ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK TEN

Hello Everyone!

Well, here we are, half way through the Winter CSA already! We hope all of you are enjoying your experience so far. We are having a great time this winter and the inconsistencies in weather are keeping us all on our toes!

This week I have a delicious recipe for quiche that I think you all will enjoy. If you are vegetarian, try substituting soysage for the sausage and let me know how it turns out if you would? This recipe comes from a delightful B&B that my husband and I just visited this past weekend while we were in Pennsylvania for his job. The innkeepers were wonderful and it was such a nice place to just happen upon. I can’t wait to return! The other two recipes are from one of my vintage cookbooks that has just recently intrigued me, and I hope you enjoy them as well.

Our Green Edge Gardens worker profiles are in full swing, and this week we are featuring our very own Renaissance woman (farm hand & office wonder) Margaret Hoff. Please have a look at the back of this newsletter for her brief autobiography. I hope you enjoy getting to know all of us over the next couple of weeks, and if you have missed the profiles of Kip & Becky, Dan, or John please let us know and we can email you that newsletter. Have a great week!

Best Wishes,

Claudia

FEATURED VEGGIES

1 Quart Jar Heirloom Tomatoes (We spent a couple of hot late summer days in the kitchen canning these up for this winter’s CSA; we hope you enjoy this little taste of the warm months).

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

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

Mushrooms (pickers' choice of our farm-grown shiitake, oyster or trumpet mushrooms.)

1 bunch of 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.)

Turnips (Many of you are already familiar with this wonderful winter root veggie and know that it stores well and long and can be used as I suggested using the rutabaga. Since these keep for a month in the fridge, you will have time to explore its complexities, but in case you are a little daunted like I was here are some suggestions—chop and toss with some olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley and rosemary; spread out pieces evenly on a cookie sheet and roast with some garlic cloves for 30-45 minutes in a 375F degree oven. You could also boil and mash with some butter, brown sugar or maple syrup for a lovely & quick side dish.)

Recipe: Sausage & Kale Quiche (Serves 6 to 8)

1 (9-inch) frozen deep-dish pastry shell

8 oz. bulk pork sausage

¼ C. chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 bunch kale, chopped, cooked & drained

½ C. herb-seasoned stuffing mix

1 ½ C. shredded cheese (Monterey Jack)

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 ½ C. half & half

2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

paprika

Preheat the oven to 400F. Let frozen pastry shell stand at room temperature for 10 minutes; do not prick the pastry shell. Bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven & set aside.

In a medium skillet, cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat until sausage is done, stirring occasionally. Drain sausage mixture. Stir in kale and stuffing mix. Sprinkle first cheese and then sausage mixture in the pastry shell.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and half & half with a fork or whisk until mixed well but not frothy. Pour egg mixture over sausage mixture in the pastry shell. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake for 15 minutes more or until knife inserted off-center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Recipe: Mushrooms and Wild Rice

2 C. wild rice (soaked overnight)

1 C. diced fresh mushrooms

1 green pepper, diced

1 diced onion

2 stalks celery with leaves

2 Tbs. soy, corn or peanut oil

sea salt and red crushed pepper, as desired

(If you don’t have wild rice, use pre-cooked brown rice instead.)

Drain rice if any water is left. Combine with oil and seasonings. In another pan, sear quickly over very high heat, all vegetables except mushrooms, turning constantly. When these are hot (2 minutes) remove from heat, stir in mushrooms, cover pan and let set for about 1 minute. Warm the rice in the vegetables after heating for one minute in another pan. Combine all ingredients and add some soy sauce before serving to give it an oriental flavor if you desire. Enjoy!

(Recipe courtesy of Confessions of a Sneaky Organic Cook OR How to Make Your Family Healthy When They’re Not Looking, 1971)

Recipe: Steamed Turnips

Using however many turnips you would like, pare and shred them and steam them only until tender. The best way to do this is to steam them in a colander placed in a pan of boiling water (1 to 2 inches high). Make sure the pan has a tight lid to hold in the steam. The turnips should be tender in about 3 minutes. Season with your favorite herbs and spices, or with a little oil, sea salt or kelp. Have fun trying different flavor combinations based on the cuisine of the rest of your meal. Don’t forget to let us know how they turn out!

(Recipe courtesy of Confessions of a Sneaky Organic Cook OR How to Make Your Family Healthy When They’re Not Looking, 1971)

A sweet Valentine we received from one of our Columbus Members—Thanks Claudia & family!

MARGARET HOFF

Greetings! I’m a native of Appalachia, originally from Adams County (just a hop, skip & jump away from Athens County towards the west). My husband and I (along with our dog, Orlando) moved here 4 years ago while he finished his degree at OU. We bought an old, fixer-upper Victorian house in the nearby mining town of Glouster, and we are extremely fortunate to be neighbors with Claudia, her husband Andy, and their dog McKinley.

With a background in English literature and a Masters Degree in Women’s Studies, I have worked several jobs until I found this one that was a perfect fit: farming! It is wonderful to work with such great people, to be good friends with all of your co-workers and to hang out together outside of work!

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!