Athens HIlls CSA Week 3

While Kip was delivering the shares last week, the wind was battering the farm and surrounding areas. Dead limbs and trees were strewn all around the landscapes from the farm to the town. And here at the farm in a split second the wind pulled the wiggle-wire track from its wooden slats all along one side of one greenhouse. The cover rose up above the top of the house ripping all along the two endwall tops and landed on the ground along the other side of the house with the metal track still attached. Fortunately, the crops inside were still covered for the cold. And then, we scurried. More row cover and more plastic, straw bales, concrete lintels were our defense from the penetrating and relentless fingers of the wind. Many thanks are heaped upon Rob, Cale, and John for their non-stop efforts to secure protection for the plants before night fell. Meanwhile, Kip detoured to the supply house in southwestern Ohio for new plastic and wiggle-wire. Becky called upon our good and long-time friend Paul to cut more oak for the new track supports. For two days the wind and light rain continued while the new wood and track were installed. On Saturday, the sun shone, the wind calmed, and the new plastic was pulled and secured. Then, the protective coverings were removed. Everyone stared in amazement as the unharmed plants were slowly revealed. Truly we felt blessed. By the next morning, all the plants were standing straight – unharmed and ready to continue their growth… No wonder they’re so good for us to eat! This is the last delivery for this year. Look in the next column for the delivery schedule to see the date of your next one.
Happy Holidays & Peace on Earth,
Becky (for the whole crew – Kip, Dan, Rob, Cale, John, Julia, Penny
VEGGIES THIS WEEK:
Salad Mix – This is a blend of 5 lettuces and 1-3 mild Asian greens. We harvest this the day before your delivery. It will stay fresh for at least a week in the bag in your refriger-ator. We pick whole leaves to extend the storage time.
Spinach – We welcome this favorite green to the list. This dark green wonder is full of goodness and flavor.
Baby Pac Choi or Tatsoi – Tatsoi is a delicate Asian green for eating raw(stems and leaves) or mildly steamed or stir-fried. Baby Pac Choi has a little more body and requires a little cooking, but its flavor is also very mild. Both are sweet too.
Japanese White Turnips – Both the leaves and the turnips of these mild beauties can be eaten raw in salads. The turnips are juicy, sweet and crunchy. You’ll be amazed!
Yellow Fin Potatoes- These yellow fleshed potatoes are delicious boiled, fried, or baked.
Arugula – This versatile green can be used raw in salads or steamed. Its peppery flavor will delight or disgust you.
Carrots - Rob was skeptical when he saw the bunches before they were rinsed – then he was really excited. These are sweet and crunchy!
Sweet Potatoes - We grow Beauregard sweet potatoes. These are the most common around here for their hardiness, reliability, and flavor.
The Combo Corner from our Athens partners ~
The fruit selection from Cherry Orchards this week contains the now familiar BEURRE BOSC pear; YELLOW DELICIOUS apples; FUJI apples; and a variety of apples called MUTZU which was developed in Japan by crossing the Yellow Delicious with the popular Japanese yellow apple called Indo. Neil and his family extend wishes for a merry and peaceful holiday to you all!
The bread selection from the Village Bakery and Café is Italian Herb Garden Wheat with extra virgin olive oil, thyme, rosemary, and fennel.
PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS
NEW ALBANY – 614-216-9370 3-10pm
TIBET – 614-784-8124 3-6pm
BEXLEY MARKET-614-252-3951 3-8pm
UPPER ARLINGTON-614-284-1181 2- 6pm
Please remember to call your host first if problems arise. Since they are closer to you, they can usually resolve the problem. Feel free to call us if the host is unable to help you – 740-448-4021 Thanks!

REMEMBER -------
 There are no deliveries for the dates of December 23rd and December 30th.
 January 6th – Columbus and Athens Full Shares; Athens Half-shares
 January 9th – Athens Farmers Market Full- and Half-Shares
 January 16th - All Columbus Half-shares

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ONE AND ALL!! IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT HOLIDAY YOU CELEBRATE – WHEN YOUR WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH LAUGHTER SURROUNDING ONE AND ALL – IT’S GOOD!
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Don’t forget to check the blog on Friday to find out what’s coming next week! And check out the pictures of the storm damage to the greenhouse.
~~~~ California Carrot Salad – Serves 6-8
4 Cups diced carrots 2 Cups diced potatoes 1 ½ cups sliced black olives ½ cup chopped scallions, including green tops 2 Tbls. minced fresh dill 2 Cups flaked tuna (13-ounce can) ¾ Cup olive oil ¼ Cup wine vinegar 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon paprika ¼ Cup tomato puree or catsup 1 tsp. honey or sugar salt and pepper lettuce leaves 1 Cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
Parboil the carrots until just tender 2-3 minutes. Plunge into cold water. Drain.
Parboil the potatoes until just tender, 5-10 minutes. Plunge into cold water. Drain.
Combine the carrots, potatoes, olives, scallions, dill, and tuna in a large salad bowl. Toss to mix.
In a blender ot food processor, combine all the remaining ingredients except the lettuce leaves and cherry tomatoes, and blend until smooth. Pour the dressings over the salad and toss to coat. Pack the salad into a 5-cup ring mold. Chill for at least 2 hours. Invert the mold onto a serving plate lined with lettuce leaves. Fill the center with quartered cherry tomatoes and serve.
CARROT ORANGE GINGER STEW Serves 6 - 45 mins, to prepare and cook 2 Tablespoon butter 1 ½ cups diced onion 6 Cups sliced carrots 3 Cups orange juice 2 Cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root 1 whole orange rind with rind, quartered 3/4 cup of heavy cream 2 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate salt and pepper
In a soup pot, melt the butter and sauté the onion on medium heat until limp, 3-5 minutes. Add the carrots, orange juice, chicken broth, ginger root, and orange. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the carrots are very tender. Let the soup cool a little.
Remove the orange pieces and discard. In a blender or food processor, blend the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the heat, add the cream, orange juice concentrate, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Helpful Hint for Sweet Potatoes: Keep sweet potatoes from the cold – do not refrigerate them; they will become soft and yucky! Store at temperatures between 55 and 600 with the humidity at 75-80 percent.
Herbs that pair well with sweet potatoes include: chives, rosemary, tarragon, parsley thyme, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Sweet potato flesh turns brown quickly when exposed to air. To prevent this, drop the pieces in a bowl of cold water as you cut them.
CARROTS - SOME INFORMATION…
Carrots store easily. Remove the tops, and store in food-safe perforated bags. They will keep several months in your vegetable crisper.
Limp carrots can sometimes be restored by soaking in ice water for 30 minutes.
Herbs that complement carrots include: anise, caraway, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, mint, curry, cilantro, thyme, basil, rosemary and mustard.
We pray for peace in the world, in our lives, in your lives.
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Don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or comments, visit the blog for more picture or updates. 740-448-4021 greenedgegardens@verizon.net