Week 9 Newsletter

ATHENS HILLS CSA

WEEK #9

February 11, 2010

Thanks to all of you for your understanding about the delivery this week. As we thought about the temperatures and road conditions, delaying the delivery for a day seemed the best option for the veggies and the truck. Don’t forget that there is a ‘Meet-n-Greet’ at the Upper Arlington pickup site – ECO-Tastic from 5-7pm today (Thursday). All are welcome! The winter is never boring as we first were reminded last week when the electricity was off for 1 ½ days and all of the vehicles were stuck in the driveways. And this week was just another little reminder of the same. We also remembered what happens when two greenhouses are connected…the gutter between them needs to have the snow removed! Like I said – never boring! But how fortunate we have been to have only lost some hours coping with the situation. This week you will find an ‘extras box’ at your site – please help yourself to the butternut squashes. We had hoped to store these to include later, but they are not storing well. I have included some tips for processing the flesh for later uses. Hopefully, these will be helpful as you plan for your future needs. As I look out the office window at some of the greenhouses, I can see that the snow is piled to the top of the sides. All of the snow collected on the tops of the houses just slides down. This creates great insulation against the winds and keeps the temperatures inside fairly uniform on those cloudy days. Look for pictures of this on the blog: http://greenedgegardens.blogspot.com The seed orders continue to arrive and sooner rather than later, we will begin seeding the ‘starts flats’ to be planted in the spring. And even though we haven’t seen the sun for a while, we can see the lengthening of the days beginning to make a difference in the rate of re-growth in the greens you are receiving.

We are continuously planning for the Summer 2010 season. Look for an email with the summer brochure attached next week. And as always you can access it from the website, too.

Becky (for Kip, Dan, Cale, Rob, John, Julia, and Penny)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

SALAD MIX - This is our famous blend of lettuces and mild Asian greens. We expect it to last a week, and sometimes longer. Place a paper towel in the bag to absorb the extra moisture and keep moist without being soggy.

MICROMIX MICROGREENS – This week we are pleased to offer the more delicate version of microgreens. This mix consists of our crunchy sunflower along with buckwheat (very nutritional), radish, cabbage, and kogane. This blend is a little spicy, as raw radish and cabbage can be. The shelf life may not be quite as long as plain sunflower, but the flavors make up for that! Sooo good!! They’re great as a snack too.

PAC CHOI – Another new veggie for you. This one doesn’t stay long in the greenhouses as it is very sensitive to increasing light and will bolt usually by the end of February, but in the meantime – delicious! One cup of cooked pak choi contains 15% of your recommended daily allowance of calcium - the equivalent of 1/4 pint of full fat milk.

SWISS CHARD – Known far and wide for its mild flavor, Swiss Chard is one of the few greens which will grow without extra urging in all seasons, even the hot summer. It is high in both Vitamins A and C.

KENNEBEC POTATOES – These are a repeat from last week, and we hope you are as happy to get them as we are to send them. These are great baked, fried, mashed, or any of the myriad ways to cook these roots.

TURNIPS - If you haven’t tried these roasted yet, now is your chance. These versatile roots are yummy steamed, mashed, shredded and fried, or grated raw into a salad.

RUTABAGAS – These resemble the turnips, but are milder in flavor. They can be used just like turnips. Recipes included last week.

The Combo Corner from our Athens partners ~

The fruit basket this week contains two of the sweeter varieties: Yellow Delicious and Fuji.

This week’s bread selection from the Village Bakery and Cafe is Honey Oat Wheat. Bob says it’s one of their softer loaves.

EXTRAS BOX – This week at each drop-off site, there will be a box of butternut squashes which are not storing well. Please take what you need. Maybe you can process some for the freezer for later use.

PROCESSING BUTTERNUT

Halve the squash, remove the seeds, and place flesh side down in a baking dish that holds ¼” water. Bake at 350⁰ F for 1-1 ½ hours, until the skin is easily pierced. Peel the squash, then dice or puree depending on how you plan to use the squash later. Place the squash in an air-tight container or plastic bag. Remove the air, then put in the freezer until you need it.

Here’s another squash recipe –

Winter Squash Chowder

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 1 ½ Cups diced onion 7-8 Cups cubed squash ¾ Lb. ham hocks (1 Lg. one) 4 Cups water 2 Bay leaves ½ Cup water 1 Cup diced carrots 1 Cup diced celery 1 Cup lima beans of diced green beans 1 Cup grated sharp cheddar cheese ½ Cup heavy cream salt and pepper

In a medium-size soup pot, heat the oil and sauté the onion until limp. Add the squash, ham hocks, 4 cups water or broth, and bay leaves. Simmer until the squash is tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and ham hocks and cool the soup slightly. Process in a fool processor or blender until smooth.

In a separate pot, simmer the carrots, celery, and beans in the remaining ½ cup of water until tender. Add these vegetables, the cheese, and cream to the squash and heat gently. Remove the meat from the ham hocks and add it to the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Stir-Fried Pac Choi with Sesame Sauce

INGREDIENTS Oil 1 Piece shredded ginger root 1 Garlic clove, sliced 4 Pac Choi, trimmed and sliced lengthwise

Sesame Sauce

50 Grams sesame seeds 1 Tablespoon sugar 1 Garlic clove, crushed 3 Tablespoons soy sauce Sesame oil Chili oil to serve

1. For the sauce, toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying-pan until they color and smell fragrant. Crush to a paste with the sugar, garlic and soy sauce in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Add enough sesame oil to make a pourable sauce.

2. Heat a little oil in a wok and fry the ginger and garlic, add the pak choi and stir-fry quickly until the stems are just tender. Tip onto a plate and drizzle with the sauce.

Ready in 15 minutes