Athens Hills CSA: January 2014

January 28, 2014

ATHENS HILLS CSA

The biggest news on Tuesday morning was that the empty delivery truck held its temperature overnight in sub-zero temperatures. This was a HUGE relief to us. We load the CSA shares onto the truck on Tuesday at the end of the day, so that the early start on Wednesday isn’t delayed by the hours it would take to load. With the truck full of fresh goodies, the temperature will be even more stable. That’s a big relief for Kip! Maybe you remember the news from last week, when I said we hoped to be able to harvest at least one day. Well, we were. This is why you have kale today. We harvested it last Friday in anticipation of this week’s early low temperatures. Good decision!

The good news is that under all the row covers and plastic, the greens look fine so far. With the sun’s surprising appearance Tuesday, the temperature in the houses climbed to above the mid-30’s (we’re havin’ a heat wave…), so the plastic could be removed. If the sun stays for the day, we may need to open one top window for ventilation. This would be so awesome for the veggies! Fresh air will help to dry out the wet row covers and vent any built-up carbon dioxide. Another aide in keeping the veggies healthy is the snow pack rising halfway up the sides of the houses. This effectively blocks any wind and provides another insulating layer.

Last week’s low temperatures and snow had another interesting effect. The S.A.R.E. workshop that was only partly pre-filled had twice as many people come as were registered. When it’s too cold to work, then sitting in a warm room is a nice alternative. The day was exciting and filled with great sharing of information and ideas. One young woman came all the way from Lakewood that morning and was going back that afternoon. Our visitors were very impressed to see all of the green and growing food.

Talking about impressive….. let me say a few glowing words about your farmers. These men and women are brave and strong! They have a unique understanding of layering. Their dedication to the farm’s success is the core of our success. We’re blessed to have them! Have a great (and warmer) week!

From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, Mark, Emily, Matt T, Natalie, Josh, Miranda, Paula, Penny, Andy, and Kristina)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – Our apologies. Due to the sub-zero temperatures, we were unable to uncover the lettuces and harvest this week.
Mushrooms - Shiitake for some, and oysters for the rest.
Sunflower / MicroMix Microgreens - Some of you will get our more delicate mix, while others will get sunflower. The mix has a tangy flavor and does not store as long as the sunflower.
Kale – This week’s kale is a variety called Dwarf Siberian. This variety is prized at our Athens Farmers Market for its large leaves and sweet flavor.
Turnips – Our purple-top white-globe turnips are stored in the specially constructed bunker in the barn. This insulated room has two areas: one cool and damp for the potatoes and turnips; and the other warm and dry for the squashes and sweet potatoes. Try roasting them in chunks with potatoes and other root like carrots.
Sweet Potatoes – These are some of our favorite root veggies to grow and to eat! Whether they are baked, sliced and fried, chunked and roasted, or preserved as pickles, the sugar content is unmistakable.

The Combo Corner

The apple share from Cherry Orchards includes Fuji and Golden Delicious.
The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is the French Galette. The cheese from Integration Acres is chevre, a pasteurized soft cheese, ideal for spreading on crusty bread, or gently slivered atop of bed of greens. It also makes a great dessert cheese, baked inside pear halves and drizzled with honey.

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

NEW ALBANY – 614-216-9369 12-8pm
BEXLEY MARKET-614-252-3951 3-8pm
HILLIARD POWERSHACK 614-506-3086 4-7pm
CLINTONVILLE COOP – 614-261-3663 11 am-8 pm
ECO-FLORA – 614-266-1618 12pm-7pm
DUBLIN TREK BICYCLE 614-791- 8735 3-7 pm
HYACINTH BEAN – 740-594-9302 12-6pm
ATHENS COMMUNITY CENTER - 740-592-3325 12-8 pm
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!

RECIPES

Sweet Potato Shiitake Hash
http://www.foodreference.com/html/shiitake-swtpot-312.html
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
• 4 cups water
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and dis carded, caps thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions, white and green parts
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons tupelo honey
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Bring the water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Add the sweet potato and blanch for about 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are just fork tender. Remove the potatoes and transfer to an ice bath.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the mushrooms for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender, and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato, mushrooms, green onions, sage, hot pepper sauce, honey, salt, and pepper. In a nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over high heat and add the potato mixture. Saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is caramelized.
Serve immediately.
While this savory hash is delicious with eggs (served any way you like them), we also love this dish with roasted duck breast or duck confit, since its earthy flavor plays off the richness of duck. The southern Appalachian region is conducive to mushroom cultivation, and many farmers are now growing their own shiitakes.

Sweet Potato Tofu Hash
vegan, makes 4 servings
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/10/sweet-potato-tofu-hash-vegan-comfort.html
Ingredients:
1½ cups cooked sweet potato, diced (1 large potato)
15 ounces firm tofu
½ cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1-2 ounces raw almonds
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp coconut or soy milk
1 tsp salt
¼ cup parsley, chopped
½-1 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp paprika
pinch of saffron
1 tsp fine black pepper
optional: you can easily add scallions or a sweet onion to this dish (just sauté about a ½ cup diced into the tofu sauté)
Directions:
1. Get all your ingredients out.
2. Cook sweet potato. Toss into the microwave for 5 minutes, or bake it in the oven so it gets that nice sticky caramelization. Set aside.
3. Chop the raw almonds, leave some whole - Slice the mushrooms, chop the parsley and dice the onion.
4. In a soup pan on medium heat, place your olive oil, 1 Tbsp soy or coconut milk and saffron. Wait until it starts to steam and sizzle.
5. Add mushrooms, onions, almonds and a pinch of your parsley. Sauté a few minutes, until mushrooms have shrunken in size.
6. Add tofu to the pan, either rough chopped or cubed or simply use a spatula to break the tofu block into 'hash' while it's sautéing in the pan (no larger than grape-size bits)
7. Add the salt, pepper, liquid smoke, cumin, and paprika.
8. Sauté tofu and veggies for about 3-5 minutes until the seasonings and spices penetrate the hashed tofu scramble.
9. Midway through your tofu sauté, add 1 Tbsp maple syrup. Keep hashing and sautéing. The edges of the tofu should start to firm up. You don't want mushy tofu. You may have to cover the pan with a lid for a few minutes to cook with a gently braise, do that.
10. Taste the tofu. Adjust salt, pepper, oil, and sweeteners to taste. Time to add the sweet potato.
11. Peel the cooked potato and cube. Add it to your hash on the stove. Also add the last Tbsp of soy/coconut milk, and maple syrup. Do a gentle fold of the ingredients. Keep the heat at low-medium and allow the hash to cook for about 2 minutes. Fold every 20 seconds.
12. Turn the heat off. Add chopped parsley and some more black pepper. Fold the parsley into the hot hash. You want the parsley warmed just enough so that the flavor is released, but the leaves are still a bit chewy and crisp.
13. Garnish with parsley. Serve when hot! You can place in a serving dish, cover and it will stay hot for a while-a great feature for holiday feasts and get-togethers.
Vegan MoFo: Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Turnips with Kale
http://americanvegan.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/baked-sweet-potatos-and-turnips-with-kale/

Ingredients:
3-4 small/med sweet potatoes
2-3 turnips
2 bunches of kale
olive oil
sea salt
Balsamic vinegar (Optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Dice sweet potatoes & turnips into ½” -3/4” cubes
3. In a large mixing bowl, lightly coat the cubes with olive oil and place into baking dish. Spread out the cubes so most of them will get crunchy
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes until done as wanted
5. After removing spine, use a fine chiffonade to chop the kale as small as possible.
6. The kale can be made 2 ways: -Place kale in large open pan with a small amount of water to steam cook. -Lightly spritz kale with oil and bake in oven for less that 10 minutes. Extra crispy!
7. Mix together the kale and the root veggies.
8. Season this dish with sea salt, or drizzle some balsamic vinegar on the finished product right before eating. A little goes a long way, but the taste of the sweet potato, kale and balsamic is ….YUM!

January 21, 2014

Week 6 Newsletter, Winter 2014

ATHENS HILLS CSA

So much of our lives here at Green Edge is bound to the current weather conditions, especially in winter. All the talk of cold temperatures and cloudy days somehow isn’t all that creative. But, given the forecast for the coming week, it is just about all that we have to talk about. The only day that we could harvest this week is Monday unless the sun peeks through towards the end of the week. This is a good test for our method of winter harvesting that we are teaching to the extension agents on Thursday. There have been cold spells in earlier years, but none has been as prolonged as this one. Our only reprieve is that starting Tuesday, the day length starts to increase by 2 minutes each day. Hopefully, the extra light will be some help to offset the frigid temperatures! We know that in other years the increase in day length has made big differences in the harvest recovery time for the greens. Let’s all think warm and sunny!

The new generator did not get installed, but the new pole that holds the electric service for the generator did, and early enough that the concrete in the hole had time to set before this newest cold spell. Now, we just have to wait for the electrician to move the power from the old pole to the new one, and then install the transfer switch. This job is not expected to be done until the temperatures warm a bit though.

Dan and Matt continue to work on the planting schedules and field maps for the coming year. Rotation of crops is so important to the maintenance of good soil – not to mention changing things confuse the insects some. Moving the crops from one field to another can also reduce some weed pressures.

Most of the seeds and sets have arrived. Logging the receipt of these is the beginning of the record keeping for this year’s organic certification. Other supplies to be ordered include items for greenhouse and irrigation maintenance, and the soil amendments like fertilizers and minerals. There are new tools to be ordered this year which I will describe later in the season. In the meantime, have a great week!

From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, Mark, Emily, Matt T, Natalie, Josh, Miranda, Paula, Penny, Andy, and Kristina)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – Our winter salad mix is a blend of 10 varieties of lettuces plus the mild-tasting tatsoi, pe-tsai, and mizuna. This mix is best stored in an air-tight container with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any moisture.
Mushrooms - Shiitake for most and oysters for the rest. We change the oyster sites each week so that all can have them at least once. Sites that receive them are selected based on numbers of shares and how many oyster mushrooms we have.
Sunflower / MicroMix Microgreens - Some of you will get our more delicate mix this week, and some will get sunflower. The mix has a tangy flavor and does not store quite as long as the sunflower.
Sweet Potatoes – So many wonderful ways to cook these beauties. Roasted, baked, fried – all delicious! Do not store in the fridge – they like it warmer to store for a long time. (Ideal storage is 50-60 degrees and out of the sunlight)
Tatsoi – This is the last week of tatsoi for the CSA. Soon the plants will bolt and there won’t be enough to fill all of the shares. Hope you enjoyed it’s mild and sweet flavor.
Spinach – We are thrilled to bring you this new item. This wonderful green is so versatile. Use it raw in a salad, or cooked in many different dishes.
Turnip – Purple top/white globe turnips are finally here. The traditional winter roots are pungent and sweet. Boiled and mashed, roasted in the oven – any way to cook other roots will work for the turnips, too.

The Combo Corner

The apple share from Cherry Orchards includes two varieties that are popular with the market and orchard customers. The apples are Yellow or Golden Delicious and Cameo. Cameo is a late fall sweet apple.
The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Persian Wheat that is made with Khorasan wheat & fennel.
The cheese from Integration Acres features the Snowball, a pasteurized Snowville cow's milk cream cheese. Place unwrapped cheese in a plastic or glass container. Whip the cheese into a more typical cream cheese consistency; any whey that's accumulated can either be drained off or mixed in. Spread it on your next bagel or crusty bread. (Unlike many commercial cream cheeses, the Snowball contains no locust bean gum, guar gum, xantham gum, carob bean gum, or sorbic acid - just fresh milk and kosher salt!)

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

RECIPES

Thanks to an Athens member for this one:
Asian Caramelized Roasted Root Veggies

Ingredients:
5 C. root veggies (turnips, beets, carrots, etc.) in chunks
Mix with:
2 T olive oil
½ T salt
¼ t. pepper

Roast for 15 minutes at 450.

Puree:
1 chopped onion
2 T molasses (sorghum works well also)
1 t Chinese five spice
Toss veggies and bake another 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes until tender.

TATSOI EGG BAKE
www.wordenfarm.com
Low-fat cheese and milk work fine here. Mustard greens can be used instead of or along with tatsoi.
Ingredients:
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.

Garlic Butter Turnips
from The Joy of Gardening Cookbook, Ballentyne 1984

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
5 cups thin, bite-sized pieces of turnips
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/8 tsp. ground rosemary
salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat the butter and oil in a sauté pan, and sauté the garlic until golden brown. Add the turnips and sauté until tender and golden brown. Add a tablespoon of water if the turnips are browning too quickly. Sea -son with parsley, rosemary, and salt and pepper.

Chard, Arugula, and Feta Soup
www.werenotmartha.com

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 C chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 C Swiss chard leaves (stems removed)
3 C arugula leaves (ribs and stems re moved)
2 C vegetable or chicken broth
1 C coarsely chopped parsley
1/4 C chopped mint leaves
2 T fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 C plain Greek yogurt
2-3 oz. feta, crumbled

Directions:
Start by pouring the olive oil into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add your onion and garlic in and cook for about 7-8 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add chard, arugula, broth, parsley, mint. Bring this mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the greens are tender. Stir in the lemon juice and salt and pepper.

Puree the soup. You can either puree in batches in a blender and then return it to the pot or you can use an immersion blender right in the pot. I’m sure the soup would be delicious like this, but you really love a soup to be nice and creamy, right? But without adding cream, of course. You’ll want to take about 1/3 of your Greek yogurt and put it in a separate bowl. Now, add about 1/4 C warm soup to it and whisk until smooth. Repeat this twice with the rest of the yogurt and another 1/2 C soup.

And then return the yogurt and soup mixture to the soup pot. Stir almost all of the feta into the soup, saving a little for garnish.
I think this could work just as well with any leafy green you happen to have a surplus of. I know I’ll be making different variations of it again. And now you know what to do when your CSA overloads you with too much chard, arugula, etc. Never a bad problem to have!

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
from: Moosewood Cookbook, Katzen, 1977 (adapted from Swiss Cheese and Mushroom Quiche)

Preheat the over to 375 degrees.
Follow you own favorite pie crust recipe
* Cover the bottom of the crust with 1½ cups grated Swiss, Gruyere is best.
* Cover cheese with:
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ lb of mushrooms sautéed with 1-2 cups spinach salt, pepper
chop & add last dash of thyme

* Make custard: beat well together
4 eggs
1½ cups milk
3 Tbls flour
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dry mustard
* Pour custard over mushroom layer.

* Sprinkle with paprika. (Optional: also sprinkle Parmesan cheese.)
* Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes, or until solid in the center when jiggled.

Variations: 1. Use fresh tomato slices instead of mushrooms (no need to sauté them) 2. Sub 1 cup chopped scallions for the onion. 3. Add 1 tsp. prepared horseradish. This seems to be delicious no matter what you have to put in it.

Week 5 Newsletter, Winter 2014

ATHENS HILLS CSA

As we look back on the last delivery, our conclusion is that a week can make a big difference. While it feels like spring right now, by the end of the day, we’ll be experiencing overnight temperatures in the teens. For the rest of this week, the daytime temperatures will barely rise above the freezing mark. Fortunately, at least one of those days is forecasted to be sunny. There are still some outside projects that need finished. While the asparagus is mulched, the rhubarb is still waiting for its coat. Some of the greenhouses sides need their finishing touches. This also includes final details to the drip irrigation and covers in some of the houses.

While these improvements continue, Matt and Dan are continuing drawing their field maps, planting schedules, and bed maps for the greenhouses. This task is rather complicated for some crops, since the harvest date is the start and they work back to determine the planting dates based on when the crop needs to be harvested. Other crops like summer squashes are planted several times (called succession planting) so that there is a consistent amount available most of the time.

Next week, the farm will host another Season Creation workshop for extension professionals. For the rest of this week in the office the focus will be on this first of our Level 2 presentations. This advanced workshop will delve deeper into the beginner topics, include more group discussions and will also cover a more comprehensive picture of the financial and marketing strategies and approaches that we have taken in the past as well as plans for the future. We are excited to be sharing this. The more small farms that can grow in the winter, the more local food will be available to the people and therefore, the higher the nutrient value of the food since it hasn’t traveled halfway around the country or the world before it goes into our mouths.

Hopefully, but this time next week, our new natural gas-fired generator will be online. This new tool will run is powerful enough to run all of the walk-ins, pumps, lights, etc. that keep your veggies in tip-top condition. We are psyched! Stay warm and have a great week!

From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, Mark, Emily, Matt T, Natalie, Josh, Andy, Miranda, Paula, Penny, and Kristina)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – Our winter salad mix is a blend of 6 varieties of lettuces plus the mild-tasting Asian greens tatsoi, pe-tsai, and mizuna plus claytonia. This mix is best stored in an air-tight container with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any moisture.
Mushrooms - Shiitake for some, and oyster for the rest. Make the most of these items: 1st store them in a paper bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Don’t throw the stems away – instead simmer them in a saucepan of salted water for about 1- 1½ hours, strain the broth, and store in the freezer for soup or rice broth.
Sunflower / MicroMix Microgreens - Some of you will get our more delicate mix this week, and some will get sunflower. The mix has a tangy flavor and does not store as long as the sunflower.
Tatsoi – Tatsoi is a very mild Asian green -very versatile. We use it raw in our salad mix, but lightly sautéed, steamed, or stir-fried is also delicious.

Rutabaga – Similar to regular purple-top turnips in use, the flavor is a little milder and the texture is creamier.
Spinach – We are thrilled to bring you this new item. This wonderful green is so versatile. Use it raw in a salad, or cooked in many different dishes.
Daikon Radish – “Also known as Japanese horseradish or mooli, daikon looks like a bigger, uglier, knobbier parsnip and, if its flavor can be likened to anything, it is reminiscent of a finer, less fiery radish.” - From the cookbook Cooking Vegetables. These radishes are from another organic farm in the area.
Beets - These are called ‘Early Wonder Tall-tops, and they are tasty and sweet.

The Combo Corner

The apple share from Cherry Orchard includes 2 apple varieties: Ida Red and Mutzu. Ida Red is a tart cooking apple, a cross between Jonathan and Wagner apples, both heirlooms. Mutzu is a sweet eating and cooking apple developed in Japan. It is also known as the Japanese Yellow Delicious.

The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Roman Spelt - made with local Starline whole spelt and Artisan organic flours with organic olive oil, sea salt and yeast

The cheese from Integration Acres is Chase Cheddar from goat’s milk.

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

RECIPES

TATSOI with MUSHROOMS and INDIAN SPICES
Many thanks to our member Julie C. from Nelsonville for sending us this tried recipe – gluten and meat free!

Ingredients:
2 bunches tatsoi, bok choy or other mustardy/cabbage greens, chopped, stalks even more finely chopped so they cook evenly (10 oz.) pkg. mushrooms, quartered
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. peanut oil
2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. cumin seeds (ground cumin would be acceptable, but the seeds really pop nicely in your mouth)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced thinly

Directions:
~Heat oil in wok or large frying pan. Add garlic and stir, one minute. Add onions and spices and cook, stirring, another 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms and tatsoi and stir well to wilt, then cover and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
~Serve over rice. Try to fish out the bay leaves before serving.
http://wheat-free-meatfree.blogspot.com/2008/06/tatsoi-with-mushrooms-and-indian-spices.html

Overnight Chinese Daikon Radish Pickles
http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2009/12/daikon-radish-what-to-do-with-it.html

Here’s another recipe sent over to us by Miranda, this one - daikon radish.

Ingredients:
1½ cups chopped daikon
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, toss daikon with salt. Cover, and refrigerate until 1-2 tablespoons of water is released, about 30 minutes.
Drain and rinse daikon, removing as much salt as possible. Pat dry with a paper towel, and return to bowl. Stir in rice vinegar, black pepper and, if desired, sesame oil. Cover, and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

CHICKPEA, SPINACH, AND TOMATO COUSCOUS
http://www.food.com/recipe/chickpea-spinach-and-tomato-couscous-245143

Ingredients:
2 onions, chopped 2 big tomatoes, peeled and cubed (canned, diced okay) ½ lb fresh spinach 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained ½ lemon, juiced 1 vegetable bouillon cube ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground coriander ½ tsp curry powder 2 Tbl fresh coriander, sliced (cilantro) 1 pinch salt 2 Tbl olive oil

Directions:
1 Heat the olive oil and add the onions. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes or until onions are golden. Stir often.
2 Add the garlic, spices, and salt (not too much as the bouillon is also salted). Stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3 Add the tomatoes, spinach, chickpeas, lemon juice, and bouillon. Bring to a higher heat for about 3 minutes then let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is flavorful but not too thick.
4 Prepare the couscous grain according to package directions.
5 Serve vegetables over warm couscous and decorate with sliced, chopped cilantro.

Warm Spinach-Parmesan Dip

This recipe is originally from epicurious.com, and Miranda’s modifications are in italics at the bottom of the recipe.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1¾ cups chopped onion
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup chicken stock or vegetable broth
½ cup whipping cream (milk worked fine)
10 ounces fresh spinach leaves ( I used way more spinach, maybe 2 or 3 times the amount)
1 cup (packed) grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup sour cream
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Add flour; stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in stock and cream; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, cheese, sour cream and cayenne (spinach will wilt). Season with salt and pepper. Transfer dip to serving bowl. Serve warm with toasted baguette slices. I left out the sour cream, used milk instead of cream, added some red pepper flakes, and increased the amount of spinach. I also added feta cheese and chopped walnuts.

Roasted Kohlrabi, Daikon Radish & Spinach Salad
http://greenearthinstitute.org/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&products_id=1774

Ingredients:
1 kohlrabi, peeled, diced
1 daikon radish, peeled, diced
1 cup chopped onion
2 green apples
10 - 12 ounces fresh spinach, torn

Dressing:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ tablespoons poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons agave nectar/honey

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
~In a small bowl mix the dressing ingredients, pouring half in a large bowl to toss the vegetables and reserve half for later to top salad. Add the kohlrabi, radish and onion to the large bowl with the dressing, toss to coat; pour mixture onto a large baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, stirring halfway through. Turn broiler to high, broil vegetables until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through; remove from oven and let cool. ~Chop apples and place in a large salad bowl; add vegetables and spinach; pour on reserved dressing and toss gently to coat.

Daikon Radish Chips
http://www.floridacoastalcooking.com/2011/01/csa-my-week-6-and-daikon-radish-chips.html

Ingredients:
1 Daikon radish, sliced thinly
Olive oil spray
coarse sea salt
fresh ground pepper
garlic powder, to taste

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and lay the radish slices down. Spray the tops with olive oil. Broil for 5-8 minutes until just beginning to brown. Flip and broil second side 5-8 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

January 14, 2014

Week 4 Newsletter, Winter 2014

ATHENS HILLS CSA

Happy New Year to you all! We hope you had a restful holiday season. Over the last two weeks, many crew members were able to leave for family/friend visits. There was a skeleton crew each day tending to watering and the harvests for our farmers market and some wholesale deliveries. But for the most part, it was a nice break for all. And then, BLAMMO! Your dedicated farmers came in on Sunday to harvest all of the veggies for today’s deliveries. They spent most of the day on Monday cleaning and washing those veggies, and today, the packing continues. This extreme cold has made mundane tasks into monumental ones.

Normally, packing uses lots of outside space while the shares are being assembled. With below zero and single digit temperatures, we had to make use of several buildings instead. It was inconvenient, but we’re just grateful we had the space to accomplish it. The big delivery truck started finally after several rounds of turning on the ‘glow plug’. The partner items were all delivered before the big freeze, too. This area was extremely fortunate that we did not get the day of freezing rain that came before the snow. In fact, we really didn’t have much snow either.

Of course, the real testimony will come after the thaw later this week. Then we’ll be able to determine just how successful our methods of growing in unheated houses with row covers really are. With sunshine beating into the houses all day on Tuesday, the temperatures inside those houses were in the upper 40’s for several hours. Grabbing those extra BTU’s will help with the night’s cold.

The seeds, tubers, and sets for this coming season are all ordered and most have arrived. Reports from the 2013 crop logs, plans for 2014 field usage and bed maps, planting schedules, and many other lists including budgets are all a part of the work this time of year.

Welcome back to your deliveries of fresh, organic produce from our farm to you. We’re glad to be back and glad to have you. Have a great week!

From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, Mark, Emily, Matt T, Natalie, Josh, Andy, Miranda, Paula, Penny, and Kristina)

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – Our winter salad mix is a blend of 6 varieties of lettuces plus the mild-tasting Asian greens tatsoi, pe-tsai, and mizuna plus claytonia. This mix is best stored in an air-tight container with some paper towel or cloth to absorb any moisture.
Mushrooms - Shiitake for some, and oyster for the rest. Make the most of these items: 1st store them in a paper bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Don’t throw the stems away – instead simmer them in a saucepan of salted water for about 1- 1½ hours, strain the broth, and store in the freezer for soup or rice broth. Yum-yum!
Sunflower / MicroMix Microgreens - Some of you will get our more delicate mix this week, and some will get sunflower. The mix has a tangy flavor and does not store as long as the sunflower.
Tatsoi – Tatsoi is a very mild Asian green -very versatile. We use it raw in our salad mix, but lightly sautéed, steamed, stir-fried is also delicious.
Swiss Chard – 2nd only to spinach in nutrient richness. Some benefits include blood sugar regulation, anti-inflammatory benefits, and bone health to name a few.
Arugula – Arugula is one of the ‘love-it-or-hate-it’ veggies. It’s distinctive peppery flavor makes a statement whether raw in a salad or cooked in a recipe.
Rutabaga – Similar to regular purple-top turnips in use, the flavor is a little milder and the texture is creamier.
Japanese White Turnips – The mildest of the turnips we have ever tasted. Use them grated in salad, marinated as a fresh veggie plate, lightly steamed, or boiled for a traditional use.

THE COMBO CORNER

The apple share from Cherry Orchard includes Enterprise, Melrose, Red or Yellow Delicious

The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Village Rye.
The cheese from Integration Acres is Raw Milk Goat Gouda.

PICKUP CONTACT NUMBERS & HOURS

RECIPES

Mushroom Arugula Pizza
http://www.thenaptimechef.com

Ingredients:
1 ball pizza crust
½ lb. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 C. fresh arugula, washed and dried

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450F.
2. Roll out the pizza dough to fit a pizza stone or large rimmed baking sheet. Brush olive oil over the dough and bake it for about 10 minutes, or until it is lightly browned.
3. Remove the crust from the oven and top with the mozzarella, mushrooms, and arugula. Return the oven to bake for another 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly and the crust is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and serve!

ROASTED TURNIPS
http://www.writerguy.com/deb/compost/2011/Nws18-2011.html
serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. turnips, quartered
sea salt and pepper
olive oil
2 rosemary leaves or 6 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a shallow roasting pan or baking dish. Boil the turnips in salted water for 3 minutes then drain. Wipe off the extra moisture with a towel.
2. Toss with enough oil to coat them lightly, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer them to the dish with the herbs and bake, uncovered, until tender when pierced with a knife and are browned, 25-30 minutes.

These make a great side dish and can also be mashed and served like mashed potatoes. You can cut the cooked turnips into cubes and sauté them in a little butter and chopped fresh herbs such as the basil from the box or parsley and garlic. They are sweet and delicious and a great addition to a meal.

Creamy Sautéed Mushroom and Rutabaga Soup
http://daringbakerduluth.blogspot.com/2012/08/creamy-mushroom-and-oatmeal-soup.html

Ingredients:
Oil and butter
Salt and pepper
Dried or fresh thyme
1/2 of a smallish medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into a large dice
1 medium onion, diced small
2 heaping cups of mushrooms; sliced, roughly chopped and diced small. I use cremini, oyster and enoki mushrooms
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Flour, about 1/4 cup
4 to 6 cups broth, any kind 1 cup chopped cooked chicken (omitted for vegetarian)
1 cup old fashioned oats
Heavy cream, about 1/4 cup

Directions:
Using a wide-bottomed soup pot, cover the bottom of the pot with a thin coat of oil and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Over medium heat, lightly brown your rutabaga with a pinch of kosher salt, about 5 minutes. Add your onion and cook for about another 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are starting to color as well.

Push the rutabaga and onion to the edges of pot and throw your largest pieces of mushroom into the center (not the small diced mushrooms yet). If there's no fat in the center of your pan, add a tablespoon of butter in with the mushrooms. Stir them around in the center for a minute, then let them brown on one side without stirring for several minutes. Add your small diced mushrooms and garlic. If using dried thyme, add a pinch (about 1/2 teaspoon) at this point. Add another pinch of kosher salt. Stir everything in the pot together and cook until the color is a dark golden brown and the rutabagas are still firm but tender.

You should be able to see fat bubbling all around in the pan. If not, add a couple tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle the top of the veggies with flour to cover most of them with a light dusting (about 1/4 cup). Stir the flour in and cook for a couple minutes, stirring here and there.

Add enough broth to cover everything by an inch or so, raise the heat and bring to a boil while stirring vigorously, scraping the bits off the bottom as you do. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for several minutes.

Stir in oatmeal, chicken and if using fresh thyme, add about a small tablespoon of the leaves at this point. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and add cream. Salt and pepper to taste. This soup is good with lots of pepper and grated sharp cheddar. And like most soups, it's better the next day. If you're making this for company, do it the day before and reheat over low with a splash of milk if it seems too thick. The soup keeps in the fridge and also the freezer.

BROWNED BUTTER PASTA with TATSOI
www.appetiteforchina.com
Serves 2

Ingredients:
Your pasta of choice, preferably curved or with ridges
½ stick unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Leaves of 2-3 bunches of tatsoi, rinsed
½ cup chopped sage
Freshly grated parmesan
Lemon wedges, optional

Directions:
Cook pasta to al dente in salted water.

When pasta is almost done 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
Low-fat cheese and milk work fine here. Mustard greens can be used instead of or along with tatsoi.

Ingredients:
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.