Our Daily Tasks: Covering and Uncovering

Our Daily Tasks: Covering and Uncovering

The winter wonderland where we grow your veggies.

The winter wonderland where we grow your veggies.
Photo credit: Emily Hammon
Want to join and receive your own share of delicious veggies each week? If you are interested in signing up, please email us at greededgegardens@gmail.com. For more information or to download our Enrollment brochure, visit our website at www.greenedgegardens.com/CSA.

We love sharing our wonderful produce with you! We started this blog so that we can keep you up to date with all that is happening on the farm. It is also an opportunity for all of us to get to know one another better. One of the strengths of a CSA is the direct relationship between the farmer's experience and your experience receiving fresh vegetables weekly.

We want to hear from you, so please feel free to share recipes, thoughts and ideas-just click on the COMMENT below each post to add to our CSA community.

July 11, 2012

Week 4 Newsletter, Summer 2012

ATHENS HILLS CSA
Life became instantly easier last Friday with the return of the electrical power to the various devices around the farm: walk-in coolers, electric deer fence, water pumps, lights, computers, portable phones, refrigerators, freezers – well, I’m sure you know too. Many of our neighbors up one hollow or another are still without power though. It seems folks at the end of the line with a broken wire or pole are the last to be reconnected.

Work here never stopped though, even in the 100+ temperatures, watering and some tending was needed. At the market on Saturday, the starting bell rang 20 minutes early since there were so many people there trying to shop before the temperature climbed. Most customers were gone before the end of market. The Hampton Inn located next to the parking lot where the market is held, sent tubs of ice and towels to keep vendors and customers cool. And that was a VERY COOL thing for them to do. It’s just one of the reasons why this is such a great community! 

 Later this week, plans for the July 29th Open Farm Day will really start to take shape. A preliminary meeting yesterday between Liz, Dan, Kip and I will make some of those plans easier to implement. Just as with the CSA season planning, we are always trying to create a better experience for those who come. The layout of the event will change a little making it easier for folks to find the meeting spot at the farm. Children’s activities and music will be closer to each other also. 

Although mentioned in Veggie List, the following bears repeating: When basil is a part of the share for the week, please check your cloth bag before you leave the host site to make certain you have received it. At some locations, each member is required to collect it instead of it being handed over by another. In both of these instances, there is room for error, so please check the contents and don’t be shy about asking for assistance if you need. The crew is happy to be back on the ‘below 90 degree’ start time. The veggies too, are happy about the cooler temperatures this week. All in all, things are good! Have a great week too!

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


THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES
Salad Mix – For the summer mix, there are 7 varieties of lettuce. 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.
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 – The chard has returned this week. Using it in a stir-fry is still my favorite way to prepare it. What yours?
Cabbage – We are happy to provide some bounty from one of our fellow organic farmers here. We can’t grow cabbages here, but he grows them very well and we wanted to share them with you.
Basil – Remember to look in your share bag for the separate bag of basil. In some of the locations, the basil is separate from the rest of the share because it stores best at a warmer temperature than the rest of the veggies.
Carrots – Yes to the carrots again this week. We hope you are enjoying the flavor difference of freshly harvested carrots and the ones that have stored for who knows how long in the produce aisle.
Beets - We are so thrilled to have beets for you again this week. Some years the germination rate is very poor, but this year isn’t one of them.
Summer Squash – We grow 4 varieties of summer squash. This week everyone’s share will be a little different since the squashes are mixed, but they weigh 2 lbs. You can find pictures with names of the different varieties on the blog.


EXTRAS BOX
This week at each site you will find the 1st of the “Extras Box”. In the box this week are extra cucumbers. It’s not enough to give a share to each member, but too much for us to sell or even use up. Please feel free to take some and remember the folks who are picking up after you too. Thanks and we hope you enjoy this little extra bounty.



THE COMBO CORNER
The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard will start next week!
The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the French Galette.
The cheese from Integration Acres “is Chase Cheddar, a raw goat's milk cheese that's aged over two months. During the cheese making process, the curds are salted, and then the wheels are rubbed with coarse salt before being waxed for aging. Many cheeses are named for where they are made; we named this white cheddar after the Chase family, neighbors whose lineage dates back to pioneer days. Our farm also sits on Chase Road. Try this cheese with apples slices or a glass of cold beer.” Thanks for the info, Michelle.

**OPEN FARM DAY is July 29th Please join us for a potluck at the Amesville Grange followed by tours, music and kid’s activities at the farm. Hope to see you there!**

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
HILLIARD POWER SHACK – 614-506-3086 4-7pm
CLINTONVILLE COOP – 614-261-3663 11 am-8 pm
PILATES 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!

TIMELY TIPS
This is a new section for the newsletter. Like ‘Hints from Heloise’, it will contain the great ideas that members send back to us. Hope it’s useful for you!

~ from May in Athens: “I put part of my basil in a glass of water in the fridge (after cutting the ends of the stems); keeps a little longer. Any excess I hang in my mud room to dry; store dried leaves in a jar. Great for cooking, but did you also know that it makes a lovely/healthy tea? From fresh or dried basil ... It's a very mild, pleasant flavor, which can be enhanced with a bit of honey to sweeten, or taken straight. That's a Mediterranean thing: Basil tea is supposed to be an ancient calmative for stomach problems.” She later told me that the fresher the cut basil, the better it seems to stay.

~from Eva in Clintonville: “…I figured out that slicing your mushrooms with scissors is easier than with a knife. I just chop them right into the frying pan. Have a great week. We can't wait for the open house!”

Send us your tips for handling and using these weekly items so we can share them with others. Or, post them directly to our blog: www.greenedgegardens.blogspot.com

RECIPES
Beet, Carrot, and Zucchini Salad
Last week for Friday Farm Lunch, Liz and Mark created some wonderful dishes including this one below. This raw salad is deliciously crunchy and fresh. 
1. Wash and scrub one large beet thoroughly. Do the same with one medium zucchini or any long summer squash, and 2-3 medium carrots. 
2. Grate these colorful beauties into a large bowl using a medium fine grate. Add some micro-greens. Sprinkle with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and any other of your favorite spices. Toss and chill. 
3. Many people ate it just like that and raved; others put it atop some of the other wonderful dishes. 
4. One variation that I thought might be tasty was to start with this salad; add some grated onion and chopped garlic; cooked rice, and maybe cheese. Then roll it in a scalded cabbage leaf or a leaf of Swiss chard. Put these rolls in a baking dish, cover and bake at 3500 for about 45 minutes. Spoon a sauce over them and serve.

Jamaican Cabbage and Carrots
from www.indobase.com
Ingredients: 
1 cabbage (small head) 
3 tbsp. oil 
2 cups carrot (shredded) 
2 tsp. salt 
 a pinch of cayenne
Directions:
Shred cabbage and carrots. Simmer in just enough water so as to have the cabbage completely immersed. Cook until cabbage is done but still crisp; cook for about 10 minutes. Add salt and cayenne; a few green chilies greatly add to the flavor.
Suggestions: Do not drain the excess water before serving.

Carolina Slaw
from southernfood.about.com. This coleslaw is made with a tangy vinegar dressing, with sugar, cider vinegar, celery seed, and other seasonings.
Ingredients:
1 large head of cabbage, finely shredded
1 medium bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
Dressing:
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 cup cider vinegar
Preparation:
Combine coleslaw vegetable ingredients; chopped cabbage, chopped bell pepper, chopped onions, and grated carrots in a large serving bowl.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved; pour over vegetables and toss well. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Enough slaw for 8 to 10 servings. Delicious with pulled pork!

Westphalia Slaw Dressing  
www.yummly.com
Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar 
½ cup vinegar 
¾ cup vegetable oil 
½ tsp salt 
1 tsp celery seed 
½ tsp dry mustard 
1 tsp pepper
Mix well in a pint jar. Can also be used for wilted lettuce (just heat).

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