HAPPY 2009! I HOPE YOU ALL ARE EXCITED TO START YOUR SHARES AGAIN (WE ARE)!

WHAT TO EXPECT IN YOUR NEXT SHARE: WEEK FOUR

SALAD MIX
SUNFLOWER MICROGREENS
MUSHROOMS
KALE
TATSOI
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
GARLIC

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:
WEEK THREE

Hello Everyone!

Our warmest holiday wishes accompany your share this week! As we prepared the shares we did have the holidays in mind and we hope that you will find all of the vegetables useful for your menus over the next week or so. In this newsletter I’ve included some recipes that may be helpful as well if not for the holidays, at least for the aftermath.

All of our minds are set on preparing for the crazy schedule that next week brings. For those Green Edge farmers that will be in the Amesville area next week, work, although minimal, remains to be done even on Christmas Day. A big thanks goes out to both Penny and Cale who will leave their families briefly that day to take care of things on the farm should the weather dictate.

While we get ready to spend time with our families & friends over the coming holidays, we hope that you have the opportunity to enjoy your family and friends over the next two weeks too. We are looking forward to beginning a new year with all of you and we want to thank you again for helping us do what we love best—growing delicious, nutritious food for our neighbors, friends and relatives. A joyous winter and a happy new year to each of you and yours!

Best Wishes,

Claudia (on behalf of Kip & Becky, Dan, John, Cale, Rob & Penny)

FEATURED VEGGIES

Salad Mix (This week we have all lettuces in the mix (no Asian greens this time around). You will recognize all of them from your last share I’m sure. I’ve included a great recipe for a lovely holiday salad that will be sure to please. After all who wouldn’t like this beautiful & tasty array of greens?)

Mushrooms (This week’s fungi of choice are our outstanding Oysters. This variety of mushroom is mild and delicate. They do not need much cooking time, so only add them to your dish at the end when you only have 2-3 minutes left.)

Pac Choy (This is one of our favorite winter Asian greens. You may already be familiar with its relative Bok Choy. It is mild, yet flavorful and a wonderful addition to soups, grilled veggies and salads.)

Arugula (Spice up those cold early winter evenings with this bold peppery green that we love so well. If spice is not what you are looking for, just cook the arugula with your favorite pasta sauce, or sauté it with our garlic to mellow it out.)
Spinach (This is another treat that we hope you find useful for your holiday culinary adventures. After all who doesn’t love a great spinach-artichoke dip at a holiday open house or New Years bash? )

Kennebec Potatoes (These fantastic roots far surpassed our expectations this year as far as how much our plants produced as well as how flavorful they are. We hope that you enjoy them as part of your holiday feasts this year.)

Garlic (There are many uses for this great root—I’m sure you’ll find at least one this week.)

Salad Radishes (Our fresh and crisp little roots are sure to brighten up your holiday veggie tray or salad—enjoy!)

Recipe: Apple Salad with Arugula & Herb Buttermilk Dressing (Serves 8)

For the dressing…
2/3 C. buttermilk
1 6oz. container of plain
yogurt (about ½ C.)
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
1 Tbs. chopped fresh
tarragon leaves
salt & pepper to taste

For the salad…
4 Fuji, Gala &/or Granny
Smith apples, cored
& cut into 16
wedges
1 bag of G.E. salad mix,
chopped
1 bunch of G.E. arugula,
chopped


Prepare the dressing in a medium bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, yogurt, vinegar, tarragon, salt & pepper. This can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve. Just before serving, whisk dressing and take ¼ cup of it and place in a medium bowl with the apple slices, tossing to coat.

In a large serving bowl, toss the salad mix and the arugula. Top with the apples and serve the remaining dressing on the side.


(Recipe courtesy of Good Housekeeping Magazine, December 2008.)

SO WHAT IS THIS VEGETABLE AND WHAT DO I DO WITH IT?

To get us all started off on the right foot, I thought I would include some history, serving suggestions, and storage recommendations for some of the vegetables in this week’s share. I hope you find these helpful and if you have anything to add, please feel free to comment on our blog—we would love to hear from you!

ARUGULA: This is a mustard green that is usually picked young when it has a wonderful nutty and peppery flavor (some liken it to horseradish). It is rich in vitamin C and minerals adding more nutritional value to a dish when served raw. It is a great addition to salads and can even stand on its own as a salad. In this form it is often accompanied by goat cheese, roasted red peppers and pecans, but it will lend itself to many other salad variations. Arugula also works well as a cooked green and heating it up often mellows the bite it has as a raw vegetable. Sautéed with tomatoes and garlic, it becomes a delicious sauce for pasta; add it to your favorite omelet along with a stronger flavored cheese; or use it as a side dish by sautéing it in butter & lemon juice along with some oyster mushrooms.

Recipe: Potato & Root Vegetable Gratin (Serves 16—side-dish servings)

To make ahead, prepare and bake the recipe through step 4; refrigerate up to two days. When ready to complete, bake, uncovered, as in step 5, on bottom rack of oven, increasing final baking time to 55 minutes. Snip the chives a day ahead and store in the fridge in plastic wrap; sprinkle on gratin before serving.

¾ C. chicken broth
2 Tbs. butter
1 ½ lbs. G.E. potatoes (3 medium),
peeled and thinly sliced
1 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes (3 small),
peeled and thinly sliced
1 lb. celery root (1 large or 2 small),
trimmed, peeled, quartered,
and thinly sliced
1 lb. parsnips (6 medium), peeled
and thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 C. heavy whipping cream
2 Tbs. snipped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400F. In a shallow 3 ½ to 4-quart baking pan or shallow casserole, combine broth and butter, place in oven while oven preheats to melt butter (about 5 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss potatoes, celery root, and parsnips with 1 ¼ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until well mixed.

Remove baking pan from oven. Add broth mixture to vegetable mixture and stir to coat. Spoon vegetable mixture into the same baking pan, cover with foil and bake vegetables for 40 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven. In a 1-cup liquid measuring cup, heat cream in the microwave on high for 45 seconds to warm. Pour cream evenly over vegetables.

Return baking pan to oven and bake vegetables, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes longer or until top is golden and vegetables are fork-tender. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

(Recipe courtesy of Good Housekeeping Magazine, December 2008.)

I hope you find this information helpful! Enjoy your first share and keep in touch throughout the season. Have a wonderful week and don’t forget you can contact us at:

(740) 448-4021 OR
greenedgegardens@verizon.net
or on the blog:
www.greenedgegardens.blogspot.com


We look forward to hearing from you!

Hello everyone!

We just wanted to remind folks that we will not be delivering next week (Christmas week) or the week after (New Year's week). We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season and that it is filled with warmth, peace, laughter & love. Thank you for your support this winter and we will see you again in the new year (after this week of course :) ).

Sincerely,
The Green Edge Farmers

WHAT TO EXPECT IN YOUR SHARE THIS WEEK: WEEK THREE

SALAD MIX
OYSTER MUSHROOMS
BABY PAC CHOI
POTATOES
GARLIC
SPINACH
SALAD RADISHES
ARUGULA

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS WEEK'S SHARE: WEEK TWO

SALAD MIX
SUNFLOWER MICROGREENS
MUSHROOMS
TATSOI (A MILD ASIAN GREEN)
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
CILANTRO

WELCOME TO THE WINTER 2009 CSA!
HERE IS WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS WEEK'S SHARE: WEEK ONE

SALAD MIX
SUNFLOWER MICROGREENS
MUSHROOMS
SPINACH
SWEET POTATOES
GARLIC

ATHENS HILLS SUMMER CSA:

WEEK TWENTY

Hello Everyone!

Wow, the end of the season is here already and we are sending you off with a great share of delicious produce. Our autumn crops are doing well with the warm temperatures, but the change in daylight hours and the cold nights are both having their effects despite the unseasonable temperatures.

Our plants can’t deny the pull of Mother Nature, and neither can we. We have felt the urgency of preparing for colder weather and have shifted into high gear with winter preparations and plantings. The greens in the cold frames look very good already and will be ready to harvest by the time the Winter CSA starts, if not before. Next season should be great—we are even expecting to have spinach in December this year (I know I’m excited)!

Please remember that even though this week marks the end of the Summer CSA season, it doesn’t have to mean the end of our relationship. Please feel free to call, email and visit whenever you have a chance. We really appreciate your support over the past months and we would love to hear from you anytime, so don’t be shy. Thanks again for a great season and we wish you all the best for the future. Happy Election Day!

Best Wishes,

Claudia

PS: Please don’t forget to return your boxes to your pick-up location. Thanks so much!

FEATURED VEGGIES

Salad Mix (The salad mix is still doing well and we’ve begun planting the next round of lettuces in the greenhouses for the winter. It is truly wonderful to have these greens fresh throughout the year!)

Micro Mix (Yes, they’re back for the final share of the season. Enjoy our famous mix of sunflower, buckwheat, radish, cabbage & kogane.)

Mushrooms (By now you are familiar with our fungi. I hope that you can savor these one more time as the summer season comes to a close.)

Cilantro (This is one of my favorite herbs since it lends itself to so many different cuisines and seasons of food. Make your favorite salsa, or add it to a wonderful Thai side dish.)

Arugula (Is it an herb? Is it a green? I’m not positive but I do know that it is one spicy (peppery) crop that works wonders in a salad. It also makes a fantastic pesto of its own—just use walnuts instead of pine nuts.)

Salad Radishes (We wanted to add a bit of color to your last share and thought that these lovely roots would do just fine. I hope you enjoy them in their entire fall splendor.)

Green Onions (Who doesn’t love these small staples? You know what to do with them J.)

Garlic (This is another of our favorite fall crops, and definitely one of my favorite herbs to have in my kitchen. Spicy & fragrant, you can’t go wrong adding this gem to a sauce, salad dressing or stir-fry.)

Russet Potatoes (These did great this year and we are hoping that you will enjoy their delightful taste in your favorite dishes. These will keep best in a cool, dry, dark place and would be perfect for Thanksgiving!)

Recipe: Three Salad Dressings (All Serve 4)

Lemon, Oil & Honey Dressing

4 Tbs. sunflower oil

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 Tbs. honey

1 ½ Tbs. fresh or dried

mint

You can blend these in a blender or food processor, or heat the honey gently until it is thin enough to blend in with the other ingredients. This dressing is good for salads containing sweet vegetables (for example, carrots, beets or fennel)

Cider Vinegar Dressing

4 Tbs. canola oil

4 Tbs. cider vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbs. fresh herbs (mint

or parsley), or

dried herbs (basil

or thyme)

Mix ingredients. This is a good all-purpose salad dressing, and you can experiment with different herbs.

Greek Salad Dressing

½ C. plain yogurt

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

Mix these ingredients together and then serve over a bed of lettuce, feta, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers & poppy seeds.

(Recipe courtesy of Vegetarian Food For All, 1996.)

Recipe: Individual Potato Puddings

(Serves 6)

6 medium-sized potatoes

1 bunch of green onions

2 eggs, well beaten

½ C. sifted all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. white pepper

4 Tbs. butter, melted

Pare and grate the potatoes. They should yield 2 ½ to 3 cups of grated potato. Allow potatoes to stand a few minutes, then discard excess liquid amounting to 2 to 3 tablespoons. Add grated onions and eggs. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and pepper and sift into mixture. Add the melted butter and spoon mixture into greased muffin cups filling them well to the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until puddings are browned and crusty. Remove from the oven, let stand a few minutes, run a sharp thin knife around the rim of each pudding, and remove from muffin tins. Serve hot. If necessary, puddings may be kept warm in the oven for a short while until serving time.

(Recipe courtesy of What Cooks in Suburbia, 1961.)

Recipe: Buttered Peas and Mushrooms (Serves 6)

Peas, cooked tender and full-flavored by the waterless method, combine with sautéed mushrooms, marjoram, and minced fresh parsley in this most appealing vegetable dish.

2 Tbs. butter

2 packages frozen peas, thawed just

enough to be broken into small

chunks

1 small onion, sliced in half

large lettuce leaves

3 Tbs. butter

¼ lb. mushrooms, sliced

1 Tbs. minced fresh parsley

1/8 tsp. marjoram

salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

In a heavy saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter and add the frozen green peas in chunks and the onion halves. Cover peas with large lettuce leaves, tucking leaves in well around the peas. Cover saucepan tightly and simmer very gently for 15 to 20 minutes or until peas are tender. Add no water during cooking process.

Meanwhile melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, add the sliced mushrooms, and sauté until tender. Combine with the cooked peas (discard lettuce leaves and onion into compost) and add the minced parsley, marjoram, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve.

(Recipe courtesy of What Cooks in Suburbia, 1961.)

Happy Halloween Everyone!

WHAT TO EXPECT IN YOUR SHARE: WEEK TWENTY

SALAD MIX
MICROGREENS
MUSHROOMS
ARUGULA
CILANTRO
SALAD RADISHES
GREEN ONIONS
GARLIC
RUSSET POTATOES

ATHENS HILLS SUMMER CSA:
WEEK NINETEEN

Hello Everyone!

As we look to the end of this season’s CSA cycle, please accept our thanks for your support in this summer and fall. If not for you, we would not be here. Have you signed up for this winter, or do you know someone who would be interested? We are filling the winter season and encourage you to sign-up soon, so you can stay a part of this community. Thanks.

The greenhouses are fully turned over for winter, the sides are being battened down for the brisk winds, and the row covers and hoops are in place. Garlic fields are being readied for the fall planting, cover crops are sown and up in the fallow fields,
and new hay fields are being mowed. Kip has even found a nice new hill to be double-mowed for sledding. I wonder if we’ll get snow, (a free source of nitrogen).

Storm windows, long johns, flannel shirts, and various other warm weather items have become very important parts of life at the farm this week. Hearty soups, stews and warm beverages are a mainstay. We hope you are all snug and warm.

Have a great week!

Best Wishes,
Becky

PS: As we near the end of the Summer ’08 CSA season, remember that we appreciate your feedback. Your comments, suggestions, questions, etc. have helped us over the past few years to make our CSA better and better. We would like to continue to improve and we can only do that with your help, so please send us an email, give us a call or write us a letter and let us know what you have thought about your experience so far. Thanks for your support this season and we hope to see you again for our Winter 2009 CSA.

FEATURED VEGGIES

Salad Mix (The salad mix is still doing well and we’ve begun planting the next round of lettuces in the greenhouses for the winter. It is truly wonderful to have these greens fresh throughout the year!)

MicroMix (Our original blend of nutricious and crunchy microgreens. See the blog for a copy of the microgreens brochure.)

Mushrooms (By now you are familiar with our fungi. Let everyone know what you’ve been up to in the kitchen with them by submitting your favorite mushroom recipe on the blog.)


Dill (This tangy herb is a great addition to the fall salad mix. I’ve also included a reciped for dill dip/sauce useful for fish or other foods.)

Japanese White Turnips
(These beauties are milder than their purple-topped cousins. Excellent shredded raw into salad or steamed, boiled, or fried, or roasted.)

Baby Pac Choy ( This mild Asian green will work in any recipe for bok choy. Again, eat it raw, steamed, stirred-fried or boiled. A recipe is included for this ingredient.)

Winter Squash (Most of you will receive spaghetti squash, and some will receive a Kubota orange squash. Both of these can be prepared by baking at 350 F for around an hour, depending on the size.)


Recipe: Stir-fried Baby Pak Choy from Epicurious, July 2008.
Yields: 4 servings.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds baby bok choy
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 (1/4-inch) piece fresh ginger, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
2 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Preparation
Trim 1/4 inch from bottom of each head of pak choy. Slice pak choy crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Wash pak choy in several changes of cold water and dry in colander or salad spinner until dry to touch.
In wok or large sauté pan over moderately high heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add ginger, scallions, and garlic and stir-fry until aromatic, about 15 seconds. Add bok choy, salt, sugar, and pepper and stir-fry 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon water, cover, and cook until wilted, about 30 seconds. Uncover, stir-fry 5 seconds, then cover again, turn off flame, and let steam in residual heat until just tender, about 30 seconds more. Serve immediately.

Braised Turnips with Poppy-seed Bread Crumbs from: Epicurious, February 2008 Servings: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
For turnips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 lb medium turnips (not Japanese), peeled and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For bread crumbs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs from a baguette
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation
Braise turnips:
Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, then add turnips, water, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Increase heat to medium and stir turnips, then briskly simmer, uncovered, until all of liquid has evaporated and turnips are glazed and just tender, 20 to 35 minutes (they should be cooked through but still retain their shape).
Make bread crumbs while turnips cook:
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook garlic, stirring, until pale golden, about 1 minute. Add bread crumbs and poppy seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and salt to taste. Just before serving, sprinkle bread crumbs over turnips.

Cooks' notes:
•Turnips can be braised 1 day ahead and chilled, uncovered, until cool, then covered. Reheat with a little water before serving.
• Bread-crumb mixture, without parsley, can be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature. Stir in parsley before using.


Dill Dip Recipe from: Epicurean.com



Ingredients:
2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons grated onion
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Bon Apetit seasoning (or seasoned salt)
Freshly ground black pepper, about 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
Directions:
Combine all ingredients. Cover and chill. Serve with assorted fresh vegetables. (If fresh dill is not available, use about 1 1/2 tablespoons dried dill weed.)
Yield: 4 cups


Have a wonderful week and don’t forget you can contact us at:

(740) 448-4021 OR
greenedgegardens@verizon.net
or on the blog:
www.greenedgegardens.blogspot.com


We look forward to hearing from you!

WEEK 19 - Veggie List

Salad Mix
MicroMix Microgreens
Mushrooms
Spaghetti Squash
Baby Pac Choi (Asian green)
Japanese White Turnips
Dill