Our Daily Tasks: Covering and Uncovering

Our Daily Tasks: Covering and Uncovering

The winter wonderland where we grow your veggies.

The winter wonderland where we grow your veggies.
Photo credit: Emily Hammon
Want to join and receive your own share of delicious veggies each week? If you are interested in signing up, please email us at greededgegardens@gmail.com. For more information or to download our Enrollment brochure, visit our website at www.greenedgegardens.com/CSA.

We love sharing our wonderful produce with you! We started this blog so that we can keep you up to date with all that is happening on the farm. It is also an opportunity for all of us to get to know one another better. One of the strengths of a CSA is the direct relationship between the farmer's experience and your experience receiving fresh vegetables weekly.

We want to hear from you, so please feel free to share recipes, thoughts and ideas-just click on the COMMENT below each post to add to our CSA community.

January 15, 2009

Hello all,

I just wanted to apologize for the appearance of the blog over the last couple of weeks. I'm trying to figure out how to copy the newsletter to this blog without any issues and so far (as you can see) I haven't solved that problem. Thanks for bearing with me and I hope that you enjoy the recipes, etc. despite the formatting issues. Have a great winter week!

Sincerely,
Claudia

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK FIVE

Hello Everyone!

Happy 2009 to those of you who are joining us again this week! I hope that the New Year is treating all of you well so far. Here at Green Edge we are missing John who is gone for the month on an extended substitute-teaching job. Despite his absence the rest of us have settled into a good winter routine on the farm and thoughts of spring plantings are starting to enter our heads. While we won't actually begin seeding anything until next month, all of the seed catalogs that arrive daily in the mail keep us occupied with ideas for the next season here and at home in our own gardens (yes, many of us are crazy enough to have our own to deal with in the warmer months!).

This week I've included some recipes from a cookbook that our mushroom guru Rob got this Christmas. Jessica Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld's wife, wrote a wonderful cookbook based on veggie and fruit purees that can be used to "sneak" these valuable foods into a picky child's meals. So many of the recipes sound delicious and I've chosen a few based on what is in your share this week. I hope you enjoy the innovations she's developed!

As I mentioned in last week's newsletter, I just wanted to remind everyone that we would like for you to return your boxes from your previous share when you pick your next share up. In an effort to conserve, we reuse these wax boxes each week, which really helps us keep our costs down, but more importantly, it helps us keep our impact on this planet to a minimum. For our Bexley members, please return your bags in the same manner as above, and if you need another copy of the care instructions please email me and I will get that to you right away. Thanks for your help with these ongoing endeavors and welcome back to all of you! Have a great week!

Best Wishes,

Claudia


FEATURED VEGGIES

(If you have questions about any of these veggies, email me and I will do my best to get back to you right away with storage ideas, serving suggestions, etc.)

Salad Mix (The mix this week includes a romaine, green & red salad bowl, and two Asian greens—petsai & mizuna. It’s a beautiful & tasty array of greens! Try the recipe included for a fresh lunch or dinner option.)

Sunflower Microgreens (Great on salads, sandwiches, on top of your eggs benedict, or just on their own. Share your ideas for these little gems on our blog.)

Mushrooms (Shiitakes are the name of the game this week. Check out the recipe I've included this week for a new taste adventure with these delights.)

Swiss Chard (This is one of our tried and true winter greens. It's wonderful in so many dishes, but my favorite way to prepare it is to steam it (stems removed) and place layers of it in my favorite lasagna. It adds great color and flavor, not to mention all the nutrition, to a meal that has become a standard in my household.)


Arugula
(Spice up those cold early winter evenings with this bold peppery green that we love so well. If spice is not what you are looking for, just cook the arugula with your favorite pasta sauce, or sauté it with our garlic to mellow it out.)

Sweet Potatoes (Try these gems in the recipes I've included this week. Or, if you have a favorite way of enjoying them, feel free to share those ideas with us and the rest of your Winter CSA community via an email to me or by posting a comment to this newsletter on the blog.)


Recipe: Oatmeal with Sweet Potato (Serves 2)

1 C. skim milk

¼ C. firmly packed brown

sugar

¼ C. sweet potato puree

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp. cinnamon or pump-

kin pie spice

1 C. old-fashioned oats

2 tsp. natural peanut

butter (optional)

dried fruit and nuts

pure maple syrup

For the puree...

Wash the sweet potatoes, but do not peel. Cut the sweet potatoes into quarters and steam for 40-45 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and puree in a food processor or blender. Whatever you do not use for this recipe can be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for later use.

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, sweet potato puree, vanilla, and spice. Bring to a gentle boil and stir in the oatmeal. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the oatmeal is soft and creamy. Stir in the peanut butter if using.

Spoon the oatmeal into bowls, sprinkle with dried fruit and nuts, if you like, and serve with maple syrup.

(Recipe courtesy of Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, 2007.)


Recipe: Pasta with Bolognese Sauce (Serves 4)

This recipe makes twice as much sauce as you need to serve pasta for 4; freeze the rest for another meal. Finely chopped raw sweet potato may be substituted for puree.

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

nonstick cooking spray

1 Tbs. olive oil

3 carrots

1 stalk celery

½ lb. lean ground sirloin

½ lb. lean ground turkey

½ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 large (26-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (8 oz.) can reduced-fat low sodium

chicken or beef broth

1 Tbs. sugar

½ C. sweet potato puree

2 Tbs. grated Parmesan

1 lb. any pasta, preferable whole

wheat or whole grain

Put the onion and garlic in the food processor and finely chop (or chop by hand).

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil, then the onion & garlic, and cook until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the carrot and celery in the food processor and finely chop; add to the skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer.

Increase the heat to high, add the ground meats, and break them into small chunks with a wooden spoon. Add the salt & pepper and cook until the meat begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, and sugar. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Stir in the sweet potato puree and Parmesan.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander, then return the pasta to the pot. Pour the warm sauce over the pasta and toss.

(Recipe courtesy of Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, 2007.)


Recipe: Hot Cocoa with Sweet Potato (Serves 2)

(The familiar taste of chocolate syrup hides the sweet potato puree. It's the puree, though, that makes the cocoa so thick and creamy, even made with skim milk.)

1 ¼ C. skim milk

½ C. sweet potato puree

2 Tbs. chocolate syrup

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

marshmallows

Combine the milk, sweet potato puree, chocolate syrup, salt, and spice in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour into mugs and top with marshmallows.

(Recipe courtesy of Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, 2007.)

I hope you find this information helpful! Enjoy your share and keep in touch. Have a great (warm) week!

January 9, 2009

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS WEEK'S SHARE: WEEK FIVE

SALAD MIX
SUNFLOWER MICROGREENS
SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
SWISS CHARD
ARUGULA
SWEET POTATOES

January 7, 2009

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:

WEEK FOUR

Hello Everyone!

Happy 2009! We are excited to begin the CSA season again with the promise that a wonderful new year holds for all of us. After all of the traveling done over the holidays, I'm glad to stay home and settle into the winter with some warm & delicious dishes that will help balance out all of the rich & wonderful treats that filled the meals of the last few weeks.

This week I've included some recipes that are simple enough to handle after a hard day's work, and enjoyable enough to satisfy a discriminating palate. I hope you enjoy each of them!

As we start the season back up I just wanted to remind everyone that we would like for you to return your boxes from your previous share when you pick your next share up. In an effort to conserve, we reuse these wax boxes each week, which really helps us keep our costs down, but more importantly, it helps us keep our impact on this planet to a minimum. For our Bexley members, please return your bags in the same manner as above, and if you need another copy of the care instructions please email me and I will get that to you right away. Thanks for your help with these ongoing endeavors and welcome back to all of you! Have a great week!

Best Wishes,

Claudia


FEATURED VEGGIES

(If you have questions about any of these veggies, email me and I will do my best to get back to you right away with storage ideas, serving suggestions, etc.)

Salad Mix (The mix this week includes a romaine, green & red salad bowl, and two Asian greens—petsai & mizuna. It’s a beautiful & tasty array of greens! Try the recipe included for a fresh lunch or dinner option.)

Sunflower Microgreens (Great on salads, sandwiches, on top of your eggs benedict, or just on their own. Share your ideas for these little gems on our blog.)

Mushrooms (Shiitakes are the name of the game this week. Check out the recipe I've included this week for a new taste adventure with these delights.)

Kale (What a wonderful and nutritious green this is! Sauté with some garlic and you have a simple and tasty filling for a quesadilla. You could also include it in the recipe for mushrooms that appears in this newsletter.)


Tatsoi
(I love this Asian green! In fact some of you may know just how good it is raw, not to mention its tastiness cooked. Enjoy trying your own takes on this great green.)

Butternut Squash (One of our best storing and favorite tasting squashes. Everyone loves this beauty, even little ones just starting to eat solid food. Enjoy this week or store in a cool, dark place for later.)

Garlic (This is another of our favorite fall crops, and definitely one of my favorite herbs to have in the kitchen. Spicy & fragrant, you can’t go wrong adding this gem to a sauce, salad dressing or stir-fry. It is the perfect addition to the other veggies in this week's share.)


Recipe: Baked Butternut Squash (Serves 2-4)

This recipe is comes from a very funny & irreverent comedian and her book about entertaining at home (see below for title).

1 butternut squash

salt & pepper

butter &/ brown sugar

(optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut your squash in half lengthwise, scoop out all the seeds and fibers. Place in a shallow baking pan cut-side down, add ¼ cup of water. I stab the outside of the squash, but I'm not sure why, or even if its right.

Season with a lot of pepper and salt and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender, checking by inserting a knife. When ready, scoop out the insides and place in a bowl or pot and season with salt and pepper and butter. You can add brown sugar, but I don't.

Mash up with a fork and then warm on stove until you need it. This too can be made ahead of time and just reheated.

(Recipe courtesy of I Like You by Amy Sedaris: Hospitality Under the Influence, 2006.)


Recipe: Crying Mushrooms in Phyllo (Serves 2-4)

10 phyllo leaves

¼ lb. butter

½ lb. chopped mushrooms

½ tsp. salt

pepper

¼ tsp. dill

4 oz. cream cheese

¼ C. sour cream

¼ C. plain yogurt

½ C. plain breadcrumbs

some parsley

1 minced scallion

juice of 1 lemon

Sauté the chopped mushrooms in some of the butter.

Remove from heat and add cream cheese to hot mushrooms. Toss until the cheese is melted. Add in everything else but the remaining butter.

Melt the remaining butter to use for the phyllo.

On a buttered baking tray, use half of the phyllo sheets and butter between each layer using a pastry brush.

Apply ½ of the filling 3 inches wide and roll tight, tucking in the sides, and brushing the top of the roll with butter as well.

Repeat with second half of the phyllo and mushroom mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

(Recipe courtesy of I Like You by Amy Sedaris: Hospitality Under the Influence, 2006.)


Recipe: Green Salad with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette (Serves 6-8)

When you are serving a salad for a dinner party, put the vinaigrette in the bottom of a serving bowl and place the greens on top. This can sit for an hour or two until you are ready to toss and serve it.

3 Tbs. Champagne vinegar

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. minced fresh garlic

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room

temperature (see note)

¾ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

½ C. good olive oil

salad greens for 6 to 8 people

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, egg yolk, salt and pepper. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

Toss the greens with enough dressing to moisten and serve immediately.

NB: If you are worried about raw egg, substitute 1 Tbs. Mayonnaise.

(Recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa: Family Style, 2002.)


I hope you find this information helpful! Enjoy your share and keep in touch.



January 2, 2009

HAPPY 2009! I HOPE YOU ALL ARE EXCITED TO START YOUR SHARES AGAIN (WE ARE)!

WHAT TO EXPECT IN YOUR NEXT SHARE: WEEK FOUR

SALAD MIX
SUNFLOWER MICROGREENS
MUSHROOMS
KALE
TATSOI
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
GARLIC

December 18, 2008

ATHENS HILLS WINTER CSA:
WEEK THREE

Hello Everyone!

Our warmest holiday wishes accompany your share this week! As we prepared the shares we did have the holidays in mind and we hope that you will find all of the vegetables useful for your menus over the next week or so. In this newsletter I’ve included some recipes that may be helpful as well if not for the holidays, at least for the aftermath.

All of our minds are set on preparing for the crazy schedule that next week brings. For those Green Edge farmers that will be in the Amesville area next week, work, although minimal, remains to be done even on Christmas Day. A big thanks goes out to both Penny and Cale who will leave their families briefly that day to take care of things on the farm should the weather dictate.

While we get ready to spend time with our families & friends over the coming holidays, we hope that you have the opportunity to enjoy your family and friends over the next two weeks too. We are looking forward to beginning a new year with all of you and we want to thank you again for helping us do what we love best—growing delicious, nutritious food for our neighbors, friends and relatives. A joyous winter and a happy new year to each of you and yours!

Best Wishes,

Claudia (on behalf of Kip & Becky, Dan, John, Cale, Rob & Penny)

FEATURED VEGGIES

Salad Mix (This week we have all lettuces in the mix (no Asian greens this time around). You will recognize all of them from your last share I’m sure. I’ve included a great recipe for a lovely holiday salad that will be sure to please. After all who wouldn’t like this beautiful & tasty array of greens?)

Mushrooms (This week’s fungi of choice are our outstanding Oysters. This variety of mushroom is mild and delicate. They do not need much cooking time, so only add them to your dish at the end when you only have 2-3 minutes left.)

Pac Choy (This is one of our favorite winter Asian greens. You may already be familiar with its relative Bok Choy. It is mild, yet flavorful and a wonderful addition to soups, grilled veggies and salads.)

Arugula (Spice up those cold early winter evenings with this bold peppery green that we love so well. If spice is not what you are looking for, just cook the arugula with your favorite pasta sauce, or sauté it with our garlic to mellow it out.)
Spinach (This is another treat that we hope you find useful for your holiday culinary adventures. After all who doesn’t love a great spinach-artichoke dip at a holiday open house or New Years bash? )

Kennebec Potatoes (These fantastic roots far surpassed our expectations this year as far as how much our plants produced as well as how flavorful they are. We hope that you enjoy them as part of your holiday feasts this year.)

Garlic (There are many uses for this great root—I’m sure you’ll find at least one this week.)

Salad Radishes (Our fresh and crisp little roots are sure to brighten up your holiday veggie tray or salad—enjoy!)

Recipe: Apple Salad with Arugula & Herb Buttermilk Dressing (Serves 8)

For the dressing…
2/3 C. buttermilk
1 6oz. container of plain
yogurt (about ½ C.)
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
1 Tbs. chopped fresh
tarragon leaves
salt & pepper to taste

For the salad…
4 Fuji, Gala &/or Granny
Smith apples, cored
& cut into 16
wedges
1 bag of G.E. salad mix,
chopped
1 bunch of G.E. arugula,
chopped


Prepare the dressing in a medium bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, yogurt, vinegar, tarragon, salt & pepper. This can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve. Just before serving, whisk dressing and take ¼ cup of it and place in a medium bowl with the apple slices, tossing to coat.

In a large serving bowl, toss the salad mix and the arugula. Top with the apples and serve the remaining dressing on the side.


(Recipe courtesy of Good Housekeeping Magazine, December 2008.)

SO WHAT IS THIS VEGETABLE AND WHAT DO I DO WITH IT?

To get us all started off on the right foot, I thought I would include some history, serving suggestions, and storage recommendations for some of the vegetables in this week’s share. I hope you find these helpful and if you have anything to add, please feel free to comment on our blog—we would love to hear from you!

ARUGULA: This is a mustard green that is usually picked young when it has a wonderful nutty and peppery flavor (some liken it to horseradish). It is rich in vitamin C and minerals adding more nutritional value to a dish when served raw. It is a great addition to salads and can even stand on its own as a salad. In this form it is often accompanied by goat cheese, roasted red peppers and pecans, but it will lend itself to many other salad variations. Arugula also works well as a cooked green and heating it up often mellows the bite it has as a raw vegetable. Sautéed with tomatoes and garlic, it becomes a delicious sauce for pasta; add it to your favorite omelet along with a stronger flavored cheese; or use it as a side dish by sautéing it in butter & lemon juice along with some oyster mushrooms.

Recipe: Potato & Root Vegetable Gratin (Serves 16—side-dish servings)

To make ahead, prepare and bake the recipe through step 4; refrigerate up to two days. When ready to complete, bake, uncovered, as in step 5, on bottom rack of oven, increasing final baking time to 55 minutes. Snip the chives a day ahead and store in the fridge in plastic wrap; sprinkle on gratin before serving.

¾ C. chicken broth
2 Tbs. butter
1 ½ lbs. G.E. potatoes (3 medium),
peeled and thinly sliced
1 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes (3 small),
peeled and thinly sliced
1 lb. celery root (1 large or 2 small),
trimmed, peeled, quartered,
and thinly sliced
1 lb. parsnips (6 medium), peeled
and thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 C. heavy whipping cream
2 Tbs. snipped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400F. In a shallow 3 ½ to 4-quart baking pan or shallow casserole, combine broth and butter, place in oven while oven preheats to melt butter (about 5 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss potatoes, celery root, and parsnips with 1 ¼ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until well mixed.

Remove baking pan from oven. Add broth mixture to vegetable mixture and stir to coat. Spoon vegetable mixture into the same baking pan, cover with foil and bake vegetables for 40 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven. In a 1-cup liquid measuring cup, heat cream in the microwave on high for 45 seconds to warm. Pour cream evenly over vegetables.

Return baking pan to oven and bake vegetables, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes longer or until top is golden and vegetables are fork-tender. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

(Recipe courtesy of Good Housekeeping Magazine, December 2008.)

I hope you find this information helpful! Enjoy your first share and keep in touch throughout the season. Have a wonderful week and don’t forget you can contact us at:

(740) 448-4021 OR
greenedgegardens@verizon.net
or on the blog:
www.greenedgegardens.blogspot.com


We look forward to hearing from you!

December 15, 2008

Hello everyone!

We just wanted to remind folks that we will not be delivering next week (Christmas week) or the week after (New Year's week). We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season and that it is filled with warmth, peace, laughter & love. Thank you for your support this winter and we will see you again in the new year (after this week of course :) ).

Sincerely,
The Green Edge Farmers

December 12, 2008

WHAT TO EXPECT IN YOUR SHARE THIS WEEK: WEEK THREE

SALAD MIX
OYSTER MUSHROOMS
BABY PAC CHOI
POTATOES
GARLIC
SPINACH
SALAD RADISHES
ARUGULA

December 7, 2008

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS WEEK'S SHARE: WEEK TWO

SALAD MIX
SUNFLOWER MICROGREENS
MUSHROOMS
TATSOI (A MILD ASIAN GREEN)
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
CILANTRO

December 2, 2008

WELCOME TO THE WINTER 2009 CSA!
HERE IS WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS WEEK'S SHARE: WEEK ONE

SALAD MIX
SUNFLOWER MICROGREENS
MUSHROOMS
SPINACH
SWEET POTATOES
GARLIC