THIS WEEK’S SHARE

ARUGULA: You will receive a bag of 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.

NAPA CABBAGE: crinkly, thickly veined leaves, which are cream-colored with celadon green tips; unlike the strong-flavored waxy leaves on round cabbage heads, these are thin, crisp, and delicately mild; good source of vitamin A, folic acid, and potassium.

-How to use: use raw, saute, bake, or braised; common in stir-fries and main ingredient in traditional kimchi; also eaten raw as a wrap for pork or oysters; the outer, tougher leaves are used in soups.

-How to store: refrigerate, tightly wrapped, up to 5 days.

PURPLE CARROTS: You will receive Purple Haze (bright purplish-red roots with bright orange interior and a sweet flavor; cooking will cause the color to fade).

-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 dry and unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks

EGGPLANT: a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades); fruit is fleshy with a meaty texture that range in color from glossy black to pale lavender.

-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.

U-PICK FLOWERS (only available for picking on the farm): We still have flowers, so we invite you again to pick a bouquet of 20 stems, so you can make a bouquet to enjoy this week. Every summer we plant a variety of flowers for drying or fresh bouquets, but this summer unfortunately our flowers got buried in weeds, but surprisingly they are still pretty productive. If you decide to check out what’s left, you can contact us 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. 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. We hope you can come to enjoy this food for the soul!

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.

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, saute, & added to stir-fries, meats, vegetables;try roasting garlic by cutting off tops of garlic bulb, so cloves are exposed, brush with olive oil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees, squeeze garlic out of skins and spread on a good, crusty bread.

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

JACK-O’-LANTERN (ONLY available at the Washtenaw Food Hub, Saturday HoneyBee U-pick, Farm in Chelsea, and Saturday Chelsea Farmers Market): *We apologize to members at Pure Pastures, Argus, Ann Arbor Farmers Market, and Roos Roast, but due to the size of these 10 to 25 lb pumpkins, we will only have these available at the locations mentioned above where we can drop them off in a big truck. You will be invited to pick out 1 pumpkin per household at any of these locations. That means if you split a share, both households may go home with a pumpkin. Please be sure to go to a staff member and write your name on the back of the sign in sheet, so we know you came and picked up your pumpkin. If you would like to purchase extra pumpkins, the cost is $5/jack-o-lanterns. Pie Pumpkins will cost less, because they are smaller. (A Jack-o’-lantern is a carved pumpkin or turnip, typically with a face cut into it and a light inside, that is a popular symbol of Halloween or the fall season. The tradition of carving a face comes from an Irish folktale about a man known as “Stingy Jack,” who was doomed to wander the earth with a single ember in a carved-out turnip to light his way. Initially, jack-o’-lanterns were carved from turnips, but Irish immigrants in America began using pumpkins because they were more readily available and easier to carve.)  

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

-How to use: for salads, soups, smoothies, roasting, and light cooking.

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

LETTUCE MIX: You will receive a bag of Wildfire Lettuce Mix (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, sandwiches, or (believe it or not!) use in soups.

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

SWEET PEPPER MIX (sweet banana, bell, carmen): 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 Knight Bell (medium-sized, block-shaped green, yellow, or red pepper with crisp, earthy, sweet flavor; good source of vitamin A & C) OR 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).

-How to use: eat raw for best nutrient retention; can be added to soups, stews, omeletes, 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.

RED & YELLOW POTATOES: You will receive Red Norland (an early-maturing, waxy potato characterized by a smooth, red skin and bright white flesh; great baked, boiled, or roasted) AND Carola (yellow potato from Germany; smooth, creamy texture that is good for baking or frying).

-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag. These can last for many months if not exposed to light.

ROMA TOMATOES: You will receive Granadero Sauce Tomatoes (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.

WINTER SQUASH (Kabocha): You will receive EITHER 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: excellent roasted in oven with olive oil; also good baked by slicing in half, scoop seeds out and bake with a little water in baking pan at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until tender; boil or steam for 15-20 minutes, or until tender, skins are edible; mash cooked squash with butter; puree cooked squash for creamy soup

-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.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. COMMUNI-TEA TABLE AT THE WASHTENAW FOOD HUB with LIZ BARNEY ON WED. OCT. 22 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 Liz as we gather as a community of fermenters, food lovers, and the fermentation-curious, united by a passion for the craft and science of fermentation. Bring your own creations to share and show off! Questions are always welcome. We’re here to support everyone, from curious beginners to seasoned makers of sourdough, kombucha, and beyond. Join us the following Wednesday, Oct. 29 with Farmer John Harnois of Harnois Farm for a behind-the-scenes look at raising turkeys for Thanksgiving. Learn how pasture-based practices, heritage breeds, and local feed create birds with unmatched flavor—and why that matters. You can check out our Food Hub calendar for future events here: https://www.thewashtenawfoodhub.com/events/washtenaw-food-hub-events/

2. THIS WEEK IS THE LAST WEEK OF EXTENDED FALL CSA: This means Oct. 22 (Wed.), Oct. 24 (Fri.), and Oct. 25 (Sat.) are your last distribution days for our Extended Fall Shares, but please feel free to continue with our Thanksgiving CSA (details on website). Please return any forgotten boxes from past weeks. You may bring bags, a cooler or other containers to transfer your produce from the boxes at your distribution site, especially next week, which is your final week of Ex. Fall Shares.

3. TANTRE PRODUCE BOXES ENDING THIS WEEK, BUT THE IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA WILL START UP AGAIN AFTER THANKSGIVING on DEC. 6: This is a collaborative CSA with several local farms and food businesses that you can opt in or out of each time it is offered. More details coming sometime after Thanksgiving, so that you may continue receiving local, nutritious food throughout the winter.

4. THANKSGIVING CSA Registration will be opening within the next day or two! A detailed email notice will be sent to you sometime very soon, so you can sign up. This share is a one-time pick-up of 60 to 80 pounds of produce for winter storage or to stock up on vegetables before the holiday for $155. It will include 2 jars of Brinery products as a special treat. It’s a perfect share to split with a friend or family member. It will be available for pick up on Nov. 22 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving) at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market 7 AM-12 PM, Tantré Farm 2-5 PM, Washtenaw Food Hub 9 AM-5 PM, Agricole in Chelsea 9 AM-12 PM, and Pure Pastures in Plymouth 9 AM-5 PM. More specific details and registration will be opening very soon. You can also read more details about the Thanksgiving Share on our website under “CSA Info” https://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-thanksgiving-csa-work/ .

5. SAVE THE DATE! THE WASHTENAW FOOD HUB’S HOLIDAY MARKET on Dec. 13 from 10 AM to 2 PM: Tantre Farm is excited to be part of The Hub Holiday Market at The Washtenaw Food Hub, 4175 Whitmore Lake Rd, Ann Arbor, MI. This seasonal event showcases local makers, artisans, and small businesses offering one-of-a-kind gifts, tasty treats, agrarian-inspired goods, and holiday cheer with Mindo Chocolate, Michigan Flower Growers Collective, Smiling Jim’s Seasonings, Beeswax BARRN, Missy’s Clay Creations, N Kids Farm, Whitney Farmstead, Tantre Farm, and Stewards Provisions. Come support local, explore unique finds, and enjoy a festive experience filled with warmth and community. Hope to see you there.

6. 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. & Sat. this week starting at 7 AM. We will also be at the Chelsea Farmers Market 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 and Sundays with expanded hours from 9 AM-5 PM, so please feel free to purchase all your basic local needs and a few extra treats at any of these markets. We also have a small farm stand at the HoneyBee U-pick area (more details below).

7. LAST DAY FOR HONEYBEE U-PICK WILL BE OCTOBER 25: We are open this week from 8 AM until 12 PM 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 lots of PIE PUMPKINS & JACK-O-LANTERNS for sale! Check our website for updates. Sign up to be on our mailing list, so you know opening dates next year, times, prices, weather-related closings, etc. here: https://www.tantrefarm.com/honey-bee .

8. PLASTIC OR PAPER “GROCERY BAGS ONLY” ARE NEEDED, if you can donate them at the markets or the farm or the Food Hub. Please do NOT include any bread bags or clothing bags or any of your other plastic recycling, so make sure that you are providing only grocery bags. Thanks!

9. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER: *Distribution Coordinator will be at most sites during designated times.

*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF 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

Well, after many weeks of unseasonably warm “summer” weather this fall with no rain, the rain finally came Saturday and Sunday nights gently soaking the ground. This brought cool temperatures and gave us a little extra time to enjoy the leaves and the colors of the trees. It seems that everything has just a little more energy and freshness after the long awaited, gentle, soaking rain. Migrating leopard frogs jump through the grass and across the road. The geese high in the clouds call over the forest with their ancient songs–perhaps saying good night to the sun. All the turnip greens have grown knee high in the fields. The turnip roots have been swelling to baseball size. The carrots with their fine, feathery leaves straight and tall during the drought are beginning to sprawl horizontally after the rain. Many of the daikon radish are finally big enough for harvest. The budding broccoli still blooms yellow for the honeybees to have a last taste of summer sweetness. The pears and persimmons drop fruit following in the steps of the paw paws and the grapes a few weeks earlier. We see wasps and ants drunk with sweet delight after consuming so many fallen persimmons and pears.

Our pumpkins and winter squash escaped the deer pressure this summer, so we are bursting with more pumpkins this year than we expected! It is that bounty that we would like to share with you this week. It was an amazing growing year for pumpkins and squash. Unfortunately as you will read above, we are not able to deliver to every location because the pumpkins take up too much space, so we hope that you will make some effort to pick up a jack-o-lantern from any of these locations this week even if it’s not your normal pick up site. Please send us an email for any questions and be sure to tell the staff your name when you pick up, so they can write it down.

2 ANN ARBOR pick up options are:

*Washtenaw Food Hub–4175 Whitmore Lake Rd., AA (Wed. & Fri. 4 to 7 PM, Sat. & Sun. 9 AM to 5 PM)

*HoneyBee U-pick–5700 Scio Church Rd., AA (Sat. only 8 AM to 12 PM)

2 CHELSEA pick up options are:

*Tantre Farm–2510 Hayes Rd. Chelsea (You can pick up any day of the week, as long as you text or call Deb at 734-385-6748, and no need to contact Deb on regular pick up days on Wed. 10 AM to 7 PM and Friday 2 PM to 7 PM)

*Chelsea Farmers Market–304 South Main St., Chelsea (Sat. only 8 AM to 1 PM)

As the Extended Fall CSA draws to an end, and we are heading into the home stretch of fall harvest, we are looking forward to filling our root cellar with potatoes, carrots, daikon radishes, garlic and winter squash, etc. Next season’s garlic will be planted soon to sprout and grow all winter for the harvest in July next year. We will continue to harvest kale and spinach throughout the next few months, and the “sorting and culling months” will begin as we sort through our winter storage for rot or animal damage. We are grateful for all this year’s hands that have pulled so many thousands of pounds of vegetables and fruit from the fields to be distributed throughout this community. This labor has afforded us a great deal of tranquility and peace along with many hours of grit and strength. A special thank you to all our past farm crew already back to school and other adventures, but especially we would like to thank those of our current farm crew who have stuck with us through the thick and the thin: Jo, Chizo, Yves, Chloe, Jordan, Gavin, Amelia, Adam, Aaron, and Carrin. We couldn’t have done it without their hard work and dedication. When you see them at markets or at the farm, please thank our farm crew for all their hard, determined efforts at bringing you such flavor and sustenance.

Thank you also to you, our members, for being part of our Ex Fall CSA, and we look forward to seeing you in the spring, if not for the Thanksgiving CSA in November. Please feel free to contact us throughout the rest of fall and winter for any storage produce or come visit us at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays through December, the Chelsea Farmers Market until this coming Saturday, Argus Farm Stop, Agricole Farm Stop, People’s Food Coop, and the Sunflower Farm Market at the Washtenaw Food Hub open year-round on Wed. & Fri. evenings and all day Saturdays and Sundays throughout the winter. We are looking forward to deepening and continuing our journey and commitment to local food. Thank you for being a member of Tantre Farm!!

  –Deb, Richard, and the Tantre Farm Crew

                                                                                                 .

RECIPES

THE VERY FRESHEST GREEN DRESSING (from The Rolling Prairie Cookbook by Nancy O’Connor) Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 cups packed parsley

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small shallot (or onion), chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

6 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Lettuce or other salad greens

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend to create a smooth sauce. Allow to sit several hours before serving, so that flavors have time to blend. Adjust seasonings if necessary, and add to your favorite salad greens.

Note: Although best used when fresh, this dressing will keep for 5 to 6 days covered in the refrigerator.

NAPA CABBAGE AND SALAD TURNIP SLAW WITH HONEY LIME DRESSING

*This recipe combines the crispness of napa cabbage with the mild sweetness of salad turnips (like Hakurei) for a refreshing and flavorful slaw.

Salad:

1 ½ lbs Napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

1 bunch Hakurei turnips, tops removed and grated

3 spring onions (or 1 regular onion), trimmed and sliced

¼ cup minced cilantro

Honey Lime Dressing:

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Juice and zest of 1 lime

1 tablespoon honey

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Prepare the Vegetables: Prepare the cabbage by coring and thinly slicing it. Grate the turnips after removing their greens. Slice the spring onions or scallions and mince the cilantro. Combine the vegetables, rinse in a salad spinner, and spin dry. Make the Dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lime juice and zest, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify the dressing. Toss the Slaw: Add the prepared vegetables to the dressing and toss to coat. For best results, toss just before serving if making ahead.

BAKED EGGPLANT SERVED WITH GARLIC CAPER SAUCE Serves 8 as an appetizer

4 large eggplants for the sauce

4 cloves of garlic, pureed

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Pinch of salt

1 Tbsp of anchovy paste

1 Tbsp of chopped capers

2 Tbsp of chopped parsley

4 Tbsp of olive oil

Poke the eggplant with a fork and bake, as you would a potato in the oven at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes until browned and a bit shriveled. While the eggplant cooks, prepare the sauce. Puree the garlic cloves in the lemon juice and salt. In a small bowl, blend together all the ingredients for the sauce, the garlic, the anchovy paste, the capers and the parsley.

ARUGULA AND APPLE SOUP WITH TOASTED WALNUTS (from Country Living)

Peppery arugula and tart-sweet apples come together to make a fall soup of surprising delicacy. Arugula loses its sharp bite when it’s cooked, but mature arugula will have a more assertive “bitter greens” flavor. It’s delicious; don’t be afraid of it. Baby arugula will make a delectable but subtler soup. A few toasted walnuts add a slight crunch and another amazing taste of fall. Try to get walnuts from the new season’s crop, and enjoy their fresh sweetness.

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste

12 oz yellow potatoes

2 medium Fuji, Gala, Braeburn, or other apples

1 1/8 lbs arugula

2 cups sliced green onions

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 cups basic light vegetable broth or canned vegetable broth

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Ground nutmeg, to taste

2 tsp agave nectar or honey, if needed

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Fruity green olive oil, for garnish

Saute the chopped onion in the olive oil with a pinch of salt, stirring often over a medium flame for 25-30 minutes, or until the onion is soft and golden brown. Scrub the potatoes, peel and core the apples, and coarsely chop both. Wash the arugula, and if the branches are large and mature, remove any tough-looking stems. Coarsely chop the leaves. Combine the potatoes and apples in an ample soup pot with 4 cups (1 liter) water and a teaspoon of sea salt. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the pot and lower the heat to a simmer. After 10 minutes, add the sliced green onions. After 5 more minutes, add the arugula and the parsley. Simmer for another 6-8 minutes. By now your caramelized onions might be ready. If so, add them to the soup, along with 2 cups vegetable broth and a couple tablespoons lemon juice. Grind in plenty of black pepper and add a modest pinch of cayenne and the same amount of nutmeg. Puree the soup in a blender, in batches, or with an immersion blender, but be sure to stop as soon as you have the feel you like in a soup; cooked potatoes can become viscous if over-processed. I like to leave this soup at a slightly textured puree, not rough, but not completely smooth either. If the soup feels too thick to you, add a touch more broth. Taste the soup and correct the seasoning with a bit more lemon juice if needed, or a pinch of salt. If the soup tastes overly tart (this depends on the variety of apples) add a modest spoonful of agave nectar or honey and taste it again. Toast your chopped walnuts: spread them on a baking sheet and put them in a 300 degree oven for no more than 10 minutes. As soon as you smell them, they are ready. They will crisp up as they cool. Drizzle a thread of olive oil on top of each bowl of steaming soup, and sprinkle with a few toasted walnuts.

KALE AND ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP (from www.simplyrecipes.com ) Serves 6

3 medium carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise

2-4 Roma tomatoes, quartered

1-2 red sweet pepper, chopped or sliced thinly

1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges or 4-5 slices

1/2 small kabocha squash, peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick wedges

6 garlic cloves

1 Tbsp olive oil

6 cups or more of vegetable broth

4 cups of finely chopped kale

3 large fresh thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

1 (15 oz) can of Great Northern white beans, drained

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (reduce heat by 25 degrees if using convection oven). Brush rimmed baking sheet with a thin coat of olive oil. Arrange carrots, squash, tomatoes, onion, peppers, and garlic on sheet. Drizzle with more olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast vegetables until they are brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Cut squash and carrots into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside. Peel garlic cloves; place in food processor. Add tomatoes and onion; puree until almost smooth. Pour 1/2 cup broth onto the baking sheet; scrape up any browned bits. Transfer broth and vegetable puree to large pot. Add 5 1/2 cups broth, kale, thyme and bay leaf to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until kale is tender, about 30 minutes. Add carrots, beans, and squash to soup. Simmer 8 minutes to blend flavors, adding more broth to thin soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf.

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, roasted

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

PURPLE CARROTS with GREENS: You will receive Purple Haze (bright purplish-red roots with bright orange interior and a sweet flavor; cooking will cause the color to fade). 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.

EGGPLANT: a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades); fruit is fleshy with a meaty texture that range in color from glossy black to pale lavender.

-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.

U-PICK FLOWERS (only available for picking on the farm): FROST IS COMING! Some of our flowers will survive the frost, but some may not, unless it’s a light freeze. We invite you to pick a bouquet of 20 stems especially today on Wednesday, so you can make a bouquet to enjoy this week before the frost takes out a bunch of the flowers. Every summer we plant a variety of flowers for drying or fresh bouquets, but this summer unfortunately our flowers got buried in weeds. If you decide to check out what’s left, you can contact us 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. 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. We hope you can come to enjoy this food for the soul!

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.

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

-How to use: for salads, soups, smoothies, roasting, and light cooking.

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

SWEET PEPPERS (sweet banana, bell, carmen): 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 Knight Bell (medium-sized, block-shaped green, yellow, or red pepper with crisp, earthy, sweet flavor; good source of vitamin A & C) OR 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).

-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.

POTATOES (Red Norland): an early-maturing, waxy potato characterized by a smooth, red skin and bright white flesh; great baked, boiled, or roasted.

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

RADISHES (Purple Bacchus): stunning, purple, round radish with white inner flesh; very good flavor and not too hot

-How to use: raw, roasted, used in soups, sliced in salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries, grated in slaws; radish greens are delicious!

-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.

SPINACH: You will receive a bunch of crisp, dark green leaves–best eaten raw or with minimal cooking to obtain the beneficial chlorophyll, as well as vitamins A and C; delicious flavor when juiced.

-How to use: toss in fresh salad, add to sandwiches, saute, steam, braise, or add to crepes, quiche, lasagna, and soups.

-How to store: refrigerate with a damp towel/bag for up to 1 week.

TOMATOES (Roma): You will receive – Granadero Sauce Tomatoes (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.

WINTER SQUASH (Honeynut): a miniature, intensely sweet, and nutrient-rich winter squash with a deep orange, creamy flesh and edible, thin skin, similar to a butternut but with a more complex, malty-nutty flavor.

-How to use: ideal for roasting whole or in halves, pureeing, and is an excellent source of beta-carotene

-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.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. COMMUNI-TEA TABLE AT THE WASHTENAW FOOD HUB with RACHEL KANAAN ON WED. OCT. 8 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 for a NEW IDEA for our community table event called “BREW’D” event with Rachel Kanaan from Sunflower Farm Market as we gather as a community of fermenters, food lovers, and the fermentation-curious, united by a passion for the craft and science of fermentation. Bring your own creations to share and show off! Questions are always welcome. We’re here to support everyone, from curious beginners to seasoned makers of sourdough, kombucha, and beyond. Join us with “Mindful Eating” the following Wednesday, Oct. 15 with Kori Kanayama, who shares her healing journey through cooking with local, ecologically-grown produce. In a reverse Q&A format, the community farm chef responds to audience questions, blending storytelling with insights from her cross-regional experiences. You can check out our Food Hub calendar for future events here: https://www.thewashtenawfoodhub.com/events/washtenaw-food-hub-events/

2. THIS COMING SUNDAY – 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). Throughout the day we will be roasting chestnuts, tasting different kinds of nuts and paw paws, pressing apples to make apple cider, and carving pumpkins. The raspberry u-pick patch will also be open for the last of the raspberries, along with hundreds of pie pumpkins, local honey, and Tantre farm-fresh produce for sale! Fall foraging (root season!) and nature hikes will be available in the AM and PM, along with networking with local nut experts, and learning how to cook with nuts or make nut flour and nut milk, and also how to process those abundant black walnuts as a tasty treat! Bring some friends and have fun learning about nuts! Please feel free to register here, so we know how many are interested in attending: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-honeybee-nut-festival-2025-registration-1781576085029?aff=oddtdtcreator

3. 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. & Sat. this week starting at 7 AM. We will also be at the Chelsea Farmers Market 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 and Sundays with expanded hours from 9 AM-5 PM, so please feel free to purchase all your basic local needs and a few extra treats at any of these markets. We also have a small farm stand at the HoneyBee U-pick area (more details below).

4. 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 .

5. GRATITUDE: We are so thankful for you CSA members, who were able to help us get an overwhelming squash harvest out of the field before the heavy freeze on Thursday morning. We loaded up over 400 bushels of squash into the barn during probably some of the last really hot days of “summer”. Thank you to our community members, who were able to rally when the need was there. We appreciate you!

6. 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/

7. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER: *Distribution Coordinator will be at most sites during designated times.

*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF 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!

EGGPLANT, BEAN, AND PEPPER STIR FRY (adapted from www.seasonalontariofood.blogspot.com )

Sauce:

2 tsp arrowroot or corn starch

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes

Mix ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.

Main Ingredients:

1 lb cooked potatoes, in chunks

1/2 lb green beans, chopped

1/2 lb or 2 large eggplants, 1/2-inch slices

1 large onion, chopped coarsely

1 large red pepper, deseeded and chopped into bite-size pieces

1 Tbsp ginger, peeled and minced

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3-4 Tbsp mild vegetable oil

When the potatoes have boiled for 10 minutes, put the beans in a colander, and drain the water from the potatoes over them to blanch them, but keep the potatoes in the pot so they are separate from each other. Rinse them both in cold water, and drain again. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a very large skillet. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minute until they are lightly browned. Add another tablespoon of oil, and add the eggplants. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 5 minutes. Add the onions, pepper, and beans and a little more oil if needed, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the ginger and garlic; stir in well. Then add the sauce ingredients, still stirring. As soon as the sauce thickens (in moments) remove from the heat and serve.

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 8 cups) (OR spinach or kale)

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.

ROASTED HONEYNUT SQUASH RECIPE (from https://www.loveandlemons.com/honeynut-squash/ )

2-3 honeynut squash

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish

Whipped Ricotta

1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Red pepper flakes, for garnish
Kale or Arugula, optional

Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a large sharp knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and several grinds of pepper. Place the squash on the baking sheet. Drizzle with half the oil mixture and sprinkle with the thyme leaves and more salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub the seasonings all over the squash, then place cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until very soft and caramelized underneath. Spread a layer of the whipped ricotta on a serving platter and arrange the honeynut squash on top. Drizzle with the remaining oil mixture and top with the walnuts. Garnish with thyme, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste and serve on a bed of wilted kale or arugula.

GRILLED EGGPLANT AND BELL PEPPER SOUP (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website) Serves 4

1 medium yellow bell pepper, quartered and seeded

1 medium red bell pepper, quartered and seeded

1 large eggplant

1 ripe medium tomato, coarsely chopped

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain yogurt or plain soy yogurt

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and roast quartered bell peppers, skin side up, until skins are wrinkled and lightly colored, about 30 minutes. Place in large bowl and cover with plate; let steam 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel off charred skins and discard; transfer peppers to blender or food processor. Meanwhile, pierce whole, unpeeled eggplant in several places and roast until flesh is tender and skin is shriveled, about 40-50 minutes. Slice in half and scoop out flesh into blender or food processor. Add tomato and broth and process until smooth. Strain through fine-mesh sieve into large saucepan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or chilled. Ladle soup into shallow bowls and swirl or spoon yogurt over each serving.

TURNIP GREENS-BANANA/CARROTS STIR-FRY (from What Do You Do with This Stuff?)

Bunch of turnip greens (add some spinach or arugula greens)

1 onion, chopped or 5-7 scallions

1 sliced carrot or 2 sliced bananas

Olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seed

Wash and cut up greens. Stir-fry onion until translucent. Add the greens and cook 4-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add bananas. Cover and wait just long enough for bananas to heat through. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seed and serve.

Note: An alternative is to stir-fry the sliced turnips and carrots 4 minutes. Add greens and stir-fry 5 minutes. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

RADISH TOP SOUP (from The Victorian Garden Cookbook) Serves 4-6

6 Tbsp butter, divided

1 cup chopped onions or leeks

8 cups loosely packed radish leaves (add some spinach or arugula greens if not enough)

2 cups diced, peeled potatoes

6 cups water or stock

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

5 radishes, sliced

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in large saucepan, add onions, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in radish tops, cover, and cook over low heat until wilted, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook potatoes until soft in water or stock with 1 teaspoon salt. Combine with radish tops and cook, covered, 5 minutes to mingle flavors. Puree in food processor or blender. Add cream and remaining butter, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with radish slices garnished on top of soup. Serve hot.

Note: To serve cold, omit butter enrichment.

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/ .

                                                                           .

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/ .

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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 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.
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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!!

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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.