Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #15
Aug. 30-Sept. 5, 2020

	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.   You can always find past newsletters on our website at http://www.tantrefarm.com/newsletters/! 

	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

GREEN BEANS and/or PURPLE BEANS:  You will receive Jade (long, slender, deep green, filet bean with sweet flavor) and/or Amythyst (purple, round pod with regular green bean flavor; can be cooked or eaten raw.  *Note: when purple beans are added to boiling water, their color changes to green and the beans stay green). See Week 11 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

CABBAGE: You will receive one of the following:   Caraflex (pointed mini cabbage, extremely uniform, small heads with good wrapper leaves. Inner leaves are tender, crunchy, and have an excellent, sweet and mild cabbage flavor. Perfect for summer salads, slaws, or cooked dishes),  New Jersey Wakefield (considered a beneficial digestive aid and intestinal cleanser; can be cooked or eaten raw in slaws or salads; although different varieties have varying nutritional strengths), or Tendersweet (midsize, flat heads; tender leaves are very thin, sweet, and crisp--perfect for coleslaw or stir-fries).  See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

CARROTS (Romance): blunt-tipped, deep orange roots with impressive flavor for a summer-harvested carrot. See  Week 6 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

SWEET CORN (Potawatomi): yellow kernels with excellent sweet flavor.   * We don’t treat our organic corn with pesticides, so you may find some earworms enjoying the corn too; just cut off the damaged part and cook the rest of the ear.  Delicious!! See Week 11 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

U-PICK FLOWERS (only available on the farm):  This week you can pick up to 16 stems as part of your share.  We welcome  you to the farm to pick your flowers on any day of the week, but please contact us if it will be on other days besides Wednesdays and Fridays, so we can make sure to be around to show you where to go.  You may want to bring clippers and a vase/jar, but we will have clippers and donated yogurt containers to fill with water as well.  Your bouquet is part of your share, although it is always greatly appreciated when you make any donation to pay for seeds and labor.  Extra bouquets cost $5/bunch.

FRESH GARLIC:  a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, and bolstering the immune system.  See Week 7 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

FRESH HERBS:  Everyone will receive a bunch of Genovese Basil this week, an herb with sweet, spicy, shiny, green leaves.  This herb does not store well in a refrigerator, since it does not like cold temperatures. It will last longer when stored in a jar, vase, or glass of water on your counter or table top. 

KALE: You will receive Red Curly (well-ruffled, purplish green leaves with red stems; excellent for kale chips or a summer salad) or Green Curly (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”), or Rainbow Lacinato Kale (unique "purple dino" kale has deeply curled leaves in dusky-green with bright purple stems and veins).

ONIONS:  You will receive Redwing (red storage onion, mildly pungent, very firm and stores well) and 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).   See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

PEPPERS:  You will receive Green Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green pepper with sweet flesh) and/or Cornitos (exceptionally sweet, smaller versions of Carmen sweet pepper, but can be bright yellow or red when ripe; “bull’s horn” pepper type and tasty any way you eat them — raw, cooked, sliced, diced, sautéed, stuffed, grilled, and especially fire-roasted, which caramelizes the sugars and elevates them to a whole new level of delicious!) See Week 12 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

POTATOES (Adirondack Blue): round to oblong, slightly flattened tubers have glistening blue skin enclosing deep blue flesh; moist, flavorful flesh is superb for mashing or salads  *Interesting note:  Most blue fleshed cultivars contain 90 times more antioxidants than white tubers, and the antioxidants in potato tubers are enhanced by cooking them!  THESE BLUE POTATOES SEEM TO BE LASTING BETTER REFRIGERATED!! See Week 8 newsletter for usage tips.

SUMMER SQUASH/ZUCCHINI:  You will receive some variety of the following: Zucchini (gourmet golden or green zucchini with uniform, cylindrical fruits), Patty Pan (tender, rounded scallop, bright yellow squash with a green tip; nutty flavor), or Slick Pik Summer Squash (long, yellow straight neck with good flavor).  See Week 9 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

TOMATOES:  You will receive any of the following: Sakura (bright-red, shiny, medium-large cherry tomato with sweet tomato flavor),  Sungreen (green-ripe cherry tomato that is sweet with a tangy kick), Sun Gold Cherry (exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange-cherry tomato; less acidic than the red cherry tomato, so slightly less bland in flavor), Gold Nugget (round to slightly oval cherry tomato with deep yellow color; well-balanced flavor), Tomatoberry (unique strawberry-shaped, deep red colored fruits with firm, meaty texture and excellent sweet flavor), Clementine (tangerine-colored, oval-round fruits; appealing, sweet-tart flavor; exceptional when halved and roasted), or Cherry Bomb (vivid red fruits of cherry size; firm, sweet, and well-balanced),  including Green Zebra (ripe as a green fruit with a yellow blush and darker green stripes; delicious, tangy salad tomato; beautiful sliced into wedges for salads), New Girl (medium-size fruits offer an ideal size for slicing onto sandwiches or cutting up into salads), and Rose (deep pink, heirloom, medium-sized tomato, which is meaty and flavorful).  See Week 11 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

WATERMELON:  You will receive Dark Belle (dark-green skin, bright-red flesh, oblong 5-7 lb. fruit with thin rind, and very sweet flavor), Mini Love (sweet and firm, oval-round fruits avg. 3–5 lb. Distinctive, bright green rind with dark green stripes and dense, bright red flesh), or Sunshine Yellow (8-10 pounds oval-rounded fruit; green-striped shell with bright yellow flesh, which is brittle, juicy, and very sweet).  See Week 11 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. PLANT WALK at TANTRE FARM on Sept. 7 from 5-7pm: These are excellent learning opportunities for those with beginning to intermediate foraging skills, and for anyone wishing to increase their knowledge of the local flora. Our discussion will include information about identification, methods of harvest, preparation, and use. We will explore the area and chose around 15 edible, medicinal, or otherwise useful plants and mushrooms to focus on. Class is limited to 8 participants so that social distance can be maintained while still allowing everyone to see and hear clearly. You must go to https://squareup.com/store/willforageforfood and pay to hold your spot. Registered participants will be emailed with specific location information 24-48 hours before the walk.

2. 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 Sept. 23 (Wed.), Sept. 25 (Fri.), and Sept. 26 (Sat.) are the last distribution days for our Summer Shares.

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 for the following week.  With Labor Day weekend coming up this week, we hope you have made all your changes for this week.  If you have forgotten to let us know and you can't find someone to pick up your share, please let us know if you want to cancel your share with a Vacation Hold or donate to a needy family.

4. ALREADY PICKED TOMATOES AVAILABLE FOR SALE:  We have several tomato varieties available for preserving, whether canning, dehydrating, or freezing.  It is very easy to freeze all tomatoes:  For slicers, just wash and cut out around the core and put in freezer bags whole.  For cherry tomatoes, just wash and plop in freezer bags for excellent tomato soup or other dishes. Please email us your preferred type, amount, and pick up location ONLY at the Markets, the Food Hub, or the Farm. 
*Cost for Slicers & Cherry tomatoes - $25/half bushel box
*Cost for Romas (extremely limited!) - $35/half bushel box

5. WANTED: TOMATO PICKERS:   Is there anyone interested in helping us pick tomatoes any weekday morning for the next few weeks, but especially on Tuesday and Friday mornings?   We are a little short-handed, so please contact us. 

6. WANTED: HERB WEEDERS:   Do you like the aroma or flavor of parsley or mint?  Is there anyone interested in helping us weed a few of the herbs that are getting overrun with invasives.   We will give you a free bunch just for helping, so please contact us.  Thanks so much to those who have helped us so far! 

7. IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA:  As some of you know we started a collaborative CSA with several local farms and food businesses that you can opt in or out of each week called the Immune Booster.  If you are interested, please go to our website to sign up every Monday - Wednesday night.  Pick up is from 9 AM to 12 PM every Saturday at the Washtenaw Food Hub:  http://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-immune-booster-csa-work/.  Still time to sign up this week!

8. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER: **Volunteers will be at each site during designated times below.  We recommend that all come to each distribution site with a mask and gloves to pick up your shares.  We will have hand sanitizer at most sites as well. 
*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF for check-in from 7-9 AM)
*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—CHANGE IN TIME: 8 AM to 10 AM (SARA for check-in the whole time)
*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF checking off names from 10 AM-12 PM and from 2-4 PM)
*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) --6 PM to 8 PM (LIZZIE for check-in the whole time)
*Pure Pastures (Wed.) (limited site) —9 AM to 5 PM (JESSICA for check-in from 9 AM – 11 PM)
*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF for check-in from 2 to  4 PM)
*Community High School (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM (SHANNON & FRAN for check-in for the whole time)
*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 12 PM (PETER & RYAN for check-in for the whole time)
*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB for check-in the whole time)
*Argus-Packard (Sat) (limited site)—12 PM to 3 PM (ARGUS STAFF for check-in the whole time)
*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)--9 AM  to 11 AM (JONATHON for check-in the whole time)

REFLECTIONS ON THE FARM
by Richard and Deb

	The end of summer with the cottony-orange clouds on the horizon bring perhaps some of the remnants of the gulf hurricanes. Additionally no doubt some of the smoke remains from the hundreds of wild fires from northern California seem to have found their way to the midwest to enhance the colors of our sunsets.  Well away from the floods and the fires, we are enjoying the well-balanced days of declining light as we embrace the equanimity of these three weeks in front of the autumnal equinox.  Many of the summer crops are extending their stay or just getting started, such as tomatoes, the colorful sweet peppers, sweet corn, orange carrots, green beans, mushrooms, etc.   On the other hand we are looking forward to many upcoming fall crops: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, winter squash, spinach, arugula, celery, and the last of the yellow and red watermelons.  In looking later to the fall we see a continued abundance of the purple and orange carrots, beets, turnips, sweet spicy radishes, celeriac, and maybe some brussels sprouts.  Our relationship to these vegetables and to what comes from the good soil and the earth create what we hope to be a healthy beginning of the autumn and continued health for the rest of the year for our farm, our farm crew, and the local community.  Thank you for your support as we begin winding down the summer season.

RECIPES 

BASIL PESTO VEGAN (from What Do You Do With This Stuff?)  
This is delicious!
2 cup basil leaves
2 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 tsp salt
	Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.