Strawberry Season!

One of the most exciting times of year is the ripening of the first strawberry. There's nothing like popping a freshly picked strawberry into your mouth right out of the garden.

Be sure to check out the Chesterhill Produce Auction's Special Strawberry Auction on Wednesday June 1st. There will be homemade ice cream sponsored by Snowville Creamery and information on methods of using and preparing strawberries.

*Note : this special auction replaces the regularly scheduled Thursday auction.*

Strawberry Crumb Pie

Ingredients:

• 3 pints strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1-1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2-3 tbs. water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Clean hull and slice strawberries. Combine in a bowl with sugar and corn starch. Let stand
2. Combine flour and salt, cut in butter with a mixer.
3. Set aside 2/3 of flour mix
4. Sprinkle water over remaining mix. Press into a ball and roll out dough. Press into a pie pan.
5. Fill pie crust with strawberry mixture.
6. Blend reserve flour mix with brown sugar and cinnamon and cover strawberries.
7. Place pie pan on foil covered baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.
8. Serve with ice cream or whip cream

We'll be featuring more strawberry recipes in the coming weeks!!

Produce Auction Opening Day to Celebrate Public and Private Agricultural Investment

If you eat seasonally and locally, there are a few givens, 1) if you can, you garden (if you can get one in this year), 2) you take advantage of area farmers' markets and farm markets, and 3) you've been waiting for the opening of the 2011 Chesterhill Produce Auction. What, you haven't heard of the Chesterhill Produce Auction? Well, maybe you heard of it as the CPA? Well if you hadn't, now you have. So, come, join us.


Thursday May 12th is the opening day of the Chesterhill Produce Auction, 8380 Wagoner Rd., Chesterhill Ohio 43728. All are invited. 2011 will mark the 7th season for this Morgan County local foods destination. The Auction will run Mondays and Thursdays through October, featuring seasonal produce, plants, crafts, and more, at auction and in a wide variety of lot sizes, for both the home and business. Festivities will begin at 3:00pm with a community potluck and speakers followed by the Auction at 4:00pm. Nature activities will be available for children.
This year’s opening day will celebrate the unique combination of public and private investment that has made this regional local foods hub possible. The Chesterhill Produce Auction (CPA) was purchased by Rural Action in 2010 with financial support from the Appalachian Regional Commission, as well as a core group of local community investors, farmers, and supporters, and with a loan from the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development in Berea Kentucky. After working with the founders of the CPA for five years Rural Action collaborated with local stakeholders throughout the region to secure the future of this community based economic infrastructure.
In 2010 The Appalachian Regional Commission announced funding of $50,000 towards the cost of the CPA as part of its economic initiatives in Appalachian Ohio. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a regional economic development agency which represents a partnership of federal, state, and local government. The mission of the commission is to be a strategic partner and advocate for sustainable community and economic development in Appalachia. “The member states of the Appalachian Regional Commission are funding more and more food related job creation projects to take advantage of Appalachia’s resources,” said Louis Segesvary, public affairs officer for the ARC.
“With the increased emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables as a way to improve health, initiatives that support the local farm production necessary to capture those markets allow us to win at both the economic and health level” noted Rural Action Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator Tom Redfern.
For more information on the Chesterhill Produce Auction contact Tom Redfern at 740-767-4938, or tomr@ruralaction.org or Bob Fedyski same phone, or bob@ruralaction.org. Produce Auction results and information are also available at www.ohiofoodshed.org. Rural Action is a membership based organization promoting economic, social, and environmental justice in Appalachian Ohio.

Weekend Workshop: Homemade Ricotta Cheese

I've had a request to re-post this how-to so here it is - homemade ricotta cheese! It's so easy and so delicious compared to grocery store counterparts. The whole process takes about 20 minutes, so you can easily incorporate it into your favorite recipes without adding extra time and the taste will surely wow your guests.

Here's what you'll need:

• ½ gallon of Snowville Creamery’s whole milk
• 1 pint of buttermilk
• cheesecloth
• Colander

Instructions

1. Fold rinsed cheesecloth into layers and use it to line a colander in the sink. (If you would like to save the whey for use in other recipes, place a bowl under the colander.)
2. Combine milk and buttermilk into a large stainless steel, glass, or ceramic saucepan. (Don't use aluminum or copper which will react to the acids in the milk.)
3. Put the pan over medium to high heat and stir with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan to make sure the milk doesn't burn.
4. Once is the milk is warm, stop stirring and continue to heat.
5. You will start to see lumps forming in the milk - these are the curds. Once the temperature reaches between 175 and 180 F, the curds and whey will separate. At that point remove your pan from the heat.
6. Pour mixture in the colander.
7. Once the draining has slowed to a drip, carefully gather the edges of the cloth around the cheese and secure with a rubber band or tie in a knot, into a bag shape which can be hung from your faucet or tap.
8. Drain further until the cheese cools down and dripping completely comes to a halt, about 10-15 minutes.
9. Remove from the cheese from the cloth and refrigerate. For absolute freshness, consume as quickly as possible.

Asparagus at the Chesterhill Produce Auction

Well, the 2011 Chesterhill Produce Auction is about to start, so I thought you might like a recipe musing something you could get there next week (May 12). As you may have noticed, it's been a bit wet for planting, so the selection may be a bit limited, but we're sure to find some asparagus and rhubarb,as well as lot's of bedding plants, crafts, tomato stakes, and good company!

So, what to do with the asparagus? I tend to think some of the simplest recipes are the best. This one is about as simple as it gets!



Steamed Asparagus

Ingredients:

Asparagus, as many servings as you like.


Directions:

• Gather a sauce pot with lid, and a steam cage or basket
• Wash the asparagus
• Trim the bottoms from the asparagus
• Bring water to boil in pot, below the basket/cage level
• place asparagus in pot and re-cover
• Steam about 4-5 minutes, 'til al dente
• Remove and serve
  
• Serving suggestions are; with a pat of butter, a dash of salt, and/or a light sprinkle of Balsamic Vinegar. I like Balsamic for it's combination of sweet and tart, that enhances the flavor!
• ENJOY
  

Wild Harvest: Ramps

Ramps are another favorite wild spring time treat. They are a wild leek having an onion like bulb with two broad leaves. Be a responsible harvester and take a few here and there, avoiding taking large clumps from a single location. Ramp leaves can be cut with scissors when gathering or bulbs can be dug if you'll use them in cooking.

I enjoy sauteing fresh ramp leaves or making ramp pesto. The pesto can be quite intense, so I usually do half and half ramps and another green such as kale. Seeds, nuts and cheese can be added to the recipe for extra flavor. Enjoy mixed into pasta or over your favorite local meats or wild game.