Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #19
Sept. 30-Oct. 6, 2018
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.
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. If you are new to our CSA, since you signed up with a prorated share, you can find all past newsletters on our website under the NEWSLETTERS tab.
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
ARUGULA or SPICY GREENS: You will receive either Arugula (known as “wild rocket” with more deeply lobed leaves and a more pungent flavor; an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor) OR Spicy Greens (gourmet-quality greens for quick cooking; includes Kale, Tatsoi, Hon Tsai Tai, Green and Red Mustard). See Week 3 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
YELLOW BEANS (Isar): beautiful, yellow, fillet bean with excellent flavor. See Week 10 for usage and storage tips.
CABBAGE (Flat Dutch): 7-inch deep, solid, flat heads, sweet cabbage with green leaves that are tender and crisp with a good amount of vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, and magnesium; good for storage and making sauerkraut. See Week 6 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
CARROTS (Romance): blunt-tipped, deep orange roots with impressive flavor for a summer-harvested carrot. See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, bolstering the immune system, etc. See Week 5 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
FRESH HERBS: In general, store herbs upright with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water and refrigerate for up to 1 week or wrap in slightly dampened cloth or plastic bag and store in refrigerator. You may CHOOSE ONE bunch (NOT one bunch of each) 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.
-Curly Parsley: curly, dark green leaves, often used as a garnish, but can be used the same as flat-leaf parsley; parsley has a delicate favor that combines well with other herbs like basil, bay leaves, chives, dill weed, garlic, marjoram, mint, oregano and thyme.
KALE (Green Curly): well ruffled green leaves; great for kale chips, in a salad, roasted, and in soups.
LETTUCE: You will receive lettuce, which may include Green or Red Leaf or Romaine. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
ONIONS: You will receive Red Zeppelin (medium to large, globe-shaped bulbs with deep red color and will store for six months or more under proper conditions) and/or Copra (medium-sized, dark yellow-skinned storage onions; excellent storage onion staying firm and flavorful after most other varieties have sprouted; highest in sugar of the storage onions; same sulfurous compounds that draw tears inhibit rot, so the more pungent the onion the longer it will store). See Week 10 for usage and storage tips.
HOT PEPPERS: You will receive *Shishito (slightly hot, sweet, mild, slender Japanese chiles about 2- to 4-inches with squarish end; often used in stir-fried dishes, salads, or as a pickled condiment), **Red Ember (moderately hot, fruits are sweet with warm heat for a cayenne pepper. “Pepper heads” can eat Red Ember fruits whole, while others craving a touch of heat can slice it thinly for salads. Makes excellent powder or flakes; also nice for hot sauce), ***Jalapeño (hot, small and conical hot chile pepper, ranging from green to red; used commonly in Mexican or southwestern cooking), or ****Serrano (very hot flavor, green cylindrical fruit; usually eaten fresh green in sauces, condiments, or as a key ingredient in fiery Mexican dishes), *Asterisks indicate the level of heat each pepper supposedly has compared with the others according to the seed catalog. See Week 16 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
POTATOES: You will receive Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; long storage and good tasting) and 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). See Week 7 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
PIE PUMPKIN (Baby Bear): bright orange skin with dry, sweet flesh
-How to use: Excellent for pies (For other ideas see winter squash)
-How to store: store whole pumpkins at room temperature up to a month or for 2 to 3 months in moderately cool conditions (45-60 degrees with 60-75% humidity).
-How to freeze: Bake pumpkin until fork tender at 350 degrees, purée and put cooked pulp in freezer bags.
WATERMELON RADISHES: an heirloom Chinese variety of Daikon radishes; large, 2- to 4-inch, round radishes with unique dark magenta flesh and light green/white skin along with a remarkably sweet, delicious taste.
-How to use: cooking does minimize the intensity of their color, but can be braised or roasted like a turnip, or mashed like a rutabaga; color is vibrant when served raw in a salad or in a veggie plate with some dip; can also be pickled.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.
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) and Delicata (small, oblong, creamy colored with long green stripes, only slightly ribbed; pale yellow, sweet flesh; edible skin; best eaten within 4 months of harvest). See Week 17 for usage and storage tips.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. ENDING SUMMER CSA DATES: The end is drawing near. This is just a reminder that our summer shares are ending in just a few weeks. That means Oct. 10 (Wed.), Oct. 12 (Fri.), and Oct. 13 (Sat.) are the last distribution days for our Summer Shares.
2. SUSHI COOKING CLASS on WEDNESDAY, October 3, from 6 to 8:30 PM: Personal Chef Allison Anastasio Zeglis, from www.lastbitechef.com will show you how to prepare several kinds of sushi. Get hands on experience preparing a meal using fall produce in a way that you can recreate in your own kitchen. Then stay to enjoy a delicious sushi-inspired meal! Please register with OCTOBER COOKING CLASS in the Subject Line and your NAME, PHONE, and EMAIL ADDRESS. Please bring $15/person. Possibly room for 1 or 2 more….
3. “EXTENDED FALL CSA” SHARE REGISTRION IS OPEN: This 3-week share runs from Oct. 14 through Nov. 3 for $108 (this amount has been corrected from a previous week, which incorrectly said $110!) celebrating all the bounty of the fall vegetables! The link for online registration is http://tantrefarm.csasignup.com . Please sign up by Saturday, Oct. 13, so you won’t miss any of those 3 weeks of produce. Please go to our website for more information. We are prorating these shares as well, so if you need to miss a week of the Extended Fall CSA, just send us an email, and we will register you for the weeks you will receive a share. Hope to share more of this abundant fall harvest with you throughout October! Tell your friends and family!! Due to outside exposure of potentially cold-damaging temperatures in October, we will not have Fall Shares at the Chelsea Farmers Market or at MOVE, since we have no way to protect these shares, so please find alternate pick up locations.
4. THANKSGIVING CSA on November 17: This CSA is NOT open for registration just yet, but we wanted to let you know about it, since it will open soon. A more detailed email notice about this will come out to you sometime in the next week or so. This share is a one time pick up of 60 to 80 pounds of produce for winter storage or to stock up on vegetables before the holiday for $120. This share will be available for pick up on the Saturday before Thanksgiving at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market from 7 A.M. until Noon or at Tantré Farm from 2-5 P.M.
5. PLASTIC/PAPER GROCERY BAGS NEEDED, if you can donate some to the farm or at markets. We are running very low!
6. WEEDING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!! We still could use the extra hands in getting some major weeding done. Please contact us.
7. U-PICK FLOWERS AVAILABLE: You may pick 1 bouquet of 16 stems per household each week for “free” in the u-pick flower garden on the farm until the first frost. Extra bouquets – $4.
8. 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.) (limited site) –9 AM to 7 PM
Farm (Fri.)–2 P.M. to 7 P.M.
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (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.
NEW! Argus-Packard (Sat.) (limited site)–10 A.M. To 12 P.M.
RECIPES
AUTUMN MINESTRONE (Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special by the Moosewood Collective)
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 1/2 c. peeled and cubed winter squash (such as delicata or butternut)
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
1 1/2 c. cooked (or 15-oz. can) cannellini beans (or any cooked bean)
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. Yields 12 cups. Serves 6 to 8.
WATERMELON RADISH SALAD (from http://www.inerikaskitchen.com)
2 large watermelon radishes
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Peel the very outer layer off the radishes–not too much, because you still want the outer layer to look green. Grate or shred the watermelon radishes using a Kyocera julienne slicer, or the largest holes of a box grater, or your food processor. In a large bowl, toss the watermelon radish shreds with the lemon juice and olive oil, and add a pinch of salt. Taste and add more salt if you like. Serve chilled.
SPICY COCONUT PUMPKIN (adapted from The World in Your Kitchen by Angelic Organics Kitchen) Serves 3-4
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2-3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp finely chopped Jalapeno or Serrano pepper
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/2 lbs pie pumpkin (about 1/2 medium or 1 small pie pumpkin), peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 Tbsp raisins
1 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat the butter and oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the onion; saute until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add the ginger; cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the curry powder, jalapeno, cloves, and cardamom; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the pumpkin chunks, coconut milk, raisins, and maple syrup. Cover; cook over low heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and if the sauce is thin, let the coconut milk boil away until the mixture thickens to your liking. Season with salt and pepper to taste.