Week 17: September 14 – 20, 2014

Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #17
Sept. 14-20, 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(E-Z Pick): a round, tender, dark green, snap bean with good sweet flavor. See Week 10 for usage and storage information.

BEETS (Cylindra): A uniquely-shaped 6” cylindrical beet with especially sweet flavor. No tops this week, so just roots. This heirloom is a favorite with chefs due to uniform slices and ease of peeling. See Week 6 for usage and storage information.

CABBAGE: You will receive Tendersweet Cabbage (Midsize, flat heads; tender leaves are very thin, sweet, and crisp – perfect for coleslaw or stir-fries). See Week 8 for usage and storage information.

SWEET CORN (Vision): exceptionally tender, deep yellow kernels; great for fresh eating or freezing. See Week 13 for usage and storage information.

U-PICK FLOWERS (only available on the farm): A bouquet per household of up to 15 stems will be part of your share, if you are able to come and pick it. This means that if you are splitting a share, each household can pick a bouquet. More information about u-pick flowers is in the “Announcements” section.

FRESH HERBS: **We finally have “cilantro” back for you cilantro lovers! In general, store herbs upright with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or wrap in slightly dampened cloth and store in refrigerator. *You may choose ONE from the following 2 Herbs:
Italian Flat-leaf Parsley—flat, glossy, dark green leaves have a strong parsley/celery flavor for use dried or fresh; especially good in omelets, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, pasta and vegetable dishes, as well as, sauces to go with fish & poultry.
Cilantro– the flat, delicate, lacy-edged leaves and stems of the coriander plant, which look a lot like flat-leaf parsley, but has a distinctive, almost citrus fragrance that lends itself to highly spiced foods. Store in jar of water.

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

ONIONS: You will receive Big Daddy (large Spanish type yellow onion, delicately textured flesh is superb raw, and makes magnificent French onion soup; may last 8-10 months in storage) or Mars Red (purple-red skinned onion with sweet flavor. See Week 10 for usage and storage information.

PAC CHOI (Asian Green): also sometimes called “bok choy”; crisp, crunchy, broad green, oval leaves, which taper to white stalks forming a perfect vase shape when small; slight mustard flavor
-How to use: delightful addition to stir-fries, soups, noodle and meat dishes, and salads
-How to store: Wrap in a damp towel or plastic bag in the refrigerator lasting for up to 1 week.

HOT PEPPERS: You will receive Jalapeño (small, conical pepper, ranging from green to red; hot chile pepper used commonly in Mexican or southwestern cooking) or Joe’s Long Cayenne (long, slender cayenne with medium heat; bright red, 8-10″ long, thin-fleshed fruits taper to a skinny point; excellent for homemade hot sauce and dry well for ristras and delicious, dried hot pepper flakes). See Week 12 for usage and storage information.

SWEET RED PEPPERS: You will receive Red Knight Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green-to-red pepper with sweet flesh) or Carmen (6 inch long, tapered fruit that ripens from green to a deep “carmine” red; sweet taste in salads and when roasted and fully red-ripe). See Week 14 for usage and storage information.

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

RADISHES: You will receive Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor). See Week 1 for usage and storage information.

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 1 for usage and storage information.

U-PICK RASPBERRIES (only available on the farm): The sweet fall red and golden raspberries are still here. 1 pint is available as part of your share this week, if you are able to come out to the farm and pick it yourself. $4 for any extra pints picked.

TOMATOES: You will receive several of the following varieties: heirlooms such as Brandywine Rose, “slicers” such as Geronimo or Rebelski, “sauce” tomatoes such as: Granadero or Juliet, and also some pints of grape or cherry tomatoes. See Week 12 for storage and usage information.

WINTER SQUASH: Everyone will receive Acorn (small, green ribbed squash with pale yellow flesh; great stuffed with rice, breading, or soups) and Spaghetti (3-5-pounds, pale yellow, oblong, smooth, medium size, only mildly sweet with “spaghetti” (stringy) flesh; bake like squash or boil and fork out the flesh, topping the “spaghetti” flesh with your favorite sauce; mildly sweet).
-How to use: Slice in half, scoop seeds out and bake with a little water in baking pan at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender; boil or steam chunks for 15-20 minutes, or until tender (peel skins off “before” or “after“ cooked, but “after” is easiest when it’s cooled); mash cooked squash with butter; purée cooked squash for creamy soup, or add uncooked chunks to soups or stews; add small amounts to yeast breads, muffins, cookies, pies, oatmeal, etc.
-How to store: Keep for several months (depending on the variety) in a dry, moderately warm (50-60 degrees), but not freezing location with 60-75% humidity; will also store at room temperature.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. ENDING SUMMER CSA DATES: The end is drawing near. This is just a reminder that our summer shares are ending in just a few weeks. That means Oct. 8 (Wed.), Oct. 10 (Fri.), and Oct. 11 (Sat.) are the last distribution days.

2. EXTENDED FALL CSA SHARE COMING FOR 2014: We have been getting requests already for our Extended Fall CSA Share. This share runs for 3 weeks from Oct. 12 through Nov. 1 for $100 celebrating all the bounty of the fall vegetables! There usually is plenty of room, since we still have a lot of vegetables in the fields. We ask for your patience though, since we are still sifting through an online registration idea with a NEW CSA management program, which is taking a bit of time to set up and sort through. This should save us valuable time and paper, so that you can fill out the registration through our website and pay online. You will still have the option to pay by check or cash as well, and we can help with online registration if you do not use a computer or this is difficult for you for some reason. We will be sending out an email notice in the coming week or two. Non-members are welcome, so encourage others to register too. **Chelsea Farmers Market will not have a distribution on Saturdays though for the Fall Shares. The other distribution sites and days are the same.

3. FALL WORK PARTY/END-OF SEASON POTLUCK will be this coming Sunday, Sept. 21, between 1-4 P.M. Our end-of-season potluck will also be at this time, so please bring an hors d’oeuvre, snack, or refreshment to pass. Members are invited to bring family and friends to help harvest squash, pumpkins, and potatoes before the first frost. You may also come just to enjoy the farm and walk around to see the produce and the animals, listen to music, or just eat at the potluck around 3 or 4 P.M. We also will have sit-down activities, such as onion or garlic cleaning or dried herb stripping. Lots of kid-friendly activities, such as wagon rides, feeding animals, and bubbles. All who come will be able to take something home with them, such as a pumpkin or a winter squash. Hope to see you here for lots of fun!

4. TOMATO PRESERVING WORKSHOP at Tantre Farm: Despite the fact that our bulk harvest of tomatoes is happening now, this workshop is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27 from 3 to 6 PM due to our guest presenter’s schedule. There should still be plenty of tomatoes, but feel free to buy and freeze some now, so you will be able to can them later. Kristen Uthus (Tantré Farm worker–2002) will teach mostly how to can tomatoes, but also some information will be on dehydrating and freezing them. There will be active participation and “take-home” samples for those attending. Plan on bringing a Quart Size Canning Jar. Please register with your Name, Phone Number, and E-mail Address in the body of the email to us. There will be a small $5 fee for materials. Bulk tomatoes will be available for you to buy. This is a great time for canning, freezing, or dehydrating!

5. 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 Golden/Red Raspberries—1 pint free. Extra $4/pint
–U-pick Flowers–You may pick 1 bouquet of up to 15 stems per household for “free”. Whenever possible if you can donate $1 or $2 that will help to pay for some seed and labor costs. Extra bouquets will cost $4.
–Already Picked Tomatoes—available for canning or freezing. Many slicer and heirloom varieties. Very easy to freeze!
-Members– $1/lb. for “perfect” (no blemishes) tomatoes and $0.50/lb. for “2nds” (cracks, bruising, very ripe, but good parts).
-Non members–$1.25/lb. for perfect tomatoes & $0.75 for 2nds.
–U-pick Tomatoes—many tomato varieties are ready for picking.
-Members–$0.50/lb. Non members–$0.75/lb.

6. IMPORTANT!!! PLASTIC OR PAPER GROCERY BAGS AND YOGURT CONTAINERS (quart size for u-pick flowers) STILL NEEDED, if you would like to donate some to the farm or at markets. We are running extremely low. CSA members keep taking them, but not replacing them. Please help us out!

7. 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 every day.

8. 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

SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE (Moosewood Cookbook)
1 spaghetti squash, 8 inches long
2 Tbs. butter
1 c. chopped onion
dash of thyme
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 pound fresh, sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. grated mozzarella cheese
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 c. cottage or ricotta cheese
1 c. fine bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Halve the squash and scoop out seeds. Bake face-down on oiled sheet until it is easily pierced by a fork, about 30 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to touch, then scoop out pulp and place in large bowl. Meanwhile, heat butter and sauté onions, garlic, and mushrooms with herbs, salt and pepper. When onions are soft, add tomatoes and continue to cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Stir this mixture into squash pulp with remaining ingredients except Parmesan. Spread into buttered 2-quart casserole. Top with Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. Serves 4-6.

BAKING WINTER SQUASH
Slice in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and place face down in baking pan. Add just enough water to keep squash from drying out and hasten cooking. It will need to bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on size. Cook until very tender, but not charred. It may be served in skins or scooped out and mashed. Add butter and salt or brown sugar and maple syrup to the pulp.

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