Week 15 Newsletter, Summer 2012

ATHENS HILLS CSA

 This week’s veggies are a little different than we had planned. In the true spirit of CSA you are receiving what we have available. Saturday evening, we had damaging cold. It didn’t kill anything but much of the basil, nearly 75%, was rendered unusable. This was a big disappointment for some on the farm who have been waiting to make pesto for the winter. We may still find some, but certainly not enough for sending to all of our members. Then, on Sunday morning, the first frost warning was posted. Thanks to the valiant extra efforts of crew members who gave up precious ‘off-time’, and some other friends, we were able to cover all of the fields of peppers, sweet potatoes, and all other crops still waiting for final fall harvest. And in the true spirit of Murphy’s Law, there was no frost. But all of the tons of winter squashes were gathered into lugs and moved to storage – an arduous task to say the least. 

The greenhouse roof drainage project is mostly completed. Even now, the sound of the equipment that is ‘dressing’ the sides of the ditches and culverts echoes throughout the hollow. Much of that disturbed soil won’t be green until spring, so we’ll cover that dirt with straw to cut down on the mud. Hopefully, with the completion of these ditches, the mud won’t be nearly as persistent as in the past few seasons. 

By the end of this week, all of the tomatoes in the greenhouses will be picked and the plants removed. Next week begins the soil prep and planting of the winter greens in those houses for harvest this winter. Some of the empty beds have already been planted with lettuces and seeded with carrots. We hope to have the houses completely ‘turned’ by the end of next week. 

Speaking of winter harvest, Miranda asked that a reminder be given about the priority registration forms. Enrollment opens to the public next Monday. Please send your form and deposit to secure your spot. We would be unhappy if any of you who wanted to be with us for the winter should miss out. If you can’t find the form, just call or email us. We’ll send another to you pronto. Have a great week!

From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Mark, Dan, Rob, Theo, Penny, Alicia, Emily, Bethany, Natalie, Jane, Molly Jo & Miranda)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – For the fall mix, there are 7 varieties of lettuce plus a mizuna, a mild Asian green. This mix is best stored in an air-tight container with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any moisture.
Mushrooms - All but one site is receiving shiitakes this week and the other is getting Oyster. We try to give everybody oysters at least once. The oysters are more delicate than the shiitake and do not store as well.
Heirloom & Cherry Tomatoes- This week there is a mix of our heirloom tomatoes and the 2 kinds of cherry tomatoes we grow. For best quality, do not refrigerate them.
Peppers – Mixed sweet peppers are part of the bounty this week. Their flavor will enhance salads, salsa, shish kabobs, stir-fries, and many other dishes like raw with other veggies like carrots, radishes, and celery.
Parsley - Some of you have received ‘curly’ parsley like the kind found as garnish or in tabouleh, and others received flat Italian parsley commonly used in cooking. BOTH varieties can be used for either, flavor-wise.
Spaghetti Squash - Just harvested last week, these squash can be eaten now or stored for several weeks – your choice! They get their name from the resemblance after cooking to pasta. And frankly, can be tastily substituted for the same. What a boon to folks who are gluten/wheat intolerant! To store, simply keep them in a cool, dark, and dry place.

THE COMBO CORNER

The Cherry Orchards fruit includes the first picking of Melrose apples and Yellow Delicious apples.
The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is French Galette.
The cheese from Integration Acres is pasteurized chevre. Chevre is soft goat cheese in its simplest, freshest form. Made just days ago, each ball of chevre has been individually hand-formed and rolled in kosher salt. Enjoy it on crackers, in an omelet or a beet salad, or mix in some lox and spread on a bagel topped with a tomato slice. Interesting info: Goat cheese is easier on the human digestive system and lower in calories, cholesterol and fat than cow's milk products. It is also rich in calcium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin K, phosphorus, niacin and thiamin. (Thanks, Michelle! )

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS AND HOURS

BREATHING SPACE YOGA (New Albany) – 614-216-9370 (12-8pm)
TIBET ROAD – 614-784-8124 (11am-6pm)
BEXLEY NATURAL MARKET – 614-252-3951 (3-8pm)
HILLIARD POWER SHACK – 614-506-3086 (4-7pm)
CLINTONVILLE COMMUNITY MARKET – 614-261-3663 (11am-8pm)
PILATES STUDIO OF CENTRAL OHIO – DUBLIN - 614-336-9502 (4-8pm)
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!

RECIPES

A Timely Tip:
There have been lots of peppers lately. Peppers are the only veggie that do not require blanching before freezing. Wash the pepper, core and dry it, removing all seeds. Determine the size of piece that’s desired for your use and cut the peppers into that size. Place in a freezer bag; suck out the extra air, and seal. In my case, the bag was plenty big so I was able to flatten it so that the peppers were in one layer. Place in freezer for several days. Then place in another airtight container for longer storage time without the worry of freezer burn. Another method would be to freeze the chunks in one layer on cookie sheets, then place the individually frozen pieces into a larger container. This method allows the removal of whatever amount is needed at any time without thawing the rest of the package. 

Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms (aka- Chicken Cacciatore)
from: www.marthatstewart.com 
Ingredients: 
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 1½ pounds 
Coarse salt and ground pepper 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 pound mushrooms, trimmed and quartered 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomato (fresh works, just simmer longer)
¼ teaspoon dried oregano 

Directions:
 ~Season chicken with salt & pepper. In a large (5-quart) saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Cook chicken, turning when it easily releases from the pan, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 
~Add mushrooms; cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, and oregano. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until tomatoes have broken down, 10 to 15 minutes. 
~Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan; cover, and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn chicken to coat with sauce, and serve.

Lentil Pilaf-Stuffed Peppers
from: www.anjasfood4thought.com 
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1½ tablespoons olive oil 
1 cinnamon stick 
½ teaspoon cardamom pods 
½ teaspoon fennel seeds 
6 cloves 
2 bay leaves
1 red onion, finely chopped 
1 cup brown rice 
1 cup mixed beans and lentils (Anja’s note: I used black eyed peas, green lentils red lentils and puy lentils) 
1 cup mixed fresh vegetables (e.g carrots, cauliflower, peas, potatoes) 
2 cups water
½ cup almonds roughly chopped
¼ cup raisins ½ teaspoon salt
6 large red capsicum peppers

Directions:
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, cloves and bay leaves and fry for a couple of minutes, until fragrant. Add chopped onions and cook until softened. Add the mixed lentils/beans and rice and stir until lentils and rice is well coated. Stir in the chopped vegetables, raisins and nuts and salt. Now add the water. Put on a lid and simmer over medium low heat until all liquids have been absorbed and the rice and lentils are cooked. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 180C/380F.
Prepare the peppers by cutting off the tops and de-seeding the insides of the peppers. Fill each pepper with the pilaf, and replace the tops. Place the filled peppers in a roasting dish. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until peppers are softened but still firm. Serve warm.

Quinoa, Parsley & Pepper Salad
from: www.justbento.com This makes about 4 cups of salad. This keeps well in the refrigerator, well covered. 

Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa (= about 3 C of cooked quinoa) 
2 cups water 
1 vegetable stock cube 
1 large red or yellow sweet pepper 
2 small hot red chili peppers 1 garlic clove 
olive oil for cooking 
1 large bunch parsley (to produce about 1½ cups chopped and loosely packed into your measuring cup)

Dressing:
2- 3 Tbs. lemon juice (start with 2 and add more to your taste) 
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil 
dash soy sauce 
salt, pepper

Directions:
~To cook the quinoa: Rinse it briefly under running water, then put into a pot with the 2 cups of water and the vegetable stock cube. Bring to a boil, then put on a lid and lower the heat. Let cook for about 15 minutes until the water is almost all gone. Take off the heat and let rest with the lid on for about 5 minutes. Drain off any excess water (there shouldn’t be much at all) by putting the quinoa in a sieve or colander and shaking. Put into a bowl to cool down. 
~In the meantime, chop up the sweet peppers; de-seed and chop up the chili pepper. Finely chop the garlic clove. Sauté the vegetables with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt, until the vegetables are limp. Take off the heat. 
~Chop the parsley up finely. 
~Combine the dressing ingredients and mix in well with the quinoa. Add the cooked vegetables. Add the parsley (you should add it when the quinoa is not hot any more, to preserve the bright green color) and mix well. 
~Taste, and add a little more salt, pepper or lemon juice as you see fit. 

Thanks for remembering to return your bags to us!