Week 20 Veggie List

Sunflower Microgreens
Mushrooms
Salad Radishes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Arugula
Salad Mix
Garlic
Lemon Grass
Either Tomatoes OR Potatoes

Week 19 Newsletter

ATHENS HILLS CSA

   Yesterday, a sudden realization of passing time blossomed. This week is the last pickup for some of the Columbus Half Share members for this Summer 2011 season. Thank you to all whose last day is today! This is also the last week for the fruit shares for all folks. This happened due to the delay of one week for the start of the veggie shares for the summer. We hope that you enjoyed the variety of fruits that Neil offers. 

   Kip travelled on Friday to pick up the two new greenhouses. By Saturday the houses were laid out, by Sunday the corner posts were positioned and set in concrete, and Monday, the rest of the ground stakes were hammered in and cemented. Tuesday, assembly of the arched ribs began. We hope to be able to prepare the soil and plant the rows in at least one of the houses by the weekend. Kurt and George (Alicia’s husband) are working with Kip on this construction as well as other projects which still need finishing. And still, all of the regular work continues. The crew continues to weed the raised beds. Planting and transplanting of salad greens and lettuces is continual. We’re still laying the drip irrigation lines for the coldframes (greenhouses). The greenhouses are looking very spiffy and neat as each of them is finished, weeds eliminated (at least for a while) and ready for the row covers which keep them warm during the colder temperatures. 

   Early in the morning hours on Tuesday another round of frost blanketed the bottom fields. Because of careful monitoring, the row covers in the fields were pulled for protection. This was a last minute decision and fortunately, there were still folks here to assist Kip with that task, leaving him daylight to find the short in the electric fence. It is never boring!! 

   Finally, you are asked once again to take a moment and follow the link to this season’s survey. This one is ours only. Your responses make all the difference to us as we are making the decisions about what to do, or not to do for next summer. Thanks to all of you for your participation. We couldn’t do this without you! Have a warm and restful winter.

From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Maria, Liz, Penny, Alicia, Diedra, Bethany, Theo, Rob, and Corey)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, and pe-tsai and tatsoi. The last three 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 - Shiitake
Sunflower Microgreens - These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy.
Pie Pumpkins - There are 1-2 (depends on their sizes) pie pumpkins in your share this week. This should be at least enough for one pie or perhaps a soufflé.
Tomatoes – Slicer & Heirloom - We think this could be the last of the tomatoes for this summer. We hope you enjoyed the variety.
Peppers - Don’t forget that you can freeze these easily if you can’t use them now. Just wash, dry, remove the seeds, chop, bag, and freeze. No blanching is necessary.
Arugula – This pungent green is truly one of our ‘love it or hate it’ products. We use it raw in salads or as a pesto, or sautéed in a variety of dishes.
French Breakfast Radishes - The ones that I tasted last week were crunchy, juicy, and mild. Perfect for that radish, bread, and butter (w salt) sandwich. Other recipes are on the 2nd page.
Garlic – Another round of the ones that we grew this year. It wasn’t a stellar year for us for garlic, so we’re just happy to have a little of it for you.

THE COMBO CORNER

The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard include Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious, Fuji, and Cortland apples. There are also Beurre Bosc pears.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Italian Wheat.
This week’s cheese share from Integration Acres is a new variety called Capri Romano. Aged 7 months, this is a hard goat cheese for grating.
 

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! 

MEMBER FEEDBACK SURVEY

Below is the link to this Summer 2011 survey. Please take a moment to fill in your answers. Many of the changes we make from one season to another are in direct response to suggestions, praises and complaints from members. Thanks as always for your continued support.
http://www.websurveymaster.com/s/AthensHillsCSA_Summer_2011_Survey

RECIPES

Pumpkin Pie Filling from Scratch

From www.ehow.com
Ingredients:
pie pumpkin 

1-12 oz.can of evaporated milk 

1 cup sugar 

1 tsp. ground cinnamon 

1 tsp. ground ginger 

1 tsp. ground cloves 

½ tsp. of salt 

2 large eggs
Directions:
1. Cut your pie pumpkin in half and remove the stem. Scoop out the seeds and extra string. Place both halves on a foil lined baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake your pumpkin at 350˚ for about 1.5 hours or until tender. 

2. Scoop out the flesh, which should be quite soft and puree the pumpkin using a hand or regular blender.
3. After your pumpkin has been prepared, combine the sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, ginger and salt. 

4. In a separate bowl beat eggs and stir in your dry ingredients as well as your pumpkin. Mix well and slowly add in the evaporated milk while you stir. Make sure the filling is blended and smooth. 

5. Preheat your oven to 375˚. At this point, follow other pumpkin pie recipes for pie shells, baking times and temperatures, etc.

Shiitake Mushroom, Roasted Red Pepper, and Arugula Sandwiches
Servings: 2 Calories: 302 Protein: 7 g Fat: 17 g Cholesterol: 0 mg
Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
1 t. tamari soy sauce
1 medium red onion, sliced into ½-inch-thick slices and separated into rings
8 medium shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps wiped clean
salt
4 slices homemade-type bread, such as sourdough, Tuscan, or semolina
1 roasted red pepper, cut in half (either freshly roasted or store-bought)
8 large arugula or favorite lettuce leaves (approximately)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oil and tamari soy sauce. Add the onion rings, mushrooms, and salt, and toss to coat. Lay the vegetables on a roasting pan or baking sheet
in one layer. Roast until brown and juicy, about 10-15 minutes.
Flip the mushrooms over halfway during the cooking process. Top two of the bread slices with the mushroom-onion mixture. Add a red pepper half and some of the arugula on each sandwich. Top with the remaining bread.

Radishes with Tapenade
Ingredients: 

350 g can black olives in brine (150 g olives) 1 tablespoon capers (in brine) 2 anchovy filets (in olive oil) 1 clove garlic 1 tbs lemon juice (1/4 lemon) ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil Freshly cracked black pepper 1 bunch French breakfast radishes
Directions: In a food processor, pulse together the olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and black pepper into a fine rubble. Serve with the radishes, and sprinkle the radishes with Maldon salt.

Kyle Bailey’s Butter-Poached Radishes
Kyle Bailey is the chef for Allen and Delancey in New York, NY.

Ingredients:
1 bunch French breakfast radishes (about 3/4 lb.), greens and bottoms discarded
3 tbs. unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
3 dashes raspberry wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tsp. fresh tarragon
Directions:
1. Depending on size, halve or quarter radishes lengthwise. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet until melted. 

2. Toss in the chopped radishes and season with salt and pepper. Sauté over low-medium heat until they become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the raspberry wine vinegar and sauté approximately another minute until the radishes turn a vibrant pink. Add the vegetable stock and the remaining tablespoon of butter and cook for another minute to glaze the radishes. 

3. Remove from heat and tear fresh tarragon leaves directly onto the radishes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve as an accompaniment to roast chicken, pan-seared duck breast, or meaty fish like striped bass.

Easy and Light Pumpkin Souffle

Ingredients: 

3 Large Egg Whites 

21 oz. cooked pumpkin 

¼ Cup brown sugar 

3 teaspoons cinnamon 

1 teaspoon nutmeg 

1 egg yolk 

½ Cup milk
Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 380 degrees F. 

2. Beat egg whites in medium bowl until stiff. Set aside. 

3. Using electric mixer, blend pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, egg yolk and milk in large bowl. 

4. Fold 1/3 of egg whites in to pumpkin blend. Continue to fold in egg whites 1/3 at a time until all are used. 

5. Pour pumpkin/egg mix into cups until almost full (leave ½” from top) 

6. Place cups on baking tray and put into oven. Bake for 30-45 minutes. Do not open the oven to check on them!

Week 19 Veggie List

Sunflower Microgreens
Mushrooms
Pie Pumpkin
Tomatoes (slicer and heirloom)
Sweet Peppers
Arugula
Radishes
Salad Mix OR Braising Mix

ATHENS HILLS CSA

    The phrase, “What a difference a week can make” continually enters my mind as I start to describe the farm’s activities over the past weeks. Three of the eight greenhouses are fully planted with winter’s bounty. Most of the others are waiting on just a few more things before they too will be fully planted. Our planting schedule remains intact (a first for this year so far!) and we are on track to have everything in the ground by the 1st week in November, our goal. This also includes the product for the 2 new houses that we still have not received. We hope to have the ground stakes for them by this Thursday. After those are installed, we can lay out the spacing for the beds and begin to plant. That just leaves the Hothouse to be planted, but with the floor heat in that one, we can leave it until last. 

    At some point this week, we will begin to batten down at least one side of the greenhouses with straw and blocks. The maintenance crew will be busy replacing some of the sidewall plastic on a few of the houses before that step. Yesterday they dug around all of the doors for proper closing. Throughout the season grass clumps and weeds constantly encroach on these portals. We are still using overhead watering for these houses until the plants are fully established. The drip irrigation will be re-installed as the plants size-up. The Starts House has been cleaned and next seasons flats are neatly stacked by sizes for the planting in February. As we look at the forecast for the week, it seems that frost will be here by the weekend. That’s just enough time to move the tender perennial herbs inside for some protection from the winter wind and cold. 

    The Winter 2012 season promises to be full soon. After we took measure of the harvest of storage foods like potatoes, squash and the like, we are optimistic and have opened the enrollment to include another 25 shares. This means that most of the folks who waited patiently on the “Waiting List” (some from last winter even) are going to have an opportunity to join this year. We are extremely pleased to be able to offer these extra shares. Have a good week!

From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Maria, Liz, Penny, Theo, Diedra, Bethany, Corey, and Rob)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, and pe-tsai, and tatsoi. The last three 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 - Shiitake
Sunflower Microgreens - These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy.
Spaghetti Squash - This winter squash differs from the others with creamy flesh that comes out in ‘strings’ that look like spaghetti. Many people put sauce on it and serve it that way, but there is more that you can do with it. Check out last week’s newsletter for several recipes for this.
Collards - These are the first of the fall greens to be ready. You can treat then as you would any green. They may require a little more time for cooking, but the wait is worth it.
Parsley – After the cold and wet spring, the parsley has finally made an appearance in the garden. We hope it will be here for a while. This flat Italian parsley is prized by cooks.
Heirloom Tomatoes - The greenhouses have been cleared of all tomatoes, so savor the flavor of each of these. They will soon be gone.
Sweet Peppers - We are thrilled to still have these summer treats to share with you. But, if you have had enough for a while, consider chopping them into uniform pieces and freezing them. Peppers are one of the few veggies than can be frozen without blanching. They’ll be a happy reminder of summer in February.
Hot Wax Peppers – Just a few of these this week. Seeds are hot so do not rub your face after removing them from the pepper….

THE COMBO CORNER

The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard this week include Staymen Winesap (an heirloom) and Fuji apples. Pears are Beurre Bosc, a French heirloom. The last picking of the Mars seedless grapes tops off the share. Enjoy!
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the French Galette.
This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is Chase Cheddar, hard white goat cheese.

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

 

GREEN EDGE ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

The link to reach our twitter profile:
http://twitter.com/#!/GreenEdgeGarden

And our facebook profile:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Edge-Gardens/327289894146

We are now using Facebook and Twitter to provide more updates from the farm, recent pictures, and relevant news articles. All of our members will still receive all important news through email and the blog, as in the past, but those wanting to stay more in touch with what's happening here can choose to "like" us on Facebook or follow us on twitter. To reach our twitter profile, use the following link: (http://twitter.com/#!/GreenEdgeGarden), then click on the green follow button. To find our Facebook profile, go here: (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Edge-Gardens/327289894146) and click the "like" button.

RECIPES

Vegetable Smoothie with Carrots, Collard Greens, Onions, Parsley, Tomatoes, and Zucchini

from www.all-creatures.org/recipes
Ingredients:
1-2 Carrots, large
1/3 lb. Collard Greens, fresh or frozen
1 tsp. Curry Powder
4 tbsp. Flax Seeds
1/3 to 1/2 cup Onions, sweet
2-3 sprigs Parsley
1/8 tsp. Stevia Extract (or to taste)
1 lb. Tomatoes, fresh ripe
1/2 lb. Zucchini Squash
1-1/2 cups Ice

Directions:
This is a recipe we like to make in the summer when we can get fresh tomatoes from the farm stores, as the flavor is so much better. This recipe makes four 12-oz. glasses of vegetable smoothie, which we prepare in our Vita-Mix high speed blender. If you have a smaller blender or wish to make less, cut the recipe in half. 

1.  Wash and clean the veggies, peel the onion and carrots, and remove the stem ends from the tomatoes and zucchini squash. 

2.  Put the tomatoes in the bottom of the blender container and add the other ingredients on top. 

3.  Cover the blender container and run the blender on high speed until the smoothie is creamy smooth. (We usually add additional veggies and/or ice to bring up the volume once the veggies have been ground up and the air spaces around the veggies are gone.) 

4.  Serve with a straw and enjoy!


Tomato Bacon Collard Pasta
from www.glutenfreedelightfullydelicious.com
This was really simple and oh soooo good! The levels of flavor really stood out. The smokiness of the bacon, the meaty richness of the mushrooms, the 2 cheeses, the mellowness of the greens and the brightness of the tomatoes and herbs…delicious! And added bonus: this would be great on Spaghetti squash for those not wanting to use grains.
Ingredients:
1 28 oz. can tomatoes (I really like the taste of whole canned tomatoes – I usually just pour them into a bowl, then slice up each tomato before adding them to a recipe) – but regular diced tomatoes are fine too! 

4 diced garlic cloves 

1 medium onion, diced 

6 – 8 organic cremini mushrooms diced and halved 

4 slices of bacon, diced and cooked crisp 

about 1 ½ cups thinly shredded collard greens
Seasonings: pepper, fennel, Italian seasoning, oregano (to taste) 

Parmesan cheese 

1 package Tinkyada Spaghetti Pasta (any style pasta would work) 

Top with shredded Asiago Cheese

Directions:
Begin by browning the bacon bits in a pan low to medium heat. Once browned remove to a paper towel to drain. Brown the mushrooms, then add the onion and garlic cooking till translucent. (I did drain off some of the fat) Then add the tomatoes with the juice, seasonings, and diced collard greens. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid cooking for 12 minutes. Meanwhile cook the pasta as per directions, and while cooking, then remove the lid from the sauce, continuing to cook so the sauce can thicken a little. After cooking another 15 minutes, add ½ cup parmesan cheese to the sauce, and mix well. Serve the sauce over the pasta, and garnish with more Parmesan, Asiago and bacon bits.

Note: Fresh parsley, and rosemary would be delicious, as well as any other greens – spinach or kale.

Tomatoes with Parsley Pesto  

from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 cup packed fresh parsley
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

Directions:
In a blender or food processor, combine parsley, chives, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and process until finely chopped. Add oil and vinegar; mix well. Transfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, add tomatoes and gently toss to coat.

Prep Time: 10 Min.  Ready In: 10 Min.

Week 18 Veggie List

Sunflower Microgreens
Mushrooms
Spaghetti Squash
Collards
Parsley
Heirloom Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Salad Mix

Week 17 Newsletter

ATHENS HILLS CSA

     With rain in the forecast for the rest of this week, Kip is busy sowing cover crop seed on the fields that have been harvested. The fence lines have all been mowed and trimmed for the last time this season. Clearing the weeds from the fence wire means that the electric fence has a powerful charge and isn’t losing its ‘jolt’ by following the weeds into the ground. More chores get ticked from the ‘To Do’ list. How fortunate we have been to have had a week without rain. Many of our neighbors took advantage of these conditions too and brought in another round of hay for feeding livestock this winter. 

    Last Friday was Kurt’s last day. He is moving to the other side of the county as well as beginning to work in construction. Indeed, we expect to see him when it’s time to build the two greenhouses later this fall. Alicia has replaced him, and another new intern, Rob, has replaced her. Rob is from Delaware, Ohio and has just finished working for Villa Maria Farm in Pennsylvania. We welcome him. 

    Sunday we shared knowledge with another Columbus farmer who has an interest in growing during the winter for grocery stores and restaurants. There is much to know, but ultimately in the winter, the will to persevere is the key. Tuesday, we visited with another group of seniors from the engineering department from OU. Two groups have taken up our greenhouse project as theirs for this year. Hopefully, the two teams will be able to devise a system(s) that will reduce out labor requirements as well as keeping the row covers drier. It’s a mighty big expectation! 

    Yesterday we heard through the grapevine that our ground stakes for the new greenhouses will be ready this weekend. Of course, we won’t make the trip to fetch them without official word, but being able to have them placed and set in concrete before the rest of the tubing arrives allows the ground to settle some. With the ground stakes in place, we can begin to work the ground for the beds even before the rest of the house is built. And the days grow shorter with each circle of the sun. Have a great week!

From all of us at Green Edge,

Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Cale, Maria, Penny, Liz, Theo, Diedra, Bethany, Alicia, Corey, and Rob)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Mushrooms - Shiitake

Sunflower Microgreens - These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy.
Sweet Peppers - We are thrilled to still have these summer treats to share with you. But, if you have had enough for a while, consider chopping them into uniform pieces and freezing them. Peppers are one of the few veggies than can be frozen without blanching. They’ll be a happy reminder of summer in February.
Carrots – If you haven’t had freshly dug carrots before, prepare to be amazed with their sweetness. As with all things in the winter, sugar is made by the plant to keep it from freezing, so the colder the weather, the sweeter the veggie.
Heirloom Tomatoes - The greenhouses have been cleared of all tomatoes, so savor the flavor of each of these. They will soon be gone.
Red and Blue Potatoes - We had much more success this year with these varieties of potatoes. Brush off that Parsley Potato recipe, or conjure up a stir-fry with some sweet peppers.
Parsley – After the cold and wet spring, the parsley has finally made an appearance in the garden. We hope it will be here for a while. This flat Italian parsley is prized by cooks.
Spaghetti Squash - This winter squash differs from the others with creamy flesh that comes out in ‘strings’ that look like spaghetti. Many people put sauce on it and serve it that way, but there is more that you can do with it.

THE COMBO CORNER

The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard will include Beurre Bosc pears, a French heirloom pear; Cortland apples, a white fleshed apple in the MacIntosh family; Golden Delicious apples; and Mars seedless grapes.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Country Wheat.
This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is Chase Cheddar, hard white goat cheese.
 

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!

Welcome to Fiona Jo Healey!
Fiona was born last Wednesday to John and Tara. All of us at the farm are thrilled for them!

Please keep those green bags coming home!

THANKS!

RECIPES

Cabbage and "Noodles"
by Michelle Wasserman created for the 2009 Producer Appreciation Night at the Casa Nueva Restaurant.

Ingredients:
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
Directions:
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 the farm, and believe me they have eaten their fair share of spaghetti squash.

Spaghetti Squash Gratins with Chunky Tomato Sauce
 by Judy Lockhart, Cooking Light, December 2005

These individual casseroles are like little lasagnas with spaghetti squash replacing the traditional lasagna noodles.
Ingredients:  

1 (2-pound) spaghetti squash 

1 teaspoon olive oil 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided 

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper 

2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained and chopped 

3 oregano sprigs 

3 thyme sprigs 

½ cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese 

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano 

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 

1 (15-ounce) carton fat-free ricotta cheese
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400°.
2) Pierce squash with a fork. Place squash on a baking sheet; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. 3) Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove spaghetti-like strands to measure 4 cups.
4) Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, crushed red pepper, tomatoes, oregano, and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Discard oregano and thyme sprigs.
5) Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, Parmesan, and remaining ingredients. Spoon 1/2 cup squash into each of 8 (8-ounce) ramekins. Spoon tomato sauce evenly over squash; divide ricotta mixture evenly among ramekins, spreading to cover. 

6) Bake at 400° for 50 minutes or until lightly browned.

Middle-Eastern Style Spaghetti Squash

from FabulousFoods.com
8 servings

Ingredients:
1 Large Spaghetti Squash 

2 T. Butter 

2 T. Olive Oil 

½ teaspoon cardamom 

¾ teaspoon coriander 

1/8 teas. ground ginger 

1/8 teas. allspice 

salt and white pepper to taste 

½ C. toasted slivered almonds 

zest of one orange
Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat butter and oil then stir in spices, except salt and pepper. Cook for about a minute. Stir in squash and sauté until well coated, adding white pepper and salt to taste. Remove to a serving dish. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and orange zest just before serving.

Ed,’s Note: 1 minute won’t be enough to ‘cook’ the squash. So bake the squash first and scrape out the insides with a fork – then the ‘strings’ of spaghetti will cook nicely in the spices. Use the baking method in the previous recipes and you should be fine.

Week 17 Veggie List

Sunflower microgreens
Mushrooms
Sweet peppers
Carrots
Potatoes
Spaghetti squash
Parsley
Heirloom tomatoes

Week 16 Newsletter

ATHENS HILLS CSA

   That huge sigh of relief you heard from the south last weekend was us. Through amazing efforts on the part of Kip and Theo and others, all of the sweet potatoes made it out of the ground before the forecasted frost (which didn’t happen) and the rain (which did in buckets). All are safely tucked away in the hot house to cure before storing in our bunker with the winter squashes. It was our best harvest ever of these sweet delicacies. We are ever so grateful. 

   All of the greenhouses have had the tomato vines removed. After some amending to the soil, the newly formed beds will be planted with the starts that have been growing for the last several weeks in preparation of this time. Day length is a critical component to the success of growing winter greens. Having the starts in the ground when there is still enough daylight can mean the difference between a crop and a disappointment. We are mostly on schedule and hope to make up the lost day or two in the near future. So far we are transplanting collards and Swiss chard and Salad Mix and seeding more carrots and spinach. 

   Every day we await the news of completion of the parts of our two new green- houses. We are anxious to get the ground posts set for them. Setting these ground posts is the most critical component of these structures. Having them square and level is essential and requires the most time to be exact. Once they are set correctly, the rest of the house goes up smoothly. Dan already has the starts ready to fill at least one of them. With the completion of those houses, we will have reached our capacity for packing and storing each season. Any growth beyond this will require major infrastructure improvements. 

   Enrollment in the Winter 2012 cycle continues at a pace never seen before by us. We are already two-thirds sold out without even contacting anyone on the ever-growing waiting list. Please let us know your intentions soon. We will begin to contact the first group of the waiting list soon. As this first blast of winter fades into the warmth of fully ripened autumn, we say thank you for your support this summer. Have a great week!

From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Maria, Kurt, Rob, Liz, Penny, Theo, Diedra, Bethany, Corey, and Alicia)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Sunflower Microgreens - These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy.
Peppers - We are thrilled to still have these summer treats to share with you. But , if you have had enough for a while consider chopping them into uniform pieces and freezing them. Peppers are one of the few veggies than can be frozen without blanching. They’ll be a happy reminder of summer in February.
Eggplant - These tender skinned beauties will not be here for long as they thrive in dry heat. From Baba Ganoush to shish kabobs they are a sure sign of warmer weather.
Carrots – If you haven’t had freshly dug carrots before, prepare to be amazed with their sweetness. As with all things in the winter, sugar is made by the plant to keep it from freezing, so the colder the weather, the sweeter the veggie.
Heirloom Tomatoes - The greenhouses have been cleared of all tomatoes, so savor the flavor of each of these. They will soon be gone.
Red and Blue Potatoes - We had much more success this year with these varieties of potatoes. Brush off that Parsley Potato recipe, or conjure up a stir-fry with some sweet peppers.
Kale – By far, the most popular cold weather green, kale is wonderful cooked or raw.
Parsley – After the cold and wet spring, the parsley has finally made an appearance in the garden. We hope it will be here for a while. This flat Italian parsley is prized by cooks.

THE COMBO CORNER

The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard this week include Melrose apples. The Melrose apple is our state's apple. It was developed at OSU. It is a cross of Red Delicious and Jonathan making a crisp sweet/tart apple. Seckel Pears ( small and sweet) and Sparlett Pears (large Bartlett type ) are part of this week's share also along with Mars Grapes.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Local Harvest - whole wheat, white whole wheat, and cornmeal blend.
This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is Herbes de Provence, an herbed soft cheese.
 

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! Thanks!

RECIPES

Orange Glazed Carrots

from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 pound baby carrots
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch of salt
Directions:

Place carrots in a shallow saucepan, and cover with water. Boil until tender. Drain, and return carrots to pan. ~Pour orange juice over carrots, and mix well. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, butter, and salt. Heat until butter and sugar melt.

Glazed Carrots  

from myrecipes.com
Ingredients: 

4 large carrots, peeled & cut into 2” sticks 

1 ½ Tbls unsalted butter, cut into pieces 

1 tsp sugar 

Kosher salt
Directions:

Place the carrots in a large skillet. 

Dot with butter and sprinkle with the sugar and ¼ tsp salt.
Add enough cold water to come halfway up the sides of the carrots. 

Simmer, partially covered, until the carrots are tender and the liquid has reduced to a glaze, about 20 minutes. (If the carrots are done before this point, transfer them to a bowl, increase heat to high, and cook the liquid, uncovered, until reduced. Return the carrots to the pan and toss.)

Massaged Kale Salad
from vegandietician.blogspot.com 

Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup dried currants, cherries, or raisins
1 small or 1/2 large apple, diced
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, raw or toasted
Directions:
Put kale in a large mixing bowl.
Add salt and massage into kale for a few minutes.

(Note that curly kale will need a bit more time to become tender than lacinato kale. You can add another sprinkle of salt if it doesn't seem to be shrinking enough.)
Magic!

Gently stir in remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust salt, vinegar and oil as needed. Enjoy!

Eggplant, Potato, Bean & Pepper Stir-Fry

from seasonalontariofood.blogspot.com
4 servings / 40 minutes prep time
Ingredients, Veggies:
450 grams (1 pound) potatoes
250 grams ( 1/2 pound) green beans
250 grams (1/2 pound or 2 large) long Chinese eggplants
1 large onion
1 large red pepper
Directions, Veggies:
Wash the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Put them in a pot with water to cover, and bring them to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile wash, trim and chop the beans. Wash and trim the eggplants, and cut them into 1 cm wide slices. Cut the slices in half if they are large. Peel and chop the onion coarsely. Wash, trim, deseed and chop the red pepper into bite-sized pieces.
When the potatoes have boiled for 10 minutes, put the green beans in a colander, and drain the water from the potatoes over them to blanch them, but keep the potatoes in the pot so they are separate from each other. Rinse them both in cold water, and drain again.

Ingredients, Sauce:
1 tablespoon peeled, minced ginger
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp arrowroot or corn starch
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablepsoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sucanat or dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
Directions, Sauce:
The ginger and garlic don't exactly go into the sauce; peel them and mince them and set them aside. Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Finish the Dish:
3 to 4 tablespoons mild vegetable oil 

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a very large skillet. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minute until they are lightly browned.

Add another tablespoon of oil, and the eggplants. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 5 minutes.
Add the onions, pepper, and green beans and a little more oil if needed, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the ginger and garlic, stir in well then add the sauce ingredients, still stirring. As soon as the sauce thickens - in moments - remove from the heat and serve.