Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #5
June 25-July 1, 2017
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. **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
FAVA BEANS: 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 young can be cooked, but when mature and firmer, the bean is the edible part. See recipes below.
-To skin fava beans: Blanch for 1 minute, then drain and cool. With your thumbnail, pull open the sprout end and squeeze the bean out of its skin. This link shows 5 ways to prepare favas: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-fantastic-ways-to-cook-fava-beans-190674
-How to use: Stew skinned beans in a little butter, oil or cream seasoned with savory, thyme or sage. Sauté with other vegetables and toss with pasta. Good in soups. Lots of recipes on the Internet!
-How to store: Store fresh, unshelled beans in the refrigerator up to a week; once shelled, blanched and skinned, favas can be frozen in plastic containers for longer storage; shelled beans are best used within a few days. See “Beans” for recipes in the A to Z Cookbook, if you have it, and also in this newsletter. Delicious!
GREEN CABBAGE: a sweet green cabbage; considered a beneficial digestive aid and intestinal cleanser; cabbage has a good amount of vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
-How to use: steam, stir-fry, chop raw into salads or coleslaw.
-How to store: refrigerate for up to 1 month.
FRESH 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, used as an expectorant or decongestant, and at least some people believe that it can ward off vampires and insects.
-Cooking tips: To mellow garlic’s strong flavors opt for longer cooking; to enjoy its more pungent flavors and increased medicinal benefit, use it raw or with minimal cooking.
-How to use: minced raw in salad dressings, sautéed and added to stir-fries, meats, vegetables; make garlic butter with 1/2 cup of softened butter mashed with four minced cloves of garlic; try roasting garlic by cutting off tops of garlic bulb, so cloves are exposed, brush with olive oil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees, squeeze garlic out of skins and spread on a good, crusty bread.
-How to store: fresh garlic can be stored in an open, breathable basket in a cool, dark place for many months.
NO HERBS THIS WEEK! Our herbs are taking longer to grow back, so we are still letting our smaller patches of herbs recuperate.
KALE (Red Russian Kale): the stems are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green, purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged.
-How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking in stir-fries
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week
LETTUCE: You will receive a few heads of lettuce, which may include Green Leaf, Red Leaf or Romaine.
-How to use: raw in salads, sandwiches, or use in soups
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.
BABY RED ONIONS: young shoots of red 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 B6.
-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 2-5 days.
RADISHES (Wednesday CSA members only): Wednesday CSA members will receive Easter Egg Radish (a beautiful mix of red, purple, pink, and white round radishes; crisp and mild flavor).
-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.
SUMMER SQUASH (Yellow Crookneck): long, curved neck with a sometimes bumpy, yellow skin; buttery flavor and firm texture.
-How to use: use in salads, dips, grilled, casseroles, stuffed, or mashed with butter and seasonings
-How to store: store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 1 week
SWISS CHARD: close relative of garden beets; multi-colored, large veined, semi-crinkly, dark green leaves; mild flavor; good source of vitamins A, E, & C, as well as iron & calcium.
-How to use: greens can be prepared like spinach, and stalks like asparagus; good steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, and in soups.
-How to store: wrap in damp cloth in a plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 2-4 days.
TURNIPS (Friday/Sat. CSA members only): Fri./Sat. CSA members will receive Hakurei Turnip (a white salad turnip with round, smooth roots that have a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture). Both roots (good source of Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium; good in salads and soups) and greens (slightly sweet and can be boiled, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, and since hairless, are good in salads; excellent source of vitamins A and C and good source of riboflavin, calcium and iron) are edible!
-How to use: excellent in salads and soups; can be roasted, steamed, or sauteed.
-How to store: remove greens from turnip root and store separately in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 3 days; roots can last up to 1-2 weeks in refrigerator.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. FORAGING AND COOKING CLASS on Monday, July 3 at Tantre Farm: Come to this 2-part session with local forager, Rachel Mifsud. The Foraging Walk from 6:00-7:30pm will focus on looking for edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful plants and mushrooms that are ready for harvest. At 7:30, we will have a Wild Foods Cooking Class. You will learn how to prepare and cook the items we just harvested. You should bring a good kitchen knife and a dish towel for food prep, and your own place setting, so that you can sample the foods that we prepare. Pre-registration is required at https://squareup.com/store/willforageforfood/
-Foraging Walk: $15
-Foraging Walk and Cooking Class: $40
2. 4th of July VACATIONS or OUT OF TOWN: Please remember to contact us at least by Saturday to make changes in pick up days or locations, especially with the 4th of July vacations coming up. Also keep in mind that changes need to be made within the same week (Sun.-Sat.), not into the next week of distribution. All changes can be made yourself on our website under Membership Actions on the Registration Page.
3. U-PICK STRAWBERRIES AT THE FARM: If you’re still interested in hunting for berries (though they may be thinning out), you may come to u-pick this week on Wed. (10 AM- 7 PM), Sat. (3 PM – 7 PM), and maybe Sunday, if Deb can find someone on the farm to help, since Deb will be out of town. We will be around all day on Wed., so no need to let us know you are coming then, but it would be helpful to email, text, or call Deb 734-385-6748 so we know when you are coming on Saturday or if you’re interested in Sunday, so we will be around. Reminder: It’s $4/qt. for members and $5/qt. for nonmembers. Please bring your own containers or transfer them into donated berry containers at the Distribution Shed.
4. 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 (Wed.) –6 P.M. to 8 P.M.
Pure Pastures (Wed.) –9 A.M. To 7 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
HOT AND SOUR CABBAGE SALAD (from Jump Up and Kiss Me: Spicy Vegetarian Cooking by Jennifer Trainer Thompson)
1 clove garlic minced
2-3 serrano chiles, cut in half, seeded, and finely sliced
1 tsp minced and seeded, fresh, habanero chile
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1 (1 lb) green cabbage, shredded (about 6 cups)
2-4 baby red onions or 1/2 cup of chopped onion
2-3 radishes (or white turnips), thinly sliced
3 Tbsp finely sliced fresh basil leaves
3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped cashews for garnish
In a large bowl, combine the garlic, chiles (may substitute ancho/poblano peppers for slightly less hot flavor), lime juice, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Add the cabbage, scallions, radishes, and herbs, and mix well. Refrigerate about 1 hour. Sprinkle each serving with cashews.
SWISS CHARD AND SUMMER SQUASH FRITTATA (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites, the Moosewood Collective with http://nofearentertaining.blogspot.com)
1 bunch Swiss chard
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 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Wash the Swiss chard, remove and discard the large stems, and finely chop the leaves. In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, saute 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 about 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 sauteed Swiss chard. Coat the bottom of the skillet with the remaining teaspoon 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.
LAMB STEW WITH FAVA BEANS AND SWISS CHARD Serves 4
2 lbs lamb stewing meat, with bones
1 medium onion, or 1 bunch red baby onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 pieces lemon peel
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 cup water
1 bunch Swiss chard, stalks removed
1 1/2 lbs fava beans, shelled
6 medium leeks, cut in 1 1/2-inch slices
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Fresh coriander or parsley for garnish, chopped
Remove excess fat from lamb and cut the meat into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Using a large casserole dish about 12-inches across, or an earthenware dish that can be used on top of a flame, brown the pieces of lamb. If there is a lot of fat pour off the excess. Add the onions, lemon peel and garlic. Sprinkle with the turmeric, paprika and cumin. Add 1 cup water. Cover and simmer over low heat for one hour, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile soak the leeks in cold water and rinse thoroughly, making sure there is no grit in the stalks. Carefully wash the Swiss chard and tear into large pieces. Add the leeks, beans and Swiss chard in that order to the casserole. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add a little more water (the chard should be provide some more liquid of its own). When the beans and leeks are tender, remove from the stove, sprinkle with parsley or coriander and serve. Try goat cheese and tomato salad with this!
Back to top