Week 18 Newsletter, Summer 2012

 ATHENS HILLS CSA

First – an important message from Cale, our mushroom grower: If you aren’t quickly using all of the mushrooms this week, then please transfer them to a paper bag. We had so many wet items this week that using our paper bags would cause soggy mushrooms so we used the plastic bags instead.

Folks here have heard me say often enough: “Plans are what you make, life is what you get”. Despite the best efforts of all, we simply didn’t fulfill the goal of all the greenhouses completely planted by last Friday. But there is an excellent chance that by this Friday, this momentous task will be complete. Kip has finished mowing, disking, and planting the fields with cover crops for the winter. That’s another huge job finished. The drainage project is completely finished. As the leaves continue to turn color and fall, we are content with the accomplishments to date. When the planting is completed, the tasks will turn to securing the sides of the greenhouses for winter, continuing the development of the inside covering systems for the houses, and watering the newly planted beds – just to name a few.

Enrollment for the Winter 2013 season continues at a brisk pace, and spaces are filling quickly. Miranda has sent a second reminder for folks who haven’t responded either way. Please let her know if you still plan to enroll, but haven't sent a deposit. Thanks. Also, the first survey had some problems with one of the choices, but that has been fixed. Miranda has resent that for your opinions, so please take a few minutes, if you haven’t already, and let us know what you think. The survey is completely anonymous. Here’s the link to the survey: http://www.websurveymaster.com/s/AHCSA_survey_modified. Thanks for taking the time to help us improve! Many of the changes we have made in past seasons are the result of answers from our seasonal surveys. The more you tell us, the better we get.
 
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

Mushrooms - Some get oyster mushrooms this week; the rest receive shiitakes. Store in the refrigerator in a paper bag.
Sunflower / MicroMix Microgreens - Some of you will get our more delicate mix this week. They have a tangy flavor and do not store as long as the sunflower, which are juicy and crunchy
Heirloom Tomatoes- This week there is a mix of our heirloom tomatoes varieties. Don’t refrigerate them for best quality.
Swiss Chard – The chard is back this week. This versatile green can be used as a spinach substitute. Using it in a stir-fry is still my favorite way to prepare it.
Peppers – Mixed sweet peppers 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. They are a wonderful addition to juice!
Collards – This distinctive green is known for its use with pork, but is equally tasty in vegetarian dishes. They work great as a wrapper for rollups w/ rice and other veggies.
FOLKS WILL RECEIVE CILANTRO OR DILL:
Cilantro - Like arugula, this is a ‘love it or hate it” flavor. It’s hard to think of salsa without this ingredient. But, I also like to use it in sauces and fresh in a salad or juice. OR
Dill - Some sites will receive dill instead of cilantro. It is excellent for veggie dips, salads and as an accompaniment to potatoes.
Red and Blue Potatoes - The red variety is called Desiree’ and is great for salad, boiling, and mashing. The blue ones are called Adirondack Blue. They are good for mashing and potato salad especially, but both varieties work well for all traditional potato recipes.

THE COMBO CORNER

The fruit from Cherry Orchards includes Bosc pears, an excellent choice for pear pie (The recipe is on the 2nd page) and Yellow Delicious and Red Delicious apples.
The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is French Galette.
The cheese from Integration Acres is Raw Goat Milk Gouda.

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!

As we near the end of this summer’s season, please take a moment to remember all of the green and red cloth share bags that are hiding in your cars or cupboards or drawers. We really need these to be returned to us for use with the next season. A huge ‘congrats’ to those of you who have figured a system for this that works!

 RECIPES

Faye Cherry’s Pear Pie

Ingredients: 
 ½ cup sugar 
2 Tbsp. flour 
¼ tsp ground ginger 
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 
5 to 7 pears-peeled, cored, and sliced 
1½ tsp lemon juice 
¼ tsp sugar

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine ½ cup sugar with flour, ginger, & cinnamon. Add pears and toss. Place mixture in uncooked 9 " pie crust, sprinkle with lemon juice and top with unbaked pastry. Cut slits in top and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp sugar. Bake on bottom shelf of oven at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until pears are done and crust is brown. ENJOY!

Sage Roasted Mushrooms & Potatoes 
from: grouprecipes.com, serves 3

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs potatoes, halved 
12 oz fresh mushrooms 
1/8 cup olive oil 
1½ Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces 
1 Tbl fresh sage, chopped and rubbed 
kosher sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1. Pour half of the oil into the bottom of a medium to large oven safe pan. Add potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, then add rest of oil. Toss well to coat the potatoes.
2. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes, stirring twice, until fork tender, but NOT falling apart.
3. Remove from oven and add mushrooms, sage and butter pieces and carefully toss to distribute.
4. Return to oven and continue toasting for about 10 more minutes. Mushrooms should be done, but not withered, and potatoes should be tender and cut edges should be browning.

Potato Cheese Corn Chowder 
~from: the Maine Potato Lady’s catalog

Ingredients:
½ lb. thick-cut bacon, chopped into ¾" pieces 
2 large onions, chopped into ½" pieces 
5 unpeeled medium-sized potatoes cut into 1" cubes 
2 large bay leaves 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1-2 teaspoons dried 
1-2 cups well-flavored chicken or vegetable stock 
1-2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, chopped or grated 
1 15-oz. can of creamed corn (or 2 cups fresh corn ker­nels, or 2 cups frozen corn kernels thawed and drained) 
Milk to thin the soup, if desired 
Freshly-ground black pepper 
Chopped parsley, to garnish

Directions:
1. Place a heavy-bottomed medium-sized soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook it until it is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the crisped bacon to a small bowl. Add the chopped onions to the bacon fat. Adjust the heat to medium, and cook the onions just until they are soft. Do not let the onions brown.
2. When the onions are soft, add the potatoes, the bay leaves and thyme, and 1-2 cups chicken stock. If you prefer a thick soup, or if you plan to add milk to the soup later on, add the lesser amount, but be sure that the potatoes are covered. Cover the pot, and cook until the potatoes are soft.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, crush them with a potato masher, leaving some lumps. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cheese, starting with just one cup; taste, and add more if desired.
4. After the cheese melts, stir in the corn, the reserved bacon, and plenty of freshly-ground black pepper, and let the soup heat for a few moments. Taste before salting. Remove the bay leaves and the thyme stems. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot.

Sweet Pepper and Collards Salad 
from: www.rawfoodsonabudget.com, makes one serving

Ingredients:
3 medium collard leaves 
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
sea salt to taste 
1 clove garlic 
4-5 pieces of dried tomato 
1 tbsp nutritional yeast 
2 tbsp hemp seeds 
½ red or orange bell pepper 
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

This has been one of my favorite salads of the summer! It's amazing and perfect for the late summer and early fall when peppers are inexpensive and plentiful! You can use either collard greens or kale in this recipe! I have used both and they are spectacular. The key to keeping this recipe sweet is to use your own dried tomatoes or to buy them from a store. The brand Just Tomatoes™ makes a wonderful dried tomato. The difference between a sun-dried tomato and a dried tomato is flavor - a sun-dried tomato has a deeper flavor whereas a dried tomato is sweet like candy.
If you use a traditional sun-dried tomato for this recipe, add the sea salt right before you add the olive oil and NOT when you add the vinegar. Often sun-dried tomatoes come pre-salted and you don't want to over-salt your meal.

Directions:
1. Layer the collard or kale leaves on top of each other, roll them into a burrito, and cut them into thin ¼“ slices.
2. Place the sliced greens into a large bowl, and add the salt and vinegar, and mix well.
3. Mince the garlic and dried tomatoes. Now, add the garlic, dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, and hemp seeds to the greens and mix.
4. Slice the sweet bell pepper and add it to the greens.
5. Add the olive oil and mix well.
6. Allow the greens to sit for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!