THIS WEEK’S SHARE
ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C.
-How to use: add to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes.
-How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
PURPLE CARROTS with GREENS: You will receive Purple Haze (bright purplish-red roots with bright orange interior and a sweet flavor; cooking will cause the color to fade). Carrot leaves are very nutritious with lots of protein, minerals and high levels of vitamins, especially ‘C’ and ‘K’.
-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. Greens can be chopped into soups for delicious carrot flavor, added to smoothies, made into carrot top pesto or tapenade.
-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.
CAULIFLOWER: You will receive either Romanesco (lime green, spiraled heads with pointed, spiraled pinnacles in a distinctive fractal appearance; crisp and mild with a mild, slightly nutty flavor and a crunchy texture) OR Flame Star (a hybrid cauliflower variety known for its pastel orange, smooth, and dense heads with a sweet, buttery flavor).
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.
SWEET CORN (Montauk): small, fancy, bicolor kernels on 8” long ears with superior, sweet flavor
-How to use: can be steamed, roasted, boiled, or eaten raw; ears of corn can be steamed in 1-2 inches of water for 6-10 minutes, or drop ears into boiling water (enough to cover) for 4-7 minutes; ears of corn can also be roasted unhusked in the oven or outside grill for about 20 minutes.
-How to store: refrigerate with husks on, and use as soon as possible to retain sweetness and flavor.
EGGPLANT: a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades); fruit is fleshy with a meaty texture that range in color from glossy black to pale lavender.
-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.
U-PICK FLOWERS (only available for picking on the farm): Believe it or not, most of our flowers survived the frost, so we invite you again to pick a bouquet of 20 stems, so you can make a bouquet to enjoy this week. Every summer we plant a variety of flowers for drying or fresh bouquets, but this summer unfortunately our flowers got buried in weeds, but surprisingly they are still pretty productive. If you decide to check out what’s left, you can contact us 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. 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. We hope you can come to enjoy this food for the soul!
KALE: You will receive Green Curly (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”) OR Red Curly (well ruffled red or green leaves with red stems; gets redder and sweeter after a frost).
-How to use: for salads, soups, smoothies, roasting, and light cooking.
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
ONIONS (Pattterson): medium-large, blocky bulbs with dark yellow skin and thin necks; excellent storage onion.
-How to use: good in French onion soup, stews, casseroles, etc.
-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 (chop good parts and store in freezer bags all winter long).
SWEET PEPPER MIX (sweet banana, bell, carmen): You will receive any of the following – Goddess Banana Pepper (sweet banana pepper; excellent for pickling or fresh eating; 8-9” long, thick-walled, smooth fruits; fruits are mildly sweet when yellow) OR Knight Bell (medium-sized, block-shaped green, yellow, or red pepper with crisp, earthy, sweet flavor; good source of vitamin A & C) 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).
-How to use: eat raw for best nutrient retention; can be added to soups, stews, omelets, quiches, stir-fries, etc.; excellent stuffed and roasted.
-How to store: refrigerate unwashed in hydrator drawer and store for 1-2 weeks; can also be dehydrated or dried very easily.
-How to freeze: easily frozen by washing, chopping into chunks, and placing in freezer bags. Very easy to use in soups, stir fries, omelets, etc. throughout the winter.
POTATOES (Red Norland): an early-maturing, waxy potato characterized by a smooth, red skin and bright white flesh; great baked, boiled, or roasted.
-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag.
RADISHES (Purple 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!
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.
SPINACH or LETTUCE MIX: You will receive EITHER Spinach (a leafy green vegetable with a long, fleshy stem and edible, dark green leaves that can be arrow-shaped, crinkly, or flat depending on the variety–best eaten raw or with minimal cooking to obtain the beneficial chlorophyll, as well as vitamins A and C; delicious flavor when juiced) OR Wildfire Lettuce Mix (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).
-How to use: 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.
TOMATOES (Roma): You will receive – Granadero Sauce Tomatoes (bright red, 4-5 oz Roma tomatoes with very good flavor and thick-walled fruit).
-How to use: good for fresh tomato sauces, salsas, and salads, roasting, dehydrating, yummy!
-How to store: keep at room temperature for up to 1 week or less.
WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS with GREENS: a white salad turnip 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; good in salads and soups) and greens (slightly sweet and can be boiled, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, and since hairless, are good in salads; excellent source of vitamins A and C and good source of riboflavin, calcium and iron) are edible!
-How to use: 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.
WINTER SQUASH (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.
-How to use: excellent roasted in oven with olive oil; also good baked by slicing in half, scoop seeds out and bake with a little water in baking pan at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until tender; boil or steam for 15-20 minutes, or until tender, skins are edible; mash cooked squash with butter; puree cooked squash for creamy soup
-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 percent humidity; will also store at room temperature.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. COMMUNI-TEA TABLE AT THE WASHTENAW FOOD HUB with KORI KANAYAMA ON WED. OCT. 15 from 5 -6 PM: Iced Tea and mug are provided for a suggested donation of $5 or more. Please feel free to bring your own mug and favorite tea. We’ll gather to sip, share stories, and hear what others in the community are up to. Each week features a special host and theme to spark conversation, but you’re welcome to bring any topic to the table related to food, sustainability, or community life. Join us this Wednesday with Kori, who shares her healing journey through cooking with local, ecologically-grown produce. In a reverse Q&A format, the community farm chef responds to audience questions, blending storytelling with insights from her cross-regional experiences. Join us the following Wednesday, Oct. 22 for a “Brew’d” event with Liz Barney as we gather as a community of fermenters, food lovers, and the fermentation-curious, united by a passion for the craft and science of fermentation. Bring your own creations to share and show off! Questions are always welcome. We’re here to support everyone, from curious beginners to seasoned makers of sourdough, kombucha, and beyond. You can check out our Food Hub calendar for future events here: https://www.thewashtenawfoodhub.com/events/washtenaw-food-hub-events/
2. NEXT WEEK IS THE LAST WEEK OF EXTENDED FALL CSA: This means Oct. 22 (Wed.), Oct. 24 (Fri.), and Oct. 25 (Sat.) are your last distribution days for our Extended Fall Shares, but please feel free to continue with our Thanksgiving CSA (details on website). 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.
3. THANKSGIVING CSA Registration will be opening soon! A detailed email notice will be sent to you sometime very soon, so you can sign up. 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. It’s a perfect share to split with a friend or family member. It will be available for pick up on Nov. 22 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving) at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market 7 AM-12 PM, Tantré Farm 2-5 PM, Washtenaw Food Hub 9 AM-5 PM, Agricole in Chelsea 9 AM-12 PM, and Pure Pastures in Plymouth 9 AM-5 PM. More specific details and registration will be opening very soon. You can also read more details about the Thanksgiving Share on our website under “CSA Info” https://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-thanksgiving-csa-work/ .
4. FARMERS MARKETS: If you need to supplement your share with a few extra items, we are set up at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market on Wed. & Sat. this week starting at 7 AM. We will also be at the Chelsea Farmers Market from 8 AM-1 PM. On top of that, our Sunflower Farm Market (formerly known as the Washtenaw Food Hub Market) is OPEN on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 to 7 PM and on Saturdays and Sundays with expanded hours from 9 AM-5 PM, so please feel free to purchase all your basic local needs and a few extra treats at any of these markets. We also have a small farm stand at the HoneyBee U-pick area (more details below).
5. HONEYBEE U-PICK is OPEN ON SATURDAY MORNINGS THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER: We are open this week from 8 AM until 12 PM 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 on Saturdays. It may not be a good year for preserving raspberries. However, we have mowed paths through the raspberry patch, and there are some raspberries ready for picking, so if you are a true raspberry lover then we recommend bringing pants, long sleeves, closed toe shoes, and just give it a try! Check our website for updates. Sign up to be on our mailing list, so you know times, prices, weather-related closings, etc. here: https://www.tantrefarm.com/honey-bee .
6. PLASTIC OR PAPER “GROCERY BAGS ONLY” ARE NEEDED, if you can donate them at the markets or the farm or the Food Hub. Please do NOT include any bread bags or clothing bags or any of your other plastic recycling, so make sure that you are providing only grocery bags. Thanks!
7. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER: *Distribution Coordinator will be at most sites during designated times.
*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF 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)- 4 PM to 7 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 the whole time 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)
REFLECTIONS ON THE FARM
by Richard and Deb
This past week we had a 38 degree morning with frost settling on the lacy carrot tops, the pick up truck windshield, and the tips of the fallen oak and maple leaves. We have had a very mild fall still conducive to shorts and bare feet, but after two months of only wearing shorts, I finally gave in to exchanging my summer shorts for warm pants just to stay warm in the morning. October 9 really was our first true frost this month. Thankfully some of our members and a few friends showed up to help harvest squash from Friday through Sunday before the frost finally settled in on Thursday morning. We finished hauling in the last of the squash by the end of the day on Wednesday afternoon. The end is important in all things, especially if you can keep the squash from freezing! It sets a deadline and a new beginning for the new season.
As the root cellar and dry storage areas are now slowly being filled up, the days pass sunny and cool. There is a great comfort to listening to the blackbirds flock up and the sandhill cranes cronking high in the sky circling and swirling in the air currents. There is a great comfort in seeing all this diversity as we celebrate the changing of the seasons and the beginning of the migrations. It is the beginning of putting away calories for the long, cold season to come. Thousands of thousands of autumns and winters of the past and thousands and thousands into the future, we hope, the planet will be alive generating more and more abundant life, living and dying together, transforming into the soil to regrow in different forms.
On a more mundane note, there is a lot of food here at the farm and more vegetables on their way ready for harvest – the cauliflower, the daikon radish, multi-colored carrots, Brussels sprouts. This tender abundance grown from the gentle autumn light. We hope that you are enjoying this autumn as much as we are, and also the fall vegetables and fruits that can bring health to body and mind. You will be able to enjoy many of those good foods with our upcoming Thanksgiving share on Nov. 22, so keep watching for more to come. Again thank you to all the volunteers who helped pick many thousands of pumpkins and squash this fall. Many hands make light work. We also appreciate everyone, who was able to stop by the HoneyBee Nut Festival on Sunday. We learned about paw paws and persimmons, processed black walnuts and cracked them open, roasted chestnuts, pressed apples for apple cider, learned how to cook with nuts, explored some of the nut trees on a few nature hikes, and carved pumpkins. It was a beautiful fall day full of great camaraderie and community fun! Thank you for making the choices to be a part of this community supporting local farms and each other.
RECIPES
SALAD PANSANNE (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website)
2 green onions
1/2 cucumber
2 carrots
3 tomatoes, skinned
5 button mushrooms
2 sticks celery
1 green pepper, chopped
10 tiny cauliflower flowerets, separated
7 radishes, quartered
2 sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro), or parsley, chopped
4 lettuce leaves (or spinach)
Trim the green onions and slice them diagonally into thin slices. Peel the cucumber and quarter it lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to remove the soft, seedy center, discard this, and dice the remaining flesh. Peel the carrots and slice them thinly, cutting the carrots diagonally with a sharp knife. Quarter the skinned tomatoes and cut away the tough green cores. Thinly slice the mushrooms and celery. Cut the pepper in half lengthwise, discard the seeds and stringy parts then chop the flesh. Mix together all the dressing ingredients. Whisk thoroughly using a fork, or balloon whisk, until the mixture becomes thick and cloudy. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving dish. Mix all the prepared vegetables together, and pile on top. Just before serving, spoon a little of the dressing over the salad and serve the remainder separately in a small jug.
COUSCOUS WITH TOMATO EGGPLANT SAUCE (from Farm-Fresh Recipes by Janet Majure) Serves 6
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 eggplant, skin on, diced
1 green pepper, cut julienne
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dry basil, rosemary, and oregano
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cup water
1 lb couscous
Cook onion until golden in olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add eggplant and green pepper; cook and stir 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, paprika, herbs, and water; stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often. Mash eggplant, then cook 30 minutes more. Cook couscous according to package directions. Serve sauce over hot couscous.
POTATO ARUGULA SALAD (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh to You” website) Serves 4-6
1 1/2 lbs red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar or regular vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp of fresh minced tarragon or thyme
1 bunch arugula, rinsed and chopped or torn
2 cloves minced garlic
1 pt of cherry tomatoes, halved (OR 3 Roma Tomatoes, cubed)
1/2 tsp salt
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add cubed potatoes and cook until tender, about 12-15 minutes. In a bowl, mix next 5 ingredients until salt dissolves. Whisk in oil until it thickens. Drain potatoes, return to pot. Toss with dressing, tomatoes, and arugula. Serve at room temperature.
GRILLED CORN ON THE COB (from Good-for-You Garlic Cookbook)
4 ears of sweet corn
2 tsp butter
1 tsp dried marjoram
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of paprika
Remove silk from corn, keeping husks intact. Soak corn in water for 20 minutes. Peel back husks to rub each ear of corn with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Then sprinkle with marjoram, cayenne, garlic, salt, and paprika. Pull husks up to cover corn and grill for 10-15 minutes, turning often.
DELICATA SQUASH WITH BREADCRUMBS & PARSLEY (from https://soilborn.org/recipe/delicata-breadcrumbs-parsley/ )
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 Delicata squash, cut lengthwise and seeded
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 fresh sage leaves, minced
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Mix the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast and 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Toast the mixture in a small skillet over medium heat until just golden. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cut the squash cross-wise into 1/4-inch slices and add to a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sage. Heat a large skillet with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the squash and cook about 4 minutes or until they are golden and crisp. Turn them over to cook on the other side for about 4 more minutes or until they are fork-tender. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook the squash in batches. Transfer the squash to a paper-towel lined plate. Arrange the on a platter and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the squash and garnish with parsley. Serve while hot.
CARROT CHIPS Serves 4
This is delicious, especially with the purple haze carrots!
Vegetable or olive oil (or spray)
1 lb carrots, scrubbed clean (any amount will work)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the carrots into 1/4-inch-thick rounds with a sharp knife. Place the carrot slices on a lightly oiled baking sheet, making sure their edges don’t touch. Drizzle with light amount of oil and toss; then season with salt and pepper. Bake 5 minutes, or until they begin to brown on the edges. Carefully turn the slices over, add more oil if needed, and season again with salt and pepper. Bake another 5-10 minutes, until crispy and beginning to brown. Place the chips on a paper towel-lined plate and serve immediately.
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