TANTRÉ FARM CSA NEWSLETTER
“Extended Fall CSA Share”
WEEK 2
Oct. 19-25, 2014
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
We usually try to give you a pretty accurate listing of the produce in your box, but since the newsletter is published before the harvest, sometimes we may substitute some vegetables for others.
We also try to keep the formatted newsletter to 2-pages, which means that we don’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. Keep in mind the internet is overflowing with information, including pictures of almost everything that we grow.
**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
ARUGULA (Sylvetta): also known as “wild rocket” with more deeply lobed leaves and a more pungent flavor; an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor
-How to use: add to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes
-How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag with a paper towel in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
BEETS (Golden Beets): beautiful, orange skin with rich gold interior; mild, sweet flavor when cooked.
-How to use: greens can be substituted for spinach and chard in recipes; roots good in soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.
-How to store: separate roots from leaves and store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; store greens wrapped in damp cloth in plastic bag for up to 1 week.
CABBAGE (Kaitlin): large, late-season cabbage that is excellent for kraut with a very white, rather than green, interior after storage; stores well until December or January; with a good amount of vitamins A & C, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
-How to use: grated or chopped raw in salads; stir-fried; steamed for 5-7 minutes in wedges; boiled with a chopped onion for 5 minutes and then added to mashed potatoes; and put in soups.
-How to store: refrigerate in hydrator drawer without removing any outer leaves (A plastic bag will help retain moisture, but is not necessary.) stores well into December or January
CARRROTS (Purple): deep purple roots; excellent grated raw or cooked; taste very similar to their orange cousins and should be embraced for their nutritional powerhouse benefits such as extra antioxidants, which help prevent blood clotting and heart diseases; anti-inflammatory as well as anti-bacterial properties;
-How to use: Slice into medallions serve raw with dip or roast with olive oil and other colorful carrots; or grate and toss with other raw veggies for a colorful coleslaw. For a sweet side dish, sauté carrots lightly in olive oil and serve them with a maple glaze; for a savory twist, add yellow or purple onions that have been sautéed until soft.
-How to store: Remove greens from roots and refrigerate dry and unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks; stores best in near freezing conditions around 32 degrees and 95% humidity; greens may last up to a week refrigerated in plastic bag
CILANTRO: the flat, delicate, lacy-edged leaves and stems of the coriander plant, which look a lot like flat-leaf parsley, but has a distinctive, almost citrus fragrance that lends itself to highly spiced foods. Store in jar of water.
KALE (Red Russian): the stems are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green, purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged.
-How to use: for salads, soups, smoothies, and light cooking
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week
LETTUCE MIX (All Star): a beautiful blend of balanced color and balanced texture of Green and Red Oakleaf, Green & Red Romaine, Lollo Rossa, and Red Leaf lettuces.
-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 Yellow Spanish: (a sweet, mild flavored onion with a yellow skin) or Mars Red (purple-red skinned onion with sweet flavor.
-How to use: great for salads, soups, sandwiches, slices, onion rings, & other dishes for flavor
-How to store: once cut, wrap in damp towel or plastic bag in fridge for 2 to 7 days; if not cut, store in dry, well-ventilated place.
bread and cheese dishes; good for stuffed appetizers, jams, salsa, and pickles.
SWEET PEPPERS: You will receive Carmen (6 inch long, tapered fruit that ripens from green to a deep “carmine” red; sweet taste in salads and when roasted and fully red-ripe) or Red Knight Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green-to-red pepper with sweet flesh).
-How to use: can be added to soups, stews, omelets, quiches, stir-fries, etc.; excellent stuffed.
-How to store: refrigerate unwashed in drawer for 1-2 weeks.
POTATOES: You will receive German Butterball (a round to oblong tuber with lightly netted golden skin that wraps around deep yellow flesh. Slightly mealy, this is good for everything – frying, baking, mashing, soups) and All Blue (an heirloom potato with deep blue skin and flesh; moist texture; perfect in salads, baked, or boiled)
*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 store: Keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag
RADISHES: You will receive Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor) or Amethyst (bright purple skin and crisp, mild white flesh).
-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.
SPICY GREENS MIX: You will receive a blend of arugula, Kyona/Mizuna, and red and green mustards.
-How to use: used for salads and sautéing–cooks up quickly
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 2 to 4 days.
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.
SWEET POTATOES (White): tan skin with white flesh that is very sweet and dry; contain more natural sugars and higher moisture content than sweet potatoes; excellent source of vitamin A, C, and B2 in the tips.
-How to use: Bake in 400 degree oven until tender, about 45 minutes; use like potatoes—baked, boiled, sautéed, fried; can be made into pies, waffles, pancakes, breads, & cookies
-How to store: store in a cool, dark place like winter squash. *Do not store in plastic or in fridge, unless cooked.
WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: A white salad turnip with round, smooth roots that have a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture.
-How to use: Roots are good in salads and soups. Greens are slightly sweet and can be boiled, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, and since hairless, are good in salads.
-How to store: separate greens from roots and store each in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 7 days.
WINTER SQUASH/PIE PUMPKIN: You will receive the following: Blue Hubbard (blue-gray or green hard skin; thick, dry, sweet, fine-grained golden-yellow flesh) and Baby Bear Pie Pumpkin (deep orange, 1 1/2-2 1/2-lb. fruits are about half the size of a normal pie pumpkin). *Tip: Easy way to cut squash is to partially bake it for 15-20 min. Then cut in half, scoop out seeds, and continue baking, boiling, or roasting.
-How to use: boil or steam chunks for 15-20 minutes, or until tender; mash cooked squash with butter; or add uncooked chunks to soups or stews; roast in oven with olive oil or water for 30-40 minutes.
-How to store: Keep for several months in a dry, moderately warm (50-60 degrees), but not freezing location with 60-75% humidity; will also store at room temperature
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. PLEASE RETURN SHARE BOXES & BRING EXTRA BAGS! 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. We also can use any EXTRA PAPER OR PLASTIC BAGS (Grocery Bags ONLY) that you have to donate.
2. 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 2 weeks for any reason, you can make those changes yourself by going into this linkhttp://tantrefarm.csasignup.
3. THANKSGIVING SHARES Registrations Open Soon! This is still being set up, so we appreciate your patience. An email to all members and a registration link will also be available on our website under “CSA Info” and the Intro page when it is ready. We are offering a distribution in November for you to stock up on vegetables before the holiday or for winter storage for $115. More details about this share on our website under CSA Info. This share will be available for pick up only on Nov. 22, 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. Non-CSA members are welcome to register.
4. INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR CSA IN 2015? Summer CSA Shares will be available for $640 for 20 weeks from June through the middle of October. We will be offering “online registration” for Summer Shares as well, but first we would like to sort through the Fall Share registrations. You will all receive a separate email in a few weeks informing you when registration opens, so we can work through one type of registration at a time. We welcome new members!!
5. PENCILS & PARSNIPS–A Farm to School Fundraiser with Zingermans and Tantre Farm: Join our Tantre Farm crew at Upstairs in the beautiful new space at ZIngerman’s Deli on Wednesday, November 5, 6:30pm, for Zingerman’s annual “Taste of Tantre”. This year the event will celebrate The Agrarian Adventure’s 10th anniversary! Join us for Tantre-produced and inspired foods and drinks in honor of 10 years of edible education in Ann Arbor Public Schools. The funds raised at the event will benefit district-wide school garden outreach, Tappan garden and greenhouse programming, as well as the Farmer in the Classroom program in AAPS elementary classrooms (which Tantre Farm has actively been involved in for the past 7 years). For tickets and more info: http://www.zingermansdeli.com/
6. 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.) — 10 A.M. to 12 P.M.
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”, and many recipe ideas will pop up.
PURPLE CARROT AND GINGER SOUP (from www.greatist.com) Serves 2.
4 large purple carrots
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
4 scallions
2 shallots
2-inch nob fresh ginger
Salt and pepper to taste
4 dashes dried coriander
Up to 1 cup of warm water (or warmed vegetable stock)
Peel and roughly chop the carrots, and finely chop the scallions, shallot, and ginger. In a small pot, combine the carrots with 1 cup of water. Bring heat up to medium and cover. Let the carrots boil in the water until they are cooked through but not entirely mushy, about five minutes. Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat melt 2 teaspoons of unsalted butter and add the scallions, shallot, ginger, salt, and pepper. Cook until the shallot begins to soften and turn transparent. Transfer the boiled carrots (with the cooking water) and cooked veggies to a food processor. Add the coriander and up to 1 cup of warm water or warm vegetable stock to reach desired consistency. Process until smooth. (I personally like mine on the thicker side, almost like a pudding, so I don’t add much extra liquid, but make it as think or as thin as you like!) Serve garnished with a few extra scallions and a slice of ginger.
CRISPY SWEET POTATOES (from www.realsimple.com) Serves 8
4 sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds), cut into thin wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lime zest, plus 2 tablespoons lime juice
kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Heat oven to 425° F. Toss the potatoes, oil, lime zest, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Roast, tossing once, until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Drizzle with the lime juice and sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve warm.
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