ATHENS HILLS CSA
Re-growth of greens in the houses is finally starting to improve with the additional daylight. And along with the greens, re-growth of the weeds is exploding at the same time. Hours are spent eliminating these competitors for nutrients and water. Beds that are weeded are much easier and faster to harvest, and that efficiency can translate to lower costs. Miranda has sent the early enrollment brochures to our Winter 2013 members along with all of those who were with last summer. Many have responded. If you haven’t yet, please take a minute to let us know either way whether you will join us this June. This early registration lets us know how many spaces we can fill. Thanks for doing that!
The OEFFA conference is this weekend and the PASA (Pennsylvania) conference was last weekend. Matt attended PASA and returned with some great suggestions for more soil monitoring. Kip is going to OEFFA’s Pre-Conference workshop Friday to learn about the dreaded Food Safety Modernization Act. The more he reads, the angrier I get! For some, attempting to follow these new regulations will surely mean an end to their farming. But, according to some, that end is the desired outcome for the sponsors of the bill. So far, it seems that as long as we sell to CSA members, we would be exempt. Don’t worry, the FDA still comes to inspect our facilities and processes twice a year, not to mention our annual organic inspection.
Two more intern candidates visited last week, and another is scheduled for this week, and at least one more for next week. Soon the choice will get more difficult as the number of candidates will exceed the number of available spots. Meeting these young people is always so interesting. Their dreams and hopes will shape the future. It’s so reassuring to see no fear of hard work, an enthusiasm for learning, and a willingness to pitch in to get the job done. There’s nothing better than meeting optimistic young folks to promote a rosier outlook for the time at hand.
Have a great week!
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 folks will receive shiitakes and some will receive oysters. Store them in a paper bag in the fridge.
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, and does not store as long as the sunflower.
Butternut Squash – These squashes store for a long time so don’t feel pressured to use them immediately. There’s another member recipe on page 2 using butternut. Check it out!
Beets - We hope you love them! High in vitamins and minerals. Notes on page 2 for peeling or ‘slipping the skins.’
Pac Choy - Another of our mild Asian greens, this variety is called Vitamin Green, which tells you what it does for your body! Can be eaten raw, steamed, sautéed, or stir-fried. The stalks hold water, so they are a refreshing snack raw. The stems can be cooked too, and will take slightly longer than the leaves.
Turnips – My shorthand name for these is ‘petwogs’ for Purple-Topped White Globes. The ones we had raw in salad yesterday were sweet and crunchy. I sliced them in very thin quarters, the shape resembling a piece of pie.
Spinach – This wonderful green is so versatile. Use it raw in a salad, or cooked in many different dishes. “…good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese." www.nutritiondata.com
THE COMBO CORNER
The apples from Cherry Orchard this week include a mixture of four varieties: Melrose, Mutzu, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious. The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Valencia Wheat, a country loaf that features organic extra-virgin Spanish olive oil.
The cheese from Integration Acres is a young Snow Melt, an aged cheese made with raw cow's milk from Snowville Creamery. The name honors the creamery, and is a nod to the cheese's melt-ability! This batch of Snow Melt was made just a little over two months ago.
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 (3-7pm)
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!
We are always grateful for the return of the share bags. Thanks!
RECIPES
Greens with Cannellini Beans and Pancetta from allrecipes.com
A note from the person who posted this: Use any green in season and feel free to substitute diced bacon instead of pancetta.
Ingredients:
2 slices of pancetta or bacon
1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
1 bunch beet greens, roughly chopped
salt to taste
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
Directions:
Fry the chopped bacon or pancetta until crisp. Drain the drippings and set aside.
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion in oil until soft. Add the crushed garlic cloves, and cook a minute more. Stir in chopped greens, and season with salt to taste (be conservative at this point – you can always add more!) Partially cover the pan, and cook until the greens begin to wilt. Stir in crispy pancetta and cannellini beans. Cook partially covered for 5 more minutes, until flavors have combined and the greens are tender.
SESAME PAC CHOI
from: www.bbcgoodfood.com
Ingredients:
9 pak choi
2 tbsp groundnut oil (peanut)
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 large garlic clove , crushed and finely chopped
1 mild green chili, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce (optional)
Directions:
Cut a thick slice from the pak choi root to separate the leaves. Rinse and drain. Heat the groundnut oil in a large wok over a medium heat and add 1 tbsp sesame oil, the garlic, chili, fish sauce (if using) and pak choi. Toss until coated and clamp a pan lid over them. Reduce the heat and cook for 3-6 minutes, tossing occasionally, just until the leaves have wilted (the stalks should be tender-crisp). Add the rest of the sesame oil and salt. Toss the leaves and serve immediately.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH & TAHINI SPREAD
from: www.guardian.co.uk
Thanks to our member Adam who shared this link from the Guardian newspaper in London. I can’t wait to try this! Yotam Ottolenghi's butternut squash and tahini spread: A wonderfully tasty alternative to hummus. He is chef/patron of Ottolenghi and Nopi in London.
Ingredients:
1 very large butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (about 2½ lbs)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
2½ oz. tahini paste
4 oz. Greek yoghurt
2 small garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp mixed black and white sesame seeds (or just white, if you don't have black)
1½ tsp date syrup (don’t fret if you don’t have it)
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350F. Spread the squash out on a medium-sized baking tray, pour over the olive oil and sprinkle on the cinnamon and salt. Mix well, cover the tray tightly with tinfoil and roast for 70 minutes, stirring once during the cooking. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Transfer the cooled squash to the bowl of a food processor, along with the tahini, yoghurt, and garlic. Roughly, pulse so that everything is combined into a coarse paste – you don't want it too smooth (you can also do this by hand using a fork or masher). To serve, spread the butternut in a wavy pattern over a flat plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds, a drizzle of syrup and finish with chopped coriander. ALL THINGS BEET…..
With beets, peeling is done after the cooking. My mom always called it ‘slipping the skins’. Cool the ccoked beet so that it can be held in the hand. Then you just squeeze a little and the skin will slip right off. Beets can be cooked a number of ways, steaming, baking, boiling or blanching. Boiling is probably the fastest method, but you can lose some of the color and flavor. Steaming works well also, but make sure you have enough water in the pan. A 2-3” beet will steam in 15-20 minutes. Baking results in less loss of color than any method. Many cooks however, prefer to use them raw and grated for salads and garnishes.
(I do apologize if you’ve seen these info too many times before. But some newer members may not have heard of this… thanks for your patience.)
Swiss Chard with Beets, Goat Cheese,and Raisins
from epicurious.com
Ingredients:
1½ pounds red beets (about 3 large)
4 pounds Swiss chard
¼ cup olive oil
1 large red onion, halved lengthwise, cut thinly crosswise
¾ cup sliced green onions (about 3)
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeño chiles, thinly sliced crosswise with seeds
3 14½-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 cup plus 2 tbls. golden raisins
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 5½-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets individually in foil. Roast until beets are tender, about 1 hour. Cool. Peel beets, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.)
2. Fold Swiss chard leaves in half lengthwise and cut stalks away from leaves. Cut leaves coarsely into 1-inch pieces. Slice stalks thinly crosswise. Reserve stalks and leaves separately. Cook chopped leaves in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 1 minute. Drain and reserve.
3. Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add sliced stalks; sauté until starting to soften, about 8 minutes.
4. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sauté 3 minutes. Add drained tomatoes and 1 cup raisins. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
5. Add chard leaves to pot; stir to heat through. Remove from heat; add lime juice and stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer chard mixture to large platter. Sprinkle with beets, goat cheese, pine nuts, and remaining 2 tablespoons raisins. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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