Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #4
June 14-20, 2020
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.
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
BOK CHOY (Joi Choi) or NAPA CABBAGE: You will receive Napa Cabbage (described below) or Bok Choy (also called “joi choi” or written as “bok choi” sometimes; 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; 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.
NAPA CABBAGE or BOK CHOY: You will receive Bok Choy (described above) or Napa Cabbage (crinkly, thickly veined leaves, which are cream-colored with celadon green tips; unlike the strong-flavored waxy leaves on round cabbage heads, these are thin, crisp, and delicately mild; good source of vitamin A, folic acid, and potassium).
-How to use: use raw, saute, bake, or braised; common in stir-fries and main ingredient in traditional kimchi; also eaten raw as a wrap for pork or oysters; the outer, tougher leaves are used in soups.
-How to store: refrigerate, tightly wrapped, up to 5 days.
GARLIC SCAPES: slender green stems with a slight bulge at the bottom (resemble chives, except for the bulge and often curled); the flower top of a garlic plant; tender and milder in flavor than mature garlic, but can be substituted for garlic cloves in recipes. Use this link for garlic scape recipes: http://sfc.smallfarmcentral.com/dynamic_content/uploadfiles/3774/GARLIC%20SCAPES%207%20Great%20Ideas.doc.
-How to use: mild garlic flavor, so delicious chopped in salads, roasted, and sauteed.
-How to store: put in refrigerator in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks.
FRESH HERBS: You will be receiving fresh herbs off and on throughout the summer, since harvesting them often means they need a few weeks to recover before we harvest again. We will be giving you a surprise herb treat in your box this week. Please let us know if yours was missed, since we had some left over, and we are not sure if our new interns missed a few boxes. We apologize but we do have them at the farm or at the market tables if it matters to you. Here are a couple of links to help you know more about how to use fresh herbs: https://www.urbancultivator.net/cooking-with-fresh-herbs/. The following is a good link to help you identify your herb with images and descriptions: http://theherbexchange.com/25-best-herbs-to-grow-in-your-kitchen-garden/. Lovage is the only herb missing from these images, and it has a very distinctive celery flavor (see below). 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. Enjoy!
*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; often used as a garnish or chopped into any foods that call for onion; good in soups, egg dishes, and meat.
*Bronze-leaf Fennel – anise-flavored, feathered foliage; can be used as garnish or flavor enhancer for salads, soups, and eggs
*Lovage— celery flavored herb, good in vegetarian soups and stews, especially potato or tomato dishes; use sparingly, since it does have a strong flavor.
*Oregano—This member of the mint family is similar to marjoram, but not as sweet and more pungent, spicy flavor and no mint aroma; good in soups and tomato-based dishes.
*Thyme– tiny green leaves used in meat and vegetable dishes and most casseroles, soups, stews, and medicinal teas, which soothe sore throats. Some of the thyme has gone to flower, so the leaves are small, but the flowers are dainty and delicious and can be chopped up along with the leaves.
KALE/COLLARDS: these have a sweet, mild, cabbage flavor and are interchangeable with broccoli, mustard greens, and other hearty greens in recipes; rich source of phytochemicals, which studies have shown can ward off various forms of cancer; highest protein content of all the cultivated vegetables; very high in calcium, iron, vitamins A and C, and good source of fiber and folic acid.
-How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking.
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
LETTUCE: rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C; you will receive either Romaine, Red, or Green Leaf.
-How to use: raw in salads or (believe it or not!) use in soups.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.
SUGAR SNAP PEAS: flat-round pod of edible-pod pea; often lighter green than the shelling pea pod.
-How to use: add peas to soups, stews, sautes, or stir-fries; blanch or steam for 2-4 minutes only until color is bright green; snap or snow peas can be eaten raw in salads or cooked quickly as in stir-fries or deep fry in tempura batter.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 4-5 days; if kept too long, their sweet flavor and crisp texture diminishes.
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.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.
STRAWBERRIES: red, conical fruit with tiny white flowers. This week each share will receive some fruits of the rose family.
-How to use: excellent raw, juicing, jam, pie, sorbet, in desserts
-How to store: Do not wash until you are ready to consume them. Place them on a paper towel in a tightly-covered container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: 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 delicious raw!) and greens are edible!
-How to use: greens good in salads and soups and can be steamed or sauteed with leeks; roots 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. 4th of July VACATIONS or OUT OF TOWN: Yes, we will have distribution as usual on July 4. Please let us know of changes in pick up days or locations this week and next week. Also keep in mind that Pick Up Rescheduling needs to be made within the same week (Sun.-Sat.). All changes can be made yourself on our website on the registration page under the Membership Actions box, or you can email us with your request using specific dates and locations. Here is a link to our website on what to do if you can’t pick up your share on your usual day: http://www.tantrefarm.com/faq/#oot
2. MASKS & GLOVES: We recommend that all come to each distribution site with a mask and gloves to pick up your shares. We will have hand sanitizer at most sites as well. Please let our volunteers know if you need help.
3. FAMILY FARM HIKE on FRIDAY, June 26, at 4 PM: Come join us for a guided monthly exploratory walk around Tantre Farm with CSA member, Alisse Portnoy, who teaches at the University of Michigan. She and her daughter are in their eleventh year of once-a-week, long visits to the farm. They look forward to sharing some of its treasures and treasure spots with you. We’ll use all our senses and appropriate social distancing as we take an approx. 45-60 minute hike. Please bring your own mask for use indoors in case you need to use the restroom. Meet at the picnic tables behind the Main House at 4 pm.
4. IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA: As some of you know we started a collaborative CSA with several local farms and food businesses that you can opt in or out of each week called the Immune Booster. If you are interested in supplementing your share with more veggies and other locally produced and sourced value-added products, please go to our website to sign up every Sunday – Wednesday night. Pick up is from 9 AM to 12 PM every Saturday at the Washtenaw Food Hub: http://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-immune-booster-csa-work/. Still time to sign up this week!
5. TANTRE FARM PLANT WALK ON SUNDAY, JUNE 28, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm: We are offering a leisurely plant walk at Tantre Farm with the guidance of our local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud. Plant walks are excellent learning opportunities for those with beginning to intermediate foraging skills, and for anyone wishing to increase their knowledge of the local flora. Class is limited to 8 participants so that social distance can be maintained while still allowing everyone to see and hear clearly. The cost is $25 with limited spaces, and you must register ahead of time at https://willforageforfood.square.site/
6. ZOOM WALKS: These walks take place in a variety of locations in central and southern Michigan. During the walk, Rachel will show you around 15 plants and talk about ID, harvest, use, and preservation of those plants. To participate, you must have Zoom installed on your device. Then you simply copy/paste the link and password shown below for the date you want to attend, and log on at 2 pm that day. All walks will be live from 2-3 pm and are donation-based. You are not required to pay to participate, but it is appreciated when you can. The next one is June 20: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87389602881?pwd=OStSRkRFNVhlTFZNQXVndmR3YmtVUT09 PW: 192353 More dates will be shared in upcoming newsletters or you can visit the website: https://willforageforfood.square.site/
7. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER: *Volunteers will be at each site during designated times below, so if you need to come at a different time, please feel free to bring gloves and your own pen to check off your name.
*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF for check-in from 7-9 AM)
*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—CHANGE IN TIME: 8 AM to 10 AM (SARA for check-in the whole time)
*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF checking off names from 10 AM-12 PM and from 2-4 PM)
*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 PM to 8 PM (LIZZIE for check-in the whole time)
*Pure Pastures (Wed.) (limited site) —9 AM to 5 PM (JESSICA for check-in from 9 AM – 11 PM)
*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF for check-in from 2 to 4 PM)
*Community High School (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM (SHANNON & FRAN for check-in for the whole time)
*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 12 PM (PETER & RYAN for check-in for the whole time)
*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB for check-in the whole time)
*Argus-Packard (Sat) (limited site)—12 PM to 3 PM (ARGUS STAFF for check-in the whole time)
*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (JONATHON for check-in the whole time)
RECIPES
STRAWBERRY NAPA SALAD (from https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/strawberry-napa-salad-303013)
1 head Napa cabbage
1 quart strawberries, coarsely diced
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons green onions, finely diced
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk or coconut milk
Cut Napa cabbage into bite-sized pieces and place into a large bowl. Add onion, almonds, and strawberries. Mix mayo, red wine vinegar, and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir and add milk, a little at a time, until milk is incorporated. Add dressing to the salad mixture and chill.
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