ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK EIGHT

Hello Everyone!

So far this week, things are fairly calm around the farm. This past weekend the sun shone bright and warmed things up a bit around here. We can even see bits of the ground again although the ice is staying with us, especially on the shoveled walkways. John and I did enjoy working the frigid, yet sunny Athens Farmers' Market on Saturday. It is a rare occasion when we don't have to set up our canopies and can warm our faces in the bright light of the sun. On cold winter days, it makes all the difference! We were also busy at Market serving all the loyal Athens customers who I'm guessing came out to get rid of a bit of cabin fever from last week. Can't say I blame them since I was also excited about being out & about!

This week we have quite a few greens for you. Our greens love winter. You may not guess this by observing their slow growth rate, but with one taste of their sweetness, you know. There is something just right about the cold that keeps them from developing a certain bitterness that comes with warmer weather. While some prefer this stronger taste, I am pleased as punch when our lovely greens are sweet and I hope you are too. They all work so well together as well as with the potatoes, daikon and mushrooms, so don't be shy about combining ingredients. Enjoy this week's taste adventures!

Believe it or not, winter is also the time of year when we start planning our next CSA season. If you would like to give us any suggestions for our summer CSA program, please email me and I will be happy to pass it along. We always appreciate your comments & suggestions. After all, we couldn't do this without you! Have a great week!

Best Wishes,

Claudia

FEATURED VEGGIES

(If you have questions about any of these veggies, email me and I will do my best to get back to you right away with storage ideas, serving suggestions, etc.)

Micromix Microgreens (We grow an array of tiny little nutritious greens and this week you get to sample some of your own. Included in the mix are our sunflower, buckwheat, radish, cabbage & kogane (pac choi) micros. They make a delicious salad of their own, but would work great on sandwiches, egg dishes, etc.)

Mushrooms (The shiitakes are abundant and we are happy to share these great (big) beauties with you this week. Remember, you can save the woody stems and boil them for a great mushroom broth--always delicious in the middle of winter!)

Kale (Wintertime is kale's time to shine. I've included some tips and recipes that will perhaps give you a new perspective on how to enjoy these and the other greens this week.)

Swiss Chard (Chard loves the cold weather too. It is nice & sweet thanks to the cold. The greens recipes I've included this week would also work well for chard, so don't be shy.)

Spinach (I love spinach! I bet you do too. Enjoy your wealth of greens this week--they will be sure to keep you happy and healthy :).)

Potatoes ** (Yummy, yummy! Check out the recipe this week for a simple, spicy treat as well.)

Daikon Radish (See notes that follow for a description of and some culinary recommendations for this lovely root veggie.)

Recipe: Yogurt with Potatoes (Serves 4 to 6)

**NB: If you are not going to use them right away, please store your potatoes in a paper bag in the fridge to extend their shelf life.

2 medium-sized

potatoes

16 oz. plain yogurt

1 to 1 ½ tsp. salt

1/8 to ¼ tsp. black

pepper

1 tsp. ground cumin

seed

1/8 to ¼ tsp. cayenne

1/8 tsp. paprika

(garnish)

Boil the potatoes and allow them to cool thoroughly.

Put the yogurt in a bowl and mix well with a fork. Add the salt, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne. Mix well.

Peel the potatoes and dice them into ½-inch cubes. Mix with the yogurt.

To serve: Pour yogurt and potatoes into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with paprika and serve. This dish may be made several hours in advance, covered tightly and refrigerated.

(Recipe courtesy of An Invitation to Indian Cooking, 1973.)

Recipe: Braised Winter Greens (Serves 4)

For best results, be sure your greens are fully cooked and tender in step 1 before moving on to step 2.

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, minced (about 1 C.)

5 medium garlic cloves, minced

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 lb. each kale & Swiss chard, ribs

removed, leaves chopped into

3-inch pieces and rinsed (about

24 loosely packed cups)

1 C. low-sodium chicken broth

1 C. water

table salt

2 to 3 tsp. juice from 1 lemon

ground black pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add remaining greens, broth, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt; quickly cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring, occasionally, until greens are tender, 25-35 minutes.

Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated (bottom of the pot will be almost dry and greens will begin to sizzle), 8 to 12 minutes. Remove pot from heat; stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice and remaining tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and remaining teaspoon lemon juice. Serve promptly.

(Recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated, January & February, 2009.)

Daikon Radish: So, what is this vegetable and what can I do with it?

Believe it or not the Daikon Radish is a member (although far-flung) of the cabbage family. These long white roots are commonly found in Japanese and Indian cuisines where they are used as a cooking vegetable. The daikon are well known for their medicinal qualities and are a health-promoting food. Daikon radishes are milder than other radishes in flavor and can be used like any other root vegetable in cooking.

Storage: We recommend that you place them in a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator. Whatever portion you don't use for your meals, just wrap back up in plastic and place back in the fridge. They will keep for about two weeks if stored as such.

Uses: Mixed with grated beets, carrots and apples, grated raw daikon makes a wonderful winter salad. The raw daikon is also said to aid digestion and is nice used as a condiment with a heavy meal. Use the daikon as you would carrots or turnips in soups, stews, and stir-fries. They work well paired with basil, chives, curry powder, dill, ginger, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley & thyme. They are also no stranger to honey, lemon juice, miso, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, butter, cream, feta, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, onions and peas. Have fun coming up with your own combinations of the flavors above!

(Suggestions courtesy of and adapted from Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables, 2006.)

WHAT TO EXPECT IN NEXT WEEK'S SHARE: WEEK EIGHT

MICRO MIX or SUNFLOWER MICRO GREENS
MUSHROOMS
KALE
SPINACH
POTATOES
SWISS CHARD
DAIKON RADISH

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK SEVEN

Hello Everyone!

Well, it turns out that I spoke too soon. Last week I thought we might be coming out of our frigid spell, but it seems as if we are quickly returning to it by the looks of the forecast for this week. As a result of the cold temperatures of two weeks ago, our poor salad mix lettuces have practically quit growing and we ended up having more casualties than we originally thought. Since winter is such a tough time of year for these plants, we do try and have a few successive plantings going so that all is not a total loss. Unfortunately, this loss means that there will not be salad mix in your shares this week. In fact, the shares are a little slim and we will make it up to everyone with a somewhat larger share later in the season when things are growing at a more consistent rate. It can't hurt that the days are getting noticeably longer either, so cross your fingers and maybe we will get through this cold week with less damage than last time.

I just put some new photos on our blog, so if you are curious about what the farm looks like in the winter, check it out. I hope to post more this week, including some of us harvesting so that you can see how we get all of those lovely veggies to your table from our greenhouses.

I want to extend a big thank you to everyone for returning your boxes (and bags if you pick up at Bexley) so consistently. We really appreciate it! Keep up the good work! I hope you have a wonderful week and that you have time to cozy up in your warm homes with a good book or magazine and some great food!

Best Wishes,

Claudia

**PS: If you are not going to use them right away, please store your potatoes in a paper bag in the fridge to extend their shelf life.

FEATURED VEGGIES

(If you have questions about any of these veggies, email me and I will do my best to get back to you right away with storage ideas, serving suggestions, etc.)

Micromix Microgreens (We grow an array of tiny little nutritious greens and this week you get to sample some of your own. Included in the mix are our sunflower, buckwheat, radish, cabbage & kogane (pac choi) micros. They make a delicious salad of their own, but would work great on sandwiches, egg dishes, etc.)

Kale (What a wonderful and nutritious green this is! Sauté with some garlic and you have a simple and tasty filling for a quesadilla. Check out the blog for a wonderful & simple way to prepare these, which was submitted by one of your fellow members.)

Tatsoi (I love this Asian green! In fact some of you may know just how good it is raw, not to mention its tastiness cooked. Enjoy trying your own takes on this great green.)

Potatoes (Yummy, yummy! These are always a fantastic treat, especially on a cold winter's evening like we're expecting this week. These potatoes make a fabulous soup especially when you mix in some sautéed greens--tatsoi is wonderful in soups.**)

Canned Heirloom Tomatoes (Yes, that's right, what you may be missing most from the summer season is right here in your share this week. We toiled in our kitchen on the hottest of summer days to can these up for what we anticipated would be a grand winter treat. I hope you think they're as fabulous as we do!)

A Note from Becky:

I wanted to take a little space here to thank all of you for your patience and understanding as we weathered one of the worst storms we have experienced at the farm since the -30 degree temperatures of the mid-nineties. There is really nothing quite like these times to remind us that control of our lives is an ever-fleeting illusion. Perseverance, patience, commitment, faith, endurance, love – these are the qualities that we strive to maintain daily as we move through the world. Thanks for being a part of our farm community.

We are looking forward to the summer, already planning for the bounty. Look for our newest additions for the summer CSA cycle in the near future, as we strive to bring you more of the goodness of the rural countryside of southeastern Ohio.

Peace to all! Becky

Becky’s Quick Tomato Sauce

Put iron skillet with about 3-4 Tbs. olive oil on stove at medium heat. Chop 1 medium to large onion and begin sauté. Add lots of fresh chopped garlic (to taste) or garlic powder and stir. Add I qt. of tomatoes. Add at least one tsp. salt, then pepper (to taste). Fill palm of hand with dried basil (sweet or lemon works great), crush and add. Fill palm half way with oregano, crush and add. Stir. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Have a taste and adjust spices/herbs. Add a little (1 Tbl) sugar of any kind if necessary. Pour over pasta, meat, etc. Enjoy! ENJOYENJOY!

Recipe: Kale-Gruyere Gateau De Crepes (Serves 6) (For our Full Share & Athens members, this may look familiar. I just thought it was so good that I wanted to share it with our Columbus Half Share folks too.)

For the crepes...

1 ¾ C. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. coarse salt

2 C. whole milk, room temperature, plus

more if needed

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 ½ oz. (5 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

plus more for skillet

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day). Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.

Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 tablespoons batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute. Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and gently flip in one swift gesture. (If it doesn't land quite right, that's okay; use the spatula to unfold or rearrange it.) Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and cover. (The first one will not be your finest.) Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 to 3 crepes). Serve immediately.

For the béchamel...

½ medium onion, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, plus more

for sheet

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 ½ C. whole milk

1 ¼ C. grated Gruyere cheese (4 oz.)

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

For the assembly...

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbs.)

5 oz. kale (1/2 bunch)

pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 lemon, for squeezing

12 small crepes

Make the béchamel: Place onion and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook until onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk in a slow, steady stream. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup Gruyere, and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat, add nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.

To assemble: Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add spinach, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes, and season with slat, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Let cool slightly. Squeeze out any excess liquid, and coarsely chop.

Preheat oven to 450F. Reserve 2 tablespoons of béchamel. Mix remaining béchamel and spinach in a medium bowl. Butter a rimmed baking sheet. Place 1 crepe on center of sheet, and top with 3 tablespoons spinach mixture, spreading evenly. Top with another crepe, then 3 tablespoons spinach mixture. Repeat with remaining crepes and spinach mixture, ending with a crepe. Spread reserved béchamel on top, and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Bake until cheese melts and turns golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer gateau de crepes to a platter. Cut into wedges, and serve warm.

(Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living, February, 2009.)

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

MICRO MIX
KALE
TATSOI
POTATOES
CANNED TOMATOES

(Because of the recent frigid weather our Salad Mix is not regrowing very quickly and so this week's share is relatively small. We are hoping to make this up to you all sometime around Week Eleven. Thanks for your understanding and enjoy this week's share! --Claudia)

MORE DELECTABLE DELIGHTS...(Thanks Ruth for contributing!)

EASY SAUTEED GREENS (You can substitute any of our greens for the kale.)

• 1 1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

(Recipe courtesy of The Food Network website)


CHEDDAR-STUFFED SWEET POTATOES

4 medium sweet potatoes (about 6 ounces each)
1 cup grated cheddar or cheese of choice
1/4 cup yogurt
paprika

Preheat oven to 350 to 375 degrees.
Bake potatoes.
Hold potatoes with a kitchen towel, cut a slice from the top, and scoop out pulp. leaving the shell intact.
Mash pulp with 3/4 cup cheese and yogurt until light. stuff back into shells, top with remaining cheese, and sprinkle with paprika.
Return to oven for 5 min to melt cheese.

Serves 4

(Recipe courtesy of Nikki & David Goldbeck's American Wholefoods Cuisine.)

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK SIX

Hello Everyone!

I do believe we might be coming out of this cold spell we've had over the last week. Just when we were getting into a regular winter routine here at the farm, Mother Nature decided to shake things up and show us what winter can be. This is the longest I've see snow on the ground down here in the hills since I moved here almost four years ago. Luckily, even with the frigid temperatures, we managed to avoid any pipes freezing, any big vegetable losses, any frostbite, and we were still able (with a few evenings working overtime) to harvest all of the veggies we needed for you all, our Farmers' Market customers, and our restaurants. It is very satisfying to be able to do that for everyone. If you would like to see what the farm looks like in the winter, check out the blog this weekend. I'm hoping to post some new photos to give you an idea of how different it is here at this time of year.

One of your fellow members sent us a couple of recipes last week that I will post on the blog as well. They sound simple and delicious--just what we could all use after a hard day's work. Thanks Ruth!

I just want to extend a big thank you to everyone for returning your boxes (and bags if you pick up at Bexley) so consistently. We really appreciate it! Keep up the good work! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that you enjoy these couple of days of "warm" weather!

Best Wishes,

Claudia

FEATURED VEGGIES

(If you have questions about any of these veggies, email me and I will do my best to get back to you right away with storage ideas, serving suggestions, etc.)

Salad Mix (The mix this week includes two romaines, green & red salad bowl, and two Asian greens—petsai & mizuna. It’s a beautiful & tasty array of greens! )

Micromix Microgreens (We grow an array of tiny little nutritious greens and this week you get to sample some of your own. Included in the mix are our sunflower, buckwheat, radish, cabbage & kogane (pac choi) micros. They make a delicious salad of their own, but would work great with the crepe recipe this week.)

Mushrooms (Shiitakes are the name of the game this week. By now many of you will be fluent in the wonders of this fungus. Share your taste adventures with us on the blog!)

Swiss Chard (This is one of our tried and true winter greens. It's wonderful in so many dishes, but my favorite way to prepare it is to steam it (stems removed) and place layers of it in my favorite lasagna. It adds great color and flavor, not to mention all the nutrition, to a meal that has become a standard in my household.)

Spinach (You will not believe the sweetness of this favorite! If you manage not to completely devour it raw, check out the crepe recipe in this newsletter.)

Beets (We have another sweetie here this week. Again these will be hard to resist raw, but are fantastic roasted with some of your other favorite root veggies.)

Recipe: Russian Beet Salad (Serves 4 to 5)

8 healthy beets

¼ C. cider vinegar

1 medium clove garlic

1 to 2 tsp. honey

½ tsp. salt

½ C. minced red onion

2 scallions, minced

1 medium cucumber,

peeled, seeded &

minced

2 hard-boiled eggs,

chopped

2 Tbs. minced fresh dill,

or 2 tsp. dried

1 C. firm yogurt (optional)

freshly ground pepper

Trim the beets of their stems, and place the beets in a medium-large saucepan. Cover them with water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 25 minutes, or until tender enough for a fork to slide in easily.

Meanwhile combine the vinegar, garlic, honey, and salt in a medium-large bowl.

Rinse the cooked beets under cold running water as you rub off their skins. Chop into ½-inch bits, and add them, still warm, to the vinegar mixture. Stir and let stand about 30 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients, seasoning to taste with black pepper. Mix well, cover tightly, and chill until very cold.

(Recipe courtesy of The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest, 2000.)

Recipe: Spinach-Gruyere Gateau De Crepes (Serves 6)

For the crepes...

1 ¾ C. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. coarse salt

2 C. whole milk, room temperature, plus

more if needed

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 ½ oz. (5 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

plus more for skillet

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day). Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.

Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 tablespoons batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute. Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and gently flip in one swift gesture. (If it doesn't land quite right, that's okay; use the spatula to unfold or rearrange it.) Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and cover. (The first one will not be your finest.) Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 to 3 crepes). Serve immediately.

For the béchamel...

½ medium onion, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, plus more

for sheet

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 ½ C. whole milk

1 ¼ C. grated Gruyere cheese (4 oz.)

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

For the assembly...

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbs.)

5 oz. spinach (about 6 cups)

pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 lemon, for squeezing

12 small crepes

Make the béchamel: Place onion and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook until onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk in a slow, steady stream. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup Gruyere, and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat, add nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.

To assemble: Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add spinach, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes, and season with slat, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Let cool slightly. Squeeze out any excess liquid, and coarsely chop.

Preheat oven to 450F. Reserve 2 tablespoons of béchamel. Mix remaining béchamel and spinach in a medium bowl. Butter a rimmed baking sheet. Place 1 crepe on center of sheet, and top with 3 tablespoons spinach mixture, spreading evenly. Top with another crepe, then 3 tablespoons spinach mixture. Repeat with remaining crepes and spinach mixture, ending with a crepe. Spread reserved béchamel on top, and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Bake until cheese melts and turns golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer gateau de crepes to a platter. Cut into wedges, and serve warm.

(Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living, February, 2009.)

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

SALAD MIX
MICRO MIX
MUSHROOMS
SWISS CHARD
SPINACH
BEETS