2015: Week 10, July 26 – August 1

Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #10
July 26-Aug. 1, 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 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

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: You will receive a mixed bunch of Red Ace (round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and medium-tall, red-veined green leaves) and Chioggia (Italian variety with leaves all green and pink-striped stems; root has cherry red, candy-striped flesh and has a sweet flavor).
-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.

GREEN CABBAGE: a sweet green cabbage; considered a beneficial digestive aid and intestinal cleanser; cabbage has a good amount of vitamins A & C, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
-How to use: good steamed, stir-fried, or chopped raw into salads or coleslaw
-How to store: refrigerate for up to 1 month

FAVA BEANS (optional and limited, so may run out): also called faba bean, horse bean, or broad bean; the pod is inedible raw and looks like a large bean pod; the bean seed resembles a lima bean with a tart, pungent flavor; fresh fava beans should be shelled from pod if skin seems tough, but bean seed can be eaten raw. The pod, when cooked, is edible. This link shows 5 ways to prepare favas: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-fantastic-ways-to-cook-fava-beans-190674. See Week 6 for usage and storage information.

GREEN BEANS (Jade): long, slender, deep green, filet bean. See Week 8 for usage and storage information.

CARROTS (Nelson): a sweet, blunt root with smooth, crisp texture and deep orange color. See Week 9 for usage and storage information.

CUCUMBERS: a slicing cucumber with dark green, straight 8-9 in. fruit; crisp with fresh flavor. See Week 7 for usage and storage information.

FRESH HERBS: In general, store herbs upright with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or wrap in slightly dampened cloth and store in refrigerator.
You may CHOOSE ONE from the following:
–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, such as tacos, salsas, soups, stews, and salads. Medicinally has been proved to chelate toxic metals from our bodies and considered a powerful tissue cleanser.
–Dill– feathery green leaves that go well with fish, potatoes, beets, carrots, and yogurt sauces; considered a good luck symbol by early Romans. Dill partners nicely with Cucumbers this week!
–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.
–Thyme– tiny green leaves used in meat and vegetable dishes and most casseroles, soups, stews, and medicinal teas, which soothe sore throats.
*Genovese Basil—All shares will receive basil this week, an herb with sweet, spicy, shiny, green leaves. We supply it with root attached, so it will last up to a week or 2 when stored in a jar, vase, or glass of water on your counter or table top. Do NOT refrigerate!

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). See Week 2 for usage and storage information.

LETTUCE: You will receive Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Romaine or Buttercrunch. See Week 2 for usage and storage information.

LEEKS: green leaves with white to pale green stems.
Cooking Tip: Slit from top to bottom and wash thoroughly with root facing up to remove all of the dirt trapped between the leaf layers.
-How to use: white and lower part of greens can be cooked whole, chopped in slices and substituted for onions; delicious raw in salads or cooked in soups, quiches, casseroles, stews, stocks, or stir-fries.
-How to store: refrigerate unwashed for 2 weeks in plastic bag.

NEW POTATOES: You will receive both Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; long storage and good tasting; perfect baked, boiled, mashed or fried) and Red Norland (smooth, red skin and white flesh; great baked, boiled, or roasted). See Week 7 for usage and storage information.

RADISHES: Wed. members will receive Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor), and maybe some at the end of week.
-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.

PATTY PAN/SUMMER SQUASH: You will receive Patty Pan (looks like a spaceship! tender, rounded scallop, light green squash; nutty flavor) or Yellow Crookneck (long, curved neck with a sometimes bumpy, yellow skin; buttery flavor and firm texture. See Week 8 for usage and storage information.

SWISS CHARD: close relative of garden beets; very small, multi-colored, large veined, semi-crinkly, dark green leaves; mild flavor; good source of vitamins A, E, & C, as well as iron & calcium. See Week 4 for usage and storage information.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. KID FARM DAY will be on Wed., Aug. 19, from 9 AM until noon. This half-day will be for all kids who are 4 years old and older. Activities will include an edible farm walk, a nature craft, and other activities about animals and plants. Snacks harvested from the farm will be included. Advance registration is required due to limited space with a small fee for materials, which is still being determined. Please register by e-mail to info@tantrefarm.com with names and ages of children, name of adult attending, phone number, and e-mail address. Anyone interested in helping out, please contact Deb as soon as possible, so we can brainstorm and share our ideas.

2. WEEDING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Thank you so much to those of you, who continue to volunteer! If you are interested in helping out–even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes before you pick up your box at the farm, come join us. Please contact us any day of the week or evenings until dark.

3. VACATIONS or OUT OF TOWN: Please remember to contact us at least by Saturday or Sunday to make changes in pick up days or locations.

4. PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS NEEDED: Please feel free to donate used, clean bags for use at the markets or distribution sites. We have plenty of paper bags right now!!

5. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)–7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 12 PM
Farm (Wed.)–10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub-UM employees (Wed)–3 PM to 6 PM
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.
Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)–8 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” with the word “recipe” after it, and many recipe ideas will pop up. Have fun searching! Lots and lots of ideas!

COLD CUCUMBER LEEK SOUP (contributed by CSA member, Kim Bayer)
*This is a creamy soup made without cream, using potatoes instead for body. For a lighter soup, you can leave out the potatoes. There are a number of different vegetable variations that are also good!
Ingredients:
2 leeks – white and light green part, cut in half, cleaned, thinly sliced (or 3/4 cup chopped onions, shallots or scallions)

1 large clove garlic – coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp. oil

1-2 c. potato – chopped into 1-inch pieces

2 c. thinly sliced cucumber
2 Tbsp. dill – chopped fine and divided

2 c. broth (should just cover vegetables, may need a little more)

1-2 c. cold buttermilk or plain yogurt

Directions: Sauté leeks and garlic in the oil, just until wilted and not yet browned. Add potato and cucumber. Stir a bit. Add 1 T. chopped dill. Just barely cover vegetables with broth and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until potatoes are very tender, but not falling apart, about 20 minutes or so. When the vegetables are very soft, let the mixture cool. Once it’s cool, puree vegetables and broth together with an immersion blender, regular blender, food processor, etc., adding the remaining 1 T. dill. Check the seasoning – add salt and pepper if you like. Chill the vegetable puree. Before serving stir in the amount of buttermilk that you like. I find that 2/3 vegetable puree to 1/3 buttermilk is about right at our house.  Garnish with more dill.

Variations
Summer squash soup: Substitute zucchini or yellow squash or any summer squash for the cucumber and potato combo. We eat this a lot and love it on hot days. With some bread and cheese, it makes a great meal.
Summer borscht:  For the main vegetables, use a combination of 1/3 potatoes, 1/3 beets, and 1/3 cabbage.  Can also throw in a couple of carrots or turnips. I often use leftover beets that I’ve already roasted for this – just adding them at the end of the simmering time.  Even people who don’t like beets love this soup.
Vichyssoise: You can use just potatoes and leeks as the vegetables to make French vichyssoise. Don’t use a food processor to puree it though – it will become gluey. You may want to use chives instead of the dill and replace the buttermilk with either milk or half and half.

SWISS CHARD AND SUMMER SQUASH FRITTATA (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites, the Moosewood Collective with http://nofearentertaining.blogspot.com)
Ingredients:
1 lb. Swiss chard (or other greens, such as beet greens, arugula, etc.)
1 summer squash, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 cup chopped onions
2 tsp. olive oil
6 egg whites
2 whole eggs
3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions: Wash the Swiss chard, remove and discard the large stems, and finely chop the leaves. In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, sauté the garlic, summer squash and onions in 1 teaspoon of the oil for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the Swiss chard, stir, cover, lower the heat, and cook for a bout 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and drain the Swiss chard if juicy. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, eggs, basil, salt, and pepper until blended. Stir in the sautéed Swiss chard. Coat the bottom of the skillet with the remaining tsp. of oil and return it to medium heat. When the skillet is hot, pour in the Swiss chard-egg mixture. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the edges are firm and the bottom is golden and beginning to brown. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven and cook for about 5 minutes, until the eggs are fully cooked. Serve immediately or at room temperature, topped with grated Parmesan cheese if you wish.

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