Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #1
May 30-June 5, 2021
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.
If you are new to our CSA, you can find all past newsletters on our website under the NEWSLETTERS tab.
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: Also known as “sparrowgrass”, you will receive these green or purple spears; each contains vitamins A, B, and C, and 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.
RED ACE BEETS from Wayward Seed Farm: These certified organic, storage beets come from Wayward Seed Farm (http://waywardseed.com) in Ohio. These round, smooth, deep red roots have sweet flavor and can be used raw or cooked.
-How to use: 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;
CARROTS (Purple Elite): You will receive these Tantre storage carrots that have a rich purple skin contrasting nicely with a beautiful yellow core and striations.
-How to use: delicious roasted, 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
FRESH HERBS: You will be receiving fresh herbs off and on throughout the summer, since harvesting them often means they need a few weeks to recover before we harvest again. Here are a couple of links to help you know more about how to use fresh herbs: https://www.urbancultivator.net/cooking-with-fresh-herbs/. The following is a good link to help you identify your herb with images and descriptions: http://theherbexchange.com/25-best-herbs-to-grow-in-your-kitchen-garden/. 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 will be receiving either 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 OR you will receive Oregano—This member of the mint family has a spicy flavor and no mint aroma; good in soups and tomato-based dishes, and helps with indigestion as a hot tea.
LETTUCE (Skyphos): A beautiful butterhead with large, dark red heads and nicely contrasting green centers. Excellent flavor and texture, and rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C.
-How to use: raw in salads, sandwiches, or (believe it or not!) use in soups and smoothies.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.
ONIONS (Patteron): medium-large, blocky bulbs with dark yellow skin and thin necks; excellent storage onion. Tantre’s onions didn’t store as long this year, so thanks to our former intern (2003)-turned-farmer, Reid Johnston, of Second Spring Farm (www.secondspringfarm.net), he is providing you with his certified organic onions from Cedar, MI. Some of the tops may be soft,
-How to use: can be grilled or roasted or chopped in soups, meat dishes, and other veggie dishes for flavor
-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.
POTATOES: These certified organic, storage beets come from Wayward Seed Farm (http://waywardseed.com) in Ohio. You will receive Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; long storage and good tasting; perfect baked, boiled, mashed or fried) and Crimson Red (attractive oval tubers with red skin). These “old buddies” potatoes have been over-wintered in optimum storage conditions; possibly slightly less firm and slightly more sweet than a new potato, but good for cooking in any way suggested below.
-How to use: good baked, boiled, roasted or in potato salads
-How to store: keep in cool, dark place in paper bag; ideal temperature is 38-40 degrees with 80-90 percent humidity
RADISHES: You will receive the following – 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).
-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.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.
SPICY GREENS (Stir-Fry Mix): gourmet-quality greens for quick cooking; includes Tatsoi, Hon Tsai Tai, Green and Red Mustard.
-How to use: used for salads, quick sauteing/braising, and stir fries.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 2-4 days.
SPINACH: crisp, dark green leaf; best eaten raw or with minimal cooking to obtain the beneficial chlorophyll, rich in of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron and a plethora of other nutrients and antioxidants. The appearance of spinach also marks the beginning of spring for many of us farmers/gardeners!
-How to use: delicious flavor when juiced, toss in fresh salad, add to sandwiches, saute, steam, braise, or add to crepes, quiche, lasagna, and soups.
-How to store: refrigerate with a damp towel/bag for up to 1 week.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. MASK WEARING- We encourage that you all come to each distribution site with a mask if you are unvaccinated, but if you are already vaccinated you are not required to wear masks, especially outside. Please let our volunteers know if you need help. We ask that you continue to maintain respectful social distance from each other, and get someone else to pick up your share if you feel sick. Please treat each other with kindness!
2. ANY CHANGES in your address, phone, e-mail, or of misspelled names on any mailings or Pick Up Lists at Distribution Sites? Are we missing your share partner’s name? Please let us know as soon as possible.
3. PAYMENTS DUE: If you still owe money, please finalize payments as soon as possible during the month of June.
4. IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA: As some of you know last year we started a collaborative CSA with several local farms and food businesses that you can opt in or out of each week called the Immune Booster. If you are interested in supplementing your share with more veggies and other locally produced and sourced value-added products, please go to our website to sign up every Monday – Wednesday night. Pick up is from 9 AM to 12 PM every Saturday at the Washtenaw Food Hub and the Chelsea Farmers Market during the summer: http://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-immune-booster-csa-work/. Still time to sign up this week!
5. FARMERS MARKETS: All markets are in person this year, so we are set up at the Ann Arbor Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 AM until 1 or 2 PM. We also participate a bit in the online sales shopping for the Chelsea Farmers Market, so if you want to avoid the crowds, you can pick up your order at market. See the website for more details: https://openfoodnetwork.net/chelsea-farmers-market/shop. Of course, we will also be at the Chelsea Farmers Market from 8 AM-1PM throughout the rest of the summer and into the fall as well. We have established a Market Stand at the Food Hub during the Immune Booster pick up times on Saturdays from 9 AM-12 PM as well, so please feel free to purchase extra items.
6. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER: Please use your Member Dashboard to schedule Vacations or Pick up Location Changes. Some sites have less space to drop share boxes at, so are considered “limited” (see below). Please always email ahead to see if the limited sites are at capacity before making any switches on your own to those spaces.
**Volunteers will be at each site during designated times below, so if you need to come at a different time, please feel free to bring your own pen to check off your name.
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there from 7-9 AM)
MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 12 PM (SARA there the whole time)
Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)
Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 PM to 8 PM (LIZZIE there the whole time)
Pure Pastures (Wed.) (limited site) —10 AM to 5 PM (JESSICA there from 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM)
Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there from 2 to 7 PM with some self check-in)
Community High School (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM (SHANNON there the whole time)
Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 12 PM (RYAN and Staff there the whole time)
Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—9 AM to 12 PM (DEB there the whole time)
Argus-Packard (Sat) (limited site)—12 PM to 3 PM (ARGUS STAFF there the whole time)
RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (DEBRA is there the whole time)
REFLECTIONS ON THE FARM
by Richard and Deb
Welcome to the Summer CSA share of 2021! This spring has had a little unusual weather–cool and not much rain, although we have had a series of warm spells here and there. We are looking forward to a number of sweet, tender vegetables coming soon such as snap peas, beets, baby carrots, turnips, greens, asparagus, AND strawberries, which look really productive this year with millions of blossoms under the fresh, healthy spring leaves. This is the first year that we have planted no strawberries at Tantre Farm, but rather at a property that we are providing folks with you-picking opportunities and ecological restoration on the corner of Zeeb and Scio Church in Ann Arbor. Next week should be an easy time with you-pick strawberries, since the weather looks very promising. We will let you know more details next week. It should be easy to find, since we have erected a new timberframe barn as a gathering place for food, farming and fun, and we will have lots of signs. Hope to see you in the strawberry patch over the next 4 weeks!
Thank you for joining the CSA and for the overwhelming support and the amazing response to the CSA share this season. We also appreciate our farm crew for weathering every storm and temperature fluctuation from 20 degree mornings to 80 degree days during these past few months of planting and harvesting. They have been happily plucking weeds, harvesting vegetables, and packing your shares. It is another year of realizing the strength and sustainability of supporting our local farmers and our local community.
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 “recipe” after it, and many recipe ideas will pop up. Have fun searching! Lots and lots of ideas!
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.
SPINACH AND ASPARAGUS FRITTATA (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website) Serves 4
Filling:
1 bunch spinach, washed and drained, with stems removed
1 lb asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic or 2 green onions, minced or mashed
Egg mixture:
8 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp whipping cream or water
1/4 tsp salt
Pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded (optional)
Olive oil, to coat skillet
Preheat broiler. Mix ingredients well and pour into a greased 8-inch skillet and stir until set (about 5 minutes). Place under broiler for 2 minutes until top is golden brown. Cut into slices.
BASIC ASPARAGUS RECIPE:
Simple preparation: place in a tall, covered pot with an inch of water. Stand asparagus upright and steam for 5 minutes. This cooks the tougher stalks, while lightly steaming the thinner tops. Feel free to add the following toppings: brushed with lemon juice, brushed with olive oil or butter and tossed with sesame seeds.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS-CARROT-SPINACH SOUP (https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1865971)
1 bunch of Asparagus
3-4 Carrots (peeled & sliced length-wise)
2 cups of Spinach
2 cloves of Garlic
Water – to make vegetable stock (or Ginger Deli Soup)
Milk (or alternative milk)- about 2 cups
Salt & Pepper to taste
Other spices you wish to add
Begin by cutting bottom ends off asparagus (don’t throw away). Peel the carrots (reserve the peels). Place asparagus & carrots on tray to roast in oven – set @ 450 for appx. 20 minutes, carrots cooked about 5 minutes longer. Place the asparagus ends, carrot peels, and garlic in pot. Cover with water and season to taste. Bring to boil, then simmer appx. 20 minutes. This will make your stock. Combine veggies & splash of stock in blender and begin blending. Add more stock & milk as needed to your taste and continue to blend to the consistancy you desire. I returend to pot & cooked/kept warm on the stove & added seasoning here.
GRATED BEET AND CARROT SALAD
3-4 beets, grated
3-4 carrots, grated
1 finely chopped onion (or bunch of scallions or leeks)
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
Pour over vinegar and honey, mix and let marinate.