Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #14
Aug. 25-31, 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.
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. 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.
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.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
GREEN or YELLOW BEANS: Friday/Sat members only will receive E-Z Pick (a round, tender, dark green, snap bean with good sweet flavor) or Rocdor (long, slender, yellow bean; meaty, firm texture). Wed. members will receive extra Broccoli instead. See Week 8 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
CHIOGGIA BEETS: Italian variety , which has root with cherry red, candy-striped flesh and has a sweet flavor. See Week 6 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
BROCCOLI: deep emerald green, tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems; high in vitamins A, C, calcium, potassium, and iron; known as an anti-cancer vegetable. See Week 5 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
CARROTS (Purple Haze): bright purplish-red roots with bright orange interior and a sweet flavor; cooking will cause the color to fade. See Week 8 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
NO HERBS: We are letting our smaller patches of herbs rest for another week. Also, this generation of basil seems to have developed downy mildew and the next generation is too small to pick just yet. It will be back though, so thanks for your patience!
KALE (Green Curly): well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”. See Week 2 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
LEEKS: green leaves with white to pale green stems. See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
LETTUCE: You will receive Green or Red Leaf lettuce and/or Romaine lettuce. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
ONIONS: You will receive Ailsa Craig Exhibition (a sweet, mild, yellow-skinned, heirloom onion). See Week 7 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
POBLANO CHILI PEPPERS or CARMEN SWEET PEPPPERS: Wed. members will receive Poblanos (a mild variety of chili pepper known as “poblanos” when dark green, but becomes an “ancho” when brick-red and fully dry; popular in Southwestern recipes; heart-shaped fruit, which is mildly pungent with a lightly sweet, medium-hot flavor) OR Sweet 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). Unfortunately there are just not enough for everyone this week, so Fri/Sat members will receive Red Knight Bell. See Week 13 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
SWEET RED KNIGHT BELL PEPPERS: Fri/Sat members only will receive this big, blocky, thick-walled, green-to-red pepper with sweet flesh. Unfortunately there are just not enough for everyone this week, so Wed members will receive Poblanos or Carmen Peppers.. See Week 13 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
POTATOES: You will receive 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). See Week 8 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
U-PICK RASPBERRIES (only available on the farm): The sweet fall red raspberries have been ripening again with the rainy, warm weather, so you may pick 1 pint as part of your share, if you are able to come out to the farm and pick it yourself this week. Extra pints are $4/pint.
TOMATOES: You will receive any of the following: Sakura (bright-red, shiny, medium-large cherry tomato with sweet tomato flavor), Sun Gold Cherry (exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange-cherry tomato; less acidic than the red cherry tomato, so slightly less bland in flavor), Clementine (tangerine-colored, oval-round fruits; appealing, sweet-tart flavor; exceptional when halved and roasted), Mountain Magic (bright red, round tomatoes with very sweet flavor; excellent in salads), including 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 Rose (deep pink, heirloom, medium-sized tomato, which is meaty and flavorful) See Week 9 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
WATERMELON: You will receive Mini Love (sweet and firm, oval-round fruits avg. 3–5 lb. Distinctive, bright green rind with dark green stripes and dense, bright red flesh), Sunshine (8-10 pound oval-rounded fruit; green-striped shell with bright yellow flesh, which is brittle, juicy, and very sweet). See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. EDIBLE & MEDICINAL PLANT WALK SERIES Aug. 28 from 6 – 8 PM (Last Wednesday of every month May through October)
We are offering a monthly plant walk at Tantre Farm with the guidance of our local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud. On these leisurely walks we will be looking for edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful plants and mushrooms. The cost is $15 for Tantre Chttps://squareup.com/store/willforageforfoodSA members or $20 for nonmembers. Kids 12 and under FREE! You may bring cash, check or pre-register at
2. FOOD PRESERVATION 101: THURSDAY, AUG. 29, 7 – 8 PM at Agricole Farm Stop: Join area farmers Deb Lentz of Tantre Farm (http://www.tantrefarm.com) and Noelle Dronen of NOKA Homestead (https://www.nokahomestead.com) for an introductory exploration of several methods of food preservation at the new Agricole in Chelsea ( 118 N Main St). This class is FREE and will cover everything from dehydration to freezing to canning, while also going over the tools needed to get started, best practices, and food safety. AND we’ll taste test some delicious samples. If you’ve been looking for a way to bring the abundance of Summer into your Winter months, this class is for you! Please RSVP to Dale Trottier at admin@agricolefarmstop.com.
3. PIZZA PARTY FUNDRAISER on Sept. 8 from 5 – 8 PM at Tantre Farm: Support Farm to School Education with this end-of-summer Pizza Party at Tantre Farm! The Agrarian Adventure and Tantre Farm come together for an evening of tasty local food, friendly local farmers, and community building. Plan on a farm tour, fun give aways, and amazing earth oven pizzas and farm salads. Proceeds go to The Agrarian Adventure, which funds in-school programs for K-12 students in Washtenaw County, including Farmer In the Classroom and School Garden support. Tickets on a sliding scale: $15 – $30 Follow the link to purchase yours! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/agrarian-adventure-pizza-fundraiser-tickets-66811144933
4. CORRECTION to Sept. 15- TOMATO PRESERVING WORKSHOP from 1 – 4 PM at Tantre Farm: PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN DATE FOR THIS WORKSHOP, SINCE IT WAS INCORRECTLY DATED Sept. 8 IN LAST WEEK’S NEWSLETTER! This is a perfect hands-on followup for the Agricole Introduction to Preserving class on Aug. 29. Former Tantre intern, Noelle Dronen, will facilitate mostly how to can tomatoes, but also some demonstration will be on dehydrating and freezing tomatoes. There will be active participation and “take-home” samples for those attending. Please bring a Quart Size Canning Jar with a lid. You can also buy one from us for $1. Please register with your Name, Phone Number, and E-mail Address in the body of the email to us. Bulk tomatoes will be available for you to buy. This is a great time for canning, freezing, or dehydrating! $5 for CSA members and $10 for nonmembers.
5. SALADS COOKING CLASS on Sept. 18 from 6 – 8:30 PM at Tantre Farm: Please join us for another great cooking class on SALADS. CSA member, Laenne Thompson, will share a flavorful assortment of recipes for hot summer nights using mostly ingredients from Tantre Farm’s weekly share box. We will break into teams to prepare them, and enjoy a feast of our creations! There will be a $10 fee for materials and handouts for each class. Please register with COOKING CLASS in the Subject Line and your NAME, PHONE NUMBER, and E-MAIL ADDRESS in the body of the email. We have 15 spaces available, so let us know if you’re interested in joining us for a special night of cooking and eating together.
6. FALL WORK PARTY/END-OF SEASON POTLUCK will be Sunday, Sept. 22, from 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 a local musician, or just eat at the potluck anytime between 1 and 4 PM. All who come will be able to take something home, such as a pumpkin, a winter squash, and a flower bouquet.
7. WEEDING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We have plenty of weeds to pull. If you are interested in helping out–even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes before you pick up your box at the farm, come join us. Please contact us any day of the week or evenings.
8. WANTED: TOMATO PICKERS!! Is there anyone interested in helping us pick tomatoes any weekday morning for the next few weeks, but especially on Tuesday and Friday mornings. We will even feed you a homemade, farm-cooked lunch at 12:30 PM. We are a little short-handed, so please contact us.
9. VACATIONS or OUT OF TOWN: Please remember to contact us at least by Saturday or Sunday to make changes in pick up days or locations. With Labor Day weekend coming up, we hope you have made all your changes for this week and next week. If you have forgotten to let us know and you can’t find someone to pick up your share, please let us know if you want to cancel your share with a Vacation Hold or donate to a needy family.
10. 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 to pick. Extra pints are $4/pint for members and $5/pint for nonmembers.
–U-pick Tomatoes – many tomato varieties are ready for picking. Members–$0.50/lb. Nonmembers $0.75/lb.
11. 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.
RECIPES
BEET-RASPBERRY SOUP (from EatingWell, July/August 1993) Serves 6, about 3/4 cup each
The unlikely combination of beets and raspberries produces a wonderfully refreshing and delicious soup.
1 lb beets, (6 medium), scrubbed
1 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped leeks
1 cup raspberries
1 cup low-fat milk
2 1/2 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cover beets with cold water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender, 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Drain the beets, reserving 1 1/4 cups cooking liquid. Peel the beets. Cut one beet into matchsticks and set aside; cut the remaining beets into chunks. Place the beet chunks, shallots and raspberries in a blender or food processor and puree, adding the reserved cooking liquid as needed for a smooth consistency. To strain the seeds from the mixture, pour through a fine-meshed sieve set over a large bowl. Stir milk, vinegar, lemon juice and sugar into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Garnish each portion with the julienned beets.