrooms
Beets
Slicer Tomatoes
Eggplant
Swiss Chard
Long Beans
Summer Squash
Salad Mix

Week 10 Newsletter

Athens Hills CSA
A record eight cases of tomatoes are being delivered for canning this week. Good Work People! There is nothing like opening canned tomatoes on a cold winter day to bring the memories of the sunny bright summer. And the flavor of your love comes shining through too! You may have noticed that there hasn’t been basil in the shares recently. (And maybe that’s okay for some…) The reason is that the powdery mildew returned this season. This disease was first identified in Europe and came to the USA in seeds planted in Florida. It came to Ohio for the first time last season and destroyed the basil crop. The same has happened this year so the basil is gone early this year too. The work force for the fall has begun to change with John heading off to teach school during the week, but coming back to the farm on Saturdays; Bethany has moved into his position, and a new intern, Corey, joins us in Bethany’s spot. More changes will take place in the next few weeks, and we’ll let you know about those as they happen. In the meantime, the crew is busy with the regular routines of weeding, watering, harvesting, and packing. To that we are adding field preparations for fall transplants of greens and seeding roots like beets and turnips. Soon, Dan will be mixing another batch of potting soil for the seeds that will become the transplants for winter greenhouse greens.. In the last few weeks, we have received several calls about the Open Farm Day that we had to cancel. Currently, we have no plans for an event in the fall. But as members in the CSA, all you have to do is call and let us know when you want to visit. We will give you a tour of your veggies and explain all of the different systems we have in place. Just remember to call first to make sure that someone will be here to show you around and explain things. If you’re looking for a great little weekend, visit the nationally-acclaimed Athens Farmers Market on Saturday (10am-1pm year round); to the farm for tours; enjoy one of the many locally-owned restaurants, visit Shade Winery; and stay in one of the many B & B’s scattered throughout these beautiful rolling hills. Enjoy your week!
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Maria, Kurt, Rob, Marie, Penny, Guinevere, Diedra, Bethany, Alicia, and Corey)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES
Sunflower Microgreens - If you’re not familiar with microgreens, 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.
Beets - Their roots are soooo delicious  sweet and the leaves are vitamin-packed and wonderful sautéed as you might do with any of our greens—a little butter or olive oil and some garlic and onion helps to makes this veggie into a great side dish.
Mushrooms - This week you receive either oyster or shiitake.
Swiss Chard - This green is the summer stand-by. Verstaile, mild, and nutritious with a low glycemic load although a little high in sodium. Stir-fry or sauté are just a few of its uses.
Sweet Peppers – We grow a variety of sweet peppers, and your shares will reflect that variety. For the names of each, just refer to the blog where they are labeled with a picture… One hot pepper is included in the bag of tomatoes.
Slicer Tomatoes - Round and red are these hybrid beauties. They are easier to transport, and store than their fragile heirlooms cousins. They are firm enough for chunking into salads or slicing for the ultimate sandwich.
Cherry Tomatoes – we grow both Sweet 100 (red) and Sungold (orange tomato candy). We usually mix them, and hope you enjoy them that way.
Summer Squash – There is about 1 lb. in the bag this week. The squash plants are slowing down, so there might not be squash-a-plenty much longer. We grow several varieties. Look on the blog for pictures of each with the name.

The Combo Corner
The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard this week include the first of the Bartlett pears (best eaten when golden), yellow juicy peaches, and the last of the blackberries. The share is topped with a cluster of blue seedless grapes.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the Harvest Wheat. This variety also has some cornmeal besides the flour.
This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is Smokey Goat.

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!

There are still canning tomatoes available for next week’s delivery. But this may be the last one as the plants are slowing their production. Let Becky know by next Monday, the 29th if you are interested in a delivery for the 31st.
Thanks!

And keep returning those green bags. They make our world go round and round!


Recipes
Several weeks ago, a member from Upper Arlington sent a link from the NY Times – a recipe for squash (We can all use more of those!) I finally remembered to include it in the newsletter. So, here it is:
GREEK BAKED SQUASH OMELET
2 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil 1 leek all parts, cleaned and chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced ¾ lb. squash, cut into ¼ - 1/3-inch dice Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste ¼ cup chopped fresh dill 2 Tbls. chopped fresh mint 8 Eggs ½ cup drained yogurt or thick Greek-style yo gurt ¼ cup freshly grated parme- san cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 350o.
2. Heat 1Tbl of the oil over me-dium heat in a large, heavy skil-let. Add the leek and cook, stir-ring, until tender, about three minutes. Add the garlic, stir together until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the squash. Cook, stirring until tender, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the dill and the mint. Remove from the heat.
3. Place the remaining tbls of oil in a 2-quart casserole or in a 9” cast iron skillet, brush the side of the pan with the oil and place in the oven. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, Whisk in the yogurt and the parmesan. Stir in the squash mixture.
4. Remove the baking dish from the oven and scrape in the egg ixture. Place in the oven, and bake 30 minutes or until puffed and lightly colored. Allow to cool for at lest 10 minutes be-fore serving. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Thanks Stephen – It sounds delicious! - br

Swiss Chard Omelet
“Alain Allegretti, chef of the Allegretti restaurant, was on the Martha Stewart show to teach us how to make a delicious swiss chard omelet or trouchia recipe. What was so exciting about this recipe is that it is actually a healthy version of an omelet because the use of so much swiss chard means that there are less eggs in the omelet. I may just try this recipe with egg beaters too, since I’m trying to be very healthy these days. Alain Allegretti’s Recipe for Trouchia or Swiss Chard Omelet”
Ingredients:
- 8 Eggs
- 8 cups Swiss Chard Leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 1/3 cups Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tsp coarse salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- black pepper
Directions:
1. In the largest bowl that you have, whisk eight eggs (or I will be trying egg beaters).
2. Mix in your thinly sliced swiss chard, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and peppers.
3. Combine well.
4. Warm a 10″ nonstick skillet to medium heat, and add a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
5. Add your mixture to the skillet. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low.
6. After around 10-12 minutes, flip the skillet over with the lid still on top. This is such a great Martha Moment tip on how to flip an omelet!!! When you flip the skillet over with the lid still on top, then the omelet is lying on the lid, and you can just slide the omelet back into the pan without it breaking… now I won’t have problems flipping omelets!!!
7. Cook the next side for a few minutes.
8. The best way to plate this is to cut two small triangles, and kind of overlay the tips of the triangles on the plate to add some height. ~from marthamoments.com

Swiss Chard with Beets, Goat Cheese, and Raisins
1 1/2 pounds red beets (about 3 large)
4 pounds Swiss chard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large red onion, halved lengthwise, cut thinly crosswise
3/4 cup sliced green onions (about 3)
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeño chiles, thinly sliced crosswise with seeds
3 14 1/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons golden raisins
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 51/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets individually in foil. Roast until beets are tender, about 1 hour. Cool. Peel beets, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.) Fold Swiss chard leaves in half lengthwise and cut stalks away from leaves. Cut leaves coarsely into 1-inch pieces. Slice stalks thinly crosswise. Reserve stalks and leaves separately. Cook chopped leaves in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 1 minute. Drain and reserve. Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add sliced stalks; sauté until starting to soften, about 8 minutes.
Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sauté 3 minutes. Add drained tomatoes and 1 cup raisins. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Add chard leaves to pot; stir to heat through. Remove from heat; add lime juice and stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer chard mixture to large platter. Sprinkle with beets, goat cheese, pine nuts, and remaining 2 tablespoons raisins. Serve warm or at room temperature.
from epricuriouse.com

Crispy Grits with Sweet-and-Sour Beets and Mushrooms
3 large golden or red beets (1 1/4 pounds)
1 ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
1 ½ cups stone-ground white grits
3 cups milk
3 cups water
Salt 6 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
Freshly ground pepper
½ pound mushrooms, trimmed and thickly sliced
1 thyme sprig
2 tablespoons dry white wine
3 large shallots, thinly sliced ¼ cup white wine vinegar
 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup snipped chives
1 cup rice flour 1
 cup baby greens, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Line a 9-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap. (This is to form the grits.)
Rub the beets lightly with olive oil and wrap individually in foil.
Bake the beets for about 1 hour, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a medium enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven, whisk the grits with the milk, water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Cover the grits and bake in the oven for about 50 minutes, stirring 3 or 4 times.
The grits are done when they're tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
Whisk 6 tablespoons of the butter and the egg yolk into the grits. Season with pepper.
Spoon the grits into the prepared baking dish and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Peel the roasted beets and cut them into 1-inch pieces.
Transfer the beet pieces to a large bowl. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until shimmering.
Add the mushrooms and thyme sprig and season with salt and pepper.
Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
Add the wine and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter and cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 1 minute.
Add the mushrooms to the beets.
Discard the thyme sprig.
Wipe out the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat un-til shimmering.
Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.
Add the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and cook until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
Stir in 1/4 cup of the olive oil and add to the beets and mu-shrooms.
Stir in the chives and season with salt and pepper.
Spread the rice flour on a plate.
Turn the grits out onto a work surface; discard the plastic.
Cut the grits in half, then cut each half into eight narrow 4 1/2-inch-long rec-tangles. Dust the grits with rice flour.
Divide the remaining 1 cup plus 1 table-spoon of olive oil between 2 large nonstick skillets and heat until shimmering.
Add the grit cakes and fry over moderately high heat until golden and crisp all over, about 8 minutes total.
Drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt. Transfer the cakes to a platter and top with the sweet-and-sour beets and mushrooms. Garnish with the baby greens and serve.
from FoodAndWine.com

Week 10 Veggie List

Sunflower Microgreens
Shitake Mushrooms
Summer Squash
Slicer Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Swiss Chard
Peppers
Beets

Week 9 Newsletter

Athens Hills CSA

The Athens County Fair closed for this year last Saturday. I love county fairs. They are a celebration of all things rural – from 4-H to Grange, grandstand events to the rides, car fights to harness racing, you can see and interact with lots of different people than from everyday life. What a hodge-podge of human beings! In my childhood, lots of women from the area would submit their entries for judging in the different contests for pies, pickles, or preserves – or maybe cakes, quilts, or clothing. In that time, most women were home-makers so this was their time for recognition. I just wish we all still knew what they knew about preserving food for our families for a year. So speaking of preserving, many folks have had us deliver canning tomatoes last week and this week. There will still be more available next week too, but if you still want some or some more, let Becky know soon so she can add your name to the ever-growing list. On the farm, there is still weeding, watering, and planting to do. The ‘early basil’ house is being turned for the next planting of ‘winter salad mix’. The fall greens are being transplanted into the newly tilled fields, and more salad mix, herbs, beets, spinach, and Asian greens are being seeded. Thankfully, there was some rain this weekend and yesterday. It has been so dry that we had to water so that we could weed the beds. Now that’s dry! We continue to work on the projects like finishing the equipment shed, mowing fields, and breaking ground in new fields for next season. Plans for the Winter 2012 CSA are beginning. All summer we have had folks contacting us to be put on the Waiting List. As usual, current members and last Winter 2011 members have the opportunity to secure their spots first, just remember to let us know you intentions when we send out the invitations in the coming weeks. Thanks for that. Please remember to return both of the green bags from last week so we will have enough for next week’s deliveries. And thanks for that as well. Enjoy the respite from the hot and humid normal days of August. Have a great week.
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Maria, Kurt, Rob, Marie, Penny, Guinevere, Diedra, Bethany, and Alicia)

This Week's Veggies
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.
Beets - Their roots are soooo delicious & sweet and the leaves are vitamin-packed and wonderful sautéed as you might do with any of our greens—a little butter or olive oil and some garlic and onion helps to makes this veggie into a great side dish.
Mushrooms - This week you receive either oyster or shiitake.
Swiss Chard - This green is the summer stand-by. Verstaile, mild, and nutritious with a low glycemic load although a little high in sodium. Stir-fry or sauté are just a few of its uses.
Sweet Peppers – We grow a variety of sweet peppers, and your shares will reflect that variety. For the names of each, just refer to the blog where they are labeled with a picture…
Slicer Tomatoes - Round and red are these hybrid beauties. They are easier to transport, and store than their fragile heirlooms cousins. They are firm enough for chunking into salads or slicing for the ultimate sandwich.
Cherry Tomatoes – we grow both Sweet 100 (red) and Sungold (orange tomato candy). We usually mix them, and hope you enjoy them that way.
Summer Squash – There is about 1 lb. in the bag this week. The squash plants are slowing down, so there might not be squash-a-plenty much longer. We grow several varieties. Look on the blog for pictures of each with the name.


The Combo Corner
The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard will include yellow peaches, Champaign apples, and blackberries – MAYBE A COUPLE OF EARLY PEARS TOO!
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the French Galette, a roundish, crusty loaf.
This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is Smokey Goat. Chris says the experiments with the cow milk mozzarella are going great – some of that soon maybe! Yummy.


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!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
I heard a statistic last week that said over 46 million people in the United States are receiving food stamps. By my gross calculations, that number represents about 15% of the population. Simply astounding.


Recipes:

Sautéed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt to taste (optional)
Directions
Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chard stems and the white wine. Sim-mer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves, and cook until wilted. Finally, stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt if needed.


Swiss Chard Pesto
This recipe is a variation on a traditional Egyptian dish. It includes the addition of toasted pine nuts and parmesan, to give more breadth to the flavor. If you would rather cook just the traditional dish, see the Variations section.
INGREDIENTS:
1 knob of butter 2 Tbls of olive oil 2 cloves of garlic bunch of Swiss chard handful of pine nuts 100g fresh grated parmesan of pecorino cheese handful of fresh coriander (cilantro)
METHOD:
1. Wash the chard thoroughly and shake to dry.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan with the olive oil. Peel and chop the garlic and sauté e for 2 minutes.
3. Chop the chard stems and add them to the pan. Stir and then cook, covered, for 5 minutes.
4. Roughly chop the chard leaves and add them to the pan. Cool for another 3 minutes.
5. Toast the pine nuts for a couple of minutes (either under a pre-heated grill or in a dry pan)
6. Turn off the heat under the chard, Add the cilantro leaves, pine nuts and parmesan
7/ Puree to the mixture until it looks like pesto.

Chard & Veggie Bake with a Mush-room, Quinoa, and Goats Cheese
For the bake:
Olive oil
Six shallots, roughly diced
One bag of chard, chopped
500ml stock
Three carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces
Two turnips, chopped into bite-sized pieces
One can of mixed beans
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
For the topping:
*Four cloves of garlic, minced
*One punnet of mushrooms, crumbled by hand into large breadcrumb-sized pieces
*One cup of quinoa
*100g goats cheese
*Salt and freshly ground pepper
 
METHOD:
Heat the oven to 400F. Rinse the quinoa well, simmer it in 2 cups of boiling water until the germ starts to separate, and then drain and set to one side to cool. ~Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick stockpot or casserole pan then turn down the heat and add the shallots. After 2 or 3 minutes, add the chard. Cover and wilt down for 3-4 minutes. ~Now tip in the stock, and throw in the carrots, beans, and seasoning. Give it all a food stir, replace the lid, & continue to simmer for around 10 minutes. ~Meanwhile, mix together the minced garlic, cooked and cooled quinoa, crumbled mush-rooms and goats cheese in a large glass bowl that you can get your hands into. This is sticky but fun. Check the veggie mix for flavor, adjust as neces-sary and then spoon it into a large, lightly oiled baking dish. Cover with the quinoa mix and bake in the oven for 20 minutes before switching the oven to grill and browning off the top for around 5 minutes.
Enjoy. ~ from VegBox Recipes.com

Week 9 Veggie List

Sunflower Microgreens
Shitake Mushrooms
Beets
Swiss chard
Peppers
Slicer Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Summer Squash

Week 8 Newsletter

Athens Hills CSA

This week we sent two (2) green bags with your share. Please return two (2) next week. It takes both of us working together to reduce this outer packaging burden.
Thanks!

With yesterday’s rains, we finally have cooled down some, and we are very grateful. Hopefully, the mushrooms will also respond to less heat. Even in a controlled-temperature grow room, the little fungi seem to sense what time of year it is. This is the reason you do not have mushrooms this week. But, we think there is plenty in the shares to compensate for their absence. (We hope you agree.) Several folks have contacted us about the canning tomatoes; we have delivered some already, but there are still more available on a weekly first-come, first-served basis. Just let us know what week you need them. We expect to have these for at least another 2-3 weeks. We are running out of cucumbers though, so if you want some of those, next week will be the end of their availability. If you still want to process basil, let us know soon. We are eliminating one of the basil fields in preparation for the fall/winter plantings, so our abundance will be diminished in that area. As we look at the August calendar, the personnel changes are fast approaching. Soon John will be with us for only 2 days a week while he begins an art teaching job in a local elementary school. He and Tara are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first child in October. We are expecting our 4th intern to arrive when he starts teaching. The remainder of the time finds the crew just maintaining the health and vigor of the crops; weeding, watering, mowing, planting, harvesting – the jobs are endless, but not completely thankless. Thursday this week, some folks from NRCS/SWCD will be visiting us to view the projects that were completed last year. These are the projects which helped so much through the very wet spring (remember that?), and made it possible for us to plant. We think they will be impressed with the harvest numbers we will be able to share with them. Yesterday, a friend told me of her attendance during the day (a first for her) at the county fair. She watched the children showing their 4-H animal projects. It was bittersweet for her as she realized how diminished this culture of farming communities has become. We hope our work here at the farm is the beginning of a new generation of farming communities.
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Maria, Kurt, Rob, Marie, Penny, Guinevere, Diedre, Bethany, and Alicia)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES
Cherry Tomatoes – we grow both Sweet 100 (red) and Sungold (orange tomato candy). We usually mix them, and hope you enjoy them that way.
Summer Squash – There is about 2 lb. in the bag this week. We grow several varieties. Look on the blog for pictures of each with the name.
Sweet Peppers – We grow a variety of sweet peppers, and your shares will reflext that variety. For the names of each, just refer to the blog where they are labeled with a picture…
Green Beans or Long Beans – We grow two types of beans and this week we needed all we had of both kinds to fill your shares. The Long Beans are typical in Asian recipes. They taste the same and cooking instructions are also the same, but they make sensational stir-fry!
Slicer Tomatoes - Round and red are these hybrid beauties. They are easier to transport, and store. They are firm enough for chunking into salads or slicing for the ultimate sandwich.
Beets - Their roots are soooo deliciously sweet and the leaves are vitamin-packed and wonderful sautéed as you might do with any of our greens—a little butter or olive oil and some garlic and onion helps to makes this veggie into a great side dish. The 1st beets of the season and these are tender and marvelous.
Sweet Basil -Week #1 newsletter talks some of pesto making and different ingredients that can be used to make this herbal ‘paste’ for dipping, pasta sauce or a spread for bread.
Swiss Chard is here this week in place of the mushrooms which finally responded to the over-whelming heat. We expect them to be back on track soon.
Sunflower Microgreens -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.

STORING TOMATOES
We attempt to ship you tomatoes that are not dead ripe the day your receive them. Store them shoulder side (stem end) down, and blossom end up.Get the most out of your tomatoes. Tomatoes are a warm loving fruit. Do not store them in the refrigerator unless you will be using them soon.

The Combo Corner
The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard this week include Jay Haven Peaches and Raritan Rose White Peaches, a container of blackberries along with Himrod white seedless grapes. I can’t wait for ours!
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Italian Wheat, versatile and savory with just a touch of extra virgin olive oil, which makes a crisp edge when toasted or grilled for bruschetta!
This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is called Griffin’s Dream, a soft and creamy mild cheese. This is the same variety as last week.

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!
 
RECIPES
BEET AND POTATO SAUTE’
Last week was busy and planning for dinner was non-existent. Here’s a dish that was made from some leftovers from market…
Remove, wash, and save the greens of 3-4 beets. Cook, cool, and peel beets. Dice about 4 potatoes into ½” cubes. Heat a frying pan or skillet and melt about 2 table-spoons of butter. Add several slices of fresh ginger root, 1 medium diced onion, and 3-4 cloves of smashed and diced garlic. When the onions are translucent, add the diced beets and potatoes. Cover and cook on low temperature. In the meantime, cut the beet green stems into 1” length pieces, and add them to the frying pan. Finally, slice the beet greens. Add them to the pan in the last 5 minutes. At this time add 1-2 tablespoons of tamari (soy sauce) and 1 tablespoon of brown rice vinegar. Simmer until greens have wilted completely.
Garnish with sour cream if desired.

SZCHEUAN GREEN BEANS
These beans are "dry-fried," a Szechuan cooking technique that makes them extra tender. The recipe calls for Chinese longbeans, but you can use haricots verts, green beans or runner beans. The recipe normally calls for chili peppers, but I've used chili paste - feel free to substitute dried red chilis if desired. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
• ½ pound Chinese longbeans (also called yardlong beans or just longbeans)
• ½ tablespoon garlic, chopped
• ½ tablespoon ginger, chopped
• 1 scallions (spring onions, green onions), white parts only
• ¼ teaspoon chili paste
• ¼ tablespoon dark soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Pepper to taste, optional
• 1 tablespoons vegetable or pea-nut oil for stir-frying, or as needed
Preparation: Wash the longbeans, drain thoroughly, and trim the tops and bottoms. Cut the longbeans on the diagonal into slices approximately 2 inches long.
Chop the garlic, ginger and white part of the scallions. Heat ½ tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the longbeans and stir-fry until they start to shrivel or "pucker" and turn brown (5 - 7 minutes). Remove the long beans and drain in a colander or on paper towels.  Heat ½ tablespoon oil in the wok on high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and scallions. Stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the chili paste and stir-fry for a few more seconds until aromatic. Add the longbeans and the remaining ingredients. Mix together and serve.
~ from CHINESE-FOOD.ABOUT.COM/OD/VEGETABLE

Sweet Pepper Skillet
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil 3 medium green bell peppers, thinly sliced 1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 medium sweet red pepper, thinly sliced 1 medium onion, cut into wedges 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
1. In a large skillet, heat oil. Stir in the remaining ingredients; saute for 5-7 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender.
~from allrecipes.com

SWEET PEPPER BURRITOS
Ingredients: 1/3 cup chopped onion 1 teaspoon canola oil 1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper 1/4 cup diced yellow pepper 1/4 cup diced green pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 2/3 cup cooked brown rice 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons cream cheese, cubed 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 tea-spoon pepper 2 (8 inch) flour tortillas Salsa
Directions: 1.) In a nonstick skillet, sauté onion in oil for 2 minutes. Add the peppers; sauté for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Sprinkle with cumin; sauté 1 minute longer. Stir in the rice, cheeses, salt and pepper. Spoon off-center onto each tortilla; fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. 2.) Place seam side down in an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and bake at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with salsa if desired.
~ from allrecipes.com

Week 8 Veggie List

Veggie List for Week 8
Pick-Ups 8/10

Sunflower Microgreens
Summer Squash
Sweet Peppers
Beans (Green or Long)
Basil
Beets
Mushrooms
Slicer Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes

Week 7 Newsletter

Week #7 August 3, 2011


  August is here already. No one on the farm can truly believe it! Our intern, Janell, is acutely aware. This is her last week, and she will be sorely missed (and not just because of her amazing baking skills.) She is off to Virginia Tech to begin graduate study that will prepare her for water quality restoration. After two years in the Peace Corps in Panama, she knows a thing or two about water quality and about the ramifications of the lack of it. Her replacement arrived Sunday night. Alisha is a recent graduate of Unity College in Maine. She worked for a while at a farm in Maine that also had a CSA, so we welcome her advance training in the middle of this busy season.
  Speaking of busy seasons reminds me that several of you have inquired about canning tomatoes and ‘when’ and ‘how much’. We are still not certain when the flush will come on, so I don’t know the ‘when’. As for, the ‘how much’, we are still figuring, so I’ll let you know soon. All in all, though, the gardens are doing fabulously, despite the heat or maybe because of it. Who can say for sure? Tuesday Kip went to Columbus for a meeting of folks who are concerned about the future of food and its availability. Two Under-Secretaries of Agriculture from Washington were guests at the meeting. He was able to tell them about the model of Green Edge, and our year-round production, internship program, and diversified customer base. But the most important things he shared with them concerned needs like infrastructure, transportation, and living wages that can create the opportunities for more farms like us. If you would like to know more about these topics, give a call or send an email. We are both available to speak to interested groups about this important issue.
  As we scan the weather forecast, the small chance of rain in the coming week is dis-appointing. At the same time, the fall root crop planting can move forward as scheduled and that is good. Drip irrigation lines are so wonderful! How truly grateful we are!
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Maria, Kurt, Rob, Marie, Penny, Guinevere, Diedra, Bethany, Alisha, and Janell)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce. This mix is best stored in an air-tight con-tainer with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any extra drops of water that can form.
Mushrooms - This week you receive either oyster or shiitake.
Sweet Basil -Week #1 newsletter talks some of pesto making and different ingredients that can be used to make this herbal ‘paste’ for dipping, pasta sauce or a spread for bread.
Summer Squash – There is about 2 lb. in the bag this week. We grow several varieties. Look on the blog for pictures of each with the name.
Beets - Their roots are soooo deli-cious & sweet and the leaves are vitamin-packed and wonderful sautéed as you might do with any of our greens—a little butter or olive oil and some garlic and onion helps to makes this veggie into a great side dish. The 1st beets of the season and these are tender and mar-velous.
Slicer Tomatoes - These gems are most likely more familiar than the heirlooms from last week. They ship farther; because their skins are tougher; and they are definitely red. Enjoy!
Green Beans - We are excited to have green beans for you this week. The variety is an old standby called ‘Provider’. Check the 2nd page for an interesting recipe for these.
Swiss Chard - This green is the summer stand-by.  Verstaile, mild, and nutritious with a low glycemic load although a little high in sodium.  Stir-fry or sauté are  just a few of its uses.

The Combo Corner

The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard this week are blackberries, peaches, and one very special peach called Peento Peach from a Chinese origin. It is commonly referred to as a Doughnut Peach. Neil only has one tree and this is the 1st year for it to fruit, so this is a very special treat.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Country Wheat/Country White, a blend of the two types of whole grain wheat. This is a great loaf for making sandwiches.

This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is called Griffin’s Dream. This is soft and creamy with a nice mild flavor.

Squash/Zucchini Salad with Lemon and Mint

1-1/2 pounds squash cut cross wise into 2” lengths
4 tbl. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion (8 oz. or so), sliced
2 tbl. slivered fresh garlic
1 tbl. finely grated lemon zest (1 large lemon)
1 tbl. chopped mint & parsley
Sea salt & freshly ground pep-per
Lemon wedges and whole-milk yogurt, to garnish
1. Steam the squash until it's just softened but still bright in color, 8-10 minutes. With a fork, mash the squash in a colander to press out as much water as possible. Squash will look very roughly chopped. Set aside.
2. In a sauté pan add 3 tbls.olive oil and cook the onions and gar-lic over moderate heat until crisp tender and just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, then gently stir in the squash and lemon zest.
3. Turn mixture into a bowl and stir in the mint, parsley, and remaining olive oil. Season to taste with salt and lots of freshly ground pepper. Serve at room temperature with lemon wedges (squeeze fresh juice over salad) and a dollop of yogurt. Can be prepared up to a day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator; allow salad to come to room temperature before serving.
Recipe courtesy of www.deliciousliving.com

BREADED SQUASH FANS

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 6-8 servings
6-8 small summer squash
½ cup all-purpose unbleached flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup olive oil
Slice each squash lengthwise every ¼ inch, leaving all the slices connected at the ‘neck’ of the squash. Parboil the squash for 3 minutes and drain well. Spread out each squash in a fan pattern. Place the flour, salt, and pepper in one bowl; the eggs in another bowl; and the bread crumbs, cheese, and herbs in a third bowl. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Dip the squash in the flour, then in the eggs, and then coat with the bread crumbs. Brown the squash on both sides. Serve hot.

Masala Beans with Fenugreek

1 medium onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic pulp
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tomato, quartered 8 ounces green beans
1 bunch fresh fenugreek leaves, stems discarded
4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Roughly chop the onion. Mix together the ground cumin and coriander, sesame seeds, chili powder, garlic, turmeric, and salt.
Place all of these ingredients, including the onion, in a food processor and process for 30-45 seconds.
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and fry the spice mixture for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato, green beans, fresh fenugreek, and fresh co-riander.
Stir-fry for about 5 minutes, sprinkle in the lemon juice, and serve.

“Masala” means spice and this vegetarian dish is spicy, though not necessarily hot.
~from: THE COMPLETE BOOK OF INDIAN COOKING, Husain and Fernanadez, 2005.


STORING TOMATOES –

We attempt to ship you tomatoes that are not dead ripe the day your receive them. Store them shoulder side (stem end) down, and blossom end up.
Get the most out of your tomatoes. Tomatoes are a warm loving fruit. Do not store them in the refrigerator unless you will be using them soon.