Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
IMMUNE BOOSTER (Week 8) SHARE
May 9, 2020
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.
WELCOME TO THE “IMMUNE BOOSTER” (Week 8) SHARE!
“By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimm’d…” Almost all the cherry blossoms have been opening among the sour cherry trees along the roads and along the fence lines. These earliest fruits of the year lure many of the birds and the raccoons to their sweet, tart flavors. It is the birds and raccoons that spread the seeds around the hedge rows from their full bellies. However this year, at least this weekend, it looks like we will loose most of the blossoms to an unseasonably cold freeze. We are expecting an 8-hour window of below freezing temperatures with an extreme low for two hours of 23 degrees. This polar freeze could take out most of the peach and sweet cherry blossoms as well.
“By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimm’d…” The trees, so beautifully trimmed, ornament the green hills and fields with their pink and white blossoms. Are the record lows due to some unforeseen result of lack of solar flares? Maybe lack of earth’s magnetism? Could it be the passage of this earth’s solar system through the Milky Way nebula? What is the most likely cause for this unusual freeze? Perhaps some careless force beyond our control or our collective wrong doing of burning too much fossil fuel. Perhaps it is likely to be our collective sins of overconsumption and waste. Nonetheless we may suffer the loss of all these delicate blooms by the end of today; not just us, but the raccoons and the birds that forage heartily, these wild creatures who replant the fruit for future generations to come. When we think about these special planters of cherry pits, it is a wonder that they create such benefit with no intention, and yet the delight is so sweet and delicious. Perhaps because there is no intention to do so. If only we could learn this important lesson as civilized creatures. “By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimm’d…”
It is with a bit of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 verse that we bring to you this week’s food of the season with the collaboration of our good friends at Garden Works Organic Farm, the Brinery, Ginger Deli, Zingerman’s Creamery, Wayward Seed Farm, Second Spring Farm, Goetz Family Farm, and the return of Harvest Kitchen and Raterman Bread. As always thank you to our hardworking crew of Donn, John, Mark, Peter, Annie, Andy, Geoff, Jbird, Ryan, Chizo, and new interns Karis and Shaunna, who continue to pull these shares together for you! Also, if by some chance you notice that you are missing items from your share at any time, please let us know, since some of our crew are volunteering to work 12-14 hours on Fridays to make up these share boxes for you, and sometimes we make mistakes, because of the long day. We can usually substitute something else or sometimes the same thing the following week if needed, so just let us know.
**PLEASE READ THIS!! We will be distributing your share in 1 box that is 1-1/9 bushel. Due to concern about contamination from the coronavirus, we are asking for you to take and keep the box at home for now, except for those of you willing to drop your boxes off at the Food Hub or the Farm. We definitely are hoping that you can return them to us sooner or later. Please ask for assistance, if you need any help in loading your share, and it is especially helpful if you are patient and kind with our volunteers as you wait your turn to be checked off for curbside pick up of the boxes. This is a time, like no other, to slow down and be as understanding as possible. Also, if you have sent a check in the mail, please be patient, since we may delay in entering check payments. We will let you know if we are missing your payment some time in the next few weeks. If you paid with PayPal or Venmo, you are all set. You may drop off checks and cash (only in a labeled envelope) at the Food Hub and the Farm and place in our labeled Payment Bag.
****WE ARE STILL MISSING THE NAME OF SOMEONE WHO PAID $85 CASH IN AN UNLABELED ENVELOPE FOR WEEK 4!!!
We have also recently acquired VENMO, so if you have that app, please feel free to send money that way to @Deb-Lentz, with 6748 as the last four numbers of the phone number. Please give Deb a courtesy email/text/call at 734-385-6748, if you can’t make it to your scheduled Distribution Site on time, so we know what your situation is, so that we don’t have to track you down. More storage tips can be found on our website under CSA Info>Veggie Id or Recipes>Produce Information Organized by Parts of the Plant.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for supporting your local farmers and local food artisans as we travel together on this journey of health and mindfulness as we continue to face a myriad of unknowns in the coming days. Also, if you have time to support or thank the businesses that are helping us provide you with convenient Pick Up Locations, please express your gratitude to ROOSROAST and the WASHTENAW FOOD HUB in Ann Arbor, PURE PASTURES in Plymouth, and AGRICOLE FARM STOP in Chelsea. We are happy that we may continue to feed you and keep you healthy with so many wonderful partners in our community. We wish you safe passage as we strengthen our immune systems with good local food and hopes for a happy spring!
–Deb and Richard
WHAT’S PART OF YOUR SHARE
“The Brinery’s” BEET KVASS: This gluten-free, fermented beet drink is a dark, rich burgundy with a tart, tangy flavor using the very simple ingredients of beets, water, and salt. Beet kvass is high in vitamin C, helps boost your immune system and can help stave off the cold virus. It’s unusually high in manganese, a mineral that is needed for the health of your bones, liver, kidneys and pancreas; cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments. The Brinery is a local foods business at the Washtenaw Food Hub, specializing in naturally fermented local vegetables and operated by long time Tantré farmer/alum (2001+), David Klingenberger. Their products are available in many stores in the area, including Whole Foods, Plum Market, Arbor Farms, the Argus Farm Stops in Ann Arbor, and Agricole in Chelsea, etc. For more information, please visit https://thebrinery.com.
-How to use: can be drank as a tonic, straight up, it can be used in place of vinegar in cooking or in salad dressings, it’s also a great addition to soup and you can even use it in cocktail, the way you would a vinegar shrub.
-How to store: Keep this fermented product REFRIGERATED for 7 to 10 days.
“Garden Works Farm’s” PEA OR SUNFLOWER SHOOTS: Researchers have found that most microgreens can contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts. They help to alkalize your body, support your immune system and ensure proper cell regeneration. You will receive 1 /4 pound of pea or sunflower shoots (which are extremely high in vitamins A & C and calcium) from Garden Works Organic Farm. They are a certified organic 4.5 acre truck garden and greenhouse farm in Ann Arbor operating year-round with several types of heirloom vegetables, and wheatgrass, sunflower shoots and other microgreens available throughout the year. Visit Rob MacKercher at both Argus Farm Stops, Peoples Food Coop, and the Ann Arbor Farmers Market or contact gardenworksorganic@gmail.com for more information.
-How to use: use as a salad, top on egg dish, or sandwiches, excellent garnish as a soup, so yummy and tender!
-How to store: store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
“Ginger Deli’s” SPINACH CHICKEN SOUP or SPINACH VEGETABLE SOUP: You will receive either a gluten-free, aromatic Spinach Chicken Soup (organic chicken broth, Tantre spinach, ginger, roasted onion, sea salt, house-made chicken patties, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, clove, bay leaves, and Jasmine rice) OR a vegan, gluten-free Spinach Vegetable Soup (King mushroom, Tantre carrots and spinach, chayote, roasted onion, roasted ginger, daikon radishes, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, sea salt, star anise, bay leaves and Jasmine rice). Please check the ingredient labels and let us know if you received an incorrect soup, and we will try to fix it. These soups are created by Ginger Deli (www.gingerdeli.com), a tenant at the Washtenaw Food Hub producing Vietnamese cuisine that packs colorful flavors with a dash of style. Usually found with prepared sandwiches, pho soup, etc. at University of Michigan hospital and Argus Farm Stops in Ann Arbor, and Agricole Farm Stop in Chelsea.
-How to use: reheat with Raterman bread and top with a garnish of Garden Works pea or sunflower shoots
-How to store: store in refrigerator for up to 7 days or freeze
“Goetz Family Farm’s” ASPARAGUS: You will receive a half pound bunch of these green spears; good amount of vitamin A and fair source of vitamin B and C and iron. Goetz Farm is a 3-generation family farm in Riga, MI. You can find their produce at both Argus Farm Stops, Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, Downtown Farmington Farmer’s Market and Chelsea Farmer’s Market. See https://www.localharvest.org/goetz-family-farm-M56215 for more information.
-How to use: serve raw chopped in salads or with dips; steam, roasted, grilled, serve “cold” with vinaigrette or with a bit of olive oil and dash of salt and lemon juice.
-How to store: wrap in damp cloth and plastic bag and refrigerate or bundle spears with rubber band and place upright in container with inch of water.
“Goetz Family Farm’s LETTUCE: a leafy, herbaceous annual grown mostly for salad, but especially delicious at this time of year, since it is hoop house grown; rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C.
-How to use: raw in salads, sandwiches, or use in soups.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.
“Harvest Kitchen’s” PURE MICHIGAN GRANOLA: A granola style celebration of the diversity of the Michigan Bounty. Ferris Farms organic rolled oats, organic flax seeds and organic sunflower seeds with Traverse Bay Farms organic dried wild blueberries, and Lesser Farms Honey. Harvest Kitchen (https://harvest-kitchen.com) produces their products in the kitchens at the Washtenaw Food Hub and sells at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Whole Foods, both Argus Farm Stops, and Agricole in Chelsea. For more details about meal plans or gift ideas, contact Magdiale at info@harvest-kitchen.com .
-How to use: mix with yogurt, salad topping, bake in bread or muffins, roll in bananas and freeze, toss it with oatmeal
-How to store: Store for many days in an airtight container at room temperature.
“Raterman Bread’s “ SOURDOUGH BREAD: This Original Sourdough bread is provided by Washtenaw Food Hub kitchen tenant, Nick Raterman of Raterman Bread, using non-GMO flour. The sourdough is a prebiotic and probiotic and is made fresh with no preservatives or additives by fermentation of dough with naturally occurring lactobacilli and yeast making it more nutritious and easier to digest. Other varieties and sizes are available at the Saturday Ann Arbor Farmers Market and Webster Farmers Market on Sundays. You can reach Nick at Nick.Raterman@gmail.com or on Facebook @RatermanBread.
-How to use: roast it with chicken, good as toast or sandwiches, use as a bread bowl for soup, make homemade croutons or stuffing
-How to store: lasts for 4 to 5 days at room temperature
“Second Spring Farm’s” RAINBOW CARROTS: A carrot is a root, whose skin color can be white, red, purple, or yellow, but more commonly know for their bright orange color; high in all kinds of various nutrients based on their color. Thanks to our former intern (2003)-turned-farmer, Reid Johnston, of Second Spring Farm (www.secondspringfarm.net). He is providing you with his certified organic carrots from Cedar, MI.
-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
“Tantre Farm’s” GREEN ONIONS (also called “Scallions”): young shoots of 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 5-7 days.
“Tantre Farm’s” POTATOES: You will receive a net bag of 2 varieties of potatoes including 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; very high in antioxidants!) and Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; long storage and good tasting; perfect baked, boiled, mashed or fried).
-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag or breathable container
“Tantre Farm’s” SPINACH: crisp, dark green leaf; best eaten raw or with minimal cooking to obtain the beneficial chlorophyll, rich in of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron and a plethora of other nutrients and antioxidants. The appearance of spinach also marks the official beginning of spring!
-How to use: delicious flavor when juiced, 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.
“Wayward Seed Farm’s” GREEN CABBAGE: This certified organic, late-season cabbage comes from Wayward Seed Farm (http://waywardseed.com). It is excellent for a wide variety of dishes and stores well into late winter.
-How to use: steamed, stir-fried, chopped into salads or coleslaw.
-How to store: It is best to store cabbage with its protective outer leaves until ready to use, so that it will last in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. When ready to eat, just peel off a few layers until you get to the crispy, clean leaves that will make it ready for eating.
“Zingerman’s Creamery” CREAM CHEESE: a fresh, soft mild-tasting cheese with a slightly grassy tartness and smooth, soft texture made using old-world techniques with local milk. Zingerman’s Creamery specializes in making cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses, gelato, and sorbets, and are located at the Cheese Shop on the South Side of Ann Arbor. For more information you can go to their website at https://www.zingermanscreamery.com/about-us or call them at 734-929-0500.
-How to use: good on bagels, crepe fillings, dips, frostings, soups, etc
-How to store: refrigerate for up to 1 or 2 weeks
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. TANTRE FARM’S SUMMER CSA IS SOLD OUT FOR 2020!! If you were interested in our 18-week Summer CSA (which will start the week of May 24-30), we have had an overwhelming response and had to close early, since we had no more room. If you are interested, please email us at info@tantrefarm.com to be put on a Waiting List, in case someone cancels and since we are figuring out the logistics of creating an alternate CSA. More details will be coming soon about the Summer CSA and the possibility of a new CSA. The hours of our days are very full indeed with farming and lots of computer work!
2. SHARE PARTNERS NEEDED: Many former members did not get into the Summer CSA, because it sold out very early. If any of you who are already registered for the Summer CSA were considering alternating weeks or splitting a share with a share partner, please let us know, because someone who couldn’t get in would probably be very grateful to be your share partner. Please let us know by letting us know your current pick up location.
3. HARVEST KITCHEN “PREPARED FOOD” OPPORTUNITIES:
Harvest Kitchen is a food service that produces delicious, farm-to-table meals delivered to your home, your office, or picked up in some other convenient location with various meal plan options available. They will be offering more freezable family-style meals and an immune support category of prepared meals. We have worked closely with the executive chef, Magdiale, to continue to consult and advise as Harvest Kitchen works in close partnership with Tantre Farm’s seasonal produce list. All dietary needs can be accommodated as well. Harvest Kitchen will also be reducing their delivery charges until the crisis passes, and they welcome any feedback and suggestions that will help them better serve you. Please contact them at info@harvest-kitchen.com for more information or visit them at www.harvest-kitchen.com.
4. GRASS-FED BEEF: Just to let you know, we still have Tantre Farm pasture-raised beef available for sale, so please feel free to send us an email order with your phone number. Please let us know if you would like the Beef Pricing Guide sent to you. Pick up can be arranged at the Food Hub or Tantre Farm, but by appointment only. Please email us with BULK BEEF in the Subject line to get specific details.
5. WEEKLY “IMMUNE BOOSTER” #9 NEXT WEEK: If you are still interested in receiving more local produce and local food artisan products after this share’s distribution, please register for a new weekly share every Monday evening, since our community partners change or their contributions may change weekly. Watch for slight changes to the Immune Booster CSA in the coming weeks!
6. FARMERS MARKETS OPENING: Several local farmers markets, including the Ann Arbor and Chelsea Farmers Markets are opening finally with limited hours, online stores, and curbside pickup this Mother’s Day weekend, but no table displays for the first few weeks. Please support our friends by ordering and buying from them and of course wear masks and gloves. We will not be participating at the markets with this method for right now, so please support us at the People’s Food Coop, the Argus Farm Stops, or Agricole Farm Stop in Chelsea, and also by supporting our weekly shares. We appreciate you!
7. SEEDLINGS FOR SALE: Our good friends at Frog Holler Organic Farm (Brooklyn, MI) have certified organic plant starts available for online ordering through froghollerorganic.com with home delivery options and Ann Arbor pick up locations, such as at the Ann Arbor Farmers Farmers Market. Also our community partner, Goetz Greenhouse and Family Farm (Riga, MI) also has vegetable and flower seedlings for sale through their online store at https://www.sites.google.com/site/goetzgreenhouse. They have pick up options at the Washtenaw Food Hub and Tantre Farm and the Ann Arbor and Chelsea Farmers Markets, so please contact them soon if you want to get your fingers in the dirt. Happy gardening!
8. FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN A REAL TREAT: If you want to see Tantre farmers in our younger days, including David from the Brinery, some of our CSA members (maybe you!), Ariana as a 4 year old CSA farmer, and many others CSA farmers from 2006, please watch this 25 minute video clip pulled out of the archives from our friends Marty and Michelle, who biked 900-miles around Michigan to visit CSA farms to collect stories, wisdom, and insight about food and connections that is ironically relevant especially today. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/iCapC_bpvk4
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! Lots and lots of ideas!
BEET KVASS DRESSING (https://m.lovingearth.net/blog/blog/2014/12/24/beet-kvass-dressing)
**Dress a simple salad or drizzle over roasted veggies and sprinkle with za’atar for a satisfying earthy meal.
3 tbsp Fermented Beet Kvass
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Combine all the ingredients in a small jar and shake well until combined. You may need to add extra olive oil if the consistency is too thick.
SPINACH AND ASPARAGUS FRITTATA (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website) Serves 4
Filling:
1 bunch spinach, washed and drained, with stems removed
1 lb asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic or 2 green onions, minced or mashed
Egg mixture:
8 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp whipping cream or water
1/4 tsp salt
Pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded (optional)
Olive oil, to coat skillet
Preheat broiler. Mix ingredients well and pour into a greased 8-inch skillet and stir until set (about 5 minutes). Place under broiler for 2 minutes until top is golden brown. Cut into slices.
ASPARAGUS-LEEK RISOTTO (from Better Homes and Gardens, April 2008) Serves 4
3/4 lb asparagus spears, trimmed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced leeks (OR green onions)
1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (maybe Ginger Deli’s Chicken Soup)
2 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp freshly ground coarse black pepper
Lemon slices
Lemon peel
Place asparagus in single layer on baking sheet. Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil; lightly sprinkle salt and black pepper. Bake, uncovered, in 450 degree oven about 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Cool slightly. Cut two-thirds into 2-inch pieces, set aside all asparagus. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook leeks in remaining olive oil until tender. Stir in uncooked rice. Cook and stir over medium heat about 5 minutes or until rice begins to turn a golden brown. In another saucepan bring broth to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer. Carefully stir 1 cup of hot broth into rice mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Then add 1/2 cup broth at a time, stirring frequently until broth is absorbed before adding more broth (about 22 minutes). Stir in any remaining broth. Cook and stir just until rice is tender and creamy. Stir in asparagus pieces, cheese, parsley, lemon peel, lemon juice, and pepper. Top with asparagus spears, lemon slices, and peel.
CARROT-MUSHROOM LOAF (from Moosewood Cookbook) Serves 4.
1 cup chopped onion
4 1/2 cups grated carrots
1 lb chopped mushrooms
5 eggs
2 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs (dry out or toast Raterman’s sourdough bread and turn into breadcrumbs)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
Salt, pepper, basil and thyme, to taste
Crush garlic into melting butter. Add onions and mushrooms and saute until soft. Combine all ingredients (saving half the breadcrumbs and cheese for the top). Season to taste. Spread into buttered baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs and cheese. Dot with butter. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered, then uncover for an additional 5 minutes.
CABBAGE-TOPPED TARRAGON POTATOES (adapted from http://www.food.com) Serves 4
1 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup cabbage, shredded
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp onions (or 1 green onion), minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh tarragon, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Plain yogurt (or Cream Cheese)
Fresh chives, snipped
Cook potatoes, covered in boiling salted water until tender; drain and mash (should yield about 1 1/3 cups). Cook cabbage, covered, in small amount of boiling water for 5 minutes, until tender; drain. In a bowl, combine eggs, margarine or butter, flour and seasonings. Add the potatoes; beat until smooth. Generously grease four 6 ounce oven-proof custard cups; spooning 1/3 cup mixture into each. Top each bowl with cabbage and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with yogurt and chives.
EASY CHEESY ASPARAGUS SPINACH DIP (https://peasandcrayons.com/2015/05/easy-cheesy-asparagus-spinach-dip.html) Makes 3 cups.
1 bunch asparagus
3 cloves garlic
5-6 oz cream cheese (softened)
2/3 cup parmesan cheese coarsely grated + packed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika (optional)
5 oz fresh spinach
1-2 tsp olive oil
2-3 oz grated or sliced mozzarella cheese
parsley, parmesan, and red pepper flakes to garnish
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Trim and rinse your asparagus stalks, then blanch or steam until tender.
In a food processor, combine asparagus, garlic, cream cheese, and parm cheese along with your garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt and paprika. Blend until creamy and smooth. In a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, sauté an entire package of spinach with a little bit of olive oil, then add your asparagus dip. Fold together and top with fresh mozzarella [or try gouda!] and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with your favorites [parsley, part, red pepper flakes, etc), or add pea/sunflower shoots.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS-CARROT-SPINACH SOUP (https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1865971)
1 bunch of Asparagus
3-4 Carrots (peeled & sliced length-wise)
2 cups of Spinach
2 cloves of Garlic
Water – to make vegetable stock (or Ginger Deli Soup)
Milk (or alternative milk)- about 2 cups
Salt & Pepper to taste
Other spices you wish to add
Begin by cutting bottom ends off asparagus (don’t throw away). Peel the carrots (reserve the peels). Place asparagus & carrots on tray to roast in oven – set @ 450 for appx. 20 minutes, carrots cooked about 5 minutes longer. Place the asparagus ends, carrot peels, and garlic in pot. Cover with water and season to taste. Bring to boil, then simmer appx. 20 minutes. This will make your stock. Combine veggies & splash of stock in blender and begin blending. Add more stock & milk as needed to your taste and continue to blend to the consistency you desire. I returned to the pot & cooked/kept warm on the stove & added seasoning here.