Week 7 Newsletter, Summer 2012

ATHENS HILLS CSA 

Golly-gee Whilickers! Open Farm Day Summer 2012 surpassed all expectations of fun, amazing food, wonderful people, enchanting children, and tuneful music. And the weather couldn’t have been better (for the end of July)! What I love most about Open Farm Day is finally meeting the ‘names’ we have grown to know over the years (or months). I’m never disappointed. Over 70 folks from around the region came for the visit. Many were ‘wowed’ by the complexity of the systems; the obvious attention paid to each of the garden beds; the cheerfulness and diligence of our amazing crew; the apparent order of the various areas; and so many other things, they can’t all be listed here. And of course, we all collapsed with happy exhaustion when it was over. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all who attended and all who helped make it a success! 

This week’s shares have turned out somewhat differently than we had planned, and from the list we sent you on Friday. Much of this has to do with the unseasonable dryness. Even with the terrific drip irrigation that you saw on Sunday, the recovery time for re-growth of some items, namely the chard, has been slower than in past years. So, instead of the chard this week, we have included some potted parsley plants. There are care instructions on the 2nd page for keeping it in the pot for indoors, or for transplanting it to your garden bed. Do not expect to keep it healthy in the outdoors in the pot that it comes in unless you are willing to water it daily.

Monday found the crew busy with the usual chores – harvesting, weeding, watering. The 2nd sweet potato field is almost completely weeded for the final time. The fall fields are being readied for planting. With the tomatoes finally coming on, thoughts of saucing and canning keep popping into view. Again, we will be offering canning tomatoes for sale, and more specific details will be shared in future newsletters as we get closer to actually having them available. In the meantime, enjoy the bounty of the summer. With schools starting so much earlier this year (at least down here), it seems like summer is almost over. Have a good week!

From all of us at Green Edge, 

Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Rob, Theo, Penny, Alicia, Bethany, Mark, Liz, Miranda, Chris, Natalie, Glenn, Emily) 

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES 

Sunflower or MicroMix Microgreens - Some of you will get our more delicate mix this week, and some will get sunflower. They have a tangy flavor and do not store as long as the sunflower.
Eggplant – These little beauties are versatile. The skin is tender enough not to peel and they don’t require blanching. They’re a favorite around here for kabobs, stir-fry or grilled for babaganoush.
Cucumbers – Try peeling the skin, but then keep peeling long thin slices. When you get to the seeds, you can decide if you want to use them. Marinated with some finely sliced onions, these are delish! The texture is almost creamy.
Beets – These keep so long in the crisper drawer. Don’t panic! They are so sweet, we can’t get enough!
Summer Squash - We grow 3 varieties of summer squash. This week everyone’s share will be a little different since the squashes are mixed, but they weigh 2 lbs. You can find pictures with names of the different varieties on the blog.
Basil – Enough said for now. I never have enough basil….
Slicer Tomatoes – Hooray! The tomatoes are finally ready to eat. Now we know it’s summer. You’ll find these in the white bag with the basil.
Garlic – The garlic comes from another organic grower down in these parts. Like the onions, the little onion worms in our soil attack these bulbs also, so we don’t grow it anymore. Hope you enjoy!
Flat-Leaf Parsley Plants – We hope you will use and enjoy this renewable source of fresh parsley. The care instructions are on the 2nd page. Flat-leaf parsley is highly preferred by chefs unless the dish is tabouli.

THE COMBO CORNER 

The fruit from Cherry Orchards includes Paula Red apples (a tart McIntosh type of apple, good for cooking and for eating) and juicy Red Haven peaches. The drought is really affecting their crop with the last two months rainfall totaling less than two inches. They have been able to irrigate the peaches, but not the apples. 

The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is French Galette. 

The cheese from Integration Acres is Snow Melt - an aged, raw cow's milk cheese made with milk from Snowville Creamery. The name honors the creamery as well as how well it melts. Make grilled cheese sandwiches with it, or grate it on top of tortilla chips and broil to make nachos. Add it to homemade macaroni and cheese or sprinkle on pizza. It’s a great melting cheese! 

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!

TIMELY TIPS

Care Instructions for Indoor Parsley: Set your parsley in a sunny spot like a south-facing window or a glassed-in porch. The kitchen windowsill is fine (use a saucer) as long as it gets at least six or more hours of sun a day. Water twice a week. Move the pot to the sink and soak it thoroughly, then let it drain before returning it to its regular spot. Parsley is highly susceptible to crown rot, so do not overwater either. Fertilize the plant every four to six weeks. Use a water soluble 5-10-5 fertilizer, and add it to one of the water applications. Harvest parsley by cutting the leaf stalk at the soil line. Take a few sprigs from each plant, as you need it in the kitchen.

Care for the parsley plant outdoors: Set plants in full sun or partial shade in rich, moist soil with pH between 5.5-6.7. Keep roots cool and moist with mulch, but to avoid rot, keep mulch away from the crown of the plant. In September, promote new foliage by cutting back the plants set out in the spring.

Drying Parsley: To dry fresh parsley, hang the bunch upside down in a warm, dry, well-ventilated spot out of direct sunlight for a few weeks, or until the leaves are dry. The dried parsley can be used as is, or crushed and stored in an airtight container.

Drying Parsley in a Paper Sack: If you're concerned about your parsley getting dusty as it dries, place the bunch of parsley in a paper sack, then gather the opening of the sack around the parsley stems. Secure the opening of the sack and the stems with string or a rubber band, then hang the sack upside down. Use the tip of a paring knife to make several ventilation holes in the sack. The sack will keep the parsley clean and dust-free until you're ready to use it.

 RECIPES 

STIR-FRIED CUCUMBERS
from: www.chinesevegetarianrecipes.org

Ingredients: 
Cucumber: 2 
Garlic: 2 cloves 
Seasonings: 
Soy Sauce: 1 tablespoon 
Salt: 1 teaspoon 
Vegetable oil: 2 tablespoons
Preparation: 
1. Wash the cucumbers and peel them. 
2. Cut each cucumber into half. Use a soup spoon to dig the seeds out.
3. Slice the cucumbers. 
4. Peel the garlic cloves and mince them. 
Directions: 
1. Heat the wok and pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into it. 
2. When the oil is hot, drop the minced garlic in. 
3. When you smell the garlic aroma, pour the sliced cucumber into the wok.
4. Stir for half a minute. 
5. Add the salt and soy sauce and stir them fully. 
6. Turn off the heat. It is ready to serve. 
Tips: 
1. Don’t stir fry for a long time. The cucumber is edible even when it is raw, so it is not necessary to cook it out. Liquid will start to accumulate after a long time of stirring, reducing the nutrients of the cucumber. 
2. For more spice, add pieces of red chili pepper to enrich the color and the flavor a little bit.

ED.’S NOTE: I’VE BEEN WONDERING IF I COULD FIND A RECIPE FOR COOKED CUCUMBERS. I WILL TRY THIS BECAUSE I’M CURIOUS. I BET IT WILL BE DELICIOUS, OR AT LEAST, VERY INTERESTING….

MARINATED TOMATOES

For a quick side dish or topping for pasta, try cutting ripe tomatoes in chunks. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with vinegar (I like rice wine, umeboshi plum, or balsamic), salt and pepper. Stir together. Cover and let set for an hour or so. A flavorful and simple bonus to any meal.

BABAGANOUSH
from: www.food.com

Ingredients: 
1 large eggplant (about 1 pound)  or equivalent amount small eggplants
1 clove garlic, minced 
¼ teaspoon salt 
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat- leaf parsley, plus more for garnish 
2 tablespoons tahini 
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Prick eggplant with a fork and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake the eggplant until it is soft inside, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, grill the eggplant over a gas grill, rotating it around until the skin is completely charred, about 10 minutes. Let the eggplant cool. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, drain off the liquid, and scoop the pulp into a food processor. Process the eggplant until smooth and transfer to a medium bowl.
3. On a cutting board, work garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt together with the flat side of a knife, until it forms a paste. Add the garlic-salt mixture to the eggplant. Stir in the parsley, tahini, and lemon juice. Season with more salt, to taste. Garnish with additional parsley.

In the next few newsletters, I hope to include recipes for some of the amazing food we all shared at the Open Farm Day. What a great meal!! Our hats are off to all the amazing cooks who shared their creativity! YUM-YUM-YUM