Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #16
Sept. 9-15, 2018
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.
We try to keep the printed 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. 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 tab.
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.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C. See Week 3 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
YELLOW BEANS (Isar): beautiful, yellow, fillet bean with excellent flavor. See Week 10 for usage and storage tips.
CARROTS: You will receive either Carakas (sweet, orange, wedge-shaped roots with broad shoulders like a baby Chantenay, so easily diced for canning or prepared foods) or Mokum (a very sweet, slender, “pencil carrot” with edible green leaves; greens are delicious in soups and also salads). See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
SWEET CORN (Potawatomi): yellow kernels with excellent sweet flavor. * We don’t treat our corn with pesticides, so you may find some ear worms enjoying the corn too; just break off the damaged part and cook the rest of the ear. See Week 12 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
EGGPLANT: You will receive Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit), Rosa Biana (an Italian heirloom; round fruit streaked with white and violet), or Orient Express (dark purple Asian type with long, slender, glossy fruits, which are tender, delicately flavored, and quick cooking). See Week 13 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
FRESH HERBS: In general, store herbs upright with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water and refrigerate for up to 1 week or wrap in slightly dampened cloth or plastic bag and store in refrigerator.
You may CHOOSE ONE bunch (NOT one bunch of each) from the following 5 options:
1. 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 with fish, poultry, and pork.
2. Dill: feathery green leaves that go well with fish, potatoes, beets, carrots, and yogurt sauces; considered a good luck symbol by early Romans.
3.Oregano: member of the mint family and is similar to marjoram, but not as sweet and more pungent flavor and aroma; good in soups and tomato-based dishes.
4.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, such as tacos, salsas, soups, stews, and salads.
5. 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; excellent informational link for cinnamon basil: http://flipsidehip.com/cinnamon-basil-a-must-have-medicinal-herb
*Genovese Basil—All shares will receive 1 basil stem this week, an herb with sweet, spicy, shiny, green leaves. We supply it with root attached, so it will last up to a week or 2 when stored in a jar, vase, or glass of water on your counter or table top. Do NOT refrigerate!
KALE: You will receive Rainbow Lacinato Kale (unique “purple dino” kale has deeply curled leaves in dusky-green with bright purple stems and veins) See Week 4 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
ONIONS (Cipolline): a traditional Italian onion known for its flat, oval shape and delicately mild, sweet flavor; ranges in size from 1-3 inches; used for pickling and to season a wide variety of dishes and especially good grilled on a skewer. See Week 10 for usage and storage tips.
HOT PEPPERS: You will receive Shishito (sweet, slender, slightly hot (1 in 10 are hot) Japanese chiles about 2- to 4-inches with squarish end; often used in stir-fried dishes, salads, or as a pickled condiment) or Jalapeño (small and conical pepper, ranging from green to red; a hot chile pepper used commonly in Mexican or southwestern cooking).
-How to use: 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.
SWEET RED PEPPERS: You will receive 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), Red Knight Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green-to-red pepper with sweet flesh), or Lipstick (sweet, cone or heart-shaped peppers with juicy, thick flesh; delicious in salads and salsas, but also great for roasting). See Week 14 for usage and storage tips.
POTATOES: You will receive Adirondack Blue (round to oblong, slightly flattened tubers have glistening blue skin enclosing deep blue flesh; moist, flavorful flesh is superb for mashing or salads; very high in antioxidants!) and Mountain Rose (rosy-skinned inside and out, these versatile, all-purpose spuds are deliciously moist, but not waxy textured; extra nutritious, and high in antioxidants; excellent baked, mashed or fried). See Week 7 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
TOMATOES: You will receive Green Zebra (ripe as a green fruit with a yellow blush and darker green stripes; delicious, tangy salad tomato; beautiful sliced into wedges for salads) and Tiren (classic San Marzano shape developed in Italy; produces meaty fruit; great flavor for sauce). See Week 9 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
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 Dark Belle (dark-green skin, bright-red flesh, oblong 5-7 lb. fruit with thin rind, and very sweet flavor). See Week 11 for usage and storage tips.
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. 10 (Wed.), Oct. 12 (Fri.), and Oct. 13 (Sat.) are the last distribution days for our Summer Shares.
2. THANKS FOR COMING TO THE TOMATO PRESERVING WORKSHOP! During the workshop our enthusiastic participants managed to put up 66 quarts of canned tomatoes and 10 trays of dried Green Zebra and Roma tomatoes during our 3-hour workshop. This is an incredible amount of help from our community of CSA members for our winter preservation and our farm crew that we feed throughout the seasons! All went home with 1 jar of canned tomatoes. Thanks to Noelle Dronen, who facilitated the workshop and all the hardworking participants. Many went home with their own box of tomatoes to preserve as well. Happy canning!!
3. FALL WORK PARTY/END-OF SEASON POTLUCK will be Sunday, Sept. 23, 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 anytime between 1 and 4 PM. All who come will be able to take something home with them, such as a pumpkin, a winter squash, and a flower bouquet.
4. “EXTENDED FALL CSA” SHARE REGISTRATION IS OPEN: This 3-week share runs from Oct. 14 through Nov. 3 for $110 celebrating all the bounty of the fall vegetables! The link for online registration is http://tantrefarm.csasignup.com. Please sign up by Saturday, Oct. 13, so you won’t miss any of those 3 weeks of produce. Please go to our website for more information. We are prorating these shares as well, so if you need to miss a week of the Extended Fall CSA, just send us an email, and we will register you for the weeks you will receive a share. Hope to share more of this abundant fall harvest with you throughout October! Tell your friends and family!! Due to outside exposure of potentially cold-damaging temperatures in October, we will not have Fall Shares at the Chelsea Farmers Market or at MOVE, since we have no way to protect these shares, so please find alternate pick up locations. All other sites are the same.
5. HARVEST KITCHEN PREPARED FOOD CSA: Also, be sure and check out Harvest Kitchen’s website at http://harvest-kitchen.com, if you’re interested in fresh, delicious, farm to table meals delivered right to your door or some other convenient location. Just check on the various meal plan options or gift cards.
6. 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 Fall Raspberries – 1 pint FREE if you can make it out to the farm and pick it. They are just starting to be plentiful. Extra $4/pint
–U-pick Tomatoes – many tomato varieties are ready for picking. Members–$0.50/lb. Nonmembers $0.75/lb.
–Already Picked Tomatoes – available for $0.75/lb. We will have half bushels at the farm, the Hub, and the market for $15.
–U-pick Flowers – You may pick 1 bouquet of 16 stems per household for “free” in the u-pick flower garden on the farm. Extra bouquets – $4.
7. PLEASE RETURN SHARE BOXES: As the season is winding down now would be a good time to see if you have any stacks of share boxes at home, so we can store them away for the winter and especially so that we can reuse them.
8. PLASTIC OR PAPER GROCERY BAGS NEEDED, if you would like to donate some to the farm or at markets. We are running low.
9. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)–7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 12 PM
Farm (Wed.)–10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 P.M. to 8 P.M.
Pure Pastures (Wed.) (limited site) –9 AM to 7 PM
Farm (Fri.)–2 P.M. to 7 P.M.
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Sat.) –7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)–8 A.M. to 12 P.M.
NEW! Argus-Packard (Sat.) (limited site)–10 A.M. To 12 P.M.
RECIPES
ROASTED RED PEPPER PASTA (from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/03/pasta-with-roasted-red-pepper-sauce-groan)
3 red Bell peppers or red Carmen peppers
2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
Flat leaf parsley, finely minced
Fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
1/2 to 1 pound pasta: orecchiette, penne, fusilli, etc.
Roast red peppers, then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then removed seeds. Set aside. Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside. Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt. Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, and then stir together. Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan cheese.
ARUGULA, EGG, AND TOMATO SALAD
1 bunch arugula
4 tomatoes
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
6 Tbs. olive oil
4 Tbs. chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Wash and spin off excess moisture. Remove tough stems. Cut tomatoes into 1 in. cubes. Peel and quarter eggs. Combine all ingredients and mix. Sauté in olive oil for only 5 seconds and toss with pasta, if desired.