Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #11
Aug. 2-8, 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. All previous newsletters are posted on our website.
**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
GREEN BEANS (Jade): long, slender, deep green, filet bean. See Week 8 for usage and storage information.
YELLOW BEANS (Carson): You will receive this fancy, slim, great looking, yellow bean, which is high yielding and flavorful.
-How to use: raw in salads, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, etc.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 1 week
BLACKBERRIES: Everyone will receive a half pint of these plump, purplish-black fruits that grow on brambles (ours is a thornless variety!); the blackberries are tiny fruits clustered together around a core, which are juicy and have a sweet-sour flavor.
-How to use: can be eaten raw, cooked or converted into juice, and popular for salads, yoghurt, sauces, stuffing cakes and cookies
-How to store: store in the refrigerator
CARROTS (Mokum): a very sweet, slender, “pencil carrot” with edible green leaves. Greens are delicious in soups and also salads.
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.
EGGPLANT: Fri/Sat members will receive Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit) or Orient Express (dark purple Asian type with long, slender, glossy fruits, which are tender, delicately flavored, and quick cooking). Wed. members will get it next week.
-How to use: may be salted to remove bitterness from old fruit, but also makes it less watery and more absorbent, and can greatly enhance the taste and texture of your dish; can be baked, boiled, fried, grilled, or can be sliced into rounds for grilling or broiling, and cut into cubes for stews and stir-fries. Lots of recipes and basic cooking tips in the “A to Z cookbook”.
-How to store: best fresh, but can be stored at room temperature or in refrigerator drawer for up to 1 week.
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 FOUR CHOICES:
–French Sorrel–slightly tart, lemon-flavored green; excellent for salads, soups, and sauces; can be used in omelets, breads, or cooked as a side dish; refrigerate in bag for up to 3 days.
–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 withCucumbers this week!
–Rosemary—pine needle-like leaves used with potatoes, bread doughs, risottos, mixed vegetables, and meat dishes, as well as in sweet dishes such as lemonade, creams, custards, and syrups; very strongly flavored, so use sparingly, considered a memory stimulant and used for headaches, indigestion, and depression.
–Genovese Basil—We are somewhat short on herbs this week, so we are offering Genovese (an herb with sweet, spicy, shiny, green leaves) as ONE of your FOUR CHOICES. It should still be stored in a jar, vase, or glass of water on your counter or tabletop even though we have removed the root. Please do NOT refrigerate!
KALE: You will receive Siberian Kale (tender blue green, curly leaves, with a mildly sweet flavor). See Week 2 for usage and storage information.
LETTUCE MIX (Allstar Gourmet): a bag of ruffled red and green lettuces with unique leaf shapes that provide loft, interesting texture, good shelf life, and fancy appearance; includes Green Oakleaf, Red Oakleaf, Green Romaine, Red Romaine, Lollo Rossa, and Redleaf lettuces. Your lettuce has been rinsed once. See Week 1 for usage and storage information.
SWEET ONIONS (Ailsa Craig Exhibition): a huge, sweet, mild, yellow-skinned, heirloom onion that is well known by British gardeners who grow show-size onions.
-How to use: great for salads, soups, sandwiches, slices, onion rings, & other dishes for flavor
-How to store: not for long storage; wrap in damp towel or plastic bag in fridge for 2 to 7 days.
PURPLETTE ONIONS: flavorful, purple red-skinned mini onion; its glossy, rich burgundy color transforms to pastel pink when cooked or pickled.
-How to use: the bulb and green leaves are edible; can be cooked, grilled, roasted whole as a vegetable; chopped in salads, soups, & other dishes for flavor.
-How to store: refrigerate in damp towel/plastic bag for 5-7 days.
HOT PEPPERS: Fri/Sat members received Shishito Hot Peppers (sweet, mildly hot, slender Japanese chiles about 2 to 4 inches with squarish end; often used in stir-fried dishes, salads, or as a pickled condiment) as a surprise extra, so now it’s Wed. members’ turn!
-How to use: Often roasted, chopped, and used to season corn bread and cheese dishes; good for stuffed appetizers, jams, salsa, and pickles. See newsletter recipes.
-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.
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 Dakota Red (red potato with white flesh that is good for baking, boiling, or frying). See Week 7 for usage and storage information.
RADISHES: Fri./Sat. members will receive Cherriette (smooth, bright red roots with short green, edible tops and a sweet/hot taste), since Wed. members received radishes last week. See Week 1 for usage and storage information.
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.
TOMATOES: You will receive some of the following: Red Grape (oval to oblong, baby red grape tomatoes, which have a chewy texture, sweet taste, and few seeds), Chiquita (deep rose-pink grape tomato with great flavor and pleasant texture), or Sun Gold Cherry (exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange cherry tomato; less acidic than the red cherry tomato, so slightly less bland in flavor; popular as a garnish, in salads, or as a cooked side dish that can be sautéed with herbs).
-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
WATERMELON: You will receive Starlight (10-12 lb. round fruit; deep green with highly contrasting black stripes and pink flesh; excellent flavor with crisp texture) or Sunshine (8-10 lb. oval-rounded fruit; green-striped shell with bright yellow flesh, which is brittle, juicy, and very sweet).
-How to use: slice, dice and serve as drinks, salads, or salsa.
-How to store: If melon seems not quite ripe, store at room temperature until sweet smell is coming from the soft, stem end; then store in the refrigerator.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. KID FARM HIKE on Aug. 14: Come join us for a guided monthly exploratory walk around Tantre Farm on Friday, Aug. 14, at 2 PM. We’ll use all our senses as we take an approx. 45-60 minute hike with CSA member, Alisse Portnoy, who teaches at the University of Michigan. She and her daughter are in their sixth year of once-a-week day-long visits to the farm. They look forward to sharing some of its treasures and treasure spots with you. Meet at the Main House’s Distribution Shed at 2 pm.
2. 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.
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. 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.
5. PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS NEEDED: Please feel free to donate used bags for use at the markets or distribution sites.
6. 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!
ROSEMARY-INFUSED WATERMELON LEMONADE (from www.allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
2 cups water
3/4 cup white sugar
1-2 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
2 cups lemon juice
12 cups cubed seeded watermelon
8 cups ice cubes
Directions: Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Stir in the rosemary, and set aside to steep for 1 hour. Place half of the lemon juice, and half of the watermelon into a blender. Strain the rosemary syrup through a mesh strainer into the blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Strain into a pitcher, and then puree the remaining lemon juice and watermelon. Stir the lemonade before serving over ice. Makes 8 servings.
SAUTÉED SHISHITO/PADRON PEPPERS
Ingredients:
½ lb. shishito peppers or substitute with padróns, rinsed
1 Tbsp. vegetable or sesame oil
sea salt or coarse salt to taste
Directions: In a large, wide frying pan or sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat for a minute or two. Add the peppers and sauté until the peppers begin to soften and cook around the edges (about 3 to 5 minutes). You want a few “burnt” or darkened spots here and there. Season with salt. Stir the peppers, so that they cook evenly. When the peppers have wilted, remove from heat and serve.
CARROT TOP SOUP (Local Flavors by Deborah Madison) Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 bunch (6 small to medium) carrots, the tops and roots
2 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. white rice
2 large leeks (or 2 purplette onions), white parts only
2 thyme sprigs
2 Tbs. chopped dill, parsley, celery leaves
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 c. vegetable or chicken stock or water
Directions: Pull the lacy leaves of the carrot greens off their stems (2 to 3 cups, loosely packed). Wash, then chop finely. Grate the carrots, or finely chop them. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the carrot tops and carrots, rice, leeks, thyme, and dill. Cook for several minutes, turning everything a few times, then season with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and add the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until the rice is cooked, 16 to 18 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and serve.