Week 12 Newsletter, Summer 2013

ATHENS HILLS CSA

The clouds are rolling in for yet another afternoon shower, but today, we are ready. Matt was able to mow off the summer cover crop of buckwheat after Kip mowed the new diversion ditch. With the warmer temperatures of late, all of the grasses are growing almost as quickly as we can cut them. Hopefully, there will not be too much rain. We still have not been able to finish the last of the raised beds in our center field, although we tried to finish this last week. Sometimes, all we can do is wait. With the final harvest of the first planting of ginger, the hothouse is now empty. This means that all will be ready to change out the soil in those raised beds to plant for winter salads and other items that are winter-grown. The planting schedule this week includes direct seeding for the fall Asian greens (many of which will be included in the winter salad mix), and spinach. Also, another set of salad mix transplants are ready to be planted in the west field for later harvests. Our first One-Time Seasonal Special Order event was quite successful! Good work to Miranda! This was her idea and her work. We are always excited to be able to bring local, great, small entrepreneurial businesses to our customers, and we will probably be continuing this practice with the same and new offerings. Let us know if there is something you would be interested in seeing in the order. Canning tomatoes are still available for next week, but harvests are certain to slow soon and unexpectedly. If you are still in need, please let us know soon. We have had a great response to the Winter 2014 CSA enrollment. Next week is the beginning of Open Enrollment to folks who have not been members before. If you are planning on signing up, please let us know by returning the form and a deposit. The newsletter now contains ‘live links’ to all of the recipes that are from the internet. One website required us to do this if we want to continue to use their info, so now we provide that for all of them. Have a good week!

From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, Mark, Penny, Emily, Miranda, Matt T, Andy, Brittany, Michelle, Josh, Matt C., Cale and Natalie)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – Our summer salad mix is a ‘lettuce only’ blend of 7-10 varieties. This mix is best stored in an air-tight container with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any moisture.
Sunflower Microgreens - We describe these tasty greens as juicy and crunchy. They are great for snacking, in wraps or to finish off a green salad.
Peppers- These are finally here. The peppers have been slow to come on this season. Your share includes mixed, colored sweet peppers – good for salads, stuffing, grilling, or roasting.
Cilantro – This herb has such a unique flavor – wonderful in a yogurt sauce or fresh salsa.
Slicer Tomatoes -This week you are receiving hybrid slicing tomatoes. No refrigerator until they are cut. Try them with basil and fresh mozzarella!
Eggplant- We are growing several varieties of eggplant: 2 long, thin Asian varieties, and 2 bell-shaped Mediterranean ones. They have similar flavors, but the Asian ones don’t necessarily need peeled, but can be. They’re great for slicing into chunks and grilling on a skewer.
Long or Green Beans – This week you will receive either Asian long beans or green beans. The long beans will stay crunchy even after a sauté in a hot skillet.
Edamame- These edible soybeans are another first for us this season. Look for some recipes on page 2…. Lemon Grass (stalk, not bulb) – Makes a refreshing tea, and wonderful addition to many cooked foods, like curry or soup broth.

THE COMBO CORNER

The fruit share from Cherry Orchards this week includes white and yellow peaches topped off with Gala apples and Stanley prune plums. All are great for eating or including in a favorite recipe.
The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Spelt au Levain: 1/3 whole spelt, 1/3 white spelt, 1/3 unbleached artisan wheat flour, with a spelt culture, plus Redmond Real Salt and a touch of yeast
The cheese from Integration Acres is Griffin's Dream - a delicate, hand-ladled pasteurized goat's milk cheese with a bloomy rind. A French style chevre, this batch has been aging for only one week; it can continue to age in your refrigerator if you prefer a stronger flavor and a softer texture. 

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

BEXLEY MARKET-614-252-3951, 3-8pm
CLINTONVILLE COOP – 614-261-3663, 11 am-8 pm
ECOFLORA – 614-266-1618, 12pm-7pm 
DUBLIN TREK BICYCLE 614-791- 8735, 3-7 pm
HILLIARD POWERSHACK 614-506-3086, 4-7pm
NEW ALBANY – 614-216-9370, 12-8pm

ATHENS COMMUNITY CENTER - 740-592-3325, 12-8 pm
HYACINTH BEAN – 740-594-9302, 12-6pm
BELPRE - 304-488-3620, 3-6 PM
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!

REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR BAG FROM THE LAST DELIVERY!

RECIPES

Edamame are immature (green) soybeans that can be served in or out of their fuzzy green pods, and have a sweet, slightly nutty flavor. They make a great snack and are used in salads, soups, and stir-fries. They are a good source of protein, fiber and a variety of other nutrients. They have the nutritional content of a substitute for meat. Edamame are easy to digest, and high in protein (1/2 cup contains 16 grams). They are also rich in vitamin A, fiber, calcium, and antioxidants. They have a buttery, nutty flavor much like baby lima beans. Add the shelled beans to soups and stir fries.

Cooking Edamame – Bring a medium pot of water to the boil. Add two large pinches of sea salt. Cook the edamame in boiling salted water for 3-5 minutes. Drain, spread on a baking sheet, and let cool for a few minutes. Toss in some sesame oil and kosher salt. Serve warm. To eat, simply place pod between your front teeth and pull pod out leaving the beans in your mouth.
http://macrobiotic.about.com http://www.foodnetwork.com

Grilled Eggplant and Sweet Pepper Sandwich from: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/sandwiches/grilled-eggplant-and-sweet-pepper-sandwiches/ 

Ingredients:
2 medium peppers, any color 
1 medium eggplant (12 oz.), cut in 12 slices 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
8 – ½ “ thick slices French bread 
4 oz. soft goat cheese 
¼ cup Dijon-style mustard

Directions:
1.) Quarter the sweet peppers lengthwise; remove and discard the stems, seeds, and membranes. 2.) Brush eggplant slices with oil. Grill eggplant slices and sweet pepper quarters on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium-hot coals for 4 minutes. Turn and grill 3-5 minutes more or until eggplant is tender and sweet peppers are slightly charred. Remove vegetables from grill, set aside. 3.) Spread 1 side of each French bread slice with goat cheese and mustard. Layer 3 eggplant slices and w sweet pepper quarters on 4 of the bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices. Serve warm.

Pico de Gallo
This fresh salsa is a definite hit at the farm. With fresh peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro in this week’s share, now’s your chance to try it too. This recipe comes from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pic0-de-gallo-3 But, there are many more recipes for this salsa available.

Ingredients: 
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced (any type of tomato will do, but you might need to re move seeds so it’s less juicy) 
 ½ red onion, minced 
3 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 
½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced 
 ½ lime, juiced 
1 clove garlic, minced 
1 pinch garlic powder 
1 pinch ground cumin 
 salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions: 
Stir the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, garlic, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Eggplant and Tomato Casserole
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Eggplant-and-Tomato-Casserole/Detail.aspx

Ingredients: 
1 medium eggplant, sliced into ¼” rounds salt to taste 3 Tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, halved and sliced 4 medium tomatoes, sliced ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup dry bread crumbs for topping salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Sea son the eggplant slice with salt, and let stand for about 10 minutes. Drain off liquid. 
2. Heat 3 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly brown the eggplant slices on each side. 
3. Place a layer of the eggplant slices in an 8-inch square baking dish or casse role dish. Place some tomato slices over the eggplant, and the a few slices on onion. Repeat layers until you run out of eggplant. Pour bal samic vinegar over everything. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread in a layer over vegetables. 
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is golden brown and the eggplant is tender.

GLAZED CHINESE LONG BEANS 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/glazed-chinese-long-beans-recipe/index.html

Ingredients: 
½ lb. Chinese long beans 
2 tablespoons butter 
2 tablespoons sliced scallions 
1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger 
1 tablespoon minced garlic 
 Pinch of red pepper flakes 
½ cup chicken stock 
1 tablespoon honey 
1 tablespoon sesame oil 
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper 
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, optional

Directions: 
In a large pot of boiling water, blanch long beans for 2 minutes until slightly tender. Allow to cool.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add butter. Add scallions, ginger, and garlic. Mix together. Add red pepper flakes and long beans. Allow cook for a few minutes. Stir in chicken stock, honey and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add sesame seeds, if desired. Mix together.

QUINOA, EDAMAME, AND SWEET PEPPER LETTUCE WRAPS 
http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/2011/07/recipe-quinoa-edamame-sweet-pepper-lettuce-wraps.html

Ingredients:
1 ½ c cooked quinoa
1 c shelled frozen edamame, thawed
1 medium bell pepper, seeded & chopped
½ c chopped red onion
8-10 lettuce leaves, rinsed & dried (butter or green leaf lettuce works best)
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1 T honey
1 clove of garlic, minced

Directions:
1. Combine the last 4 ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until completely combined. Set aside. 2. In a larger bowl add the quinoa, edamame, pepper and onion and toss together. Pour the sauce over the quinoa and mix together until the mixture is completely coated. 3. To serve, place a couple tablespoons of the quinoa mixture into each lettuce leaf, wrap it or roll it up, and enjoy!