THIS WEEK’S SHARE

ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C.

-How to use: add to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes.

-How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

GREEN BEANS (Jade): long, slender, deep green, filet bean

-How to use: raw in salads, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, etc.

-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 1 week.

CARROTS (purple or orange) with GREENS: You will receive either Purple Haze (bright purplish-red roots with bright orange interior and a sweet flavor; cooking will cause the color to fade) OR Orange Romance (blunt-tipped, deep orange roots with impressive flavor for a summer-harvested carrot). Carrot leaves are very nutritious with lots of protein, minerals and high levels of vitamins, especially ‘C’ and ‘K’.

-How to use: can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sauteed, in stews, soups, casseroles, or stir-fries. Greens can be chopped into soups for delicious carrot flavor, added to smoothies, made into carrot top pesto or tapenade.

-How to store: remove greens from roots and refrigerate dry and unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks; greens may last up to a week refrigerated in plastic bag.

U-PICK FLOWERS (only available for picking on the farm): Every summer we plant a variety of flowers for drying or fresh bouquets, but this summer unfortunately our flowers got buried in weeds and the dahlias haven’t even bloomed yet because of the lack of rain. We have worked at unburying them, but we just don’t have enough help. The flowers are being supported by the weeds in some cases, so we have given up on the weeds and are letting them coexist together. However, the flowers are there! We would still like to welcome you to visit the farm to pick your flowers on any day of the week over this week, but please contact us if it will be on other days besides our usual CSA distribution days of Wednesdays and Fridays, so we can make sure to be around to show you where to go and what to do. This week you can pick up to 20 stems per household for the last week of the Summer CSA! You may want to bring scissors or clippers and a vase/jar to keep your flowers fresh going home, but we will have clippers and donated yogurt containers to fill with water as well. Your bouquet is part of your share, although it is helpful when you make a small donation to pay for seeds and labor when you can. Extra bouquets cost $7/bunch. Please call or text Deb at 734-385-6748, if you can’t find anyone around to help you find where the flowers are. Thank you for understanding, and hope you come to pick your flowers after one of the farm hikes this weekend!!

GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, bolstering the immune system, lowering blood pressure and preventing heart disease, used as an expectorant or decongestant, and at least some people believe that it can ward off vampires and insects.

Cooking tips: to mellow garlic’s strong flavor opt for longer cooking; to enjoy its more pungent flavors and increased medicinal benefit, use it raw or with minimal cooking.

-How to use: minced raw in salad dressings, sauteed and added to stir-fries, meats, vegetables.

-How to store: fresh garlic can be stored in an open, breathable container in a cool, dark place for many months.

FRESH HERBS: Here are a couple of links to help you know more about how to use fresh herbs: https://www.urbancultivator.net/cooking-with-fresh-herbs/ . The following is a good link to help you identify your herb with images and descriptions: http://theherbexchange.com/25-best-herbs-to-grow-in-your-kitchen-garden/ .

You will receive 1 of the following:

*Lemon Basil: narrow, ovate, light green leaves producing lemon scent or strong citrus flavor; use fresh or dried in vinegars, fish, chicken, vegetables and soups; common herb found within Thai, Laotian, Indonesian and several Middle Eastern region cuisines; excellent informational link for lemon basil: http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Lemon_Basil_152.php Chop lemon basil and puree with fresh blueberries and water, then serve as a cold soup; blend fresh lemon basil with cream, then warm and serve over pasta; add chopped fresh lemon basil to lemon cookie dough; puree lemon basil leaves with 1/4 cup water, then mix with sweetened yogurt and freeze and serve frozen yogurt with grilled nectarines.

**Sage–an herb from an evergreen shrub in the mint family with long, narrow, grayish-green leaves; a musky aroma and a warm and spicy taste; used in making sausages, stews, breads, and teas; enhances meats, vegetables, salads, pickles, and cheese.

-How to store: store herbs upright with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water and refrigerate for up to 1 week or wrap in slightly dampened cloth or plastic bag and store in refrigerator.

KALE: You will receive either Red Curly (well ruffled red or green leaves with red stems; gets redder and sweeter after a frost) OR Green Curly  (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”)

-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 MIX (Wildfire): a beautiful bag of dark reds and vibrant greens including Green and Red Oakleaf, Green and Red Romaine, and Redleaf lettuces; your lettuce has been rinsed once.

-How to use: raw in salads or (believe it or not!) use in soups.

-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.

PEPPER MIX (sweet banana, green bell, or poblano): You will receive any of the following: Goddess Banana Pepper (sweet banana pepper; excellent for pickling or fresh eating; 8-9” long, thick-walled, smooth fruits; fruits are mildly sweet when yellow) OR Poblano Chili Pepper (a mild variety of chili pepper known as “poblanos” when dark green; popular in southwestern recipes; heart-shaped fruit, which is mildly pungent with a lightly sweet, medium-hot flavor), OR Green Knight Bell (medium-sized, block-shaped green pepper with crisp, earthy flavor and less sweet; an unripe version of the bell pepper fruit, harvested before it has fully matured and changed color into red, yellow, orange, or purple fruit; good source of vitamin A & C)

-How to use: eat raw for best nutrient retention; can be added to soups, stews, omelets, quiches, stir-fries, etc.; excellent stuffed and roasted.

-How to store: refrigerate unwashed in hydrator drawer and store for 1-2 weeks; can also be dehydrated or dried very easily.

-How to freeze: easily frozen by washing, chopping into chunks, and placing in freezer bags. Very easy to use in soups, stir fries, omelets, etc. throughout the winter.

PIE PUMPKIN: bright orange skin with dry, sweet flesh.

-How to use: excellent for pies, muffins, cookies, smoothies, desserts, etc.

-How to store: store whole pumpkins at room temperature up to a month or for 3-6 months in moderately warm and dry conditions (45-50 degrees with 60-75 percent humidity).

-How to freeze: bake pumpkin until fork tender at 350 degrees, puree and put cooked pulp in freezer bags for winter muffins, soups, and pie.

WINTER SQUASH (Butternut): light, tan-colored skin; small seed cavities with thick, cylindrical necks; bright orange, moist, sweet flesh; longest storage potential of all squash.

-How to use: bake; roast, boil or steam chunks for 15-20 minutes; mash cooked squash with butter; puree cooked squash for creamy soup, or add uncooked chunks to soups or stews; add small amounts to yeast breads, muffins, cookies, pies, oatmeal, etc.

-How to store: keep for several months (depending on the variety) in a dry, moderately warm (50-60 degrees), but not freezing location with 60-75 percent humidity; will also store at room temperature.

ROMA TOMATOES (Granadero): bright red, 4-5 oz Roma tomatoes with very good flavor and thick-walled fruit

-How to use: good for fresh tomato sauces, salsas, and salads, roasting, dehydrating, yummy!

-How to store: keep at room temperature for up to 1 week or less.

WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS with GREENS: a white salad turnip with round, smooth roots that have a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture. Both roots (good source of Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium; good in salads and soups) and greens (slightly sweet and can be boiled, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, and since hairless, are good in salads; excellent source of vitamins A and C and good source of riboflavin, calcium and iron) are edible!

-How to use: good in salads and soups; can be roasted, steamed, or sauteed.

-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. COMMUNI-TEA TABLE AT THE WASHTENAW FOOD HUB with ZACH FREEMAN ON WED. SEPT. 24 from 5 -6 PM: Iced or hot tea and mug are provided for a suggested donation of $5 or more. Please feel free to bring your own mug and favorite tea. We’ll gather to sip, share stories, and hear what others in the community are up to. Each week features a special host and theme to spark conversation, but you’re welcome to bring any topic to the table related to food, sustainability, or community life. Join us this Wednesday with Zach Freeman, local veterinarian, who will share his expertise for raising various types of ducks with a small-scale backyard operation. Join us the following Wednesday, Oct. 1 for another Community Tea event with Sarah Schloss from Washtenaw Meats for a discussion on building charcuterie boards. Learn how to combine local meats, cheeses, and pickles to create beautiful, flavorful boards that showcase Michigan’s best ingredients. You can check out our Food Hub calendar for future events here: https://www.thewashtenawfoodhub.com/events/washtenaw-food-hub-events/ 

2. LAST WEEK OF THE SUMMER CSA: This is just a reminder that our summer shares are ending THIS WEEK, so please return all your boxes at each distribution site, and bring your own bags or containers to take your produce home. That means Sept. 24 (Wed.), Sept. 26 (Fri.), and Sept. 27 (Sat.) are the last distribution days for our Summer Shares.

3. SIGN UP THIS WEEK FOR THE EXTENDED FALL CSA! Our 4-week Extended Fall CSA will start the week of Sept. 28 – Oct. 4 and end the week of October 19 -25 for $160. In order to receive all 4 shares, please register online anytime before Sept. 27 at https://www.tantrefarm.com/about-csa/fall-csa/ . If you can’t commit right away, then sign up the week before you would like to receive a box for a prorated share. Please go to our website for more information and find the Sign In link. Payment is with PayPal, Check, Cash, or Venmo.

4. FALL PLANT & MUSHROOM FORAGING WALK ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, from 12 – 2 PM: We are hosting a leisurely plant walk at Tantre Farm with our local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud from Will Forage For Food. Plant walks are excellent learning opportunities for those with beginning to intermediate foraging skills and for anyone wanting to learn more about their local flora. Our discussion will include information about identification, methods of harvest, preparation, and use of around 20-25 edible plants and mushrooms to focus on. Kids under 12 are free with paid adult. You may want to bring a notebook, camera, and water. Unlimited class size, drop ins are welcome, and cost is $25. Use the code TANTRE at checkout for a 20% discount. To register ahead of time or find more information, just go to her website at https://www.willforageforfood.com/store/p/plant-and-mushroom-walk .

5. FALL FARM HIKE & PIZZA on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM: Come join us for a guided monthly exploratory edible walk around Tantre Farm with CSA member, Alisse Portnoy, who teaches at the University of Michigan, and her daughter, Jessica. Alisse and Jessica, who are longtime CSA members and look forward to sharing some of its treasures and treasure spots with you as the seasons change. We’ll use all of our senses as we take an edible hike, visit the animals, and explore the fields and the mushroom forest. We will have some special surprises with this hike, especially because Richard has agreed to make pizza in our earth oven with some of the veggies from the farm. Also, please feel free to bring some of your favorite toppings from home! We also will be handing out a free pumpkin or a winter squash for those who attend. Meet at the picnic tables behind the Main House. Please feel free to come earlier or stay later and bring additional dishes to add to the pizza meal. Hope to see you at the farm this coming Sunday as we say goodbye to Summer!

6. SAVE THE DATE–5th ANNUAL HONEYBEE NUT FESTIVAL on OCTOBER 12 from 10 AM to 5 PM: Celebrate the Earth and the seasons with a FREE, fun, outdoors event at HoneyBee U-pick (5700 Scio Church Rd, AA). We will learn about paw paws and nut flours, process black walnuts with a home-made husker, listen to a chef panel discuss how to use nuts in various recipes, make fresh pressed apple cider, and roast chestnuts on the campfire. Fall foraging and nut tree Id nature hikes will be available in the AM and PM, along with networking with local nut experts, and learning about how the HoneyBee property continues to become a wild, nut-centered, native polyculture. More updated details coming soon about speakers and activities on Facebook Events, Instagram posts, and our website page https://www.tantrefarm.com/nut-tree-planting-fest/ .

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7. RETURN BOXES AND DONATE “GROCERY” BAGS: We are missing many share boxes, so before we have to order more boxes, we ask you to return your boxes this week, so we can reuse them. We also could use some grocery bags whether plastic or paper for members to use at various distribution sites. Please DO NOT give us your clothing bags or pieces of plastic of all different sizes, since we are not a recycling facility, and can not use those for sending produce home with members.

8. HONEYBEE U-PICK is OPEN ON SATURDAY MORNINGS THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER: We are open this week from 8 AM until 12 PM on Saturday mornings at 5700 Scio Church Road on the corner of Zeeb Rd. and Scio Church Rd. in Ann Arbor. We will have a wide variety of TANTRE PRODUCE at our farm stand for purchase as well as local HONEY on Saturdays. It may not be a good year for preserving raspberries. However, we have mowed paths through the raspberry patch, and there are some raspberries ready for picking, so if you are a true raspberry lover then we recommend bringing pants, long sleeves, closed toe shoes, and just give it a try! Check our website for updates. Sign up to be on our mailing list, so you know times, prices, weather-related closings, etc. here: https://www.tantrefarm.com/honey-bee .

9. HIRED HELP NEEDED: We are looking for additional help going into the fall to dig up the fall harvest. We provide home-cooked lunches every day with food from the farm. Please email us or fill out an application from our website at https://www.tantrefarm.com/internships/

10. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:

*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 9:30 AM (SARA there the whole time)

*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –4 PM to 7 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Pure Pastures (Wed.) —9 AM to 11 AM (JESSICA there most of the time)

*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)

*Ann Arbor Farmers Market (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM (SHANNON there the whole time)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 5 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB there the whole time)

*Argus-Packard (Sat) — 9 AM to 3 PM (STAFF there the whole time)

*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (LIZ there the whole time)

*HoneyBee U-pick (Sat)–8 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

REFLECTIONS ON THE FARM

by Richard & Deb

The annual Autumnal equinox celebrates equal hours of daylight and of darkness. It simultaneously marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of spring in the Southern Hemisphere, as the sun’s most direct rays hit the equator. Just thinking about that can help us see how important the light and the warmth of the sun are for all life on the planet.

The sun has made it wonderfully mild these last few weeks, although incredibly dry. The winter squash has never been quite as beautiful, sprouting bold and warm colors. The greens of kale, arugula, turnips, carrots are very tender providing wonderful gut health and well being for this community of eaters. Right now there seems to be a distinct lack of insect predation on most of the plants, although we are getting a fair number of cabbage white butterflies laying eggs in the cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower plants. We also see the wasps and hornets coming to feed on the caterpillars that are born. From dawn until dusk, the sandhill cranes and geese are a constant chorus feeding on the grain and insects in the neighbors’ fields. Everyone is stocking up for the winter as they eat many calories and grow fat during the days ahead in order to endure the austerity of the upcoming winter.

This is squash harvest time, and we store hundreds of crates in the barn and thousands of roots in the root cellar for our cold weather supply of the harvest. It is a wonderful time of year to gather all of the tender produce before it cures or “hardens off”. It is important to appreciate that we keep ourselves alive through the land, the sun, and the rain of this region with this year-round supply of seasonal eating through the coming cold weather. Generations of northern people have found that it is very easy to store things underground in a root cellar in the winter by using the warmth of the earth. As the cold creeps into the land in the next couple of months, we know that we can store things in this simple way until spring when the angle of the sun warms the earth again. This is an ancient practice that has allowed humans a good life for many generations.

With the fragility of the global supply food chain, it is encouraging to know that there is a local food system available, which means eating in season within our biome and learning to eat native to our place within our community. Whether its vegetables and grains or nuts and fruits from perennial trees and bushes, it is good to embrace those ancient storage rites that come to us from innumerable generations of human beings. The wise know their limits and live within those limits, which means looking to the climate, the soil, the sunshine, and the rain for providing nutrition for our bodies and minds and that of future generations. If we can think of living within our limits, perhaps there will be future generations. If we can’t figure out how to do this or refuse to do this, there may not be enough food to live a good life without understanding these limits within a geologic time frame. It may be time to express our gratitude for the food that we grow within the limitations of our climate and geography. It may be time to not just plan for saving food for one winter, but maybe for many winters for our future. Wouldn’t it be nice to hand off to our children and our children’s children a healthy, local, working food system for future generations for our planet? You are all a part of this solution, and we are grateful for your vision, your commitment, and your support.

This is the last week of our 2025 Summer CSA. It has been a great growing season for some crops and more challenging for others, which is why we diversify what we grow. We have had a wonderful group of folks at the farm this season. We would like to acknowledge them for all the hours of planting, weeding, repairing, watering, harvesting, packing, and conversation. This includes Jordan, Chizo, Adam, Yves, Gavin, Jo, Chloe, Robbie, Mario, Jake, Kat, Amelia, Kane, Rio, Ethan, Mieko, Joji, Aaron, Sergius, Carrin, Ricky, Ana, and Michael. Several have moved onto high school, college, other jobs, and other adventures, and others have stayed to make a small, but mighty core farm crew staying through the fall. If you see any of our farm crew at markets, at events, or at the farm, please take the time to thank them, because we couldn’t have done it without their tenacity, their responsibility, their attentiveness, and their care. We still need a few more hands to pull the fall harvest out of the fields, so please spread the word, if you know someone with a positive attitude, who likes hard work, being outside, and eating healthy food. See our website for more information: https://www.tantrefarm.com/internships/ .

Thank you for being a member of the Tantre Farm Summer CSA!! Please consider joining us again with the upcoming Extended Fall CSA, the Thanksgiving CSA, or the weekly Tantre Farm Produce Box (which will continue through October) and filling your homes with the most beautiful greens, carrots, cauliflower, winter squash, onions, garlic, watermelon radish, and more. Hope to see you again in 2026!

RECIPES

**Keep in mind a very easy way to find recipe ideas for almost any combination of share box ingredients is to type the items into your preferred “search bar” with the word “recipes” at the end, and many recipe ideas will pop up. Have fun searching!

ARUGULA AND GREEN BEAN SALAD (from Bon Appetit, August 2001)

1 large shallot, chopped

1/4 cup walnut oil or olive oil

1 Tbsp Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 lb slender green beans, trimmed

4 oz arugula (about 6-8 cups)

3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, coarsely chopped

Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Cook green beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain. Refresh under cold running water. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Add arugula and half of eggs. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Top with remaining eggs.

COOKED GREENS WITH PARSLEY AND GARLIC (from Mad Mares Cookbook)

12 cups mixed greens (arugula, kale, carrot greens, turnip greens, etc.)

4 large cloves garlic

Sea salt, to taste

2 good handfuls of parsley leaves

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Make a mixture of greens. Wash greens well and cut away stems. Put greens in a pot, cover, and steam (putting tougher greens on the bottom) until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Chop roughly. Put garlic, a little salt and fresh parsley in a food processor. Mix until everything is finely chopped (or by hand chop garlic, then add parsley and salt, and chop into rough paste). Gradually warm oil with paprika and cumin in a large skillet. Add the parsley paste and mix with oil. Add greens and cook everything together for about 1 minute, until excess moisture has evaporated from skillet. Garnish with lemon wedges.

MARINATED SWEET BANANA PEPPERS WITH LEMON BASIL

This recipe works as a topping for sandwiches, salads, or as a stand-alone antipasto.

1 pint-sized glass jar

Sweet banana peppers, sliced into rings

1 carrot, sliced into medallions

2–3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more to cover

1/4 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Fresh lemon basil, torn

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Add the salt, oregano, vinegar, and basil to the jar and shake to combine. Add the sliced garlic and olive oil, and shake again. Add the banana pepper rings and top off the jar with enough olive oil to fully cover the peppers. Seal the jar and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to let the flavors meld. Shake occasionally.

CREAMY SAGE & SWEET BANANA PEPPER PASTA

The mild flavor of sweet banana peppers adds a tangy undertone to this rich pasta dish, complemented by the earthy sage. 

1 lb pasta (such as linguine or fettuccine)

4 sweet banana peppers, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Salt and black pepper to taste

Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside, reserving about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced banana peppers and garlic, and sauté until the peppers are softened, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in the fresh sage and heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it cook for 2–3 minutes until it thickens slightly. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with the grated Parmesan cheese and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together until the pasta is well-coated in a creamy sauce. Add more pasta water if needed to reach your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately with extra Parmesan.

SPICY COCONUT PUMPKIN (adapted from The World in Your Kitchen by Angelic Organics Kitchen) Serves 3-4

Pumpkin and curry powder are ideal mates. Combined with ginger, coconut milk, and a hint of cardamom, this dish is loaded with flavor. For a hearty meal, enjoy this over basmati rice accompanied by kale and chutney.

3 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

2-3 tsp curry powder

1 tsp finely chopped jalapeno (or Poblano chili pepper)

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1 1/2 lbs pie pumpkin (about 1/2 medium or 1 small pie pumpkin), peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 Tbsp raisins

1 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the onion; saute until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add the ginger; cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the curry powder, jalapeno, cloves, and cardamom; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the pumpkin chunks, coconut milk, raisins, and maple syrup. Cover; cook over low heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and if the sauce is thin, let the coconut milk boil away until the mixture thickens to your liking. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

SESAME ROASTED TURNIP SALAD WITH QUINOA (from https://naturallyella.com/roasted-turnip-salad )

1-4 small turnips (1-2 cups)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

2 teaspoons honey

1/4-teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons minced cilantro

4 to 5 handfuls lettuce mix

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/4-cup scallions, diced

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Preheat oven to 375˚ F. Cut turnips into ¼” cubes and place in a bowl. Add minced garlic, olive oil, sesame seeds, honey, and sea salt: toss until well combined. Spread turnips out into a single layer in a roasting pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until caramelizing and turnips are tender. Remove turnips from oven and add the soy sauce and cilantro to the roasting pan. Let cool. To assemble salad, toss the cooled turnips with the lettuce, cooked quinoa, scallions and sesame seeds. Whisk together the vinegar and sesame oil then pour over the salad. Toss until everything is well combined.

FUSILLI WITH MUSHROOM AND ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH (from https://www.primaverakitchen.com/fusilli-with-mushroom-and-roasted-butternut-squash/#wprm-recipe-container-27523 ) Serves 4.

2 cups whole wheat Fusilli pasta

2 + 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups butternut squash diced

Salt and ground black pepper

½ cup onions chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes or (1/4 cup chopped Poblano chili pepper)

1 cup mushroom chopped

1 cup  cherry tomatoes, halved (or Roma tomatoes, chopped)

Green onions chopped for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). In a bowl, add the butternut squash and toss with 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. In a roasting pan covered with parchment paper, spread the butternut squash out evenly and in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until tender. Stir once halfway through cooking time to promote even cooking and browning. Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the fusilli and cook according to the package instructions. Drain pasta and set aside. In a skillet, heat 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, mushroom, and cherry tomatoes. Sauté for a few minutes. Add reserved fusilli and roasted butternut squash. Stir well for 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. If necessary, adjust seasoning and add more olive oil to add more flavor. Garnish with chopped green onions.

THIS WEEK’S SHARE

ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C.

-How to use: add to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes.

-How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

GREEN BEANS (Jade): long, slender, deep green, filet bean

-How to use: raw in salads, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, etc.

-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 1 week.

U-PICK FLOWERS (only available for picking on the farm): Every summer we plant a variety of flowers for drying or fresh bouquets, but this summer unfortunately our flowers got buried in weeds and the dahlias haven’t even bloomed yet, because of the lack of rain. We have worked at unburying them, but we just don’t have enough help to free all the flowers from the weeds. Ironically, the flowers are being supported by the weeds in some cases, so we have given up on the weeds and are letting them coexist together. However, the flowers are there and plentiful!  We have snapdragons, zinnias, celosia, statice, rudbeckia, globe amaranth, sunflowers, and a very tall Mexican sunflower that has volunteered! We would still like to welcome you to visit the farm to pick your flowers on any day of the week over the next two weeks, but please contact us if it will be on other days besides our usual CSA distribution days of Wednesdays and Fridays, so we can make sure to be around to show you where to go and what to do.  Each week, you can pick up to 16 stems per household. You may want to bring scissors or clippers and a vase/jar to keep your flowers fresh going home, but we will have clippers and donated yogurt containers to fill with water as well. Your bouquet is part of your share, although it is helpful when you make a small donation to pay for seeds and labor when you can. Extra bouquets cost $6/bunch. Please call or text Deb at 734-385-6748, if you can’t find anyone around to help you find where the flowers are. Thank you for understanding, and hope you come out to enjoy them!!

GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, bolstering the immune system, lowering blood pressure and preventing heart disease, used as an expectorant or decongestant, and at least some people believe that it can ward off vampires and insects.

Cooking tips: to mellow garlic’s strong flavor opt for longer cooking; to enjoy its more pungent flavors and increased medicinal benefit, use it raw or with minimal cooking.

-How to use: minced raw in salad dressings, sauteed and added to stir-fries, meats, vegetables.

-How to store: fresh garlic can be stored in an open, breathable container in a cool, dark place for many months.

FRESH HERBS: Here are a couple of links to help you know more about how to use fresh herbs: https://www.urbancultivator.net/cooking-with-fresh-herbs/ . The following is a good link to help you identify your herb with images and descriptions: http://theherbexchange.com/25-best-herbs-to-grow-in-your-kitchen-garden/ .

You will receive 1 of the following:

*Italian Flat-leaf Parsley–flat, glossy, dark green leaves have a strong parsley/celery flavor for use dried or fresh; high in vitamins A and C, and other minerals, such as iron; especially good in omelets, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, pasta and vegetable dishes, as well as, sauces to go with fish, poultry, and pork.

*Curly Parsley–curly, dark green leaves, often used as a garnish, but can be used the same as flat-leaf parsley.

*Rosemary–pine needle-like leaves used with potatoes, bread dough, risottos, mixed vegetables, and meat dishes, especially lamb, as well as in sweet dishes such as lemonade, creams, custards, and syrups; very strongly flavored, so use sparingly, finely chopped, or remove from dish after cooking; considered a memory stimulant and medicinally used for headaches, indigestion, and depression; cosmetically is used as a blood stimulant in a bath and a hair rinse to lighten blond hair; also known for its antioxidant and antiseptic properties.

-How to store: store herbs upright with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water and refrigerate for up to 1 week or wrap in slightly dampened cloth or plastic bag and store in refrigerator.

KALE: You will receive either Red Curly (well ruffled red or green leaves with red stems; gets redder and sweeter after a frost) OR Green Curly (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”)

-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.

YELLOW BULB ONIONS: You will receive Patterson (medium-large, blocky bulbs with dark yellow skin and thin necks; excellent storage onion). NOTE: You may discover that our onions have some soft spots on the top or mid section of the bulb. This became a problem throughout the onion field probably due to a fungus or some kind of insect. Rather than throwing an entire field of onions away, we would like to show you how to preserve the onion. You can actually cut the soft spot out, pop out the bad segment, and save most of the onion. The best thing to do is chop up the whole onion after cutting off the bad parts, and toss the rest of the onion that you are not using into freezer bags. Such a great way to preserve onions for a quick way to get a meal ready with onions ready to go!

-How to use: can be grilled, roasted, sauteed, or chopped in salads, soups, and other dishes for flavor

-How to store: wrap in damp towel or plastic bag in fridge for 2-7 days.

RAINBOW SWEET PEPPER MEDLEY: You will receive an abundant variety of the following: Green/Red Knight Bell (medium-sized green-to-red bell pepper with fruity, sweet flavor; excellent source of vitamin C, fair amount of vitamin A) or Red 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 Heart Pimento (ribbed, flattened fruit with red, thick, sweet, delicious flesh; good for stuffing, in salads, and for cooking) or Eros Bell Pepper (small, golden yellow, mini bell: slightly tapered fruits are a great snack size, a vg. 2″ x 1 3/4″, with a sweet and slightly fruity flavor) or Cupid Bell Pepper (small fruits are blocky to slightly pointed, snack size, and are particularly sweet when red) or Glow (bright orange, tapered, thick-walled, fruits are 4- to 5-inches long, and are deliciously sweet and fruity).

-How to use: eat raw for best nutrient retention; can be added to soups, stews, omelettes, quiches, stir-fries, etc.; excellent stuffed and roasted.

-How to store: refrigerate unwashed in hydrator drawer and store for 1-2 weeks; can also be dehydrated or dried very easily.

-How to freeze: easily frozen by washing, chopping into chunks, and placing in freezer bags. Very easy to use in soups, stir fries, omelettes, etc. throughout the winter.

BLUE OR RED POTATOES: You will receive either Red Norland (smooth, red skin and white flesh; great baked, boiled, or roasted) or Adirondack Blue (round to oblong, slightly flattened tubers have glistening blue skin enclosing deep blue flesh; moist, flavorful flesh is superb for mashing or salads) *Interesting note: Most blue fleshed cultivars contain 90 times more antioxidants than white tubers, and the antioxidants in potato tubers are enhanced by cooking them.

-How to use: good boiled or pan-roasted, baked, sauteed, or boiled for potato salads

-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag

WINTER SQUASH: You will receive Delicata (small, oblong, creamy colored with long green stripes, only slightly ribbed; pale yellow, sweet flesh; edible skin; best eaten within 4 months of harvest) AND a kabocha squash like  Confection Kabocha (gray, flattened, buttercup-size fruits; dry taste directly after harvest, but outstanding sweetness and texture after curing for a few weeks; good for long storage) OR Sunshine Kabocha (red-orange, flat-round fruit with dry, sweet, bright orange flesh; excellent for baking, mashing, and pies).

-How to use: bake; roast, boil or steam chunks for 15-20 minutes; mash cooked squash with butter; puree cooked squash for creamy soup, or add uncooked chunks to soups or stews; add small amounts to yeast breads, muffins, cookies, pies, oatmeal, etc.

-How to store: keep for several months (depending on the variety) in a dry, moderately warm (50-60 degrees), but not freezing location with 60-75 percent humidity; will also store at room temperature.

ROMA TOMATOES (Granadero): bright red, 4-5 oz Roma tomatoes with very good flavor and thick-walled fruit

-How to use: good for fresh tomato sauces, salsas, and salads, roasting, dehydrating, yummy!

-How to store: keep at room temperature for up to 1 week or less.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. SUSTAINABILI-TEA COMMUNITY TABLE AT THE WASHTENAW FOOD HUB with JENA JONES ON WED. SEPT. 17 from 5 -6 PM: Iced Tea and mug are provided for a suggested donation of $5 or more. Please feel free to bring your own mug and favorite tea. We’ll gather to sip, share stories, and hear what others in the community are up to. Each week features a special host and theme to spark conversation, but you’re welcome to bring any topic to the table related to food, sustainability, or community life. Join us this Wednesday with Jena Jones, chemist, fiber dyeing instructor, spinner, and knitter. She will demonstrate wool scouring and dyeing, share tips, and introduce The Michigan Fiber Shed—an excellent resource for local fiber enthusiasts. Join us the following Wednesday, Sept. 24 for another Community Tea event with Zach Freeman, local veterinarian, who will share his expertise for raising various types of ducks with a small-scale backyard operation.

2. ENDING SUMMER CSA DATES: The end is drawing near for our Summer CSA. This is just a reminder that our summer shares are ending next week, so please return all your boxes. That means Sept. 24 (Wed.), Sept. 26 (Fri.), and Sept. 27 (Sat.) are the last distribution days for our Summer Shares.

3. EXTENDED FALL CSA REGISTRATION 2025 IS OPEN! Our 4-week Extended Fall CSA will start the week of Sept. 28 – Oct. 4 and end the week of October 19 -25 for $160. In order to receive all 4 shares, please register online anytime before Sept. 27 at https://www.tantrefarm.com/about-csa/fall-csa/ . If you can’t commit right away, then sign up the week before you would like to receive a box for a prorated share. Please go to our website for more information and find the Sign In link. Payment is with PayPal, Check, Cash, or Venmo. You will receive a separate email later today with details about the Extended Fall season. You can always look up general details on our website about each of our CSA programs. Our Thanksgiving CSA share registration will begin sometime in October. Thank you for your patience!

4. FALL PLANT & MUSHROOM FORAGING WALK ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, from 12 – 2 PM: We are hosting a leisurely plant walk at Tantre Farm with our local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud from Will Forage For Food. Plant walks are excellent learning opportunities for those with beginning to intermediate foraging skills and for anyone wanting to learn more about their local flora. Our discussion will include information about identification, methods of harvest, preparation, and use of around 20-25 edible plants and mushrooms to focus on. Kids under 12 are free with paid adult. You may want to bring a notebook, camera, and water. Unlimited class size, drop ins are welcome, and cost is $25. Use the code TANTRE at checkout for a 20% discount. To register ahead of time or find more information, just go to her website at https://www.willforageforfood.com/store/p/plant-and-mushroom-walk .

5. SAVE THE DATE–FALL FARM HIKE on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM: Come join us for a guided monthly exploratory edible walk around Tantre Farm with CSA member, Alisse Portnoy, who teaches at the University of Michigan, and her daughter, Jessica. Alisse and Jessica, who are longtime CSA member and look forward to sharing some of its treasures and treasure spots with you as the seasons change. We’ll use all of our senses as we take an edible hike, visit the animals, and explore the fields and the mushroom forest. We will have some special surprises with this hike, especially because Richard has agreed to make pizza in our earth oven with some of the veggies you have collected on your hike! We also will be handing out free pumpkins and winter squash for those who attend. Meet at the picnic tables behind the Main House. Please feel free to come earlier or stay later and bring a picnic meal, which could be supplemented with a few fresh Tantre veggies! Hope to see you at the farm!

6. SAVE THE DATE–5th ANNUAL HONEYBEE NUT FESTIVAL on OCTOBER 12 from 10 AM to 5 PM: Celebrate the Earth and the seasons with a FREE, fun, outdoors event at HoneyBee U-pick (5700 Scio Church Rd, AA). In the past years, we have made walnut butter, acorn flour, hickory nut milk, fresh pressed apple cider, and roasted chestnuts on the campfire. Fall foraging (root season!) and nature hikes will be available in the AM and PM, along with networking with local nut experts, and learning about how the HoneyBee property continues to become a wild, nut-centered, native polyculture. More updated details coming about speakers and activities on Facebook Events, Instagram posts, and our website page https://www.tantrefarm.com/nut-tree-planting-fest/ .

                                                                           .

7. RETURN BOXES AND DONATE “GROCERY” BAGS:  We are missing many share boxes, so before we have to order more boxes, we ask you to return your boxes this week, so we can reuse them. We also could use some grocery bags whether plastic or paper for members to use at various distribution sites. Please DO NOT give us your clothing bags or pieces of plastic of all different sizes, since we are not a recycling facility, and can not use those for sending produce home with members.

8. HONEYBEE U-PICK is OPEN ONLY ON SATURDAY MORNINGS: We are open this week from 8 AM until 12 PM on Saturday mornings at 5700 Scio Church Road on the corner of Zeeb Rd. and Scio Church Rd. in Ann Arbor. We will have a wide variety of TANTRE PRODUCE at our farm stand for purchase as well as local HONEY on Saturdays. It may not be a good year for preserving raspberries. However, we have mowed paths through the raspberry patch, and there are some raspberries ready for picking, so if you are a true raspberry lover then we recommend bringing pants, long sleeves, closed toe shoes, and just give it a try! Check our website for updates. Sign up to be on our mailing list, so you know times, prices, weather-related closings, etc. here: https://www.tantrefarm.com/honey-bee .

9. HIRED HELP NEEDED: We are looking for additional help going into the fall to dig up the fall harvest. We provide home-cooked lunches every day with food from the farm. Please email us or fill out an application from our website at https://www.tantrefarm.com/internships/

10. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:

*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 9:30 AM (SARA there the whole time)

*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –4 PM to 7 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Pure Pastures (Wed.) —9 AM to 11 AM (JESSICA there most of the time)

*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)

*Ann Arbor Farmers Market (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM (SHANNON there the whole time)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 5 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB there the whole time)

*Argus-Packard (Sat) — 9 AM to 3 PM (STAFF there the whole time)

*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (LIZ there the whole time)

*HoneyBee U-pick (Sat)–8 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

REFLECTIONS ON THE FARM

by Richard & Deb

Part of managing a farm is seeing ourselves and the land as an interactive part of a community of plants, animals, birds, insects, microbes, and we watch with affection the way all things grow. Obviously there are imbalances that are inherited and created from within our current practices and from previous generations in the ecological community. We happen to be a farm that grows a lot of annual vegetables, perennial berries, fruit and nut trees, a mushroom forest, along with wetlands, native woods, and pastures for a small herd of cattle. Within our neighborhood there is ample space for many wild animals, woodchucks, bats, deer, squirrels, foxes, and over 66 unique bird species observed on our farm by a recent Michigan State University research team. Not to mention the millions of crickets that sing throughout the summer or the billions of ants, native bees, flies, and other insects and arthropods that inhabit this farm. Our farm is rich in wildlife and plant life.

Some of the imbalances in our animal community though have presented themselves to us this summer, especially if you like to eat sweet corn! In other words despite planting 150,000 corn kernels for eight generations of successive, weekly sweet corn, we barely have any sweet corn this year. What that means for you is that, unfortunately, despite our seed expense and many hours planting and weeding the corn, we will not have any sweet corn for you. This summer a large population of deer and raccoons seem to have feasted excessively at ours and your loss. Some folks would say that this maybe is due to an ecological imbalance and overpopulation. Every year there are disease, predators, and road kill to naturally control the population of wildlife, but this year the animal community seems to be thriving. In this area our deer population seems to be increasing even more perhaps due to mild winters, plenty of food from our neighbors’ soy beans, field corn, and plenty of healthy habitat in western Washtenaw County. We have been managing the deer every year, but this year resulted in untenable devastation of our large, sweet corn field. We feel bad for the loss of the corn. We are sorry to disappoint you. We are disappointed too. So it goes from year to year. The loss is heartbreaking; however, at least the deer and raccoons are happy.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, while we tried to sort out whether we could salvage even one week for all of you before the end of the summer season. We have decided that we just couldn’t retrieve that much sweet corn, since we would need over 600 ears just to give each member two ears. We were able to bring a few ears of sweet corn to the farmers markets a couple of times, but not in the large numbers that we need to feed all of you. We are hoping to have a better year next year for sweet corn. However, the good news is that our green beans look great, the garlic was large and beautiful, and we have plenty of peppers as you will see in this week’s share! The fall carrots have been painstakingly weeded and irrigated consistently despite no rain for weeks now, so our fall carrots look awesome! The winter squash is also outstanding, so don’t forget to sign up for the Extended Fall CSA, which is open now for sign ups.

As we approach these last two weeks of the share, we hope that you’ve enjoyed this summer’s produce despite some loss and some gains. Each summer holds a slightly different bounty of flavors, diversity, and quantity of each person’s favorites. Please consider joining us again with the upcoming Extended Fall CSA, the Thanksgiving CSA, or the weekly Tantre Farm Produce Box, which will continue throughout October with a break in November before we transition back to our collaborative Immune Booster CSA boxes in December. Every year is a new year. Every season is a new season. We appreciate your support and hope to see you back!

RECIPES

**Keep in mind a very easy way to find recipe ideas for almost any combination of share box ingredients is to type the items into your preferred “search bar” with the word “recipes” at the end, and many recipe ideas will pop up. Have fun searching!

ITALIAN POTATOES WITH ONION AND ROSEMARY (from www.gardenguides.com ) Makes 4 servings

2 1/4 lbs potatoes, scrubbed, and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

10 oz onion (about 1 large onion), peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 3/4 cup)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the potatoes in a microwave oven at full power for 7-8 minutes, until fork-tender. (You can also boil the potatoes for 30-35 minutes in 4 cups of water to which 2 teaspoons of salt have been added.) Set the potatoes aside until cool enough to handle. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. In the hot skillet, combine the onion, garlic, and wine. Stir to combine thoroughly and cook for about 15 minutes, until the onion is very soft. Add the potatoes, parsley, and rosemary. Mix well and mash with the back of a wooden spoon to form a large pancake. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Raise the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are browned and somewhat crusty underneath. Position a plate upside down over the pan, flip the pancake out onto the plate so that the cooked side is up, and then slide it back into the pan. Cook for about 15 minutes more, until the second side is crusty. Serve hot.

ARUGULA, EGG, AND TOMATO SALAD

1 bunch arugula

4 tomatoes

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

6 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp chopped parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

Wash and spin off excess moisture. Remove tough stems. Cut tomatoes into 1-inch cubes. Peel and quarter eggs. Combine all ingredients and mix. Saute in olive oil for only 5 seconds and toss with pasta, if desired.

GREEN BEAN AND ROASTED TOMATO SALAD (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website) Serves 2

4 tomatoes, each cut lengthwise into 4 slices

1/4 tsp (heaping) Dijon mustard

1/4 lb green beans, trimmed

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh orange juice

1 tsp minced shallot or onion

1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup mixed salad greens (arugula, lettuce, kale etc.)

1/4 tsp freshly grated orange zest

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet. Arrange tomatoes in one layer on baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until edges are browned, and cool. While tomatoes are roasting cook beans in salted boiling water 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. In a colander drain beans and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain beans and pat dry. In a bowl whisk together juices, zest, mustard, oil, shallot, and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange tomatoes, overlapping them, on 2 plates and mound mixed salad greens and beans on top. Drizzle salads with vinaigrette.

DELICATA SQUASH WITH BREADCRUMBS & PARSLEY (from https://soilborn.org/recipe/delicata-breadcrumbs-parsley/ )

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 Delicata squash, cut lengthwise and seeded

Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or fresh minced garlic

4 fresh sage leaves or 4 sprigs rosemary, minced

Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Mix the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast and 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Toast the mixture in a small skillet over medium heat until just golden. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cut the squash cross-wise into 1/4-inch slices and add to a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sage. Heat a large skillet with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the squash and cook about 4 minutes or until they are golden and crisp. Turn them over to cook on the other side for about 4 more minutes or until they are fork-tender. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook the squash in batches. Transfer the squash to a paper-towel lined plate. Arrange the on a platter and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the squash and garnish with parsley. Serve while hot.

SWEET PEPPER SAUCE (from The Victory Garden) Makes around 3 cups

1 1/2 lb sweet red peppers, roasted

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped celery with leaves

1 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Peel the peppers, if desired. Cut into strips. Heat the oil and saute the onions and celery until wilted and golden. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in peppers, tomatoes, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook 5 minutes; uncover and simmer 15-30 minutes or until thickened. The cooking time depends upon the juiciness of the tomatoes. Puree smooth in the blender, food processor, or food mill. Serve with cooked vegetables, eggs, fish, or poultry.

GYPSY SOUP (from The Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen)

*This soup uses an amazing mix of produce in your share and is a farm favorite!

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp Spanish paprika

2 medium onions, chopped            

1 tsp turmeric

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp basil

2 cups chopped, peeled winter squash

1 tsp salt

Dash of cinnamon

1 stalk celery, chopped

Dash of cayenne

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 green or red pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans

3 cups stock or water

In a soup kettle, saute onions, garlic, celery and sweet potatoes in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add seasonings, except tamari, and the stock or water. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and beans. Simmer another 10 minutes or so–until the vegetables are tender. Add tamari and serve.

Note: This soup freezes well. You can also throw in greens at the end, such as tatsoi or kale or cabbage.

THIS WEEK’S SHARE

ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C.

-How to use: add to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes.

-How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

FRESH BASIL or LETTUCE: We are low on lettuce and basil as this generation is still maturing, so Wednesday members will receive Lettuce (see below for description) and our Friday/Saturday members will receive Prospera Italian Large Leaf Basil (sweet aroma with notes of anise in its green leaves; traditionally used in pesto, tomato sauces, pesto, and salad dressings; originally from India where it was traded in ancient times via the spice routes).

-How to store: store herbs upright with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water on your counter or table top. This herb does not store well in a refrigerator, since it does not like cold temperatures.

ORANGE CARROTS (Sugarsnax): smooth, uniform, 9-inch tapered roots that are tender and sweet and with no greens this week.

-How to use: can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sauteed, in stews, soups, casseroles, or stir-fries.

-How to store: refrigerate roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks

GREEN CURLY KALE: well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip” and kale salad.

-How to use: Boil or steam until color brightens; great in omelets, quiches, lasagna, casseroles, soups, stews, salads, and smoothies.

-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks.

CANTALOUPE OR WATERMELON: You will receive Sugar Cube Cantaloupe (personal-size with intensely sweet flavor; heavily netted 2–2 1/2 lb. fruits (just a bit bigger than a softball) with deep-orange, aromatic flesh perfect for single servings. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream dropped in the seed cavity makes a delicious summer treat!) OR Dark Belle Watermelon (dark-green skin, bright-red flesh, oblong 5-7 lb. fruit with thin rind, and very sweet flavor).

-How to use: slice, dice and serve as drinks, salads, or salsa.

-How to store: if melon seems not quite ripe, store at room temperature until sweet smell is coming from the soft, stem end; then store in the refrigerator.

ROMAINE LETTUCE or FRESH BASIL: We are low on lettuce and basil as this generation is still maturing, so Friday/Saturday members will receive Basil (see above for description) and our Wednesday members will receive Romaine Lettuce (upright, dense heads produce long, uniform hearts with good flavor).

-How to use: good in salads and sandwiches or (believe it or not!) use in soups.

-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.

RED or WHITE BUNCHING ONIONS: young shoots of red or white 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, and other dishes for flavor.

-How to store: refrigerate in damp towel/plastic bag for 2-5 days.

RED BULB ONIONS: You will receive Redwing (the ultimate red storage onion; globe-shaped bulbs are 3–4 inches across, moderately pungent, very firm).

-How to use: can be grilled, roasted, sauteed, or chopped in salads, soups, and other dishes for flavor

-How to store: wrap in damp towel or plastic bag in fridge for 2-7 days.

SHISHITO PEPPERS: sweet, mild, slender Japanese chiles about 2- to 4-inches with squarish end; known for their distinctive flavor profile, which is mildly sweet with a bit of heat, though about 1 in 10 may be spicier

-How to use: often used in stir-fried dishes, salads, or as a pickled condiment, but most commonly known as a delicious, healthy, roasted snack.

-How to store: for fresh peppers, store in refrigerator

RED FINGERLING POTATOES: You will receive AmaRosa Red Fingerling (small, oblong potatoes with smooth, ruby red skin and speckled red flesh; have a firm texture, nutty, earthy flavor, and are high in nutrients like potassium, vitamin C, and dietary fiber)

-How to use: good for roasting, potato salads, and pairs well with fresh herbs, garlic, and olive oil

-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH: 3-5 pounds, pale yellow, oblong, smooth, medium size, only mildly sweet with “spaghetti” (stringy) flesh; bake like squash or boil and fork out the flesh, topping the “spaghetti” flesh with your favorite sauce; mild, slightly sweet, nutty flavor and is a nutritious, low-carb, and low-calorie alternative to traditional pasta.

-How to use: can be baked, microwaved, or roasted, or use as a side dish, a base for sauces, or even as a stuffed “boat”

-How to store: store uncooked whole in a cool, dry, dark place at 50-60°F (10-15°C) for about 2 to 3 months

TOMATOES: You will receive any of the following: Granadero IN YOUR BOX (bright red, 4-5 oz plum tomatoes with very good flavor; thick-walled fruit are good for fresh tomato sauces, salsas, and salads), and ON THE SIDE Cherry Mix (may include a colorful variety of Sungold, Sungreen, Sakura, Indigo Cherry) or Verona (similar to Juliet, but with even tastier, somewhat plumper, deep red “cocktail plum” fruits; good in sauces and in salads) or Heirloom Tomato –Brandywine (large, heirloom, beefsteak tomato–often over 1 lb–with a deep pink skin and smooth red flesh).

-How to use: saute, bake, broil, or grill; eat raw in salads or add to soups, stews, or sauces.

-How to store: keep at room temperature for up to 1 week or less.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. VACATIONS or OUT OF TOWN:  With Labor Day weekend coming up, please make all your changes ahead of time, and email us as soon as possible if you need to make changes this weekend. If you can’t find someone to pick up your share, please let us know if you want to cancel your share or donate to a needy family. Please remember to make changes in pick up days or locations for the upcoming week in your dashboard by SATURDAYS, or let us know BEFORE Tuesdays, since we can make administrative changes at least a day ahead.

2. TOMATO PRESERVING WORKSHOP at Tantre Farm on Sunday, Sept. 7 from 1 to 4 PM: Long-time CSA Member, Jessica Read, will teach mostly how to can tomatoes, but also some information will be on dehydrating and freezing them. There will be active participation and “take-home” samples for those attending. This is a great beginner and reminder class! Plan on bringing a Quart Size Canning Jar. Please register by email with Subject Line as TOMATO WORKSHOP and add your Name, Phone Number, and E-mail Address in the body of the email to us. There will be a small $5 fee for materials, and $1 extra if you don’t bring a canning jar. Bulk tomatoes will be available for you to buy. This is a great time for canning, freezing, or dehydrating!

3. SUSTAINABILI-TEA TABLE AT THE FOOD HUB ON WED. AUGUST 27 from 4 to 5 PM (NOTE change in time!): Iced Tea and mug are provided for a suggested donation of $5 or more. Please feel free to bring your own mug and favorite tea. We’ll gather to sip, share stories, and hear what others in the community are up to. Each week features a special host and theme to spark conversation, but you’re welcome to bring any topic to the table related to food, sustainability, or community life. Join us this Wednesday, August 27 for another Community Table event! Barbara Wilson, who is the cofounder of Mindo Chocolate, will invite you to try all kinds of various chocolate tastings, learn why specific beans matter, hear all about Third Millennium Alliance sustainability and about the Mindo farm in Ecuador. Next week’s Community Tea Table on Sept. 3 from 5 to 6 PM will be with Deb Lentz from Tantre Farm. She will speak about Tantre CSA shares and the upcoming Extended Fall CSA share. Also, she will provide insights on Tantre Farm and the importance of local, ecologically grown produce. Very good for folks who have always wanted to get a farm share but have not as of yet.
.

4. VOLUNTEERS FOR WEEDING NEEDED!!  It would be great if you had some extra time to help us in kid garden, the herb garden, or the flowers, –even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes before you pick up your box at the farm, come join us. We definitely could use the help!! The u-pick flower garden especially is buried in weeds, so it would be great to have some help to open it for u-pick soon, since we can’t get in there without some help weeding. Please send us an email and set up a time to come any day of the week or evenings until dark. Thank you to those of you who have helped out so far! Every little bit helps a lot!

5. WANTED: TOMATO PICKERS!! Is there anyone interested in helping us pick tomatoes any weekday morning for the next few weeks, but especially on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, OR Friday mornings anytime between 7 AM and 11 AM?  We will even feed you a homemade, farm-cooked lunch. We are a little short-handed, so please contact us with an email to info@tantrefarm.com with TOMATO PICKER in the Subject Line. Thanks to those who have shown up so far to help. We can always use the extra hands!!

                                                                           .

6. SUNFLOWER FARM MARKET EXPANDED HOURS at the WASHTENAW FOOD HUB: We are now open from 9 AM until 5 PM on Saturdays and now Sundays as well! If you pick up at the Washtenaw Food Hub on Saturdays, you may pick up your share anytime between 9 AM and 5 PM.

7. FARMERS MARKETS: If you need to supplement your share with a few extra items, we are set up at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market on Wed. and Sat. starting at 7 AM. We will also be at the Chelsea Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 AM-1 PM. On top of that, our Sunflower Farm Market at the Washtenaw Food Hub Market is open on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 to 7 PM and on Saturdays (free coffee and tea!) and Sundays from 9 AM to 5 PM with expanded hours, so please feel free to purchase all your basic local needs and a few extra treats at any of these markets. Finally, we also have a small farm stand at the HoneyBee U-pick (more details below).

8. HONEYBEE U-PICK is OPEN ONLY ON SATURDAY MORNINGS: We are open this week from 8 AM until 12 PM on Saturday mornings at 5700 Scio Church Road on the corner of Zeeb Rd. and Scio Church Rd. in Ann Arbor. We will have a wide variety of TANTRE PRODUCE at our farm stand for purchase as well as local HONEY and EGGS on Saturdays. The raspberries are not very productive this season and the thistles have overtaken some of the patch, so it may not be a good year for preserving. However, we have mowed some paths through and there are a few raspberries ready for picking, so if you are a true raspberry lover then we recommend bringing pants, long sleeves, closed toe shoes, and just give it a try! Check our website for updates. Sign up to be on our mailing list, so you know times, prices, weather-related closings, etc. here: https://www.tantrefarm.com/honey-bee.

9. DO YOU LIKE TO WORK “OUTSIDE”? TANTRE FARM IS HIRING! Many of our college and high school students have gone  back to school, so we are looking for part-time and full-time workers who are interested in getting their hands dirty and enjoy healthy, hearty, hard work. We provide home-cooked lunches every day with food from the farm. Please email us or fill out an application from our website at https://www.tantrefarm.com/internships/

10. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:

*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 9:30 AM (SARA there the whole time)

*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –4 PM to 7 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Pure Pastures (Wed.) —9 AM to 11 AM (JESSICA there most of the time)

*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)

*Ann Arbor Farmers Market (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM (SHANNON there the whole time)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 5 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB there the whole time)

*Argus-Packard (Sat) — 9 AM to 3 PM (STAFF there the whole time)

*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (LIZ there the whole time)

*HoneyBee U-pick (Sat)–8 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

RECIPES

**Keep in mind a very easy way to find recipe ideas for almost any combination of share box ingredients is to type the items into your preferred “search bar” with the word “recipes” at the end, and many recipe ideas will pop up. Have fun searching!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE (from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen) Serves 4-6

1 spaghetti squash, 8-inches long

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup chopped onion

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lb fresh, sliced mushrooms

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil

Dash of thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 cup cottage or ricotta cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 cup fine bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Halve the squash and scoop out seeds. Bake face-down on oiled sheet until it is easily pierced by a fork, about 30 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to touch, then scoop out pulp and place in large bowl. Meanwhile, heat butter and saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms with herbs, salt and pepper. When onions are soft, add tomatoes and continue to cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Stir this mixture into squash pulp with remaining ingredients except Parmesan. Spread into buttered 2-quart casserole. Top with Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

SAUTEED SHISHITO PEPPERS

1/2 lb shishito peppers, rinsed

1 Tbsp vegetable or sesame oil

Sea salt or coarse salt, to taste

In a large, wide frying pan or saute pan, heat the oil over high heat for a minute or two. Add the peppers and saute until the peppers begin to soften and cook around the edges (about 3-5 minutes). You want a few “burnt” or darkened spots here and there. Season with salt. Stir the peppers, so that they cook evenly. When the peppers have wilted, remove from heat and serve.

CANTALOUPE AND TOMATO SALAD WITH MINT (from Farmer John’s Cookbook by John Peterson) Serves 4

1/2 to 1 small cantaloupe, balled or cut in 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (cut in halves)

1/2 cucumber, peeled, diced (about 1 cup)

1 large rip celery, diced (about 3/4 cup)

1 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint plus more for garnish

1 Tbsp sherry vinegar

2 tsp honey

2 tsp lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine the cantaloupe, tomatoes, cucumber, and celery in a large salad bowl. Whisk the yogurt, mint, vinegar, honey, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the melon salad and toss until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with mint leaves.

FINGERLING POTATOES SAUTEED WITH SEA SALT AND FRESH SAGE (from www.grouprecipes.com ) Serves 6

1 1/2 lbs fingerling potatoes unpeeled

3 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

10 fresh sage sprigs or leaves

Put potatoes in a saucepan and add water to cover by 2-inches. Add 2 teaspoons of the sea salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium then cover and cook 20 minutes then drain well. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When oil is hot add potatoes and turn them in the oil. Sprinkle with remaining sea salt, pepper and sage. Continue to cook turning until skins are lightly golden and sage is crisp about 10 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

CRUNCHY KALE SALAD WITH CREAMY PARMESAN YOGURT DRESSING (from https://www.yayforfood.com )

For the salad:

5 cups (packed) kale, stems removed and chopped into small pieces

2 carrots (8 oz), thinly sliced (or grated)

1 red bell pepper (7 ½ oz), seeded and chopped

½ cup radishes (1 ½ oz), thinly sliced (use a watermelon radish)

½ cup sliced almonds

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the dressing:

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 oz. parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano), coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the chopped kale along with one tablespoon of olive oil in a large bowl. Using your hands, massage the kale for 2-3 minutes, until the kale begins to soften. Set aside.  In a high powered blender, add the dressing ingredients and blend until well combined and  creamy. Taste and adjust the dressing to your preference.  Add the remaining salad ingredients to the kale in same large bowl. Drizzle the desired amount of dressing on top and toss to combine. Serve immediately. 

THIS WEEK’S SHARE

ARUGULA: You will receive a small bunch of Arugula (an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C).

-How to use: add to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes.

-How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

GREEN or PURPLE BEANS: You will receive Jade (long, slender, deep green, filet bean) or Velour (“extra-fine”, straight, slender, bright purple pods; turns green upon cooking).

-How to use: raw in salads, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, etc.

-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 1 week.

GOLDEN BEETS: orange skin with rich gold interior; mild, sweet flavor when cooked

-How to use: greens can be substituted for spinach and chard in recipes; roots good in soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.

-How to store: separate roots from leaves and store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; store greens wrapped in damp cloth in plastic bag for up to 1 week.

ORANGE CARROTS (Mokum): a very sweet, slender, “pencil carrot” with no greens this week.

-How to use: can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sauteed, in stews, soups, casseroles, or stir-fries.

-How to store: refrigerate roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks

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 tender, delicately flavored, and quick cooking), or Dancer (Light purple, Italian type, semi-cylindrical fruits are mid-sized, mild, and nonbitter).

-How to use: may be salted to remove bitterness from old fruit, but also makes it less watery and more absorbent, and can greatly enhance the taste and texture of your dish; can be baked, boiled, fried, grilled, or can be sliced into rounds for grilling or broiling, and cut into cubes for stews and stir-fries

-How to store: best fresh, but can be stored at room temperature or in refrigerator drawer for up to 1 week.

GREEN CURLY KALE: well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip” and kale salad.

-How to use: Boil or steam until color brightens; great in omelets, quiches, lasagna, casseroles, soups, stews, salads, and smoothies.

-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks.

YELLOW SPANISH ONIONS: a sweet, mild flavored onion with a yellow skin

-How to use: can be grilled or roasted whole as a vegetable or chopped in salads, soups, and other dishes for flavor

-How to store: wrap in damp towel or plastic bag in fridge for 2-7 days.

PARSLEY: You will receive either Italian Flatleaf (used primarily in cooking because of its more robust flavor; flat, glossy, dark green leaves have a strong parsley/celery flavor for use dried or fresh; high in vitamins A and C, and other minerals, such as iron; good for blot clotting and bone health; especially good in omelets, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, pasta and vegetable dishes, as well as, sauces) OR Curly (a biennial herb with bright green, curly, and frilly leaves that are native to the Mediterranean; known for its culinary uses, health benefits, and vibrant appearance; used often as a garnish and in tabouli, but can be used exactly the same as Flat-leaf).

-How to store: store herbs upright with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water and refrigerate for up to 1 week or wrap in slightly dampened cloth or plastic bag and store in refrigerator.

NEW RED POTATOES: New potatoes are just young potatoes that haven’t had time to convert their sugar fully into starch and often have a crisp, waxy texture and thin, underdeveloped wispy skins.

-How to use: good boiled or pan-roasted, but particularly suited for potato salad, since they hold their shape well after being cut and cooked.

-How to store: refrigerate new potatoes if not used within 2-3 days, but use up sometime during the 1st or 2nd week of receiving them; these potatoes have not been cured, so will not last as long as “cured” potatoes, which should not be refrigerated, since low temperatures convert the starch to sugars and may turn dark when cooked.

TOMATOES: For most locations, the tomatoes will not be in your box, so they will be “on the side”, so make sure to ask for your extras if you see a stack of extras.  You will receive any of the following: Sun Gold Cherry (exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange cherry tomato; less acidic than the red cherry tomato), Cherry Mix (may include a colorful variety of Sungold, Sungreen, Verona, Clementine), AND Heirloom Tomato –Brandywine (large, heirloom, beefsteak tomato–often over 1 lb–with a deep pink skin and smooth red flesh).

-How to use: saute, bake, broil, or grill; eat raw in salads or add to soups, stews, or sauces.

-How to store: keep at room temperature for up to 1 week.

WATERMELON: You will receive any of the following Mini Love (sweet and firm, oval-round fruits avg. 5–7 lb and distinctive, bright green rind with dark green stripes and dense, bright red flesh), Natsu Cocoa (very uniform fruit with exceptional sweetness and dark green, tiger-striped rind; the epitome of summer—natsu means “summer” in Japanese), and Sureness (superior yellow flesh watermelon with attractive dark green skin with narrow, dark green stripes and sweet, bright yellow flesh).

-How to use: slice, dice and serve as drinks, salads, or salsa.

-How to store: if melon seems not quite ripe, store at room temperature until sweet smell is coming from the soft, stem end; then store in the refrigerator.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. SUSTAINABILI-TEA TABLE AT THE FOOD HUB ON WED. AUGUST 13 from 5 to 6 PM: Iced Tea and mug are provided for a suggested donation of $5 — or feel free to bring your own mug and favorite tea. We’ll gather to sip, share stories, and hear what others in the community are up to. Each week features a special host and theme to spark conversation, but you’re welcome to bring any topic to the table related to food, sustainability, or community life. Join us this Wednesday, August 13 for another Community Tea event! Robin Lehman will be presenting her knowledge about natural yarns and how to create simple crocheted hearts. Explore cotton, bamboo, hemp and wool yarns and discuss about local farms that produce these fibers in the area. If possible bring your own crochet hook. Next week’s Community Tea Time will be with Rachel Kanaan again about making Tepache on Aug. 20. Come taste Tepache made from our first Tepache class in July, share stories and samples. Bring ferments to share and sample if you feel called.  Tepache is a  delicious easy-to-make beverage and packed with probiotics and enzymes. We will add few juices from local fruit (some from Tantre Farm) to see some variations.

2. SAVE THE DATE–SUMMER FARM HIKE on SUNDAY, August 24 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM: Come join us for a guided monthly exploratory walk around Tantre Farm with CSA member, Alisse Portnoy, who teaches at the University of Michigan, and her daughter, Jessica. Alisse and Jessica, who are longtime CSA members, look forward to sharing some of its treasures and treasure spots with you. We’ll use all our senses as we take an edible hike, visit the animals, and explore the fields and the mushroom forest. We may even try making some dried flower bouquets! Meet at the picnic tables behind the Main House. Please feel free to come earlier or stay later and bring a picnic meal, which could be supplemented with a few fresh Tantre veggies! Hope to see you at the farm!

3. VOLUNTEERS FOR WEEDING NEEDED!!: It would be great if you had some extra time to help us in kid garden, the herb garden, or the flowers, –even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes before you pick up your box at the farm, come join us. We definitely could use the help!! Please send us an email and set up a time to come any day of the week or evenings until dark. Thank you to those of you who have helped out so far! Every little bit helps a lot!

4. WANTED: TOMATO PICKERS!! Is there anyone interested in helping us pick tomatoes any weekday morning for the next few weeks, but especially on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, OR Friday mornings anytime between 7 AM and 11 AM. We will even feed you a homemade, farm-cooked lunch. We are a little short-handed, so please contact us with an email to info@tantrefarm.com with TOMATO PICKER in the Subject Line. Thanks to those who have shown up so far to help. We can always use the extra hands!! .

5. SUNFLOWER FARM MARKET EXPANDED HOURS at the WASHTENAW FOOD HUB: We are now open from 9 AM until 5 PM on Saturdays and now Sundays as well! If you pick up at the Washtenaw Food Hub on Saturdays, you may pick up your share anytime between 9 AM and 5 PM.

6. GRASS LAKE MARKET TODAY, AUG. 13: We will be set up with a produce stand in Grass Lake today from 3 to 8 PM. This market is a monthly, downtown-wide event in Grass Lake, offering a variety of local vendors, fresh produce, artisan goods, live music, food trucks, and family-friendly activities. It takes place on the second Wednesday of each month from May through September. The theme this month is “Cosmic Market”, so you’ll see people dressed up or booths decorated accordingly. For more details go to: https://www.grasslakemarket.com .

7. OTHER FARMERS MARKETS: If you need to supplement your share with a few extra items, we are set up at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market on Wed. and Sat. starting at 7 AM. We will also be at the Chelsea Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 AM-1 PM. On top of that, our Sunflower Farm Market at the Washtenaw Food Hub Market is open on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 to 7 PM and on Saturdays (free coffee and tea!) and Sundays from 9 AM to 5 PM with expanded hours, so please feel free to purchase all your basic local needs and a few extra treats at any of these markets. Finally, we also have a small farm stand at the HoneyBee U-pick (more details below).

8. NEW HOURS FOR HONEYBEE U-PICK (5700 Scio Church Rd., Ann Arbor) OPEN ONLY ON SATURDAYS FROM 8 AM TO 12 PM: You may still try to upick blueberries and maybe some raspberries this week, but they have been heavily picked, so we will be open only 1 day/week for now on Saturdays. We also will have a wide variety of extra TANTRE PRODUCE at our farm stand for purchase as well as local HONEY and EGGS on Saturdays. Check our website for updates. Sign up to be on our mailing list, so you know times, prices, weather-related closings, etc. here: https://www.tantrefarm.com/honey-bee/

9. DO YOU LIKE TO WORK “OUTSIDE”? TANTRE FARM IS HIRING! Many of our college and high school students are going back to school soon, so we are looking for part-time and full-time workers who are interested in getting their hands dirty and enjoy healthy, hearty, hard work. We provide home-cooked lunches every day with food from the farm. Please email us or fill out an application from our website at https://www.tantrefarm.com/internships/

10.  PLASTIC OR PAPER “GROCERY BAGS ONLY” ARE NEEDED:   Please feel free to donate bags to the markets or the farm location, so we can offer them to other CSA members for taking home your items on the side.

11. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:

*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 9:30 AM (SARA there the whole time)

*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –4 PM to 7 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Pure Pastures (Wed.) —9 AM to 11 AM (JESSICA there most of the time)

*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)

*Ann Arbor Farmers Market (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM (SHANNON there the whole time)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 5 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB there the whole time)

*Argus-Packard (Sat) — 9 AM to 3 PM (STAFF there the whole time)

*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (LIZ there the whole time)

*HoneyBee U-pick (Sat)–8 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

WHAT’S AN HEIRLOOM?

by Joel Heeres – 2001 Tantre Alumnus

It’s not a loom for your heirs, as you might think. Heirloom fruit and vegetable varieties are hundreds and sometimes thousands of years old. Heirlooms differ in shape, color, size, flavor, and storability, but they all share one characteristic– their seeds can be saved one season to plant in the next. Heirloom varieties have been bred by local farmers and gardeners over many generations and have been established as stable varieties that grow “true to seed“. These varieties are special, because they have been adapted to certain climates over a long time.

Heirloom vegetables are often more flavorful than hybrid vegetables. Hybrids are bred for high productivity, disease and pest resistance, drought resistance, and hardiness. While these traits are undeniably helpful, they often come at the cost of flavor. In addition, farmers cannot save seed from hybrid crops, as they are unstable crosses from two different varieties.

 In summary, heirloom crops are beneficial to small farmers and home gardeners, because their seeds can be saved to plant again. They have better flavor and are more unique than hybrids, although they can be less hardy and prone to diseases.

At Tantré Farm, we grow both hybrid and heirloom crops. Some of the crops we grow from heirloom seeds are tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, winter squash, potatoes, onions, kale, beans, turnips, and radishes. Sometimes we will have some varieties of heirlooms only on the market tables, since we may not have a lot of them available. We’ll try to let you know when you are getting heirloom produce in your share box in the produce descriptions.

RECIPES

**Keep in mind a very easy way to find recipe ideas for almost any combination of share box ingredients is to type the items into your preferred “search bar” with the word “recipes” at the end, and many recipe ideas will pop up. Have fun searching!

ARUGULA, EGG, AND TOMATO SALAD

1 bunch arugula

4 tomatoes

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

6 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp chopped parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

Wash and spin off excess moisture. Remove tough stems. Cut tomatoes into 1-inch cubes. Peel and quarter eggs. Combine all ingredients and mix. Saute in olive oil for only 5 seconds and toss with pasta, if desired.

PURPLE BEAN AND TOMATO SALAD (from www.grouprecipes.com ) Serves 1-2

6 oz green or purple beans, chopped into 1-inch pieces

3 Tbsp hummus

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp oregano

1 sprig parsley, minced

3 oz Romaine lettuce, shredded

1 heirloom tomato, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Steam the bean pieces 4 minutes over boiling water. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix together hummus, lemon juice, oregano and parsley. Set aside. Place lettuce in a salad bowl. Top with tomato slices and warm, steamed beans. Season with pepper. Pour hummus mixture overtop of everything, toss lightly to coat. Serve immediately.

WARM GOLDEN BEET SALAD WITH GREENS AND ALMONDS (from http://www.thekitchn.com )

1 bunch beets, both tops and roots

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

2/3 cup toasted almond slivers

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan or cake tin with a big square of foil, large enough to complete enclose the beet roots. Place the beets in the foil square and lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Fold up the foil and crease to seal. Bake the beets for 60 minutes or until they can be just pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, chop the beet greens into bite-size ribbons. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook on low for about 5 minutes or until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the chopped leaves and stir to coat with the garlic. Cook on medium-low for about 10 minutes or until the leaves are soft and tender. Remove from the heat. When the beets are cool, rub them with a paper towel to remove the skin. Then chop into bite-sized pieces and toss with the cooked greens, goat cheese, and almonds. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold. (This also makes an excellent pressed sandwich filling, especially with some extra goat cheese.)

COUSCOUS WITH TOMATO EGGPLANT SAUCE (from Farm-Fresh Recipes by Janet Majure) Serves 6

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 eggplant, skin on, diced

1 green pepper, cut julienne

2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp dry basil, rosemary, and oregano

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1 cup water

1 lb couscous

Cook onion until golden in olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add eggplant and green pepper; cook and stir 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, paprika, herbs, and water; stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often. Mash eggplant, then cook 30 minutes more. Cook couscous according to package directions. Serve sauce over hot couscous.

KALE AND QUINOA PILAF (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website) Serves 6

2 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp chili paste with garlic

6 cups torn kale

1/2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1 cup cooked quinoa

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, bell pepper and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add curry, chili paste and ginger; saute 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients; cook 3 minutes or until heated, stir often. Serve at room temperature. 

THIS WEEK’S SHARE

ARUGULA: You will receive a small bunch of Arugula (an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C).

-How to use: add to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes.

-How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

BASIL (Prospero Italian Large Leaf): an herb with a sweet aroma with notes of anise in its green leaves; traditionally used in pesto, tomato sauces, pesto, and salad dressings; originally from India where it was traded in ancient times via the spice routes.

-How to store: store herbs upright with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water on your counter or table top. This herb does not store well in a refrigerator, since it does not like cold temperatures.

GREEN BEANS: You will receive Jade (long, slender, deep green, filet bean).

-How to use: raw in salads, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, etc.

-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 1 week.

RED BEETS or CHERRY TOMATOES: We had to make some adjustments this week with a few items, so Friday/Saturday members will receive Cherry Tomatoes (see below) and Wednesday members will receive Red Ace Beets (round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and medium-tall, no greens).

-How to use: roots good in soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.

-How to store: store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks

GREEN BROCCOLI: deep emerald green, tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems; high in vitamins A, C, calcium, potassium, and iron; known as an anti-cancer vegetable).

-How to use: use raw, steamed, sauteed, stir-fried, in casseroles, soups, pizzas, etc.

-How to store: store loosely in plastic bag for up to a week.

CARROTS WITH GREENS (Sugarsnax): smooth, uniform, 9-inch tapered roots that are tender and sweet. Carrot leaves are very nutritious with lots of protein, minerals and high levels of vitamins, especially ‘C’ and ‘K’.

-How to use: can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sauteed, in stews, soups, casseroles, or stir-fries.

-How to store: refrigerate roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks; greens may last up to a week refrigerated in plastic bag.

CUCUMBERS: You will receive either Olympian (considered a slicing cucumber with dark green, straight 8- to 9-inch fruit; crisp with fresh flavor) OR Little Leaf (considered a pickling cucumber with blocky, medium-length, distinctively bright emerald green fruits, which are good for fresh eating and pickling).

-How to use: raw or pickled in salads or sandwiches, can also be julienned, sauteed, or baked.

-How to store: store them in a sealed plastic bag in refrigerator crisper drawer for up to a week; use up leftovers as soon as possible.

GREEN CURLY KALE: well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip” and kale salad.

-How to use: Boil or steam until color brightens; great in omelets, quiches, lasagna, casseroles, soups, stews, salads, and smoothies.

-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks.

ONIONS: You will receive a combination of any of the following Ailsa Craig (a sweet, mild, yellow-skinned, heirloom onion) or a young Red Long of Tropea (specialty variety of tall, elongated, red bulbs traditionally grown in Mediterranean Italy and France) or Cipollini (a traditional Italian onion known for its flat, oval shape and delicately mild, sweet flavor; ranges in size from 1-3 inches; used for pickling and to season a wide variety of dishes and especially good grilled on a skewer).

-How to use: can be grilled or roasted whole as a vegetable or chopped in salads, soups, and other dishes for flavor

-How to store: wrap in damp towel or plastic bag in fridge for 2-7 days.

NEW RED POTATOES: New potatoes are just young potatoes that haven’t had time to convert their sugar fully into starch and often have a crisp, waxy texture and thin, underdeveloped wispy skins.

-How to use: good boiled or pan-roasted, but particularly suited for potato salad, since they hold their shape well after being cut and cooked.

-How to store: refrigerate new potatoes if not used within 2-3 days, but use up sometime during the 1st or 2nd week of receiving them; these potatoes have not been cured, so will not last as long as “cured” potatoes, which should not be refrigerated, since low temperatures convert the starch to sugars and may turn dark when cooked.

CHERRY TOMATOES: We had to make some substitutions this week, so Wed. members will receive Beets (see above) and Fri./Sat. members will receive Tomatoberry (unique strawberry-shaped, deep red colored fruits with firm, meaty texture and excellent sweet flavor).

-How to use: saute, bake, broil, or grill; eat raw in salads or add to soups, stews, or sauces.

-How to store: keep at room temperature for up to 1 week.

WATERMELON: You will receive one or two mini melons called Mini Love (sweet and firm, oval-round fruits avg. 5–7 lb and distinctive, bright green rind with dark green stripes and dense, bright red flesh).

-How to use: slice, dice and serve as drinks, salads, or salsa.

-How to store: if melon seems not quite ripe, store at room temperature until sweet smell is coming from the soft, stem end; then store in the refrigerator.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. FORAGE AND FEAST Cooking Class on SUNDAY, Aug. 17, from 11 AM -2 PM: Come to this foraging class and turn our collections into a gourmet meal with local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud, from “Will Forage For Food”. Plant walks are great, but what do you do with stuff once you get it home? This class is designed to teach you exactly that. We will go out and forage for about an hour, then we will bring our harvest into the kitchen where we will combine it with previously foraged items (from my stash), farm fresh ingredients, and some grocery store staples to make a gourmet meal that we will share. Our meal will include an appetizer, a main dish, 2-3 sides, a desert, and both an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic beverage, all made with wild ingredients. Please note any dietary restrictions when you register. Bring your harvesting basket if you have one. It will also be helpful if you bring your favorite kitchen knife and a kitchen towel. And you may want a notebook to jot down recipes as we go.

Cost: $75, includes guided foraging, a cooking class, and a gourmet meal!!!

There is limited space. Only payment holds your spot. To reserve your spot, go to https://www.willforageforfood.com/store  to register. Use the code TANTRE at checkout for a 20% discount.

2. SUSTAINABILI-TEA TABLE AT THE FOOD HUB ON WEDNESDAYS from 5 to 6 PM: Iced Tea and mug are provided for a suggested donation of $5 — or feel free to bring your own mug and favorite tea. We’ll gather to sip, share stories, and hear what others in the community are up to. Each week features a special host and theme to spark conversation, but you’re welcome to bring any topic to the table related to food, sustainability, or community life. This week Tracy Ehrlich, the baker behind Harvest Kitchen and Homestead Bread, will share her sourdough secrets and love for bread-making. Next week Rachel Kanaan will be sharing her experience in kombucha brewing and how to add fun summer fruit and veggie flavors during secondary fermentation with special thanks to Tantre Farm and Kapnicks for their fresh fruit.

3. VOLUNTEERS FOR WEEDING NEEDED!!  With all this rain we’ve been having, we just can’t keep up with the weeds! It would be great if you had some extra time to help in the parsley, the cilantro, or the flowers, –even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes before you pick up your box at the farm, come join us. We definitely could use the help!! Please send us an email to info@tantrefarm.com and set up a time to come any day of the week or evenings until dark. Thank you to those of you who have helped out so far! Every little bit helps a lot!

4. FARMERS MARKETS: If you need to supplement your share with a few extra items, we are set up at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market on Wed. and Sat. starting at 7 AM. We will also be at the Chelsea Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 AM-1 PM. On top of that, our Sunflower Farm Market (formerly known as the Washtenaw Food Hub Market) is open on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 to 7 PM and on Saturdays (free coffee and tea!) as usual during our CSA pick up times from 9 AM-12 PM, so please feel free to purchase all your basic local needs and a few extra treats at any of these markets. Finally, we also have a small farm stand at the HoneyBee U-pick (more details below).

5. SUNFLOWER FARM MARKET EXPANDING HOURS AND MINDO CHOCOLATE DEMO ON AUG. 2: Starting Aug. 2 we will be open from 9 AM until 5 PM on Saturdays and now Sundays as well! If you pick up at the market on Saturdays, you may pick up your share anytime between 9 AM and 5 PM starting THIS WEEK. Also, this Saturday, Aug. 2, we are happy to host Mindo Chocolate for a pop up from 1 to 3 PM with free samples of chocolatey delights, so come get your share during Barbara Wilson’s demo of all things chocolate.

6. NEW HOURS FOR HONEYBEE U-PICK (5700 Scio Church Rd., Ann Arbor) OPEN ONLY ON SATURDAYS FROM 8 AM TO 12 PM: You may still try to upick blueberries and maybe some raspberries this week, but they have been heavily picked, so we will be open only 1 day/week for now on Saturdays. We also will have a wide variety of extra Tantre Farm produce at our farm stand for purchase as well as local honey and eggs on Saturdays. Check our website for updates. Sign up to be on our mailing list, so you know times, prices, weather-related closings, etc. here: https://www.tantrefarm.com/honey-bee/

7. DO YOU LIKE TO WORK “OUTSIDE”? TANTRE FARM IS HIRING! We are looking for part-time and full-time workers who are interested in getting their hands dirty and enjoy healthy, hearty, hard work. We provide home-cooked lunches every day with food from the farm. Room and board are available for full time work, and part time work is available as well for an hourly wage. Please email us or fill out an application from our website at https://www.tantrefarm.com/internships/

8. DO YOU LIKE TO WORK “INSIDE”? SUNFLOWER FARM MARKET IS HIRING! We’re seeking an enthusiastic and organized person, who is passionate about supporting a vibrant local food community. This person needs to be able to work independently, take initiative, solve problems efficiently, and provide outstanding service to both customers and fellow team members. Please email your resume and cover letter to sunflowerfarmmarket@gmail.com and info@tantrefarm.com .

9. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:

*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 9:30 AM (SARA there the whole time)

*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –4 PM to 7 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Pure Pastures (Wed.) —9 AM to 11 AM (JESSICA there most of the time)

*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)

*Ann Arbor Farmers Market (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM (SHANNON there the whole time)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 5 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB there the whole time)

*Argus-Packard (Sat) — 9 AM to 3 PM (STAFF there the whole time)

*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (LIZ there the whole time)

*HoneyBee U-pick (Sat)–8 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

REFLECTIONS ON THE FARM

by Richard and Deb

Yesterday in the heat of the afternoon at nearly 90 degrees, a large portion of the farm crew picked hundreds of tender, sweet, green beans in the 400-ft bed of beans. As we picked, the wind started to grow. The sky darkened and the warm sunshine disappeared. The air cooled down, and we felt a sense of relief, so we settled into the comfortable rhythm of picking beans.

It wasn’t long before a few fat raindrops plopped down slowly on our shirts. It was hard to tell how much rain would fall so we just kept picking. Finally there was a steady shower of wet, silvery raindrops, and everyone started to get moist, but still we kept picking. The soil became muddy, and everyone still kept picking. Finally it looked like we had enough beans, and the storm was turning into torrents of rain, so everyone scurried up to the packing shed to set up boxes for packing and sorting the next day, and we folded boxes, organized the packing shed and swept the floor. By this time, the storm had intensified so much that it knocked out the electricity to the barn, so we worked in the dim light for a bit. Finally when all the work was done, we stood quietly in the packing shed with no light, and it was time to head home to dry off.

Working altogether in a rain storm creates a good deal of social cohesion. Everyone gets wet, but a cheerful social connection occurs as we keep picking beans and the sky keeps making rain. Such an important element of this farm for people to connect is just doing simple work. In the spring, summer, autumn and winter the connection between people is important, especially when it involves working with the soil and the ecology of the land. Just being together doing simple work hour after hour through the heat of the sun, through the mist of the morning, and through the saturation of the rain, builds bonds that are long term. The rain has a way of tumbling through the sky finding its way to the earth to nurture all living things and to nurture the living soil and in turn to nurture each one of us.

RECIPES

**Keep in mind a very easy way to find recipe ideas for almost any combination of share box ingredients is to type the items into your preferred “search bar” with the word “recipes” at the end, and many recipe ideas will pop up. Have fun searching!

BAKED CUCUMBERS IN BASIL CREAM (from Farmer John’s Cookbook) Serves 4-6

1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

4-5 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, with 1-inch slices

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 scallion, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the vinegar, salt, and sugar in bowl. Add the cucumber slices and toss to combine. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes. Drain the cucumber slices in a colander, then pat them dry with a clean dish towel. Put cucumber slices in a shallow baking dish. Pour the melted butter over them and add the scallion; toss to combine. Bake the cucumbers, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the cream in a small pot until it comes to a light boil. Continue to cook the cream, stirring frequently, until it is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Stir in the basil and turn off the heat; let mixture steep for 2 minutes. Pour the basil cream over the cooked cucumber slices. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

CREAMY CARROT AND BROCCOLI SLAW (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website) Serves 2

A great way to use up the broccoli stems after eating the florets!

3 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp grated onion

1 1/4 tsp coarse-grained Dijon mustard

1 1/4 cups shredded broccoli florets and peeled stems

3/4 cup shredded peeled carrots

Combine mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, onion and mustard in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Add broccoli and carrots; toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.

GREEN BEAN AND POTATO PUDDING (from Madison Herb Society Cookbook) Serves 4

1 lb green beans

1 lb potatoes

4 eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp fresh marjoram or 1 tsp dried

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook beans and potatoes in boiling water until tender. Blend until smooth in food processor or blender. Blend in 1 egg at a time. Mix in cheese. Saute garlic, parsley, and marjoram in olive oil for 1 minute. Combine the two mixtures. Add salt and pepper to taste. Oil large, shallow baking dish. Dust with half the bread crumbs, shaking out excess. Pour in bean mixture; top with remaining crumbs. Bake 45-50 minutes, until puffed and golden.

WATERMELON LEMONADE WITH BERRIES (from Rolling Prairie Cookbook by Nancy O’Connor) Serves 2

2 cups seeded, cold watermelon chunks

1/2 cup frozen raspberries or strawberries

1/2 cup chilled lemonade

1-2 Tbsp sugar or honey (to taste)

8-10 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender until well-blended. Pour into large, frosty mugs.

BEET SALAD Serves 6

4 medium fresh beets

1 bunch arugula as a garnish

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Lemon Dressing:

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp sea salt

Trim the greens off one inch above the beet. Keep the thin tap root. In a medium saucepan cook the whole beets, covered, in boiling water for 40 to 50 minutes. Drain, cool slightly and peel the beets (cooking and peeling can be done the day before). For the dressing combine the olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt in a mixing bowl. Dice the beets into bite-size cubes. Put them in the bowl of dressing. Stir well and refrigerate. When you are ready to serve, toast the sesame seeds in a pan on the stove top. Remove when they are golden brown. To serve, line each plate with a bed of arugula leaves. Stir the beets again, then us a slotted spoon to scoop them onto the plates. Sprinkle the seeds over the top and serve.