TANTRE FARM CSA NEWSLETTER
Extended Fall CSA Share
Week 1
Oct. 11-17, 2015
If needed, please contact Richard Andres & Deb Lentz at 2510 Hayes Rd. Chelsea, MI 48118 e-mail: tantrefarm@hotmail.com phone: 734-475-4323 website: www.tantrefarm.com.
In our newsletter, we try to give you an accurate listing of the produce in your box; however, since the newsletter is published before the harvest, we may sometimes add, remove, or substitute some vegetables for others. The information provided here is also published each week on our website.
We try to keep the printed newsletter to a 2-page maximum, which means that we won’t list all the share items’ descriptions every week, but refer you to previous newsletters for information on items that have already appeared in your shares.
**Also, if you’re having trouble identifying any unfamiliar produce, please look for “Veggie ID” with additional information on our website under CSA INFO or under RECIPES.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
CARROTS: You will receive Mokum (a very sweet, slender, orange “pencil carrot”) and Purple Rain (beautiful, dark purple roots with white cores or purple cores with white rings and some roots may have orange cores/ rings rather than white. Flavor is good raw, but best cooked).
-How to use: Can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sautéed, in stews, soups, casseroles, stir-fries
-How to store: refrigerate dry and unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks
U-PICK FLOWERS (only available on the farm): A bouquet per household of up to 15 stems will be part of your share. You will need to come and pick it before Friday, since a hard frost is forecast for Friday night. Extra bouquets cost $4.
KALE: You will receive Red Russian Kale (the stems are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green, purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged).
-How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator
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 only been rinsed once, so you may want to wash it again.
-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.
ONIONS: You will receive Patterson (medium-large, blocky bulbs with dark yellow skin and thin necks; excellent storage onion).
-How to use: good in French onion soup, stews, casseroles, etc.
-How to store: can last for 10 to 12 months if kept in a cold, dark place, but remove any ones starting to go soft from the others.
PAC CHOI (Black Summer): beautiful, dark green Pac choi with crisp, broad, flat, light green stems that are topped with oval, dark green leaves forming a perfect vase shape; mild mustard flavor with slight background sweetness
-How to use: delightful addition to stir-fries, soups, noodle and meat dishes, and salads
-How to store: Wrap in a damp towel or plastic bag in the refrigerator lasting for up to 1 week.
HOT PEPPERS (optional): You may choose Poblano (a mild variety of chili pepper known as “poblanos” when dark green, but becomes an “ancho” when brick-red and fully dry; popular in Southwestern recipes; heart-shaped fruit, which is mildly pungent with a lightly sweet, medium-hot flavor).
-How to use: Often roasted, chopped, and used to season corn bread and cheese dishes; good for stuffed appetizers, jams, salsa, and pickles.
-How to store: For fresh peppers, store in refrigerator. For drying peppers, place string through the stems and hang in cool, dry, well-ventilated spot.
GREEN SWEET PEPPERS: typical bell pepper with large blocky cells with fruity, sweet flavor; excellent source of vitamin C, fair amount of vitamin A, and some calcium, phosphorus, iron, and thiamin.
-How to use: eat raw for best nutrient retention; can be added to soups, stews, omelets, quiches, stir-fries, etc.; excellent stuffed.
-How to store: refrigerate unwashed in hydrator drawer for 1-2 weeks. Peppers can be easily frozen by washing, chopping, and placing in freezer bags. Also, peppers can be dehydrated or dried.
POTATOES: You will receive Russian Banana Fingerling (an heirloom potato with small, banana-shaped tubers with yellow skin and light yellow flesh; used by chefs for its delicious flavor and smooth “waxy” texture that doesn’t fall apart when cooked; good baked, boiled, or in salads) and Dakota Red (red potato with white flesh that is good for baking, boiling, or frying).
-How to store: Keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag
RADISHES: You will receive Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor).
-How to use: raw, roasted, used in soups, sliced in salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries, grated in slaws; Radish greens (excellent source of vitamins A, C, and the B’s) delicious in soups or stir-fries.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.
U-PICK RASPBERRIES (might be last week for picking on the farm, since frost is coming on Friday!): The sweet fall red and golden raspberries are still ripening. 1 pint is available as part of your share this week, if you are able to come out to the farm and pick it yourself. $4 for any extra pints picked.
SPINACH: crisp, dark green leaf—rich source of antioxidants & many nutrients, such as vitamins A, E, K, & C; delicious flavor when juiced.
-How to use: toss in fresh salad, add to sandwiches, sauté, steam, braise, or add to crepes, quiche, lasagna, and soups.
-How to store: refrigerate with a damp towel/bag for up to 1 week.
TATSOI: an Asian green with small, spoon-shaped, thick, dark-green leaves with tangy, sweet flavor.
How to use: commonly eaten raw in salads, but can be cooked in stir-fries/soups
How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag or wrap in a damp towel
TOMATOES: These are slowing down, so you will receive some San Marzano (early, large classic Italian Roma tomato; delicious, balanced acidic flavor and meaty flesh makes for good sauce and paste; excellent roasted or broiled!!). You also will receive Saladette and Sauce varieties, such as Verona (similar to Juliet, but with even tastier, somewhat plumper, deep red “cocktail plum” fruits; good in sauces and in salads) or Red Delight (round, cluster cocktail tomato with firm, deep red, shiny fruits; excellent in salads or sauces).
-How to use: sauté, 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
WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and 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 & C and good source of riboflavin, calcium and iron) are edible!
-How to use: good in salads and soups, roasted, steamed, sautéed,
-How to store: remove greens from turnip root and store separately in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 3 days; roots can last up to 1-2 weeks in refrigerator.
WINTER SQUASH: You will receive Buttercup Kabocha (green, blocky, with a gray “button” on the blossom end; thick, dry, deep orange flesh; medium-dry and sweet; very dry at harvest, sweeter after a few weeks; dry storage) and Carnival (a multicolor Sweet Dumpling with colorful patches and flecks of dark and light green, orange, and yellow; sweet flesh and edible skin).
-How to use: Slice in half, scoop seeds out and bake with a little water in baking pan at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender; boil or steam chunks for 15-20 minutes, or until tender (peel skins off “before” or “after“ cooked, but “after” is easiest when it’s cooled); mash cooked squash with butter; purée 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% humidity; will also store at room temperature.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. VACATION HOLD or PICK UP RESCHEDULE: If you know that you are not able to pick up or need to reschedule pick up days during these coming 3 weeks for any reason, you can make those changes yourself by going into this link http://tantrefarm.csasignup.com and choosing “Schedule vacations or pick up location changes” under the “Member Actions” box on the left. You will need to do this a week ahead of time, if you know that you will not be picking up your share or you want to change your pick up date or location. Please make a strong effort to PICK UP ALL OF YOUR SHARES in the next few weeks. If you miss a share pick up, it is available at the farm ONLY for that day and 1 day after, but please have the courtesy to contact us ASAP, so we know what to do.
2. THANKSGIVING SHARES! A more detailed email notice about this will come out to you sometime in the next few weeks. A Thanksgiving Share signup link will also be available on our website under “CSA Info” at that time. We are offering a distribution on Saturday, November 21, for winter storage or to stock up on vegetables before the holiday for $115. This share will be available for pick up on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market from 7 A.M. until noon or at Tantré Farm from 2-5 P.M. Full payment is needed by Nov. 14, so we know how many shares to harvest.
3. INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR CSA IN 2016? We are considering SOMETHING NEW this year: a “roll-over membership”, which means members would be automatically rolled over into the next summer season. Any updates could be made as far as different pick up locations or different share partners before the season starts. Members would have plenty of time to opt out before the season starts and with several reminders. It is a new idea that provides the convenience of not having to remember to register by any deadline. You would still receive emails reminding you to pay by check or credit card. Registration will begin in November, so you still have time to mull this over. Summer CSA Shares will be available for $640 for 20 weeks from June through the middle of October in 2016. Please feel free to let us know what you think of this new idea, and we will make an informed decision based on your input. Thank you for your consideration!!
4. THANKSGIVING TURKEYS: Thanksgiving turkeys are available to order from Two Tracks Acres, a 10 acre farm in Grass Lake, Michigan. These are free-range, broad breasted bronze turkeys that average 20 lbs. per bird. Contact Stephanie Willette at twotracksacres@gmail.com or visit the website www.twotracksacres.com to learn more.
5. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)–7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Farm (Wed.)–10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 P.M. to 8 P.M.
Farm (Fri.)–2 P.M. to 7 P.M.
Community High School (Sat.) –7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 A.M. to 12 P.M.
THE AUTUMN’S FADING LIGHT
By Richard and Deb
Welcome to Tantre Farm’s Extended Fall Share! This is the best time of year to truly taste leaves, stems, and roots in the Midwest. It is a time to celebrate the excessive growth at the end of summer, and a time to traditionally stock up the harvest treasures and extremely large quantities of produce for winter storage into the root cellar, the dry barn, and even the home freezer. Please feel free to come out to the farm to u-pick, to glean, and to volunteer with the harvest of these last 3 weeks of October and enjoy the autumn’s fading light.
RECIPES
GYPSY SOUP (from Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen)
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. Spanish paprika
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp. turmeric
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. salt
dash of cinnamon
1 stalk celery, chopped
dash of cayenne
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 pepper, chopped
1 Tbs. tamari
2 cups chopped, peeled winter squash
3 cups stock or water
15-oz can garbanzo beans (or substitute Tongue of Fire beans)
In a soup kettle, sauté 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.
*Tip: This soup freezes well. You can also throw in greens at the end, such as TURNIP GREENS or KALE or SPINACH or ASIAN GREENS.———