Week 9 Newsletter, Winter 2014

ATHENS HILLS CSA

Our delivery last week is an example of our commitment to bring you the veggies you are expecting. We received many amazed, yet grateful comments. Besides our CSA deliveries, we also deliver to a number of other businesses, both grocery and restaurant. We have many incentives to show up. If we are not able to make the delivery, we will call and email all of the members as soon as the decision is made (like calling off school…). If you haven’t heard from us, please expect to pickup. 

Recent articles in grower magazines are all about this winter season’s record-breaking siege of cold weather. Many growers have lost part or all of their plantings, or if not lost, their plants have stopped growing, waiting for warmer days. At Green Edge, we’ve been fortunate, but also diligent. Even though we have strict protocols for ‘covering temperatures’ that guide us in the number of covers that we will pull each evening, there has been a slow-down in the rate of re-growth of the heartier greens, and the lettuces have more cold damage than experienced in the past winters. We’re fortunate that our conscious decision to limit the number of winter shares this season means that we have enough to fill them. As the season progresses, please be aware that we will make certain you have made a good investment. 

Both Monday and Tuesday of this week saw temperatures inside the houses range between 50 and 70 degrees, even with single digits outside. We know these warmer, sunny days only help the recovery of the plants. As the days lengthen, re-growth will speed making more availability of all things planted. Yeah! 

Empty beds in the houses are being planted with things to come for April and beyond. Miranda is almost finished with the brochures for the 2014 summer CSA cycle. We’ll send them your way as soon as they are completed. Please let us know your plans as soon as you can. Thanks. Stay warm and have a great week!

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

THIS WEEK’S VEGGIES

Salad Mix – Our winter salad mix is a blend of 7 varieties of lettuces plus the mild-tasting Asian greens 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 have a tangy flavor and do not store as long as the sunflower.
Pac Choy: similar to bok choy in handling and cooking. The flavor is a little stronger than the tatsoi; takes a little more time to cook and the texture is rather like Napa Cabbage.
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.
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.
Butternut squash – This flavor is somewhere between a sweet potato and a pumpkin. Bake whole or cut up and use in a recipe, something like squash soup. Yum! Store in a cool and dry place.

The Combo Corner

The apple share from Cherry Orchards this week includes Red and Yellow Delicious.
The bread from The Village Bakery and Café is Country Sourdough Rye.
The cheese from Integration Acres is Caprino Romano, a natural rind goat’s milk cheese. This batch has aged for 11 months!

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!


This year we are planning a change in the plans for our Open Farm Day. Currently, we expect that the day will be later in the season. However, if you are interested in seeing the greenhouses this early spring, we are happy to show you. Just give a call and we can schedule your visit.  

RECIPES

Shiitake mushrooms contain the active compound lentinan, which has the ability to strengthen the immune system. Lentinan is a polysaccharide that has also been shown to have anticancer activity. The amount of L-ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant, is 40 times higher in shiitake mushrooms than in wheat germ.
For more immune-boosting recipes, visit http://www.juliedaniluk.com.

Stir-Fried Shiitake Mushrooms with Tofu and Bok Choy
Serves 4
Can be prepared in 30 minutes or fewer

Ingredients:
1 tsp. cornstarch 
2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce 
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger 
2 tsp. Thai chile sauce, such as sriracha 
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.) 
1 tsp. sesame oil 
3 Tbs. canola oil, divided 
1 14-oz. pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained & cut into bite-sized cubes 
1 lb. bok choy, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces 
2 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms

Directions:
1. Whisk together cornstarch and 1 tsp. water in bowl. Whisk in soy sauce, ginger, chile sauce, garlic, and sesame oil.
2. Heat 1 Tbs. canola oil in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry tofu 7 minutes, or until golden brown; transfer to plate. Add 1 Tbs. oil to pan. Stir-fry bok choy 4 minutes; transfer to plate.
3. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to pan. Stir-fry mushrooms 2 minutes, or until tender. Return tofu and bok choy to pan. Stir in soy sauce mixture, and stir-fry 1 minute, or until hot.
Mushroom and Spinach Frittata 
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/health/mushroom-and-spinach-frittata-recipes-for-health.html?_r=2&
 
Ingredients: 
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
10 ounce mushrooms 
Salt and freshly ground pepper 
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced  
6-ounce baby spinach, rinsed 
8 eggs 
¼ cup grated Parmesan (optional) Or your CSA cheese, Caprino Romano, a similar style cheese
2 tablespoons low-fat milk

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy 10-12” nonstick skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring or tossing often, until they begin to sweat and soften, 3-5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and the garlic, and stir together until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the spinach, a handful at a time and stir until wilted. Turn up the heat and let any excess liquid evaporate from the pan, then remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. 
2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl (you can do this while the mushrooms are cooking). Stir in salt and pepper to taste, the milk, and the mushroom and spinach mixture. Add the Parmesan if desired. 
3. Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in the skillet until it feels hot when you hold your hand about 1 inch above it. Drop a bit of egg into the pan and if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture, scraping all of it in with a rubber spatula. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Once a few layers of egg have cooked turn the heat down to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time remove the lid and loosen the bottom of the omelet with a spatula, tilting the pan, so that the bottom doesn’t burn. It will turn golden. The eggs should be just about set though there will be a layer on the top that is not. 
4. Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler, not too close to the heat, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the top sets, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn’t burn (at most, it should brown very slightly and puff under the broiler). Remove from the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn’t sticking and allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes and for up to 15. It can be a little runny in the middle if you like it that way. Loosen the edges with a spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut into wedges. Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold.

Balsamic Roasted Butternut Squash & Mushrooms with Pasta 
http://www.bostonorganics.com/balsamic-roasted-butternut-squash--mushrooms-wit/re/balsamic-roasted-butternut-squash--mushrooms-wit

Ingredients:
1 med. butternut squash, peeled & chopped into 1” pieces 
3 cloves garlic crushed 
½ medium red onion, chopped 
Olive Oil 
Salt and Pepper 
1 box thin spaghetti or angel hair 
½ cup balsamic vinegar 
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced (shiitake, baby bella, portobellos, buttons) 
3 cups spinach, chopped in ribbons 
½ tsp. red pepper flakes 
Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, grated (You can use your CSA cheese, Caprino Romano!)
½ cup Ricotta Cheese (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss butternut squash with ½ the crushed garlic, onion, 3 Tbs. olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a cookie sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden-brown and tender. Puree about ¾ of the squash and add ½ the balsamic. If the sauce is too thick, you can add pasta cooking water at the end. In a large pot of salted, boiling water, boil pasta according to box directions and reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain and add pasta water to squash puree if you prefer the sauce thinner. Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan, heat 2 Tbs. olive oil and add remaining garlic, more onion if you, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes until mushrooms begin to brown. Add the remaining balsamic and toss in the spinach and red pepper flakes. Sauté for about 2 minutes, until the spinach wilts slightly. To serve, toss about ½ the sauce with the hot pasta and plate a nest of pasta on each plate. Top with additional squash sauce, a spoonful of the mushroom-spinach mixture, a dollop of ricotta, and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Serve warm and enjoy!