ATHENS HILLS CSA

WEEK #14

March 17, 2010

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Come one , come all to the First Winter Open Farm Day.  This Sunday at 1:00 pm at the Amesville Grange Hall is our first event for our winter members.  We have many folks come out in the summer, but this weekend, we wanted to share the winter greenhouses.  You can see first-hand where all of your lovely, nutritious, and tasty food is grown!  You will be amazed!  Starting at 1:00 pm is a potluck.  (No need for you to bring cutlery or plates.)  You’ll get to meet and talk to our combo partners, learn a little about our history, and eat amazing foods!  At 2:30 pm, we will start the tours from the Grange.  Winter parking at the farm is more limited than the summer, so we may need to stagger the groups.   Thanks to all of you who have replied to the E-vite.  It helps us know how many folks we need to plan for.                                      

The word from the packing room says that we’re a little low on those waxed boxes that hold your shares.  This is a gentle reminder to return them to the host site please.    We are busy with preparations for Sunday’s Farm Day as well as planting  many. many flats for transplanting when the weather is warmer.  Peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, squashes, and other veggies for the summer CSA and market sales are in the works.  Every day more of you and others from last summer’s cycle are telling us their plans for the summer.  And a big THANKS to all of you for that.                                                

Other projects for this week and next include starting the new fences, building more lintels for our raised beds of salad mix and herbs,  and a huge drainage project to help eliminate potential flooding.  We won’t get any of them done in two weeks, but they’ll be well on the way.  With the weather that is forecasted for this week, we are also looking forward to a lot less mud.  (PS – Don’t forget your boots on Sunday.)

 For all the crew,

Becky  (Kip, Dan, Cale, John, Rob, 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 –  Use them to  add extra crunch and juiciness to a sandwich or a stir-fry.  They are sooo good!!  Little children typically love them.  They’re great as a snack too.

KALE – There is little doubt that Kale is our most popular green.  Whether raw as part of a smoothie, or simmered in a tasty soup, kale is hard to beat for its versatility, flavor, and nutritional content.  It scores over 100% DV (daily value) for Vitamins A, C, and K.

OYSTER MUSHROOMS –   This week you have an abundant supply of our tasty blue oyster mushrooms.  They are good on pizza, just sautéed, or in many other dishes.  There are some recipes in earlier newsletters.  These are high in potassium.

ARUGULA –   It’s been some time since we’ve been able to offer this green and we’re happy to have it return!  There are three recipes included on the second page.  This tangy and peppery flavored green has a unique flavor that most people either love or hate.  We’re hoping you will be on the ‘loving it’ side.

SPINACH - We’re excited to be able to provide our spinach again for you.  Rich in nutrients, this dark green wonder has a flavor all its own.  Check last weeks’ newsletters for some recipes.

The Combo Corner from our Athens partners ~

The fruit basket for the Winter 2010 cycle has ended.  So, if you have a combo share, and you can’t find the fruit – that’s right!

This week’s bread selection from the Village Bakery and Cafe is their famous French Baguette.  This selection has been a favored one - according to the emails we have received. 

 

winter open farm day

this Sunday- 3/21

1:oopm - potluck

Amesville Grange Hall

2:30pm farm tours

children’s activities

SEE YOU THERE!!!

Pasta with Arugula and Goat Cheese – from  A Complete Menu Cookbook for All Occasions by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette

~a bunch of Arugula                ~4 sprigs fresh Parsley               ~1 – 8 oz. container of low-fat       yogurt or sour cream       ~1/3 Cup of goat Cheese,             crumbled                      ~salt and pepper to taste           1 Lb fusilli noodles            ~Grated parmesan cheese, as          garnish

1.  Before preparing sauce, fill a large casserole with water, and bring to a boil.

2.  Wash and clean well the arugula and parsley.  Dry thoroughly.  Trin and chop both the arugula and the parsley.

3.  Place the arugula and the parsley in a food processor.  Add the yogurt or sour cream, goat cheese, salt, and pepper.  Blend the ingredients thoroughly.  Keep the sauce at room temperature until ready to use.

Add a pinch of salt to the cooking water, and cook the fusilli noodles following the instructions on the package.  When the noodles are cooked, drain them, and place them in four serving dishes.  Pour the sauce evenly over the top of each serving and add some cheese to each dish.  Serve immediately.      

Pasta Arugula                         ~from Rosemary Webb

½ to 1 bunch of chopped arugula (1”      sizes)                                         ¾ Lb of pasta (tiny shells work well) Juice of ½ lemon                                       2 Tbls. dry white wine                       2 cloves of finely chopped garlic             3 tsp. of olive oil                                 1/8 to ¼ Cup of chicken broth or other mild broth

Cook pasta and toss with raw arugula.   While the pasta is cooking, place the rest of the ingredients in a glass bowl and heat for 1 minute in the microwave.  Toss everything at once.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

 

Arugula Pesto Recipe   from    simplyrecipes.com  

2 Cups packed arugula leaves, stems removed      ½ Cup of walnuts                                                  ½ Cup fresh parmesan cheese                                   ½ Cup extra virgin olive oil                             6 garlic cloves, unpeeled                                           ½ garlic clove peeled and minced

Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes.  

Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.         

Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor.  In a microwave, it takes about 2 minutes.

Food Processor (fast way)-  Combine the arugula, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor.  Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor.  Remove the mixture from the processor and pu it into a bow.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Mortar and pestle (slow way)-  Combine the nuts and garlic in a mortar.  With the pestle, grind until smooth.  Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth.  Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar.  Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.  Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste

Mix with freshly prepared pasta of your choice.  You may need to add a little bit of water or more olive oil to mix the pesto more evenly with the pasta.

Makes enough pesto sauce for an ample serving of pasta for four people.