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.
If you are new to our CSA, since you signed up with a prorated share, you can find all past newsletters on our website under the NEWSLETTERS section in the CSA Info tab.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
RED ACE BEETS AND GREENS: round, smooth, deep red, small roots with sweet flavor and luscious medium-tall, red-veined green leaves. **Some folks don’t realize how nutritious and delicious the greens are and they are especially in top form right now and a perfect spinach substitute
-How to use: greens can be substituted for spinach and chard in recipes; roots good in soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.
-How to store: separate roots from leaves and store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; store greens wrapped in damp cloth in plastic bag for up to 1 week.
BROCCOLI or CABBAGE: You will receive Green Magic Broccoli (deep emerald green, tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems) OR Green Cabbage (a sweet green cabbage; considered a beneficial digestive aid and intestinal cleanser; cabbage has a good amount of vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, and magnesium); both are considered an anti-cancer vegetable.
-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 or more.
CARROTS (Mokum): a very sweet, slender, “pencil carrot” with edible green leaves. Greens are delicious in soups and also salads.
-How to use: Can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sautéed, in stews, soups, casseroles, 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.
CUCUMBERS: long, cylindrical, green-skinned fruit of the gourd family with mild, crisp flesh; the thin skin doesn’t need peeling, unless waxed for longer shelf life in stores.
-How to use: raw or pickled in salads or sandwiches, can also be julienned, sautéed, or baked.
-How to store: store them in a sealed plastic bag in refrigerator crisper drawer for up to a week; use up leftovers as soon as possible.
FAVA BEANS: (also called faba bean, horse bean, or broad bean)–the pod looks like a large bean pod; the bean seed resembles a very large lima bean with a tart, pungent flavor; fresh fava beans should be shelled from pod, and bean can be eaten raw, skin and all, if young enough.
*To skin fava beans: blanch for 1 minute, then drain and cool; with your thumbnail, pull open the sprout end and squeeze the bean out of its skin.
-How to use: stew *skinned beans in a little butter, oil or cream seasoned with savory, thyme or sage; sauté with other vegetables and toss with pasta; good in soups; lots of recipes on the internet.
-How to store: store fresh, unshelled beans in the refrigerator up to a week; once shelled, blanched and skinned, favas can be frozen in plastic containers for longer storage; shelled beans are best used within a few days
GARLIC SCAPES: slender green stems with a slight bulge at the bottom (resemble chives, except for the bulge and often curled); the flower top of a garlic plant; tender and milder in flavor than mature garlic, but can be substituted for garlic cloves in recipes. Use this link for garlic scape recipes: https://www.seriouseats.com/the-crisper-whisperer-what-to-do-with-garlic-scapes-recipe.
-How to use: mild garlic flavor, so delicious chopped in salads, roasted, and sautéed.
-How to store: put in refrigerator in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks.
KALE : You will receive either Green Curly (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”) OR Red Curly (well ruffled green with red stems and also good as roasted Kale Chips); rich source of phytochemicals, which studies have shown can ward off various forms of cancer; highest protein content of all the cultivated vegetables.
-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.
LEEKS: green leaves with white to pale green stems.
*Cooking tip: slit from top to bottom and wash thoroughly with root facing up to remove all of the dirt trapped between the leaf layers.
-How to use: white and lower part of greens can be cooked whole, chopped in slices and substituted for onions; delicious raw in salads or cooked in soups, quiches, casseroles, stews, stocks, or stir-fries.
-How to store: refrigerate unwashed for 2 weeks in plastic bag.
LETTUCE: You will receive Adriana (large, dark green butterhead with heads that are full, dense with good flavor) and Romaine (medium-sized heads with thick, dark green leaves with good flavor and crisp texture)
-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.
SUGAR SNAP PEAS: flat-round pod of edible-pod pea; often lighter green than the shelling pea pod; you can eat the pod and the pea!
-How to use: add peas to soups, stews, sautes, or stir-fries; blanch or steam for 2-4 minutes only until color is bright green; snap or snow peas can be eaten raw in salads or cooked quickly as in stir-fries or deep fry in tempura batter.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 4-5 days; if kept too long, their sweet flavor and crisp texture diminishes.
U-PICK STRAWBERRIES: This may be our last week of strawberries, so we are encouraging 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 1 FREE quart as part of your share through Sunday, July 3. 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 Wed. or Sat. Washtenaw Food Hub distributions, and possibly at the AA Farmers Market. Unfortunately we can’t deliver preorders to any other sites due to lack of refrigeration and logistics. Extra quarts for U-pick are $5/qt, $40/flat or $4/lb and Already Picked are $6/qt or $48/flat (8 trays).
-How to use: excellent raw, juicing, jam, pie, sorbet, in desserts
-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.
WHITE HAKUREI BABY TURNIPS and GREENS: white salad turnips with round, smooth small roots with sweet, fruity flavor and a crisp, tender texture. Both roots (good source of Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium, and delicious raw!) and greens are edible and full of Vitamins A & C! This is the time of year to enjoy the greens!
-How to use: greens good in salads and soups and can be steamed or sauteed with leeks; roots 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.
ZUCCHINI (Golden and/or Green): gourmet golden and/or green zucchini with uniform, cylindrical fruits.
-How to use: use in salads, dips, grilled, casseroles, stuffed, or mashed with butter and seasonings.
-How to store: store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
ANNOUNCEMENTS`
1. 4th of July VACATIONS or OUT OF TOWN: Please let us know of any last minute changes in pick up days or locations if you will be out of town for the 4th of July weekend and need to put your share on hold or donate it to a needy family. Thanks for being courteous and letting us know. Safe travels!!
2. WEEDING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: If you are interested in helping out–even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes before you pick up your box at the farm, come join us. Please contact us any day of the week or evenings until dark. Thank you!
3. STILL PLENTY OF BOXES AVAILABLE FOR OUR “Independence Day” IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA THIS WEEK: Please feel free to sign up for our weekly, collaborative CSA share if you would like to supplement your box or give it as a gift. The 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 this week for a share!
4. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER: Please use your Member Dashboard to schedule Vacations or Pick up Location Changes or let us know if you are having any problems with rescheduling.
*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM
*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 12 PM
*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM
*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 PM to 8 PM (Hub Farm Market will NOT be open due to sickness)
*Pure Pastures (Wed.)—9 AM to 11 AM
*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM
**Community High School CHANGED TO AA FARMERS MARKET (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM
*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 12 PM
*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—9 AM to 12 PM
*Argus-Packard (Sat)**Change in starting time to 10:30 AM to 3 PM
*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM
*HoneyBee U-pick (Sat)–8 AM to 12 PM
RECIPES
GADEER’S FAVA BEAN RECIPE
A traditional Mediterranean recipe. Adjust ingredients to taste.
1-2 qts fava beans with pods
3 cloves garlic or 3 garlic scapes, chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh or bottled
1/4 cup olive oil
Prepare fava pods for cooking, but remove “string” on edge of pod by grasping stem part with a knife and pulling “stringy” part of the pod off. Chop beans in 1-inch chunks (shell and beans together). Heat olive oil in pot and add the beans. Stir occasionally on low heat. When the beans begin to water, add garlic, cilantro, and lemon. Beans are ready when they turn a more brownish-green. Enjoy!
KALE CHIPS
1 bunch Kale
Olive oil
Sea salt or tamari sauce, to taste
Destem kale and chop it into small pieces. Coat lightly with olive oil and sea salt . Place on cookie sheet and bake for a 3-5 minutes, then flip leaves over and bake another couple of minutes until crisp. Yum!
SNAP PEAS AND GARLIC SCAPES
3/4 lb snap peas, strings removed
4 garlic scapes, chopped to 1-inch lengths
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
Heat olive oil and butter together, and saute garlic scapes and peas together until just crisp tender. Dress with balsamic vinegar and serve.
CUCUMBER & BEET SALAD (Serves 4 to 6.)
1 bunch beets (about 1 ¾ lbs.), tops trimmed to 1-inch
1 to 2 cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded, & sliced ¼-inch
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ cup light or regular sour cream
½ cup thinly sliced green onions or garlic scapes
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. prepared white horseradish
1 Tbs. white sugar
¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wrap each beet in a sheet of foil. Bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until the beets are easily pierced with a small knife. Unwrap. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers and 1-teaspoon kosher salt; cover with plastic wrap. Set a plate on top, weight with a heavy can, and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Rinse the cucumbers, drain, and put into a medium bowl. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel, quarter, and cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices. Add to the cucumbers. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, scallions or garlic scapes, vinegar, horseradish, sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add to the beet mixture and toss until mixed. Spoon into a bowl and serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
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