Ext. Week 3: October 11 – 17, 2020

Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
Extended Fall CSA Share
WEEK #3
Oct. 11-17, 2020

If needed, please contact Richard Andres & Deb Lentz at 2510 Hayes Rd. Chelsea, MI 48118 e-mail: tantrefarm@hotmail.com phone: 734-475-4323 website: www.tantrefarm.com.

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

AMARANTH (RED LEAF): known as “Callaloo” in the Caribbean; medium-green, oval to heart-shaped leaves with splashes of burgundy-red; tastes like spinach and can be prepared like spinach.
-How to use: use in soups or as a cooked green like spinach
-How to store: refrigerate with a damp towel/bag for up to 1 week.

BROCCOLI or GREEN BEANS:  You will receive either Broccoli (deep emerald green, tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems; high in vitamins A, C, calcium, potassium, and iron; known as an anti-cancer vegetable) or Jade Green Beans (long, slender, deep green, filet bean with sweet flavor).
-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.

GREEN CABBAGE: a sweet green cabbage; considered a beneficial digestive aid and intestinal cleanser; 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 (Purple): You will receive either Purple Haze (bright purplish-red roots with bright orange interior and a sweet flavor; cooking will cause the color to fade) or Purple Elite (rich purple skin contrasts nicely with a beautiful yellow core and striations).  These purple carrots taste very similar to their orange cousins and should be embraced for their nutritional powerhouse benefits such as extra antioxidants, which help prevent blood clotting and heart diseases; anti-inflammatory as well as anti-bacterial properties due to their purple color.
-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: remove greens from roots and refrigerate dry and unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks; greens may last up to a week refrigerated in plastic bag.

GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, and 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: You will receive Red Russian Kale (the stems are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green, purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged) or Green Curly (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”) or Lacinato Kale (dark green, noncurled, blistered leaves, but heavily savoyed).
-How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking.
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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

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; good macrobiotic root that is good for the gut.
-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 in refrigerator.

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/PIE PUMPKINS: 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, 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),  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. NEXT WEEK IS LAST WEEK OF EXTENDED FALL CSA:  This means Oct. 21 (Wed.), Oct. 23(Fri.), and Oct. 24 (Sat.) are your last distribution days for our Extended Fall Shares, but please feel free to continue with our Thanksgiving CSA.  See details below. 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. 

2. DEB WILL BE OUT OF TOWN THIS WEEK! If any questions this week with distribution, please contact Deb by texting or calling 734-385-6748 or emailing info@tantrefarm.com.  We will try to make sure that all is as normal, but please let us know if any questions, since others are helping with distribution details, who are less familiar with the routines.

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. 21 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving) at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Ann Arbor)  7 AM-12 PM,  Washtenaw Food Hub (Ann Arbor) 9 AM-12 PM, Tantre Farm (Chelsea) 2 PM – 5 PM, Agricole (Chelsea) 9 AM-12 PM, and Pure Pastures (Plymouth) 9 AM – 4 PM.  

4. IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA:  We will continue offering this CSA throughout the winter, if any of you are not sure about committing to any of the other CSA's. This weekly CSA is our collaborative CSA with several local farms and food businesses that you can opt in or out of each week called the Immune Booster.  If you are interested, please go to our website to sign up every Monday - Wednesday night.  Pick up is from 9 AM to 12 PM every Saturday at the Washtenaw Food Hub:  http://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-immune-booster-csa-work/.  Still time to sign up this week!

5. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDERS:  **Volunteers will be at each site during designated times below.  We recommend that all come to each distribution site with a mask to pick up your shares.  We will have hand sanitizer at most sites as well. 
*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)--7 A.M. to 12 P.M.  (TANTRE STAFF for check-in from 7-9 AM)
*Farm (Wed.)--10 A.M. to 7 P.M.  (TANTRE STAFF checking off names from 10 AM-12 PM and from 2-4 PM)
*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) --6 P.M. to 8 P.M.  (LIZZIE for check-in the whole time)
*Pure Pastures (Wed)--9 A.M. to 12 P.M. (No Volunteer, so be prepared for self-check in with gloves or your own pen, if needed)
*Farm (Fri.)--2 P.M. to 7 P.M.  (TANTRE STAFF for check-in from 2 to  4 PM)
*Chelsea Farmers Market (Sat.)--8 A.M to 12 P.M.  (DEB for check-in the whole time)
*Community High School (Sat.) --7 A.M. to 12 P.M.  (SHANNON for check-in the whole time)
*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 A.M. to 12 P.M.  (PETER & RYAN for check-in the whole time)
*Argus-Packard (Sat)-- 12 P.M. to 3 P.M. (ARGUS STAFF for check-in the whole time)
*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat.)--9 A.M. to 11 A.M. (JONATHON for check-in the whole time)

RECIPES

SOUTHWEST COLACHE  (from Capay Organic Farm CSA "Farm Fresh To You" website)
2 Tbsp oil (veggie or olive) 
1 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.  

STIR-FRIED DAIKON (from Rolling Prairie Cookbook)  Serves 3.
1 Daikon radish or Watermelon 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.

ROASTED PURPLE CARROTS & DUKKAH (from https://food52.com/recipes/27951-roasted-purple-carrots-dukkah)
1 bunch purple carrots, washed and tops trimmed
4 garlic cloves, skin on
1 tablespoon honey
3 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons dukkah (an Egyptian and Middle Eastern condiment with a mixture of herbs, nuts, and spices)
salt & pepper
	Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Prepare your carrots, trimming off the green tops, leave about 2 cm of the stalk, and wash thoroughly. Line a baking dish with baking paper. Place your carrots, thyme, garlic in the dish. Drizzle honey and olive oil over and toss to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper.  Roast carrots in oven for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Every 15 minutes remove from oven and toss. Keep an eye on the garlic, remove early if beginning to burn.  Serve carrots with roasted garlic and a good sprinkling of dukkah. So easy!
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