Week 2 Newsletter

ATHENS HILLS CSA

WEEK #2

December 9, 2009

Joining us this week are the folks from the Athens Half-Shares - so another hearty welcome to them! We are constantly blessed to have such support from those so close to home. I’m reminded of Garrison Keillor’s intro sometimes – “It’s been another busy week…” For the crew here, it’s not only been busy, but cold. We were surprised to awaken to the first snow on Saturday which made our morning at market a little more interesting. But all the children who attended were filled with excitement. The winter market is the true foundation for this local market. The sense of community among those who come weekly is intense and full of laughter and jokes about frozen things. Last evening was the annual Producer Appreciation Night at the Casa Nueva Restaurant here in Athens. They are a cooperative restaurant run by people dedicated to buying and serving locally grown foods. All the crews and families from all of their local vendors are invited for amazing food and libation. It’s a party we all love. Their spaghetti squash recipe is included this week. Besides the normal tending of crops, we have been busy tending to all the equipment this week. With just one or two pieces left to go, we are fully ready to begin again in just a few short months. Kip is very thankful to have this checked off from his list. I have included the host’s contact numbers again this week along with a reminder about the Christmas and New Year’s dates and schedules for the January resumption of deliveries. AND, the date of the March Open Farm Day and Poluck is March 21^st, and not the 31^st as reported last week.

Best wishes, Becky & the 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.

Sunflower Microgreens – These crunchy beauties are by far the favorite of most people. The mild, juicy flavor is a perfect complement to sandwiches, salads, pizza – or most kids love them right out of the bag.

Shiitake Mushrooms- The meaty consistency of this mushroom and its distinct flavor combine to make it a real crowd pleaser. Whether in an omelet or on a steak or marinated raw, its versatility is renown.

Arugula – This versatile green can be used raw in salads or steamed. Its peppery flavor will delight or disgust you.

Swiss Chard – Chard is the only green which we grow in all seasons. It’s mild versatile flavor works well steamed, sautéed, stir-fried or in soup.

Squash – It’s spaghetti squash this week. Check out the recipe on page 2! It’s simple and delicious!

Sweet Potatoes - We grow Beauregard sweet potatoes. These are the most common around here for their hardiness, reliability, and flavor.

You may find some items repeated this week for reminders and so that the people just joining us don’t miss the information…..

The Combo Corner from our Athens partners ~

The fruit basket this week contains BUERRE BOSC, the French heirloom pear as well as three varieties of apples: SHIZUKA, a large yellow Japanese variety; ENTERPRISE, a tart disease resistant apple, and FUJI another crisp sweet Japanese variety.

This week’s bread selection from the Village Bakery and Cafe is the UKRAINIAN RYE.

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 -------

à There are no deliveries for the dates of December 23^rd and December 30^th.

à Delivery resumes for all Full-Shares on January 6^th and Athens Half-Shares. For Columbus Half-Shares, delivery resumes on January 14^th. Athens Farmers Market pickups resume on January 9^th for both Full- and Half-Shares.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

30 mins. to prepare

serves 4-6

1 Cup grated white potato 1 Cup grated sweet potato ~these packed tightly 1 Cup grated carrot 4 beaten eggs 1/3 Cup flour 1 Teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons grated onion ¼ Cup chopped parsley juice of ½ lemon 1 crushed garlic clove fresh black pepper dash of nutmeg

Place grated sweet and white potatoes in a colander over a bowl. Salt lightly and let stand 15 minutes. Rinse and squeeze out well to get rid of all the extra water (you can save this water for soup stock). Combine all ingredients and mix well. Fry in butter in a heavy skillet until brown and crisp. Serve immediately, topped with yogurt or sour cream and fresh-chopped chives. Garnish with tomato wedges and lots of fresh, raw vegetable sticks. ~The Moosewood Cookbook, Mollie Katzen, 1977

CABBAGES AND ‘NOODLES’

by Michelle Wasserman created for the 2009 Producer Appreciation Night at the Casa Nueva Restaurant.

1 ½ Cups onions, sliced

¼ Cup butter

1 ½ Tablespoon paprika

8 Cups green cabbage, sliced

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 medium spaghetti squash

1.) Melt the butter in a large pot. When bubbly, stir in the onions and paprika. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir once or twice.

2.) Add sliced cabbage and salt; stir well; cover and cook on low heat for 50-60 minutes. Stir every 15-20 minutes.

3.) While the cabbage cooks, cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out seeds, rub the flesh with a little olive oil and place on a cookie sheet with the skin side down (so they are like cups – slicing a little from the end keeps them from rolling around). Bake at 375⁰F for 45 minutes.

4.) Let the squash cool a bit, then using a fork, shred the flesh out of the skins and into the pot of cabbage. Use a hot pad to protect your hands!

5.) Mix it all together, then eat till you burst!!

This was a hit with the folks from here, and believe me they have eaten their fair share.

Some useful tips –

Shiitake stems can be tough and savory, so before chopping the caps, remove the stems. If you can’t deal with them immediately just put them in the frig until you can. When you’re ready, simmer them for about an hour in salted water. Now the stems are soft enough to use, or throw away, but you now have a great soup base or flavoring for gravy, etc. I like to freeze this broth in small containers, and after they’re frozen, pop them in a bag, and keep them in the freezer until I need one.

To keep shiitakes at their best, keep them in the paper bag, but put the paper bag inside a plastic one. This keeps the moisture in but away from the flesh of the mushrooms.

To keep the Salad Mix crisp, try putting a piece of paper towel or cloth in the plastic bag. Just like the mushrooms, this will keep moisture in the bag but not drowning the leaves. This can also be used for the microgreens, but sunflower microgreens seem to keep well all by themselves too.

Thanks again for joining us –We love hearing your comments, so write, call, email, or blog to us. Have a great week and we hope you enjoy your share.