Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK 9
July 24-30, 2011
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
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
We usually try to give you a pretty accurate listing of the produce in your box, but since the newsletter is published before the harvest, sometimes we may substitute some vegetables for others.
GREEN BEANS: See Week 7 newsletter for more information.
How to use: raw in salads, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, etc.
How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 1 week.
FRESH SHELLING BEANS (Tongue of Fire): Italian heirloom shelling beans are round, ivory-tan with red streaks with stringless, red-streaked cream/green pods–eat the fresh-shelled beans, not the pods; have nutty flavor and creamy texture when cooked; can be substituted in recipes calling for Cannellini, Great Northern, or Pinto beans.
How to use: Fresh, shelled beans are good in soups, stews, and casseroles, but also delicious simply boiled until tender, about 20 min., & served with a little butter or olive oil, salt/pepper or herbs.
How to store: refrigerate fresh beans for up to 5 days.
GREEN CABBAGE: See Week 8 for more information.
How to use: good steamed, stir-fried, or chopped raw into salads or coleslaw
How to store: refrigerate for up to 1 month
CARROTS (Mokum): a very sweet, slender, “pencil carrot” with edible green leaves. Greens are delicious in soups and also salads.
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: Remove greens from roots and refrigerate dry and unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks; greens may last up to a week refrigerated in plastic bag.
CUCUMBERS: See Week 7 for more information.
How to use: raw or pickled in salads or sandwiches, can also be julienned, sautéed, or baked.
How to store: store them in a sealed plastic bag in refrigerator crisper drawer for up to a week; use up leftovers as soon as possible.
FRESH GARLIC: See Week 5 newsletter for more information.
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 basket in a cool, dark place for many months
FRESH HERBS: In general, store herbs upright with cut stems in 1 or 2 inches of water and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or wrap in slightly dampened cloth and store in refrigerator. *All shares will receive Basil. You may choose ONE from the following 4 Herbs:
1. Chives—mild, onion-flavored herb with long, slender, hollow leaves; often used as a garnish or chopped into any foods that call for onion.
2. 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.
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. Sage— an herb from an evergreen shrub in the mint family with long, narrow, grayish-green leaves; a musky aroma and a warm and spicy taste; used in making sausages, stews, breads, and teas; enhances meats, vegetables, salads, pickles, and cheese.
*Genovese Basil—an herb with sweet, spicy, shiny, green leaves. We supply it with root attached, so it will last longer when stored in a jar, vase, or glass of water on your counter or table top.
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.) or Green Curly (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”) or Lacinato Kale (dark green, noncurled, blistered leaves, but heavily savoyed). See Week 1 newsletter on how to use and store.
LEEKS: green leaves with white to pale green stems.
Cooking Tip: Slit from top to bottom and wash thoroughly with root facing up to remove all of the dirt trapped between the leaf layers.
How to use: white and lower part of greens can be cooked whole, chopped in slices and substituted for onions; delicious raw in salads or cooked in soups, quiches, casseroles, stews, stocks, or stir-fries.
How to store: refrigerate unwashed for 2 weeks in plastic bag.
LETTUCE: You will receive up to 2 heads of lettuce.
How to use: raw in salads, sandwiches, or use in soups
How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days
ONIONS (Yellow Spanish): See Week 7 for more information.
How to use: can be grilled or roasted whole as a vegetable or chopped in salads, soups, & other dishes for flavor
How to store: wrap in damp towel/bag in fridge for 2-7 days.
NEW POTATOES (Red Norland): See Week 7 for more information on new potatoes.
How to use: great baked, boiled, or roasted
How to store: Refrigerate new potatoes if not used within 2-3 days, but use up sometime during the 1st or 2nd week of receiving them.
U-PICK FLOWERS (only available on the farm): Every summer we plant a variety of flowers for drying or fresh bouquets. Picking flowers is labor-intensive and transporting them is difficult, so we are not able to bring cut flowers to all the distribution sites, but we do encourage you to come to the farm to pick your flowers each week. A bouquet per household of up to 15 stems will be part of your share from now until the first frost, but whenever possible if you can donate $1 (or more) that will help to pay for some seed and labor costs. More information about u-pick flowers is in the “Announcements” section.
U-PICK RASPBERRIES (only available on the farm): Unfortunately we are not be able to pick raspberries in large quantities for members, since they are labor-intensive and over many years we have not found a way to satisfactorily store raspberries when picked too far in advance. Therefore, 1 pint is available as part of your share this week, only if you are able to come out to the farm and pick it yourself. More pints are available for u-pick as well for $3/pint. See u-pick information below in the “Announcements”.
SUMMER SQUASH/ZUCCHINI: You will receive some variety of Soleil Yellow Zucchini or Yellow Slick Pik or Plato Green Zucchini. *Keep in mind yellow or green “zucchini” and “summer squash” are basically interchangeable in recipes.
How to use: use in salads, dips, grilled, casseroles, stuffed, or mashed with butter and seasonings
How to store: store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. U-PICK AT THE FARM: 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.
Raspberries- 1 pint for “free” this week as part of your share and additional pints at $3/pint. Dress for thorns and thistles.
Green Beans—$1/lb. for members. Good time for freezing.
Fresh Flowers–Several of the flowers are ready in the u-pick flower garden. You may pick 1 bouquet of up to 15 stems per household for “free”. This means that if you are splitting a share, each household can pick a bouquet. If you are able to help us out with our seed costs, we would like to encourage anyone to donate $1 or more when possible. Extra bouquets will cost $4. You may want to bring a vase or a jar to keep your flowers fresher on the ride home! We do have many quart-size yogurt containers for flower pickers to use as temporary vases. Please feel free to donate more yogurt containers, but not the lids!
2. GRACIEM ORGANICS has peaches, apples, pears, nectarines and apricots available this summer. Fruit will be for sale at the Distribution Shed at the farm when available and may be ordered in larger quantities, just email “cmways@aol.com” with “Graciem Organics” in the Subject line. Fruit can also be purchased through Lunasa (www.lunasa.us), the online local Ann Arbor farmers market. Browse by Category: “produce-fruits“ or Browse by Producer: “Graciem Organics”. Graciem Organics is a one-acre fruit tree farm in Ann Arbor and is Certified Organic by Global Organic Alliance.
3. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:
Farm on Wed.–10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Farm on Fri.–2 P.M. to 7 P.M.
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)–7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Community High School (Sat.) –7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)–8 A.M. to 12 P.M.
RECIPES
MAPLE SAGE DRESSING (contributed by Sandy Michon, CSA member)
2 large shallots (substitute leeks or onions)
6 cloves garlic
4 T. chopped, fresh sage
1 oz. lemon juice
3 oz. red wine vinegar
3 oz. maple syrup
1 sprig rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients together. Drizzle in 2 cups of oil and plus or minus 3 oz. of water to adjust consistency.
COLD CUCUMBER LEEK SOUP (contributed by CSA member, Kim Bayer)
*This is a creamy soup made without cream, using potatoes instead for body. For a lighter soup, you can leave out the potatoes. There are a number of different vegetable variations that are also good!
2 leeks – white and light green part, cut in half, cleaned, thinly sliced (or 3/4 cup chopped onions, shallots or scallions)
1 large clove garlic – coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. oil
1-2 c. potato – chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 c. thinly sliced cucumber
2 Tbsp. dill – chopped fine and divided
2 c. broth (should just cover vegetables, may need a little more)
1-2 c. cold buttermilk or plain yogurt
Sauté leeks and garlic in the oil, just until wilted and not yet browned. Add potato and cucumber. Stir a bit. Add 1 tablespoon chopped dill. Just barely cover vegetables with broth and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until potatoes are very tender, but not falling apart, about 20 minutes or so. When the vegetables are very soft, let the mixture cool. Once it’s cool, purée vegetables and broth together and add the remaining 1 tablespoon dill. Check the seasoning – add salt and pepper if you like. Chill the vegetable purée. Before serving stir in the amount of buttermilk that you like. Garnish with more dill.
Variations:
Summer squash soup: Substitute zucchini or yellow squash or any summer squash for the cucumber and potato combo. We eat this a lot and love it on hot days. With some bread and cheese, it makes a great meal.
BRAISED “TONGUE OF FIRE” BEANS (from Chef Sean Baker, Berkeley, CA, www.chefnews.com)
¼ cup olive oil
4 baby leeks, cut into ½-inch rounds
*1 quart “Tongue of Fire” shelling beans, shelled, cleaned, & cooked
2 cloves garlic, sliced
**8 roasted tomatoes, strained with juice reserved & without skins
1 sprig rosemary, tied with butcher twine
4 sprigs thyme, tied with butcher twine
1 quart vegetable stock, to cover
1 bay leaf
pinch of chili flakes
salt and pepper
Begin by adding olive oil, garlic, and baby leeks to medium saucepan with a pinch of salt. Sweat on medium heat. When leeks are soft, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve hot. Serve with grilled meats or alone with grilled bread.
*To Cook Beans: Add cold water to cover, no salt, bring to a boil, lower the heat, cook gently till tender, and salt at the end. Takes about 20-30 minutes.
**To Roast Tomatoes: Preheat oven to 425° degrees. Toss cut-up tomatoes in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet cut side up and roast until soft and juicy, about 20 minutes.