Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #2
June 2-8, 2019
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
ARUGULA (Sylvetta): All members will receive this also known as
“wild rocket” with more deeply lobed leaves and a more pungent flavor;
an aromatic, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor.
-How to use: great in 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.
ASPARAGUS: All members will receive these green or purple spears; each contains vitamins A, B, and C, as well as iron.
– How to use: serve raw, chopped in salads, or with dips. You can also steam, roast, grill.
– How to store: wrap in damp cloth and plastic bag, then
refrigerate. Alternatively, bundle spears with rubber band and place
upright in container with an inch of water.
BEETS (Red Ace): Friday/Saturday members only will receive these large, round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor.
-How to use: roots good in soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.
-How to store: store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
BOK CHOY (Joi Choi): All members will receive this green written as
bok choi, bak choy, a traditional stir-fry vegetable from China with a
sweet and mild flavor; looks like white Swiss chard with the stems all
attached at the bottom; considered a cool
weather crop and part of the cabbage or turnip family.
-How to use: two vegetables in one–the leaves can be cooked like
spinach, and the crisp stem can be eaten like celery or asparagus;
excellent in stir-fries, soups, sauteed or eaten raw.
-How to store: store as you would any green–in a loose plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
DAIKON RADISH: Wednesday members only will receive K-N Bravo Radish
(looks like an overgrown carrot with internal color pale purple with
purple streaks; roots average 8- to 9-inches by 2 1/2- to 3-inches with
good, sweet, eating quality).
-How to use: excellent julienned or sliced and used in a salad or
tossed with your favorite vinaigrette; good eaten fresh, cooked, or
pickled
-How to store: not as hardy as you may think, so store wrapped in plastic to keep them crisp for up to 2 weeks in refrigerator.
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 or RECEIVE ONE bunch (NOT one bunch of each) from the following 4 options:
*Chamomile— These small, daisy-like flowers are best known for
making a soothing tea; also the flowers make a pretty garnish and a
flavorful addition to salads. The whole bundle can be used fresh or
dried upside down for a week or two, and then the flowers
plucked and put into a jar for a restful, calming, sleepy time tea for
the winter. (See feature article!)
*Chives—mild, onion-flavored herb with long, slender, hollow
leaves; can be added to potato salad, baked potatoes, soups, salads,
omelets, dips and spreads, pastas and sauces.; purple, onion-flavored
blossoms add an attractive garnish to soups or salads
(stems attached to blossoms are often discarded due to toughness).
*Oregano—This member of the mint family is similar to marjoram, but
not as sweet and more pungent, spicy flavor and aroma; good in soups
and tomato-based dishes.
*Thyme– tiny green leaves used in meat and vegetable dishes and
most casseroles, soups, stews, and medicinal teas, which soothe sore
throats.
KALE (Red Russian): All members will receive these cooking greens
with stems that are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green,
purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged). Kale has a sweet,
mild, cabbage flavor and are interchangeable with broccoli,
mustard greens, and other hearty greens in recipes; high in vitamins A
and C and has the highest protein content of all cultivated vegetables.
-How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking.
-How to store: keep in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
LETTUCE: All members will receive 2-3 heads of Green Leaf lettuce.
-How to use: raw in salads, sandwiches, or use in soups
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.
POTATOES (Kerr’s Pink): Wednesday members only will receive this
very pale skin and cream flesh potato; mealy, cooked texture, so makes a
good specialty/salad potato variety.
-How to use: good baked, boiled, roasted or in potato salads
-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag;
ideal temperature is 38-40 degrees with 80-90 percent humidity; a
basement or very cool closet will work.
RADISHES (Pink Beauty): Friday/Saturday members will receive this pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor.
-How to use: raw, roasted, used in soups, sliced in salads,
sandwiches, or stir-fries, grated in slaws; radish greens are delicious
in soups or stir-fries and are an excellent source of vitamins A, B, C.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.
SCALLIONS (also called “Green Onions”): All members will receive
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): All members 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: All members will receive 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 greens
are edible!
-How to use: roots and greens good 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. PAYMENTS DUE: If you still owe money, you will see it in the
Balance Due column on the Pick up Sheet. Please let us know if you
think there is a mistake. Please finalize payments as soon as possible
during the month of June.
2. PLANT WALK SERIES June 26 from 6-8 PM (Last Wednesday of every month May through October)
We are offering a monthly plant walk at Tantre
Farm with the guidance of our local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud. On
these leisurely walks we will be looking for edible, medicinal, and
otherwise useful plants and mushrooms that are ready for harvest.
It’s a pretty slow pace, and we typically don’t travel more than about
half a mile, but we rarely stick directly to the trails, so dress to be
on uneven ground, dirt, grass, and maybe even get into the weeds and mud
a bit. The walks can accommodate slower
moving individuals and children (who like to learn about plants), as
long as you can handle the terrain. We typically discuss around 12-15
plants. The primary focus will be foraging for food items; however,
other wild goods such as medicines and hygiene products
will also be discussed. The cost is $15 for Tantre CSA members or $20 for nonmembers. You may bring cash, check or pre-register at https://squareup.com/store/willforageforfood.
3. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:
**If you need to switch to different pick up sites throughout the
season that usually works for all but the “limited sites”, using the
Membership Actions section on the registration page. These sites have
less space to drop share boxes at, so are considered
“limited”. Please always email ahead to see if they are at capacity
before making any switches on your own.
*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 A.M. to 12 P.M.
*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) —10 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.
*Argus-Packard (Sat) (limited site)—10 A.M. to 6 P.M.
INTRODUCING CHAMOMILE
Since Chamomile is an herb that many of you may not know much
about, and we have a lot of it flowering this week, we would like to
introduce you to each other. If you have never tried fresh chamomile,
this is your chance to enjoy its soothing, calming
qualities.
Chamomile has long been one of the most popular herbal teas in
Europe where it is sometimes served in hospitals to calm patients.
Chamomile tea aids digestion, is calming, and sleep inducing. It relaxes
nerves and reduces inflammation. The flavor is delicate,
soothing, slightly sweet, and pleasantly bitter. The aroma is
reminiscent of that of apples.
Chamomile can be dried in the shade in a warm, well-ventilated area
on a nylon or stainless steel screen, in a shallow box, or loosely in a
paper bag. (If you’re drying the herbs in a paper bag, punch many holes
in the bag for ventilation.) Some have found
that drying herbs in a paper bag in the backseat of their car to be
very effective. You can also tie herbs in small bunches and string them
up in the attic or warm room to dry. The flowers will dry in four to
seven days. When leaves and flowers crumble between
your fingers that is a good indication they are dry enough. If they
bend and remain flexible they probably still contain moisture that needs
to evaporate. Store in glass jars or labeled paper bag.
Before brewing the flowers into tea, crush them a bit – rubbing
them between your fingers, using a mortar and pestle or chopping them
with a knife. 1 tablespoon of flowers should be steeped no longer than
three to five minutes to prevent the development
of a bitter flavor.
Chamomile has many other uses as well. It is excellent in
compresses and salves for treating skin inflammation, burns, eczema,
psoriasis, insect bites, and external ulcers. It can be used as a gargle
to soothe a sore throat, as a mouthwash to treat gingivitis,
as a poultice to relive a toothache, and as an eyewash to treat
conjunctivitis and sties. Chamomile can be used as a bath herb to
relieve stress, nourish dry skin and calm cranky children. Enjoy
chamomile’s many qualities!
RECIPES
CHAMOMILE LEMONADE (from www.vegetariantimes.com)
If chamomile is not your cup of tea, this refreshing lemonade is a great new way to give the flower a try.
3/4 cup cane sugar
2 Tbsp grated lemon zest
5 Tbsp fresh or dried chamomile flowers, or 6 chamomile tea bags
3/4 cup lemon juice
Lemon slices, for garnish
Combine sugar, lemon zest, and 2 cups water in saucepan.
Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, and add
chamomile flowers. Cool. Strain chamomile mixture into 2-quart
pitcher; stir in lemon juice and 3 cups water. Serve
over ice with lemon slices, or store, covered, in refrigerator up to 5
days.
INDIAN STYLE TURNIPS OR RADISH (contributed by CSA member, Anu Whitelocke)
Serve as side dish or main meal for one person.
1 bunch turnips & greens and/or 1 bunch radishes & greens (chopped)
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1-2 Tbsp oil
Chili powder, to taste
Salt, to taste
1 tsp coriander powder
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
In saute pan, heat oil on high heat. Add turmeric,
mustard seeds, chili powder, coriander powder, salt. Stir over med-high
heat for 2-3 min. Add turnips (root) and coat well with oil/spice
mixture. Cook over med-high heat for a couple of minutes.
Add garlic scapes and greens. Continue to cook on med-high heat for a
couple of minutes. Turn heat down to low and cover for 5 minutes.
Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #1
May 26-June 1, 2019
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
ARUGULA (Sylvetta): also known as “wild rocket” with more deeply
lobed leaves and a more pungent flavor; an aromatic, bright salad green
with a peppery mustard flavor
-How to use: great in 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.
ASPARAGUS: You will receive green or purple spears; each contains vitamins A, B, and C, as well as iron.
– How to use: serve raw, chopped in salads, or with dips. You can also steam, roast, grill.
– How to store: wrap in damp cloth and plastic bag, then
refrigerate. Alternatively, bundle spears with rubber band and place
upright in container with an inch of water.
BOK CHOY (Joi Choi): written as bok choi, bak choy, a traditional
stir-fry vegetable from China with a sweet and mild flavor; looks like
white Swiss chard with the stems all attached at the bottom; considered a
cool weather crop and part of the cabbage
or turnip family.
-How to use: two vegetables in one–the leaves can be cooked like
spinach, and the crisp stem can be eaten like celery or asparagus;
excellent in stir-fries, soups, sauteed or eaten raw.
-How to store: store as you would any green–in a loose plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
STORAGE CARROTS or BEETS: Wednesday members will receive Chantenay
Carrots (shorter than other cultivars, but have greater girth with
broad shoulders and taper towards a blunt, rounded tip; most commonly
diced for use in canned or prepared foods. These
carrots have been stored for the winter, so some may have spots to cut
off, but are still good to use, but every once in awhile, a rubbery or
mushy carrot will have escaped our crew’s watchful eye. Please feel
free to make soup stock or compost out of the
carrots that are considered “ugly” or “unfit”. See feature article on
“Food for Thought”). Saturday Members will receive Carrots or Red Ace
Beets (round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and medium-tall,
red-veined green leaves).
-How to use: best used for cooking in stews, soups, casseroles, or
stir fries, since may have a stronger carrot flavor from being stored
for several months in cold storage.
-How to store: refrigerate roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks
FRESH HERBS: With all this rain and heat we have been having the
herbs are growing and flowering or getting ready to flower all at once,
so we have several herbs to choose from this week. 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 5 options:
-Chamomile— These small, daisy-like flowers are best known for
making a soothing tea; also the flowers make a pretty garnish and a
flavorful addition to salads. The whole bundle can be used fresh or
dried upside down for a week or two, and then the flowers
plucked and put into a jar for a restful, calming, sleepy time tea for
the winter.
-Chives—mild, onion-flavored herb with long, slender, hollow
leaves; can be added to potato salad, baked potatoes, soups, salads,
omelets, dips and spreads, pastas and sauces.; purple, onion-flavored
blossoms add an attractive garnish to soups or salads
(stems attached to blossoms are often discarded due to toughness).
-Oregano—This member of the mint family is similar to marjoram, but
not as sweet and more pungent, spicy flavor and aroma; good in soups
and tomato-based dishes.
-Rosemary: pine needle-like leaves used with potatoes, bread dough,
risottos, mixed vegetables, and meat dishes, especially lamb, as well
as in some sweet dishes; very strongly flavored, so use sparingly,
finely chopped, or remove from dish after cooking;
considered a memory stimulant and medicinally used for headaches,
indigestion, and depression.
-French Sorrel: slightly tart, lemon-flavored green; excellent for
salads, soups, and sauces; can be used in omelets, breads, or cooked as a
side dish; leaves are shaped like spinach, but paler green in color;
high in vitamin A and contains some calcium,
phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C; refrigerate in
plastic bag for up to 3 days.
POTATOES: You will receive one of the following varieties – Kerr’s
Pink (very pale skin and cream flesh; mealy, cooked texture, so makes a
good specialty/salad potato variety; good roasted, mashed, or in
salads) or Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with
yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; long storage and good tasting; perfect
baked, boiled, mashed or fried). You will receive these “old buddies”
potatoes that have been over-wintered in our timber frame root cellar;
possibly slightly less firm than a new potato,
but good for cooking in any way suggested below. See feature article
on “Food for Thought”.
-How to use: good baked, boiled, roasted or in potato salads
-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag;
ideal temperature is 38-40 degrees with 80-90 percent humidity; a
basement or very cool closet will work.
RADISHES (Pink Beauty): pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor.
-How to use: raw, roasted, used in soups, sliced in salads,
sandwiches, or stir-fries, grated in slaws; radish greens are delicious
in soups or stir-fries and are an excellent source of vitamins A, B, C.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.
THE BRINERY’S SAUERKRAUT: You will receive 1 jar of either
“Galaxy Rose” or “Fair N’By”. The Brinery is a local foods business,
specializing in naturally fermented local vegetables and operated by
long time Tantré farmer alum, David Klingenberger. For
more information, please visit www.thebrinery.com.
-How to use: use as a condiment with any dish, especially meat dishes, salads, roasted veggies, or sandwiches.
-How to store: Must be REFRIGERATED up to 1 year or longer
depending on how you like the flavor, since it will get stronger with
more age. *NOTE: This sauerkraut jar has NOT been canned, so store in
refrigerator.
SCALLIONS (also called “Green Onions”): 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: You will receive 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 greens are edible!
-How to use: roots and greens good 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. ANY CHANGES in your address, phone, e-mail, or of misspelled
names on any mailings or Pick Up Lists at Distribution Sites? Please
let us know as soon as possible.
2. MISSED PICK UP: If you don’t pick up or forget to come, your
share will be brought back to the Farm, and you will have one day to get
your share before it will be taken apart or donated after any
distribution. Always please call or email immediately,
so we know what happened and what to do with your share.
3. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:
**If you need to switch to different pick up sites throughout the
season that usually works for all but the “limited sites”, using the
Membership Actions section on the registration page. These sites have
less space to drop share boxes at, so are considered
“limited”. Please always email ahead to see if they are at capacity
before making any switches on your own.
*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 A.M. to 12 P.M.
*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)—10 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.
*Argus-Packard (Sat) (limited site)—10 A.M. to 6 P.M.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Over the winter we sometimes have a few extra moments to read and
wonder as we sit by the wood stove, and sometimes our minds consider
issues that go beyond our impact locally. As we begin our new summer
season this week we wanted to give you a few facts
to ponder, and consider a thoughtful look at our perceptions of food on
a personal scale, but also on a global scale. We all may consider how
we are part of the problem of food waste as farmers and consumers, but
also more importantly how we can be part of
the solution.
Here are some statistics to consider:
*About a third of the planet’s food goes to waste, often because of its looks. That’s enough to feed two billion people.
*Fruits and vegetables, plus roots and tubers have the highest wastage rates of any food.
*At retail level, large quantities of food are wasted due to quality standards that over-emphasize appearance.
*Even if just one-fourth of the food currently lost or wasted
globally could be saved, it would be enough to feed 870 million hungry
people in the world.
*In medium- and high-income countries food is wasted and lost
mainly at later stages in the supply chain. Differing from the situation
in developing countries, the behavior of consumers plays a huge part in
industrialized countries. The study identified
a lack of coordination between actors in the supply chain as a
contributing factor. Farmer-buyer agreements can be helpful to increase
the level of coordination. Additionally, raising awareness among
industries, retailers and consumers as well as finding beneficial
use for food that is presently thrown away are useful measures to
decrease the amount of losses and waste. (sourced from http://www.fao.org/save-food/resources/keyfindings/en).
Other related articles below:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/03/global-food-waste-statistics/
https://www.npr.org/tags/395584998/ugly-produce
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2018/01/11/a-new-market-for-old-and-ugly-fruit-and-vegetables-takes-shape
RECIPES (Many more recipes on website and on the internet)
BOK CHOY FISH NOODLE SOUP
1 1/2 lbs cod or haddock
1/2 lb whole-wheat noodles
8 cup stock
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup grated ginger
1 carrot, cut in small pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
2 cup bok choy, chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Cook noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside. In a large
saucepan, combine stock, orange juice, soy sauce, lemon juice, and
sherry. Bring to boil and add ginger, carrot, and bell pepper. Simmer 3
minutes. Add bok choy and simmer 3 minutes. Remove
vegetables and set aside. Simmer fish in broth 5 minutes. Place
noodles in individual soup bowls. Add layer of vegetables. Add serving
of fish. Cover with soup broth. Top with scallions.
Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
SOLSTICE SHARE
Dec. 15, 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.
HAPPY SOLSTICE, EVERYONE!
Thank you for joining our Solstice Share to celebrate the return of
the light with good cheer and good health for the New Year. We are
proud to share this collaboration of the Brinery, Garden Works, Ginger
Deli, Harvest Kitchen, and Mana Farms for this
unique collaborative Solstice celebration. Through this cooperative
spirit we embrace the euphoria of this moment to provide you with winter
sustenance of these nutritionally dense roots and storage vegetables.
We hope this food will contribute to a happy,
healthy feast for you and your family.
The all-day twilight of our mid-December days have been filled with
sorting squash in our moist, cool, root cellar basement. This time has
afforded us with many hours of convivial handwork to share with one
another on the farm. From the wee hours in the
early morning until the dusky hours of late afternoon we share in work
and friendship with a midday break of a good, hearty, plant-based meal
for lunch. As this year comes to an end, we will wish farewell to all
who have been a good supportive community in
body and mind for our harvest together.
We will be distributing our Tantre vegetables in a 2-bushel, large
box with the following items on the side at the Food Hub and the Farm
(Argus and Pure Pastures will have all these items contained in our
half-bushel, summer share box): The Brinery’s jar
of sauerkraut, Ginger Deli’s baguette, Garden Works’s organic pea
shoots, Mana Farms organic apples, and Harvest Kitchen’s root
gremolata. This means that it might be helpful to bring some extra
bags, boxes, or baskets, if you don’t want to bring the box
home. You can keep the box or return it at a later date to any of the
distribution sites or to our market stall. We will have some extra bags
available at the Hub and Farm locations, but not at Argus or Pure
Pastures. You will need to check off your name
on the Pick Up List at the Washtenaw Food Hub from 9 AM until Noon,
Tantre Farm from 2 to 5 PM, Pure Pastures from 10 AM until 7 PM, and
Argus Farm Stop-Packard from 8 AM until 6 PM. Please ask for help if you
need any help loading, and most importantly please
make sure that your final payment goes into the Payment Envelope at the
Hub or Farm distribution site on Saturday, if you haven’t paid for your
share yet. All CSA members at Pure Pastures and Argus need to mail
their payment to the farm. Please have the courtesy
to email or text/call Deb’s cell phone at 734-385-6748, if you can’t
make it to your scheduled Distribution Site, so we know what your
situation is, so we don’t have to track you down. More storage tips can
be found on our website under CSA Info>Veggie Id
or Recipes>Produce Information Organized by Parts of the Plant.
Also, throughout the late fall and winter, please free to contact
us, if you are interested in more Tantre vegetables, which you can pick
up at the farm or the Ann Arbor Farmers Market on Wednesdays and
Saturdays in December. After the Solstice Distribution
on Dec. 15, we will continue to set up at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market
every Saturday starting again in January, but market starts at 8 AM and
ends at 2 PM for these “winter hours”. If you have “liked” us on
Tantre Farm’s Facebook page, you will know when
we are coming and what we are bringing, since we try to keep you
updated there when we can. The People’s Food Coop and the 2 Argus Farm
Stops of Ann Arbor also continue to carry many of our vegetables
throughout the winter and early spring.
If you are interested in our Summer CSA shares for 2019, our online
registration will be open soon. Now we also have gift certificates
available at the AA Farmers market for those who want to make a smaller
gift amount.
Thanks for buying locally and seasonally. We wish you a sustainably
rich and enlightened transition into light as we enter the end of 2018
and begin anew with 2019!
–Deb and Richard
WHAT’S PART OF YOUR SHARE
APPLES (Rome Beauty): You will receive 3 or 4 organic, pesticide-free
apples from Mana Farms (a new orchard near Whitmore Lake) that have
never been sprayed, so they will appear “natural” and less pristine than
a store apple. Any spots on the apple are a
skin blemish that can be eaten safely or cut away if you don’t like how
it looks. The Rome Apple is a popular, cooking apple originating near
Rome Township, Ohio, in the early 19th century. It remains popular as
one of the best apples at holding its shape
to cooking temperatures. Rome apples are crunchy and offer a mild,
sweet, and tangy flavor with a slightly floral aroma.
-How to use: makes a fantastic pie; good for fresh eating, but makes a
better dessert apple, good for juicing, and creates a pinkish
applesauce.
-How to store: can store for 2 to 3 weeks in cool location, and keeps very well.
BAGUETTE: This beautifully wrapped, long, thin, crusty bread comes from Ginger Deli (www.gingerdeli.com),
and they are a tenant at the Washtenaw Food Hub producing Vietnamese
cuisine that packs colorful flavors with a dash of style. Such
wonderful aromas come
daily from the kitchens! Check them out at the University of Michigan
Hospital cafeteria.
-How to use: perfect fresh as sandwiches, garlic bread, croutons, etc.
-How to store: place in plastic bag or container at room temperature
BEETS: These beets will be in a mixed net bag with Daikon &
watermelon radishes, Red Ace beets (round, smooth, deep red roots with
sweet flavor when eaten raw or cooked).
-How to use: roots good in juices, soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.
-How to store: store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
BRUSSELS STALKS: You will receive 2 stalks of tiny, green cabbage-like
sprouts with mildly pungent, mustard-like flavor. These sprouts are very
easy to break off and seem to store better while still on the stalk
until ready for use. These will need some trimming
by taking off the outer leaves, since the winter has been hard on them
so far.
-How to use: Boil or steam for 5-10 minutes without overcooking, so
they are still bright green; toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and
pepper, or a pat of butter; excellent roasted or stir-fried.
-How to store: Refrigerate for up to a week or more unwashed in a plastic bag in hydrator drawer.
-How to freeze: Blanch for 3-4 minutes, rinse in cold water, drain, and store in air-tight bags or container.
CARROTS (Orange, Red, and Purple): You will receive Hercules (sweet,
orange, cone-shaped roots; good eating quality and stores well), Malbec
(smooth, uniform long red-skinned roots with consistent, rich red
internal color for multiple uses as whole roots,
sliced, or mini carrots; excellent carrot flavor for stews and
vegetable dishes), and Purple Haze (bright purplish roots with bright
orange interior and a sweet flavor; cooking will cause the color to
fade, but exquisite served raw or roasted coins).
-How to use: Can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or
juiced; steamed or sautéed, in stews, soups, casseroles, stir-fries
-How to store: Refrigerate dry and unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks or longer.
KALE: You will receive a bag of Green Curly tops (well-ruffled, curly
green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale
chip”). Kale is high in vitamins A, C, and K, folic acid, fiber, calcium
and iron and has the highest protein content
of all cultivated vegetables.
-How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking
-How to store: keep in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 1 week
KOHLRABI (Kossak): You
will receive a giant kohlrabi for storage up to 8 inches in diameter;
delicious bulbous member of the cabbage family, that grows above ground;
green skin and sweet, crisp, apple-white
flesh; tubers and leaves are good sources of vitamins C and A, calcium,
potassium, and fiber.
-How to use: steam or mash with potatoes, add to soups or stews, or delicious sliced and eaten raw with dip or as a slaw.
-How to store: keep in cold storage for up to 4 months
MICROGREENS (Pea Shoots): the shoots provide a sweet flavor that
is a cross between the taste of peas and spinach with a hint of
watercress. Researchers have found that most microgreens can contain up
to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than
their mature counterparts. They help to alkalize your body, support
your immune system and ensure proper cell regeneration. Garden Works
Organic Farm is providing you with pea shoots, which are extremely high
in vitamins A & C, betacarotene, folic acid,
and calcium. They are a certified organic 4.5 acre truck garden and
greenhouse farm just around the corner from the Food Hub. Garden Works
operates year-round with several types of heirloom vegetables,
wheatgrass, and other microgreens available throughout
the year selling their produce at the AA Farmers Market, People’s Food
Coop and both Argus Farm Stops. Contact Rob MacKercher at gardenworksorganic@gmail.com.
-How to use: enhance a salad, garnish soups or main dishes, delicious stir-fried with garlic and sesame oil for Asian cooking
-How to store: store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
ONIONS: You will receive a mixed net bag of 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) and Red Zeppelin (medium to large, globe-shaped bulbs
with deep red color and will store for six months or more under proper
conditions).
-How to use: good in French onion soup, great for salads, soups, sandwiches, slices, grilled.
-How to store: can last for 3 to 6 months if kept in a cold, dark
place, but remove any ones starting to go soft from the others. Just
cut out the bad part, chop up the rest of the onion and freeze.
POTATOES: You will receive the following varieties of potatoes in a net bag including:
*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; very high in antioxidants!)
*Mountain Rose (rosy-skinned inside and out, these versatile,
all-purpose spuds are deliciously moist, but not waxy textured.
Excellent baked, mashed or fried)
*Kerr’s Pink (very pale skin and cream flesh; mealy, cooked texture, so
makes a good specialty/salad potato variety; good roasted, mashed, or in
salads)
*Dakota Red (red potato with white flesh that is good for baking, boiling, or frying)
*Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes;
long storage and good tasting; perfect baked, boiled, mashed or fried)
*Rose Finn Apple Fingerling (rare and beautiful rose-colored fingerling
with moderately dry, yellow flesh; delicious baked, boiled or roasted)
*Russian Banana Fingerling (an heirloom potato with small, banana-shaped
tubers with yellow skin and light yellow flesh; used by chefs for its
delicious flavor and smooth “waxy” texture that doesn’t fall apart when
cooked; good baked, boiled, or in salads).
-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag or
breathable container; ideal temperature is 38-48 degrees with high
humidity (80-90%). A basement or very cool closet will work. If too
warm or stored with onions or apples, they will shrivel
and sprout.
DAIKON RADISHES: These Daikons will be in a mixed net bag with beets
& watermelon radish; the 2 varieties of Daikons are Alpine (the
smooth, attractive roots are white with green shoulders; looks like an
overgrown green carrot, but with a slightly mild radish
taste; crunchy and sweet texture; good macrobiotic root that is good
for the gut) and K-N Bravo (looks like an overgrown carrot with
beautiful, lavender-purple color; good, sweet, eating quality).
-How to use: excellent julienned, sliced, used in a salad or tossed
with your favorite vinaigrette; good eaten fresh, cooked, or pickled
-How to store: not as hardy as you may think, so store wrapped in plastic to keep them crisp for up to 2 weeks
WATERMELON RADISH: This radish variety will be in a mixed net bag with
Daikons and beets; this heirloom Chinese variety is a large, 2-4”, round
radishes with unique dark magenta/pink flesh and light green/white skin
along with a sweet, delicious taste and
will be bagged with the daikon radishes and the parsnips.
-How to use: soups, stews, steamed, roasted, eaten raw in salads,
pickled, excellent julienned and tossed with your favorite dressing.
-How to store: Store dry and unwashed in plastic bag in refrigerator for
up to 2 weeks; can last for 2-4 months if stored in cold, moist
conditions like beets.
ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLE GREMOLATA: Harvest Kitchen (www.harvest-kitchen.com)
has assembled an assortment of Tantre root vegetables tender roasted
with raw radish and kohlrabi tossed in gremolata (chopped herb medley of
lemon, parsley, garlic). Harvest Kitchen
produces their products in the kitchens at the Washtenaw Food Hub and
sells at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Whole Foods, and both Argus Farm
Stops.
-How to use: serving instructions are on the label and can be served hot or cold.
-How to store: can be stored for up to 7 days in the refrigerator
SAUERKRAUT: You will be receiving 1 of 2 kinds of sauerkraut– Sea
Stag (cabbage, carrots, burdock root, seaweed, turmeric) or Storm Cloud
Zapper (beets, cabbage, ginger). These sauerkrauts are raw,
unpasteurized, and traditionally fermented. This Brinery
kraut is a cornerstone of health, both mentally and physically.
Steeped in the ancient art and necessity of fermentation, every jar
carries the culture onward. Filled with flavor and beneficial bacteria,
your microbiome will thank you! The Brinery is a
local foods business at the Washtenaw Food Hub, specializing in
naturally fermented local vegetables and operated by long time Tantré
farmer, David Klingenberger. For more information, please visit www.thebrinery.com.
-How to use: use as a condiment with any dish, especially meat dishes, salads, roasted veggies, or sandwiches.
-How to store: Must be REFRIGERATED up to 3 months or longer depending
on how you like the flavor, since it will get stronger with more age.
*NOTE: This sauerkraut jar has NOT been canned, so store in
refrigerator.
Sauerkraut Background & Recipes:
www.timesunion.com/living/article/Sauerkraut-on-New-Year-s-a-Pennsylvania-tradition-561496.php
www.cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016892-sauerkraut-and-apples
WINTER SQUASH/PIE PUMPKIN: You will receive the following:
*Acorn (small, green ribbed squash with pale yellow flesh)
*Butternut (light, tan-colored skin; small seed cavities with thick, cylindrical necks; bright orange, moist, sweet flesh)
*Black Forest Kabocha (smaller size kabocha; dark green, flat-round
fruits; buttercup size with no button on end; orange flesh is medium-dry
and sweet)
*Baby Bear Pie Pumpkin (unique size and shape, and is often called “the
perfect mini pumpkin” by growers; deep orange, and perfect in pies)
*Spaghetti (3-5-pounds, golden-yellow, oblong, smooth, medium size, only
mildly sweet with “spaghetti” (stringy) flesh; bake like squash or boil
and fork out the flesh, topping the “spaghetti” flesh with your
favorite sauce; mildly sweet)
*Tetsukabuto (5-6 pound Japanese squash; nearly round with dark green
rind, slightly mottled and ribbed; sweet and nutty flavor with yellow,
thick flesh)
-How to use: bake, steam, roast until tender in chunks, thin wedges or
in half; mash cooked squash with butter; purée cooked squash for creamy
soup, or add uncooked chunks to soups or stews; add small amounts to
yeast breads, muffins, cookies, pies, oatmeal,
etc.
-How to store: Some varieties can keep for several months at 45-60
degrees with 60-75% humidity; will also store at room temperature.
-How to freeze: If you notice a squash is getting soft or a spot starts
to show rot, cut off the bad spot, and bake it, puree it, and freeze it
in freezer bags for future use.
RECIPES
**Keep in mind a very easy way to find recipe ideas for almost any
combination of share box ingredients is to type the items into your
preferred “search bar” with the word “recipes” at the end, and many
recipe ideas will pop up. Have fun searching! Lots and
lots of ideas!
APPLE STUFFED SQUASH (There is a Season: Cooking with the Good Things Grown in Michigan)
2 Acorn squash
3 Tbs. butter
2 chopped apples
1 chopped onion
2 c. cottage cheese
2 Tbs. lemon juice
3/4 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. raisins (optional)
Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place face down on
oiled baking sheet; bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. While squash is
baking, sauté apples and onions in butter. Add remaining ingredients to
apples. Stuff squash with mixture, covered, 15-20
minutes. Optional: Garnish with Brinery Sauerkraut.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS & CARROT SALAD (Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special)
3 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
3 large carrots, cut into 1-in. chunks
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, washed with stems cut off
freshly ground black pepper
fresh dill or parsley sprigs
diced onions (optional)
Vinaigrette Dressing:
1/4 c. canola or other vegetable oil
4 tsp. cider vinegar
4 tsp. prepared horseradish
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill (1 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. salt
Bring the water and salt to a boil in covered saucepan. Add the
carrots and cook until just tender, 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, halve any
Brussels sprouts larger than 1-inch across. When the carrots are
tender, remove and set aside in a large bowl. Ease
the Brussels sprouts into the boiling water and cook until tender,
about 6-8 minutes. While the Brussels sprouts cook, whisk together all
the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. After the Brussels sprouts
are tender, drain and add them to carrots. Pour
the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently. Serve immediately or
chill for about 30 minutes. Garnish with pepper and a few dill or
parsley sprigs. If desired, add red onions for color and spark or
Garden Works Pea Shoots. Serves 4-6.
TANTRÉ FARM SLAW (A simple, easy salad!) Serves 4.
1 cup beets (2 medium ), grated
1 cup carrots (3-4 large), grated
1 cup kohlrabi, grated
1/2 cup watermelon radish and/or Daikon radish (1 or 2), grated
1 onion, chopped (optional)
sesame or sunflower seeds, toasted
olive oil or toasted sesame oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Pea Shoots (optional garnish)
Grate vegetables into a bowl. Chop scallions, if desired, and add
to bowl. Toast sesame or sunflower seeds. Add when cooled. Add olive
oil and lemon juice as a salad dressing to suit your taste. Be careful
of too much liquid. The tartness of the lemon
should be prominent. Serve immediately or marinate for a few hours in
the refrigerator. Garnish with Pea Shoots. Note: Add other items such
as shredded Brussels Sprouts, Mana Farms apples, etc.
TANTRE FARM OVEN-ROASTED HARVEST VEGETABLES (Keep in mind, any
combination of the following root vegetables will work. Roasted veggies
are standard at many Tantre Farm meals)
1 c. Brussels sprouts, cut in halves
1 c. rainbow carrots, quartered or chunks
1/2 lb. unpeeled multi-colored potatoes, cut into chunks if large
1 watermelon radish and/or Daikon radish, julienned
1 c. beets, chunked
1 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. winter squash, cut into chunks
3-4 Tbs. vegetable or olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. chopped fresh sage or rosemary
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine any combination of vegetables
above in large bowl, except parsley. Drizzle oil over. Sprinkle with
garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Bake for 30
minutes in 1 or 2 roasting pans or until vegetables
are beginning to slightly brown. Turn the vegetables 2 or 3 times
during cooking to prevent burning. Then increase heat to 425° and add
chopped parsley (or may be added as a fresh garnish at the very end),
toss vegetables, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes,
stirring once, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Makes
6-8 servings. Optional: Serve with Ginger Deli Baguette.
SHEPHERD’S PIE (from Chef Dan Vernia)
2 pounds potatoes, washed and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version use vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 3/4 pounds ground beef
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1-2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
1 cup chopped fresh kale
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain
potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and
cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are
almost smooth. While potatoes boil, preheat a
large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef.
Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4
minutes. Add carrot, onion, corn and kale to the meat. Cook veggies with
meat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. In a
second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2
minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1
minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Preheat broiler to high. Fill a
small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable
mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and
broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned.
Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve with Brinery
Sauerkraut.
FRESH CARROT JUICE (from Simple Food for the Good Life by Helen Nearing)
1 lb carrots
1/2 lb Mana Farms apples
2 beets, sliced and peeled
Core the apples, but do not peel. Cut them in quarters. Put
carrots, apples and beets through juicer or blender. Chill/serve.
AUTUMN MINESTRONE SOUP (Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special by the Moosewood Collective) Yields 12 cups. Serves 6 to 8.
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 1/2 c. peeled and cubed winter squash
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 white or pinto beans
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. Optional: Garnish with Pea Shoots and
serve with a Ginger Deli baguette.
SCALLOPED SQUASH AND POTATOES (from Farm-Fresh Recipes by Janet Majure)
3 cups Tetsukabuto squash, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups diced potatoes
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped cooked ham
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/3 cups whole milk
2 Tbsp butter
Place half of squash and potatoes in a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole
dish. Sprinkle half the amount of ham and onions. Whisk together
flour, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg with milk. Pour half the
mixture over vegetables. Dot with half the butter.
Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover
and bake 10-15 minutes, or until tender. Serve with Brinery Sauerkraut.
BEET, CABBAGE, AND APPLE SLAW (from Washington Post, October 19, 2011) Makes 5 cups or 6-7 servings
1-2 medium (12 oz) beets, cut into chunks
2 medium (about 1 lb) Mana Farms apples, cored, cut into chunks
1/2 head (about 2 cups) cabbage, or 2 cups kohlrabi, shredded
3 Tbsp champagne vinegar
1 Tbsp agave syrup (or other sweetener)
1 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 stems flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped, (1/2 cup packed)
Use a box grater or a food processor to coarsely shred the chunks of
beet and apples and place in a large bowl. Add the shredded cabbage to
the bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, agave syrup, mustard and salt in
a liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Whisk
in the oil and pour the dressing over the beet-cabbage mixture and toss
to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle the parsley over it all. Cover and
refrigerate for up to 2 days. Serve chilled. Optional: Garnish with Pea
Shoots.
BRAISED DAIKON (from Winter Harvest Cookbook) Serves 4.
1 Daikon radish, peeled and diced
2 Tbs. light cooking oil
1 tsp. sugar (or honey)
1 1/2 Tbs. soy sauce
Put Daikon in saucepan, cover with water, and boil 5 minutes. Drain
well. Heat skillet, add oil, and stir-fry Daikon for 2 minutes. Add
sugar and soy sauce; stir fry another minute. Add 1/4 cup water, cover,
and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low
and cook, stirring occasionally, until Daikon is tender, but not mushy,
about 30 minutes. Serve hot. Optional: Garnish with Pea Shoots.
Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
THANKSGIVING SHARE
November 17, 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.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!
The season of growing is over. The end is important in all things–the dormancy of the plants, the snow and sleet gently falling to the frozen earth. Each flake finds a place, whether the flakes pile up as a blanket or melt on the sodden, muddy cattle path. The deer come out to feed on the last remnants of squash, and the cranes fly overhead to distant horizons. There is a place and a destination for all things, alive or dying. The seeds that lie in wait for warmer times or the bodies of plants, animals, and insects that are decomposing to nourish the soil for another season–everything finds its place and finds its time. There is a great sense of awe and grace at the end of a wonderful harvest like a great, luminous sunset. For this we are thankful and now would like to share what we have grown and gathered in the dance of the season.
The vegetables for this distribution have been compiled into 1 big (1-7/8 bushel) box and 1 smaller (1- 1/9 bushel) box. The Brussels stalks, kale, parsley, sage, and ONE jar of Brinery Sauerkraut will be on the side. You may want to bring your own containers or bags, if you don’t want to haul the boxes home. You can also return them anytime to the Farm or the AA or Chelsea Farmers’ Market throughout this winter. Most of the following items can be stored for long-term (especially the root vegetables) or preserved very simply, so please note storage or simple cooking tips listed below, or on our website. **Also, if you’re having trouble identifying any unfamiliar produce, please look for “Veggie ID” on our website under CSA INFO or RECIPES tabs.
Please feel free to give us a call or e-mail throughout the late fall and early winter, if you are interested in a refill of any of the following produce. We are planning on being at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market on Wed., Nov. 21, for any last minute Thanksgiving purchases. At this point we will probably not be at the AA Farmers Market on Sat. Nov. 24, but we will be at the Chelsea Farmers Market on Nov. 24. We are hoping to continue coming to the Ann Arbor Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout December and then only Saturdays for Jan. – April. We will continue to be at the Chelsea Winter Farmers Market from Nov. 24 through the first 2 Saturdays of December. If you have “liked” us on Tantre Farm’s Facebook page, you will know when we are coming, since we will try to keep you updated. Also, throughout the fall and winter, we will continue delivering our produce into Ann Arbor for the People’s Food Coop and Argus Farm Stop on Liberty and Packard.
Our online registration will open soon for our collaborative Winter Solstice CSA in December, which honors the longest day of the year and our Summer CSA of 2019, which begins the week of Memorial Day. More descriptions of these shares on our website, and we will send a separate email announcement when sign up is ready.
Thank you for buying locally and seasonally. We wish you a safe, healthy, and enjoyable Thanksgiving!
–Deb, Richard & the 2018 Tantre Farm Crew
THANKSGIVING TURKEYS:
Thanksgiving turkeys are available to order from Lands of Bru-Garick in Grass Lake, Michigan (about 3 miles from Tantre Farm). Although raised on conventional feed, these are free-range, antibiotic and hormone-free turkeys, whose weight range is between 14-20 pounds. Turkeys are $4/lb, and are fresh (not frozen) with on farm pickup the Tuesday before Thanksgiving from 10 AM – 8 PM. Contact Sabrina by texting 734-323-9856.
DUCKS FOR DECEMBER:
Michigami Magpie (MiMa) Farm, a small local family farm in Grass Lake, is selling fresh or frozen duck for the holidays in December! Whole ducks will be available fresh for pick up on December 5th or frozen if picked up anytime afterwards. Their pastured ducks are fed organic, non-GMO, Michigan-grown feed. These Magpie Ducks are a heritage breed, known for their gourmet-quality white meat, since their under-carriage is all white. Each duck will have a finished weight between 3 to 4 pounds, yielding portions suitable for 2 to 3 people. Whole ducks are being sold at $7/lb. If you are interested in purchasing duck for the upcoming holiday feasts, please contact Janet Hunter at (720) 771-8576 or at janetsue67@gmail.com.
WHAT’S PART OF YOUR SHARE?
BEETS (Red Ace): This beet variety will be in a mixed net bag of topless roots; round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor when eaten raw or cooked.
-How to use: roots good in juices, soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.
-How to store: store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS: You will receive 2-3 stalks of tiny, green cabbage-like sprouts with mildly pungent, mustard-like flavor. These sprouts are very easy to break off and seem to store better while still on the stalk until ready for use.
-How to use: Boil or steam for 5-10 minutes without overcooking, so they are still bright green; toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, or a pat of butter; excellent roasted or stir-fried.
-How to store: Refrigerate for up to a week or more unwashed in a plastic bag in hydrator drawer.
CARROTS (Orange and Purple): You will receive a mixed rainbow bag of these topless, frost-sweetened carrots with an orange variety called Chantenay (shorter than other cultivars, but have greater girth with broad shoulders and taper towards a blunt, rounded tip; most commonly diced for use in canned or prepared foods) and Purple Haze (bright purplish-red roots with bright orange interior and a sweet flavor).
-How to use: Can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sautéed, in stews, soups, casseroles, stir-fries
-How to store: Refrigerate dry and unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks; stores best in near freezing conditions around 32 degrees and 95% humidity; greens may last up to a week refrigerated in plastic bag .
CAULIFLOWER (Romanesco): lime green, spiraled heads with pointed, spiraled pinnacles; crisp and mild.
-How to use: Raw for salads and dips, steamed, sautéed, or roasted.
-How to store: Sweetest and best when used within a week when stored in the refrigerator, but can last up to 2 weeks.
GARLIC (German White): a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, and bolstering the immune system.
-How to use: Excellent in all cooking; make garlic butter with 1/2 cup of softened butter mashed with four minced cloves of garlic
-How to store: store for several months in a cool, dark, dry, well-ventilated place; if cloves begin to get soft or moldy, break off bad part, chop, and pack into small jar filled with olive oil, then refrigerate (great gift idea) or freeze.
FRESH HERBS: Everyone will receive 2 herbs:
**Curly Parsley (dark green leaves that are frost-sweetened and have been covered in snow, so very flavorful; strong parsley/celery flavor for use dried or fresh; high in vitamins A and C, and other minerals, such as iron; especially good in omelets, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, pasta and vegetable dishes, as well as, sauces)
**Sage (an herb from an evergreen shrub in the mint family with long, narrow, grayish-green leaves; a musky aroma and a warm and spicy taste; wonderful flavor enhancement for seafood, vegetables, stuffing, and savory breads; rub sage, cracked pepper, and garlic into pork tenderloin or chops before cooking.)
-How to store: Place in plastic bag and store in refrigerator up to a week or put herb bunch in jar with 2 inches of water. -How to freeze: Both parsley and sage can be placed in freezer bags and crumbled into foods as needed. The flavorful oils will last longer the less crumbling that is done before any use.
KALE (Rainbow Lacinato): You will receive a couple of bunches of this unique “purple dino” kale that has deeply curled leaves in dusky-green with bright purple stems and veins. These bitter greens are remarkably sweeter after several frosts! Kale has a sweet, mild, cabbage flavor; rich source of phytochemicals, which may ward off various forms of cancer; highest protein content of all the cultivated vegetables; very high in calcium, iron, vitamins A, C, K.
-How to use: Boil or steam until color brightens (Colors will darken or fade if overcooked, and then can be mushy, tasteless, and less nutritious); great in omelets, quiches, lasagna, casseroles, soups, stews, gravies, and smoothies.
-How to store: Refrigerate unwashed in plastic bag for to 2 weeks.
-How to freeze: Blanch washed greens for 1-2 minutes, rinse in cold water, drain, and pack into air-tight containers, or just destem, chop, and freeze in bags.
KOHLRABI (Kossak): You will receive a giant kohlrabi for storage up to 8 inches in diameter; delicious bulbous member of the cabbage family, that grows above ground; green skin and sweet, crisp, apple-white flesh; tubers and leaves are good sources of vitamins C and A, calcium, potassium, and fiber.
-How to use: steam or mash with potatoes, add to soups or stews, or delicious sliced and eaten raw with dip or as a slaw.
-How to store: keep in cold storage for up to 4 months
ONIONS: You will receive a bag of 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) and Red Zeppelin (medium to large, globe-shaped bulbs with deep red color and will store for six months or more under proper conditions).
-How to use: good in French onion soup, great for salads, soups, sandwiches, slices, grilled.
-How to store: can last for 3 to 6 months if kept in a cold, dark place, but remove any ones starting to go soft from the others. Just cut out the bad part, chop up the rest of the onion and freeze.
POTATOES: Everyone will receive a mixed bag of the following varieties of potatoes including: Kerr’s Pink (very pale skin and cream flesh; mealy, cooked texture, so makes a good specialty/salad potato variety; good roasted, mashed, or in salads), 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), Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; long storage and good tasting; perfect baked, boiled, mashed or fried), and Russian Banana Fingerling (an heirloom potato with small, banana-shaped tubers with yellow skin and light yellow flesh; used by chefs for its delicious flavor and smooth “waxy” texture that doesn’t fall apart when cooked; good baked, boiled, or in salads).
-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag; ideal temperature is 40-50 degrees with high humidity (80-90%). A basement or very cool closet will work. If too warm or stored with onions or apples, they will shrivel and sprout; light turns them green; don’t refrigerate, since the starches turn to sugars.
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).
DAIKON RADISHES: These daikons will be in a mixed net bag of topless roots with Alpine (the smooth, attractive roots are white with green shoulders; looks like an overgrown green carrot, but with a slightly mild radish taste; crunchy and sweet texture; good macrobiotic root that is good for the gut) and K-N Bravo (looks like an overgrown carrot with beautiful, lavender-purple color; good, sweet, eating quality).
-How to use: excellent julienned, sliced, used in a salad or tossed with your favorite vinaigrette; good eaten fresh, cooked, or pickled
-How to store: not as hardy as you may think, so store wrapped in plastic to keep them crisp for up to 2 weeks
WATERMELON RADISH: This radish variety will be in a mixed net bag of topless roots; this is as an heirloom Chinese variety; large, 2-4”, round radishes with unique dark magenta flesh and light green/white skin along with a sweet, delicious taste; very mild.
-How to use: soups, stews, steamed, roasted, eaten raw in salads, pickled, excellent julienned and tossed with favorite dressing.
-How to store: Store dry and unwashed in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; can last for 2-4 months if stored in cold, moist conditions like beets.
SAUERKRAUT: We are pleased to offer ONE jar of the Brinery’s Sauerkraut, although you may choose between 2 varieties. The Brinery is a local foods business, specializing in naturally fermented local vegetables and operated by long time Tantré farmer alum, David Klingenberger. For more information, please visit www.thebrinery.com.
-How to use: use as a condiment with any dish, especially meat dishes, salads, roasted veggies, or sandwiches.
-How to store: Must be REFRIGERATED up to 1 year or longer depending on how you like the flavor, since it will get stronger with more age. *NOTE: This sauerkraut jar has NOT been canned, so store in refrigerator.
***
Sauerkraut Background & Recipes: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11-27/entertainment/bs-md-sauerkraut-and-turkey-20131125_1_sauerkraut-reuben-sandwich-cabbage!
www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Turkey-with-Sauerkraut-Riesling-and-Pork-Sausages
www.timesunion.com/living/article/Sauerkraut-on-New-Year-s-a-Pennsylvania-tradition-561496.php
www.cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016892-sauerkraut-and-apples
WINTER SQUASH: You will receive all of the following varieties:
*Acorn (small, green ribbed squash with pale yellow flesh)
*Butternut (light, tan-colored skin; small seed cavities with thick, cylindrical necks; bright orange, moist, sweet flesh; longest storage potential of all squash)
*Carnival (multicolor Sweet Dumpling with colorful patches and flecks of dark and light green, orange, and yellow; sweet flesh and edible skin)
*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)
*Black Forest Kabocha (smaller size kabocha; dark green, flat-round fruits; buttercup size with no button on end; orange flesh is medium-dry and sweet)
*Cha Cha Kabocha (best-eating midsize kabocha; dark green, slightly flat-round, medium-sized, average 4-5 pound fruits with bright orange flesh, which cooks up dry, flaky, sweet, and delicious)
*Spaghetti (3-5-pounds, golden yellow, oblong, smooth, medium size with “spaghetti” (stringy) flesh; bake like squash or boil and fork out the flesh, topping the “spaghetti” flesh with your favorite sauce; mildly sweet)
-How to store: Keep for several months (depending on the variety) at 45-60 degrees with 60-75% humidity; will also store at room temperature. Here is a great link, which offers good advice for storing winter squash: https://bonnieplants.com/library/how-to-store-winter-squash/
RECIPES
**Keep in mind a very easy way to find recipe ideas for almost any combination of share box ingredients is to type the items into your preferred “search bar”, and many recipe ideas will pop up.
TANTRÉ FARM SLAW (A simple, easy salad!) Serves 4.
2 medium beets, grated
3 large carrots (any color), grated
1 kohlrabi, grated
1 watermelon radish, grated
sesame or sunflower seeds, toasted
olive oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Grate vegetables into a bowl. Chop onion, if desired, and add to bowl. Toast sesame or sunflower seeds. Add when cooled. Add olive oil and lemon juice as a salad dressing to suit your taste. Be careful of too much liquid. The tartness of the lemon should be prominent. Serve immediately or marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator. Variations: Add shredded cauliflower, radishes, Brussels sprouts, chopped parsley, etc.
ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND CAULIFLOWER WITH ORANGE (from Bon Appetit, December 2004)
1 cauliflower (about 2 lbs), cut into 1-inch florets
1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts, thawed and patted dry, halved if large
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp grated orange peel
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Orange slices
Additional chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl; toss to coat. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Spread vegetables on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until lightly browned and almost tender, stirring once, about 12 minutes. Pour orange juice over. Roast until vegetables are tender and juices evaporate, about 8 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped parsley. Transfer to serving dish; garnish with orange slices and chopped parsley.
KOHLRABI VEGETABLE STEW (from The Rolling Prairie Cookbook by Nancy O’Connor)
2-3 medium kohlrabi (or 1 giant kohlrabi), bulbs and greens
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, cut in slivers
3 medium carrots, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 medium potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 cup peeled chopped tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried sage or 1 Tbsp. fresh sage
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp molasses
Separate leaves from kohlrabi bulbs. Peel bulbs and cut into large chunks. De-rib leaves and cut into thin strips. Set aside. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute for several minutes. Add kohlrabi bulb chunks, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper, molasses and mustard. Turn up heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until veggies are not quite tender. Add kohlrabi leaves and simmer, uncovered for another 10 minutes, or until veggies are just cooked.
SCALLOPED SQUASH AND POTATOES (from Farm-Fresh Recipes by Janet Majure)
3 cups dry winter squash (kabocha, buttercup, or red kuri), peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups diced potatoes
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped cooked ham
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/3 cups whole milk
2 Tbsp butter
Place half of squash and potatoes in a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle half the amount of ham and onions. Whisk together flour, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg with milk. Pour half the mixture over vegetables. Dot with half the butter. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables tender.
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
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.
MAPLE SAGE DRESSING
2 large shallots
6 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp chopped, fresh sage
1 oz lemon juice
3 oz red wine vinegar
3 oz maple syrup
1 sprig rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste
Blend all ingredients together. Drizzle in 2 cups of oil and about 3 ounces of water, as needed, to adjust consistency.
FINGERLING POTATOES SAUTEED WITH SEA SALT AND FRESH SAGE (from www.grouprecipes.com) Serves 6
1 1/2 lbs fingerling potatoes unpeeled
3 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 bunch fresh sage sprigs or leaves
Put potatoes in a saucepan and add water to cover by 2-inches. Add 2 teaspoons of the sea salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium then cover and cook 20 minutes then drain well. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When oil is hot add potatoes and turn them in the oil. Sprinkle with remaining sea salt, pepper and sage. Continue to cook turning until skins are lightly golden and sage is crisp about 10 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
WATERMELON RADISH SALAD (from http://www.inerikaskitchen.com/2011/01/watermelon-radish-salad-recipe.html)
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 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.
STIR-FRIED DAIKON (from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables by John Peterson) Serves 4.
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/4 cup sliced scallions or 1 small onion
3 medium daikon radishes, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
10–12 red radishes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon hot chili oil or more to taste (optional)
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Add the scallions; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the daikon and red radishes; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the water and continue stir-frying until all the water has all evaporated. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and chili oil, mixing everything together vigorously and cooking for 30 seconds more. Immediately transfer to a serving platter. Serve hot. May garnish with finely chopped parsley. This makes a great meal with teriyaki salmon and a bowl of rice!
SPICY COCONUT PUMPKIN (from Farmer John’s Cookbook by John Peterson and Angelic Organics) 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, and 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
1 bunch kale
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; 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. For a hearty meal, enjoy this over a bed of basmati rice accompanied by kale and chutney.
THAI PUMPKIN CUSTARD (contributed by former CSA member and in memory of Ebba Hierta)
1 cup coconut cream (not coconut “milk”)
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup palm sugar (or refined white sugar, but not fine grain raw honey)
1/4 tsp salt
1 medium pumpkin, seeded, with lid cut out at top
Blend together coconut cream, eggs, sugar, and salt. Pour into cleaned out pumpkin shell within 1/2-inch of top rim. Set pumpkin in 2-inches of water in glass pan or casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 or more minutes. The custard should be firm and pumpkin is soft and edible, but still firm enough to hold up. Cool. Slice and serve. Bake lid too (which takes less time) and serve on top for presentation.
Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
Extended Fall CSA Share
WEEK #3
Oct. 28 – Nov. 3, 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.
In our newsletter, we try to give you an accurate listing of the produce in your box; however, since the newsletter is published often before the harvest, we may sometimes substitute some vegetables for others. **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.
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.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor
-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: You will receive topless round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and 1 baby bunch beets with delicious greens.
-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; store greens wrapped in damp cloth in plastic bag for up to 1 week.
FROST-SWEETEENED BROCCOLI: You will receive a small head of deep emerald green (but turns purple with a frost!), tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems. **Keep in mind that one cup of cooked broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange and as much calcium as ¼ cup of milk; broccoli is also a good source of vitamin A, potassium, folate, iron, and fiber.
-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.
CARROTS (Hercules): sweet, orange, cone-shaped roots; good eating quality and stores well.
-How to use: can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sautéed, in stews, soups, casseroles, stir-fries
-How to store: refrigerate dry, unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks
KALE (Green Curly): well ruffled green leaves; great for kale chips, in a salad, roasted, and in soups.
-How to use: for salads, soups, braised, and light cooking
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator
ONIONS: You will receive Red Zeppelin (medium to large, globe-shaped bulbs with deep red color) 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).
-How to store: will store for six months or more, if kept in a cold, dark place, but remove any ones starting to go soft from the others.
SWEET PEPPERS(Green Carmen): 6-inch long, tapered green fruit; slightly sweet in salads and when roasted.
-How to use: eat raw for best nutrient retention; can be added to soups, stews, omelets, quiches, stir-fries, etc.; excellent stuffed.
-How to store: refrigerate unwashed in hydrator drawer for 1-2 weeks.
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).
-How to store: Keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag
DAIKON RADISH (K-N Bravo): looks like an overgrown carrot with internal color ranging from pale purple to white with purple streaks; roots average 8- to 9-inches by 2 1/2- to 3-inches with good, sweet, eating quality.
-How to use: excellent julienned or sliced and used in a salad or tossed with your favorite vinaigrette; good eaten fresh, cooked, or pickled; greens are also edible and can be used like any tender green.
-How to store: not as hardy as you may think, so store wrapped in plastic to keep them crisp for up to 2 weeks.
WINTER SQUASH/PIE PUMPKIN: You will receive some of the following: Acorn (small, green ribbed squash with pale yellow flesh; great stuffed with rice, breading, or soups), 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), Butternut (light, tan-colored skin; small seed cavities with thick, cylindrical necks; bright orange, moist, sweet flesh; longest storage potential of all squash), and Baby Bear Pie Pumpkin (unique size and shape, and is often called “the perfect mini pumpkin” by growers; deep orange, 1 1/2-2 1/2 pound fruits are about half the size of a normal pie pumpkin).
-How to use: bake or roast, mash cooked squash with butter; purée cooked squash for creamy soup, or add uncooked chunks to soups or stews; add small amounts to yeast breads, muffins, cookies, pies, oatmeal, etc.
-How to store: Keep for several months (depending on the variety) in a dry, moderately warm (50-60 degrees), but not freezing location with 60-75% humidity; will also store at room temperature.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. LAST WEEK OF EXTENDED FALL CSA: Please return share boxes & bring extra bags! Please return any forgotten boxes from past weeks. You may bring bags, a cooler or other containers to transfer your produce from the boxes at your distribution site, especially this week, which is your final week of Ex. Fall Shares. We also can use any extra “GROCERY” paper or plastic bags.
2. STILL SPACE LEFT: BASKET MAKING CLASS, Nov 4, from 1-4 PM at Tantre Farm: Weave your own basket from cattails or bittersweet. Or both! Local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud, from Will Forage for Food will talk about how the materials are harvested and prepared for use. Students will learn a few different weaving patterns, and then you will create a basket of your own design. All ages are welcome. $25 per student. Register at: www.willforageforfood.com. Space is limited. You must pre-register to reserve your spot.
3. THANKSGIVING CSA Registration is OPEN! A more detailed email notice about this will come out to you soon. You can also read more details about the Thanksgiving Share on our website under “CSA Info”, and sign up on our website. 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 $125. This share will be available for pick up on Nov. 17 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving) at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market from 7 A.M. until Noon and Tantré Farm from 2-5 P.M.
4. INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR CSA IN 2019? Summer CSA Shares will be available for $640 for 18 weeks from June through the end of September. We will be offering “online registration” for Summer Shares very soon, so you will all receive a separate email informing you when registration opens, so please consider signing up for another year. We will be accepting deposits or alternative payment proposals. We welcome new members, so tell your friends and family!!
5. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDERS:
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)–7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Farm (Wed.)–10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 P.M. to 8 P.M.
Farm (Fri.)–2 P.M. to 7 P.M.
Ann Arbor Farmers’s Market (Sat.) –7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Pure Pastures (Wed)–9 A.M. To 7 P.M.
FAREWELL and THANK YOU!
by Richard and Deb
We are grateful to the whole Tantre community of members, volunteers, farm workers, the earth, the sun, and the rain for this bountiful harvest. We invite you to join our community of fellow food lovers with our Thanksgiving Share in November, our Solstice Share in December, our Midwinter Dream Share in February, and of course our Summer Shares for the 2019 season. You will receive separate emails about all of these options when registration is open. Please feel free to contact us throughout the rest of fall and winter for more of these storage crops or come visit us at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market (Wednesdays and Saturdays through December and then only Saturdays for January – April), the Chelsea Winter Farmers Market on Saturdays in Nov. and Dec., both Argus Farm Stops, and the People’s Food Coop throughout the winter. Thank you for being a member of the Tantre Farm Extended Fall CSA!!
RECIPES
SOUTHWEST COLACHE (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website)
2 Tbsp oil (veggie or olive)
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, diced
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
16 oz chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned, undrained
1 sweet pepper, seeded, chopped
14 oz whole kernel corn
1 green chili, chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Grated cheese, for topping (optional)
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add squash, onion, and garlic; cook for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add tomatoes and bell pepper to skillet. Bring to simmer, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer covered, 5 minutes, or until squash is tender. Uncover; increase heat to high and continue cooking a few minutes or until most liquid has evaporated. Top with grated cheese, if desired.
BEET BURGERS (from America’s Small Farms by Joanne Lamb Hayes and Lori Stein)
2 cups grated beets (about 3/4 lb)
2 cups grated carrots (about 1/2 lb)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 cup grated onion (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup oil
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
2-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbsp soy sauce
Ground red pepper (cayenne), to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a rimmed baking sheet. Combine beets, carrots, rice, cheese, sunflower seeds, eggs, sesame seeds, onion, oil, flour, parsley, garlic, soy sauce, and red pepper. Form mixture into patties and bake 25-30 minutes or until firm and vegetables are cooked through.
DAIKON IN PLUM SAUCE (from Farmer John’s Cookbook) Serves 3-4
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp plum sauce
1 Tbsp minced scallion or onion
3 Tbsp peanut oil
1 Daikon radish, peeled, cut into matchstick-sized strips (could add watermelon and/or black radish as well)
2 Tbsp water
Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until cornstarch dissolves. Stir in the plum sauce and scallions. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Swirl the oil around the wok so that it covers the cooking area, then add the Daikon; cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the water; cover. Cook until the Daikon is tender, 1-2 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture and continue cooking, stirring vigorously, until the sauce has thickened, 2-3 minutes.
KALE CHIPS
1 bunch kale (any kind will work, but Curly Kale is a favorite)
Olive oil
Sea salt or tamari sauce , to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Destem kale and chop it into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Put in bowl and coat lightly with olive oil and sea salt or tamari (soy sauce). Place on cookie sheet and bake for a 3-5 minutes, then flip leaves over and bake another couple of minutes until crispy, but not brown. Delicious!
Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
Extended Fall CSA Share
WEEK #2
Oct. 21-27, 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.
In our newsletter, we try to give you an accurate listing of the produce in your box; however, since the newsletter is published often before the harvest, we may sometimes substitute some vegetables for others. **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.
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.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
RED ACE BEETS AND GREENS: You will receive 1 bunch round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and medium-tall, red-veined green leaves and 1 baby bunch beets with delicious greens.
-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; store greens wrapped in damp cloth in plastic bag for up to 1 week.
CABBAGE (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, cabbage has a good amount of vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
-How to use: good steamed, stir-fried, or chopped raw into salads or coleslaw.
-How to store: refrigerate for up to 1 month.
CARROTS: You will receive Purple Haze (bright purplish-red roots with bright orange interior and a sweet flavor; cooking will cause the color to fade) and Hercules (sweet, orange, cone-shaped roots; good eating quality and stores well).
-How to use: can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sautéed, in stews, soups, casseroles, stir-fries
-How to store: refrigerate dry, unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks
GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, & boosts the immune system.
-How to use: minced raw in salad dressings, sautéed and added to stir-fries, meats, vegetables
-How to store: fresh garlic can be stored in an open, breathable container in a cool, dark place for many months.
KALE (Green Curly): well ruffled green leaves; great for kale chips, in a salad, roasted, and in soups.
-How to use: for salads, soups, braised, and light cooking
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator
SWEET PEPPERS: You will receive a rainbow mixture of Aura (golden yellow, tapered, thick-walled fruits, that are deliciously sweet and fruity), Glow (bright orange, tapered, thick-walled, sweet and fruity), Red Knight Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green-to-red pepper with sweet flesh) and Carmen (6 inch long, tapered fruit that ripens from green to a deep “carmine” red; sweet in salads and when roasted and fully red-ripe), or Green Bell Peppers (large blocky cells with fruity, slightly sweet flavor with green skin).
-How to use: eat raw for best nutrient retention; can be added to soups, stews, omelets, quiches, stir-fries, etc.; excellent stuffed.
-How to store: refrigerate unwashed in hydrator drawer for 1-2 weeks.
POTATOES: You will receive All Blue (an heirloom potato with deep blue skin and flesh; moist texture; perfect in salads, baked, or boiled) *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) and Kerr’s Pink (very pale skin and cream flesh; mealy, cooked texture, so makes a good specialty/salad potato variety; good roasted, mashed, or in salads).
-How to store: Keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag
DAIKON RADISH (Alpine): the smooth, attractive roots are white with green shoulders; looks like an overgrown green carrot, but with a slightly mild radish taste; crunchy and sweet texture; good macrobiotic root that is good for the gut; the most common type grown in Korea.
-How to use: for fresh use, pickling, and storage; greens are also edible and can be used like any other green.
-How to store: not as hardy as you may think, so store wrapped in plastic to keep them crisp for up to 2 weeks.
WINTER SQUASH/PIE PUMPKIN: You will receive some of the following: 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), Butternut (light, tan-colored skin; small seed cavities with thick, cylindrical necks; bright orange, moist, sweet flesh; longest storage potential of all squash), and Baby Bear Pie Pumpkin (unique size and shape, and is often called “the perfect mini pumpkin” by growers; deep orange, 1 1/2-2 1/2 pound fruits are about half the size of a normal pie pumpkin).
-How to use: Slice in half, scoop seeds out and bake with a little water in baking pan at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender; boil or steam chunks for 15-20 minutes, or until tender (peel skins off “before” or “after“ cooked, but “after” is easiest when it’s cooled); mash cooked squash with butter; purée cooked squash for creamy soup, or add uncooked chunks to soups or stews; add small amounts to yeast breads, muffins, cookies, pies, oatmeal, etc.
-How to store: Keep for several months (depending on the variety) in a dry, moderately warm (50-60 degrees), but not freezing location with 60-75% humidity; will also store at room temperature.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. KIMCHI PRESERVING WORKSHOP at the Washtenaw Food Hub on Wednesday, Oct. 24 (corrected date!), from 6-8 P.M. Fermentation revivalist, Melissa Robinson, will demonstrate how to make kimchi, a spicy and pungent Korean condiment served at almost every Korean meal. The workshop will cover lacto-fermentation, a method utilized to brine and preserve vegetables, using produce from Tantre Farm. Participants will take home a jar of kimchi made during the workshop. Please register with “KIMCHI” in the subject line by email with your NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, and PHONE NUMBER. $10 fee for materials and other ingredients. Still a few spaces left, so please register by noon
2. 4th Annual AGRARIAN ADVENTURE’S HARVEST BRUNCH Fundraiser on Sun. Oct. 28 from 10 AM until 1 PM at Great Oak Cohousing Common House (500 Little Lake Dr., Ann Arbor). Deb has been a board member for the past 8 years, and continues to visit classrooms for the “Farmer in the Classroom” program. The Agrarian Adventure (www.agrarianadventure.org) also provides other programming for school gardens, and afterschool garden clubs. Tantre Farm donates a lot of the produce every year to this awesome, family-friendly fundraiser. The menu below prepared by Chef Chris Chiapelli of the UM Ross School of Business & Black Pearl looks awesome:
***Tantre Farm Heirloom Veggie Hash with or without Old Brick Farm Duck Eggs, Goetz Farms Roasted Sweet Potato Poblano Pepper Hash with Tantre Farm Grilled Sweet Corn Succotash, Black Oaks Farms Pork Belly confit with a dollop of Brinery Kimchi on top and an Old Brick Farm Duck Egg, Plymouth Orchards Quinoa Oatmeal and Apple Compote with fall dried fruits and smoked brown sugar on top, Maple Fall Berry Compote with Ernst Farms Grits, Green Tea Pancakes with Powdered Sugar and Calder Dairy Whipped Cream on top. Vegan and gluten-free options available. Many other farms and food artisans have contributed as well! Suggested donation of $15/adults and $5/kid, but no one will be turned away. Tickets can be purchased on the website www.theagrarianadventure.org or show up at the door. Also, it is helpful for you to know that parking is on the street. Hope to see you there this coming Sunday!
3. BASKET MAKING CLASS, Nov 4, from 1-4 PM at Tantre Farm: Weave your own basket from cattails or bittersweet. Or both! Local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud, from Will Forage for Food will talk about how the materials are harvested and prepared for use. Students will learn a few different weaving patterns, and then you will create a basket of your own design. All ages are welcome. $25 per student. Register at: www.willforageforfood.com. Space is limited. You must pre-register to reserve your spot.
4. THANKSGIVING CSA Registration is OPEN! A more detailed email notice about this will come out to you soon. You can also read more details about the Thanksgiving Share on our website under “CSA Info”, and sign up on our website. 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 $125. This share will be available for pick up on Nov. 17 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving) at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market from 7 A.M. until Noon and Tantré Farm from 2-5 P.M.
5. PLEASE RETURN SHARE BOXES & BRING EXTRA BAGS! Please return any forgotten boxes from past weeks. You may bring bags, a cooler or other containers to transfer your produce from the boxes at your distribution site, especially next week, which is your final week of Ex. Fall Shares. We also can use any EXTRA PAPER OR PLASTIC BAGS (Grocery Bags ONLY).
6. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDERS:
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)–7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Farm (Wed.)–10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 P.M. to 8 P.M.
Farm (Fri.)–2 P.M. to 7 P.M.
Ann Arbor Farmers’s Market (Sat.) –7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Pure Pastures (Wed)–9 A.M. To 7 P.M.
ODE TO THE ROOT CELLAR
by Richard and Deb
The west wind has been blowing strong and cold for the last week bringing the end to the sultry, summer temperatures. The cranes and geese call from high above soaring on the strong, billowing, western gusts. Their voices carry over the horizon as if there were some magic ventriloquism with this wind. The old scarecrow stands among the dead stalks of summer; her clothes tattered and her button eyes popped out. The wind asks her final question, the only thing that remains: What can we do? Succumb to the mania and madness of the wind? Embrace the wild spirits? What can we do? With our own tattered clothes and muddy shoes pushing through the autumn wind we diligently carry bins and crates of squash, potatoes, carrots, winter radishes, beets, and cabbage. Heaving them onto trucks, wagons, and carts. Pushing against the wind and hauling them to the quiet, cool warmth of the root cellar, stacking them higher than we can normally reach. This requires so much lifting with our legs, our arms, and our backs making us strong and warm against the wind. We fuel ourselves in our flurry with the same foods from our harvest; these dense, starchy carbohydrates, which we store in our root cellar.
Ahead of the coming cold, crystalline desolation that the winter spirits shall endow and soon freeze the soft, brown earth, we store away all the fall harvest. This is the time of year when the root cellar is swollen and busting with hundreds of potato and squash crates higher than we can reach. We open the windows or door a crack to subdue the winter sprouting of too much warmth on the root vegetables. We pour buckets of water on the floor to keep the cold flesh of these roots crunchy and crisp with enough humidity in the air. So here we are taking comfort in the knowledge that our root cellar, filling up on sweet carrots and starchy squash along with so many other vegetables, will provide tons of food for many of our community all winter long.
RECIPES
ETHIOPIAN CABBAGE DISH (from http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/152937/ethiopian-cabbage-dish)
1/2 cup olive oil
4 carrots, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the carrots and onion in the hot oil about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric, and cabbage and cook another 15-20 minutes. Add the potatoes; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are soft, 20-30 minutes. Serves 5.
STIR-FRIED DAIKON (from Rolling Prairie Cookbook) Serves 3.
1 Daikon radish
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp sweetener of your choice
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
Scrub Daikon and cut in thin slices. Heat oil in a heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add Daikon and toss to coat with oil. Sprinkle sweetener and salt over radish slices. Cook, stirring often, until radishes are just tender–about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Toss in parsley. Serve immediately.
Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
Extended Fall CSA Share
WEEK #1
Oct. 14-20, 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.
In our newsletter, we try to give you an accurate listing of the produce in your box; however, since the newsletter is published often before the harvest, we may sometimes substitute some vegetables for others. **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.
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.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor
-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; store greens wrapped in damp cloth in plastic bag for up to 1 week.
CARROTS (Hercules): sweet, orange, cone-shaped roots; good eating quality and stores well; carrot leaves are very nutritious with high levels of vitamins, especially ‘C’ and ‘K’, and very tasty in soups.
-How to use: can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sautéed, in stews, soups, casseroles, stir-fries; greens can be sauteed, thrown into soups, or tossed in salads or smoothies.
-How to store: refrigerate dry and unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks
CAULIFLOWER (Romanesco): lime green, spiraled heads with pointed, spiraled pinnacles; crisp and mild.
-How to use: raw for salads and dips, steamed, sauteed, or roasted.
-How to store: sweetest and best when used within a week when stored in the refrigerator, but can last up to 2 weeks.
EGGPLANT: You will receive Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit), Rosa Biana (an Italian heirloom; round fruit streaked with white and violet), or Orient Express (dark purple Asian type with long, slender, glossy fruits, which are tender, delicately flavored, and quick cooking).
-How to use: may be salted to remove bitterness from old fruit, but also makes it less watery and more absorbent, and can greatly enhance the taste and texture of your dish; can be baked, boiled, fried, grilled, or can be sliced into rounds for grilling or broiling, and cut into cubes for stews and stir-fries.
-How to store: best fresh, but can be stored at room temperature or in refrigerator drawer for up to 1 week.
BABY LETTUCE MIX (Wildfire): a beautiful bag of dark reds and vibrant greens including Green and Red Oakleaf, Green and Red Romaine, and Redleaf lettuces; your lettuce has been rinsed once, but needs washing.
-How to use: raw in salads, sandwiches, or use in soups.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.
ONIONS: You will receive Red Zeppelin (medium to large, globe-shaped bulbs with deep red color), Cipolline (a traditional Italian onion known for its flat, oval shape and delicately mild, sweet flavor; ranges in size from 1-3 inches; used for pickling and to season a wide variety of dishes and especially good grilled on a skewer.), 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).
-How to store: will store for six months or more, if kept in a cold, dark place, but remove any ones starting to go soft from the others.
SWEET PEPPERS: You will receive a variety of Red Knight Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green-to-red pepper with sweet flesh) and Carmen (6 inch long, tapered fruit that ripens from green to a deep “carmine” red; sweet in salads and when roasted and fully red-ripe).
-How to use: eat raw for best nutrient retention; can be added to soups, stews, omelets, quiches, stir-fries, etc.; excellent stuffed.
-How to store: refrigerate unwashed in hydrator drawer for 1-2 weeks.
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).
-How to store: Keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag
DAIKON RADISH (K-N Bravo): looks like an overgrown carrot with internal color ranging from pale purple to white with purple streaks; roots average 8- to 9-inches by 2 1/2- to 3-inches with good, sweet, eating quality.
-How to use: excellent julienned or sliced and used in a salad or tossed with your favorite vinaigrette; good eaten fresh, cooked, or pickled; greens are also edible and can be used like any tender green.
-How to store: not as hardy as you may think, so store wrapped in plastic to keep them crisp for up to 2 weeks.
WINTER SQUASH: You will receive 1 of each of the following: Acorn (small, green ribbed squash with pale yellow flesh; great stuffed with rice, breading, or soups), Spaghetti (3-5 pounds, pale yellow, oblong, smooth, medium size, only mildly sweet with “spaghetti” (stringy) flesh; bake like squash or boil and fork out the flesh, topping the “spaghetti” flesh with your favorite sauce; mildly sweet), and Black Forest Kabocha (smaller size Kabocha; dark green, flat-round fruits; buttercup size with no button on end; orange flesh is medium-dry and sweet).
-How to use: Slice in half, scoop seeds out and bake with a little water in baking pan at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender; boil or steam chunks for 15-20 minutes, or until tender (peel skins off “before” or “after“ cooked, but “after” is easiest when it’s cooled); mash cooked squash with butter; purée cooked squash for creamy soup, or add uncooked chunks to soups or stews; add small amounts to yeast breads, muffins, cookies, pies, oatmeal, etc.
-How to store: Keep for several months (depending on the variety) in a dry, moderately warm (50-60 degrees), but not freezing location with 60-75% humidity; will also store at room temperature.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. RICE CAMP AT TANTRE FARM, October 20 & 21: Some folks from Will Forage for Food will be processing wild rice using traditional techniques at the farm on Sat. Oct. 20 from 12 – 5 PM and on Sunday from 11 AM – 3 PM. All are welcome to come watch, learn, and participate. Free of charge. Just come behind the Main House into Tantre Farm’s back yard.
2. KIMCHI PRESERVING WORKSHOP at the Washtenaw Food Hub on Thursday, Oct. 25, from 6-8 P.M. Fermentation revivalist, Melissa Robinson, will demonstrate how to make kimchi, a spicy and pungent Korean condiment served at almost every Korean meal. The workshop will cover lacto-fermentation, a method utilized to brine and preserve vegetables, using produce from Tantre Farm. Participants will take home a jar of kimchi made during the workshop. Please register with “KIMCHI” in the subject line by email with your NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, and PHONE NUMBER. Please bring a $10 fee for materials and other ingredients to class that day.
3. BASKET MAKING CLASS, Nov 4, from 1-4 PM at Tantre Farm: Weave your own basket from cattails or bittersweet. Or both! Local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud, from Will Forage for Food will talk about how the materials are harvested and prepared for use. Students will learn a few different weaving patterns, and then you will create a basket of your own design. All ages are welcome. $25 per student. Register at: www.willforageforfood.com. Space is limited. You must pre-register to reserve your spot.
4. VACATION HOLD or PICK UP RESCHEDULE: If you know that you are not able to pick up or need to reschedule pick up days during these coming 3 weeks for any reason, you can make those changes yourself by going into this link http://tantrefarm.csasignup.com and choosing “Schedule vacations or pick up location changes” under the “Member Actions” box on the left. You will need to do this a week ahead of time, if you know that you will not be picking up your share or you want to change your pick up date or location, or just email us to make changes. Please make a strong effort to PICK UP ALL OF YOUR SHARES in the next few weeks. If you miss a share pick up, it is available at the farm ONLY for that day and 1 day after, but please let us know ASAP, so we know what to do with your share.
5. PRORATED SHARES: Those of you with prorated shares should know that you will all receive the online newsletter every week and also Pick Up Reminders the night before you are scheduled even though it might not be your week to pick up. This is all just computer automated, and it can’t be undone for individuals. Just FYI!
6. THANKSGIVING CSA Registration is OPEN! A more detailed email notice about this will come out to you soon. You can also read more details about the Thanksgiving Share on our website under “CSA Info”, and sign up on our website. 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 $125. This share will be available for pick up on Nov. 17 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving) at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market from 7 A.M. until Noon and Tantré Farm from 2-5 P.M.
7. PLASTIC AND PAPER GROCERY BAGS NEEDED: We encourage you to bring cloth bags, coolers, or totes to take extra produce home that is on the side besides getting the share box, but we also ask for donated “grocery” (other sizes are less convenient) bags at Distribution Sites for those who forget their own. If anyone has piles and piles of bags, please donate them to any site you pick up.
8. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDERS:
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)–7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Farm (Wed.)–10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 P.M. to 8 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.
Pure Pastures (Wed)–9 A.M. To 7 P.M.
RECIPES
WHOLE ROASTED ROMANESCO WITH LEMON-THYME VINAIGRETTE (http://community.epicurious.com/post/whole-roasted-romanesco)
1 Romanesco cauliflower
1 lemon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
pinch of salt
1 tsp. thyme
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the back off the Romanesco, rinse and air dry, laying it flat on a sheet pan. Drizzle with several tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for 25-30 minutes until very tender, and browned at tips. Whisk the juice of one lemon, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves. Drizzle over the top of the roasted romanesco, and roast for another 5 minutes.Pull away individual florets to serve.
SCALLOPED SQUASH AND POTATOES (from Farm-Fresh Recipes by Janet Majure)
3 cups dry winter squash (kabocha), peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups diced potatoes
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped cooked ham
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/3 cups whole milk
2 Tbsp butter
Place half of squash and potatoes in a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle half the amount of ham and onions. Whisk together flour, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg with milk. Pour half the mixture over vegetables. Dot with half the butter. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables tender.
BEET AND DAIKON SLAW (from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce by MACSAC) Serves 2
2 beets, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch julienne (matchsticks)
1 6-inch Daikon radish, peeled and cut into julienne
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp unsalted rice vinegar
1 tsp sea salt, to taste
Combine all ingredients in bowl, cover and let stand at least 30 minutes. Season to taste, and serve.
Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #20
Oct. 7-13, 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: also known as “wild rocket” with more deeply lobed leaves and a more pungent flavor; an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor. See Week 3 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
RED ACE BEETS AND GREENS: round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and medium-tall, red-veined green leaves. See Week 7 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.
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.
*Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley: Flat leaf or Italian is used primarily in cooking because of its more robust flavor; flat, glossy, dark green leaves have a strong parsley/celery flavor for use dried or fresh; high in vitamins A and C, and other minerals, such as iron; especially good in omelets, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, pasta and vegetable dishes, as well as, sauces.
KALE (Green Curly): well ruffled green leaves; great for kale chips, in a salad, roasted, and in soups. See Week 4 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
LETTUCE: You will receive lettuce, which may include Green or Red Leaf or Romaine. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
ONIONS (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.
MUSHROOMS (Oyster): white, golden, or gray oyster-shaped cap with a mild, anise, earthy odor. *If you don’t care for mushrooms then leave them for someone else or give them to a friend. For the rest of us, this is such a treat on the last Summer share!!
-How to use: brush off dirt to clean or wipe with damp cloth, do not wash or submerge in water; good grilled, sauteed, steamed, in soups, and in sandwiches.
-How to store: place in paper bag or wax bag and keep in refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
PEPPERS: You will receive Green Bell Peppers (large blocky cells with fruity, slightly sweet flavor with green skin), Carmen (6 inch long, tapered fruit that ripens from green to a deep “carmine” red; sweet taste in salads and when roasted and fully red-ripe), Red Knight Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green-to-red pepper with sweet flesh), or Cupid (snack size fruits are blocky to slightly pointed and particularly sweet when red or yellow). See Week 14 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. See Week 19 for usage and storage tips.
U-PICK RASPBERRIES (only available on the farm): The sweet fall red raspberries have been ripening again with the rain and warmer weather, so you may pick 1 pint as part of your share, if you are able to come out to the farm and pick it yourself. Extra pints are $4/pint.
WINTER SQUASH: Everyone will receive Sunshine Kabocha (red-orange, flat-round fruit with dry, sweet, bright orange flesh; excellent for baking, mashing, and pies) 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. LAST WEEK OF THE SUMMER CSA: That means Oct. 10 (Wed.), Oct. 12 (Fri.), and Oct. 13 (Sat.) are the last distribution days for our Summer Shares.
2. BRING BAGS! Please bring bags (cloth for yourself and/or any “grocery-size” plastic and paper to share with others), a cooler, or a box to receive your produce this week, so you can leave the share box behind if we won’t see you again this fall.
3. RICE CAMP AT TANTRE, October 20 & 21: Some folks from Will Forage for Food will be processing wild rice using traditional techniques at the farm on Sat. Oct. 20 from 12 – 5 PM and on Sunday from 11 AM – 3 PM. All are welcome to come watch, learn, and participate. Free of charge. Just come behind the Main House into Tantre Farm’s back yard.
4. KIMCHI PRESERVING WORKSHOP at the Washtenaw Food Hub on Thursday, Oct. 25, from 6-8 P.M.: Fermentation revivalist, Melissa Robinson, will demonstrate how to make kimchi, a spicy and pungent Korean condiment served at almost every Korean meal. The workshop will cover lacto-fermentation, a method utilized to brine and preserve vegetables, using produce from Tantre Farm. Participants will take home a jar of kimchi made during the workshop. Please register by email with your NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, and PHONE NUMBER. $10 fee for materials and other ingredients.
5. STILL SPACES OPEN for the “EXTENDED FALL CSA” SHARE: This 3-week share runs from Oct. 14 through Nov. 3 for $108 celebrating all the bounty of the fall vegetables! The link for online registration is http://tantrefarm.csasignup.com . Please sign up by this coming Saturday, Oct. 13, so you won’t miss any of the 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.
6. THANKSGIVING CSA REGISTRATION on November 17 is OPEN: You can also read more details about the Thanksgiving Share on our website under “CSA Info”. 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 $125 (INCORRECTLY LISTED AS $120 LAST WEEK!). This share will be available for pick up on the Saturday before Thanksgiving at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market from 7 AM to 12 PM or Tantré Farm from 2-5 PM.
7. INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR CSA IN 2019? All members may renew their registration just like usual with online registration. You will all receive a separate email informing you when registration opens within the the next month. A slight change that we are considering is the Summer CSA will run for 18 weeks from June through the end of September in 2019. Then our Extended Fall CSA will be for the whole month of October for a slightly longer fall share, but a slightly shorter summer share.
8. U-PICK FLOWERS AVAILABLE: You may pick 1 bouquet of 16 stems per household for “free” in the u-pick flower garden on the farm one last time or the first time, if you haven’t made it out to the farm until now. Extra bouquets – $4.
9. 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.
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN….
The cranes are gathering. The geese are flying. The bees collect nectar as if it were still summer. These first days of autumn have been filled with the sounds of migration. The hills are alive with the sound of music! These days have been rather balmy and summer-like keeping things green and verdant. The raspberries have become plump and sweet with these mild, humid, rainy days. Last weeks’s rain brought a heavy flush of mushrooms as well, which seem to be a good, parting gift as we end our Summer CSA this last week.
It really feels like we have an “extended summer”, instead of just about to start the Extended Fall CSA next week. We are looking forward to an abundant fall harvest with carrots, squash, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. Please feel free to join us for our Extended Fall CSA, especially if you have not been overwhelmed with too many vegetables as the bounty continues to grow. If you need a break, please join us for our Thanksgiving CSA instead. Thank you for making Tantre Farm such a great community by being a part of it! We would especially like to express our heartfelt appreciation to our farm crew for all their hard work and long hours this past season. If you get a chance to thank them please do.
Please feel free to contact us throughout the rest of fall and winter for any fall storage produce at the Farm or come visit us at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market every Wed. (until December) and Sat. (year round), Chelsea Farmers Market (every Sat. through Oct.), Argus Farm Stop on Liberty or on Packard, and the People’s Food Coop throughout the winter. Hope to share our harvest with you again for our Fall/Winter 2018 CSAs or next Summer CSA for 2019.
RECIPES
ITALIAN PARSLEY AND ARUGULA SALAD WITH MUSHROOMS
1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed, washed, spun dry
1 cup arugula, loosely packed, washed, spun dry
3 firm mushrooms; sliced thin
Dash salt
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup thinly-sliced onions, soaked in ice water 15 minutes, drained
Parmesan cheese, shaved in thin curls
In a large bowl toss the parsley, arugula and mushrooms with the salt. Add the oil and toss well. Add the lemon juice and toss well. Season to taste with the black pepper. Divide the salad among plates and add to each portion some of the onions and Parmesan curls.
BEET BURGERS (from America’s Small Farms by Joanne Lamb Hayes and Lori Stein)
2 cups grated beets (about 3/4 lb)
2 cups grated carrots (about 1/2 lb)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 cup grated onion (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup oil
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
2-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbsp soy sauce
Ground red pepper (cayenne), to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a rimmed baking sheet. Combine beets, carrots, rice, cheese, sunflower seeds, eggs, sesame seeds, onion, oil, flour, parsley, garlic, soy sauce, and red pepper. Form mixture into patties and bake 25-30 minutes or until firm and vegetables are cooked through.
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.
Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #18
Sept. 23-29, 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.
BROCCOLI: deep emerald green, tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems; known as an anti-cancer vegetable. You will either receive these as heads or as florets depending on availability. 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.
SWEET CORN (Potawatomi): yellow kernels with excellent sweet flavor. * We don’t treat our corn with pesticides, so you may find some ear worms enjoying the corn too; just break off the damaged part and cook the rest of the ear. See Week 12 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
EGGPLANT: You will receive Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit) or Rosa Biana (an Italian heirloom; round fruit streaked with white and violet). See Week 13 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:
French Sorrel: slightly tart, lemon-flavored green shaped like spinach; excellent for salads, soups, and sauces; can be used in omelets, breads, dressings, or cooked as a side dish.
Marjoram: a small and oval-shaped leaf, which is light green with a grayish tint; often added to fish sauces, salads and dressings, tomato-based sauces, grilled lamb and other meats; goes well with vegetables including cabbages, potatoes, eggplant, and beans. Traditionally, it was used in tea to cure headaches, head colds, calm nervous disorders, and to clear sinuses.
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.
Italian Flat-leaf Parsley: flat, glossy, dark green leaves have a strong parsley/celery flavor for use dried or fresh; especially good in omelets, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, pasta and vegetable dishes, as well as with fish, poultry, and pork.
Bronze-leaf Fennel – anise-flavored, feathered foliage; can be used for garnish or flavor enhancer for salads, soups, and egg dishes; rich in vitamin A and contains calcium, phosphorous, and potassium.
BABY LETTUCE MIX (Wildfire): a beautiful bag of dark reds and vibrant greens including Green and Red Oakleaf, Green and Red Romaine, and Redleaf lettuces; your lettuce has been rinsed once, but needs washing.
-How to use: raw in salads, sandwiches, or use in soups.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.
ONIONS (Red Zeppelin): medium to large, globe-shaped bulbs with deep red color and will store for six months or more under proper conditions. See Week 10 for usage and storage tips.
HOT PEPPERS (Red Ember): Fruits are sweet with moderately 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. See Week 16 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
SWEET RED PEPPERS: You will receive Carmen (6 inch long, tapered fruit that ripens from green to a deep “carmine” red; sweet taste in salads and when roasted and fully red-ripe), Red Knight Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green-to-red pepper with sweet flesh), Cupid
(fruits are blocky to slightly pointed, snack size, and are particularly
sweet when red). or Lipstick (sweet, cone or heart-shaped peppers with juicy, thick flesh; delicious in salads and salsas, but also great for roasting). See Week 14 for usage and storage tips.
POTATOES: You will receive All Blue (an heirloom potato with deep blue skin and flesh; moist texture; perfect in salads, baked, or boiled) *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) and Kerr’s Pink (very pale skin and cream flesh; mealy, cooked texture, so makes a good specialty/salad potato variety; good roasted, mashed, or in salads). See Week 7 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
RADISHES: You will receive 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 17 for usage and storage tips.
TOMATOES: The tomatoes are finally dwindling down to just a few stragglers for you this week, so you will just receive Tiren (classic San Marzano shape developed in Italy; produces meaty fruit; great flavor for sauce). See Week 9 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
WATERMELON (Dark Belle): dark-green skin, bright-red flesh, oblong 5-7 lb. fruit with thin rind, and very sweet flavor. See Week 11 for usage and storage tips.
WINTER SQUASH: Everyone will receive Spaghetti Squash (3-5-pounds, pale yellow, oblong, smooth, medium size, only mildly sweet with “spaghetti” (stringy) flesh) 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. COOKING CLASS with Chef Allison on October 3 from 6 to 9 PM: Tantre Farm’s seasonal farm shares allow for so much creativity in the kitchen. But don’t be stumped by all of the possibilities! Personal Chef Allison Anastasio Zeglis, from www.lastbitechef.com will show you how to approach a CSA box to cook for yourself & your family. 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 fall produce inspired meal! Please register with OCTOBER COOKING CLASS in the Subject Line and your NAME, PHONE, and EMAIL ADDRESS. Please bring $15/person, but if financial difficulties, please let us know. More details coming!
3. THANKS FOR COMING TO OUR FALL WORK PARTY AND POTLUCK on Sept. 23. We managed to break apart about 5 crates of garlic for seed, weeded several beds in the herb garden, and harvested some winter squash and a pile of pumpkins after our wagon ride. Throughout the day we filled our bellies full of delicious food and enjoyed the musical talent of Max and Bella from AIM High School in Farmington Hills. All members were able to go home with a squash or a pumpkin, a pint of raspberries, and a flower bouquet. We really appreciate getting to know so many of our Tantre Farm community and especially all the ways you all pitched in to help the farm!
4. “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.
5. HARVEST KITCHEN PREPARED FOOD CSA: Also, be sure and check out Harvest Kitchen’s website at http://harvest-kitchen.com, if you’re interested in fresh, delicious, farm to table meals delivered right to your door or some other convenient location. Just check on the various meal plan options or gift cards.
6. U-PICK AVAILABLE: Please call ahead if you plan to pick on other days besides Farm Distribution Days (Wed. and Fri.), so we can make sure someone is around to help you.
–U-pick Fall Raspberries – 1 pint FREE if you can make it out to the farm and pick it. They are just starting to be plentiful. Extra $4/pint
–U-pick Flowers – You may pick 1 bouquet of 16 stems per household for “free” in the u-pick flower garden on the farm. Extra bouquets – $4.
7. 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
BROCCOLI, RED PEPPER, AND CHEDDAR CHOWDER (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website)
1 head broccoli
6 oz sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)
1 large boiling potato
1 red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp dry mustard
3/4 cup heavy cream
Discard tough lower third of broccoli stem. Peel remaining stem and finely chop. Cut remaining broccoli into very small (1-inch) florets. Cook florets in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 2-3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain. Reserve 3 cups cooking water for chowder. Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Cook potato, onion, bell pepper, broccoli stems, thyme and garlic in butter in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8-10 minutes. Add cumin, salt, pepper, and mustard and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add reserved cooking water and simmer (partially covered), stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream and cheese and cook, stirring, until cheese is melted, then season with salt and pepper. Puree about 2 cups of chowder in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pot. Add florets and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
HOW TO BAKE DELICATA SQUASH CRESCENTS/HALF MOONS
Slice in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and then slice the long pieces in half moon slices about half inch wide. Place crescents in baking pan and brush both sides with oil and a little salt. It will need to bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until top is turning golden brown and fork tender. The skins are edible and melt in your mouth!
