TANTRÉ FARM CSA NEWSLETTER
“Extended Fall CSA Share”
WEEK 3
Oct. 26-Nov. 1, 2014
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 usually try to give you a pretty accurate listing of the produce in your box, but since the newsletter is published before the harvest, sometimes we may substitute some vegetables for others.
We also try to keep the formatted newsletter to 2-pages, which means that we don’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. Keep in mind the internet is overflowing with information, including pictures of almost everything that we grow.
**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. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage information.
BEETS (Chioggia): Italian variety with leaves all green and pink-striped stems; root has cherry red, candy-striped flesh and has a sweet flavor; mild beet flavor. See Week 2 for usage & storage information.
BROCCOLI or CAULIFLOWER: You will receive 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 Cauliflower (medium-sized, white heads with domed, solid curds).
-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.
**See Week 1 newsletter for Broccoli usage and storage information.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS: tiny, green cabbage heads with mildly pungent, mustard-like flavor.
-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 (Purple & Orange): You will receive a mixed bunch of purple and orange roots, so you may enjoy all the nutritional benefits of both colors. See Week 1 for usage & storage information.
KALE (Lacinato): dark green, noncurled, blistered leaves, but heavily savoyed. See Week 1 for usage & storage information.
LETTUCE MIX (All Star): a beautiful blend of balanced color and balanced texture of Green and Red Oakleaf, Green & Red Romaine, Lollo Rossa, and Red Leaf lettuces. See Week 1 for usage & storage information.
ONIONS: You will receive Mars Red (purple-red skinned onion with sweet flavor). See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage information.
POTATOES, FINGERLING: a small, stubby, finger-shaped type of potato, which is usually a heritage variety; excellent roasted or boiled.
-How to use: good baked, boiled, roasted or in salads
-How to store: Keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag.
RADISHES: You will receive Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor) or Amethyst (bright purple skin and crisp, mild white flesh). See Week 1 for usage & storage information.
RUTABAGA purplish skin with yellow flesh; thought to be a cross between a cabbage and a turnip and resembles a large turnip (3 to 5 inches in diameter).
-How to use: Bake, steam, or boil so it cooks up to a creamy texture as nice addition to mashed potatoes, can be substituted or added to pumpkin or squash pies, or baked in a root bake, and often a key ingredient in making pasties.
-How to store: Refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 1 month; keeps at room temperature for 1 week.
WATERMELON RADISHES: an heirloom Chinese variety of Daikon radishes; large, 2-4”, round radishes with unique dark magenta flesh and light green/white skin along with a remarkably sweet 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.
SPICY GREENS MIX: You will receive a blend of arugula, Kyona/Mizuna, and red and green mustards. See Week 2 newsletter for usage and storage information.
SPINACH: crisp, dark green leaf—rich source of antioxidants & many nutrients, such as vitamins A, E, K, & C; delicious flavor when juiced.
See Week 1 for usage & storage information.
TATSOI: an Asian green with small, spoon-shaped, thick, dark-green leaves with tangy, sweet flavor.
-How to use: commonly eaten raw in salads and in stir-fries/soups
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag or wrap in a damp towel for up to a week.
WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: A white salad turnip with round, smooth roots that have a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture. See Week 1 for usage & storage information.
WINTER SQUASH/PIE PUMPKIN: You will receive the following: Acorn (small, green ribbed squash with pale yellow flesh; great stuffed with rice, breading, or soups), Butternut (light, tan-colored skin; small seed cavities with thick, cylindrical necks; bright orange, moist, sweet flesh; longest storage potential of all squash), Baby Bear Pie Pumpkin (deep orange, 1 1/2-2 1/2-lb. fruits are about half the size of a normal pie pumpkin), 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 1 newsletter for usage and storage information.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. LAST DISTRIBUTION THIS WEEK! Please return any forgotten boxes from past weeks, since this is the final week of the Extended Fall Share. You may bring bags, a cooler or other containers to transfer your produce from the boxes at your Distribution Site. We also can use any EXTRA PAPER OR PLASTIC BAGS (Grocery Bags ONLY) that you have to donate.
2. THANKSGIVING SHARES Registrations Open Soon! This is still being set up, so we appreciate your patience. An email to all members and a registration link will also be available on our website under “CSA Info” and the Intro page. We are offering a distribution in November for you to stock up on vegetables before the holiday or for winter storage for $115. More details about this share on our website under CSA Info. This share will be available for pick up only on Nov. 22, 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.
3. INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR CSA IN 2015? Summer CSA Shares will be available for $640 for 20 weeks from June through the middle of October. We will be offering “online registration” for Summer Shares as well, but first we would like to sort through the Fall Share registrations. You will all receive a separate email in a few weeks informing you when registration opens, so we can work through one type of registration at a time. We welcome new members!!
4. PENCILS & PARSNIPS–A Farm to School Fundraiser with Zingermans and Tantre Farm: Join our Tantre Farm crew at Upstairs in the beautiful new space at Zingerman’s Deli on Wednesday, November 5, 6:30pm, for Zingerman’s annual “Taste of Tantre”. This year the event will celebrate The Agrarian Adventure’s 10th anniversary! Join us for Tantre-produced and inspired foods and drinks in honor of 10 years of edible education in Ann Arbor Public Schools. The funds raised at the event will benefit district-wide school garden outreach, Tappan garden and greenhouse programming, as well as the Farmer in the Classroom program in AAPS elementary classrooms (which Tantre Farm has actively been involved in for the past 7 years). For tickets and more info: http://www.zingermansdeli.com/
5. FROZEN LOCAL FRUIT AND VEGGIE SHARES FROM “LOCAVORIOUS” AVAILABLE: Tantre Farm member and Locavorious CSA founder, Rena Basch, provides locally grown, delicious, frozen fruits and vegetables in the winter months as Winter CSA Shares. Locavorious members receive 4 shares of local frozen fruits and veggies, including Tantre’s sweet peppers, sugar snap peas, and tomatoes. Shares are $210. Share pick-up places include Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Corner Brewery, Morgan & York, and the Washtenaw Food Hub. Contact Rena for more information at rena@locavorious.com or 734-276-5945, or visit www.locavorious.com to sign up.
6. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER
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.) — 10 A.M. to 12 P.M.
MONTAGE OF MEMORIES
We have gathered together a collection of memories from the farm crew for you with our last entry. We still have the Thanksgiving Share distribution on Nov. 22, which will open for online registrations later this week. A great way to stock up on some storage veggies for the winter!! You will all receive a couple of email reminders about this over the next couple of weeks. We would also like you to know how you may continue to receive our produce throughout the fall and winter months.
We will continue harvesting greens, brassicas, root vegetables, and Brussels sprouts to sell at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market every Wednesday and Saturday from now into December. Believe it or not, the last couple of years we made it year round to the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, since the market continues on Saturdays from January through April! We only missed a couple of weekends due to holidays or really cold weather last year. If you follow us on Facebook, you will always know when we are at market and what variety of produce we will be toting along.
The People’s Food Coop and Argus Farm Stop of Ann Arbor have been selling our produce all summer and will continue throughout the off seasons. Busch’s has been carrying many of our items as well this past summer for the first time. Several chefs from some of the local restaurants continue to order wholesale amounts of Tantre produce. We’ll do our best to continue providing as long as possible.
Finally, for those able to travel to the farm, we will have much of the above bulk produce in storage or in the fields until the end of December, and some things like potatoes, squash, garlic, and spinach will be available into January, February, and maybe even March. Last year we had potatoes last well into June!
As always, thank you for your encouragement and support this season. We’d especially like to acknowledge and give our heartfelt appreciation to another incredibly talented farm crew for all their hard work and long hours this past season. Thank you Chizo, Lizzie, Erin, Dylan, Shaun, Lori, Carly, Oscar, Davey, Liora, Nino, Jill, Paul, Sarah, Raquel, Julia, Andi, Shad, Moriah, Laurie, Chloe, Jbird, Rachel, and Beth! Now we would like to leave you with a collection of some of our memories of the season….
Swarms of yellow jackets on the watermelon,
swarms of wings on the creekside berries,
swarms of fingers who push the clock hands forward in ticks faster and fast
–Lizzie
Sounds coming from in and around the farm. Mornings are my favorite. Birds are chirping. You hear bugs and frogs, cows mooing, roosters crowing. There are so many sounds.
–Carly
Blue bands snapping chapped knuckles,
Waiting for heat that never came,
Learning bovine lessons,
Hoping for warm, summer rain
–Julia
“Hunger Moon”
When the last beet has been bled dry,
what placates the ghostly agrarian’s winter cry?
Thrice-soaked coffee beans drip motor oil—
blackened, beaten, water-logged soil—
traces of solstice sweat and toil—
cure the tongue like leather.
Rattle bones and feathers to tame fickle weather,
fire and salt to tame the beast.
Mingle blood with blood, cross the heart, and
bless ye primal feast.
–Shaun
Late this afternoon,
warm and sultry, someone said,
“I love you” in the breeze.
Your resonant reservoir of
dark, fragrant water of leaves, flowers, and roots.
A ten thousand year old button bush, leather leaf fen
To twine the trails of deer and muskrat,
Compost submerged and timeless
Untainted, save the long foot of the sandhill crane,
or the paddling of the wayfaring goose
Blue jays squawk, redwings dive
The unseen goose ungulates cattails and canary grass
The puffy tuffs of thistle blow aloft.
What is it?
Is it Love?
What is it?
–Richard
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. Also, you can look up many recipes on our website: www.tantrefarm.com