ATHENS HILLS SUMMER CSA:

WEEK FIVE

Hello Everyone!

The countdown to the Open Farm has begun! The farm crew has been busy beautifying the fields just for you. We are so excited to meet all of you. Please remember to bring a covered dish, a table service and an instrument to play. It is this Sunday afternoon, from 2 – 6 p.m., and we plan to eat around 3. We will be having farm tours by hayride, and gathering together to share fun, laughter, music & good food! If you need directions, they are located here, on the blog.

It appears that all the rain did finally catch up with us. As we began to harvest the last planting, we found that there was nothing much there. It simply rotted away. So, unfortunately that means that there is no Salad Mix for this week and possibly even into the next few weeks. To help you prepare, we will be posting the next week’s featured veggies on Fridays so that you can shop accordingly. Thanks for your understanding!

And don’t forget to return the wax boxes to us when you pick up your next share. We are very excited to have eliminated all of the plastic bags that we used last year by using these boxes. It really helps us to reuse these boxes. Thanks for helping us do a little more for our beautiful planet!

Have a great week everyone and we will see you on Sunday, July 27^th!

Cheers,
Kate

(and the entire Green Edge crew)

FEATURED VEGGIES

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

Mushrooms (Our mushroom guy Rob’s selection from our farm-grown shiitake, oyster or trumpet mushrooms. Be sure to store in the fridge with the bag open.)

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.)

Eggplant (This versatile vegetable is great baked, grilled, or sautéed. Just brush some olive oil on it and your favorite spices such as oregano, basil, and rosemary. I hope you enjoy our purple fruits!)

Beets (Bright, beautiful and not to mention sweet as could be. Break out those canning supplies and start pickling! You’ll want to savor this early season favorite if you don’t eat them all up as soon as you get them!))

Sweet Basil (One of the true harbingers of summer and we are so happy to have it for you in this share, especially if it is your first. This is essential in your favorite pesto recipe.)

Summer Squash (Picker’s selection from our zucchini, yellow, sunburst or pattypan squashes. We love to eat these raw & chopped in our salads, or marinated and grilled alongside your favorite meat. They even make a great slaw! Have fun with these and let us know what you do with these summer treats.)

Recipe: Fried Squash and Zucchini

½ cup Flour
Dark Beer or Creamy Italian Dressing
Vegetable Oil
Squash and/or Zucchini (thinly sliced)
Salt and Pepper

Mix ½ cup of flour with beer or dressing until slightly thicker than pancake batter.

Add salt and pepper to batter. Dip squash into the batter.

Fill the skillet with 1-1 ½ inches of oil. Drop the squash into the oil and fry until golden brown.

This recipe is compliments of my lovely friend, Lou Boyle.

Recipe: Chilled Beet Soup

3 pounds beets
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 to 3 cups water
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Rice wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
Sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh dill

Trim beet greens at the base of the beet. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the beets. Reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, at a low boil until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Test the beets by inserting a paring knife or skewer. If there is no resistance, they are ready to be drained.

Drain when tender and allow to cool or run them under cold water to cool them quickly. Peel, cut into large pieces, and set aside.

Heat oil in a small saute pan, add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Combine the onion/garlic and beets in a blender or food processor. Add 2 cups stock and puree until smooth. Add water 1 cup at a time until desired consistency, being careful not to make soup too thin. Add the orange juice, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper.

Season if needed with lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Chill the soup, ladle into bowls. Garnish each with a swirl of sour cream and a sprinkle of dill.

Recipe Courtesy of the Food Network: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes

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

(740) 448-4021 OR

greenedgegardens@verizon.net