2020: Week 7, July 5 – 11

Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #7
July 5-11, 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

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, peppery greens for quick cooking or a salad; includes Kale, Tatsoi, Hon Tsai Tai, Green and Red Mustard).
-How to use: add to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes
-How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag with a paper towel in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

RED ACE BEETS AND GREENS: round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and medium-tall, red-veined green leaves.
-How to use: greens can be substituted for spinach and chard in recipes; roots good in soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.
-How to store: separate roots from leaves and store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks;

BROCCOLI (Amadeus):  medium-sized, fancy heads that are deep emerald green with tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems. See Week 6 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

CABBAGE: You will receive one of the following:  Farao (delicious early cabbage; attractive deep green, 3-lb. heads are filled with tender, thin, crisp, peppery-sweet leaves) or 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) or Red Express (solid, round, 2-4 lb. red heads with good appearance and flavor).  See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

CARROTS (Mokum):  sweet, slender, “pencil carrot” with edible green leaves.  Greens are delicious in soups and also salads. See feature article.  See Week 6 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

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).  See Week 4 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

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 HERB BUNCH THIS WEEK!  Most of our herbs are taking longer to grow back with this heat and lack of rain, so  we are letting our smaller  patches of herbs recuperate.

LETTUCE: rich in calcium and vitamins A and C; you will receive Red or Green Leaf.  See Week 3 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

SUGAR SNAP PEAS: flat-round pod of edible-pod pea; often lighter green than the shelling pea pod.  See Week 6 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

SWISS CHARD: close relative of garden beets; multi-colored, large veined, semi-crinkly, dark green leaves; mild flavor; good source of vitamins A, E, and C, as well as iron and calcium.
-How to use: greens can be prepared like spinach, and stalks like asparagus; good steamed, sauteed, stir-fried, and in soups.
-How to store: wrap in damp cloth in a plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 2-4 days.  

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. FAMILY FARM HIKE on FRIDAY, July 10, 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.

2. ZOOM WALKS: 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 July 10 at 2 PM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89437079313?pwd=Ti8yQVU3dU9yOTVDS2J1YWZEbmxmZz09 PW: 539457More dates will be shared in upcoming newsletters or you can visit the website: https://willforageforfood.square.site/

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.  

4. 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!

5. 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)

EAT YOUR CARROT GREEN TOPS (THE LEAVES) (from www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/recipes.html#tops)
There is some debate about whether you can eat the green leaves.  Despite the presence of celery and carrots in the carrot family of Apiaceae (“umbellifers”), many other members of the family are highly poisonous, but not carrot.  They ARE edible and are highly nutritive, rich in protein, minerals and vitamins.  The tops of the carrots are loaded with potassium which can make them bitter, so the use of them in food is limited.  However, it is edible, so you may mix some in with a mixed lettuce salad.  You may also use it for garnish.  Combine your common sense and your creative skills, and invent something!  That’s what makes cooking fun.  It is a form of art.  Carrot greens are high in vitamin K, which is lacking in the carrot itself.

The leaves do contain furocoumarins that may cause allergic contact dermatitis from the leaves, especially when wet.  Later exposure to the sun may cause mild photodermatitis.  (This is NOT the same as ‘poisonous’ – it will only affect susceptible people with allergies to the plant. Some people have the same reaction to yarrow, ragwort, chamomile etc.).  There is a distinct difference between toxins and allergens.  Carrots (Daucus carota), whether wild or domesticated, are not toxic, they are allergenic.  This is like peanuts, which are not toxic but can kill those who are allergic to them.  It is however important that any wild plant be positively identified before it is used for food.

Carrot greens have antiseptic qualities, so they have been added to mouthwashes and, mixed with honey, to disinfect sores.  They are also diuretic (increase urine flow), and can help treat kidney disease and edema.

Here are some cooking suggestions.  The carrot leaves are pretty, but bitter, so what about using it on something that is robust in flavor, but boring in appearance?  Decorate a pate with it, and glace it with aspic. What about “carrot top pesto vinaigrette”?  You can hide the bitterness under the tangy vinegar, and sweeten it slightly with some honey.  Try sauteing the chopped carrot tops lightly in olive oil with garlic and onion.  Then add other garden-grown veggies (the carrots themselves, zucchini, tomato, peppers, fresh herbs), sauté some more, then fold the entire garden mish-mash inside a whole wheat tortilla, brown it, and call it a quesadilla.  Truly a great vegan treat, and the carrot tops gave a nice crunchy texture. It is a delightful garden feast.  I recommend adding your carrot tops to other things you may already have simmering on the stove.  

**Carrot Top Soup is a favorite at the farm. Please try it below!!

RECIPES

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.

CARROT TOP SOUP (Local Flavors by Deborah Madison) Serves 4.
1 bunch (6 small to medium) carrots, tops and bottoms
2 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. white rice
2 large leeks (or 2 summer onions)
2 thyme sprigs
2 Tbs. chopped dill or parsley
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 c. vegetable or chicken stock or water
Pull the lacy leaves of the carrot greens off their stems (2 to 3 cups, loosely packed).  Wash, then chop finely.  Grate the carrots, or finely chop them.  Melt the butter in a soup pot.  Add the carrot tops and carrots, rice, leeks, thyme, and dill.  Cook for several minutes, turning everything a few times, then season with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and add the stock.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the rice is cooked, 16 to 18 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper and serve.

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