Week 9 Newsletter, Summer 2012

 ATHENS HILLS CSA

Last week seems to be the transition to autumn for us. The rain and cooler temperatures brought such relief to the plants and the workers. Two interns, Glenn and Chris, returned to school. Liz left and Miranda has officially assumed even more responsibilities in the office. We have added two new faces to our work force. Molly Jo joined us after her AmeriCorps contract with Rural Action’s Ohio Stream RestoreCorps was finished. She also has experience as the Edible Schoolyard Coordinator for the Athens-based Community Foods Initiative. We are very pleased to have her joining us. Jane will start next week. 

This week’s work schedule reflects the changing season. The crew will begin to transplant the kale and collards for fall field crops that we’ll harvest through mid-December. With a few more days without rain, we will begin to harvest the potatoes. Of course, weeding is always being done; it’s like laundry and dirty dishes. And the root crops like turnips and rutabagas that were planted a week or so ago are ready for hoeing. All the while we continue to pick the peppers, green beans, eggplants, squashes, beans, and tomatoes so that those plants will keep producing. 

Planning for the Winter 2013 season is beginning and we are very excited. We are expecting to add at least one new host site in Athens. We are also beginning talks to add another partner item for the winter. We are very excited about this, and we’ll tell you all about it when the details are worked out. 

Canning tomatoes are still available for both the 22nd and the 29th deliveries, but since these paste tomatoes are a determinant variety, the harvest will not last much longer after those dates. (‘Determinant’ describes a plant that sets fruit all at once. ‘Indeterminate’ varieties set less fruit at one time, but the fruiting time lasts for a much longer period.) Paste tomatoes have less juice, which means they ‘cook down’ faster when making tomato sauce. The price is the same as the last several years: $25/ 25 lbs. Just send Miranda an email or call to reserve your box(es). And please return the boxes if you can. Have a great week!

From all of us at Green Edge, 

Becky (Kip, Dan, Mark, Rob, Theo, Penny, Emily, Alicia, Miranda, Bethany, Natalie, and Molly Jo)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Mushrooms - A smaller amount of shiitake this week.
Slicer & Heirloom Tomatoes – Don’t store the tomatoes in the fridge, unless you plan to use them now, or you have cut into them. The heirlooms are delicate and bruise easily, but are sooo tasty! The hybrid slicers are more firm with a little more acidity. Also tasty!
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 

Cucumbers – Try peeling the skin, but then keep peeling long thin slices. When you get to the seeds, you can decide if you want to use them. Marinated with some finely sliced onions, these are delish! The texture is almost creamy.
Swiss Chard – The chard is back this week. Using it in a stir-fry is still my favorite way to prepare it. What yours?
Eggplant – These little beauties are versatile. The skin is tender enough not to peel and they don’t require blanching. They’re a favorite around here for kabobs, stir-fry or grilled for babaganoush.
Beets – These keep so long in the crisper drawer. They are so sweet, we can’t get enough!
Green Beans – How many green beans does it take to fill 137 shares? 86+ lbs. Steamed, boiled, stir-fried, and pickled are some of the methods used to prepare them.

THE COMBO CORNER

The fruit from Cherry’s Orchard includes Crest Haven Peaches and a low acid white peach called Arctic Gem. Their first picking of Gala apples is also included with a few Bartlett Pears. This orchard has been in operation for 50 years.

The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is French Galette.

The cheese share from Integration Acres is Goat Gouda, a raw milk cheese that's been aged just a bit over two months. Though still technically young, it already has developed a pleasant sharpness.

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS AND 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

Storing tomatoes: We attempt to ship you tomatoes that are not ‘dead ripe’ the day you 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.

RECIPES

Grilled Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Pizza

from www.myrecipes.com
Ingredients: 

1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough 

Cooking spray 

1 garlic clove, halved 

1 large heirloom tomato, seeded and chopped (about 10 ounces) 

½ cup (2 ounces) shredded part- skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled herbed goat cheese
Directions: 

1. Prepare grill to medium heat.

2. Unroll dough onto a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat dough into a 12” x 9” rectangle. Lightly coat dough with cooking spray. 

3. Place the dough on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 1 minute until lightly browned. Turn crust over. Rb with garlic; sprinkle with womato and cheeses. Close frill lid; grill 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

ED.s note: I am not exactly sold on the idea of refrigerated store dough because of the ‘dough conditioners’ that are used. A homemade version for the crust would be tastier, but not as quick to prepare. ~

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic Vinegar, & Parmesan Cheese
(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn) 

from www.kalynskitchen.com
Ingredients:
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced in ½ inch slices 

1 lb. fresh green beans 

1 ½ T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 T finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Wash mushrooms and let drain (or spin dry in salad spinner, which is what I did.) While mushrooms are drying, trim ends of beans and cut beans in half so you have bite-sized pieces. (An easy way to trim them is to gather a small handful of beans, stand them up on cutting board, holding loosely so they will fall down and have ends aligned, then trim. Repeat with other end.) Cut mushrooms into slices ½ inch thick.

Put cut beans and mushrooms into a Ziploc bag or plastic bowl. Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pour over, then squeeze bag or stir so all the beans and mushrooms are lightly coated with the mixture. Arrange on large cookie sheet, spreading them out well so beans and mushrooms are not crowded. Roast 20-30 minutes, starting to check for doneness after 20 minutes. Cook until beans are tender-crisp, mushrooms are cooked, and all liquid on the pan from mushrooms has evaporated. Season beans to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper, and then sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan. Serve hot.

This is a recipe from Open Farm Day - Thanks for sharing, Stephen!

Tomato and Beet Salad

Vegetarian and gluten-free; vegan if you omit the feta (or substitute for it). Makes about 6 cups.

Ingredients:
3 cups bite sized wedges of perfect ripe tomatoes, at room temp. I used heirloom tomatoes from the share for quality and color plus a few good tomatoes from Clintonville Co-op.
3 cups bite sized wedges of boiled, peeled and cooled beets, at room temp. I used 2 weeks worth of beets from the share which I oven-roasted. 

6 tbsp best-quality, fruity extra-virgin olive oil, I used Frantoi Cutrera Primo DOP Monte Iblei* available from Whole Foods 

sea salt black pepper 

½ cup feta cheese

crumbled handful of fresh mint leaves
Directions:
1. Toss the tomatoes and beets with the olive oil, a couple big pinches of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste and add salt and more oil as needed. 

2. Put the vegetables in a wide, low serving bowl. Top with the feta and mint and serve immediately.

Pasta Stuffed Tomatoes 

from Joy of Gardening Cookbook, Ballantyne, 1984 

Ingredients:
6 medium- size tomatoes
2 tablespoons butter
2 c. finely chopped zucchini or summer squash

2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups cooked vermicelli, cut into 1 inch pieces
¼ cup whipping cream 

salt and pepper
¼ cup crumbled farmer cheese or feta cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Scoop out the insides of the tomatoes and reserve to use in a soup. Turn the tomatoes upside down on a paper towel to drain.
3. In a sauté pan, melt the butter and sauté the zucchini and garlic until the zucchini is tender crisp, 3-5 minutes. Combine the zucchini with the vermicelli and cream and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 4. Spoon the filling into the tomatoes and sprinkle the tops with the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft but still hold their shape. Serve immediately.

We are always thrilled to hear from members. Do you have a great way to prepare one of the many veggies you are receiving? Or maybe your mom did. Please feel free to share them with us for the newsletter or we can just post it to the blog, OR you can leave a comment on the blog with the information.