ATHENS HILLS SUMMER CSA:
WEEK SEVENTEEN

Hello Everyone!

The big switch is on here at Green Edge. Almost all of the greenhouses have been transitioned over to their winter outfits of salad mix and greens, greens, greens. Autumn is a very active and exciting time of year for us. Personally, I love walking down the hill in the morning mist to the fields all the time admiring the beautiful fall colors on the surrounding ridges. Even the veggies out in the field seem brighter, crisper, and sweeter.

I get excited for the flavors that accompany the change in seasons as well. My taste buds start to crave the winter squash and rutabaga that we grow here, and believe it or not, some days I even turn down one of those last remaining tomatoes for a fresh-picked beet. The recipes I’ve chosen for this week invoke those warm & cozy feelings of autumn and even though our daytime temperatures haven’t been reflective of the season, I’m sure your taste buds will appreciate your changing menu.

Best Wishes,
Claudia

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!)

Collard Greens (One of our autumn favorites, this green is more versatile than you might think. Have a look at the recipe I’ve included this week for a warm idea for a great common fall veggie.)

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.)

Tomatoes (This may be the last week for these tasty summertime staples. Savor their flavor on your next salad or with your next bowl of pasta and remember that tang and promise of warmth when late winter comes around.)

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.)

Green Peppers (We are closing in on the end of the bell pepper season as well. If you want to savor their flavor, chop or slice the peppers, place in a Ziploc and store in the freezer.)

Beets (A great & beautiful accompaniment to your salad, a medley of roasted veggies, a soup and even dessert! Check out the recipe I’ve included for these robust roots this week—you won’t be disappointed.)

Recipe: Collard Greens and Yellow Grits Soup (Makes 6 to 7 cups)

1 Tbs. olive oil
12 oz. collard greens,
leaves cut into
1-inch pieces,
stems into ½- inch
pieces, washed &
drained
2 carrots, peeled and cut
into ½-inch pieces
(1 cup)
7 C. chicken stock (or
light beef stock),
preferably
unsalted
1 tsp. salt (or less if
using salted
stock)
1/3 C. yellow grits

Heat the oil in a pot. When it is hot, add the drained collard greens, and sauté them over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, occasionally, until they are wilted.

Add the carrots and stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and boil gently for 15 minutes. Add the salt and yellow grits, cover and continue to boil the mixture gently for 10 minutes longer.
Serve immediately, or cool, cover, refrigerate, and rehear at serving time.

You can substitute couscous for the grits if you prefer. If you make the soup ahead and find that it is too think when reheated, add water to bring it to the desired consistency.

(Recipe courtesy of Jacques Pepin’s Kitchen: Cooking With
Claudine, 1996.)

Recipe: Arugula Frittata (“What a wonderful phrase…”)

1 Tbs. olive oil
½ C. minced onion
¾ tsp. salt
a pinch of dried oregano
a pinch of dried thyme
8 to 10 mushrooms, sliced
about 1 C. diced zucchini and or
summer squash
½ C minced bell pepper
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 handfuls chopped arugula
freshly ground black pepper
4 or 5 eggs
¼ lb. fontina cheese, grated or sliced

Preheat oven 375F.

Heat the oil on the stovetop in a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Add the onion and half the salt, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Add dried herbs, mushrooms, zucchini or squash, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.

Turn the heat up; add the arugula with remaining salt and black pepper to taste. Stir and cook for just a minute or two—until some of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the basil.

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then pour them into the vegetables. Sprinkle in some cheese, if desired. Place the pan in the preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the frittata is solid when you shake the pan. (If you so desire, you can add some extra cheese to the top midway through the baking.)
Serve cut into wedges—hot, warm, or at room temperature. This will even taste good cold in a sandwich on lightly toasted bread, with a little mayonnaise, and sliced, very ripe tomatoes.

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


Recipe: Chocolate Beet Cake (Serves 10 to 12)

oil and flour for preparing the pan
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 C. mild-flavored vegetable oil,
divided
3 eggs
1 ¾ C. sugar
2 C. pureed cooked beets (3 medium
beets)
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 ½ C. all-purpose flour
½ C. whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly coat a 10-cup Bundt or tube pan with oil and dust it with flour.

Partially fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Put the chocolate and ¼ C of the oil in the top of the double boiler. Heat just until the chocolate melts; remove from heat and stir until well combined.

Combine the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly beat in the remaining ¾ C oil, chocolate mixture, beets, and vanilla.

Sift the all-purpose flour and whole-wheat pastry flour into a large bowl. Stir in the baking soda and salt. Gently stir the flour mixture into the egg and chocolate mixture just until the flour is mixed in. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.

Carefully remove the cake from the pan and let cool on the rack. When completely cool, dust with powdered sugar.

(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
or on the blog:
www.greenedgegardens.blogspot.com


We look forward to hearing from you!