Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #2
May 31-June 6, 2015
If needed, please contact Richard Andres & Deb Lentz at 2510 Hayes Rd. Chelsea, MI 48118 e-mail: tantrefarm@hotmail.com phone: 734-475-4323 website: www.tantrefarm.com.
In our newsletter, we try to give you an accurate listing of the produce in your box; however, since the newsletter is published before the harvest, we may sometimes substitute some vegetables for others. The information provided here is also published each week on our website. **Also, if you’re having trouble identifying any unfamiliar produce, please look for “Veggie ID” with additional information on our website under CSA INFO or under RECIPES.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
GREENS ADVICE for the entire season: Please keep in mind that greens are especially prominent during this early part of the farm season, so basically, “It’s salad time!” If you’re not sure how best to enjoy your green, taste it. Greens can be eaten raw in a salad or lightly steamed or sautéed with garlic, green onions, or butter in order to mellow their flavor. They can also be tossed into a dish (such as soup or a smoothie) for an extra nutritional and flavorful boost.
ARUGULA (Sylvetta): also known as “wild rocket” with more deeply lobed leaves and a more pungent flavor; an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor -How to use: add to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes -How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag with a paper towel in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
BOK CHOY (Asian Green) or KALE: You will receive Bok Choy (written as bok choi, bak choy, or pac choi; a traditional stir-fry vegetable from China with a sweet and mild flavor; looks like white Swiss chard with the stems all attached at the bottom; considered a cool weather crop and part of the cabbage or turnip family) or Red Russian Kale (the stems are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green, purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged). -How to use: two vegetables in one—the leaves can be cooked like spinach, and the crisp stem can be eaten like celery or asparagus; excellent in stir-fries, soups, sautéed or eaten raw. -How to store: Store as you would any green—in a loose plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
FRESH HERBS: In general, store herbs upright with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or wrap in slightly dampened cloth and store in refrigerator.
You may CHOOSE ONE from the following:
Chives—mild, onion-flavored herb with long, slender, hollow leaves; can be added to potato salad, baked potatoes, soups, salads, omelets, dips and spreads, pastas and sauces.; purple, onion-flavored blossoms add an attractive garnish to soups or salads (stems attached to blossoms are often discarded due to toughness).
Winter Savory– is a semi-evergreen, perennial herb; its strong spicy flavor goes well with beans and meat; medicinally it has antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, and digestive benefits, as well as relieves bee stings.
Lemon Balm– these fragrant lemon-minty leaves make a delicate herbal tea, served hot or cold; good addition to lettuce or fruit salads and ice cream; nicely paired with grilled fish or lamb and tossed with steamed vegetables; also aids in depression, tension, or nausea.
Tarragon– It’s flavor is delicate and almost licorice or anise-like; an essential herb in French cuisine; exceptional in egg dishes, poached fish, chicken, mushrooms, salad dressings and with other vegetables.
KALE or BOK CHOY: You will receive Red Russian Kale (the stems are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green, purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged) or Bok Choy (written as bok choi, bak choy, or pac choi; a traditional stir-fry vegetable from China with a sweet and mild flavor; looks like white Swiss chard with the stems all attached at the bottom; considered a cool weather crop and part of the cabbage or turnip family) -How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking -How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week
LETTUCE: You will receive 2-4 heads of lettuce, which may include Panisse (large, lime-green, lobed oak leaves with excellent flavor) along with possible Green Leaf, Red Leaf or Romaine. -How to use: raw in salads, sandwiches, or use in soups -How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.
GREEN ONIONS (also called “Scallions”): young shoots of bulb onions with long green stalks and milder tasting than large bulb onions; full of great fiber and antioxidants, high in potassium and source of vitamins C and B-6. -How to use: the bulb, flowers, and green leaves are edible; can be cooked, grilled, roasted whole as a vegetable; chopped in salads, soups, & other dishes for flavor. -How to store: refrigerate in damp towel/plastic bag for 5-7 days.
PARSNIPS: frost-sweetened winter parsnips, barrel washed; long, cylindrical, creamy-white roots with sweet flavor; contain small amounts of iron and vitamin C. -How to use: can be baked, boiled, sautéed, steamed. Our favorite way to prepare them is to roast with olive oil and fresh herbs. -How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks.
POTATOES (Carola): this yellow potato is from Germany with a smooth, creamy texture that is good for baking or frying. -How to use: good roasted, baked, fried, or in salads -How to store: Keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag.
RADISHES: You will receive Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor) or D’Avignon (also called, “French Breakfast”; traditional variety from Southern France; 3-4 inch long root that is part red with a white tip and tapered to a point). -How to use: raw, roasted, used in soups, sliced in salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries, grated in slaws; Radish greens (excellent source of vitamins A, C, and the B’s) delicious in soups or stir-fries. -How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.
RHUBARB: related to a common weed, the dock plant; it is botanically a vegetable, although generally we think of it as a fruit; pinkish-green stalks are extremely acidic and sour; high in vitamins A and C and some minerals, such as calcium. -How to use: dice young tart stalks into salads or hot /cold cereal, add slices to spring soups, juice it, make a sauce, pie, crisp, or tart. -How to store: wrap in damp towel or plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. For long-term storage, rhubarb may be frozen as a sauce or after it is washed, chopped, and drained, put in a bag.
SAUERKRAUT: We are pleased to offer the second of 2 jars of The Brinery’s “Tantre Farm Sauerkraut”, made with rutabaga, cabbage, and carrots grown by Tantrè Farmers and fermented by The Brinery. The Brinery is a local foods business, specializing in naturally fermented, local vegetables and operated by former Tantré farmer, David Klingenberger. For more information, please visit www.thebrinery.com. These krauts are raw and unpasteurized, so be sure to refrigerate, since they are not “canned”. – How to use: use as a condiment with any dish, especially meat dishes, salads, roasted veggies, or sandwiches. – How to store: refrigerate up to 3 months or longer depending on how you like the flavor, since it will get stronger with more age.
SPINACH: You will receive a bag of this crisp, dark green leaf– best eaten raw or with minimal cooking to obtain the beneficial chlorophyll, as well as vitamins A & C; delicious flavor when juiced. – How to use: toss in fresh salad, add to sandwiches, sauté, steam, braise, or add to crepes, quiche, lasagna, and soups. – How to store: refrigerate with a damp towel/bag for up to 1 week.
WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: A white salad turnip with round, smooth roots that have a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture. Use the greens as well, sautéed or braised. – How to use: good in salads and soups, roasted, steamed, sautéed, – How to store: remove greens from turnip root and store separately in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 3 days; roots can last up to 1-2 weeks in refrigerator.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. HERB WALK on June 19 from 6-8 pm: Herbs are for more than just seasonings and teas. Those same compounds that give herbs their wonderful tastes and aromas also provide protection against plant pests and pathogens. This means that many herbs have medicinal and/or pest repellent properties. Local forager, Rachel Mifsud, will be leading this class at Tantre Farm for a Friday evening walk around the farm. On our walk through the yard and gardens you will be introduced to 25 different herbs that grow on the farm. A handout and u-pick samplings will be provided to help you remember their names and useful qualities. $5 for CSA members and $10 for nonmembers.
2. CHANGING PICK UP DAYS: For Permanent Pick Up Day changes, please let Deb know. For temporary or weekly changes, please remember to contact us or make changes online preferably a week in advance, but at least by Sunday before 9 PM of each week. It is very disappointing to put together a box that is never picked up. Please have the courtesy to make some kind of contact with us, if you can not pick up your box for some reason.
3. CSA COOKBOOKS: We will have a handy cookbook for sale this season called “From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce”. This $15 book includes an easy-to-follow format with vegetables listed from “A to Z”. Please email your interest, if you don’t see it available at your site, because we may not have copies at each site.
4. BAGS NEEDED: If you have any plastic or paper grocery bags at home, we could use some extras at each site for those who need extra bags to carry produce.
5. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)–7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 12 PM
Farm (Wed.)–10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 P.M. to 8 P.M. Farm (Fri.)–2 P.M. to 7 P.M.
Community High School (Sat.) –7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)–8 A.M. to 12 P.M.
INTRODUCING RICHARD, DEB, AND ARIANA…
Some of our articles may feature some of the regular workers on Tantré Farm throughout the coming weeks. Here are the owners of the farm, Richard Andres & Deb Lentz, and their daughter, Ariana.
Richard and Deb both grew up with a connection to farming and growing food. Richard grew up in Plymouth & Canton, Michigan. He had an early interest in farming, since he worked as a teenager picking corn for a local farmer. Then he started raising and selling strawberries, corn, and muskmelons on his parents’ property. He also worked at his friend’s farm, Garden Works, for a few years. Following that, he tended traditional, Asian-raised gardens at the Ann Arbor and Toronto Zen Buddhist Temples for a number of years. Finally, he bought Tantré Farm in 1993, and proceeded to make it certified organic. After that he began growing organic potatoes, winter squash, and garlic for wholesale orders, besides continuing full-time work as a timber-frame carpenter.
Deb grew up on a 160-acre beef farm in Lake City, Minnesota. She graduated from the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota with an Elementary Education degree. She taught fourth through sixth grades in Central Minnesota and worked as a counselor at a Summer German Camp for the next 10 years. Then she met Richard in 1994, which led to their marriage in July of 1997. After that she taught first and third grade for several years in Napoleon, Michigan, until their daughter, Ariana, was born in 2001.
Now Richard is working as a full-time farmer, and continues using his carpentry skills through the many maintenance and building projects of the farm. Deb publishes the newsletter and coordinates the communication and bookkeeping of the CSA. She also continues to enjoy teaching to groups who come to the farm for field trips, as well as, in area schools through Farm-to-School programs. Ariana is now completing seventh grade, and she is looking forward to hanging out with lots of kids on the farm this summer! Both Richard and Deb enjoy the sense of community that running Tantré Farm creates for themselves and their daughter, as well as the many young interns/farmers who live and work on the farm, which provides the opportunity to serve the local community fresh, organic food.
RECIPES
CABBAGE-TOPPED TARRAGON POTATOES (adapted from http://www.food.com) Serves 4.
1 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup cabbage or Bok Choy, shredded
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons margarine or 2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon onions, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
plain yogurt
fresh chives, snipped
Cook potatoes, covered in boiling salted water until tender; drain and mash (should yield about 1 1/3 cups). Cook cabbage, covered, in small amount of boiling water for 5 minutes, until tender; drain. In a bowl, combine eggs, margarine or butter, flour and seasonings. Add the potatoes; beat until smooth. Generously grease 4, 6 oz. oven-proof custard cups; spooning 1/3 cup mixture into each. Top each bowl with cabbage and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Serve with yogurt and chives.
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