TANTRE FARM CSA NEWSLETTER
Solstice Share
December 19, 2015
Please contact Richard Andres & Deb Lentz at: 2510 Hayes Rd. Chelsea, MI 48118 tantrefarm@hotmail.com 734-475-4323
HAPPY SOLSTICE, EVERYONE!
Thank you for joining our Solstice Share to celebrate the return of the light with good cheer and good health for the New Year. It is a unique moment for us to mark this collaboration of the Brinery, Garden Works, the Mother Loaf Breads, and Tantre Farm for this unique Solstice celebration. Through this cooperative spirit we embrace the euphoria of this moment to provide you with winter sustenance of these nutritionally dense roots and storage vegetables. This share truly represents the best proportion of nutrition, flavor, texture and health of the winter storage crops. We hope this food will contribute to a happy, healthy feast for you and your family.
**PLEASE READ THIS! We will be distributing the vegetables for this share as a “BUFFET STYLE”, which means ALL vegetables will be in bulk containers, such as boxes or baskets. It is set up as a self-serve situation with labeled amounts to take, so you can hand pick, what size, shape, or texture of each item you desire, so plan on an extra 15-30 minutes for you to load up. This means that you need to BRING YOUR OWN BAGS, COOLERS, or BOXES. We will have some boxes or bags available, but we would like to encourage you to provide your own. You will need to check off your name on the Pick up List at the Washtenaw Food Hub from 9 AM until Noon and Tantre Farm from 2 to 5 PM, when you arrive. Please ask for help if you need any help loading, and of course please make sure that your final payment goes into the Payment Envelope at each distribution site on Saturday, if you haven’t paid for your share yet.
Also, throughout the late fall and winter, please free to contact us, if you are interested in squash, potatoes, radishes, turnips, rutabaga, spinach, onions, etc., which you can pick up at the farm or the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. After the Solstice Distribution on Dec. 19, we will continue to set up at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market every Saturday starting again in January, but market starts at 8 AM and ends at 2 PM for these “winter hours”. If you have “liked” us on Tantre Farm’s Facebook page, you will know when we are coming and what we are bringing, since we try to keep you updated. The People’s Food Coop and Argus Farm Stop of AA also continue to carry many of our vegetables throughout the winter and early spring.
If you are interested in our Summer CSA shares for 2016, our online registration will start soon, although possibly after the Christmas holiday. Just check our website and your emails. We will be sending all previous members an email to let you know when registration opens. Everyone, who was a previous member will be automatically “rolled over” into next year, but you will have many opportunities to opt out, if the share is not for you anymore. Any new person will be able to sign up online as usual!
Thanks for buying locally and seasonally. We wish you a sustainably rich and enlightened transition into light as we enter the end of 2015 and begin anew with 2016! –Deb and Richard
WHAT’S PART OF YOUR SHARE
CHRISTMAS LIMA BEANS: You will receive 1 bag of Christmas Limas (dried bean in a pod with intriguing variation on the traditional Lima with beautiful burgundy/cream markings on the bean; texture of baked potatoes & flavor of chestnuts when cooked). We are providing you with beans in pods, so that you may have the pleasure and anticipation of the colorful variety of seeds that appear.
-How to use: excellent in a chile sauce or curry or simply enjoyed with a drizzle of olive oil and a few grates of dry goat cheese
-How to store: If storing the beans, you may shell them in a bowl and store them in glass jars or keep them stored in their pods.
BEETS: You will receive Golden (orange skin with rich gold interior; mild, sweet flavor when cooked) and Red Ace (round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor when eaten raw or cooked).
-How to use: roots good in juices, soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.
-How to store: store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
SOURDOUGH BREAD: We are pleased to offer some artisanal sourdough bread from the well-loved Mother Loaf Breads (www.themotherloafbreads) in Milan. You will have a choice between Onion Rye Bread (a savory rye bread studded with Tantre onions and caraway seeds; great for sandwiches, good for croutons, savory bread pudding, alongside scrambled eggs, and as the basis for an open-faced smørrebrød from Scandinavian cuisine) OR Potato Dill Bread (a lighter loaf full of Tantre potatoes and fresh dill; great as a hearty, grilled cheese bread or on other sandwiches, and fantastic as a dinner or soup bread).
BRUSSELS GREENS: these tender, savory, cabbage-flavored greens are the leaves of the Brussels sprouts plants and look similar to Collard Greens.
-How to use: Boil or steam for 3-5 minutes without overcooking, so they are still bright green; toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, or a pat of butter. Prepare other ways just like kale or other hearty cooking greens.
-How to store: Refrigerate for up to a week or more unwashed in a plastic bag in hydrator drawer.
CABBAGE (Kaitlin): large, late-season cabbage that is excellent for kraut with a very white, rather than green, interior after storage; stores well into December or January.
-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.
CARROTS (Orange and Purple): You will receive these as bunches of topless, frost-sweetened carrots with Napoli (a specialized variety with a sweet taste; 7” roots are cylindrical, smooth, and blunt) and 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 sautéed, in stews, soups, casseroles, stir-fries
-How to store: 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
ONIONS: You will receive Red Hawk (medium to large, uniform, deep red bulbs, which are slightly flattened with consistent color and excellent skin retention) and Patterson (medium-large, blocky bulbs with dark yellow skin and thin necks; excellent storage onion).
-How to use: good in French onion soup, great for salads, soups, sandwiches, slices, grilled.
-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.
PEA SHOOTS: You will receive a bag of pea 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. If you would like to find a way to continue to receive these delicious, tender greens, contact gardenworksannarbor@yahoo.com and ask for Rob MacKercher.
-How to use: use as a salad, blended with chopped radishes, turnips, and cabbage, excellent garnish as a soup, sooo yummy and tender!
-How to store: store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
POTATOES: You will receive the following 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!), Kerr’s Pink (very pale skin and cream flesh; mealy, cooked texture, so makes a good Specialty/Salad Potato variety; good roasted, mashed, or in salads), Mountain Rose (rosy-skinned inside and out, these versatile, all-purpose spuds are deliciously moist, but not waxy textured. Extra nutritious, and high in antioxidants. Excellent baked, mashed or fried), Carola (yellow potato from Germany; smooth, creamy texture that is good for baking or frying), Dakota Red (red potato with white flesh that is good for baking, boiling, or frying), French Red Fingerlings (dark rose-red skin and yellow flesh; creamy taste and firm texture, excellent roasted or boiled), and 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).
-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag; ideal temperature is 40-50 degrees with high humidity (80-90%). A basement or very cool closet will work. If too warm or stored with onions or apples, they will shrivel and sprout.
DAIKON RADISH: You will receive K-N Bravo (looks like an overgrown purple carrot with internal color ranging from pale purple to white with purple streaks; good, sweet, eating quality), Alpine (the smooth, attractive roots are white with green shoulders; looks like an overgrown green carrot, but with a slightly mild radish taste; crunchy and sweet texture; good macrobiotic root that is good for the gut; the most common type grown in Korea), and White Daikon (looks like an overgrown white carrot, but blunt-tipped on end, with a lightly mild, radish taste).
-How to use: excellent julienned, sliced, used in a salad or tossed with your favorite vinaigrette; good eaten fresh, cooked, or pickled
-How to store: not as hardy as you may think, so store wrapped in plastic to keep them crisp for up to 2 weeks
WATERMELON RADISH: an heirloom Chinese variety; large, 2-4”, round radishes with unique dark magenta/pink flesh and light green/white skin along with a sweet, delicious taste.
-How to use: soups, stews, steamed, roasted, eaten raw in salads, pickled, excellent julienned and tossed with favorite dressing.
-How to store: Store dry and unwashed in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; can last for 2-4 months if stored in cold, moist conditions like beets.
RUTABAGA: purplish skin with yellow flesh; thought to be a cross between a cabbage and a turnip and resembles a large turnip (3 to 5 inches in diameter).
-How to use: Bake, steam, or boil so it cooks up to a creamy texture as nice addition to mashed potatoes, can be substituted or added to pumpkin or squash pies, or baked in a root bake, and often a key ingredient in making pasties.
-How to store: Refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 1 month; keeps at room temperature for 1 week; long term storage.
NEW BRINERY PRODUCTS: We are pleased to offer a few new items for your probiotic pleasure that should be stored in your refrigerator. You will receive a jar of Green Tomato Basil Pickles (Ingredients: Tantre Green Tomatoes, Goetz Farm Basil, Water, Sea Salt. Uses: Good with mozzarella, in a fresh salad, on a skewer with mozz & beef/tempeh, great on the side of a burger or Bloody Mary) AND a bottle of Tomato Kvass (Ingredients: Tantre Tomatoes, Water, Sea Salt, Horseradish, Black Peppercorn, Smoked Paprika, Celery Seed, Coriander, Dill Seed. Uses: Add to spaghetti sauce, a hearty soup, a savory health drink, Bloody Mary, or just drink it straight for a tasty way to drink your probiotics!). The Brinery is a local foods business, specializing in naturally fermented local vegetables and operated by long time Tantré farmer, David Klingenberger. For more information, please visit www.thebrinery.com.
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.
TURNIPS (Purple Top): traditional, Southern variety with smooth, round roots with white on the bottom and bright purple on top
-How to use: Boil, steam, bake, add to soups and stews, mash or scallop just like potatoes, excellent roasted.
-How to store: Keeps up to 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator in a plastic bag; can last for 4-5 months, if stored like beets, preferring cold and moist conditions.
WINTER SQUASH: You will receive some of the following varieties:
Acorn (small, green ribbed squash with pale yellow flesh)
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)
Butternut (light, tan-colored skin; small seed cavities with thick, cylindrical necks; bright orange, moist, sweet flesh; longest storage potential of all squash)
Jester Acorn (about the size of Carnival squash, but with better eating quality; an oval, ivory-colored squash with green striping between the ribs that is tapered on both ends with small to average ribs)
Tetsukabuto (5-6 pound Japanese squash; nearly round with dark green rind, slightly mottled and ribbed; sweet and nutty flavor with yellow, thick flesh)
-How to store: Keep for several months (depending on the variety) at 45-60 degrees with 60-75% humidity; will also store at room temperature.
-How to freeze: If you notice a squash is getting soft or a spot starts to rot, cook it immediately, and freeze it in freezer bags for future use.
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!
TANTRÉ FARM SLAW (A simple, easy salad!) Serves 4.
2 medium beets, grated
3 large carrots, grated
2 turnips, grated
1 watermelon radish, grated
2-3 scallions or 1 red onion, chopped (optional)
sesame or sunflower seeds, toasted
olive oil or toasted sesame oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Grate vegetables into a bowl. Chop scallions, if desired, and add to bowl. Toast sesame or sunflower seeds. Add when cooled. Add olive oil and lemon juice as a salad dressing to suit your taste. Be careful of too much liquid. The tartness of the lemon should be prominent. Serve immediately or marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator.
BRAISED DAIKON (from Winter Harvest Cookbook)
1 Daikon radish, peeled and diced
2 Tbs. light cooking oil
1 tsp. sugar (or honey)
1 1/2 Tbs. soy sauce
Put Daikon in saucepan, cover with water, and boil 5 minutes. Drain well. Heat skillet, add oil, and stir-fry Daikon for 2 minutes. Add sugar and soy sauce; stir fry another minute. Add 1/4 cup water, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until Daikon is tender, but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 4.
ROASTED WATERMELON RADISHES (www.myrecipes.com)
1 pound watermelon radishes, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Preheat oven to 375°. Cut radishes into wedges. Mix with 2 tbsp. oil and put in a 2-qt. baking dish. Roast radishes, stirring occasionally, until fork tender, about 1 hour. Drizzle with remaining 1 tbsp. oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
TANTRE FARM OVEN-ROASTED HARVEST VEGETABLES (Keep in mind, any combination of the following root vegetables will work. Roasted veggies are standard at many Tantre Farm meals.)
1 c. Brussels sprouts, cut in halves
1 c. carrots, quartered or chunks
1/2 lb. unpeeled multi-colored potatoes, cut into chunks if large
1 watermelon radish, julienned
3-4 onions, sliced
1 rutabaga, cut into chunks
1 c. turnips, cut into chunks
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. winter squash, cut into chunks
3-4 Tbs. vegetable or olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. chopped fresh sage or rosemary
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine any combination of vegetables above in large bowl, except parsley. Drizzle oil over. Sprinkle with garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Bake for 30 minutes in 1 or 2 roasting pans or until vegetables are beginning to slightly brown. Turn the vegetables 2 or 3 times during cooking to prevent burning. Then increase heat to 425° and add chopped parsley (or may be added as a fresh garnish at the very end), toss vegetables, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Makes 6-8 servings.
MASHED RUTABAGA AND POTATOES (from www.southernfood.about.com) Serves 6 to 8.
3 pounds rutabaga, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 to 2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces, about 5 or 6 medium
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste
2 teaspoons chopped parsley, optional
Cook rutabaga and potatoes in salted water in separate saucepans. When both are tender, remove from heat. Rutabaga will take about 30 minutes, and potatoes will take about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain; puree or mash rutabaga well, then mash the potatoes. Combine mashed rutabaga and potatoes; add butter, milk, pepper, and nutmeg. Beat well. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.
ROASTED WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP (from www.allrecipes.com) Servings: 8
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
1 pinch kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
cooking spray or oil
1 small butternut or kabocha squash – peeled, seeded, and chunked
3 rutabagas, peeled and cubed
4 parsnips or carrots, thickly sliced
4 potatoes, halved
10 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons white truffle oil (optional)
With a mortar and pestle, grind together rosemary and kosher salt. Pour in olive oil and continue to mash until the oil starts to turn a darker green. Set aside for about an hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray or brush with oil. Place the squash, rutabagas, parsnips and potatoes in a large bowl. Pour the olive oil mixture through a fine-mesh strainer over the vegetables and toss them with oil to coat. Evenly spread vegetables on the prepared pan and roast 30 minutes until nicely browned and cooked through. While the vegetables are roasting, simmer stock in a large pot over medium low heat. When the vegetables are done add them to the simmering stock and simmer together for about 10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot, or puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Add extra broth or water if the soup is too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in warmed bowls, garnishing each serving by drizzling a quarter teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and a quarter teaspoon of white truffle oil over the soup.
RUSTIC CABBAGE SOUP RECIPE (www.101cookbooks.com) Serves 4.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
a big pinch of salt
1/2 pound potatoes, skin on, cut 1/4-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 cups stock
1 1/2 cups dried beans, precooked or canned
1/2 medium cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons
more good-quality extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Warm the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the salt and potatoes. Cover and cook until they are a bit tender and starting to brown a bit, about 5 minutes – it’s o.k. to uncover to stir a couple times. Stir in the garlic and onion and cook for another minute or two. Add the stock and the beans and bring the pot to a simmer. Stir in the cabbage and cook for a couple more minutes, until the cabbage softens up a bit. Now adjust the seasoning – getting the seasoning right is important or your soup will taste flat and uninteresting. Taste and add more salt if needed, the amount of salt you will need to add will depend on how salty your stock is (varying widely between brands, homemade, etc)… Serve drizzled with a little olive oil and a generous dusting of cheese.
SAVORY-SWEET RUTABAGA PUDDING (from Farmer John’s Cookbook by John Peterson) Serves 6 to 8
1 large rutabaga (about 2 pounds), peeled, diced into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
butter for greasing the baking dish
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, beaten
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon maple syrup
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup raisins, plumped in hot water for 15 minutes and drained (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rutabaga and 1 teaspoon salt, partially cover, and cook until the rutabaga is very soft, 30 to 45 minutes. (You will need to reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.) Preheat the oven to 350° F. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with butter. Beat the eggs and egg yolk in a medium bowl. Stir in the cream, bread crumbs, maple syrup, and nutmeg. Drain the rutabaga, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Mash the rutabaga thoroughly with a potato masher or run it through a food mill. If the mixture seems dry, add a little of the reserved rutabaga water as you mash. Add the egg mixture, raisins, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few grindings of pepper; stir to combine. Transfer the rutabaga pudding to the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top and dot with butter. Bake until lightly golden on top, about 45 minutes. Serve hot.
RADISH AND CARROT BHARTA RECIPE (Indian Vegetarian Cooking)
1/2 lb. carrots, julienned
1 lb. radishes, julienned or combination of radish and turnip
2 Tbs. ghee (or vegetable oil)
1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Garam Masala*
1/2 tsp. paprika (or cayenne or gr. chilies to taste)
2 small tomatoes, chopped (or the Brinery’s Tomato pickles)
Julienne or shred the carrots and radishes. Steam (or boil in minimum water) until soft. May be mashed or pureed at this point, but I prefer to just leave them as they are. Heat ghee and saute ginger and onion until soft. Add the vegetables and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and cook until nearly all the juice is gone. NOTES : This makes up incredibly quickly using a food processor. It also freezes well. If it seems too “radishy” reduce them to 1/2 pound, which is what the original recipe called for. 4 Servings.
*GARAM MASALA RECIPE (Indian Vegetarian Cooking)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
Measure and mix. Store in airtight container.
TETSUKABUTO SQUASH PIE (from Backwoods Home Cooking)
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
2 cups mashed or pureed, cooked pulp of Tetsukabuto squash
1/2 tsp. vanilla
10 oz. evaporated milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Thoroughly mix pulp, vanilla, and milk. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, and ginger together and stir into the wet mixture. Pour into the pie shell and bake in 375° oven until the middle of pie is almost firm but still sticky. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with pecans. Continue baking until a straw inserted in the center comes out clean. Entire baking time takes 40-45 minutes.
AUTUMN MINESTRONE (Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special by the Moosewood Collective) Yields 12 cups. Serves 6 to 8.
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 1/2 c. peeled and cubed winter squash
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 c. peeled and diced carrots
2 1/2 c. cubed potatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
6 c. water
4 c. chopped kale/Brussels greens or cabbage
1 1/2 c. cooked Christmas Lima Beans
Warm the oil in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the squash, celery, carrots, potatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and water; cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are almost done. Add the kale and beans (drained) and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the kale is tender and the beans are hot. You may add a dash of the Brinery’s Tomato Kvass for an interesting zing or even add some fermented Brinery Pickled Green Tomatoes.
HOT SPINACH SALAD
3 lb. spinach
1/4 c. sliced green olives
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sliced black olives
1/4 c. olive oil
1 Tbs. capers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. raisins
3 Tbs. sliced almonds or pine nuts
Wash and drain spinach. Sprinkle with salt. Cook 5 minutes, then drain & chop. Heat the oil in a skillet. Stir in the garlic and nuts until golden. Add the rest of the ingredients. Heat and serve.