Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK 20
Oct. 9-15, 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.
ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C
How to use: add to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes
How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
GREEN BEANS (Jade): long, slender, deep green 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.
CARROTS (Chantenay): shorter than other cultivars, but have greater girth with broad shoulders and taper towards a blunt, rounded tip. See Week 9 for storage and usage information.
GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves. See Week 9 for storage & usage information.
FRESH HERBS: You may choose ONE from the following 3 Herbs: Parsley (flat, glossy, dark green leaves), French Sorrel (slightly tart, lemon-flavored green; excellent for salads, soups, and sauces), Chives (mild, onion-flavored herb with long, slender, hollow leaves).
BABY LETTUCE MIX: Red and Green Romaine, and other Red/Green Leaf lettuces. See Week 16 for storage and usage information.
MUSHROOMS(Shiitake): flower-like cracking pattern on brown cap; edible mushroom native to East Asia. 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
POTATOES (Red Dakota): red potato with white flesh that is good for baking, boiling, or frying. See Week 10 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 (just starting to get buds now). See Week 17 newsletter for storage & usage information.
U-PICK DRIED SHELLING BEANS (only available on the farm): Since we won’t have enough time to pick these beans for you, we’re inviting you to come out to the farm sometime this week to pick 2 quarts of your own dried beans from a variety of heirloom options such as the following: Christmas Limas (beautiful burgundy markings on a Lima bean shape, but when cooked has the texture of baked potatoes and the flavor of chestnuts; originally from Peru and also known as “Pope’s Beans” or “Chestnut Lima”; excellent in a chile sauce or curry or simply be enjoyed with a drizzle of olive oil and a few grates of dry goat cheese), Cannellini (white outer skin with nutty flavor when cooked; nutrient-loaded bean with high fiber content; goes well in soups and fresh salads.), or Black Turtle (black bean with dense, meaty texture; commonly used in Latin American cuisine and good in spicy soups, stews, and refrying). Extra dried beans can be harvested as well for $2/lb.
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.
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.
SPINACH: large, crisp, dark green leaf; delicious flavor when juiced. See Week 1 newsletter for storage & usage information.
SWEET POTATOES (Beauregard): 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 & C. See Week 18 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. See Week 18 for storage and usage information.
WINTER SQUASH/PUMPKINS: You will choose 4 squash or pumpkins from Carnival (a multicolor Sweet Dumpling with colorful patches and flecks of dark and light green, orange, and yellow; sweet flesh and edible skin), Confection Kabocha (gray, flattened, buttercup-size fruits; dry taste directly after harvest, but outstanding sweetness and texture after curing for a few weeks; good for long storage), 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), and Baby Bear Pie Pumpkin (unique size and shape, and is often called “the perfect mini pumpkin” by growers; deep orange, 1 1/2-2 1/2-lb. fruits are about half the size of a normal pie pumpkin.). See Week 18 for storage and usage information.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. LAST WEEK OF THE SUMMER CSA: This is just a reminder that our summer shares are ENDING THIS WEEK! That means Oct. 12 (Wed.), Oct. 14 (Fri.), and Oct. 15 (Sat.) are the last distribution days.
2. “TASTE OF TANTRÉ” AT ZINGERMAN’S on FOURTH: Join our Tantré Farm crew at Zingerman’s new events space, Zingerman’s on Fourth, on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. for a ZingFeast Dinner featuring Tantré Farm produce. Chef Rodger Bowser will be sculpting our farm’s produce into scrumptious dishes again this year. This is a delicious meal for $50/person or $60 with beer. Call early 734-663-3400 to reserve a space, since this event usually is sold out.
3. 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.
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 Beans for $1.50/lb. or U-pick Beans for $1/lb. Good time for canning and freezing!
4. MISSING BOXES, BERRY CONTAINERS, & RUBBER BANDS! Please return any forgotten items from the farm, so that we can reuse them. Also check Lost and Found at farm!
5. BRING BAGS! Please bring bags (cloth for yourself or plastic and paper to share with others), a cooler, or other containers to receive your produce this last week.
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. 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. Registration and payment needed by Nov. 12.
8. INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR CSA IN 2012? Shares for current members 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, or it can be sent online and through the mail.
9. TANTRÉ FARM ELECTRONIC CSA SURVEY will be coming soon by e-mail. Please take the time to fill this out, even if you are splitting a share. It actually shouldn’t take more than 10 or 15 minutes. We would like to hear any suggestions and comments, so that we may make improvements for next year, if we are able.
10. IS YOUR SHARE PARTNER TAKING A FULL SHARE OR LEAVING NEXT YEAR? A few CSA members are losing their share partners for next year, but still want to join. If you need a share partner and can’t find one on your own, please let us know so that we can help, if possible. Also, keep in mind that even if you are still looking for a share partner, and for sure want to join for next year, you probably should reserve your membership by making a $100 deposit for 2012 with your name as the contact person. We’ll be sure and match you with someone.
MONTAGE OF MEMORIES
Sadly for some this week marks the end of our Summer CSA season, but not the end of opportunities to keep receiving Tantre produce. We’ve really enjoyed growing all this food this year for so many people and look forward to continuing to provide for those who are interested. We will continue harvesting greens, brassicas, root vegetables, squash, and Brussels sprouts to sell at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market every Wednesday and Saturday until the last Saturday before Thanksgiving and into December (if temperatures are above freezing!). We will be selling produce at the Chelsea Farmers’ Market too until the last Saturday in October. The People’s Food Coop of Ann Arbor has been selling our produce all summer and will continue into the winter. Finally, for those able to travel to the farm, we will have much of the above bulk produce in storage or in the fields until the end of December, and some things like potatoes, squash, garlic, and spinach will be available in January and February through the possibility of a monthly Winter Share. Stay tuned as this idea gets firmed up.
As always, thank you for your encouragement and support this season. We will make contact with you again during late winter or early spring. We’d especially like to give our thanks and acknowledge another incredible farm crew for all their hard work and long hours this past season. Now we would like to leave you with a collection of some of our memories of the season….
Just as the soil writhes with worms,
So too is the body animated with germs.
Most days it’s no reason to shout,
But sometimes a renegade will slip up the snout—
Microscopic fury itchin’ to knock you out.
And so it came to pass, the Tantre Terror
Kicked our aspirations and came with a quake,
Leaving eight poor souls down for the count in its wake,
And though revival came a wee bit slow,
We all lived to pull another hoe. —Shaun
Spring was cold;
Summer was hot;
I always wanted
What was not. –Katie
Why did the mink kill the chickens?
And where does the last firefly go?
The things we can only guess at…
The wisdom of Lady Dingo. –Erin
U-pick flowers and herb gardens–
Chartreuse, pinks, and purples,
Lacy fronds and delicate petals,
Sweet scents fill the air
As flowers sway in the breeze.
The herb garden smells savory
As herbs lose their flowers
That give way to seeds
To plant for next year. –Lori
Seeds take on roots, take on leaves, take on fruits,
From crawling over spinach to tripping over watermelons–
Sustainabling! –Erin
Tree branches’ delible shadows move,
The soft October moonlight over the leaf-covered earth,
Two coyote tribes laugh at each other across the fields,
The warm night is awake
With honking, hooting, screeching fowl,
As the waning, whining chirps of the crickets’ constant chorus
All herald the end of the season. –Richard
*Keep in mind-Cooks.com, Epicurious.com, Recipes.com, and especially www.tantrefarm.com for recipe ideas, since we’re out of room in this newsletter.
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