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Week 5 Newsletter, Winter 2014 (Athens Hills CSA)

0 Comments 22 January 2014

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)

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 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. 

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!


Return rate of the green/red bags has fallen off. Folks, this return is very important. Please gather the ones you have and return them this week. Thanks so much! 

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_infoproducts_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.

Article source: http://greenedgegardens.blogspot.com/2014/01/week-5-newsletter-winter-2014.html

Local Athens News

Week 6 Newsletter, Winter 2014 (Athens Hills CSA)

0 Comments 22 January 2014

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)

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 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!) 

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!


Return rate of the green/red bags has
fallen off. Folks, this return is very important. Please gather the
ones you have and return them this week. Thanks so much!

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.

Article source: http://greenedgegardens.blogspot.com/2014/01/week-6-newsletter-winter-2014.html

Local Athens News

TEACHING YOUR BABY SIGN LANGUAGE (Athens Birth Circle)

0 Comments 16 January 2014

Wednesday, January 29th
7:00 to 8:30pm
Athens Public Library

April Dunaway will explain the reasoning behind and the techniques of teaching babies and
children of all abilities Sign Language. She’ll also share resources available to parents to learn
more about Sign Language and she will demonstrate some of the basic signs which will help
babies and parents communicate with each other before the child can talk.

Article source: http://athensbirthcircle.blogspot.com/2014/01/teaching-your-baby-sign-language.html