THIS WEEK’S SHARE

ARUGULA or RED MUSTARD GREENS: You will receive a small bunch of Arugula (an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C) or Red Giant (broadleaf mustard has purple-tinted leaves with gently scalloped margins; which are succulent and tender when young with a moderate peppery note and subtle nutty finish; as they mature, flavors sharpen and become more robust with notes of pepper, garlic, & mustard).

-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.

GREEN or PURPLE BEANS: You will receive Jade (long, slender, deep green, filet bean) or Velour (“extra-fine”, straight, slender, bright purple pods; turns green upon cooking).

-How to use: raw in salads, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, etc.

-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 1 week.

ORANGE CARROTS (Sugarsnax): smooth, uniform, 9-inch tapered roots that are tender and sweet and with no greens this week.

-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: refrigerate roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks

GREEN or RED CURLY KALE: You will receive Green Curly (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip” and kale salad or Red Curly (well ruffled red or green leaves with red stems; gets redder and sweeter after a frost).

-How to use: Boil or steam until color brightens; great in omelets, quiches, lasagna, casseroles, soups, stews, salads, and smoothies.

-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks.

RED LETTUCE or WILDFIRE LETTUCE MIX: You will receive either Cherokee (a red Summer Crisp with medium-sized, red heads with thick, crisp leaves that have dark red color with good flavor) 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: good in salads and sandwiches or (believe it or not!) use in soups.

-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.

RED BUNCHING ONIONS: young shoots of red bulb onions with long green stalks and milder tasting than large bulb onions; full of great fiber and antioxidants, high in potassium and source of vitamins C and B-6.

-How to use: the bulb, flowers, and green leaves are edible; can be cooked, grilled, roasted whole as a vegetable; chopped in salads, soups, and other dishes for flavor.

-How to store: refrigerate in damp towel/plastic bag for 2-5 days.

SWEET SPANISH ONIONS or YELLOW STORAGE ONION: You will receive either Sweet Spanish (a sweet, mild flavored onion with a yellow skin) or Olympic (a yellow-skinned, globe-shaped bulb; excellent storage onion). NOTE: You may discover that our sweet onions have some soft spots on the top or mid section of the bulb. You can actually cut that out and save most of the onion. The best thing to do is chop up the whole onion after cutting off the bad parts, and toss the rest of the onion that you are not using into freezer bags. Such a great way to preserve onions for a quick way to get a meal ready with onions ready to go!

-How to use: can be grilled or roasted whole as a vegetable or chopped in salads, soups, and other dishes for flavor

-How to store: wrap in damp towel or plastic bag in fridge for 2-7 days.

PEACHES (Red Haven): an early, rosy-orange skinned peach with firm, creamy yellow flesh; mature peaches will continue to ripen after they are picked, since we pick them firm to prevent spoilage. Keep in mind these are organic peaches, so some may not be in pristine shape, since they have never been sprayed.

-How to use: great as a fresh snack, desserts, juiced, or preserved by freezing (just cut in pieces and throw it into a freezer bag), and dehydrating (excellent, concentrated sweet flavor cut into thin slices and dehydrated for several hours).

-How to store: if the fruit is firm and not quite ready, just set them on your kitchen counter in the sun or in a paper bag to ripen more quickly; the less the fruit is touching each other or at least not too many on top of each other, the longer they will last.

BLUE OR RED POTATOES: You will receive either Red Norland (smooth, red skin and white flesh; great baked, boiled, or roasted) or Adirondack Blue (round to oblong, slightly flattened tubers have glistening blue skin enclosing deep blue flesh; moist, flavorful flesh is superb for mashing or salads) *Interesting note: Most blue fleshed cultivars contain 90 times more antioxidants than white tubers, and the antioxidants in potato tubers are enhanced by cooking them.

-How to use: good boiled or pan-roasted, baked, sauteed, or boiled for potato salads

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

RADISHES (Pink Beauty): pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor; Excellent source of vitamins A, C, and the B’s!

-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

-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.

TOMATOES: You will receive any of the following: Sun Gold Cherry (exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange cherry tomato; less acidic than the red cherry tomato, Cherry Mix (may include a colorful variety of Sungold, Sungreen, Sakura, Indigo Cherry), Verona (similar to Juliet, but with even tastier, somewhat plumper, deep red “cocktail plum” fruits; good in sauces and in salads), AND 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 or less.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. SUSTAINABILI-TEA TABLE AT THE WASHTENAW FOOD HUB ON WED. AUGUST 20 from 5 to 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, August 20 for another Community Tea event! Rachel Kanaan will be making Tepache. Come taste Tepache made from our first Tepache class in July, share stories and samples. Bring ferments to share and sample if you feel called.  Tepache is a  delicious easy-to-make beverage and packed with probiotics and enzymes. We will add few juices from local fruit (some from Tantre Farm) to see some variations. Next week’s Community Tea Time on Aug. 27 will be with Barbara Wilson, who is the cofounder of Mindo Chocolate. You may try all kinds of various chocolate tastings, learn why specific beans matter, hear all about Third Millennium Alliance sustainability and about the Mindo farm in Ecuador.

2. SUMMER FARM HIKE on THIS COMING SUNDAY, August 24 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM: Come join us for a guided monthly exploratory walk around Tantre Farm with CSA member, Alisse Portnoy, who teaches at the University of Michigan, and her daughter, Jessica. Alisse and Jessica, who are longtime CSA members, look forward to sharing some of its treasures and treasure spots with you. We’ll use all our senses as we take an edible hike, visit the animals, and explore the fields and the mushroom forest. We may even try making some dried flower bouquets! Meet at the picnic tables behind the Main House. Please feel free to come earlier or stay later and bring a picnic meal, which could be supplemented with a few fresh Tantre veggies! Hope to see you at the farm!

3. CHELSEA FARMERS MARKET WILL CLOSE EARLY THIS COMING SAT. AUG. 23: Due to the Chelsea Fair Parade on Saturday at 1 PM, we may pack up early at the market around 11 AM (unless we decide to stay and watch the parade), since Chelsea will close Main St. around 12 or 12:30 PM due to the parade. Please come early to get your share box!

4. VOLUNTEERS FOR WEEDING NEEDED!!  It would be great if you had some extra time to help us in kid garden, the herb garden, or the flowers, –even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes before you pick up your box at the farm, come join us. We definitely could use the help!! Please send us an email and set up a time to come any day of the week or evenings until dark. Thank you to those of you who have helped out so far! Every little bit helps a lot!

5. WANTED: TOMATO PICKERS!! Is there anyone interested in helping us pick tomatoes any weekday morning for the next few weeks, but especially on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, OR Friday mornings anytime between 7 AM and 11 AM. We will even feed you a homemade, farm-cooked lunch. We are a little short-handed, so 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!!

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6. SUNFLOWER FARM MARKET EXPANDED HOURS at the WASHTENAW FOOD HUB: We are now open from 9 AM until 5 PM on Saturdays and now Sundays as well! If you pick up at the Washtenaw Food Hub on Saturdays, you may pick up your share anytime between 9 AM and 5 PM.

7. 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. and Sat. starting at 7 AM. We will also be at the Chelsea Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 AM-1 PM. On top of that, our Sunflower Farm Market at the Washtenaw Food Hub Market is open on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 to 7 PM and on Saturdays (free coffee and tea!) and Sundays from 9 AM to 5 PM with expanded hours, so please feel free to purchase all your basic local needs and a few extra treats at any of these markets. Finally, we also have a small farm stand at the HoneyBee U-pick (more details below).

8. HONEYBEE U-PICK is OPEN ONLY ON SATURDAY MORNINGS: 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 and EGGS on Saturdays. The raspberries are not very productive this season and the thistles have overtaken some of the patch, so it may not be a good year for preserving. However, we have mowed some paths through and there are a few 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 .

9. DO YOU LIKE TO WORK “OUTSIDE”? TANTRE FARM IS HIRING! Many of our college and high school students are going back to school soon, so we are looking for part-time and full-time workers who are interested in getting their hands dirty and enjoy healthy, hearty, hard work. We provide home-cooked lunches every day with food from the farm. Please email us or fill out an application from our website at https://www.tantrefarm.com/internships/

10. 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 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)

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 “recipes” at the end, and many recipe ideas will pop up. Have fun searching!

COLD CREAM OF TOMATO AND PEACH SOUP

1 onion, chopped

2 Tbsp butter

2 lbs tomatoes, chopped

1/2 lb peaches, chopped and peeled

1/2 cup cream (optional)

Tarragon for garnishing

Cook onion in butter for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and peaches. Simmer until the tomatoes break up. Add cream (optional, but good), puree and chill. Garnish with chopped tarragon.

RADISH AND CARROT BHARTA RECIPE (from Indian Vegetarian Cooking; contributed by Lisa Putman, CSA member) Serves 4

1/2 lb carrots, julienned

1 lb radishes, julienned

2 Tbsp ghee (or vegetable oil)

1/2-inch ginger, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

*1 tsp Garam Masala (see recipe below)*

1/2 tsp paprika (or cayenne or green chilies to taste)

2 small tomatoes, chopped

Julienne or shred the carrots and radishes. Steam (or boil in minimum water) until soft. May be mashed or pureed at this point, but I prefer to just leave them as they are. Heat ghee and saute ginger and onion until soft. Add the vegetables and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and cook until nearly all the juice is gone.

Note: This makes up incredibly quickly using a food processor. It also freezes well. If it seems too “radishy”, reduce them to 1/2 pound, which is what the original recipe called for.

*GARAM MASALA RECIPE (from Indian Vegetarian Cooking)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

1 tsp ground cumin seeds

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp turmeric

       Measure and mix. Store in airtight container. Can easily be increased. Note: Much better than commercial garam masala, and only takes a few moments to put together.

PURPLE EGGPLANT, BEAN, AND PEPPER STIR FRY (adapted from www.seasonalontariofood.blogspot.com )

Sauce:

2 tsp arrowroot or cornstarch

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes

         Mix ingredients in a small bowl, set aside.

Main Ingredients:

1 lb cooked purple potatoes, in chunks

1/2 lb purple beans, (which will turn green when cooked), chopped

1/2 lb or 2 large eggplants, 1/2-inch slices

1 large onion, chopped coarsely

1 large red pepper, deseeded and chopped into bite-size pieces

1 Tbsp peeled, minced ginger

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3-4 Tbsp mild vegetable oil

When the potatoes have boiled for 10 minutes, put the beans in a colander, and drain the water from the potatoes over them to blanch them, but keep the potatoes in the pot so they are separate from each other. Rinse them both in cold water, and drain again. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a very large skillet. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minute until they are lightly browned. Add another tablespoon of oil, and add the eggplants. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 5 minutes. Add the onions, pepper, and beans and a little more oil if needed, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the ginger and garlic; stir in well. Then add the sauce ingredients, still stirring. As soon as the sauce thickens (in moments) remove from the heat and serve.

 CURRIED GREENS AND POTATOES (from Eating Well is the Best Revenge by Marian Burros) Serves 2

1 lb (16-oz) new red or blue potatoes

1 lb (16-oz) mixed greens (mustard greens, kale, arugula, etc.)

1 or more clove(s) of garlic

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 (or less) teaspoon hot pepper flakes or cayenne pepper

2 cups canned, crushed tomatoes OR 2 cups any combination of fresh, crushed tomatoes

Scrub, but do not peel potatoes. Boil or steam for 17-20 minutes until tender. Trim tough stems from greens, wash well, tear or slice into small pieces. Mince garlic: use a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to help mincing. Heat oil in pan, add greens and garlic. When greens begin to soften, add spices and tomatoes, reduce heat and continue to cook. Drain potatoes and cut into bite size pieces. Add to the greens and continue to cook over low heat to blend flavors. Here is where you use all those dark green outer leaves of curly endive, frisee, escarole, romaine, and other greens that are loaded with character.

Note: Choose any combination of greens and serve with crusty bread

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