ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK TWENTY

Hello Everyone!

Well, here we are already--the end of our Winter 2008 CSA season. It is truly hard to believe that twenty weeks ago we were hustling and bustling getting your first bag of produce ready to go. It is amazing to look back and think of all that happens over a winter here at Green Edge, especially now that we are planting our starts out in a field that was covered with snow not too long ago.

Spring is our boom time on the farm, and everything is in motion to make sure our summer crops get in the ground on time, are healthy and happy, and are kept safe from drastic weather changes, deer, etc. When we are this busy, it is nice to take a step back and think about the winter and our nice tidy cold frames full of greens, salad & spring roots. Before we know it, these houses will be the new homes of our heirloom tomatoes and not a touch of the winter season will remain. As the warm weather settles in to stay and we all move forward into spring, summer and fall, we will look fondly on this past winter season, and we thank all of you for your continued support as our farm’s community members. We hope that you have enjoyed your Winter CSA and will join us again for another season of delicious vegetables here again soon! Have a wonderful week!

Best Wishes,

Claudia (on behalf of Becky, Kip, Margaret, Dan, Kate, John, Cale, Tristan, Penny & Ryan)

FEATURED VEGGIES

Salad Mix: A mix of several lettuce varieties picked for their delicious taste and color combinations.

Micro Mix: Amix of sunflower, buckwheat, radish, cabbage and kogani (pac choi).

Mushrooms: Pickers' choice of our farm-grown shiitake, oyster or trumpet mushrooms. Store these beauties in your refrigerator in a paper bag or in an unsealed plastic bag for a least a week.

Spinach: A truly wonderful green vegetable, very nutritious and delicious. It adds wonderful color and texture to a salad when you chop it into strips and toss with the lettuces.

Swiss Chard: One of our favorite greens that happens to be growing like gang-busters-- don’t forget that you can blanch, freeze & store it for later.

Carrots: These orange gems are so versatile it’s hard not to love them. Raw or cooked in your favorite dishes, these favorites pack in the nutrition along with their sweetness.

Radishes: A zesty vegetable that not only brightens up a dish, they also add their special crunch and spice. Whenever these appear in our garden, we know spring is here to stay. Enjoy them in your salads, roasted with other vegetables, or plain with a sprinkle of salt to taste.

Recipe: Carrot & Cucumber Soup (Makes 4 ½ cups)

3 medium carrots

1 ½ C. milk

1 pint (2 C.) sour cream, yogurt, or buttermilk

1 medium cucumber, chopped

3 green onion bulbs

1 ½ tsp. garlic salt

½ tsp. allspice

dash of pepper

Chop the carrots in a blender with ½ cup of water, and then cook until tender. In a blender, place the milk, sour cream, cucumber, onion, garlic salt, allspice and pepper. Chop. Pour into a bowl. Stir in the cooked carrots. Chill. Garnish with cucumber slices, carrot curls, or fresh dill.

This dish would be wonderful at a brunch, shower, for a refreshing lunch, or as a great way to cool down in the evening after a particularly warm day working outside (I see many of those ahead of us here at Green Edge!).

(Recipe courtesy of Country Wisdom & Know-How: Everything You Need to Know to Live Off the Land, 2004.)

Recipe: Spinach Squares (Makes 50 1-inch squares as an appetizer or 8 servings as an entrée.)

4 C. uncooked fresh spinach, chopped (about 10 oz.)

2 to 3 Tbs. butter or margarine

3 eggs

1 C. flour

1 C. milk

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

¾ to 1 lb. Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350F. Wash the spinach well and pat or spin it dry. Melt the butter in a 9-inch by 13-inch pan in oven. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the flour, milk, salt, and baking powder. Stir in the cheese and spinach. Mix well and pour into the buttered pan. Smooth the surface and bake for about 35 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes before cutting into 1-inch squares.

If you want to freeze these, arrange them on a cookie sheet and place it in the freezer. Once they are frozen, put them into a plastic bag. Reheat on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes at 350F, or if at room temperature, 20 to 35 seconds in a microwave oven.

(Recipe courtesy of Country Wisdom & Know-How, 2004.)

Recipe: Sautéed Radishes with Hard-Cooked Eggs and Spiced Yogurt Sauce (Serves 4)

6 large, hard-cooked eggs, halved & each half quartered

1 scallion, chopped

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbs. butter, divided

1 bunch radishes, quartered

1 tsp. cardamom

1 tsp. crushed coriander seeds

1 tsp. crushed sesame seeds

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 ¼ C. plain yogurt

1/3 C. chopped fresh cilantro

3 Tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. paprika

Arrange the hard-cooked eggs pieces in a shallow serving dish. Scatter the scallion over the eggs and season with salt & pepper.

Melt 1 Tbs. of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the radishes; cook stirring until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer the radishes to a plate & set aside to cool.

Let the skillet cool for a couple of minutes, then return it to the stove over low heat. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet. Add the cardamom, coriander, sesame seeds, and cumin; cook, stirring constantly to prevent them from burning, until they are fragrant (3 to 4 minutes). Scrape the spices into a small bowl and set aside to cool.

Put the yogurt in a medium bowl. If it is firm yogurt, beat it vigorously with a fork or whisk until creamy. Add the cooled spices, cilantro, lemon juice and paprika; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange the cooked radishes over the eggs and scallions in the serving dish. Pour the yogurt sauce evenly over the dish. Serve immediately and enjoy!

(Recipe courtesy of Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables, 2006.)

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

(740) 448-4021 OR

greenedgegardens@verizon.net

We look forward to hearing from you!

CSA Pickup Location Requirements

Green Edge Organic Gardens

Athens Hills CSA

740-448-4021

www.greenedgegardens.com

greenedgegardens@verizon.net

16232 henry road amesville, ohio 45711

Pickup Location Guidelines

Minimum of 10 Full Shares

♠ In order to be a drop off site for Athens Hills CSA, you need to have a minimum of 10 full shares in order for us to be able to use you as a drop-off site.

♠ We will be happy to help you by sending you brochures and posters to pass out.

Offer Some Security

♠ It is ideal if someone is there during the pick-up times, but we understand that this can be very difficult.

♠ An good example is to use your garage – it is a covered space outside of your home. It would be great if you could keep the garage door open so that the CSA members could go in through a person door, but again, we understand if that is not possible.

On-Site Problem Solving

♠ You will be the first contact for the CSA members when there is a problem. They will have your name, email & phone number, and they will contact you if there is any unusual scenarios.

♠ We ask for a minimum of 2 hours for the pick-up times (you pick the best times). We recommend 4-6 pm as that seems to be a good time for people getting off work, but feel free to pick a time that works best for your pick-up members. If you are able to offer more than 2 hours, it makes it easier for our CSA members.

♠ It is up to you to decide what to do with people who have unusual situations such as they cannot pickup during the regular times (we suggest that they find someone else to pickup for them, but this is up to you).

♠ We will provide you with a full list of people who will be picking up at your location so that you can get in touch with them. We will also provide you with a check-off list to keep track of who has (and who hasn’t) picked up their produce.

♠ We ask that if there is a problem you give them your share first. For example, say someone has picked up more than 1 share – as soon as they find out they will return the extra share. If it is something more complicated than that, we will provide you with an extra share so that you do not miss out!

Summer Requirements

♠ Our CSA’s are delivered to you in a refrigerated truck to keep the produce cool & fresh, and we need to keep them fresh until the CSA members can pick them up.

♠ We require a shaded area to keep the CSA produce fresh.

♠ We will help provide coolers to keep the produce fresh until pickup (2 shares fit easily into 1 cooler – if 10 shares are dropped off, you only need 5 coolers).

Winter Requirements

♠ A covered, heated location is needed for winter as well as summer to keep the produce from freezing.

♠ Coolers are also suggested for winter to make sure that the produce does not freeze.

In return for all of your help, you will receive a free share of our CSA, worth $475 for the whole CSA cycle!

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK NINETEEN

Hello Everyone!

This past weekend was quite eventful for Green Edge Gardens. On Friday evening we all celebrated mine, Kate’s and Margaret’s birthdays at one of our favorite Athens establishments. We had the place to ourselves to enjoy great food and we were lucky enough to be surrounded by wonderful friends and family, and listen to the sweet sounds of some of our more musical co-workers and friends thanks Penny, Eric, John and Kristin! . Happy birthday to all of you who enjoy spring birthdays!

Green Edge was also proud to be a part of the Conservation Connection Tour - a 'drive yourself'' event which highlighted several businesses in our Amesville neighborhood. We had about 80 people stop and tour. Kip was very busy taking people through the greenhouses and explaining our methods.

This week we are sad to say goodbye to our devoted Columbus Half Share folks. Thanks so much for your support this past Winter Season. We hope you enjoyed your experience and we look forward to having you as part of our farm community next season! Have a great week everyone!

Best Wishes,

Claudia

FEATURED VEGGIES

Salad Mix A mix of several lettuce varieties picked for their delicious taste and color combinations.

Micro Mix A mix of sunflower, buckwheat, radish, cabbage and kogani (pac choi) .

Mushrooms Pickers' choice of our farm-grown shiitake, oyster or trumpet mushrooms. Store these beauties in your refrigerator in a paper bag or in an unsealed plastic bag for a least a week.

Spinach A truly wonderful green vegetable, very nutritious and delicious. It adds wonderful color and texture to a salad when you chop it into strips and toss with the lettuces.

Swiss Chard One of our favorite greens that happens to be growing like gang-busters-- don’t forget that you can blanch, freeze & store it for later.

Kale A wonderful green related to cabbage, collards that is chock full of vitamins and minerals; it is tender and mild in flavor and it’s a great culinary alternative to spinach.

Carrots These orange gems are so versatile it’s hard not to love them. Raw or cooked in your favorite dishes, these favorites pack in the nutrition along with their sweetness.

Radishes A zesty vegetable that not only brightens up a dish, they also add their special crunch and spice. Whenever these appear in our garden, we know spring is here to stay. Enjoy them in your salads, roasted with other vegetables, or plain with a sprinkle of salt to taste.

Recipe: Sunburgers (Serves 4)

1 C. ground sunflower seeds

½ C. grated raw carrots

½ C. celery, chopped fine

2 Tbs. chopped onion

1 Tbs. chopped parsley

1 egg

1 Tbs. soya oil

½ tsp. sea salt

1 Tbs. green pepper, chopped

¼ C. tomato juice

a pinch of basil

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Combine the first nine ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Add enough of the tomato juice to the mixture so that you can form patties that hold a good shape.

Arrange the patties in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350F until browned. Turn and brown the other side.

Serve on a bun with your favorite burger garnishes, or try these in a pita pocket, on their own as a side dish, or make into small patties and serve as an appetizer with your favorite dip or salsa. Enjoy!

(Recipe courtesy of Natural Cooking—The Prevention Way, 1972.)

Recipe: Israeli Salad

6 ripe medium-sized tomatoes

½ C. minced red onion

2 small cucumbers (peeled if necessary), seeded & diced

6 radishes, sliced

2 scallions, minced (include greens)

1 small bell pepper, diced

1 large dill or half-sour pickle, minced

½ C. sliced green olives (optional)

a handful of minced fresh parsley

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

½ C. firm yogurt (optional)

Cut the tomatoes in half. Squeeze out and discard the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into 1-inch chunks and transfer to a medium-large bowl.

Add everything else and toss gently until well mingled. Taste to adjust seasonings. Serve a room temperature or cold. Enjoy!

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

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

(740) 448-4021 OR

greenedgegardens@verizon.net

We look forward to hearing from you!

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK EIGHTEEN

Hello Everyone!

Ahh, spring. The season that often tricks us into thinking that winter is over and warm, wonderful weather has come to stay. Yet somehow, it ends up reminding us that it is not always sunshine and rainbows by turning cold, damp and rainy again. Alas, I hope you all survived spring’s temporary relapse into dreary late winter this weekend. This week’s recipes are a reflection of the variety of weather, veggies, etc. that spring has to offer. At least we have wonderful new things to taste, and the green of the grass and the yellow of the daffodils remain constant to reassure us of the warmth that will come to stay soon.

On Friday, while we were all busy harvesting and packing the veggies up for market and for our local restaurants, one of our farm cats, Princess, was busy having her litter of kittens. By the time the day was over and we were all ready to head to our homes she had four healthy babies nestled around her. Personally, this was a new experience for me, and I rather enjoyed checking in on her every once & awhile to see how she was doing. There is an abundance of new life on the farm these days and even our animals are participating in the season. Welcome to the world little ones! I hope you all have a great week and get a chance to witness the magic of new life yourselves.

Best Wishes,

Claudia

FEATURED VEGGIES

Salad Mix A mix of several lettuce varieties picked for their delicious taste and color combinations.

Micro Mix A mix of sunflower, buckwheat, radish, cabbage and kogani (pac choi).

Mushrooms Pickers' choice of our farm-grown shiitake, oyster or trumpet mushrooms. Store these beauties in your refrigerator in a paper bag or in an unsealed plastic bag for a least a week.

Spinach A truly wonderful green vegetable, very nutritious and delicious. It adds wonderful color and texture to a salad when you chop it into strips and toss with the lettuces. The best storage for fresh spinach is to wash it, place it in a plastic Ziploc with a paper towel lain in between the side of the bag and the leaves. You can also wash, blanch and freeze to save for later.

Swiss Chard, Mustard, or Raab Raab is similar to broccoli in that it is the floret of the plant (kale & collards this time). Saute this beauty with some butter & enjoy. Don’t forget that you can blanch, freeze & store all the greens for later.

Arugula A spicy, peppery green that works wonderfully in salads, pasta sauces, as a substitute for basil in pesto, and on its own as a cooked side dish.

Baby Beets or Radishes Welcome to spring! These delicious roots are just the harbingers we’ve been waiting for.

Recipe: Clear Beet Borscht with Mushrooms (Serves 6)

4oz. mushrooms

1½ quarts plus ¾ C water

1 medium-sized potato, scrubbed & sliced

1 medium stalk celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 medium turnip, peeled & sliced

2 medium-sized carrots, sliced

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. salt

4-5 peppercorns

¾ lb. beets

1½ Tbs. lemon juice

2 tsp. sugar

sour cream for garnish

In a large kettle combine the 1½ quarts of water, the potato, celery, garlic, turnip, carrots, bay leaf, salt and peppercorns. Simmer gently for about 1-2 hours. The broth should be subtle but flavorful.

Strain the broth and discard the cooked vegetables. Wash the mushrooms and slice them in julienne strips.

Peel the beets and cut them into julienne strips. Add beets, lemon juice and sugar to the broth. Simmer the soup for another 20-25 minutes or until the beets are quite tender. Taste, correct seasoning and serve with sour cream garnish.

(Recipe courtesy of The Vegetarian Epicure Book 2, 1978.)

Recipe: Chilaquiles with Mushrooms (Serves 6)

8 corn tortillas

vegetable oil for frying

salt to taste

1 lb. mushrooms

2 Tbs. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

pinch of thyme

pinch of oregano

pepper to taste

1 C. sliced green onions

1 lb. tomatoes, peeled and pureed

6 Tbs. chopped green chilis

3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

½ lb. Cheddar cheese, grated

3 eggs

1 C. milk

Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the tortillas into strips about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long, and fry them in vegetable oil until they are crisp and golden. Drain the chips on paper towels and salt them lightly.

Wash the mushrooms and slice them. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the garlic in it until it begins to color. Add the sliced mushrooms and toss them over medium-high heat until they have released their water and most of it has evaporated. Add the thyme and oregano and some salt and pepper and toss again until the seasonings are evenly distributed. Put the mushrooms aside.

Heat about 1½ tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet and sauté the green onions in it for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, chilis, cilantro and some salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the tomato sauce.

Lightly oil a large casserole and cover the bottom with 1/3 of the dried tortilla strips. Sprinkle 1/3 of the grated cheese over them and spoon 1/3 of the tomato-mushroom mixture over the cheese. Make 2 more similar layers.

Beat together the eggs and the milk and pour this custard over the casserole, slipping a knife through the top layer in a few places to allow the liquid to drain through evenly.

Cover the casserole and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes. Serve quickly with a salad and fresh, hot tortillas.

(Recipe courtesy of The Vegetarian Epicure 2, 1978.)

Recipe: Culinary Tips for Beets

1. Shred raw beets to garnish salads.

2. Cook unpeeled, scrubbed beets whole. When the roots are slightly cool, it’s easy to slip off the skin and cut into the desired shape. This avoids messy peeling and bleeding of raw beets.

3. For a perfectly pink Scandinavian salad, mix cooked beets with new potatoes and then toss with sour cream, mayonnaise, snipped dill and chives. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

(Recipe suggestions courtesy of The Moosewood Restaurant Kitchen Garden, 2005.)

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

(740) 448-4021 OR

greenedgegardens@verizon.net

We look forward to hearing from you!

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK SEVENTEEN

Hello Everyone!

GREEN! GREEN! GREEN! GREEN! In just two days the fields have gone from dingy to beautiful!

Our spirits are really flying with all of this sun! Things are growing, and the ground is drying. Soon, the tillers will be very busy! In this week's share bag you will find the summer cycle brochure (also available online at our website: greenedgegardens.com). You will also find a brochure about the Conservation Connection Tour that we are a part of; all sites are a 5-10 min. drive from one another. We hope you can come.

We have most of our summer interns identified; spring projects are well underway both at the house and in the fields. The CSA planning crew is meeting this week to make decisions about changes in packaging, newsletter formats, pickup days and other minutia that pop up from time to time. This is a good time to let us know your thoughts about making your experience better.

Don't forget your hat and sunscreen. Enjoy the daffodils and spring trees and shrubs with their colorful blooms and intoxicating fragrances.

Best Wishes,

Becky

FEATURED VEGGIES

Salad Mix (a mix of several lettuce varieties picked for their delicious taste and color combinations.)

Micro Mix (a mix of sunflower, buckwheat, radish, cabbage and kogani (pac choi)).

Mushrooms (pickers' choice of our farm-grown shiitake, oyster or trumpet mushrooms. Store these beauties in your refrigerator in a paper bag or in an unsealed plastic bag for a least a week.)

Spinach (A truly wonderful green vegetable, very nutritious and delicious. It adds wonderful color and texture to a salad when you chop it into strips and toss with the lettuces. The best storage for fresh spinach is to wash it, place it in a plastic Ziploc with a paper towel lain in between the side of the bag and the leaves. You can also wash, blanch and freeze to save for later. Enjoy this familiar staple this week—it might just help you avoid those yucky winter illnesses that have been hanging around.)

Swiss Chard/Collard Greens (Two of our favorite greens make their return this week. Don’t forget that you can blanch, freeze & store them for later.)

Turnips (These beauties may not appear again in your shares for this season, so enjoy the last tastes of winter with turnips as part of your meal this week.)

Baby Beets (Welcome to spring! These delicious red roots are just the harbingers we’ve been waiting for. We hope you enjoy their wonderful sweetness this week.)

Recipe: Spinach and Strawberry Salad (Serves 6 to 8)

12oz. spinach, washed & dried

¼ C. sliced almonds

1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered

½ medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced

dressing…

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbs. white wine vinegar

½ C. sugar

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 tsp. poppy seeds

In a large salad bowl, toss together the spinach, almonds, strawberries and cucumber. In a small glass dish or jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, oil, and poppy seeds. Whisk in the glass dish or shake if using a jar.

Dress the salad right before serving and enjoy!

(Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen Celebrates, 2006.)

Recipe: Great Northern Bean and Roasted Vegetable Stew (Serves 6 to 8)

1 small celery root, scrubbed, peeled, & cut into 1-inch dice

1 turnip, peeled & cut into 1-inch dice

2 parsnips, peeled and sliced into thick rounds

1 russet potato, peeled & cut into 1-inch dice

3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thick rounds

1 onion, peeled, halved & sliced into thick crescents

Several large cloves garlic, peeled & crushed

Coarse Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbs. olive oil

3 large, fresh tomatoes cut in half

4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps wiped clean & thickly sliced

2 C. vegetable stock/broth

2 bay leaves

3 C. cooked Great Northern beans, drained & rinsed

Position two oven racks evenly apart and preheat the oven to 350F.

Combine the celery root, turnip, parsnips, potato, carrots, onion, and garlic in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, several grindings of black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Toss the vegetables to coat evenly and spread them in a single layer in a large baking dish or jelly roll pan. Roast, uncovered, on the upper rack of the oven until the vegetables are fork-tender and lightly charred around the edges, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, place the tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Toss the mushrooms with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and scatter the, around the tomatoes. Place on the bottom rack of the oven to roast until extremely tender and lightly charred, about 30 minutes.

Transfer the vegetables to a large soup pot. Stir in the stock, bay leaves, and beans, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper as needed. Remove the bay leaves, spoon the stew into large bowls & serve.

(Recipe adapted from Hay Day Country Market Cookbook, 1998.)

Recipe: Culinary Tips for Beets

1. Shred raw beets to garnish salads.

2. Cook unpeeled, scrubbed beets whole. When the roots are slightly cool, it’s easy to slip off the skin and cut into the desired shape. This avoids messy peeling and bleeding of raw beets.

3. For a perfectly pink Scandinavian salad, mix cooked beets with new potatoes and then toss with sour cream, mayonnaise, snipped dill and chives. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

(Recipe suggestions courtesy of The Moosewood Restaurant Kitchen Garden, 2005.)

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

(740) 448-4021 OR

greenedgegardens@verizon.net

We look forward to hearing from you!