TANTRE FARM CSA NEWSLETTER
Extended Fall CSA Share
Week 1
Oct. 16-22, 2016
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 often before the harvest, we may sometimes substitute some vegetables for others. **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.
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.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor
-How to use: add to 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.
BEANS, CHRISTMAS LIMA: a large, flat dried pod with beans a light cream color with maroon splashes; this favorite heirloom has a butter-like texture and a subtle chestnut-like flavor.
-How to use: soak and cook them like any other dried bean, use in soups, stir fries and excellent in a chile sauce or curry. Lots of recipes on the internet!
-How to store: Can be stored in a dry place in the pod, but once shelled, then can be stored in the freezer or in a glass jar or paper bag away from insects and rodents.
BROCCOLI: emerald green, tiny buds that are clustered on top of stout, edible stems.
-How to use: use raw, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, in casseroles, soups, pizzas, etc.
-How to store: store loosely in plastic bag for up to a week
GREEN CABBAGE: a sweet green cabbage; considered a beneficial digestive aid and intestinal cleanser
How to use: good steamed, stir-fried, or chopped raw into salads or coleslaw
How to store: refrigerate for up to 1 month
CARROTS: You will receive Mokum (a very sweet, slender, orange “pencil carrot”).
-How to use: can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sautéed, in stews, soups, casseroles, stir-fries
-How to store: refrigerate dry and unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks
EGGPLANT: You will receive Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit) or Orient Express (dark purple Asian type with long, slender, glossy fruits, which are delicately flavored and quick cooking).
-How to use: may be salted to remove bitterness from old fruit, but also makes it less watery and more absorbent; can be baked, boiled, fried, grilled, or can be sliced into rounds for grilling or broiling, and cut into cubes for stews and stir-fries.
-How to store: best fresh, but can be stored at room temperature or in refrigerator drawer for up to 1 week.
U-PICK FLOWERS (only available on the farm): A bouquet per household of up to 15 stems will be part of your share, if you are able to come and pick it. Extra bouquets cost $4.
GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, and bolstering the immune system.
How to use: minced raw in salad dressings, sautéed and added to stir-fries, meats, vegetables
How to store: fresh garlic can be stored in an open, breathable container in a cool, dark place for many months.
KALE: You will receive Red Russian Kale (the stems are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green, purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged).
-How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator
LETTUCE MIX (Wildfire): a beautiful bag of dark reds and vibrant greens including Green and Red Oakleaf, Green and Red Romaine, and Redleaf lettuces. Your lettuce has only been rinsed once, so you may want to wash it again.
-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.
MUSHROOMS (Oyster): delectable, white, golden, or gray oyster-shaped cap with a mild, earthy odor
-How to use: brush off dirt to clean or wipe with damp cloth, do not wash or submerge in water; good grilled, sautéed, steamed, in soups, and in sandwiches
-How to store: place in paper bag or wax bag and keep in refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days.
ONIONS: You will receive Red Zeppelin (medium to large, globe-shaped bulbs with deep red color).
-How to store: will store for six months or more, if kept in a cold, dark place, but remove any ones starting to go soft from the others.
GREEN SWEET PEPPERS: typical bell pepper with large blocky cells with fruity, sweet flavor
-How to use: eat raw for best nutrient retention; can be added to soups, stews, omelets, quiches, stir-fries, etc.; excellent stuffed.
-How to store: refrigerate unwashed in hydrator drawer for 1-2 weeks.
JALAPENO PEPPERS: small and conical pepper, ranging from green to red; 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.
-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.
POTATOES: You will receive Russian Banana Fingerling (an heirloom potato with small, banana-shaped tubers with yellow skin and light yellow flesh; good baked, boiled, or in salads).
-How to store: Keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag
U-PICK RASPBERRIES (only available on the farm): The harvest is slowing down, but you can still pick 1 pint as part of your share this week, if you are able to come out to the farm and pick it yourself. $3 for any extra pints for members. Non members $4/pint.
WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: A white salad turnip with round, smooth roots that have a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture.
-How to use: white roots good in salads and soups, roasted, steamed, sautéed. Greens can be boiled, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried
-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.
WINTER SQUASH & PIE PUMPKINS: Everyone will receive Black Forest Kabocha (smaller size kabocha; dark green, flat-round fruits; buttercup size with no button on end; orange flesh is medium-dry & sweet), 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 Pie Pumpkin (deep orange, 1 1/2-2 1/2-lb. fruits are about half the size of a normal pie pumpkin.)
-How to use: Slice in half, scoop seeds out and bake with a little water in baking pan at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender; boil or steam chunks for 15-20 minutes, or until tender (peel skins off “before” or “after“ cooked, but “after” is easiest when it’s cooled); mash cooked squash with butter; purée cooked squash for creamy soup, or add uncooked chunks to soups or stews; add small amounts to yeast breads, muffins, cookies, pies, oatmeal, etc.
-How to store: Keep for several months (depending on the variety) in a dry, moderately warm (50-60 degrees), but not freezing location with 60-75% humidity; will also store at room temperature.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. “DAY” CORRECTION FOR THE SAUERKRAUT WORKSHOP at the FOOD HUB on “SUNDAY”, OCT. 23 from 1 to 3 PM: Come make your own sauerkraut at the WASHTENAW FOOD HUB using Tantre Farm produce! Brinery Fermentation Expert, Melissa, will be leading this Farm-to-Fermentation workshop that will cover the basics of wild vegetable fermentation. Participants will take home a jar of fermenting sauerkraut made during the workshop. We also will give a tour of the Food Hub, and describe the buildout of the new Farm Market area that is under construction. Please register by Oct. 22 by email with your NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, and PHONE NUMBER. $5 fee.
2. THANKSGIVING CSA Registration is OPEN! A more detailed email notice about this will come out to you soon. You can also read more details about the Thanksgiving Share on our website under “CSA Info”, and sign up on our website. This share is a one-time pick-up of 60 to 80 pounds of produce for winter storage or to stock up on vegetables before the holiday for $120. 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.
3. U-PICK AVAILABLE: Please call ahead if you plan to pick on other days besides Farm Distribution Days (Wed. and Fri.).
-U-PICK Golden/Red Raspberries—1 pint FREE! Extras $3/pint
-U-PICK Flowers–You may pick 1 bouquet of up to 15 stems per household for “free”. Extra bouquets will cost $4.
-U-PICK Kale – $0.50/lb.
-U-PICK Christmas Limas Beans–$2/lb.
4. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDERS:
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)–7 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.
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.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
by Deb & Richard
Healthy, organic soil brings a bounty of healthy, organic soil microbes, which create healthy, organic vegetables, which when ingested culture healthy, digestive microbes. The notion that there are more microbial DNA “in” our body than “on” our own personal body is an interesting thought to contemplate. Experts say that 95% of the DNA in our body are actually NOT our own. They come in the form of bacteria, yeast, and viruses that live “with” us. We are literally feeding bacteria and yeast that symbiotically digest and create nutrition for us. We are eating first for our healthy gut bacteria in consideration for their healthy balance and populace, and they in turn are the ones that transform the food and make it available to our body and mind.
We must feed our personal biome as well as our local garden biome, which makes eating a much more communal process. Sharing food together with billions and billions of soil and gut bacteria is certainly food for thought. All that plant tissue harbors good intestinal fodder for our single-celled friends, and that is important to remember! Plant material with its different sizes of proteins, carbohydrates, and fiber is the best way to foster the good health of our community inside and out. The fact is that we interrelate with plants and animals, great and small, inside and outside, and that truly gives one a vision of the great interconnection of all life. Therefore we extend a hearty welcome to you, along with all of our microbial friends, to our Extended Fall CSA with its bounty of possibilities for your good health and well beings!
RECIPES
GYPSY SOUP (from Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cups chopped, peeled winter squash
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 cups stock or water
2 tsp. Spanish paprika
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. salt
1 bay leaf
dash of cinnamon
dash of cayenne
15-oz can garbanzo beans or cooked Christmas Lima Beans
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 pepper, chopped
1 Tbs. tamari
In a soup kettle, sauté onions, garlic, celery and winter squash in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add seasonings (except tamari) and the stock or water. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and beans. Simmer another 10 minutes or so – until the vegetables are tender. Add tamari and serve.
*Tip: This soup freezes well. You can also throw in greens at the end, such as TURNIP GREENS or KALE or even CARROT GREENS.