ATHENS HILLS CSA
Happy New Year to all! We’re happy to be back from the whirlwind of holiday activities and schedules. Sometimes, though, all of the changes in routines can seem stressful! Over the holiday break, Jane, our winter intern was offered a job so she will be leaving us in two weeks. To take her place with the Columbus delivery route, a former intern will be riding with Kip. Morgan was with us 2 summers back, so she will be an easy addition! As the New Year begins, activities here are far from routine. Next season’s seeds and sets will be ordered by the end of this week. This includes sets of rhubarb and asparagus that we hope to harvest in a year or so. In addition to the seed orders, we are also ordering more of the row covers to complete the winter covering project started last fall. When finished, one person will be able to open and uncover the beds or, close and cover the beds in the greenhouses in a matter of minutes instead of the current system that requires 2 people several minutes in each house. This improvement will save over an hour a day. In winter, daylight is precious and there is much to be done during the shorter window of light.
Intern candidates for this spring have started to visit the farm – so far we have seen one from Atlanta and one from Toledo with at least one more visitor on the schedule for next week.
We have been officially notified about our award of a PDP (Professional Development) grant from SARE. Our partner in this endeavor is Rural Action. During the next two years we will be hosting Beginning and Advanced Season Creation Workshops (8 total) for extension agents from around the state. Our unheated greenhouse winter growing systems show much promise for other growers to provide local product around the state – but first, extension agents need to understand how it works. Needless to say, we are excited to be able to offer this training, and honored to be given this opportunity. We will keep you updated as this process unfolds.
Have a great week and let’s all eat veggies!
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, Rob, Miranda, Emily, Natalie, Penny, Jane, Mark, Theo, and Matt)
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 - Some will receive shiitake and some will receive our oyster mushrooms. Store these in the fridge in a paper bag – even if they dry out, you can use them for soups.
Sunflower / MicroMix Microgreens - If you’re not familiar with microgreens, you are in for a surprise! These are grown in soil, not sprouted in water. The sunflower has a mild, nutty flavor, is juicy and crunchy, while the MicroMix is spicier, more delicate, and does not store as long.
Sweet Potatoes - These sweet nuggets are so tasty! Store in a warm, dark and dry place. Baked and mashed are just 2 ways to use them – and don’t forget Sweet Potato Pie!
Potatoes – Katahdin or blue are the varieties of potatoes this week. PLEASE NOTE: BECAUSE WE ARE AT THE END OF OUR POTATOES, A COUPLE SITES GOT ALL SWEET POTATOES INSTEAD.
Collards – Store in the fridge in an air-tight bag to keep from wilting. These amazing leaves are great for braising, stir-fry, or in a saucepan with water and ham bone. OR, they serve well as veggie wrappers for tacos or other hand held foods.
Tatsoi - This very mild Asian green is versatile. We use it raw in our salad mix, but lightly sautéed, steamed, stir-fried is also delicious.
Carrots – Our 1st harvest of carrots for this winter. They are so sweet and tender there is never enough to satisfy the demand.
THE COMBO CORNER
The apples from Cherry Orchard are Enterprise and Granny Smith apples. These are tart, crisp apples that are great for eating and cooking. The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Local Harvest Wheat, featuring locally grown spelt flour and corn meal.
The cheese from Integration Acres is the Alexander Tomme, pasteurized hard cheese with a natural rind that is aged for a minimum of 60 days.
PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS
BEXLEY NATURAL MARKET 614-252-3951 (3-8pm) CLINTONVILLE COMMUNITY MARKET 614-261-3663 (11am-8pm)
DUBLIN TREK BICYCLE 614-791- 8735 (3-7pm)
HILLIARD POWERSHACK 614-506-3086 (4-7pm)
NEW ALBANY 614-216-9370 (12-8pm)
TIBET 614-784-8124 (11am-7pm)
ATHENS COMMUNITY CENTER 740-592-3325 (2-8pm)
BELPRE 304-488-3620 (3-6pm)
HARMONY CHIROPRACTIC 740-592-4631 (4-7pm)
HYACINTH BEAN FLORIST 740-594-9302 (12-6pm)
OHIO UNIVERSITY - HR CENTER 330-284-5510 (4-6pm)
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
Hungry Hound’ s Root Vegetable Gratin Ingredients:
5 small potatoes, peeled
½ of a large celery root, top& bottom removed and peeled
½ of a medium parsnip, peeled and cored
1 butternut squash
1 rutabaga, peeled
1¼ cup heavy cream or whole milk
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup + freshly grated parmesan
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp fennel fronds or parsley
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Butter a 9 by 13 gratin dish.
2. Slice the potatoes on a mandoline into 1/16" thick slices. Repeat with each of the root vegetables, keeping them separate.
3. Stir garlic, nutmeg, fresh thyme, and fennel fronds into the heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange potato slices in overlapping rows on the bottom of the gratin dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a layer of rutabaga, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add a layer of celery root and seasoning again. Repeat with a layer of parsnip and then butternut squash, seasoning in between each layer. Sprinkle with half of the Parmesan. Repeat starting with a layer of potatoes, seasoning between each layer. Finally, top with a final layer of overlapping potatoes. Pour the milk mixture over the top until it comes to the edge of the top layer. Press the vegetables down into the milk with a spatula.
5. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour. Remove the foil and lightly press the gratin down with a spatula. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and continue baking until vegetables are tender the top is golden brown, 15-30 min. more. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Collard Greens & Black-Eyed Pea Soup
From: www.eatingwell.com
45 minutes total time; 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
5 cloves garlic, (4 sliced and 1 whole), divided
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
5 cups chopped collard greens, or kale leaves (about 1 bunch), tough stems removed
1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed
6 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette, preferably whole-grain, cut on the diagonal
6 tablespoons shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
2 slices cooked bacon, finely chopped
Directions:
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add sliced garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Increase heat to high and add broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in collard greens (or kale), reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig. Stir in black-eyed peas; remove from the heat and cover.
Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and broil until lightly toasted, 2 to 4 minutes. Rub each bread slice with the remaining garlic clove. (Discard garlic.) Turn the slices over and top with cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve the soup topped with the cheese toasts and bacon.
Browned Butter Pasta with Tatsoi
from: www.appetiteforchina.com
Serves 2
Ingredients:
Your pasta of choice, preferably curved or with ridges
1/2 stick unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Leaves of 2 to 3 bunches of tatsoi, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped sage
Freshly grated Parmesan
Lemon wedges, optional
Directions:
Cook pasta to al dente in salted water.
When pasta is almost done, melt butter in a skillet. Swirl the butter in the pan as it foams. (At this point, remove pasta from the heat and drain well in a colander.) When butter begins to brown, toss in pasta and mix to coat with butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Add tatsoi and sage and cook until slightly wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Plate and serve immediately with grated parmesan and lemon wedges on the side.
Tatsoi Egg Bake
from: www.wordenfarm.com
Ingredients:
Low-fat cheese and milk work fine here. Mustard greens can be used instead of or along with tatsoi. 1 bunch tatsoi
1 cup cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, feta, cottage cheese, or other cheese)
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
½ cup bread crumbs, or several slices of bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
paprika
Directions:
1. Wash tatsoi and chop leaves. Sauté until wilted. Drain well.
2. Mix cheese, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and fresh basil in a baking pan.
3. Distribute bread crumbs or bread pieces and tatsoi evenly throughout the egg mixture. Top with paprika.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until baked through. Allow to stand for several minutes before cutting.
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