Week 18, Sept 25-Oct 1, 2011

Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK 18
Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2011

THIS WEEK’S SHARE
We usually try to give you a pretty accurate listing of the produce in your box, but since the newsletter is published before the harvest, sometimes we may substitute some vegetables for others.

YELLOW BEANS (Concador): a smooth, straight, thin, yellow filet bean. See Week 7 newsletter for storage & usage information.

BROCCOLI: deep emerald green, tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems. See Week 7 for storage & usage information.

GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves. See Week 9 for storage & usage information.

FRESH HERBS: All shares will receive just Basil this week for the herb. Genovese Basil—an herb with sweet, spicy, shiny, green leaves. We supply it with root attached, so it will last longer when stored in a jar, vase, or glass of water on your counter or table top.

MUSHROOMS: You will receive Shiitake (flower-like cracking pattern on brown cap; edible mushroom native to East Asia; good in sandwiches and cooked) or Oyster (white, golden, or gray oyster-shaped cap with a mild, anise, earthy odor). See Week 11 newsletter for storage and usage information.

SWEET ONIONS (Yellow Spanish): a sweet, mild flavored onion with a yellow skin. See Week 8 for storage & usage information HOT PEPPERS: You may choose from Jalapeño (hot flavor, small and conical pepper, ranging from green to red), Serrano (cylindrical fruit with excellent, very hot flavor; usually eaten fresh green not dried), or Shishito (sweet, mild, slender Japanese chiles about 2 to 4 inches with squarish end). See Week 10 for storage & usage information.

POTATOES (Red Norland): smooth, red skin and white flesh; great baked, boiled, or roasted. See Week 10 for storage & usage information.

RADISHES: You will receive Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor) or Amethyst (bright purple skin and crisp, mild white flesh). See Week 1 for storage & usage 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). See Week 17 newsletter for storage & usage information.

SALAD MIX: a mix of baby greens–Pac Choi, Mustard greens, Mizuna, and baby lettuces—Green and Red Oakleaf, Red and Green Romaine, and other Redleaf lettuces. See Week 16 for storage and usage information.

U-PICK FLOWERS (only available on the farm): A bouquet per household of up to 15 stems will be part of your share, but 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.

U-PICK RASPBERRIES (only available on the farm): 1 pint is available as part of your share this week, only if you are able to come out to the farm and pick it yourself. More pints are available for u-pick as well for $3/pint. See u-pick information in the “Announcements”.

SWEET POTATOES: You will receive Beauregard Sweet Potatoes (large, edible root related to the morning-glory family that has dark red-orange skin with a vivid orange, moist, sweet flesh; high in vitamins A and C).
How to use: Bake in 400 degree oven until tender, about 45 minutes; use like potatoes—baked, boiled, sautéed, fried; can be made into pies, waffles, pancakes, breads, & cookies
How to store: should be spread out in a warm, humid place for about a week to cure. Once cured, store in a cool, dark place like winter squash. *Do not store in plastic or in fridge, unless cooked.

TOMATOES: You may choose from Buffalo Ruby Red (long popular, Dutch beefsteak tomato; good for slicing) and Geronimo (newer variety but already one of the most widely used beefsteak varieties; fruits are very large, firm, nice red color and good taste.). Due to the cool nights and rains this last week, tomatoes for canning may be limited, but just ask. See Week 11 newsletter for storage and usage information.

WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: A white salad turnip with round, smooth roots that have a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture. Both roots (good source of Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium; good in salads and soups) and greens (slightly sweet and can be boiled, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, and since hairless, are good in salads; excellent source of vitamins A & C and good source of riboflavin, calcium and iron) are edible!
How to use: good in salads and soups, roasted, steamed, 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.

WINTER SQUASH: You will receive Acorn (small, green ribbed squash with pale yellow flesh; great stuffed with rice, breading, or soups) and Delicata (small, oblong, creamy colored with long green stripes, only slightly ribbed; pale yellow, sweet flesh; edible skin; best eaten within 4 months of harvest)
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. 12 (Wed.), Oct. 14 (Fri.), and Oct. 15 (Sat.) are the last distribution days.

2. THANKS FOR COMING TO OUR FALL WORK PARTY AND POTLUCK on Sept. 25. We managed to harvest 4 crates of sweet potatoes, shell 4 trays of black turtle beans, harvest/sort pears, and clean 4 crates of garlic. All members were able to go home with a squash or a pumpkin, a pint of raspberries, and a flower bouquet if they wanted. We also enjoyed many good potluck dishes. A special treat enjoyed by children and adults was a visit from the Ann Arbor Symphony’s String Instrument Petting Zoo, where young and old were able to try their hand at violin and cello. Thanks to CSA member and Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Symphony, Mary Steffek Blaske. We really appreciate getting to know so many of our Tantre Farm community and especially all the ways you all pitched in to help the farm.

3. PARTICIPATORY “FARM DINNER” on Sept 29 still has a few spaces left (we had a few cancellations): We will be preparing a Mexican Fiesta meal using produce from this week’s Tantre Farm share box on Thurs., Sept. 29 at Tantre Farm from 5:30 to 8:30 PM (or starting at 4 PM, if you want to help prep veggies). We will eat outside unless it’s raining. We will be offering tips and recipes on what we are preparing, and some demos of homemade tortillas, making hot cocoa, making easy, fresh salsa, and how to make an easy watermelon drink. There will be a $5 fee for materials and handouts. If you’re interested, please contact us soon with your NAME, PHONE NUMBER, ESTIMATED ARRIVAL, and E-MAIL ADDRESS in the body of the email. Also, for those of you already registered, please let us know ASAP if you need to cancel, so we can let more people in.

4. HARVEST AT THE FARM: Please call ahead if you plan to u-pick or pick up on other days besides Farm Distribution Days (Wed. and Fri.), so we can make sure someone is around to help you. There are also some “already picked” options.
U-pick Broccoli Florets—$0.50/lb. Good time for freezing.
U-pick Raspberries—1 pint free with your share, and $3/pint for additional pints. *Easy to freeze on cookie sheets.
U-pick Fresh Flowers– You may pick 1 bouquet of up to 15 stems per household at no charge as part of your share.
Already-Picked Green, Yellow, Purple Filet Beans for $1.50/lb. or U-pick Beans for $1/lb. Good time for canning and freezing! Purple filet beans turn green when blanched and frozen.

5. MISSING SHARE BOXES and BERRY CONTAINERS! Please return any forgotten items from the farm, so that we can reuse them. Also check Lost and Found at farm!

6. EXTENDED FALL CSA SHARE AVAILABLE FOR 2011: We are offering an Extended Fall CSA Share again for $90 for 3 weeks from Oct. 16 through Nov. 5. There will not be a distribution in Chelsea on Saturdays though. The other distribution sites and days are the same. More information can also be found about this in your CSA Handbook and on the website under FAQ section. If you’re interested in registering you can return your registration form by e-mail, send it in the mail, or put it in the labeled envelope at the distribution sites. All forms will be attached to an email notice this week, and also will be available at every distribution site. Registration and payment due by Oct. 15.

7. THANKSGIVING SHARES! We are offering a distribution in November for you to stock up on vegetables before the holiday or for winter storage for $100. This share will be available for pick up on Nov. 19, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market from 7 A.M. until noon or at Tantré Farm from 2-5 P.M. A $50 deposit can reserve your share, but full payment needed by Nov. 12.

8. INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR CSA IN 2012? Shares will be available for $575 (Farm) and $600 (Ann Arbor or Chelsea) from June through the middle of October. We will be accepting $100 deposits ($25 of that deposit is nonrefundable if you choose to cancel your share) to reserve your share for 2012 starting now until the end of December. Please ask for a registration form at the distribution sites if needed. Also, you will be receiving an email with the registration attached this week. Thanks for your continued support this season.

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

RECIPES

AUTUMN MINESTRONE SOUP(from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special by the Moosewood Collective) Serves 6 to 8.
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 1/2 c. peeled and cubed winter squash (such as acorn, delicata)
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 c. peeled and diced carrots
2 1/2 c. cubed potatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
6 c. water
4 c. chopped greens (kale, rapini, turnip greens, etc.)
1 1/2 c. cooked cannellini beans (or 1 ½ cups fresh shelling beans)

Warm the oil in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the squash, celery, carrots, potatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and water; cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are almost done. Add the greens and beans (drained) and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the kale and the beans are tender. Yields 12 cups. (Optional additions: Add sautéed mushrooms, peppers, turnips, broccoli.)

SWEET POTATO, BROCCOLI, AND TOMATO STEW (from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables by John Peterson) Serves 4.
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1- 28 oz. jar stewed tomatoes (or 3 to 4 cups cut up fresh ones)
2 cups cooked or canned garbanzo beans, drained
1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound, cubed)
1 medium head broccoli, cut into large chunks (about 2 cups)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, stock, and sweet potatoes. Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Add the broccoli, cover, and simmer until the sweet potatoes and broccoli are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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