Week 7 Veggie List

Salad Mix
Mushrooms
Sunflower or Micromix Microgreens
Swiss Chard
Pac Choy
Arugula
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots

Week 6 Newsletter, Winter 2012

ATHENS HILLS CSA

Winter struck with a vengeance over the weekend! With the ice storm that hit on Friday night, no one could make it to the farm on Saturday morning. Becky and Kip (mainly Kip) loaded all the market coolers and totes into the van and car for the journey to town. We were a little late, but so was the crowd. John joined us from town to work market with Becky. Kip finished the deliveries and was able to return to the farm to set up the generators. Folks finally made it to the farm around 2:00 to give Kip a needed hand. 

At the farm, the power also went out on Friday night. This is always a trying event. Kip spends hours hooking up the gasoline generator to all of the circuits that are not fed by the automatic natural gas generator. Of course, this also means furnace heat in the house is out too because the thermostat needs electricity to work. Fortunately, power was restored by 8:00 pm. Generators were disconnected; the house was warm; and we went to bed. By Monday, only mud remained as a reminder of the weekend’s merciless weather. 

Two new intern candidates will be visiting us this week – one from State College, PA and the other from Westerville. We are always eager to meet new folks and share what we can teach them. Every year, Dan improves the actual curriculum that we expect they will know when they leave. These lessons, along with the farm visits that we coordinate with other farms in the area, offer an opportunity to learn by studying and observing as well as the ‘doing part’ at Green Edge. 

Seed orders continue to arrive; supplies like hoses, ground cloth, connectors, plastic, flats, fertilizers, and all the other items so necessary to production are also being ordered and received. For us, this is the wonderful benefit of the CSA. We can purchase all of these items, pay the wages of the crew who so faithfully pay attention to the details, and pay for the regular monthly bills without having to borrow working cash. Your investment in us is the most important part of the financial workings of the farm. If you haven’t heard it from us yet: THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS FARM!!

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

OPEN FARM DAY

Join us on Sunday, March 25th for our winter Open Farm Day. We’ll meet at the Amesville Grange, have a potluck, visit with folks, and then caravan to the farm for a tour of your veggies. This year our annual Farm Day will also be promoted as a Farm-to-Table event by the Ohio Farm Bureau. More details later!

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, and pe-tsai. The last two are mild Asian greens. This mix is best stored in an air-tight container with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any extra drops of water that can form.
Mushrooms - Shiitake this week.
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. These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy. A few of you will instead receive micromix microgreens.
Sweet Potatoes - Similar to the squashes in color but decidedly sweeter in flavor. To store these beauties, do not refrigerate – keep them at around 55o - optimum storage conditions.
Potatoes - A combination of Carola (yellow flesh) and Kennebec (white) potatoes are included this week. There is no difference in cooking times, but see if you can tell a difference in flavor…
Turnips – My shorthand for these is ‘petwogs’ for Purple-Topped White Globes. The ones we had raw in salad yesterday were sweet and crunchy. I sliced them in very thin quarters resembling a piece of pie in shape.
Kale – A favorite on the farm! like all greens, steam, stir-fry, sauté, use in soups, casseroles and other preparations. Also, it’s delicious raw and massaged with olive oil, lemon juice, and honey. Yummmy!

THE COMBO CORNER

The apple selections from Cherry Orchard this week include Fuji, Gold Rush, Cameo, and Red Delicious.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the French Galette.
This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is a wedge of blue cheese, made with pasteurized cow's milk from Snowvillle Creamery. Aged for one month, try it crumbled on a salad or spread it on crackers. 

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

BREATHING SPACE YOGA 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 4pm-8 pm
HYACINTH BEAN – 740-594-9302 12-6pm
HARMONY CHIROPRACTIC – 740 592-4631 3pm-7pm

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! 

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Green-Edge-Gardens/327289894146
Twitter - http://twitter.com/GreenEdgeGarden

RECIPES

Another suggestion from Michelle at Integration Acres for this week’s cheese selection: Spread the blue cheese on slices from a loaf of crusty bread. Drizzle with honey and then broil in the oven for several minutes. Serve it with apple or pear slices. Thanks Michelle!

Sweet Potato Biscuits 

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen
Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour 

2 heaping tablespoons sugar 

4 teaspoons baking powder 

½ teaspoon salt 

3/4 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes 

¼ cup (½ stick) softened butter 

2 to 4 tbls milk (depending on the moisture of the potatoes) 

Directions: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate, large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes and butter. Add the flour mixture to the potato mixture and mix to make a soft dough. Then add milk a tablespoon at a time to the mixture and continue to cut in. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and toss lightly until the outside of the dough looks smooth. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on a greased pan and coat tops with melted butter. Bake for about 15 minutes. (Watch your oven: If the biscuits are browning too fast, lower the temperature.)

Creamed Mushrooms
from Epicurious.com
This recipe sounds like it would be a wonderful topper to chicken, pasta/noodles, cooked greens or just as a side dish of its own.
Ingredients:
1 large shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps chopped coarsely (this is the exact amount you usually get in your shares)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or a rounded 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Cook shallot in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add shiitake and salt and pepper to taste and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until mushrooms are softened and browned lightly. Stir in wine, vinegar, and rosemary and boil until all liquid is evaporated. Add cream and simmer, stirring, until thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Season mixture with salt and pepper. 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Kale and Great Northern Beans

from food.com, 6 servings
Ingredients: 

salt 2 ½ cups milk (low-fat is fine) 2

Bay leaves 

1 bunch kale (chard will work) 

1 lb pasta, elbow, shell, ziti 

1 (15 ounce) can of northern white beans, drained 

4 tablespoons butter 

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

1 ½ cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated 

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

Freshly ground black pepper 

½ cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

2. Cook the milk with the bay leaves in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When small bubbles appear along the sides, about 5 minutes later, turn off the heat and let stand. 

3. In the salted water, cook the pasta al dente. Drain it, rinse it quickly to stop the cooking, and put it in a large bowl. 

4. Trim the stems from the kale. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add kale. Boil kale for one minute, remove, and set aside to cool. Squeeze excess water from kale and chop into edible pieces. 

5. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter; when it is foamy, add the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture browns, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves from the milk and add about ¼ cup of the milk to the hot flour mixture, stirring with a wire whisk all the while. As soon as the mixture becomes smooth, add a little more milk and continue to do so until all the milk is used up and the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the cheddar and stir. 

6. Pour the sauce over the noodles, toss in the Parmesan and kale, mix in the white beans, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

7. Use the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to grease a 9 x 13-inch or similar size baking pan and turn the pasta mixture into it. Top liberally with bread crumbs and bake until bubbling and crumbs turn brown, 15 minutes. Serve piping hot.

Week 6 Veggie List

Salad Mix
Mushrooms
Sunflower Microgreens
Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes
Turnips
Kale

Week 5 Newsletter, Winter 2012

ATHENS HILLS CSA

Winter finally found us - for a few days, anyway. Several days of the ‘cover/uncover routine’ reminded us why we are so thrilled to have those engineering classes from Ohio U. working on designs for a more automated system. Somehow, the milder winter temperatures make it seem even colder when the thermometer finally does drop. 

This past week, we had three intern applicants come to the farm for their ‘try-out’. These first three have been local Athens residents, but next week two more will be visiting from other places. And the list of potential candidates grows each week. We really enjoy meeting all of them. There is such a diverse group of young people who want to learn, understand, and experience a season of growing vegetables. How fortunate we are! Plans for the third intern cabin are taking shape. It was always the intention to build the 3rd one. (That’s why we built 3 platforms.) But, we didn’t need the 3rd until this season, when we will be expanding the number of interns to 4. Alicia’s husband, George, will be building it for us. He has also been modifying some of the current greenhouses to include air vents (windows) on the upper east sides for better ventilation. These new vents will be a huge improvement next summer. 

Liz received some wonderful news this last week! She was accepted to the Master of Public Health program at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Her area of concentration is nutrition. In addition to her degree, she will also graduate with a certificate as a Registered Dietician. We are so happy for her, but we will miss her dearly when she leaves in August. 

Several members have asked us if we have access and could include local, free-range eggs to our partners items. We have made some inquiries and have identified two local possibilities. One is organic and one is not. The numbers of dozens available each week would be limited. If this is an item that would interest you, please reply to Liz. If you could, please indicate which option interests you. Thanks in advance. Have a great week!

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

OPEN FARM DAY

Join us on Sunday, March 25th for our winter Open Farm Day. We’ll meet at the Amesville Grange, have a potluck, visit with folks, and then caravan to the farm for a tour of your veggies. This year our annual Farm Day will also be promoted as a Farm-to-Table event by the Ohio Farm Bureau. More details later!

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, and pe-tsai. The last two are mild Asian greens. This mix is best stored in an air-tight container with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any extra drops of water that can form.
Mushrooms - You will get either oyster or shiitake. We always have fewer oysters available so we try to vary which site gets them. Hope it’s your turn this time!
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.
Tatsoi – When this is still small, we use it in our salad mix since it is so mild and tender. It doesn’t take much time to cook. Try it in some miso broth – so tasty! According to www.livestrong.com, there are only 14 calories in a 3 oz. serving, but plenty of protein and fiber.
Arugula - As I’ve explained before, this is a ‘love it or hate it’ veggie. As the season gets later, the peppery flavor is more pronounced, but we all love it mixed in with salad.
Sweet Potatoes - Similar to the squashes in color but decidedly sweeter in flavor. To store these beauties, do not refrigerate – keep them at around 55o - optimum storage conditions. Recipes in last week’s newsletter.
Turnips – My shorthand for these is ‘petwogs’ for Purple-Topped White Globes. The ones we had raw in salad yesterday were sweet and crunchy. I sliced them in very thin quarters resembling a piece of pie in shape. Easier to remove by those who so choose.

THE COMBO CORNER

The apple selection from Cherry Orchard this week is all Melrose, a great one for cooking or eating.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the French Gallette.
This week’s cheese share from Integration Acres is a raw goat's milk feta that's been aged and
soaked in brine for several months. It is delicious crumbled on salads, in omelets or as part of a dip.

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

BREATHING SPACE YOGA 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
HARMONY CHIROPRACTIC – 740 592-4631 3-7pm

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

Patty’s Mashed Turnips
from: www.allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
7 large turnips
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Peel, wash, and quarter turnips.
Boil 35-45 minutes or until tender. Strain and rinse cooked turnips.
Place in large mixing bowl and use fork to break up turnips into smaller bits. Add milk and butter. Blend to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

There are only 14 calories in a half cup serving of turnips and 2 grams of dietary fiber.

Marinated Raw Turnips Strips
This is a great appetizer or after-school snack. Just whisk together some mild vinegar like brown rice or lemon juice with some olive oil, salt, pepper, pinches of garlic, ginger, or other favorite spices. Cut raw turnips into 3/8” strips. Marinate for several hours. Yum!

Mashed Potato and Turnip Gratin

www.epicurious .com
Ingredients: 

 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 5 medium)
1 3/4 pounds turnips (about 5 medium)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese, divided
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Directions:
Butter 11”x7”x2” glass or ceramic baking dish. Cook potatoes and turnips in heavy large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 35 minutes. Drain. Cool vegetables slightly and peel. Cut into large chunks; place in food processor. Add butter and process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add ¼ cup cheese and pinch of ground nutmeg; blend briefly. Season puree to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon into prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese. (Gratin can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake gratin uncovered until vegetables are hot and top is golden, about 25 minutes.

Arugula Potato Salad

This recipe is adapted from Vegan Fire and Spice

http://veganplanet.blogspot.com/2009/06/arugula-potato-salad.html
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. small red potatoes, cut into ½ inch dice
Salt
1 large or 2 small red bell peppers
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1/3 cup olive oil
1 ½ cups lightly packed arugula, coarsely chopped
Directions:
1. Cook the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. (Alternately, you can steam the potatoes over boiling water or roast them on an oiled baking sheet. You can also bake the potatoes and dice them after baking.) Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Roast the red peppers over an open flame or broil about 4 inches from the heat, turning until the skins are completely blackened. Put the charred peppers into a paper bag and let steam for about 5 minutes to loosen the skins. Scrape off the blackened skin and remove the seeds and stems. Chop the peppers into 1/2 -inch dice, and add them to the potatoes. (Alternately, to save time, you can use jarred roasted red bell peppers.)
3. Mince the garlic and capers in a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice, cayenne, and salt, to taste, and process until well blended. Slowly add the olive oil to emulsify. Add the dressing to the potatoes along with the arugula and toss until coated.

Chunky Avocado & Feta Dip
Michelle of Integration Acres says: This recipe is from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food:
Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together: 

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled 

2 avocados, diced small 

1 scallion (white & light green parts only), sliced thin 

1 small red bell pepper, diced small 

¼ cup packed fresh dill leaves, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Season with coarse salt & ground pepper. Serve with chips, crackers or sliced veggies. Serves 8. 

Thanks Michelle!

Week 5 Veggie List

Salad Mix 
Mushrooms
Sunflower Microgreens
Tatsoi
Arugula
Sweet Potatoes
Turnips

Week 4 Newsletter, Winter 2012

ATHENS HILLS CSA

Another week has flown by. We are taking advantage of all of the sunshine. These mild temperatures have made it possible to get a head start on several projects that we would normally accomplish in late spring. One of these is the expansion of the deer fencing. You may remember that we are slowly expanding the growing areas of the fields. Experience has taught us that the fence needs to be in place before the field is planted. Sometimes though, due to weather, we simply don’t have that luxury – not the case this year. The corner posts have been set in concrete and the ground cloth for under the wire is also finished. All that remains is to finish installing the rest of the middle posts and string the wire. We are thrilled to have this task almost done before the middle of January. Recently I received an email from the National Sustainable Ag Coalition. Within this message was a link to an article describing the USDA’s latest shenanigans. Over the Christmas break, they approved two more Genetically Modified (GM) crops for animal consumption. But the real ‘holiday bonus’ was the announcement that in addition to these glyphosate-resistant crops (Round-up), they are also approving crops that have been engineered to withstand the systemic herbicide, 2,4-D, an herbicide that has been banned for generations, and is associated with the development of Parkinson’s disease and other medical disorders in humans and animals. Please let the USDA know that this IS NOT okay. More and more, it seems that certain parts of this agency have been usurped by Dow, Monsanto, and Cargill’s profits at the expense of our health and that of the environment. Please act today! The real danger here is not the 2,4-D but the way insects and weeds will mutate to withstand this chemical. And these mutations have already occurred with Round-up and other glyphosate herbicides. I’m sorry if you would prefer not to hear about these developments, but folks here are pretty steamed. In general, organic farms can use far less pest- and herbicides because the soil is so fertile that the plants are healthy. Bugs do not like the taste of healthy plants! People do! Enjoy your week - we see snow forecast in the near future. That’s okay. There are tulips emerging up in Akron, and for January, that’s just wrong…

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

OPEN FARM DAY
Join us on Sunday, March 25th for our winter Open Farm Day. We’ll meet at the Amesville Grange, have a potluck, visit with folks, and then caravan to the farm for a tour of your veggies. This year our annual Farm Day will also be promoted as a Farm-to-Table event by the Ohio Farm Bureau. More details later!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Green-Edge-Gardens/327289894146
Twitter - http://twitter.com/GreenEdgeGarden

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, 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 - This week everyone gets shitake.
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. These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy. 

Swiss Chard – A favorite around the farm for its mild flavor and versatility. It’s great steamed, stir-fried, sautéed, or in soup.
Tatsoi - This mild Asian green is so tender that we also include it in our Salad Mix. Tatsoi’s dark green leaves are high in beta-carotene and Vitamins A, C, and K; they also have good amounts of calcium, potassium, phosphorous and iron. Check out the new Sustainable Farming Project from Tufts University where this nutritional information was found.
Sweet Potatoes - Similar to the squashes in color but decidedly sweeter in flavor. To store these beauties, do not refrigerate – keep them at around 55 for optimum storage conditions.
Garlic - Besides being an essential ingredient in many cuisines, one clove of garlic contains 5 calories, no fat, cholesterol or sugar and 2 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C,
Potatoes,  Yellow Fin and Carola - Both of these varieties have yellow skin and yellow flesh. Bake, boil, steam , fry, each will be great for your dish.

THE COMBO CORNER

The apple selections this week are Cameo and Fuji.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the French Gallette.
This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is actually nameless! We need to change that, but in the interim...it's a hard cow's milk cheese made with raw milk from Snowville Creamery. It has been aged for just over two months. It melts well, making it perfect for a grilled cheese sandwich or grated and sprinkled on pizza or nachos.

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

BREATHING SPACE YOGA 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
HARMONY CHIROPRACTIC – 740 592-4631 3-7pm

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

Browned Butter Pasta with Tatsoi

from Backyard Farming – Marisa’s blog
serves 2
Ingredients:
Your pasta of choice, preferably curved or with ridges
½ stick unsalted butter
salt and pepper
Leaves of 2-3 bunches of tatsoi, rinsed
½ Cup chopped sage
Freshly grated parmesan
Lemon Wedges, optional
Directions:
Cook the pasta to al dente in salted water. When pasta is almost done, melt the butter in a skillet. Swirl the butter in the pan as it foams. (At this point, remove pasta from the heat and drain well in a colander. ) When butter begins to brown, toss in pasta and mix to coat with butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Add tatsoi and sage and cook until slightly wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Plate and serve immediately with grated parmesan and lemon wedges on the side.

Sweet Potato Pancakes
From The Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie Katzen, 1977

30 mins. to prepare, serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 Cup grated white potato 

1 Cup grated sweet potato~these packed tightly 

1 Cup grated carrot 

4 beaten eggs 

1/3 Cup flour 

1 Teaspoon salt 

2 Tablespoons grated onion 

¼ Cup chopped parsley 

juice of ½ lemon 

1 crushed garlic clove 

fresh black pepper 

dash of nutmeg 

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

Some useful tips...

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

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

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

Don’t forget to check the blog on Friday to find out what’s coming next week! 

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

Week 4 Veggie List

Salad Mix
Sunflower Microgreens
Mushrooms
Swiss Chard
Tatsoi
Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes
Garlic

Week 3 Newsletter, Winter 2012

ATHENS HILLS CSA

Happy New Year to all! What better way to start the New Year than with bitter temperatures and snow! During the break we said goodbye to Maria who has gone to Colorado first, and then on to a bison preserve in Montana. We all miss her. You can see the pictures of the party on our Facebook page (link below). Also during the break, Dan updated the internship information on the three websites we use. We have already received several inquiries, so if you know of someone who has been interested, tell them to contact us soon. 

The farm is back to a full crew once again as we all bid farewell to last year. We are looking forward to this new one with anticipation. The seeds for next summer are ordered. We’re trying some new varieties of tomatoes, peppers, beans and others too. Some experimentation is educational and fun, but with over 200 people expecting food, the old reliable varieties allow some sense of confidence in yield. The east field will be transformed into a garden of perennial veggies like asparagus and rhubarb. We’re confident that perennial crops will be better suited to that garden’s space, drainage, and soil type. 

These recent colder temperatures mean the crew’s attentions are now divided between the regular maintenance of weeding, watering, or harvesting and the covering (with two layers) and uncovering of each of the greenhouses. This new task requiring two people for each ‘pull’ remains very time-consuming. But by the end of the week, the forecast is for warmer temperatures, and this will not be so much of an issue. This week will see the crew finishing the last of the thinning of the carrots that should be ready sometime in March. There is nothing quite as sweet as a cold-weather carrot! 

As we look to the future, reservations for the Summer 2012 season will be starting in a few weeks. As with this Winter 2012 cycle, full payment will not be due until the beginning of the season in June. We hope you will join us for the summer as well. Once again, we wish you a Happy New Year! Have a great week.

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

OPEN FARM DAY

Join us on Sunday, March 25th for our winter Open Farm Day. We’ll meet at the Amesville Grange, have a potluck, visit with folks, and then caravan to the farm for a tour of your veggies. This year our annual Farm Day will also be promoted as a Farm-to-Table event by the Ohio Farm Bureau. More details later! 

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, 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 - Some sites will receive oyster and some will receive shiitake.
Sunflower Microgreens - If you’re not familiar with microgreens, you are in for a surprise! These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy.
Acorn Squash - We are thrilled to have these for you this year. Widely versatile, these can be baked or steamed to start with.
Sweet Potato - Similar to the squashes in color but decidedly sweeter in flavor. To store these beauties, do not refrigerate – keep them at around 55 for optimum storage conditions.
Swiss Chard - By far this is the green that most people know. It grows in the summer as well as the winter. Steam, stir-fry, sauté, or use in soups and casseroles.
Kale – A favorite on the farm! like all greens, steam, stir-fry, sauté, use in soups, casseroles and other preparations. Also, it’s delicious raw and massaged with olive oil, lemon juice, and honey. Yummmy!
Garlic - Beside being incredibly good for you, it’s hard to imagine starting to prepare a savory recipe without some of this in some form.

THE COMBO CORNER

The fruit selections this week are a little of a mystery since Neil is out of town. We know for sure that there is a variety called Cameo, but there are also others….sorry.
French bread 'Gallette' from The Village Bakery and Café.
This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is Caprino Romano, made with raw goat's milk, aged for more than five months; the cheese's rind has been rubbed with salt, olive oil and an edible vegetable ash. This cheese is best used grated over pasta, pizza & salads.
This week is a delivery of the Sweet Shares.

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

BREATHING SPACE YOGA 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

HARMONY CHIROPRACTIC – 740-592-4631 3-7pm
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!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Green-Edge-Gardens/327289894146
Twitter - http://twitter.com/GreenEdgeGarden

RECIPES

MASSAGED KALE
Wash and dry the kale. De-stem the kale. You can save the stems for later sautéing. Tear the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces and place in bowl. Drizzle the kale with olive oil, honey, and either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. With both hands in the bowl, begin to ‘massage’ the kale. The acid from the lemon juice (or vinegar) reacts with the broken leaves and causes them to wilt and taste and appear cooked. It’s a remarkable dish. Ready in no time. Additions and enhancements that the farm crew has tried include dried cranberries, toasted sesame seeds, walnuts, and even more were great too!

StillTasty.com has some useful and interesting information about kale.
· Refrigerate kale in a plastic bag; do not wash until ready to use.
· Freezing kale can mean it will store up to 10 months. Wash the kale and remove the stems. Blanch (plunge into boiling water) for two minutes and chill quickly in ice water. Drain off excess moisture, package in airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze immediately.

SAUSAGE, KALE & WHITE BEAN SOUP
from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 c. dry navy beans, soak in water overnight 

1 large bunch kale, rinsed, stemmed & torn 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 pound spicy linguica sausage, sliced 

1 cup sliced shallots (onions are okay) 

4 cups chicken broth 

salt and pepper to taste 

½ teaspoon hot sauce, to taste
Directions:
1. Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Cook the soaked beans in a pressure cooker in 4 cups of water for 25 minutes. Do not drain.
2. Bring a second pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and simmer until kale is bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a strainer, and cool under cold running water. Set aside.
3. Heat olive oil over medium heat in the soup pot. Brown the linguica slices on each side, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add shallots to pot and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Pour in a splash of chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits of sausage.
4. Return the sausage to the pot along with the beans and their cooking liquid. Stir in the chicken broth. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add the kale and cook about 4 minutes longer. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.

STUFFED SQUASH
For 4 servings of stuffed squash, split 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
Ingredients:
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
Directions:
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.

SWEET POTATO FRIES
Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes
Olive Oil
Seasoning (could be savory--Rosemary, Thyme, etc, spicy--paprika, red pepper, or simply salt and pepper)
Directions:
Cut the sweet potatoes into strips, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings of your choice.
Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

Shiitake Benefits
from www.DrWeil.com
Encourage body tissue to absorb cholesterol, lowering the amount in the bloodstream
Have antiviral and anticancer properties