ATHENS HILLS CSA
With all of the recent rains, we missed one of the plantings for salad mix. We plant this every 7 days to provide the continuous supply we need for you and our other customers. But planting just a few days late caused a shortage this week. Sorry for that (a little out of our control), but we have filled your bags with lots of variety! This week the tomatoes are finally available in quantities to fill all of the shares. Remember that tomatoes are in the nightshade family and do not survive well when refrigerated (except after you have cut them.) This year’s Open Farm Day had some of the best food yet! Many dishes that were brought to share were made with some of the items from the shares of last week. (And none of them was like ‘bringing coals to Newcastle’.) The weekend rains did put a damper on the 63rd annual Fireman’s Festival as well as the Farm Day, but those who made it to either of them had a great time! It was wonderful to meet in person some of the names that are so familiar to us in our database….
By now, you will have received from Miranda, an email containing our newest offering – The Seasonal Share Option. The idea is to make available once per CSA season, the opportunity for you to experience even more of our amazing Athens entrepreneurial artisans’ wares. We plan to offer these choices once per CSA season, so if you are interested, don’t hesitate. Act now so you don’t forget! All of the details are explained clearly in the online brochure, but if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or email Miranda at the farm for answers. To order, just print the form and send in a check (just like the CSA payments) made out to Athens Hills CSA. We can’t wait for you to try them!
With most of the summer’s scheduled activities finally over, we are now fully focused on some of the projects that we have had to delay. Of course, some of this delay is from the excessive amounts of rain and mud, but with some dry days, the mud will abate and projects can continue. Have a great week!
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, Mark, Theo, Penny, Emily, Josh, Matt T, Brittany, Michelle, Matt C., Natalie, Brooke, and Miranda)
THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES
Cucumbers - Besides just slicing these with some onion and vinegar, sugar, and oil, cukes are used widely in many cuisines of the world. Sunflower Microgreens - We describe these tasty greens juicy and crunchy Great for snacking, in wraps or to finish off a green salad.
Basil – Whether it’s pesto, in salads or some other yummy dish, summer isn’t truly here without it.
Mint – Easy to dry for tea or use fresh in recipes. Wonderfully refreshing on a hot summer day – drop a sprig in a jar of water for the refrigerator.
Mixed Summer Squash –Zucchinis, yellow, or patty pan are the varieties. The yellow looks like yellow zucchini; the pattypan look like pies. They all cook & taste much the same.
Eggplant- We are growing several varieties of eggplant: 2 long, thin Asian varieties, and 2 bell-shaped Mediterranean ones. They have similar flavors, and the Asian ones don’t need peeled, but can be. They’re great for slicing into chunks and grilling on a skewer.
Green Beans – Tender and tasty- stir-fry, steam, roast, saute, or boil these. Cool, them and marinate for a crunchy refreshing salad ingredient or just by themselves.
Beets – Two veggies in one! The roots make one meal and the greens are another. Some like them raw, but most prefer them roasted or steamed.
Tomatoes – This week you are receiving hybrid slicing tomatoes. Remember: No refrigerator until they are cut. Try them with basil and fresh mozzarella!
THE COMBO CORNER
The fruit share from Cherry Orchards this week includes early Red Haven yellow peaches that are sweet and juicy. These are topped with Jersey Mac apples, an early Macintosh variety. The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Italian Wheat.
The cheese from Integration Acres is Percy's Blue, a pasteurized goat's milk blue cheese. Aged for about a month, this ¼- pound wedge is milder and less salty that many blue cheeses. It is delicious crumbled onto a salad, or spread some on crusty bread, then broil for a couple minutes before topping with a slice of tomato and basil leaves and drizzling with balsamic vinegar.
PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS
BEXLEY MARKET-614-252-3951, 3-8pm CLINTONVILLE COOP – 614-261-3663, 11 am-8 pm
ECOFLORA – 614-266-1618, 12pm-7pm
DUBLIN TREK BICYCLE 614-791- 8735, 3-7 pm
HILLIARD POWERSHACK 614-506-3086, 4-7pm
NEW ALBANY – 614-216-9370, 12-8pm
ATHENS COMMUNITY CENTER - 740-592-3325, 12-8 pm
HYACINTH BEAN – 740-594-9302, 12-6pm
BELPRE 304-488-3620, 3-6 PM
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 don’t forget to return your bags!
RECIPES
Basil–Mint Sauce from: www.epicurious.com
Ingredients:
¼ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup sliced green onions
3 tbls. mayonnaise
2 tbls olive oil
2 tbls fresh lime juice
Directions:
Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. It can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cover, and chill.
Many of the reviews wanted to omit the mayo because is was such a strong flavor in the mix. Most people used this for fish or scallops.
Cucumber, Tomato, Mint Salad
from foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
10 oz. goat cheese
2-4 ripe tomatoes, cut in small wedges
4 medium-sized cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 small white onions, julienned (Vidalia will work great for this if they are available)
20 mint leaves
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
In a large mixing bowl crumble goat cheese. Add tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions to bowl. Cut mint leaves chiffonade-style into shreds and add to salad. Add vinegar and olive oil. Mix well. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then serve.
Below is a link for Lebanese Cucumber Salad:
http://www.ehow.com/video_12158468_lebanese-cucumber-salad.html
This is so easy and sounds quick and good!
Sunflower Microgreen Salad as made for Open Farm Day
At Open Farm Day, we served this microgreen salad that was made from what we found in the fridge! Several people ask what was in it and if we would include it in the newsletter. Here it is.
Ingredients:
1- 1½ lb. of sunflower microgreens, chopped coarsely
1-2 small bell pepper (used purple ones for color), chopped finely
1-1½ cups broccoli tops, chopped into ¼-½“ pieces
1-2 finely diced ripe tomatoes
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
olive oil
orange juice
salt and pepper
Directions:
Layer all of the veggie ingredients in a wide bowl. Drizzle olive oil and orange juice over veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss, cover, & refrigerate. That’s all we did, but the flavors were surprisingly complimentary.
Roasted Beets, Tops, And Green Bean Salad in Honey Vinaigrette
from: myhumblekitchen.com
Ingredients:
5-6 assorted beets (1 variety will also be delicious.) 1 ½ cups beet tops with stems, chopped 2 cups fresh green beans ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon kosher (large granule) salt ¼ teaspoon ground pepper Fresh cut mint to garnish
Directions:
1. Cut the green tops off the beets.
2. Cut the beets in half and lie cut side down on a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil then sprinkle with kosher salt; toss to coat.
4. Roast at 400F for 40 minutes or until the beets are soft enough to be pierced with a fork.
5. Once the beets are roasted, allow to cool them remove the outer skins.
6. Cut into bite sized wedges and set aside in a serv- ing bowl.
7. In a separate pan, bring water to a boil.
8. Add the green beans and boil until tender, 8-1`0 minutes. Remove and transfer to serving bowl with beets.
9. In the same pan of water, add the beer tps with stems and simmer until tender, 2-3 minutes. Trans- fer to serving bowl.
10. To the vegetables in the serving bowl add extra virgin olive oil, honey, golden balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
11. Finish with a garnish of freshly cut mint.
12. Allow the salad to come to room temperature or place in the refrigerator to serve cold.
Veggie Lasagna with Beets and Eggplant
from recipes.sparkpeople.com
Ingredients:
9 whole lasagna noodles, uncooked
2 15 oz. tubs ricotta cheese (1 big)
3 medium eggs
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Italian herbs to taste
Pepper to taste
3-4 medium beets, peeled & sliced
2 Tbls. + 2 tbls. olive oil
1 cup chopped raw onions
1 medium peeled & chopped eggplant
30 oz. can tomato puree
½ glass red wine (preferably shiraz)
½ - 1 cup water
Italian herbs to taste
1½ cups mozzarella, shredded
Directions:
Roast the beets first. Peel the beets. Using a mandolin or a food processor fitted with a thin slicing blade, slice the beets, and arrange on a foil-covered cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Arrange the slices in a single layer and spray the tops with cooking spray. Roast the beets at 450F for 7-8 minutes, until soft and cooked, but not crispy. Set aside. Reduce oven heat to 350F. Sauté the onions and eggplant in 2 Tbls. olive oil. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, ground black pepper, and Italian herbs to taste, including 1 clove finely chopped garlic. In 2 Tbls olive oil, sauté 1 clove finely chopped garlic and herbs until they release their smell. Deglaze the pan with the wine, add tomato puree and water. Add in eggplant and onions. Cook about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste, or use veggie bouillon for flavor.
In the bottom of a 13x9 pan, spoon in 1/3 of sauce mixture. Layer on 4½ noodles, breaking to fit. Top noodles with ½ ricotta mixture. Layer sliced beets over cheese, using all of the beets. Top with 1/3 sauce. Top with 4½ noodles. Top with ½ cheese mixture & top that with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover with foil and cook up to 1 hr. until noodles are done and dish is hot through. Remove form oven. Remove foil; rest dish for 10 minutes to firm up.
1 comment:
This is fantastic!
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