Week 1 Newsletter, Summer 2012

ATHENS HILLS CSA

Welcome to the 1st week of the Athens Hills CSA. We are so excited that you are joining us this season. We are ever grateful that you have chosen to support our farm, our workers, and this way of life. We hope you can join us for the Open Farm Day on Sunday, July 29th for a potluck lunch at the local Grange Hall, and then tours of the farm so you can greet your veggies personally. We’ll include more details later. This starts at 1:00pm and ends around 5:00pm. 

Last week, Kip and George put the finishing touches on our new outside wash station, and not a moment too soon. This will be used for cleaning roots and greens. We still wash and pack the salad mix and microgreens in the packing room. (In case you aren’t aware of this, our packing facilities are inspected twice annually by the FDA). Earlier this spring, George built the last two intern cabins. The crew planted 600 asparagus crowns (which we can’t harvest for another 2 years). Kip finished the fence expansion project so that the entire bottom west field is protected from future deer devastation. Dan and the crew recently completed 3 new raised beds that are 3.5’ x 175’. These are so helpful for the crops like salad mix and herbs that are reseeded throughout the season. 

These special projects were only part of the work. The top priority for the spring was the planting. Seeds of many varieties, starts of peppers, tomatoes, greens, cucumbers, and squashes; white, yellow, blue, and red potatoes, sweet potatoes and more. Some of these plantings (certain potatoes and the winter squashes) will be harvested and stored for the winter CSA cycle. 

The format for the newsletter is the same throughout the season, so you can find host numbers and pickup hours to the right of this. Please call your host 1st if there is a problem with your share. To the left is the week’s list of veggies with some helpful hints for storage or use. The 2nd page is filled with recipes for some of this week’s items. We love feedback about these recipes and will use your favorites when you send them. Have a great week!

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

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – For the summer mix, there are 7 varieties of lettuce. 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 there are shiitakes. To keep these treasures fresh longer, place the paper bag of shrooms in your veggie crisper. Some folks also put the paper bag in a plastic one. This keeps the moisture in the bag, but not soaking the mushrooms.
Sunflower Microgreens - If you’re not familiar with microgreens, you are in for a surprise! Unlike sprouts (which are only grown in water), these are grown in soil. These have a mild, almost nutty flavor and are juicy and crunchy.
Sweet Basil - We grow lots of basil!. We try to give you enough without overwhelming. But, experience tells us some won’t get enough and some will get way more than they want. This herb should only be get in the refrigerator for a few days. If you are keeping it longer, find a place where the temperature is around 55-60 degrees for the optimum storage environment.
Beets – This is our 1st harvest of the summer beets – we’ve been waiting for you. They are sweet and delicious. Roasting, baking, boiling and pickling are just a few ways to enjoy these.
Cilantro – Somehow, it just isn’t summer without cilantro. We use it chopped in salad or fresh salsa, pasta sauces, as the main ingredient in a pesto, or in anything else.
Kale – We can’t live without fresh greens. They’re good fiber that tastes great. Soup or sauté is an excellent way to use it. Raw, ‘massaged’ kale is a favorite around the farm.
 

THE COMBO CORNER

The fruit selections from Cherry Orchard will start in July.
This week’s bread from The Village Bakery and Café is French Galette.
This week’s cheese from Integration Acres is Chevre – hand-shaped soft balls rolled in coarse salt and made from pasteurized goat milk.
The milk share from Snowville Creamery is not usually mentioned here since each member orders the type of milk wanted.
The sweet share is delivered once a month and it is also not mentioned since it is the same every month. 

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
HILLIARD POWER SHACK – 614-506-3086 4-7pm
CLINTONVILLE COOP – 614-261-3663 11 am-8 pm
PILATES 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!

**Remember to bring your bag with you to return next time you pick up. This saves resources for all of us. Feel free to bring your own bags and transfer items. Then just leave our bag there. We will pick it up the next week. Thanks!**

 RECIPES

Massaged Kale
A favorite recipe here at the farm, especially for Friday Farm Lunch, is Massaged Kale. We include this each season for folks who have never tried it, heard of it, or can’t believe it’s true.
Directions:
Wash a bunch of kale and dry the leaves. Tear kale leaves into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Drizzle leaf pieces with olive oil, lemon juice or cider vinegar, and honey. Drizzle with caution. You can always add more – removing it is much harder. Now, literally, use your fingers to massage the kale. The acid from the lemon juice/vinegar combined with the bruising from the finger tips causes the pieces to wilt. The texture becomes that of lightly sautéed kale, but it is totally raw. The sweetness of the honey completes the flavor profile. Mmm, I can taste it already. 

Basil Pesto
In a food processor bowl combine and process until smooth:
1-3 cloves garlic (to taste) 

¼ C. raw sunflower seeds 

¼ C. olive oil 

Add 1 cup of the basil leaves and process until smooth. Add either ¼ C. parmesan or (for non-dairy) ¼ C. nutritional yeast and another 1 cup of basil leaves and process. Add 1 more cup of basil leaves and process. You can also add more oil if necessary, to make the pesto more liquid or smooth.
You can use walnuts, raw cashews, or the more traditional pine nuts instead of the sunflower seeds also.

On Sunday, I got an email from long-time members, the Riordan’s with this message: “ I know what I’m making with this week’s beets…” Here it is:
Beet Ice Cream with Mascarpone, Orange Zest, and Poppy Seeds 

makes about 1 quart
Ingredients:

(They substitute Snowville ½ & ½ for all milk and cream.)
2 cups milk 

4 tsp. cornstarch 

1¼ cups heavy cream 

2/3 cup sugar 

 2 tbsp. light corn syrup 

 ½ tsp. kosher salt 

Peel of 1 orange 

3 tbsp. mascarpone cheese, softened 

½ cup puréed roasted beets 

2 tbsp. poppy seeds
Directions:

 1. In a bowl, stir together ¼ cup milk and the cornstarch; set slurry aside. In a 4-qt. saucepan, whisk together remaining milk and the cream, sugar, syrup, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add orange peel. Cook for 4 minutes; stir in slurry. Return to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
2. Place mascarpone cheese in a bowl and pour in ¼ cup hot milk mixture; whisk until smooth. Then whisk in remaining milk mixture; stir in beets. Pour mixture into a plastic bag; seal, and submerge in a bowl of ice water until chilled.
3. Remove orange peel. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's instructions, adding poppy seeds during the last minute of churning. Transfer ice cream to a storage container and freeze until set.

Cilantro Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped 

1 garlic clove, minced 

 ¼ cup olive oil

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed 

½ teaspoon salt
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook cilantro and garlic in oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the potatoes; cook and stir for 20-25 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Drain. Sprinkle with salt.

Shiitake Mushrooms
An easy way to enjoy shiitakes mushrooms is to simply sauté them in butter and olive oil. Start by removing the stems by pulling them off, or simply use a knife. Slice the caps into pieces about 3/8” thick. Peel 1-3 cloves of garlic (to your taste), smash, chop and stir into the frying/sauté pan with the melted butter/oil. Stir and simmer for several minutes. Add the mushrooms and cover with a tight fitting lid. Season the mushrooms with tamari, dry red wine, or any other flavor that you enjoy. Sauté until tender, about 15-25 minutes until desired texture is reached. Serve warm over cooked pasta, rice, or as a side dish.

Grilled Peaches with Chevre and Honey
Ingredients:
3 peaches 

½ cup chevre 

honey, to taste 

(optional: ¼ cup pecans, toasted and chopped)
Directions:
Preheat grill to medium. Cut peaches in half, remove the pits and grill fruit, cut side down, for 2-3 minutes, until the flesh gets soft. Place peaches on a plate and top with cheese. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with pecans, and serve.