Week 12: August 10 – August 16, 2014

Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #12
Aug. 10-16, 2014

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.

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.

We also try to keep the formatted 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.

**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

ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor, which is rich in iron and vitamins A and C. See Week 1 for usage and storage information.

GREEN BEANS or YELLOW BEANS: You will receive E-Z Pick (a round, tender, dark green, snap bean with good sweet flavor) or Rocdor (long, slender, yellow bean; meaty, firm texture and no watery taste). See Week 10 for usage and storage information.

BEETS (Red Ace): round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and medium-tall with no greens this week. See Week 7 usage and storage information.

CUCUMBERS: a slicing cucumber with dark green, straight 8-9 in. fruit; crisp with fresh flavor. See Week 7 usage and storage information.

EGGPLANT or TOMATOES: Due to shortage of supply you will receive either eggplant or tomatoes. The eggplant varieties are Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit), Rosa Biana (an Italian heirloom; round fruit streaked with white and violet), or Orient Express (long, lavender fruit).
-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. Lots of recipes and basic cooking tips in the “A to Z cookbook”.
-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 on the farm): Every summer we plant a variety of flowers for drying or fresh bouquets. Picking flowers is labor-intensive and transporting them is difficult, so we are not able to bring cut flowers to all the distribution sites, but we do encourage you to come to the farm to pick your flowers each week. This week you can pick up to 10 stems as the flowers are just starting. Please keep on the paths without stepping into or over the flower beds to harvest, which compacts the soil. Whenever possible if you can donate $1 (or more) that will help to pay for some seed and labor costs. More information about u-pick flowers is in the “Announcements” section.

FRESH GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, bolstering the immune system, lowering blood pressure and preventing heart disease, used as an expectorant or decongestant, and at least some people believe that it can ward off vampires and insects. See Week 7 usage and storage information.

FRESH HERBS: *All shares will receive Basil this week. There are about 150 different species of aromatic annual and perennial basils. We grow 3 varieties, which you may choose from this week.
Genovese Basil—an herb with sweet, spicy, shiny, green leaves; traditionally used in pesto and many types of cooking.
Cinnamon Basil- small thin serrated green leaves with contrasting purple stems and purple-spiked flowers; savory element to raw dishes, soups, hot drinks, infused oils, and especially suited to fruit dishes. This is delicious as an exotic flavored hot tea!
Lemon Basil—Yum! narrow, ovate, light green leaves producing a lemon scent & strong citrus flavor; use fresh or dried in vinegars, fish, chicken, vegetables and soups; common herb found within Thai, Indonesian and several Middle Eastern region cuisines.
-How to store: Whether the basil this week has a root or just stems, it will last longer when stored in a jar, vase, or glass of water on your counter or table top. Since basil is a hot weather plant, it doesn’t like the cold, so will last longer outside of the refrigerator.

KALE: You will receive Red Russian Kale (the stems are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green, purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged). See Week 3 newsletter for usage and storage information.

LETTUCE: You will receive heads of Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Romaine or Buttercrunch. See Week 2 for usage and storage information.

ONIONS: You will receive Red Long of Tropea (a specialty heirloom variety of tall, elongated, wine-red bulbs with sweet white flesh; traditionally grown in Mediterranean Italy and France; use raw or grilled) or Ailsa Craig Exhibition (a huge, sweet, mild, yellow-skinned, heirloom onion that is well known by British gardeners who grow show-size onions; great for salads, soups, sandwiches, slices, onion rings, & other dishes for flavor). See Week 10 for usage and storage information.

HOT PEPPERS: You will receive Jalapeño (small and conical pepper, ranging from green to red; hot chile pepper used commonly in Mexican or southwestern cooking).
-How to use: Some folks like to handle hot peppers with gloves, and cut on glass plate. Often roasted, chopped, and used to season corn bread and cheese dishes; good for stuffed appetizers, jams, salsa, and pickles. See newsletter recipes.
-How to store: For fresh peppers, store in refrigerator. For drying peppers, place string through the stems and hang in cool, dry, well-ventilated spot.

POTATOES: You will receive Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; perfect baked, boiled, mashed or fried). See Week 7 for storage information.

SUMMER SQUASH/ZUCCHINI: You will receive some variety of Green or Yellow Zucchini (gourmet golden or green zucchini with uniform, cylindrical fruits) or Yellow Crookneck (long, curved neck with a sometimes bumpy, yellow skin; buttery flavor and firm texture) or Patty Pan (tender, rounded scallop, bright yellow squash with a green tip; nutty flavor). See Week 6 for usage and storage information.

TOMATOES or EGGPLANT: Due to shortage of supply you will receive either eggplant or tomatoes. The tomato varieties are Verona (similar to Juliet, but with even tastier, somewhat plumper, deep red “cocktail plum” fruits; good in sauces and in salads) and a slicing tomato called Pruden’s Purple (early Brandywine type; vivid dark pink, heirloom tomato with smooth, crimson flesh; delicious flavor and large–1 lb.+ fruit).
-How to use: sauté, 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

WATERMELON: You will receive Little Baby Flower (small, 2-4 lb. round fruit; bright green stripe pattern on shell and dark pink flesh that is sweet and crisp with a high sugar count) or Sunshine Yellow –8-10 lb. oval-rounded fruit; (green-striped shell with bright yellow flesh, which is brittle, juicy, and very sweet) or Sugar Baby (6 to 10 lb. icebox melon with sweet, deep red flesh and solid dark green skin). See Week 11 for usage and storage information.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. STILL SPACES LEFT in the LULU COOKING CLASS ON AUGUST 20 from 6 to 8:30 PM! This will be a picnic-themed meal with help from our guest chefs and fellow CSA members, Eric Lundy and Laenne Thompson. There will be a $10 fee for materials and handouts for each class. So now you can check your calendar and registerby sending us your NAME, PHONE NUMBER, and E-MAIL ADDRESS in the body of the email. We have 7 spaces still available, so let us know if you’re interested in joining us for a special picnic-cooking class and meal at Tantre Farm. We really would love to share a meal with you!

2. KID FARM DAY will be on Wed., Aug. 27, from 9 AM until noon. This half day will be for all kids who are 4 years and older. Activities will include an edible farm walk, sweet grass braiding, seed balls, t-shirt decoration with flower prints, and more. Snacks harvested from the farm will be included. Advance registration is required. Please bring $10 to cover the costs of materials and a farm T-shirt! Please register by e-mail to tantrefarm@hotmail.com or by sign up at the distribution sites with NAMES and AGES of children, NAME OF ADULT attending, PHONE NUMBER, E-MAIL ADDRESS, and KIDS T-SHIRT SIZE OF Large, Medium, Small, or Extra Small. Also, let us know if you need Deb to send you a t-shirt sizing chart. Please keep in mind the option of switching your pick up to the farm that day, so we know in advance!!

3. U-PICK AVAILABLE: Please call ahead if you plan to pick on other days besides Farm Distribution Days (Wed. and Fri.), so we can make sure someone is around to help you.
–U-pick Flowers– Some of the flowers are ready in the u-pick flower garden. You may pick 1 bouquet of up to 10 stems for “free”. You may want to bring a vase or a jar to keep your flowers fresher on the ride home! Extra bouquets will cost $4.
–U-pick Beans: Green and Yellow available for $0.50/lb.

4. VACATIONS or OUT OF TOWN: Please remember to contact us at least by Sunday and please be specific about which location you’re requesting, since we have several options on every day.

5. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)–7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Farm (Wed.)–10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 P.M. to 8 P.M.
Farm (Fri.)–2 P.M. to 7 P.M.
Community High School (Sat.) –7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—10 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)–8 A.M. to 12 P.M.

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”, and many recipe ideas will pop up. I typed in “summer squash, jalapeno, and garlic recipe” and found the recipe below. Have fun searching! Lots and lots of ideas!

LEMON BASIL TIPS: Chop lemon basil and puree with fresh blueberries and water, then serve as a cold soup. Blend fresh lemon basil with cream, then warm and serve over pasta. Add chopped fresh lemon basil to lemon cookie dough. Puree lemon basil leaves with 1/4 cup water, then mix with sweetened yogurt and freeze and serve frozen yogurt with grilled nectarines. Make lemon pesto.

CINNAMON BASIL TIPS: Add chopped fresh cinnamon basil to pumpkin pie filling as an alternative to ground, dried cinnamon. Steep cinnamon basil leaves in water and sugar, bring to a boil to infuse and use this simple syrup to flavor whipped creams or dessert. Puree Cinnamon basil with garlic and olive oil for pesto and use to top fresh pasta. Blend Cinnamon basil leaves with heavy cream and beat until desired whipped cream consistency, then top brownies or pie. Add to fresh fruit salad for interesting flavors.

PESTO SAUCE (The Pleasure of Herbs)
2 c. washed fresh basil
3 cloves garlic
4 Tbs. pine nuts or walnuts (optional)
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients in the blender or food processor, except the cheese, which is added after the first ingredients are pasty; and then blended again briefly. Serve this on hot pasta, boiled potatoes, green beans, sliced tomatoes, corn-on-the-cob, steak, fish, or mix with yogurt as a dipping sauce for vegetables.

SPICY SUMMER SQUASH WITH HERBS (from www.foodnetwork.com)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium yellow or green summer squash or a mix, diced (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 small jalapeno, minced (with some seeds)
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage or rosemary
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh chives

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, jalapenos, onions, vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Cover and cook until the squash starts to brown, stirring twice during cooking, about 6 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is nicely browned and tender, another 6 minutes. Add the sage and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt to taste. Stir in the chives, transfer to a bowl or platter and serve.

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