February 5th, 2010 by Margie

Kirkwood UCC invites you to the opening of “Postcards from Thailand” a collection of photographs by Bonnie Heath with poetry by Robert Lamb. Light refreshments will be served.

The proceeds from the print sales will benefit Lifeline Animal Project. Among other services, Lifeline operates a spay and neuter clinic that provides low cost services to animal rescue groups and pet owners all over Atlanta. For more information about their work, visit atlantapets.org.

If you cannot attend the opening, consider making a donation to Lifeline Animal Project.

February 3rd, 2010 by Margie

Gratefully yours,

Margie Thorpe

February 1st, 2010 by Margie

Here’s a nice note from our friend Veral and her family…

Hi Margie,

Hope you are doing well…we have enjoyed our vegetables.

You asked in your weekly letter (which I really enjoy reading) about how we would fix the carrots.  First of all, the carrots were very tasty.  I sliced them & put them in a rice dish I was preparing about 5 or 10 minutes before cooking  was complete. I make this dish like my mom used to fix rice a roni except that I use brown rice, olive oil and my own seasonings (and sauteed onions).  Sometimes, I even add green lentils.

When I was running out of time when fixing dinner one night, I did the same with the zucchini and I put a little Smart Balance over them for flavor.

Also, Just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed the hydroponic arugula and the watercress.  They were tasty and they seem to last longer which was good for us.

The grape tomatoes were really good.  And the cabbage was really outstanding.  I  noticed that the cabbage was large but sweet (even when raw).    I have eaten raw cabbage that has had a bitter taste.  But not this cabbage.  It was good.

So, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you, to you and the farmers who bring us all this healthy food.  Appreciate your efforts.

Kind regards,

Verel, Tony, and Tony Zin

January 27th, 2010 by Margie

Dear Vegetable Husband Customer,

For our new folks, I want to say we are changing and working hard each week to stay as local and healthy with our eating and our dollars.  This week we have done well for late January.  For my regulars, I want to tell you that the farms are coming back quickly after some tough winter weather.  We have lovely carrots from Roots Farm this week and for the first time; we will enjoy micro greens from Woodland Gardens.  As always, give me some feedback on this.   She is willing to grow more for us.

Each of you has some cooking greens, either a mixed bag of early kale or a bunch of red kale.  Either way, this is a wonderful dark leafy veggie for sautéing.  There are a few recipes on the website for kale and I have been chopping and adding my greens to soup stock lately.  It’s so easy and taste so great!  Serenbe Farms has harvested more sunchokes for us this week but I know these will be gone soon so enjoy them.  I know they look like a ginger root but you can easily eat them with the skins on.  I clean them and slice them for snacks.  Below is your list of goodies:

Sunchokes / Jerusalem artichokes

Carrots

Grape or cherry tomatoes

Green peppers

Red kale / Mixed greens

Butternut squash

Micro greens

Basil

The basil is a big surprise and coming from a Georgia farm, but the folks at Neva Farms are growing basil along with the arugula we enjoyed last week.  We are continuing to borrow tomatoes from our neighbors in Florida to round out our winter menu.  I see a tomato basil something in my near future!

On a very serious note, I will be arranging a drive to help the local organization ship supplies to Haiti in the coming weeks.  If you are interested in leaving items out for us to pick up, I will give more details next week.  Have a beautiful week and remember I am always happy to TALK FOOD!

Gratefully yours,

Margie Thorpe

January 20th, 2010 by Margie

Dear Vegetable Husband Customer,

I hope you had a wonderful MLK holiday.  This week, while the weather is beautiful, the food is going to be awhile to recover.  You will notice that the bunch of kale is hardly that!  Please eat these first and cherish the small amount we have.  These are from much further south and they still were damaged by the frost.  This is why you have some yellow spots on the leaves.

This week’s tomatoes are really bright in flavor.  I went for the grape tomatoes this time since last weeks romas were not consistent.  Some folks had fruit that was lacking in texture.  Hopefully these will please!  The carrots continue to please us all and Sara in Athens says we still have plenty to come – yeah!  You each have a small brown bag of bay leaves from the Scharko Farm in Fairburn this week.  For those of you that did not get a basket last week, the roots in the basket are sunchokes from Serenbe Farms. And they are tasty raw or cooked.   These do not have to be peeled for those of you that asked.  Either way is fine.

You all have a live bunch of hydroponic arugula for Neva Farms in Bowersville GA.  I loved their watercress so much that I wanted to try the arugula with roots.   These are young plants and should keep with a little water in your fridge while you enjoy them.   The leaf I tasted was like butter!  Woodland Gardens in Winterville is growing lettuce for us this way for next week.  Below is your list of goodies:

Green cabbage

Sunchokes / Jerusalem artichokes

Carrots

grape tomatoes

dinosaur kale

zucchini squash

hydroponic arugula

Bay leaves

As we navigate our way thru the winter season, we all try to be thankful for the food harvested for us and understand the hardships.   Please let me know any wonderful ways that you are using your veggies with grains or other cupboard items to make a savory winter meal.  I really love it when you share your experiences with your basket and remember, I am always happy to talk food!

Gratefully yours,

Margie Thorpe