Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK #6
July 1-7, 2018

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. 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.

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. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

**GENOVESE BASIL: Everyone will receive Basil this week, an herb with sweet, spicy, shiny, green leaves; traditionally used in pesto; 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. **You will all receive Basil fairly consistently from now until the first frost in September or October, so plan on freezing, drying, or making pesto, so that you will enjoy its summer aroma all winter long. If you don’t think you can use it every week, then just don’t take it. See feature article in this newsletter and recipes in the “A to Z” Cookbook and Tantre Farm website.

FAVA BEANS: also called faba bean, horse bean, or broad bean; the pod is inedible raw and looks like a large bean pod; the bean seed resembles a lima bean with a tart, pungent flavor; fresh fava beans should be shelled from pod if skin seems tough, but bean seed can be eaten raw. The pod when young can be cooked, but when mature and firmer, the bean is the edible part. See recipes below:
-To skin fava beans: Blanch for 1 minute, then drain and cool. With your thumbnail, pull open the sprout end and squeeze the bean out of its skin. This link shows 5 ways to prepare favas: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-fantastic-ways-to-cook-fava-beans-190674
-How to use: Stew skinned beans in a little butter, oil or cream seasoned with savory, thyme or sage. Sauté with other vegetables and toss with pasta. Good in soups. Lots of recipes on the Internet!
-How to store: Store fresh, unshelled beans in the refrigerator up to a week; once shelled, blanched and skinned, favas can be frozen in plastic containers for longer storage; shelled beans are best used within a few days. See “Beans” for recipes in the A to Z Cookbook, if you have it, and also in this newsletter. Delicious!

RED ACE BEETS AND GREENS: round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and medium-tall, red-veined green leaves.
-How to use: greens can be substituted for spinach and chard in recipes; roots good in soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.
-How to store: separate roots from leaves and store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; store greens wrapped in damp cloth in plastic bag for up to 1 week.

BROCCOLI (Wed. members only): 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.
-How to use: use raw, steamed, sauteed, stir-fried, in casseroles, soups, pizzas, etc.
-How to store: store loosely in plastic bag for up to a week.

CABBAGE (Flat Dutch—Fri./Sat. Members only): 7-inch deep, solid, flat heads, sweet cabbage with green leaves that are tender and crisp with a good amount of vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, and magnesium; good for storage and making sauerkraut.
-How to use: grated or chopped raw in salads; stir-fried; steamed for 5-7 minutes in wedges; boiled with a chopped onion for 5 minutes and then added to mashed potatoes; and put in soups.
-How to store: refrigerate in hydrator drawer without removing any outer leaves (a plastic bag will help retain moisture, but is not necessary) for 2 weeks to 2 months.

CUCUMBERS: long, cylindrical, green-skinned fruit of the gourd family with mild, crisp flesh.
-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.

NO HERB BUNCH THIS WEEK! Most of our herbs are taking longer to grow back, so we are letting our smaller patches of herbs recuperate, but you will receive Genovese Basil.
KALE: You will receive both Green Curly (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”). See Week 4 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.

GREEN ONIONS (also called “Scallions”): young shoots of yellow bulb 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. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

SUGAR SNAP PEAS: flat-round pod of edible-pod pea; often lighter green than the shelling pea pod. See Week 5 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

SPINACH: You will receive a bunch of this crisp, dark green leaf shaped like an arrow– best eaten raw or with minimal cooking to obtain the beneficial chlorophyll, as well as vitamins A & C; delicious flavor when juiced. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

SUMMER SQUASH/ZUCCHINI: You will receive some variety of Green or Yellow Zucchini (gourmet golden or green zucchini with uniform, cylindrical fruits) or Slick Pik Summer Squash (long, yellow straight neck with good flavor).
-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. FAMILY FARM HIKE on July 6: Come join us for a guided monthly exploratory walk around Tantre Farm on Friday, June 26, at 2 PM. We’ll use all our senses as we take an approx. 45-60 minute hike with CSA member, Alisse Portnoy, who teaches at the University of Michigan. She and her daughter are in their ninth year of once-a-week, long visits to the farm. They look forward to sharing some of its treasures and treasure spots with you. Meet at the picnic tables behind Main House at 2 pm.

2. SUMMER WORK PARTY/OPEN HOUSE Sunday, July 15 between 1-4 p.m. This day often tends to be hot and sunny. However, we’ll have lots of water play for the kids and shade-related activities for the adults, such as cleaning garlic. For those more adventurer-gardener types, we will be weeding the herb and flower garden and other patches in the fields, and maybe even some harvesting! Members are encouraged to bring family and friends to Tantré Farm to see the farm decked out in its summer finery, for wagon ride farm tours, and for getting to know fellow community members. This is a completely voluntary event, so you can also come just for the fun, such as listening to live music or picking a pint of raspberries. As usual a potluck is included, so please feel free to bring a snack or refreshment. More details to come!

3. KIDS’ COOKING CLASS on JULY 22 (time TBA): PLAY with your FOOD! Leave behind the summer bustle to celebrate summer produce with your child. Personal Chef Allison Anastasio Zeglis, from www.lastbitechef.com, will show you how to approach a CSA box, family style. Using a few classic techniques that can be adapted to a variety of vegetables, cook your way through a crop share box with your child. Get hands on experience as a dynamic duo tackling cooking projects and then enjoy eating them together at the end of the class. Please register with your NAME and your child’s NAME, PHONE, and EMAIL ADDRESS.

4. WEEDING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: 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, we could really use the extra help. Please contact us any day of the week or evenings until dark.
5. 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. 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 AM to 12 PM
Farm (Wed.)–10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 P.M. to 8 P.M.
Pure Pastures (Wed.) NO PICK UP HERE THIS WEEK!
Farm (Fri.)–2 P.M. to 7 P.M.
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (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.
NEW! Argus-Packard (Sat) (limited site)–10 A.M. To 12 P.M.

RECIPES
**Keep in mind a very easy way to find recipe ideas for almost any combination of share box ingredients is to type the items into your preferred “search bar” with the word “recipe” after it, and many recipe ideas will pop up. Have fun searching! Lots and lots of ideas!

CUCUMBER, BEET, & SCALLION SALAD (Serves 4 to 6.)
1 bunch beets (about 1 ¾ lbs.), tops trimmed to 1-inch
2 large cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded, & sliced ¼-inch
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ cup light or regular sour cream
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. prepared white horseradish
1 Tbs. white sugar
¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wrap each beet in a sheet of foil. Bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until the beets are easily pierced with a small knife. Unwrap. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers and 1-teaspoon kosher salt; cover with plastic wrap. Set a plate on top, weight with a heavy can, and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Rinse the cucumbers, drain, and put into a medium bowl. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel, quarter, and cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices. Add to the cucumbers. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, scallions, vinegar, horseradish, sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add to the beet mixture and toss until mixed. Spoon into a bowl and serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

KALE CHIPS WITH CHEESE
1 bunch Kale
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 T Parmesan Cheese or Nutritional Yeast
1 T Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Coconut Oil
1 tsp Sea Salt
Wash and dry Kale leaves and place in bowl. Mix in lemon juice and coconut oil together massaging into kale leaves. Mix separately Parmesan Cheese (or Nutritional Yeast), sea salt and garlic powder. Toss together with leaves. Place in dehydrator at 118 degrees for 12 – 18 hours. Can be stored in food safe container in cupboard ~ if they last that long!

SHAVED SUMMER SQUASH SALAD (from Bon Apetit, June 2011)
As a side note, Richard from Tantre Farm has a recipe in this same issue of Bon Apetit, p. 65, for “Parmesan Peppers”!
3 Tbsp whole almonds
1 lb summer squash or zucchini
2 1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 minced garlic clove
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Few handfuls of arugula (or dandelion greens, beet greens, lettuce)
Pecorino cheese

Roast almonds and coarsely crush. Meanwhile, trim the ends off the squash/zucchini. Using a vegetable peeler, thinly slice the squash lengthwise into strips and transfer to a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to taste. Pour dressing over squash. Let stand for a few minutes, then add a few handfuls of arugula or other green. Shave a little Pecorino cheese over the squash and toss. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with crushed almonds.

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