Week 10 Newsletter, Winter 2012

ATHENS HILLS CSA

From last week to this week is a blur. All of us were working on so many different projects (most in preparation for the OEFFA conference) that this week seems tame so far. We got to meet some of you and that’s always a big treat for us. And we apologize if we didn’t get to spend time with you! 

While Kip spent Sunday at the conference, I only attended the workshops on Friday. During the Friday’s workshop, keynote speaker for the weekend conference, Woody Tasch, talked about the concept of Slow Money. His experiences as a fund manager for venture capitalists, and earlier, as a manager of a small philanthropic foundation (just to name a few) have given him a view of investing that cries out for a more realistic view of expected returns for investors. In all of the hours of discussion of Friday, his most succinct remark was made to a woman who was openly cautious about placing retirement savings in this untried market. After some prefacing remarks, he asked, “Will you be more comfortable investing in the small farm down the road or in a corporation in China?” And I was in a great position to show folks just how that investment in the ‘small farm down the road’ works to the advantage of the whole community. 

The management team (that’s Kip, Dan, and Becky) are continuing to meet to finalize budget numbers for this coming season. This is always such a daunting task. Trying to estimate (guess!!) what things are going to cost in the next eight to ten months seems impossible at times. I’m sure that you can identify with this. Yet, like any other business with expenses and payroll, planning is the best way to keep from over-spending. 

This week the crew is planting more salad mix lettuce, more of the mild Asian greens that we include in the salad mix, radishes, dill, cilantro, and arugula. With this planting, we are once again using overhead watering until things are up and growing. And hopefully it will be dry enough soon to move the mushroom blocks that are piled up outside the grow room to the compost piles. Have a great week!

From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Rob, Theo, Penny, Diedra, Bethany, 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! 

YOU REALLY ROCK!!

Thanks to you all for returning so many of the green, red, and black bags. With your efforts, we avoided purchasing more bags this season. Please try to continue these efforts as they benefit all of us.
Thanks, and thanks again. 

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – In the mix this week are 7 varieties of lettuce, mizuna, and pe-tsai. The last two 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 - This week everyone receives shiitake.
Sunflower/MicroMix Microgreens - We have been sending our MicroMix microgreens to different host sites each week. We hope you have enjoyed this little change. Everyone will get them eventually. The mixed microgreens are spicier, more delicate, and probably won’t store quite as long. But they are certainly good!
Spinach – We are thrilled to bring you this new item. This wonderful green is so versatile. Use it raw in a salad, or cooked in many different dishes. “…good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.” – nutritiondata.com
Rutabaga/Turnips – These two roots are similar in appearance, but different in flavor. Last night, we had cubed, peeled rutabaga sautéed with fresh ginger and garlic. It was pretty good!
Sweet Potatoes – This is the last week for these sweet beauties. We hope you’ve been able to enjoy the bounty! As long as the storage conditions are right, you can store them for weeks and weeks.
Kale – One of the favorite greens we grow. We just never have enough of it for everyone. Like other greens, use it raw, sauté, in soups or stir-fry.

THE COMBO CORNER

The apple selections from Cherry Orchard are Melrose, Fuji, and Cameo.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the French Galette.
This week’s cheese from Integration Acres is Smoked Mixed-Milk Tomme (rhymes with Rome). Notes about this in the recipe section.

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 3pm-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! 

RECIPES

Simple Cooked Spinach

Yield: Serves 2. From simplyrecipes.com
Ingredients: 

1 large bunch of spinach, about ½ lb. 

Olive oil, extra virgin 

1½ cloves garlic, sliced 

Salt to taste
Method: 

1. Cut off the thick stems of the spinach and discard.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, until the garlic is just beginning to brown.
3. Add the spinach to the pan, packing it down a bit if you need to with your hand. Use a couple spatulas to lift the spinach and turn it over in the pan so that you coat more of it with the olive oil and garlic. Do this a couple of times. Cover the pan and cook for 1 minute. Uncover and turn the spinach over again. Cover the pan and cook for an additional minute. 4. After 2 minutes of covered cooking the spinach should be completely wilted. Remove from heat. Drain any excess moisture from the pan. Add a little more olive oil, sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Penne with Spinach Sauce

From www.foodnetwork.com
Ingredients: 

1 pound whole wheat or multi grain penne

3 garlic cloves 

2 ounces goat cheese 

1 ounce reduced fat cream cheese 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves (if using large leaves, de-stem) 

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Directions: 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. 

2. Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set the cheese and spinach mixture aside. 

3. Meanwhile, place the remaining spinach leaves in a large bowl. 

4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Spoon the pasta atop the spinach leaves in the bowl. Scrape the cheese and spinach mixture over the pasta mixture and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Parmesan over and serve.

Rutabaga Ring 

from IFOOD.TV

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 tablespoons light brown sugar 

2½ tablespoons melted bacon fat 

1 cup milk 

4 egg yolks, beaten 

2 cups mashed rutabagas 

Salt and pepper 

5 egg whites 

Parsley 

Directions:

Stir flour and brown sugar into bacon fat. Gradually stir in milk and cook, stirring, over low heat until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat. Gradually stir hot sauce into egg yolks. Add rutabaga and seasonings; stir in about one fourth of stiffly beaten egg whites, then gently fold in the rest. Pour into well-buttered 1½ -quart ring mold. Bake in preheated moderate oven (375°F.) for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, cover w/ a towel, and let rest for 5 minutes. Unmold on a heated serving dish.
Garnish with parsley.

Spinach and Pine Nut Pesto

from foodnetwork.com
Ingredients: 

2 cups lightly packed spinach leaves (about 4 ounces) 

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel 

1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions:
Combine the spinach, pine nuts, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a processor. Lightly pulse. With the machine running, gradually add 1/3 cup of the oil, blending until the mixture is creamy. Add salt and pulse. Put half of the pesto into ice cube trays and store in the freezer for future use.
Transfer the rest of the spinach mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the Parmesan. Season the pesto with salt and pepper, to taste.

A note from Michelle at Integration Acres about the cheese in today’s share:
Traditionally, tommes are cheeses made by alpine cow herders during the winter when milk is scarcer. A French word for 'wheel of cheese,' tommes were meant more as a farmstead treat, something the family would share together instead of selling at market.
Our tomme is a mixed-milk variety, mostly made of raw goat's milk with several gallons of Snowville Creamery's raw cow's milk added. It has been aged for over five months, and during that time, its natural rind has been scrubbed with salt water. This particular batch of tomme has also been lightly smoked over an apple wood fire. It is best enjoyed in its simplest form - sliced and eaten straight up or with crackers and apple slices. Thanks Michelle!