Week # 19 Newletter

ATHENS HILLS CSA

WEEK #19
April 21, 2010
    This week we bid goodbye to the Columbus Half-share folks. Today is their last pickup for this Winter CSA season. We thank them for their support! (Also, let me say many thanks to Kip for stepping in last week with this part of the newsletter.) As this cycle is ending, I have been thinking about the commitments all of us have made to our food choices. Yesterday, as I watched from the office window, Kip and Morgan and Martin planted the potatoes – a simple action. Yet, nothing could say it better. Yesterday, one day before the final delivery for the half-share group of this winter, we began planting next year’s winter crops. Now that’s a meeting of the cosmic and mundane.
     We have welcomed our second intern this weekend. Martin is from Granville originally and will be attending Hocking College this fall. An email notice today announced that the award-winning movie, FOOD, INC., will be showing on POV Wednesday night. Yes, tonight at 9:00 PM on your PBS stations. If you haven’t seen it, we highly recommend it. The movie is also being streamed in its entirety between April 22 and April 29 at AboutFood, Inc.
     As we do every season, we are asking folks to fill out the surveys about your experiences with us. This helps us so much! The streamlined format will only take a few minutes for you to finish. The survey is attached to this email, or there are hard copies available at the pickup sites today. If you share your share, please take one for your fellow sharer to fill out too. Thanks in advance for your efforts!! If you need more, just email us and we’ll get one to you.
     Last but not least, let me scream our first planting of basil went into the hothouse last Friday. I can almost taste the pesto! Later the week parsley will be planted in the fields. This weekend Kip and I went to a gathering celebrating an old friend’s 90th birthday. As a party favor, we received tomato seeds from Fossalto Italy, his hometown. We’re excited to be able to have this unique tomato this summer!
For all the crew,
Becky (Kip, Dan, Cale, John, Julia, and Penny)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES
The share veggies had to be changed this week because we didn’t have enough spinach to fill out the amounts for all. We’re VERY sorry for the short notice.
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.
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. The recipe for Kale Pesto is repeated on the next page.
SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS – You have another week of our tasty mushrooms. They are good on pizza, just sautéed, or in many other dishes. There are some recipes in earlier newsletters.
SWISS CHARD - It’s not hard to be amazed by the sheer ability of this plant to grow in all seasons. Refer to past newsletters for recipes, please
ARUGULA - Arugula has uses beyond salad: it can be sautéed or cooked in many other ways. In Roman times, arugula was grown for both its leaves and the seed. The seed was used for flavoring oils.
FRENCH BREAKFAST RADISHES - The first of the season radishes are so special for their tender crisp crunchy juiciness. Enjoy these on salads, bread and butter, with a dip, in a stir-fry, or just by themselves, maybe a pinch of salt.
The Combo Corner from our Athens partners ~

This week’s bread selection from the Village Bakery and Cafe is Italian Whole Wheat.
The fruit basket for this winter season has ended.
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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!
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WINTER SURVEYS
are attached to this emailed newsletter, or in hard copy at your pickup site. Please help us make this a better experience by telling us what you like, and more importantly, what didn’t work so well for you; and if you can - also tell us why. Who knows, maybe we can change something so the next person doesn’t have that problem. We are on a constant mission to improve our services, so accept our thanks in advance!

KALE PESTO

This has been such a tremendously popular dish. I’m repeating the recipe because we have so many requests for it!! Thanks to Tristam Griffiths, one of the Upper Arlington Eco-tastic hosts for sharing this gem.
*3 cups kale-washed, or spun, then cut into strips about an inch thick
*1.5 cups pine nuts
*4 cloves of garlic(or 1T of the pre-chopped)
*1/4-1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
*1 cup olive oil
*salt and pepper to taste-I usually use about 1/2 t of salt and pepper


Put all above ingredients in a food processor and blend.
That's it-serve on anything.

Polenta Lasagna

Polenta:
4 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1 ¾ cups cornmeal
Sauce:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 Tablespoons minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
3 cups crushed tomatoes with juice (1 28-oz can)
½ cup dry red wine (optional, but good)
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt (I use less than this since the polenta is salty)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper


1 cup Neufchatel or cream cheese (I just use a package)
1 large egg
2 cups rinsed, stemmed, and chopped Swiss chard, kale, spinach, or collard greens
1 ½ cups mild provolone, grated
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
I like to add about 2 cups chopped mushrooms to the greens
Bring the water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk the cornmeal into the boiling water. (Be careful – it will bubble and send polenta napalm at you and it HURTS!!) Reduce the heat to low and let the polenta simmer, stirring often, until thick but pourable – doesn’t take too long. Pour the polenta onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Use a lightly oiled spatula to spread it ½ inch thick or less. Refrigerate. (I find that using the back of a large metal spoon works better than a spatula – keep the spoon cold by dipping it into cold water while you spread the polenta)
Warm 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat and sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, marjoram, oregano, and bell peppers and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and, if using, the wine. Bring to a simmer and add the tomato paste, salt, and black pepper. Simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Soften the cream cheese in the oven (or microwave). Lightly beat the egg and stir it into the softened cheese. Heat the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet or saucepan and sauté the greens until tender. (If you are using mushrooms, sauté them for a few minutes until they release their juices and then add the greens) Remove from heat and set aside.
Remove the polenta from the refrigerator and cut it into manageable 4x6-inch pieces that will fit together to make a single layer in the baking pan. Some gaps are okay.
To assemble the lasagna, spread a third of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking pan and top with a layer of polenta. Add the sautéed greens to the remaining sauce and spread half of it on the polenta. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the sauce and top with the grated provolone. Make a final layer of polenta and top with the rest of the sauce. Dust the parmesan evenly all over.
Cover the baking dish and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
From the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics by Molly Katzen