Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #1
May 26-June 1, 2019

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.  **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 (Sylvetta): also known as “wild rocket” with more deeply lobed leaves and a more pungent flavor; an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor
-How to use: great in salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes
-How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag with a paper towel in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

ASPARAGUS:  You will receive green or purple spears; each contains vitamins A, B, and C, as well as iron.
– How to use: serve raw, chopped in salads, or with dips. You can also steam, roast, grill.
– How to store: wrap in damp cloth and plastic bag, then refrigerate. Alternatively, bundle spears with rubber band and place upright in container with an inch of water.

BOK CHOY (Joi Choi): written as bok choi, bak choy, a traditional stir-fry vegetable from China with a sweet and mild flavor; looks like white Swiss chard with the stems all attached at the bottom; considered a cool weather crop and part of the cabbage or turnip family.
-How to use: two vegetables in one–the leaves can be cooked like spinach, and the crisp stem can be eaten like celery or asparagus; excellent in stir-fries, soups, sauteed or eaten raw.
-How to store: store as you would any green–in a loose plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

STORAGE CARROTS or BEETS:  Wednesday members will receive Chantenay Carrots (shorter than other cultivars, but have greater girth with broad shoulders and taper towards a blunt, rounded tip; most commonly diced for use in canned or prepared foods.  These carrots have been stored for the winter, so some may have spots to cut off, but are still good to use, but every once in awhile, a rubbery or mushy carrot will have escaped our crew’s watchful eye.  Please feel free to make soup stock or compost out of the carrots that are considered “ugly” or “unfit”.  See feature article on “Food for Thought”).  Saturday Members will receive Carrots or Red Ace Beets (round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and medium-tall, red-veined green leaves).
-How to use: best used for cooking in stews, soups, casseroles, or stir fries, since may have a stronger carrot flavor from being stored for several months in cold storage.
-How to store: refrigerate roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks

FRESH HERBS:  With all this rain and heat we have been having the herbs are growing and flowering or getting ready to flower all at once, so we have several herbs to choose from this week.  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:
-Chamomile— These small, daisy-like flowers are best known for making a soothing tea; also the flowers make a pretty garnish and a flavorful addition to salads.  The whole bundle can be used fresh or dried upside down for a week or two, and then the flowers plucked and put into a jar for a restful, calming, sleepy time tea for the winter.
  -Chives—mild, onion-flavored herb with long, slender, hollow leaves; can be added to potato salad, baked potatoes, soups, salads, omelets, dips and spreads, pastas and sauces.; purple, onion-flavored blossoms add an attractive  garnish to soups or salads (stems attached to blossoms are often discarded due to toughness).
-Oregano—This member of the mint family is similar to marjoram, but not as sweet and more pungent, spicy flavor and aroma; good in soups and tomato-based dishes.  
-Rosemary: pine needle-like leaves used with potatoes, bread dough, risottos, mixed vegetables, and meat dishes, especially lamb, as well as in some sweet dishes; very strongly flavored, so use sparingly, finely chopped, or remove from dish after cooking; considered a memory stimulant and medicinally used for headaches, indigestion, and depression.
-French Sorrel: slightly tart, lemon-flavored green; excellent for salads, soups, and sauces; can be used in omelets, breads, or cooked as a side dish; leaves are shaped like spinach, but paler green in color; high in vitamin A and contains some calcium, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C; refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 3 days.

POTATOES:  You will receive one of the following varieties – Kerr’s Pink (very pale skin and cream flesh; mealy, cooked texture, so makes a good specialty/salad potato variety; good roasted, mashed, or in salads) or Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; long storage and good tasting; perfect baked, boiled, mashed or fried).  You will receive these “old buddies” potatoes that have been over-wintered in our timber frame root cellar; possibly slightly less firm than a new potato, but good for cooking in any way suggested below.  See feature article on “Food for Thought”.
-How to use: good baked, boiled, roasted or in potato salads
-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag; ideal temperature is 38-40 degrees with 80-90 percent humidity; a basement or very cool closet will work. 

RADISHES (Pink Beauty): pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor.
-How to use: raw, roasted, used in soups, sliced in salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries, grated in slaws; radish greens are delicious in soups or stir-fries and are an excellent source of vitamins A, B, C.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.

THE BRINERY’S SAUERKRAUT:   You will receive 1 jar of either “Galaxy Rose” or “Fair N’By”.  The Brinery is a local foods business, specializing in naturally fermented local vegetables and operated by long time Tantré farmer alum, David Klingenberger.  For more information, please visit www.thebrinery.com.  
-How to use: use as a condiment with any dish, especially meat dishes, salads, roasted veggies, or sandwiches.  
-How to store: Must be REFRIGERATED up to 1 year or longer depending on how you like the flavor, since it will get stronger with more age. *NOTE: This sauerkraut jar has NOT been canned, so store in refrigerator.

SCALLIONS (also called “Green Onions”): young shoots of red or green onions with long green stalks and milder tasting than large bulb onions; full of great fiber and antioxidants, high in potassium and source of vitamins C and B-6.
-How to use: the bulb, flowers, and green leaves are edible; can be cooked, grilled, roasted whole as a vegetable; chopped in salads, soups, and other dishes for flavor.
-How to store: refrigerate in damp towel/plastic bag for 5-7 days.

SPINACH (Red Kitten):  You will receive a bunch of this crisp, medium green leaf with red veins; high in beneficial chlorophyll, as well as vitamins A & C.
– How to use:  juiced, toss in fresh salad, add to sandwiches, sauté, steam, braise, or add to crepes, quiche, lasagna, and soups.
– How to store: refrigerate with a damp towel/bag for up to 1 week.

WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: You will receive a bunch of white salad turnips 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) and greens are edible!  
-How to use: roots and greens good in salads and soups; can be roasted, steamed, or sauteed.
-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.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. ANY CHANGES in your address, phone, e-mail, or of misspelled names on any mailings or Pick Up Lists at Distribution Sites?  Please let us know as soon as possible.

2. MISSED PICK UP: If you don’t pick up or forget to come, your share will be brought back to the Farm, and you will have one day to get your share before it will be taken apart or donated after any distribution.  Always please call or email immediately, so we know what happened and what to do with your share.

3. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:
**If you need to switch to different pick up sites throughout the season that usually works for all but the “limited sites”, using the Membership Actions section on the registration page.  These sites have less space to drop share boxes at, so are considered “limited”. Please always email ahead to see if they are at capacity before making any switches on your own.
*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 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.
*Pure Pastures (Wed.) (limited site)—10 A.M. To 7 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.)—9 A.M. to 12 P.M.
*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 A.M. to 12 P.M.
*Argus-Packard (Sat) (limited site)—10 A.M. to 6 P.M.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Over the winter we sometimes have a few extra moments to read and wonder as we sit by the wood stove, and sometimes our minds consider issues that go beyond our impact locally.  As we begin our new summer season this week we wanted to give you a few facts to ponder, and consider a thoughtful look at our perceptions of food on a personal scale, but also on a global scale. We all may consider how we are part of the problem of food waste as farmers and consumers, but also more importantly how we can be part of the solution.  

Here are some statistics to consider:
*About a third of the planet’s food goes to waste, often because of its looks. That’s enough to feed two billion people.
*Fruits and vegetables, plus roots and tubers have the highest wastage rates of any food.
*At retail level, large quantities of food are wasted due to quality standards that over-emphasize appearance. 
*Even if just one-fourth of the food currently lost or wasted globally could be saved, it would be enough to feed 870 million hungry people in the world. 
*In medium- and high-income countries food is wasted and lost mainly at later stages in the supply chain. Differing from the situation in developing countries, the behavior of consumers plays a huge part in industrialized countries. The study identified a lack of coordination between actors in the supply chain as a contributing factor. Farmer-buyer agreements can be helpful to increase the level of coordination. Additionally, raising awareness among industries, retailers and consumers as well as finding beneficial use for food that is presently thrown away are useful measures to decrease the amount of losses and waste.   (sourced from http://www.fao.org/save-food/resources/keyfindings/en).

Other related articles below:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/03/global-food-waste-statistics/

https://www.npr.org/tags/395584998/ugly-produce

https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2018/01/11/a-new-market-for-old-and-ugly-fruit-and-vegetables-takes-shape

RECIPES (Many more recipes on website and on the internet)

BOK CHOY FISH NOODLE SOUP
1 1/2 lbs cod or haddock
1/2 lb whole-wheat noodles
8 cup stock
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup grated ginger
1 carrot, cut in small pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
2 cup bok choy, chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Cook noodles until al dente.  Drain and set aside.  In a large saucepan, combine stock, orange juice, soy sauce, lemon juice, and sherry.  Bring to boil and add ginger, carrot, and bell pepper.  Simmer 3 minutes.  Add bok choy and simmer 3 minutes.  Remove vegetables and set aside.  Simmer fish in broth 5 minutes.  Place noodles in individual soup bowls.  Add layer of vegetables.  Add serving of fish.  Cover with soup broth.  Top with scallions.