2016: Week 18, September 25 – October 1

Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #18
Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2016

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 often before the harvest, we may sometimes substitute some vegetables for others.

We try to keep the printed newsletter to a 2-page maximum, which means that we won’t list all the share items’ descriptions every week, but refer you to previous newsletters for information on items that have already appeared in your shares.

THIS WEEK’S SHARE

ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage information.

GREEN, PURPLE, or YELLOW BEANS: You will receive E-Z Pick (a round, tender, dark green, snap bean with good sweet flavor), Royal Burgundy (brilliant purple, smooth, round, meaty pods; add stunning color to salads when used raw; pods turn dark green when cooked; excellent fresh or frozen), or Isar (beautiful, yellow, fillet bean with excellent flavor). See Week 8 newsletter for usage and storage information.

BROCCOLI: emerald green, tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems. See Week 5 for usage and storage information.

EGGPLANT: You will receive Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit) or Orient Express (dark purple Asian type with long, slender, glossy fruits, which are delicately flavored and quick cooking). See Week 8 newsletter for usage and storage information.

U-PICK FLOWERS (only available on the farm): A bouquet per household of up to 15 stems will be part of your share, if you are able to come and pick it. This means that if you are splitting a share, each household can pick a bouquet in the u-pick flower garden at the farm. Please call or email ahead only if you plan to pick on other days besides Farm Distribution Days (Wed. and Fri. , when we are here!), so we can make sure someone is around to help you. More information about u-pick flowers in the “Announcements” section.

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:
*Curly Parsley—curly, dark green leaves, often used as a garnish; especially good in tabouleh, omelets, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, pasta and vegetable dishes.
*French Sorrel–slightly tart, lemon-flavored green; excellent for salads, soups, and sauces; can be used in omelets, breads, or cooked as a side dish.
*Oregano–member of the mint family and is similar to marjoram, but not as sweet and more pungent flavor and aroma; good in soups and tomato-based dishes.
*Thyme– tiny green leaves used in meat and vegetable dishes and most casseroles, soups, stews, and medicinal teas, which soothe sore throats.

KALE: You will receive Red Russian Kale (the stems are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green, purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged.) See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage information.

LETTUCE: You will receive Green Leaf, Red Leaf or Buttercrunch (bib). See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage information.

MUSHROOMS (Shiitake): flower-like cracking pattern on brown cap; edible mushroom native to East Asia; many medicinal qualities too; grown on logs at Tantre Farm. If you don’t care for mushrooms, then leave them for someone else or gift them to a friend! See Week 11 for usage and storage information.

ONIONS (Pattterson): medium-large, blocky bulbs with dark yellow skin and thin necks; excellent storage onion. See Week 8 newsletter for usage and storage information.

HOT PEPPERS: You will receive Jalapeño (small and conical pepper, ranging from green to red; hot chile pepper used commonly in Mexican or southwestern cooking) and Padron (heirloom pepper famous in Spain; typically 2 to 3 inch long; smaller peppers are milder, but the larger the pepper, the more it grows in heat; they say 1 in 6 are hot, so it’s a surprise; serve sautéed in olive oil with a little sea salt, or chop into many other dishes). See Week 15 for usage and storage information.

SWEET RED PEPPERS: You will receive Carmen (6 inch long, tapered fruit that ripens from green to a deep “carmine” red; sweet taste in salads and when roasted and fully red-ripe), or Red Knight Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green-to-red pepper with sweet flesh), or Cupid (fruits are blocky to slightly pointed, snack size, and are particularly sweet when red). See Week 14 for usage and storage information.

POTATOES: You will receive Mountain Rose (rosy-skinned inside and out, these versatile, all-purpose spuds are deliciously moist, but not waxy textured. Extra nutritious, and high in antioxidants. Excellent baked, mashed or fried). See Week 8 newsletter for usage and storage information.

RADISHES: You will receive Easter Egg (a beautiful mix of red, purple, pink, and white round radishes; crisp and mild flavor).
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.

TOMATOES: You will receive some choices of any of the following: Verona (similar to Juliet, but with even tastier, somewhat plumper, deep red “cocktail plum” fruits; good in sauces and in salads), Tiren (early, classic San Marzano shaped tomato with same meaty texture and great flavor for sauce), or Geronimo (newer variety but already one of the most widely used beefsteak varieties; fruits are firm, nice red color and good taste), Our Heirloom slicer tomato varieties are slowing down, so you may receive one if we have enough.

WINTER SQUASH: Everyone will receive Sunshine Kabocha (red-orange, flat-round fruit with dry, sweet, bright orange flesh; excellent for baking, mashing, pies, and cheesecake!). See Week 16 for usage and storage information.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. THANKS FOR COMING TO OUR FALL WORK PARTY AND POTLUCK on Sept. 25. We managed to clean about 20 crates of garlic, weeded the mint bed in the herb garden, and filled our bellies full of delicious food. All members were able to go home with a squash or a pumpkin, a pint of raspberries, and a flower bouquet if they wanted. We really appreciate getting to know so many of our Tantre Farm community and especially all the ways you all pitched in to help the farm!

2. “15 HERBACEOUS PLANTS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW” in Rachel’s FORAGING SERIES on Oct. 3 from 6 to 9 PM at Tantre Farm: This lecture covers a list of 15 herbaceous plants that every forager should learn. Each plant on the list is common, can be sustainably harvested in large quantities, is easy to ID, and provides multiple useful products throughout the year. More info at: http://willforageforfood.com/index.php/classes/foraging-101-series/ Cost: $25 per class. You may pay in person or pre-pay online at http://mkt.com/willforageforfood/foraging-chelsea.

3. ENDING SUMMER CSA DATES: The end is drawing near. This is just a reminder that our summer shares are ending in just a few weeks. That means Oct. 12 (Wed.), Oct. 14 (Fri.), and Oct. 15 (Sat.) are the last distribution days for our Summer Shares.

4. EXTENDED FALL CSA SHARE REGISTRATION IS OPEN: This share runs from Oct. 16 through Nov. 5 for $105 celebrating all the bounty of the fall vegetables! There is plenty of room and plenty of produce this fall, so you will get in! The link for online registration is http://tantrefarm.csasignup.com, which will bring you right to the sign up page. Please sign up by Oct. 15, so you won’t miss any of those 3 weeks of produce. We will be sending a separate email notice soon, so that everyone knows more details about this share. You also can go to our website for more information. We are prorating these shares as well, so if you need to miss a week of the Extended Fall CSA, just send us an email, and we will register you for the weeks you will receive a share. Hope to share more of this abundant fall harvest with you throughout October!

5. THANKSGIVING CSA on November 19! This CSA is not open for registration just yet, but we wanted to let you know about it. A more detailed email notice about this will come out to you sometime in the next few weeks. You can also read more details about the Thanksgiving Share on our website under “CSA Info”. This share is a one time pick up of 60 to 80 pounds of produce for winter storage or to stock up on vegetables before the holiday for $120. This share will be available for pick up on the Saturday before Thanksgiving at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market from 7 A.M. until noon or at Tantré Farm from 2-5 P.M.

6. U-PICK AVAILABLE: Please call ahead if you plan to pick on other days besides Farm Distribution Days (Wed. and Fri.).
– U-PICK Flowers–You may pick 1 bouquet of up to 15 stems per household for “free” in the u-pick flower garden on the farm. Extra bouquets-$4.
– U-PICK Tomatoes—these are limited varieties and locations, but still some out there on the vines for freezing, canning, and dehydrating. Members–$0.50/lb. Non members–$0.75/lb.
-U-PICK Christmas Limas Beans–$2/lb. (a large, flat dried pod with beans a light cream color with maroon splashes; this favorite heirloom has a butter-like texture and a subtle chestnut-like flavor; simply enjoyed after cooking with a drizzle of olive oil and a few grates of dry goat cheese; use in soups, stir fries…Yum!!)

7. STILL COULD USE PLASTIC OR PAPER GROCERY BAGS AND YOGURT CONTAINERS (quart size for u-pick flowers), if you would like to donate some to the farm or at markets. We are running low.

8. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDERS:
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 1 P.M.

RECIPES

SUNSHINE KABOCHA CHEESECAKE (from: www.GrowingChefs.org)
Note: Using yogurt cheese instead of cream cheese gives a slightly sour flavor, making the cake more savory than sweet.) To cook squash, cut in half, deseed, put cut side down in a little water in a baking pan at 350-400°F. THIS IS A FAVORITE AT TANTRE!!

For the Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cups finely ground ginger cookies (homemade or store bought)
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake:
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound cream cheese or yogurt cheese, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup pureed winter squash

Preheat oven to 350°F, and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Grease 8” pie pan. In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, finely ground ginger snap cookies, sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared spring form pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the cheesecake filling.

In a separate bowl, stir to combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. With a hand mixer on low speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth (about 2 minutes). Gradually add the sugar mixture and beat until creamy and smooth (1 to 2 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla extract and pureed winter squash.

Pour the filling over the chilled ginger crust and place the spring form pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Place a cake pan, filled halfway with hot water, on the bottom shelf of your oven to moisten the air. Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 325° F and continue to bake the cheesecake for another 10-20 minutes, or until the edges of the cheesecake are puffed but the center is still wet and jiggles when you gently shake the pan. Loosen the cake from the pan by running a sharp knife around the inside edge (this will help prevent the cake from cracking). Then place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan so the cheesecake will cool slowly. When completely cooled, cover and refrigerate at least eight hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
This recipe in an 8″ pan serves 10-12 people.

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