Week 3 Newsletter, Winter 2012

ATHENS HILLS CSA

Happy New Year to all! What better way to start the New Year than with bitter temperatures and snow! During the break we said goodbye to Maria who has gone to Colorado first, and then on to a bison preserve in Montana. We all miss her. You can see the pictures of the party on our Facebook page (link below). Also during the break, Dan updated the internship information on the three websites we use. We have already received several inquiries, so if you know of someone who has been interested, tell them to contact us soon. 

The farm is back to a full crew once again as we all bid farewell to last year. We are looking forward to this new one with anticipation. The seeds for next summer are ordered. We’re trying some new varieties of tomatoes, peppers, beans and others too. Some experimentation is educational and fun, but with over 200 people expecting food, the old reliable varieties allow some sense of confidence in yield. The east field will be transformed into a garden of perennial veggies like asparagus and rhubarb. We’re confident that perennial crops will be better suited to that garden’s space, drainage, and soil type. 

These recent colder temperatures mean the crew’s attentions are now divided between the regular maintenance of weeding, watering, or harvesting and the covering (with two layers) and uncovering of each of the greenhouses. This new task requiring two people for each ‘pull’ remains very time-consuming. But by the end of the week, the forecast is for warmer temperatures, and this will not be so much of an issue. This week will see the crew finishing the last of the thinning of the carrots that should be ready sometime in March. There is nothing quite as sweet as a cold-weather carrot! 

As we look to the future, reservations for the Summer 2012 season will be starting in a few weeks. As with this Winter 2012 cycle, full payment will not be due until the beginning of the season in June. We hope you will join us for the summer as well. Once again, we wish you a Happy New Year! Have a great week.

From all of us at Green Edge, Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Bethany, Rob, Theo, Penny, Diedra, Alicia, and Liz)

OPEN FARM DAY

Join us on Sunday, March 25th for our winter Open Farm Day. We’ll meet at the Amesville Grange, have a potluck, visit with folks, and then caravan to the farm for a tour of your veggies. This year our annual Farm Day will also be promoted as a Farm-to-Table event by the Ohio Farm Bureau. More details later! 

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, pe-tsai, and tatsoi. The last three are mild Asian greens. This mix is best stored in an air-tight container with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any extra drops of water that can form. 

Mushrooms - Some sites will receive oyster and some will receive shiitake.
Sunflower Microgreens - If you’re not familiar with microgreens, you are in for a surprise! These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy.
Acorn Squash - We are thrilled to have these for you this year. Widely versatile, these can be baked or steamed to start with.
Sweet Potato - Similar to the squashes in color but decidedly sweeter in flavor. To store these beauties, do not refrigerate – keep them at around 55 for optimum storage conditions.
Swiss Chard - By far this is the green that most people know. It grows in the summer as well as the winter. Steam, stir-fry, sauté, or use in soups and casseroles.
Kale – A favorite on the farm! like all greens, steam, stir-fry, sauté, use in soups, casseroles and other preparations. Also, it’s delicious raw and massaged with olive oil, lemon juice, and honey. Yummmy!
Garlic - Beside being incredibly good for you, it’s hard to imagine starting to prepare a savory recipe without some of this in some form.

THE COMBO CORNER

The fruit selections this week are a little of a mystery since Neil is out of town. We know for sure that there is a variety called Cameo, but there are also others….sorry.
French bread 'Gallette' from The Village Bakery and Café.
This week’s Cheese Share from Integration Acres is Caprino Romano, made with raw goat's milk, aged for more than five months; the cheese's rind has been rubbed with salt, olive oil and an edible vegetable ash. This cheese is best used grated over pasta, pizza & salads.
This week is a delivery of the Sweet Shares.

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

BREATHING SPACE YOGA NEW ALBANY – 614-216-9370 12-8pm
TIBET – 614-784-8124 11am-6pm
BEXLEY MARKET-614-252-3951 3-8pm
UPPER ARLINGTON- 614-506-3086 4-8pm
CLINTONVILLE COOP – 614-261-3663 11 am-8 pm
PLATES STUDIO –DUBLIN - 614-336-9502 4-8 pm
HYACINTH BEAN – 740-594-9302 12-6pm

HARMONY CHIROPRACTIC – 740-592-4631 3-7pm
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!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Green-Edge-Gardens/327289894146
Twitter - http://twitter.com/GreenEdgeGarden

RECIPES

MASSAGED KALE
Wash and dry the kale. De-stem the kale. You can save the stems for later sautéing. Tear the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces and place in bowl. Drizzle the kale with olive oil, honey, and either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. With both hands in the bowl, begin to ‘massage’ the kale. The acid from the lemon juice (or vinegar) reacts with the broken leaves and causes them to wilt and taste and appear cooked. It’s a remarkable dish. Ready in no time. Additions and enhancements that the farm crew has tried include dried cranberries, toasted sesame seeds, walnuts, and even more were great too!

StillTasty.com has some useful and interesting information about kale.
· Refrigerate kale in a plastic bag; do not wash until ready to use.
· Freezing kale can mean it will store up to 10 months. Wash the kale and remove the stems. Blanch (plunge into boiling water) for two minutes and chill quickly in ice water. Drain off excess moisture, package in airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze immediately.

SAUSAGE, KALE & WHITE BEAN SOUP
from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 c. dry navy beans, soak in water overnight 

1 large bunch kale, rinsed, stemmed & torn 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 pound spicy linguica sausage, sliced 

1 cup sliced shallots (onions are okay) 

4 cups chicken broth 

salt and pepper to taste 

½ teaspoon hot sauce, to taste
Directions:
1. Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Cook the soaked beans in a pressure cooker in 4 cups of water for 25 minutes. Do not drain.
2. Bring a second pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and simmer until kale is bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a strainer, and cool under cold running water. Set aside.
3. Heat olive oil over medium heat in the soup pot. Brown the linguica slices on each side, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add shallots to pot and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Pour in a splash of chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits of sausage.
4. Return the sausage to the pot along with the beans and their cooking liquid. Stir in the chicken broth. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add the kale and cook about 4 minutes longer. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.

STUFFED SQUASH
For 4 servings of stuffed squash, split acorn or butternut squashes lengthwise and remove the seeds. Bake face-down on an oiled sheet for 30 minutes at 350, or until tender enough to eat. Make your filling while the squash is baking.

Mushroom-Cheese Filling
Ingredients:
½ lb. chopped mushrooms

1 cup onion

1 clove crushed garlic

1 cup cottage cheese

½ tsp. basil

½ cup chopped parsley

salt, pepper

¾ cup bread crumbs or cooked rice

2 Tbls. dry white wine

butter
Directions:
Sauté mushrooms, onions, & garlic in butter with salt and pepper until onions are soft. Drain well (save liquid) and combine with remaining ingredients. Fill the squash cavities amply and bake, uncovered 25-30 minutes at 350. Baste with liquid from sauté while it bakes.

SWEET POTATO FRIES
Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes
Olive Oil
Seasoning (could be savory--Rosemary, Thyme, etc, spicy--paprika, red pepper, or simply salt and pepper)
Directions:
Cut the sweet potatoes into strips, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings of your choice.
Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

Shiitake Benefits
from www.DrWeil.com
Encourage body tissue to absorb cholesterol, lowering the amount in the bloodstream
Have antiviral and anticancer properties