Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #18
Sept. 20-26, 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
APPLES or ASIAN PEARS: You will be able to choose from a variety of freshly picked, gold-skin apples, red-skin apples, or Asian pears.
-How to use: good for drying, freezing, juicing, applesauce, and raw.
-How to store: does not store well, so use quickly, but can be stored for longer period of time in the refrigerator; can be sliced into rings and dehydrated for longer storage and eaten as snacks or made into pie in the off seasons.
ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor, which is rich in iron and vitamins A and C. See Week 9 for usage and storage information.
BEETS (with no greens): You will receive Red Ace (round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and medium-tall; just the root with no greens). See Week 7 usage and storage information.
CARROTS (Hercules): sweet, orange, cone-shaped roots; good eating quality and stores well. See Week 9 for usage and storage information.
SWEET CORN (Vision): exceptionally tender, super sweet, yellow ears; great for fresh eating and freezing. See Week 14 for usage and storage information.
GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, bolstering the immune system, lowering blood pressure and preventing heart disease, and used as an expectorant or decongestant. See Week 6 for usage and storage information.
FRESH HERBS: All shares will receive BASIL this week, since the plants have sprouted beautiful new leaves with no signs of downy mildew! Use the basil within a couple days though, since it still doesn’t seem to last as long as usual.
*Genovese Basil—an herb with sweet, spicy, shiny, green leaves that can be dried, frozen whole, or made into pesto. We supply it with root attached, so store it in a jar, vase, or glass of water on your counter or table top for only a couple of days. Do NOT refrigerate!
KALE: You will receive Siberian Kale (tender blue green, curly leaves, with a mildly sweet flavor) or Green Curly (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”). See Week 2 for usage and storage information.
ONIONS (Red Hawk): medium to large deep red bulbs that are slightly flattened. See Week 7 for usage and storage information.
POTATOES: You will receive Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; long storage and good tasting; perfect baked, boiled, mashed or fried). See Week 7 for usage and storage information.
RADISHES: You will receive Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor) or Amethyst (bright purple skin and crisp, mild white flesh). See Week 9 for usage and storage information.
U-PICK RASPBERRIES (only available on the farm): The sweet fall red and golden raspberries are just coming in. 1 pint is available as part of your share this week, if you are able to come out to the farm and pick it yourself. $4 for any extra pints picked.
SPINACH: You will receive a bag of this crisp, dark green leaf—full of beneficial chlorophyll, as well as vitamins A & C; delicious flavor when juiced. See Week 1 for usage and storage information.
TOMATOES: You will continue to receive a wide variety of tomatoes, so any of the following: Heirlooms– Brandywine (large, heirloom, beefsteak tomato–often over 1 lb.–with a deep pink skin and smooth red flesh; known as one of the best-tasting tomatoes) or Black Krim (dark brown-red color; tangy, rich, and sweet and when sliced makes beautiful dark slices) Sauce Tomatoes– San Marzano (early, large classic Italian roma tomato; delicious, balanced acidic flavor and meaty flesh makes for good sauce and paste) or Verona (similar to Juliet, but with even tastier, somewhat plumper, deep red “cocktail plum” fruits; good in sauces and in salads). Grape/Cherry Tomatoes–Five Star 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), Mountain Magic (bright red, round tomatoes with very sweet flavor; excellent in salads) 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). See Week 11 for usage/storage information.
WINTER SQUASH: Everyone will receive Butternut (light, tan-colored skin; small seed cavities with thick, cylindrical necks; bright orange, moist, sweet flesh; longest storage potential of all squash) or Carnival (a multicolor Sweet Dumpling with colorful patches and flecks of dark and light green, orange, and yellow; sweet flesh and edible skin). See Week 17 for usage and storage information.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. THANKS FOR COMING TO OUR FALL WORK PARTY AND POTLUCK on Sept. 20. We managed to dig about 40 crates of potatoes, fill about 15 jars with dried herbs, cleaned 20 crates of garlic, and filled our bellies full of delicious food. What a great example of our strong, supportive CSA membership! All members were able to go home with a squash or a pumpkin, a pint of raspberries, and a flower bouquet if they wanted. We really appreciate getting to know so many of our Tantre Farm community and especially all the ways you all pitched in to help the farm.
2. ENDING SUMMER CSA DATES: This is just a reminder that our summer shares are ending in just a few weeks, and U of M shares end this week. That means Oct. 7 (Wed.), Oct. 9 (Fri.), and Oct. 10 (Sat.) are the last distributions for our Summer CSA.
3. U-PICK AVAILABLE: Please call ahead if you plan to pick on other days besides Farm Distribution Days (Wed. and Fri.), so we can make sure someone is around to help you. -U-pick Golden/Red Raspberries—1 pint FREE! Extra $4/pint
-U-pick Flowers–You may pick 1 bouquet of up to 15 stems per household for “free” in the u-pick flower garden on the farm. Whenever possible if you can donate $1 or $2 that will help to pay for some seed and labor costs. Extra bouquets will cost $4.
-U-pick Tomatoes—many tomato varieties available
Members–$0.50/lb. Non members–$0.75/lb.
-Already picked tomatoes – available for $1/lb. We will have half bushels at market and at the farm for $25/box.
Non members–$1.25/lb. for perfect tomatoes & $0.75 for 2nds
4. STILL COULD USE PLASTIC OR PAPER GROCERY BAGS AND YOGURT CONTAINERS (quart size for u-pick flowers), if you would like to donate some to the farm or at markets. We are running low.
5. EXTENDED FALL CSA SHARE COMING FOR 2015: Registration is now almost ready to go, so we will send a separate email when the sign up is ready. This share runs for 3 weeks from the week starting Oct. 13 through Oct. 31 for $100. It is a share that is very similar to the summer share, but with all the bounty of the fall vegetables! Non-members are welcome, so encourage others to register too. **Chelsea Farmers Market will not have a distribution on Saturdays though for the Fall Shares. The other distribution sites and days are the same.
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.
SHARING THE SWEETNESS OF THE SEASON
By Deb and Richard
As we head later into September, the weather is finely a little cooler. It has been nice and dry for the ripening of the tomatoes, and still there are more days ahead predicted to be sunny and the nights cool. As the moon grows larger and lights up the sky brighter and brighter each evening, it is easier for the deer to find the sweet corn and the beets. They wander quietly skipping over fences and dewy, tall grasses. They have been well fed on the far edges of the farm.
Everyone seems to love sweet corn–skunks, insects, worms, raccoons, people, and deer! As we pick our produce, we observe what has been harvested by our wider community of animal elders. At times it has been frustrating! Perhaps it is a good lesson in learning to share what is ours with all beings—mammals, insects, birds, and even other humans. Without the greater community of animals, we humans might be a little more lonely and crazy. You may see some worms in the corn or a scrape or nibble of the kernels by the bird or the deer, which is a sign of the sharing of the sweet treat of corn from the land. Because of this sharing, you may see a little less corn as the final generation of corn has finally arrived. The sharing means that everyone gets less, but teaches us to be grateful for what we have.
From a production point of view, this greater “sharing” may be antithetical in the consumer’s culture. As everyone stakes their claim for what they want, the lines get blurred from what is wanted to what is needed. The wild animals seem to know the balance, although they really do seem to have a taste for sugary corn. It may be tiresome for them to eat only the leaves of bushes and grass after they have tasted this heavenly sweetness.
As we leave the sweet, summer fruits behind, we will be looking forward to the sweet, starchy fruits and roots of autumn with squash, potatoes, beets, carrots, and turnips arriving. Like the deer, we will continue to eat the bitter greens of chicory, mustard, and brassicas, but every so often we may feel that overwhelming urge to nibble or gorge on those sweet treats of the season. The refuge of the autumn and winter for all beings is the growing simplicity of the omnivore’s dilemma.
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!
BASIL GRAIN SALAD (Lorna Sass’ Complete Vegetarian Kitchen) Serves 4 to 6.
3 c. cooked grains
1 lb. small zucchini, halved & cut into 1/4 in. slices (optional)
2 c. cooked corn kernels
3/4 c. tightly packed minced fresh basil
1/4 c. thinly sliced scallion greens or 1/4 c. red onion
1/4 c. olive oil
3 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, approximately
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. sea salt, or to taste
Place the cooked grains in a large serving bowl. Add zucchini, corn, basil, and scallion greens and toss. In a food processor or jar, prepare the dressing by combining the remaining ingredients. Pour the dressing over the grain mixture and toss well. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt, if needed.
Variation: Substitute fresh dill or coriander for the basil.
RADISH AND CARROT BHARTA RECIPE (Indian Vegetarian Cooking)
1/2 lb. carrots, julienned
1 lb. radishes, julienned or combination of radish and turnips
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
Julienne or shred the carrots and radishes. Steam (or boil in minimum water) until soft. May be mashed or pureed at this point. Heat ghee and sauté 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: If it seems too “radishy” reduce them to 1/2 pound. This makes up incredibly quickly using a food processor. It also freezes well. 4 servings.