WEEK 9 NEWSLETTER

ATHENS HILLS SUMMER CSA:

WEEK NINE: AUGUST 17^th-22^nd

Hello Everyone!

This week on the farm has been as busy as it has been hot. And though it looks like the weather is breaking a bit, the workload here will not slow down until some time in the fall. We're not complaining, as we are making progress on several exciting projects on the farm.

Kip has been particularly busy. When he's not driving back and forth to Columbus, or covering for me in the mushroom house on the weekends, he's tuning up equipment or riding the tractor. Today he was preparing a field for cover crops to be planted.

He and various helpers have also completed a fence around the winter squash field to keep the deer out. This has been an ongoing project for some time, and could mean a significant harvest of winter squash this fall (that will certainly interest our Winter CSA members).

Speaking of the Winter CSA, we had a meeting this week, and are happy to announce that it will begin on December 2^nd and run through April 28^th. We will have all the details out to you soon. There has been a lot of interest from previous and prospective new members in the Winter CSA, and we assure you that as current member, you will have first access to signing up for a winter share. We are very excited about a promising winter program------but we still have eleven weeks of the Summer CSA to go!

Thank you so much for your support this summer, especially with the learning curve we have had in our first season of offering Combination Shares. We encourage your feedback of all kinds, which help us plan for the next season.

Best Wishes,

Rob (on behalf of Kip & Becky, Dan, John, Cale, Claudia, Penny, Eric, and our interns: Corey, Becky, & Julia)

FEATURED VEGGIES

Check out the previous newsletters (on our blog) for serving suggestions, storage advice, etc. for each of these vegetables.

Tomatoes: You're receiving a combination of our slicer and heirloom tomatoes this week. After a few weeks of relishing the fresh taste of raw tomatoes, maybe you're ready to cook with this batch?

Cherry Tomatoes: This is the first of these for this season. A mixture of the sweetest ‘Sungold’ and ‘Sweet 100’s. As tasty as they are versatile, we ‘re convinced they are absolutely the best summer candy!

Green Peppers: Crunchy and juicy, these green vessels are just waiting to hold your latest stuffing ideas – meat or veggie; you won’t be disappointed!

Summer Squash: Zucchini and Patty pans coming your way this week. Try stuffing them with the other veggies, cheese, breadcrumbs, etc.

Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers: These summer beauties come in shades of orange, yellow, red and every hue in between. A true hot pepper, though not the hottest. If you want less heat, remove the seeds. (warning: Use rubber gloves when processing the hot peppers. Don’t touch your eyes after using them.)

Shiitake Mushrooms: We thought you might be ready for something that is grillable. Try these beauties with kabobs of other veggies like onion, pepper, tomatoes, squash, and eggplant.

Red Onions: These beauties are from the same grower as the earlier sweet yellow onions. Use raw in salads, sauté lightly to add great color and flavor.

Stuffed Baked Tomatoes Recipe

Tomatoes
Ricotta Cheese
Spinach
Garlic
Thyme
Parmigiano Reggiano

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Combine ricotta cheese, chopped fresh spinach, garlic, thyme and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Top each tomato half with 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of www.relishmag.com

Marinade for Veggie Kabobs

The cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, squash and onions are the perfect components for a summer grilled veggie kabob. Here is a recipe for a marinade--though you should feel free to experiment with the flavors and ingredients that you enjoy the most.

¼ cup tamari or soy sauce

¾ cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoon ground pepper

2 cloves of crushed garlic

1 Tablespoon honey

Optional Additions:

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons dried herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano)

¼ pineapple juice

Combine all of the marinade ingredients by whisking or blending. Pour into a container or plastic bag, add veggies, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Skewer veggies and grill on medium heat. Occasionally brush the veggies with the leftover marinade.

Recipe adapted from www.familyoven.com