THIS WEEK’S SHARE

BASIL OR BUNCHING CELERY: You will receive either Prospero Italian Large Leaf (an herb with a sweet aroma with notes of anise in its green leaves; traditionally used in pesto, tomato sauces, pesto, and salad dressings) OR Cutting Celery (also known as “leaf celery”; leafy herb with bold celery flavor; a versatile ingredient for salads, soups, stews, and vegetable medleys) 

-How to use: see above

-How to store: store both Basil and Cutting Celery with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water, but does not store well in a refrigerator, since it does not like cold temperatures, so put on counter top. Cutting Celery can be stored can be stored in the refrigerator.

BROCCOLI from Second Spring Farm: 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. Thanks to our former intern (2003)-turned-farmer, Reid Johnston, owner of Second Spring Farm from Cedar, MI. Besides finding his certified organic produce up north, he also distributes his veggies at Argus and Agricole.

-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 (Bolero) from Second Spring Farm: excellent long-term, storage carrot with medium-long, thick, blunt, orange roots; juicy and crisp with a rich, sweet flavor that actually intensifies or stays sweet in storage. (See above to learn more about Second Spring Farm.)                 

-How to use: can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sauteed, in stews, soups, casseroles, or 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.

PURPLE OR WHITE CAULIFLOWER: You will receive either Amazing White (medium-sized, white heads with domed, solid curds) OR Purple Moon (medium-dark purple curds that offer a vibrant pop of color in the garden and on the plate; a mild, sweet, and nutty flavor with a crisp texture; great eaten raw in salads or on veggie trays to add color, etc.).

-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.

-How to freeze: blanch 2-4 minutes, rinse under cold water, drain and dry, pack into freezer bags.

SWEET CORN: You will receive Vision (exceptionally tender, super sweet, yellow ears; great for fresh eating and freezing) OR some of you will receive a new purple variety called Ultra Violet (a super sweet corn known for its striking multicolored kernels in shades of pink, purple, and white; retains its color beautifully when boiled, blanched, grilled, or roasted).

*Keep in mind that we don’t treat our corn with pesticides, so you may find some earworms enjoying the corn too; just break off the damaged part and cook the rest of the ear.

-How to use: great steamed, roasted, boiled, grilled, etc. 

-How to store: refrigerate with husks on, and use as soon as possible to retain sweetness and flavor.

U-PICK FLOWERS (only available for picking on the farm): Every summer we plant a variety of flowers for drying or fresh bouquets. We would like to welcome you to visit the farm to pick your flowers on any day of the week over the next 2 weeks, but please contact us if it will be on other days besides our usual CSA distribution days of Wednesdays and Fridays, so we can make sure to be around to show you where to go and what to do. This week you can pick up to 14 stems per household. You may want to bring scissors or clippers and a vase/jar to keep your flowers fresh going home, but we will have clippers and donated yogurt containers to fill with water as well. Your bouquet is part of your share, although it is helpful when you make a small donation to pay for seeds and labor when you can. Extra bouquets cost $7/bunch. Please call or text Deb at 734-385-6748, if you can’t find anyone around to help you find where the flowers are. This is a bit of a weedy patch, but lots of beautiful flowers. Thank you for understanding, and hope you come out to enjoy them!!

GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, bolstering the immune system, lowering blood pressure and preventing heart disease, used as an expectorant or decongestant, and at least some people believe that it can ward off vampires and insects. 

*Cooking tips: to mellow garlic’s strong flavor opt for longer cooking; to enjoy its more pungent flavors and increased medicinal benefit, use it raw or with minimal cooking. 

-How to use: minced raw in salad dressings, sauteed and added to stir-fries, meats, vegetables 

-How to store: garlic can be stored in an open, breathable basket in a cool, dark place for many months  

GREEN CURLY KALE: This is a nutrient dense leafy green with well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems and a mildly, earthy, peppery flavor; Known as the “Queen of Greens,” its heavily frilled texture makes it perfect for trapping dressings in raw salads or crisping into chips

-How to use: for salads, soups, light cooking; excellent roasted

-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

YELLOW ONIONS: You will receive Patterson (medium-large, blocky bulbs with dark yellow skin and thin necks; excellent storage onion).

-How to use: ideal for slicing thinly into summer salads, burgers, and sandwiches; great for light sautés or grilling, as their high sugar content caramelizes beautifully

-How to store: can last for 10-12 months if kept in a cold, dark place, but remove any ones starting to go soft from the others. 

RAINBOW PEPPER MEDLEY: You will receive Green/Red Bell (medium-sized green-to-red bell pepper with fruity, sweet flavor; excellent source of vitamin C, fair amount of vitamin A) OR 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 Goddess Banana Pepper (sweet banana pepper for pickling or fresh eating; 8-9” long, thick-walled, smooth fruits; fruits are mild when yellow and moderately sweet when they ripen red) OR Shishito (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) OR Poblano (a mild variety of chili pepper known as “poblanos” when dark green popular in Southwestern recipes; heart-shaped fruit, which is mildly pungent with a lightly sweet, medium-hot flavor).

-How to use: eat raw; can be added to soups, stews, omelets, quiches, stir-fries, etc.; excellent roasted.

-How to store: refrigerate unwashed in hydrator drawer for 1-2 weeks; can be easily frozen by washing, chopping, and placing in freezer bags; can also be dehydrated or dried.

POTATOES (Red Norland): an early-maturing, waxy potato characterized by a smooth, red skin and bright white flesh.

-How to use: great baked, boiled, or roasted

-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag 

SPAGHETTI SQUASH: 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; mild, slightly sweet, nutty flavor and is a nutritious, low-carb, and low-calorie alternative to traditional pasta.  

-How to use: can be baked, microwaved, or roasted, or use as a side dish, a base for sauces, or even as a stuffed “boat”

-How to store: store uncooked whole in a cool, dry, dark place at 50-60°F (10-15°C) for about 2 to 3 months

TOMATOES: You will receive any of the following: Tiren (Italian variety with classic San Marzano shape; meaty flesh that makes for good sauce and paste making it a fast variety to boil down into sauce) OR New Girl (medium-size fruits offer an ideal size for slicing onto sandwiches or cutting up into salads) OR Heirloom Tomato –Brandywine (large, heirloom, beefsteak tomato–often over 1 lb–with a deep pink skin and smooth red flesh).

-How to use: saute, bake, broil, or grill; eat raw in salads or add to soups, stews, or sauces.

-How to store: keep at room temperature for up to 1 week.

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

1. COMMUNITY TABLE: “SEASONAL SALAD DRESSINGS” with ROBIN LEHMAN at the WASHTENAW FOOD HUB on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, from 6 PM to 7 PM: Discover how to make flavorful salad dressings with Robin Lehman using locally crafted vinegars from Donkey Provisions. Learn simple recipes for salads, marinades, and more while experimenting with seasonal flavor combinations. Sample a variety of dressings and take home recipes to recreate at home.

*Registration:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-table-seasonal-salad-dressings-tickets-1997172247956

**You can check out our Food Hub calendar for all future events here: https://www.thewashtenawfoodhub.com/events/washtenaw-food-hub-events

***If you are interested in sharing your skill or talent related to food/farming, sustainability, or community, please contact us at sunflowerfarmmarket@gmail.com. Although we may not be able to engage everyone’s skills, we welcome your ideas.

2. ENDING SUMMER CSA DATES: The end is drawing near for our Summer CSA. This is just a reminder that our summer shares are ending in just a few weeks. That means Sept. 23 (Wed.), Sept. 25 (Fri.), and Sept. 26 (Sat.) are the last distribution days for our Summer Shares.

3. RETURN BOXES AND DONATE “GROCERY” BAGS: We are missing many share boxes, so before we have to order more boxes, we ask you to return your boxes this week, so we can reuse them. We also could use ONLY grocery bags whether plastic or paper for members to use at various distribution sites. Please DO NOT give us your clothing bags or pieces of plastic of all different sizes, since we are not a recycling facility, and can not use those for sending produce home with members.

4. EXTENDED FALL CSA 2026 REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Our 4-week Extended Fall CSA will start the week of Sept. 27 – Oct. 3 and ends the week of October 18 -24 for $160. In order to receive all 4 shares, please register online anytime before Sept. 26 at https://www.tantrefarm.com/about-csa/fall-csa/ . If you can’t commit right away, then sign up the week before you would like to receive a box for a prorated share. Please go to our website for more information and find the Sign In link. Payment is with PayPal, Check, Cash, or Venmo. You will receive a separate email in the coming days with details about the Extended Fall season. You can always look up general details on our website about each of our CSA programs. Our Thanksgiving CSA share registration will begin sometime in October. Thank you for your patience!

5. SAVE THE DATE–6th ANNUAL HONEYBEE NUT FESTIVAL on OCTOBER 11 from 10 AM to 5 PM: Celebrate the Earth and the seasons with a FREE, fun, outdoors event at HoneyBee U-pick (5700 Scio Church Rd, AA). In the past years, we have made walnut butter, acorn flour, hickory nut milk, fresh pressed apple cider, and roasted chestnuts on the campfire. Fall foraging (root season!) and nature hikes will be available in the AM and PM, along with networking with local nut experts, and learning about how the HoneyBee property continues to become a wild, nut-centered, native polyculture. A special guest this year will be a visit from the Michigan Avian Experience and they will present about Michigan birds of prey with live raptors. More updated details coming about speakers and activities on Facebook Events, Instagram posts, and our website page https://www.tantrefarm.com/nut-tree-planting-fest/ . 

6. WANTED: TOMATO PICKERS!!  Is there anyone interested in helping us pick tomatoes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, OR Friday mornings anytime between 7 AM and 11:30 AM. We will feed you a homemade, farm-cooked lunch. The tomatoes are still ripening and we really need the extra help. Please contact us with an email to info@tantrefarm.com with TOMATO PICKER in the Subject Line. Thanks to those who have shown up so far to help. We can always use the extra hands!! If needed, we will hire you or you can volunteer.

7. ALREADY PICKED TOMATOES AVAILABLE: 15-lb box for $25 for Roma or Verona tomatoes in good condition. Other amounts are available as well.  Your order can be brought to Saturday Chelsea and Ann Arbor Farmers Markets, the Saturday Washtenaw Food Hub, HoneyBee U-pick and the FARM, if ordered by email by Thursday morning with BULK TOMATOES in the subject line.

8. HONEYBEE U-PICK is OPEN ONLY ON SATURDAY MORNINGS THROUGH OCTOBER: We are open this week from 8 AM until 12 PM on Saturday mornings at 5700 Scio Church Road on the corner of Zeeb Rd. and Scio Church Rd. in Ann Arbor. We will have a wide variety of TANTRE PRODUCE at our farm stand for purchase as well as local HONEY. Check our website daily if we are open. Sign up to be on our mailing list, so you know times, prices, weather-related closings, etc. here: https://www.tantrefarm.com/honey-bee .

9. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:

*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 9:30 AM (SARA there the whole time)

*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there with some self check-in)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –4 PM to 8 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Pure Pastures (Wed.) —9 AM to 11 AM (JESSICA there most of the time)

*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there with some self check-in)

*Ann Arbor Farmers Market (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM (SHANNON there the whole time)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 5 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB there the whole time)

*Argus-Packard (Sat) — 9 AM to 3 PM (STAFF there the whole time)

*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (LIZ there the whole time)

*HoneyBee U-pick (Sat)–8 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

RECIPES

SWEET PEPPER SAUCE (from The Victory Garden) Makes around 3 cups

1 1/2 lb sweet red peppers, roasted

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped celery with leaves

1 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Peel the peppers, if desired. Cut into strips. Heat the oil and saute the onions and celery until wilted and golden. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in peppers, tomatoes, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook 5 minutes; uncover and simmer 15-30 minutes or until thickened. The cooking time depends upon the juiciness of the tomatoes. Puree smooth in the blender, food processor, or food mill. Serve with cooked vegetables, eggs, fish, or poultry.

GARLIC, BASIL, CORN ON THE COB: Combine 2 tablespoons butter (softened), 1 tablespoon green basil (chopped), and 1 garlic clove (minced) in a small bowl. Place 4 ears of corn into a large saucepan of boiling water; cook 4 minutes. Drain. Spoon 1 teaspoon butter mixture over each ear of corn. Delicious!

GARLIC-MARINATED BROCCOLI (from Recipes From a Kitchen Garden) Serves 4

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp finely minced garlic

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)

2 Tbsp vinegar

2 tsp soy sauce 

Fresh pepper, to taste

1 head of broccoli, cut into 2- to 3-inch florets

Mix together all ingredients except broccoli. Steam or quickly boil broccoli florets until tender-crisp. Drain and chill in ice water. Toss with marinade and let stand at least 1/2 hour. Serve at room temperature or chilled.  

BROCCOLI, KALE, CARROT SALAD (from https://www.sylviacenter.org/broccoli-kale-carrot-salad-with-lemon-dressing/ ) 

Salad Ingredients

5 cups kale, chopped small

2 cups broccoli, chopped small

½ cup carrots, shredded

¼ cup onion, diced

¼ cup cranberries, dried

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup feta cheese (optional)

Lemon Dressing

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice, fresh

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp honey

¼ tsp salt

⅛ tsp black pepper

Make dressing: Shake all dressing ingredients in a sealed jar until smooth. Massage kale: Put chopped kale in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a tiny pinch of salt. Rub the leaves with your fingers for 1 minute until soft and dark. Combine: Add the broccoli, carrots, onion, seeds, cranberries, and cheese to the kale. Toss: Pour part of the dressing over the salad and mix well. Serve right away or chill for 10 minutes.

CAULIFLOWER WITH GINGER, GARLIC & GREEN CHILLIES (adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick & Easy Indian Cookery) Serves 2-3 

3 garlic cloves

1 x 2.5-cm (1-inch) cube fresh root ginger 

1 medium head cauliflower

1 tsp sunflower oil 

1/2 tsp cumin seed 

1/2 tsp mustard seed 

1-3 hot green chilies (poblano) 

1/4 tsp salt 

freshly-ground black pepper 

1/2 tsp garam masala 

chili powder to taste (optional) 

Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Chop the chilies or cut in long strips. Heat a wok, and add the oil. When oil is hot, add the cumin and mustard seeds, and stir. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the garlic, ginger, cauliflower and chilies. Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes until the cauliflower is lightly browned, adding a tiny drop of water if it begins to stick. Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, garam masala and chili powder (if using). Mix well, add 4 tbsp water, cover and cook for 2 minutes until cauliflower is done to your liking.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE (from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen) Serves 4-6

1 spaghetti squash

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup chopped onion

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lb fresh, sliced mushrooms

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil

Dash of thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 cup cottage or ricotta cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 cup fine bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Halve the squash and scoop out seeds. Bake face-down on oiled sheet until it is easily pierced by a fork, about 30 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to touch, then scoop out pulp and place in large bowl. Meanwhile, heat butter and saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms with herbs, salt and pepper. When onions are soft, add tomatoes and continue to cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Stir this mixture into squash pulp with remaining ingredients except Parmesan. Spread into buttered 2-quart casserole. Top with Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes.  

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