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 try to keep the printed newsletter to a 2-page maximum, which means that we won’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. 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 under the NEWSLETTERS tab.
**Also, if you’re having trouble identifying any unfamiliar produce, please look for “Veggie ID” with additional information on our website under RECIPES.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
BASIL (Prospera Italian Large Leaf): an herb with a sweet aroma with notes of anise in its green leaves; traditionally used in pesto, and originally from India where it was traded in ancient times via the spice routes. This herb does not store well in a refrigerator, so it will last longer when stored in a jar, vase, or glass of water on your counter.
GREEN and/or PURPLE BEANS: You will receive Jade (long, slender, deep green, filet bean) and/or Royal Burgundy (brilliant purple, smooth, round, meaty pods; add stunning color to salads when used raw; pods turn dark green when cooked; excellent fresh or frozen). See Week 7 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
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. See Week 4 newsletter for usag e and storage tips.
SWEET CORN (Vision): exceptionally tender, super sweet, yellow ears; great for fresh eating and freezing * We don’t treat our organic corn with pesticides, so you may find some earworms enjoying the corn too; just cut off the damaged part and cook the rest of the ear. Delicious!! See Week 12 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
DAIKON RADISH: looks like an overgrown white carrot, but with a slightly mild radish taste; crunchy and sweet texture; good macrobiotic root that is good for the gut.
-How to use: excellent julienned or sliced and used in a salad or tossed with your favorite vinaigrette; good eaten fresh, cooked, or pickled; greens are also edible and can be used like any tender green.
-How to store: not as hardy as you may think, so store wrapped in plastic to keep them crisp for up to 2 weeks.
EGGPLANT: You will receive some variety such as Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit), R osa Biana (an Italian heirloom; round fruit streaked with white and violet), or Orient Express (dark purple Asian type with long, slender, glossy fruits, which are tender, delicately flavored, and quick cooking). See Week 9 for usage and storage tips..
U-PICK FLOWERS (only available for picking on the farm): This week you can pick up to 15 stems as part of your share. The sunflowers are blooming, and look fantastic, so be sure and add a few to your bouquet! We welcome you to the farm to pick your flowers on any day of the week, but please contact us if it will be on other days besides Wednesdays and Fridays, so we can make sure to be around to show you where to go. You may want to bring clippers and a vase/jar, but we will have extras as well. Donations are appreciated to help pay for seeds and labor. Extras – $5/bouquet
LETTUCE or LETTUCE MIX: You will receive either a head of lettuce or a lettuce mix i n a bag; rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C; you will receive either Red or Green Leaf. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
SWEET PEPPERS: You will receive Red Knight Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green or changing to red pepper) or Italian Sweet (8 inch long, conical, thick walled, very sweet peppers that turn red very quickly. When fully ripe the fruit is amazingly tasty and great for making sweet pickles. Perfect for munching or in salad). See Week 12 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
FINGERLING POTATOES: You will receive French Red Fingerlings (dark rose-red skin and yellow flesh; creamy taste and firm texture, excellent roasted or boiled) AND Russian Banana Fingerling (an heirloom potato with small, banana-shaped tubers with yellow skin and light yellow flesh; used by chefs for its delicious flavor and smooth “waxy” texture that doesn’t fall apart when cooked; good baked, boiled, or in salads). See Week 7 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
RAPINI: also called “Broccoli Raab” or Rabe or Rape; leafy green with 6- to 9-inch stalks and scattered clusters of tiny broccoli-like buds (some of ours don’t have buds yet, so just the leaf); traditional Italian specialty combining qualities of broccoli and mustard greens. See Week 16 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
U-PICK RASPBERRIES (only available at Honey Bee U-pick in Ann Arbor): Raspberries are just beginning to slow down at Honey Bee U-pick site (5700 Scio Church Rd.) at the corner of Zeeb and Scio Church Roads in Ann Arbor, but we are inviting you to pick 1 pint as part of your share for FREE on Saturday or Sunday this week (PLEASE NOTE: We are CLOSED on Wednesday this week due to the excessive rain!). If you are less able-bodied with an injury or the inability to bend or walk very well, please PREORDER your 1 pint to pick up at the Honey Bee U-pick this week on Saturday (9/25) or S unday (9/26) or at the Farm in Chelsea on Friday distributions or at the Ann Arbor or Chelsea Farmers Market on Saturday. Extra U-pick pints are $4/pint or extra Already Picked pints are $6/pint.
TOMATOES: Believe or not, we still have a few tomatoes, so you will receive just a few of the last of the tomatoes with some of the following varieties: Green Zebra (ripe as a green fruit with a yellow blush and darker green stripes; delicious, tangy salad tomato; beautiful sliced into wedges for salads) or San Marzano (early, large classic Italian roma tomato; delicious, balanced acidic flavor and meaty flesh makes for good sauce and paste) or Cherry tomatoes. See Week 9 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
WINTER SQUASH: You will receive Butternut (light, tan-colored skin; small seed cavities with thick, cylindrical necks; bright orange, moist, sweet flesh; longest storage potential of all squash) and Delicata (small, oblong, creamy colored w ith long green stripes, only slightly ribbed; pale yellow, sweet flesh; edible skin; best eaten within 4 months of harvest). See Week 16 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. ENDING SUMMER CSA DATES: The end is drawing near for the Summer CSA. This is just a reminder that our SUMMER SHARES are ENDING NEXT WEEK. That means Sept. 29 (Wed.), Oct. 1 (Fri.), and Oct. 2 (Sat.) are the last distribution days for our Summer Shares. Please return all share boxes in the next 2 weeks!
2. “EXTENDED FALL CSA” SHARE REGISTRATION IS OPEN: We are offering an Extended Fall CSA Share for $144 for 4 weeks after the Summer Share is over. This will begin the week of October 3-9 and the last distribution will be the week of October 24-30. Our Fall Share will give you an opportunity to receive many varieties of fall produce from Tantre Farm. In order to receive all 4 shares, please register online anytime before Sept. 25 at https://tantrefarm.csaware.com/store//extended-fall-csa-C22385. Please go to our website for more information.
3. PLANT WALK ON SUNDAY, Oct.10, from 12-2 PM: We are hosting a leisurely plant walk at Tantre Farm for our local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud from “Will Forage For Food”. Plant walks are excellent learning opportunities for those with beginning to intermediate foraging skills, and for anyone wishing to increase their knowledge of the local flora. Our discussion will include information about identification, methods of harvest, preparation, and use. We will explore the area and choose around 15 edible, medicinal, or otherwise useful plants and mushrooms to focus on. Unlimited class size, drop ins are welcome, and cost is $25. To register ahead of time or find more information, just go to her website at https://willforageforfood.square.site/
4. U-PICK TOMATOES STILL AVAILABLE: Some varieties are dwindling, but we still have a few tomatoes for $0.75/lb for those of you interested in preserving this week. We will be open for u-pick on Wednesday, Friday, and by appointment only on Sundays. On Farm Distribution Days (Wed & Fri), there will be no need to schedule a time, since we will be here, but please schedule the time on other days to make sure someone is here to help.
5. U-PICK RASPBERRY PATCH OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY THIS WEEK: We still have raspberries at the Honey Bee U-Pick site (5700 Scio Church Rd., Ann Arbor). You may pick your FREE PINT, and any extras cost $4/pint and $6/pint, if we pick. We will be open only on Sat., and Sun. from 8 AM-5 PM this coming week. (PLEASE NOTE: We are CLOSED on Wednesday this week due to the excessive rain!). To see updates go to https://www.tantrefarm.com/tantre-farm-raspberry-u-pick.
6. IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA THIS WEEK: Please feel free also to sign up for our weekly, collaborative CSA share if you would like to supplement your box or give it as a gift. This menu is updated on our website every Monday – Wednesday http://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-immune-booster-csa-work/. Still time to sign up Wednesday until midnight!
7. 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 10 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.)–6 PM to 8 PM (LIZZIE will be there th e whole time)
*Pure Pastures (Wed.)—10 AM to 5 PM (Pure Pastures staff will be there)
*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there with some self check-in)
*CHANGE: Community High School is now Ann Arbor Farmers Market (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.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB and staff there the whole time)
*Argus-Packard (Sat)—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)
RECIPES
STIR-FRIED DAIKON (from Rolling Prairie Cookbook by Nancy O’Connor) Serves 3
1 Daikon radish
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp sweetener of your choice
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley (or basil)
Scrub Daikon and cut in thin slices. Heat oil in a heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Ad d Daikon and toss to coat with oil. Sprinkle sweetener and salt over radish slices. Cook, stirring often, until radishes are just tender–about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Toss in parsley. Serve immediately.
BROCCOLI AND RAPINI ON BRUSCHETTA (from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison)
1 lb broccoli florets
1 large bunch rapini or broccoli rabe (1 lb or more)
Sea salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves (1 minced and 1 cut in half crosswise)
Several pinches red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp chopped oregano (or basil)
Aged red wine vinegar
4 large slices of hearty country bread
1/4 to 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Thickly peel the broccoli stems. If longer than a few inches, coarsely chop them. Peel the larger of the broccoli rabe stalks, then chop them along with the thinner stems. Coarsely chop the greens. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, then the vegetables. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes, then scoop them into a colander to drain. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water. Warm the 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet. Add the vegetables along with a cup of the reserved cooking water, the minced garlic, pepper flakes, and oregano. Turn with tongs to mix in the garlic, then lower the heat. Make sure there’s ample liquid in the pan. The greens shouldn’t fry, plus you’ll want extra liquid to spoon over them. Taste for salt, then season with a few drops of good strong vinegar. Preheat the broiler. Toast the bread, then rub it with the halved garlic clove. Immediately lay the cheese over the top, then broil just until it begins to droop or bubble a little. Transfer the toasts to plates, then cover them with greens and their juices. Add a few drops of olive oil to each, as well as any remaining pan juices.