Week 18 Newsletter, Winter 2012

ATHENS HILLS CSA

Many folks took advantage of the opportunity to assist us with the survey last week, but we still would like more responses to be sure that the range of opinion is represented fully. So please take two minutes to take this survey. There was some question about the security of the site, but upon speaking with the survey company, we are confident that their hacking problem is behind them. Thanks for your time and thoughtful answers. We really do listen, and most changes we make are a direct result of the comments we have received in past surveys. Thanks again. The link is: http://www.websurveymaster.com/s/AthensHillsCSAW12Survey 

With all of the early warm and dry weather, we are excited to have the 1st plantings of next year’s potatoes in the ground. And for me, this is the beauty – it’s April and we’re planting things that you will receive in next year’s Winter 2013 shares! We are clearing out the greenhouse beds, tilling and adding the amendments that replenish the organic matter. In the field, the new raised beds are ready for assembly. These additional beds increase our capacity for salad mix and ‘hard-to-weed’ herbs like cilantro and dill. And, of course, the mowing has begun. We are trimming the fence lines and the areas around the greenhouses. With the new crops being planted in the fields, keeping the fence lines clear of obstructions is important to maintain the strongest charge on the elec-tric fence. That strong charge keeps the deer out. 

Kip spent much of today beginning the repair to the greenhouse that lost its top plastic in the strong winds 3 weeks ago. It was scheduled for new plastic this year, just not quite so soon. It is the last of the older houses whose top purlin was mistakenly placed on the un-derside of the arches. Since the plastic is gone, now these purlins can be repositioned on the top of the arch. This provides one clean smooth line that forms the top curve of the roof. We found out (yes, of course, the hard way) that one smooth line presents less resistance to wind gusts, not to mention greater ease when pulling the plastic taut. Have a great week!

From all of us at Green Edge, 

Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Rob, Theo, Penny, Liz, Diedra, Bethany, Alicia, Natalie, and Emily)

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 - Everyone receives shiitake this week.
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 eventu-ally. The mixed microgreens are spicier, more delicate, and probably won’t store quite as long. But they are certainly good!
Swiss Chard – We grow this green all year because it will grow in every season. (It’s the only green that grows well in the cold of the winter or the heat of the summer.) Known for its mild flavor and versatility, it’s great steamed, stir-fried, braised, sautéed, or in soup. It’s no wonder that it is our most popular!
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.
Salad Radishes – You will receive either French Breakfast (red and white cylinder), White Icicle (like a white carrot), or Easter Egg (round multi-colors).
Green Onions - Some people refer to these as ‘scallions’. No matter their name, like radishes , they are a sure sign that spring has arrived and summer isn’t too far away.
Carrots – The 4th and last bed is now large enough to pull. They may not look just like the grocery stores ones, but they are sweet and delicious. We will have enough to deliver them to you both this week and next!

THE COMBO CORNER

The apple selections from Cherry Orchard are finished for the Winter.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the French Galette.
The cheese from Integration Acres this week is a cow's milk Gouda. It is made with Snowville Creamery milk. This washed curd, semi-hard cheese has been aging for over six months, and works well with beer & cheese pairings, or cut into cubes for a quick snack.

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!

**Please remember to return the green, red, and/or black bags to your host site. This week everyone received the produce is one of our bags. (But just barely – having started with 3 to 4 bags available per share, there are about 200 floating around somewhere…) Thanks for your attention to this!**

RECIPES

‘GREENDRINK’ De-Mystified
As requested by some from the Open Farm Day, here is Theo’s method and recipe for ‘green drink’.
Ingredients: 

2 qts. of tea (see below) 

1 blender jar mixed veggies 

3 Tbsp. sweetener (may use any sugar) 

1 Tbsp. honey 

½ tsp. sea salt, or other 

Directions: 

1. The 1st step is to brew a tea with 2 quarts water and 1 cup of a mix of dried herbs: ilex guayusa, yerba mate, and nettles. Other ingredients are fine, and should be selected for flavor and nutrient value. 

2. Fill the blender jar with veggies. For the drink at the farm day, Theo used sunflower and kale microgreens, salad mix, and other veggies that were available at the farm then. Any veggie is great, roots like carrots and radishes, or any leafy greens, or any combo of any of these. 

3. Pour the tea mixture over the veggies in the blender jar. Add the sugars, honey, and sea salt. Blend this until the leafy greens and roots are liquefied. Then strain this through a fine cloth. **NOTE: Theo uses a Vita-Mix blender. This is the reason for the need to strain the liquid before drinking. If using a juicer, you can re-duce the liquid needed. 

4. This drink is best consumed within 24 hours to utilize all of the nutrients.
Editor’s Note: This is not the only way to concoct a ‘green drink’, but is the way Theo made the one for Open Farm Day. If you are familiar with juicing, and own a juicer, then this method may not be the one you want to use… but if you don’t own a juicer, most blenders will work for this.

Sautéed Carrots and Green Onions 

~from Rouxbe Cooking School www.rouxbe.com
Step 1: Cutting the Carrots - Peel 6-8 carrots and slice into rounds about ¼“ thick. 

Step 2: Parboiling the Carrots - Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil. Add the salt and stir. Set up an ice bath. Add the carrots and parboil. This should only take a few minutes, as you just want them to be cooked about ¾ of the way through. When ready, drain the carrots and immediately place them into the ice bath.  

Step 3: Draining and Drying the Carrots - Once the carrots have completely cooled, pat dry with paper towels. If prepping ahead, you can place the carrots onto a baking tray lined with a clean kitchen towel and then place into the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Step 4: Preparing the Green Onions - Using ½ bunch of green onions, slice just the bulb of the green onion into slits lengthwise. Then finely slice the green onion. This can also be done a few hours ahead of time. Simply place into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Step 5: Sautéing the Carrots - Heat a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp of unsalted butter and 1 Tbsp of grapeseed oil, followed by the carrots. Let cook for a bit on the 1st side to develop a bit of color. Then, toss and continue to cook until the carrots are almost cooked through. 

Step 6: Finishing the Dish -Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if desired, and then top with the green onions. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Glazed Carrots and Green Onions 

~from bhg.com
Ingredients: 

1 lb. carrots (6 to 8 medium), roll-cut* (4 cups) 

4 green onions, bias-sliced into 1-inch pieces (2/3 cups) 

2 Tbsp. honey 

2 Tbsp. margarine or butter 

1/8 tsp. ground ginger pepper
Directions: 

1. In a medium saucepan cook carrots, covered, in a small amount of boiling lightly salted water 4 to 6 minutes or until nearly tender. Drain; remove from pan.
2. For glaze, in the same saucepan combine the green onion, honey, butter, and ginger. Cook and stir over medium heat until combined. Stir in the carrots. Cook, uncovered, about 2 minutes or until glazed, stirring frequently. Season to taste with pepper. Makes 4 servings.

*To roll-cut carrots, hold a knife or cleaver at a 45-degree angle to the cutting surface to make the first cut, then give food a quarter- to half-turn before angle-cutting again.

Stir-Fried Kale with Slivered Carrots

 ~sparkpeople.com; reprinted from the American Institute for Cancer Research
Ingredients: 

1 bunch fresh kale 

2 tsp. canola oil 

2 carrots, peeled and cut julienne 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 tsp. ground coriander 

Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste 

Pinch of cayenne pepper, if desired
Directions:

1. Rinse kale and remove stems, including large stem running through center of each leaf. Place a few leaves in on top of each other and cut into thin strips. Repeat until all kale is cut. 

2. Add kale to pot of boiling water and boil uncovered 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. 

3. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots and sauté two minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add coriander, salt and pepper, to taste, and cayenne, if using. Cook for 15 seconds. Add kale and cook 1-2 minutes.

Kale and Carrot Salad

~from blog.breakawaytrainingonline.com
Ingredients:  
Kale 
1-2 carrots, grated 
1/2 cup sunflower seeds 
1-2 cloves garlic, minced 
Salt and pepper to taste 
 ¼ tsp of cumin 
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated 
2 Tbsp of Braggs’ liquid aminos or soy sauce 
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar 
2 Tbsp sesame oil
Directions: Wash the kale and remove and discard the tough center stalks. Chop the leaves in long narrow strips. (Think cutting cabbage for coleslaw). Lightly steam the kale (or not) for 3-4 minutes, then plunge it into cold water. This helps to keep the green color and prevent further cooking. In a large bowl, mix the cooked, and now cooled kale with the grated carrots and sunflowers. In a glass jar with a lid mix the dressing ingredients, give it a good shake and then pour over the kale. That’s it!