Somehow, we managed to avoid much high water here on the farm over the weekend. Friday’s rains saw waters rising, but the devastating heavy winds and rain missed our end of the county. And we breathed a sigh of relief. With March here already, yesterday we all heard the peepers that are the first harbingers of spring. On Friday of this week, we are saying goodbye to our dear friend, employee, and former intern, Julia. She and Steve are moving to the Dayton area to begin their newest adventure! We wish them so much success! We are honored to have had them with us. One intern from last summer, Maria, has taken Julia’s position. We feel very fortunate to have her join us. We know she will be a valuable member of the crew!
Our Athens Wednesday pick-up site has moved. Hyacinth Bean Florists has relocated to West Union Street behind Catalyst Café. The phone number is the same so give them a call for directions. Thanks to all of the Athens folks for being so accommodating!
Most of the seeds have arrived and the planting is beginning. Some beds of harvested greens will be re-seeded with salad mix, salad greens, ra-dishes, dill, and cilantro for harvest in the early spring. Kip has ordered the trusses and roofing for the equipment shed. Now we wait for the ground to dry out from the last rains. All in all, we’re hoping this week’s warm and sunny temperatures will only decrease the time for the soil to dry out a bit. Everyone has finally returned from the many places visited, and we are looking forward to a spring filled with surprises in every direction. We can only hope we will be nimble enough and quick enough to jump when called upon. This is a time when the forces of nature speak grandly and demand respect. All we can do is joyously embrace the changes. Be on the lookout for crocuses; their colorful heads will be up in no time. And please, please do not drive your car through the water over the road. Have a good week!
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Rob, Cale, Julia, Penny, Guinevere, and Morgan
THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES
Salad Mix – We are so thrilled to have an extra large bag of lettuce for your share this week! This is the result of the several days of warmth and sun. Those little plants really respond! We hope you enjoy it.
Mushrooms - Mushrooms this week – shiitake. It’s a good thing they’re so good. If you can’t use them all in one week, they should store fine in their paper bag to be combined for a really big mu-shroom extravaganza next week!
Sunflower Microgreens - If you’re not familiar with micro-greens, you are in for a surprise! Unlike sprouts (which are only grown in water), these are grown in soil and therefore im-part the nutritional additions from the soil. These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy.
Spinach - Another week of spi-nach while we patiently wait for the chard and kale to size up. We hope you are not too bored with it already.
Turnips – Calling all turnip lov-ers! Yes, it’s beginning to be turnip time. Spring must be right around the corner when these treasures start coming.
Sweet Potato - This is the last week of the sweet potatoes. We are now sorting through the leftovers for seed for next year, and seconds for the restaurants.
The Combo Corner
The apple selections from Cherry Orchards are the same. For the remaining weeks the apples will be a mix of Fuji, Red Delicious and/or Yellow (or Golden) Delicious.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the French Gallette.
So what’s your favorite sweet potato recipe?
We’ve sent you several recipes this summer for the fabulous sweet po-tatoes. Did you try any of them?
Did they inspire you to create something new?
Do you have a favorite that others would like?
Your feedback will help us decide which recipes to post on the blog. Thanks for taking a sec to think about this and reply.
RECIPES
POTATO TURNIP CAKE
4 cups grated turnips
2 cups grated potatoes
½ cup minced onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil salt and pepper
Mix the turnips, potatoes, and onion. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast iron or non-stick frying pan. Spoon in the vegetable mixture, flatten it evenly in the pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and fry the cake until it is golden brown on the bottom, 10-15 minutes. To turn the cake, slip it out of the pan onto a plate. Place another plate on top of the cake and invert it. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and heat. Slip the cake back into the pan to brown the second side. Fry uncovered until browned. Slice in wedges to serve.
from Joy of Gardening Cookbook, Ballantyne, 1984
SPINACH RICOTTA PIESweet Potato Waldorf Salad
from Moosewood Cookbook, Katzen, 1977
3 hours to prepare, assemble, and bake; yield: 1-9” pie
THE CRUST -
Cut together 1 cup flour (4/5 white plus 1/5 whole wheat is nice) (that’s approximate, of course) and 1/3 cup cold water. Use a pastry cutter or two forks, or a food processor fitted with steel blade. (Try to work quickly so ingredients stay cold.)
When the mixture is uniformly blended, add about 3 Tablespoons cold buttermilk (or water. But buttermilk really. Specialness is worth it.) ~ or enough so that mixture holds together enough to form a ball. Chill the dough at least 1 hour.
THE FILLING –
1 lbs. ricotta cheese
3 beaten eggs
½ lb. chopped spinach
1 small onion, diced
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup grated sharp cheese dash of nutmeg
Sauté the spinach and onion in butter with black pepper, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp basil. Mix all together, blending well. Spread into unbaked pie shell. Top with 1 cup sour cream spread to the edges of the crust and a generous application of paprika. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Serve piping hot.
Sweet Potato Waldorf Salad
8 cups diced sweet potatoes 2 cups diced celery
4 cups unpeeled diced red or green apples (3 apples)
½ cup raisins or currants
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
Parboil the potatoes until just tender, 3-5 minutes. Plunge into cold water. Drain.
In a large salad bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Chill and serve cold.
SWEET POTATO TARRAGON SALAD
4 cups Julienne-sliced sweet potatoes
1/3 cup vegetable oil
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tbl. minced fresh tarragon
salt and pepper
Parboil the potatoes for 3-5 minutes, until just tender. Plunge into cold water and drain immediately.
Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the potatoes. Toss to coat. Marinate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to mingle. Serve cold.
If anyone is interested in signing on to a letter in Support of a Moratorium on Hydro-Fracturing (fracking), please let Becky know and she will forward the letter to you. As a grower of food, we are certain that it is vitally important to keep our groundwater and wells safe from the toxins that are disturbed in this process
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