Week 18 Newsletter

Week #18 October 13, 2010

    This extended season of temperate weather has allowed us do a little ‘catch-up’ with the tasks for the fall. The trim mowing is practically finished for the year thanks to Martin’s return over the weekend. And while we are saying thank you, Maria is included. She has been volunteering one day a week since her internship ended with the beginning of her classes a few weeks ago. We are so grateful to them for their help!  
    Yesterday Kip drilled the holes for the ground stakes for the new greenhouse. We are planning to get a head start on the soil preparation. We don’t expect the frame until next week, but we need to plant as soon as it’s erected. Work continues on the endwalls of the other houses. In the others, the spinach has been seeded, the chard transplanted. This week the crew will be transplanting kale into those houses too. The final picking of peppers and eggplants is also happening this week. We are grateful for the especially long season for these summer treasures because that means more for you!
    Rob has been very busy with our new regimen for mushrooms. Those of you who have visited for the Open Farm Day may remember that we had room to expand in each growing area. We have increased our production for fall and winter numbers. Routines in the mushroom grow room are changing, but remain under Rob’s careful and meticulous supervision. Good work Rob!
    Numbers for the winter cycle continue to increase at a record pace. We are nearly three-quarters full and open enrollment has just been begun. Thanks to all of you who have informed and recruited friends and/or neighbors to our program.
    With the end of the summer cycle close to ending, we will be sending the survey for your opinion, comments, and overall ratings of our program. To make it easy for everyone, this season we will be using Survey Monkey, an online tool that is easy to use and anonymous. Expect it at t he end of this week or the beginning of next week #19. We hope you will take a moment to help us improve our service. Thanks in advance for input.
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Cale, Rob, Julia, Penny, Guinevere, Morgan, Geoff, and Lauren

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Dill or Cilantro - Either of these aromatic and flavorful herbs is good chopped fresh in salad, on fish, or in a dip just to name a few of their versatile uses.
Mushrooms - This week’s mu-shrooms are shiitake. Don’t forget to simmer the stems, strain and freeze it for later use in soup or other savory dishes.
Sunflower Microgreens - Many of you have told us how much you love these little trea-sures of crunchy, juicy flavor! We strive to have plenty to sa-tisfy your taste buds!
Peppers - These are absolutely the last of the peppers, so if you didn’t get a chance to freeze some before, enjoy now chopped in a salad, or chop and freeze them for later. No blanching is necessary.
Eggplant - While they’re aren’t very large in size, they are still flavorful. We are still using them in stir-fry as well as sautéed veggfies, a wonderful idea over rice or pasta!
Arugula - It must be cool weather since arugula is back. And it’s not too spicy yet either! This is definitely a ‘love it or hate it’ green.
Salad Mix - Again we are thrilled to have this staple for the shares. This week in addition to the lettuces, there are is pe-tsai (pronounced pets-eye) and thinnings of mizuna and tatsoi. These will add a little tanginess to the flavor of the mix.
Heirloom & Slicer Tomatoes - If you have had your fill of tomatoes for the season, don’t fret because they will not be with us much longer. In the meantime, with a little sautéed garlic, onions, and diced heirlooms, you have the beginning of an amazingly sweet sauce for pasta.

The Combo Corner

The fruit selection from Cherry Orchard includes newly harvested Golden Delicious apples. Just as in the veggie shares this summer, this season’s fruit share is quite different from last year. While early there was lots of variety, the later crops like grapes and pears did not produce much. But also different from last year, the apple crop this year is ab-undant!
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Italian Wheat.
The cheese share from Integration Acres this week includes Griffin’s Dream and White Goat Cheddar.

Recipe: Arugula Aioli

“Aioli is a garlicky mayonnaise from the south of France. Here, it’s flavored with peppery arugula—perfect as a dip for boiled shrimp or fresh vegetables."
Ingredients
5 ounces arugula
½ cup mayonnaise
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons honey
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.
Makes 1 2/3 cups.
--courtesy of www.RelishMag.com

Recipe: Spanish Rice

(Serves 4 to 6)
This dish is quite satisfying on a chilly fall evening, perhaps as an accompaniment to a soup and green salad? You decide, but don’t forget to savor those flavors of summer deliciously combined in this recipe.
6 C cooked Rice (done well ahead of time)
1 to 2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 ½ C minced Onion
¾ tsp. Salt
1 large Bell Pepper, minced
2 large cloves Garlic, minced
½ tsp. dried Oregano
2 tsp. dried Basil
3 medium-sized Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and minced
½ C sliced, pitted green olives
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Cayenne
Minced fresh Parsley, for the top
For the rice…cook 4 cups of rice in 6 cups of boiling water until tender (15 to 20 minutes for white rice, or 35 to 40 for brown rice).
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and half the salt, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
Add bell pepper, garlic, and herbs. Sauté over medium heat for another 5 minutes, or until the pepper is just tender.
Stir in the cooked rice, tomatoes, remaining salt, and olives. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper and cayenne.
Serve hot, topped with minced fresh parsley. Enjoy!
(Recipe courtesy of Molly Katzen’s The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, 1995)

Recipe: Arugula Frittata

1 Tbs. olive oil
½ C. minced onion
¾ tsp. salt
a pinch of dried oregano
a pinch of dried thyme
8 to 10 mushrooms, sliced
about 1 C. summer squash
½ C minced bell pepper
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 handfuls chopped arugula
freshly ground black pepper
4 or 5 eggs
¼ lb. fontina cheese, grated or sliced
Preheat oven 375F.
Heat the oil on the stovetop in a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Add the onion and half the salt, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add dried herbs, mushrooms, zuchini or squash, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.
Turn the heat up; add the arugula with remaining salt and black pepper to taste. Stir and cook for just a minute or two—until some of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the basil.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, and then pour them into the vege-tables. Sprinkle in some cheese, if desired. Place the pan in the preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the frittata is solid when you shake the pan. (If you so desire, you can add some extra cheese to the top midway through the baking.)