2020: Week 5, June 21 – 27

Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #5
June 21-27, 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

BROCCOLI: deep emerald green, tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems; high in vitamins A, C, calcium, potassium, and iron; known as an anti-cancer vegetable.
-How to use: use raw, steamed, sauteed, stir-fried, in casseroles, soups, pizzas, etc.
-How to store: store loosely in plastic bag for up to a week.

GARLIC SCAPES: slender green stems with a slight bulge at the bottom (resemble chives, except for the bulge and often curled); the flower top of a garlic plant; tender and milder in flavor than mature garlic, but can be substituted for garlic cloves in recipes.  Use this link for garlic scape recipes:  http://sfc.smallfarmcentral.com/dynamic_content/uploadfiles/3774/GARLIC%20SCAPES%207%20Great%20Ideas.doc).
-How to use: mild garlic flavor, so delicious chopped in salads, roasted, and sauteed.  
-How to store: put in refrigerator in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks.

NO HERB BUNCH THIS WEEK!  Most of our herbs are taking longer to grow back due to the early freeze in May and the dry stretches over the past few months, so  we are letting our smaller  patches of herbs recuperate.

KALE (Lacinato):  dark green, noncurled, blistered leaves, but heavily savoyed; very high in calcium, iron, vitamins A and C, and good source of fiber and folic acid.  
-How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking.
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

KOHLRABI: delicious  bulbous member of the cabbage family about the size of a golf ball to tennis ball size with greens attached; greenish white or purple  skin and crisp, apple-white flesh tubers.  Most people enjoy taking the skin off and eating them raw, like an apple with a taste and texture somewhere between cabbage and broccoli stems. See feature article in this newsletter and recipes on the Tantre Farm website.
-How to use: good steamed and then mashed with potatoes, added to soups or stews, or delicious sliced and eaten raw with dip.
-How to store: store in refrigerator for up to a month.

LETTUCE: rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C; you will receive 2 heads of either Romaine, Red, or Green Leaf.  See Week 3 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

LEEKS or SCALLIONS: You will receive either Scallions  (see below) or Leeks  (young plants with green leaves and white to pale green stems varying in size. The leaves and stems are full of mild-tasting onion flavor, so tender and flavorful from salads to cooking.
Cooking tip: slit from top to bottom and wash thoroughly with root facing up to remove all of the dirt trapped between the leaf layers.
See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

RADISHES: You will receive either  Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor) OR Bacchus (stunning purple, round radish with white inner flesh. Very good flavor and not too hot).  See Week 3 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

SCALLIONS “Green Onions” or LEEKS:  You will either receive Leeks  (see above) or Scallions (young shoots of red or green 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 B-6).
-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 5-7 days.

SPINACH (Red Kitten):  You will receive a bunch of this crisp, medium green leaf with red veins; high in beneficial chlorophyll, as well as vitamins A & C.
– How to use:  juiced, toss in fresh salad, add to sandwiches, sauté, steam, braise, or add to crepes, quiche, lasagna, and soups.
– How to store: refrigerate with a damp towel/bag for up to 1 week.

WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: a bunch of white salad turnips 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, and delicious raw!) and greens are edible! See Week 2 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. 4th of July VACATIONS or OUT OF TOWN: Yes, we will have distribution as usual on July 4. Please let us know of changes in pick up days or locations this week and next week. Also keep in mind that Pick Up Rescheduling needs to be made within the same week (Sun.-Sat.). All changes can be made yourself on our website on the registration page under Membership Actions box  or you can email us with your request using specific dates and locations.  Here is a link to our website on what to do if you can’t pick up your share on your usual day: http://www.tantrefarm.com/faq/#oot

2. WEEDING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:  We have plenty of weeds to pull.  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. Thanks for volunteering!

3. MASKS & GLOVES: 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.  Please let our volunteers know if you need help.

4. FAMILY FARM HIKE on FRIDAY, June 26, at 4 PM: Come join us for a guided monthly exploratory walk around Tantre Farm with CSA member, Alisse Portnoy, who teaches at the University of Michigan. She and her daughter are in their eleventh year of once-a-week, long visits to the farm. They look forward to sharing some of its treasures and treasure spots with you.   We’ll use all our senses and appropriate social distancing as we take an approx. 45-60 minute hike. Please bring your own mask for use indoors in case you need to use the restroom.  Meet at the picnic tables behind the Main House at 4 pm.

5. 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 in supplementing your share with more veggies and other locally produced and sourced value-added products, please go to our website to sign up every Sunday – 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!

6. TANTRE FARM PLANT WALK ON SUNDAY, JUNE 28, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm:  We are offering a leisurely plant walk at Tantre Farm with the guidance of our local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud. Plant walks are excellent learning opportunities for those with beginning to intermediate foraging skills, and for anyone wishing to increase their knowledge of the local flora. Class is limited to 8 participants so that social distance can be maintained while still allowing everyone to see and hear clearly. The cost is $25 with limited spaces, and you must register ahead of time at https://willforageforfood.square.site/

7. ZOOM WALKS: These walks take place in a variety of locations in central and southern Michigan. During the walk, Rachel will show you around 15 plants and talk about ID, harvest, use, and preservation of those plants. To participate, you must have Zoom installed on your device. Then you simply copy/paste the link and password shown below for the date you want to attend, and log on at 2 pm that day.  All walks will be live from 2-3 pm and are donation-based.  You are not required to pay to participate, but it is appreciated when you can.  The next one is June 30: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84804722068?pwd=VjJFaU1vWFdkUW9nSHVUbDdqYlZXdz09 PW: 124970 More dates will be shared in upcoming newsletters or you can visit the website: https://willforageforfood.square.site/

8. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER: **Volunteers will be at each site during designated times below, so if you need to come at a different time, please feel free to bring gloves and your own pen to check off your name.
-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)

IS AT AN APPLE? IS IT A JICUMA? NO, IT’S KOHLRABI!
When is a root vegetable not a root vegetable?  When it’s a small bulbous member of the cabbage family called kohlrabi, that’s when.  For all intents and purposes, kohlrabi appears to be a root vegetable in the same company as turnips, radishes and rutabagas.  However, the bulbous shape of kohlrabi is caused by a swelling of the plant’s stem near the ground.  In that sense, kohlrabi is more of a tightly packed version of its cousin, the cabbage.  In fact, the name “kohlrabi” is derived from two German words: “kohl” meaning cabbage and “rabi” meaning turnip.  It is not unusual to hear the term “turnip cabbage” to describe kohlrabi.
Despite its connections to cabbage and turnips, steamed or boiled kohlrabi is said to taste more like broccoli or Brussels sprouts.  Indeed, kohlrabi is in the same general category, the Brassica oleracea Gongylodes group, as the broccoli it resembles in flavor.  It can also be used in lieu of cabbage in many of the sausage and cabbage dishes favored in German cooking.
A raw kohlrabi can also be eaten like an apple, although it contains far less sugar.  Some people find the taste of raw kohlrabi to be an acquired one, but many people who were raised in largely German communities in the Midwest grew up eating kohlrabi whenever it was in season.  One town in Illinois even held annual festivals in honor of the Kohlrabi, so don’t be surprised if one of our small towns in Michigan decides we are due for a celebration of Kohlrabi.

RECIPES

KALE AND KOHLRABI SALAD (http://canolaeatwell.com/recipe/kohlrabi-and-kale-slaw)
4 cups kale, chopped
1 kohlrabi bulb, peeled and julienned
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted pecans

Dressing
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon minced garlic or garlic scapes
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
Combine kale, kohlrabi, carrots, dried cranberries and pecans in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix dressing with salad until well coated.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

SAUTEED GARLIC SCAPES WITH BROCCOLI  (from http://www.chatfieldcsa.org/recipe/sauteed-garlic-scapes-with-broccoli)
5-10  garlic scapes
1 head broccoli
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper (just a sprinkle of each)
Fresh parmesan cheese
Cut the scapes into 2 to 3 inch pieces so they almost look like green beans. Cut the broccoli up into small florets as you would do for a stir fry. Heat oil in a skillet and add broccoli and cut scapes. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook until the broccoli turns a bright green (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat and serve right away. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan if you so desire.

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