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.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
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.
-How to use: use raw, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, in casseroles, soups, pizzas, etc.
-How to store: store loosely in plastic bag for up to a week.
CARROTS (Mokum): a very sweet, slender, “pencil carrot” with edible green leaves; greens are delicious in soups and also salads. ** This is the best time of year to try the greens, which are plentiful and rich in Vitamin C, and very tasty in soups. (See newsletter recipe for an excellent soup recipe.)
-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.
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/. You will receive either Common Thyme (tiny green leaves used in meat and vegetable dishes and most casseroles, soups, stews, and medicinal teas, which soothe sore throats) OR Winter Savory: is a semi-evergreen, perennial herb; its strong spicy flavor goes well with beans and meat; medicinally it has antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, and digestive benefits, as well as relieves bee stings; fresh savory has a strong spicy-pepper flavor and resinous odor similar to fresh thyme.
-How to store: 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.
KALE (Rainbow Lacinato): unique “purple dino” kale has deeply curled leaves in dusky-green with bright purple stems and veins
-How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking.
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
KOHLRABI (Green or Purple): a delicious bulbous member of the cabbage family about the size of a golf ball to tennis ball size with greens attached; green or purple skin and crisp, apple-white flesh tubers. Peel the skin off and eating them raw like an apple with a taste similar to a cabbage and broccoli stems.
-How to use: good steamed and then mashed with potatoes, added to soups or stews, added to slaws or salads, or delicious sliced and eaten raw with dip; the greens can be prepared like kale/collards!
-How to store: store in refrigerator for up to a month.
LETTUCE (Romaine): upright, dense heads produce long, uniform hearts with good flavor; rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C.
-How to use: raw in salads or (believe it or not!) use in soups.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.
RED LETTUCE (Cherokee): medium-sized heads with thick, crisp leaves that have dark red color with good flavor.
-How to use: raw in salads or (believe it or not!) use in soups.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.
RADISHES: You will receive Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor) or Purple Bacchus (stunning, purple, round radish with white inner flesh. Very good flavor and not too hot) or D’Avignon (also called, “French Breakfast”; traditional variety from Southern France; 3- to 4-inch long root that is part red with a white tip and tapered to a point.
-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.
SCALLIONS (also called “Green Onions”): young shoots of red or green onions with long green stalks and milder tasting than large bulb onions; full of great fiber and antioxidants
-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 5-7 days.
U-PICK STRAWBERRIES: red, conical fruit with tiny white flowers. We are inviting you to come to our Honey Bee U-pick site (5700 Scio Church Rd.) at the corner of Zeeb and Scio Church Roads in Ann Arbor to pick your own FREE 1 quart as part of your share (and you can pick extra quarts for someone else less able-bodied, if you like) through Sunday, June 25. If you have a physical disability such as an injury or the inability to bend or walk very well, please preorder your 1 quart to pick up for this week’s share at the Honey Bee U-pick, the Farm in Chelsea on Wed. or Friday distributions, the Sat. Washtenaw Food Hub distributions, and at the Wed & Sat AA Farmers Market. Unfortunately we can’t deliver preorders to any other sites due to lack of refrigeration and logistics. Extra quantity for U-pick is $5/lb and Already Picked are $5/pint. We are open 8 AM to 7 PM daily.
-How to use: excellent in smoothies, juiced, jams, in desserts like pie
-How to store: Do not wash until you are ready to consume them. Place them on a paper towel in a tightly-covered container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
SCARLET QUEEN TURNIPS and GREENS: large, flat-round, sweet, crisp, white flesh with spicy, red skin. Both roots (good source of Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium, and delicious raw!) and greens are edible!
-How to use: greens good in salads and soups and can be steamed or sauteed with leeks; roots can be roasted, steamed, or sautéed.
-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.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. 4th of July VACATIONS or OUT OF TOWN: Please let us know of changes in pick up days or locations if you will be out of town for the 4th of July weekend. Also keep in mind that Pick Up Rescheduling needs to be made within the same week (Sun.-Sat.), and all is set up the week before. All changes can be made yourself on your Member Dashboard before Sunday at midnight for the following week, or you can email us with your request using specific dates and locations. Safe travels!!
2. FAMILY FARM HIKE on FRIDAY, June 23, from 5-6 PM: Come join us for a guided, monthly, 45-60 minute exploratory walk around Tantre Farm with CSA members, Alisse Portnoy and her daughter, Jessica. Alisse and Jessica are in their fourteenth year of once-a-week, long visits to the farm. A special treat will be to visit with the ducklings, chicks, and a new baby kitten. Meet at the picnic tables behind the Main House.
3. STILL ROOM IN JAPANESE COOKING CLASS on June 28 from 6-8:30 PM: Kori Kanayama is a food lover with a discriminating taste for healthy food, and she applies her culinary creativity to her own delicious dishes. A Japanese native, Kori learned to make traditional dishes for her familSy and friends. Have fun learning traditional cooking methods using Japanese cooking tools and Tantre seasonal vegetables in small groups! Kori will also demonstrate traditional food presentation and share beautiful cultural expressions of eating. Please register by email with your NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, and PHONE NUMBER. This will be a “pay what you can” class with a suggested minimum of $10 to help pay for materials and extra ingredients. You may pay ahead with Venmo to @Deb-Lentz or pay with Cash or Check on the day of class.
4. NO IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA on JUNE 17 AND JUNE 24, while Ryan is on vacation.
5. 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.) –6 PM to 8 PM ( Please contact Deb @ 734-385-6748 for questions)
*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)
*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.)—8 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)
*Argus-Packard (Sat) — 9 AM to 3 PM (ARGUS STAFF there the whole time)
*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM
*HoneyBee U-pick (Sat)–8 AM to 12 PM
IS AT AN APPLE? IS IT A JICUMA? NO, IT’S KOHLRABI!!
When is a root vegetable not a root vegetable? When it’s a small bulbous member of the cabbage family called kohlrabi, that’s when. For all intents and purposes, kohlrabi appears to be a root vegetable in the same company as turnips, radishes and rutabagas. However, the bulbous shape of kohlrabi is caused by a swelling of the plant’s stem near the ground. In that sense, kohlrabi is more of a tightly packed version of its cousin, the cabbage. In fact, the name “kohlrabi” is derived from two German words: “kohl” meaning cabbage and “rabi” meaning turnip. It is not unusual to hear the term “turnip cabbage” to describe kohlrabi.
Despite its connections to cabbage and turnips, steamed or boiled kohlrabi is said to taste more like broccoli or Brussels sprouts. As a matter of fact, kohlrabi is in the same general category, the Brassica oleracea Gongylodes group, as the broccoli it resembles in flavor. It can also be used in lieu of cabbage in many of the sausage and cabbage dishes favored in German cooking.
A raw kohlrabi can also be eaten like an apple, although it contains far less sugar. Some people find the taste of raw kohlrabi to be an acquired one, but many people who were raised in largely German communities in the Midwest grew up eating kohlrabi whenever it was in season. One town in Illinois even held annual festivals in honor of the Kohlrabi, so don’t be surprised if one of our small towns in Michigan decides we are due for a celebration of Kohlrabi.
RECIPES
CARROT TOP SOUP (from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison)
1 bunch (6 small to medium) carrots, the tops and roots
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp white rice
2 large leeks (or green onions), white parts only
2 thyme or lemon thyme sprigs
2 Tbsp chopped dill, parsley, celery leaves or lovage
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock or water
Pull the lacy leaves of the carrot greens off their stems (2-3 cups, loosely packed). Wash, then chop finely. Grate the carrots, or finely chop them. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the carrot tops and carrots, rice, leeks, thyme, and dill. Cook for several minutes, turning everything a few times, then season with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and add the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until the rice is cooked, 16-18 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and serve. Serves 4
KOHLRABI PARMESAN (from Farm-Fresh Recipes by Janet Majure) Serves 4
3 medium kohlrabi, trimmed of stalks and leaves
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp minced parsley
Peel kohlrabi and shred with grater or food processor. Cook kohlrabi in butter over medium heat, stirring often, until tender, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese, salt, and pepper. Toss and cook just until the cheese melts about 1 minute. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
FRESH STRAWBERRY DRESSING (from www.eatingwell.com) Makes 3/4 cup
1 cup strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp almond oil or canola oil
Place strawberries, vinegar, pepper, sugar and salt in a blender or food processor; process until pureed, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides. Add oil and process until smooth.
Note: Can store in a covered container for up to 2 days.