ATHENS HILLS CSA
Fresh, cool evening breezes smelling of newly turned soil, the air filled with the raucous sounds of peepers - overnight, swollen buds have burst open with new green leaves or delicately scented flowers. Despite the date of the spring equinox, only this week does it feel, sound, and smell like spring. It’s been a long time coming this year. Around the farm, the crew maintains the hustle/bustle momentum of projects begun and completed. It’s a satisfying change from the tedium of winter’s monotonous chores. Fresh loads of manure are delivered from neighboring farms; more sets, and more seeds arrive weekly. The sweet potatoes that will become the planted ‘slips’ for this season are scheduled for planting this week. The crew will be direct seeding the dill and cilantro. Tomato and pepper starts are also on this list. The plan is to get as much planted as possible before the rains on Thursday. And to that end some days off will be postponed.
We are continuing to weed the beds and footpaths in the greenhouses. Eliminating these plant pests now is important. We surely do not want to let the plants mature and ‘go to seed’. Having made that mistake once was enough. Some weed seed can lie dormant for years – best not to let the seed develop in the first place. We are still waiting for the rhubarb crowns to arrive. They were delayed last week’s due to the burst of arctic temperatures.
The forms for the new concrete lintels that will build the next four raised beds are finished. These forms are designed to be taken apart and put together several times. After we rub soap on their insides (so the concrete won’t stick), the cement truck will come on Friday for the pour. Some plants benefit greatly from the looser soil of the raised beds. Delicate weeding (such as around dill, cilantro, parsley, and salad mix) is so much easier and causes little disturbance to the roots in those beds. This saves time and that saves money.
Spirits are high this week with the bombardment of the sunlight and vitamin D. Kip and PJ are training for the Athens Marathon next Sunday (he’s actually running the half-) in his spare time…. Have a great week!
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, Rob, Miranda, Emily, Natalie, Penny, Mark, Theo, Matt, Josh, Matt, PJ, Laurel and Morgan)
THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES
Salad Mix – In the mix this season 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 - Some will receive shiitake and some will receive our oyster mushrooms.
Sunflower / MicroMix Microgreens - If you’re not familiar with microgreens, you are in for a surprise! These are grown in soil, not sprouted in water. The sunflower has a mild, nutty flavor, is juicy and crunchy, while the MicroMix is spicier, and does not store as long as the sunflower.
Green Onions – Our 4th time to include green onions (scallions to some.) Some seasons these little ones don’t do well, but we are tickled pink to share them with you this week!
Swiss Chard –The mild flavor of chard makes it the all around choice for most customers. It’s the only green that grows well in winter and summer.
Kale - We love it raw, massaged, steamed, in soup, etc., etc. Saw a recent t-shirt that said, “Kale keeps me alive!”
Spinach – We are thrilled to bring you this item again. This wonderful green is so versatile. Use it raw in a salad, or cooked in many different dishes.
Carrots – Another harvest of carrots for this winter. They are so sweet and tender there is never enough to satisfy the demand. Many have written to agree.
THE COMBO CORNER
The apples share from Cherry Orchard is now finished. We hope you enjoyed them. Hang on until the summer fruit share begins in July with peaches, blackberries, grapes, plums and more.The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Alpine Rye--a light and tender rye with a touch of extra virgin olive oil.
The cheese from Integration Acres is the Alexander tomme, a natural rind raw goat's milk cheese that has been aged for nearly 10 months.
PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS
CLINTONVILLE COMMUNITY MARKET 614-261-3663 (11am-8pm)
DUBLIN TREK BICYCLE 614-791- 8735 (3-7pm)
HILLIARD POWERSHACK 614-506-3086 (4-7pm)
NEW ALBANY 614-216-9370 (12-8pm)
TIBET ROAD 614-784-8124 (11am-7pm)
ATHENS COMMUNITY CENTER 740-592-3325 (2-8pm)
BELPRE 304-488-3620 (3-6pm)
HARMONY CHIROPRACTIC 740-592-4631 (3-7pm)
HYACINTH BEAN FLORIST 740-594-9302 (12-6pm)
OHIO UNIVERSITY - HR CENTER 330-284-5510 (4-6pm)
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!
Thanks for all of the efforts concerning the return of the bags. Let's try to return them all in the last few weeks of the season. Athens folks, you can also return them at the Athens Farmer's Market. Thanks so much for your attention to this detail!
RECIPES
Spinach, Green Onion, and Smoked Gouda Quiche ~from Cooking Light August 2010
Ingredients:
Crust:
6 Tbl. butter, softened
2 Tbl. low-fat milk
¼ tsp. salt
1 large egg yolk
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
1 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
3 C. fresh spinach, chopped
1 C. low-fat milk
¾ C. (3 oz.) grated smoked Gouda
¾ tsp. salt dash of grated nutmeg 3 large eggs
Directions:
1. To prepare crust, place butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Combine milk, salt, and egg yolk in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add milk mixture to butter, 1 Tbl at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour; beat just until combined. Press mixture into a 4” circle on plastic wrap; cover. Chill for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350oF.
3. Unwrap and place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 10” circle. Fit dough into a 9” pie plate. Freeze 15 minutes. Bake at 350oF for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.
4. To prepare filling, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add spinach, sauté 2 minutes.
5. Combine 1 cup milk and remaining ingredients is a bowl; stir well with a whisk. Stir in spinach mixture. Pour filling into crust. Bake at 350oF for 35 minutes. Cut into 10 wedges (For a firmer consistency for the filling, bake 5 minutes longer.)
Spinach Soup with Green Onions
~from: epicurious.com
Ed.s Note: I though this seemed pretty quick and simple. Other reviews agreed, but many of those folks also added minced garlic and used some chicken broth in place of the milk. The recipe calls for frozen spinach but I’m sure fresh will only taste better.
Ingredients:
5 Tb. butter
1 bunch green onions, chopped
¼ C all-purpose flour
3½ C. whole milk
1 pkg. frozen spinach
Ground nutmeg
Chopped fresh dill or mint
Preparation:
Melt 4 Tbl. butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add green onions and sauté until just tender, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle four over; whisk 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Whisk until mixture come to a boil and thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Melt 1 Tbl butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add spinach; toss until wilted and tender but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Add spinach to milk mixture. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return to same saucepan and re-warm over low heat. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with dill or mint.
Ginger Noodles with Kale and Shiitakes
~from: love and lemons.com
Ingredients:
2 (7oz) pkgs. shirataki noodles (or kelp, soba, etc)
Splash of olive oil
½ -1 C. thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 Cup thinly chopped kale (about ½ bunch)
1-2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 clove minced garlic
2-3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
2-3 Cups low-sodium vegetable broth
½ Cup edamame, shelled and thawed
1-2 Tbl. soy sauce or tamari
handful of chopped basil handful of chopped mint
squeeze of lime juice
drizzle of toasted sesame oil
crushed red pepper flakes or a splash of sriracha
sesame seed for garnish
salmon, seared (optional)
Directions:
Prepare your noodles – if you’re using the shiratake, they don’t need to be cooked, but first, drain and rinse them. They have sort of a funky smell, so I recommend shocking them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Then drain and rinse (again) in cold water. Set aside until you’re ready to use them. In a large skillet splash a bit of olive oil. When it’s hot, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until they have wilted down, 5 or so minutes. Toss in kale, ginger, garlic, and scallions. Stir fry for a few minutes until the kale starts to wilt down, but garlic is not burning. (Turn the heat down if garlic and ginger are starting to burn.)
Add broth, edamame, and noodles and simmer or a few minutes. if your veggies are soaking up all your broth, add more. Turn off heat, stir in soy sauce, basil, mint, lime juice, and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Ladle into bowls and finish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Top with cooked salmon, if using.
Shrimp with Kale and Shiitakes
~from: seriouseats.com
Ingredients:
1 Tbls butter
½ onion, thinly sliced
½ lb. shiitakes, stemmed & thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
¾ lb. shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1 Tbl. soy sauce
¼ C. dry white wine
1/8 C. heavy cream (optional)
Directions:
1. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a wide frying pan. Add the onion and shiitakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute.
2. Add the kale by the handful and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and almost tender, about 3 minutes. Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan to make room for the shrimp. Then add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until not quite opaque, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the soy sauce, wine, and cream (if using), and cook until sauce has thickened slightly, 203 minutes. Serve immediately
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