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Availability for April 23
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Athens Locally Grown
http://athens.locallygrown.net
Recipes
Steamed Chicory with Pine Nuts and Raisins
This lovely, simple recipe accentuates the bittersweet taste of cooked chicory by pairing it with fruits and nuts. Make a pretty variation by substituting dried cranberries for the raisins and slivered almonds for the pine nuts. Or try chopped dried apricots (use unsulfured for a deeper flavor) and toasted chopped pecans or walnuts. From Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables
Serves 4
3 tablespoons raisins
1 pound chicories, such as endive, escarole, or radicchio, leaves separated but left whole (if you’re using radicchio, simply cut it into quarters)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons pine nuts
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the raisins in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to plump, then drain.
2. Put the chicory in a steamer basket, set over 11/2 inches boiling water, and cover. Steam just until wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the greens to a colander to drain.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and pine nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until the pine nuts begin to brown in spots, about 3 minutes.
4. Give the greens a few chops on a cutting board, then add them to the skillet and stir until the greens are well coated with the oil. Remove from heat and stir in the raisins. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Market News
Even though there are many new items this week, you may notice that the actual quantities available for many items we’ve had recently are down a bit. The “March Blizzard” and all of the much-needed rain disrupted spring planting for pretty much everyone, and so there’s a bit of a gap right now in the spring greens. It should be temporary, and might last only this one week. I know my garden is doing great, as the warm days, cool nights, and plenty of rain is exactly what my little plants love most of all. I was out today, finally putting in supports for trellising for all of the snap peas, which have until now just been sprawling across the ground. I’ll try to harvest enough to share with you all, but to be honest, these Amish heirloom peas rarely make it from the garden to the house. They’re just too delicious to resist, even during that little walk.
We have scheduled our “Farmer For a Day” program for the year, and by “we” I mostly mean “Marc Tissenbaum”, our Farmer For a Day volunteer coordinator. Each month, participants will visit a different sustainable farm to gain insight into some of the low-impact agricultural methods used in our community. They will also be able to match faces and names with farms that provide fresh, chemical-free goods to Athens area markets, restaurants, and individuals. In addition, the farmers will receive some much-deserved recognition while getting a little help and potentially picking up a few new customers. All in all, it will help individuals create an even stronger sense of community in Athens, GA.
One Saturday or Sunday a month from May through October, we will meet at our host farm at 10am. From 10 to noon, participants will get to see first-hand what goes into producing their food by helping with small, fun and interesting projects the grower will have prepared. We’ll then have lunch (free for all volunteers) followed by a full tour of the farm. The tours generally wrap-up by 2 p.m. Our food sponsors this year are Daily Groceries Co-op, Athens Locally Grown, and participating farmers.
Each tour is limited to 25 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. You can make reservations right on the Athens Locally Grown website as you’re shopping. You’ll find all of the events listed under the “Event Reservations” category, and you can add your reservations to your cart right alongside your veggies for the week. For example, if you plan on bringing four people, add four reservations. Directions will be provided and a carpool will be organized for each tour.
The list of farms and dates are as follows:
Roots Farm (Winterville), May 17
Greendale Farm (Madison), June 6
Dancing Sprout Farm (Athens), July 11
Mills Farm (Athens), August 9
Johnston Family Farm (Newborn), September 5
Boann’s Banks (Royston), October 3
The May and August tours fall on Sunday; the other monthly tours fall on Saturday.
The Johnston family run a dairy farm, Greendale produces free range eggs and pasture raised chicken, and the other participating farms emphasize vegetable production, with Mills Farm, additionally, utilizing their mule to grind corn grits, polenta, and meal. We’ll end the season with a big feast at my farm during the Hunter’s Moon in October. I’ll open that event up for reservations later this summer.
As always, we thank you for your continued support of Athens Locally Grown and our member growers! We’ll see you on Thursday from 4:30 to 8pm at the old market on Broad Street.
Coming Events
Nature’s Harmony is hosting a Volunteer Day on the Farm on Saturday, April 25th. Here is some info, in their words: “Many of you have graciously asked from time to time about helping on the farm. Well, if you’re still interested, here’s your chance. We are having a volunteer day on the farm on Saturday, April 25, 2009. The day will start at 9:00 a.m. and go until 4:00 p.m. Afterward, we hope you can stay for an early cookout featuring meats from Nature’s Harmony.” They’ve got a variety of projects planned, and it doesn’t matter if you have farm or carpentry skills. Contact Liz Young for more info at liz@naturesharmonyfarm.com
Split Creek Farm (the goat dairy that offers the wonderful cheeses and fudge every other week) is holding their spring festival on Saturday, May 2nd. Spring means babies at Split Creek, and this even is a wonderful family affair. They’ll have tours and demonstrations throughout the day, and you’ll find details and directions on their website.
The Comer Farmers Market opens on Saturday, May 2nd. There is a bit more info here.
And finally the Athens Farmers Market is reopening for the season on Saturday May 9th at Bishop Park. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.
We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!