Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
Extended Fall CSA Share
WEEK #4
Oct. 24-30, 2021
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 RECIPES.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
ARUGULA or SPICY GREENS: You will receive either Arugula (known as “wild rocket” with more deeply lobed leaves and a more pungent flavor; an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor) OR Spicy Greens (gourmet-quality, peppery greens for quick cooking or a salad; includes Kale, Tatsoi, Green and Red Mustard).
-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.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS: tiny, green cabbage heads with mildly pungent, mustard-like flavor; filled with antioxidants.
-How to use: boil or steam for 5-10 minutes without overcooking, so they are still bright green; toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, or a pat of butter; excellent roasted or stir-fried.
-How to store: refrigerate for up to a week or more unwashed in a plastic bag in hydrator drawer.
CARROTS (Bolero): excellent long-term, storage carrot with medium-long, thick, blunt, orange roots.
-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.
GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, and 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.
U-PICK FRESH HERBS (at the farm): During this last week of the CSA, we are offering 1 free large bunch of herbs for you to pick this week, so this is your last opportunity if you can make it out! You may choose from the following selection: cilantro, dill, parsley, rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, or French sorrel (this is especially beautiful right now, so try it in sorrel soup, and pick lots!). You may come on Wednesday or Friday during normal distribution times (See Announcements #5) or please prearrange times on other days until Sunday, so someone is around to show you the Herb Garden.
-How to store: 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.
LETTUCE MIX (Allstar Gourmet): a custom salad mix of red and green lettuces along with arugula, mizuna, tatsoi, and other unique greens of many varying shapes, flavors, and textures. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
SWEET or CHILI PEPPERS: You will receive some combination of Red Knight Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green or changing to red sweet pepper), OR Italian Sweet (8 inch long, conical, thick walled, very sweet peppers that turn red very quickly; perfect for munching or in salad), OR Poblano (a mild variety of chili pepper known as “poblanos” when dark green; popular in Southwestern recipes; heart-shaped fruit, which is mildly pungent with a lightly sweet, medium-hot flavor), OR Shishito (sweet, mild, slender Japanese chili pepper about 2- to 4-inches with squarish end; often used in stir-fried dishes, salads, or as a pickled condiment). See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
POTATOES: You will receive Crimson King (attractive, oval tubers with red skin and red flesh; good for baking, boiling, roasting, or frying) and All Blue (deep blue skin and flesh; moist texture; perfect in salads, baked, or boiled). See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
RADISHES (D’Avignon): also called, “French Breakfast”; traditional variety from Southern France; 3- to 4-inch long root that is part red with a white tip and tapered to a point.
-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; excellent source of vitamins A, C, and the B’s!
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.
WATERMELON RADISHES: an heirloom Chinese variety of Daikon radishes; large, 2- to 4-inch, round radishes with unique dark magenta flesh and light green/white skin along with a remarkably sweet, delicious taste.
-How to use: cooking does minimize the intensity of their color, but can be braised or roasted like a turnip, or mashed like a rutabaga; color is vibrant when served raw in a salad or in a veggie plate with some dip; can also be pickled.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.
U-PICK RASPBERRIES (only available at Honey Bee U-pick in Ann Arbor): Sadly we are at the end of our raspberry season at Honey Bee U-pick site (5700 Scio Church Rd.), so this will be our last weekend open. We decided to give you a final chance to pick 1 pint as part of your share for FREE if you still want to try Sat (10/30), or Sun (10/31) this week. The big reason that we want to be open though is to give you all a last minute chance to get your PUMPKINS, along with winter squash and heirloom popcorn. To see updates go to https://www.tantrefarm.com/tantre-farm-raspberry-u-pick. Extra U-pick pints – $4/pint or extra Already Picked pints — $6/pint.
SPINACH: crisp, dark green leaf; rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, iron and a plethora of other nutrients and antioxidants.
-How to use: delicious flavor when juiced, toss in fresh salad, add to sandwiches, saute, steam, braise, add to quiche, lasagna, and soups.
-How to store: refrigerate with a damp towel/bag for up to 1 week.
WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: a white salad turnip 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; good in salads and soups) and greens (slightly sweet and can be boiled, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, and since hairless, are good in salads; excellent source of vitamins A and C and good source of riboflavin, calcium and iron) are edible! See Week 3 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
WINTER SQUASH: You will receive each of the following: Butternut (light, tan-colored skin; small seed cavities with thick, cylindrical necks; bright orange, moist, sweet flesh) and 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). See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. LAST WEEK OF EXTENDED FALL CSA: This means Oct. 27 (Wed.), Oct. 29 (Fri.), and Oct. 30 (Sat.) are your last distribution days for our Extended Fall Shares. Please return any forgotten boxes from past weeks and bring bags or other containers to transfer your produce at your distribution sites.
2. TREE PLANTING/NUT FESTIVAL at HONEY BEE U-PICK on Nov. 13 & 14 from 10 AM to 5 PM: Please join us in planting over 300 trees such as chestnut, hazelnut, pecan, and walnut trees and mulching several acres of strawberries for the winter. Also, native nut tastings of black walnut, shagbark hickory, and hazelnut. Dress for outdoor work and bring water. Followed at 5 PM by a bonfire with a chestnut roast and hot cider. Bring something to sit on, if you’d like. (5700 Sci Church Rd., AA)
3. THANKSGIVING CSA Registration is OPEN! A detailed email notice was sent to you as a member already. You can also read more details about the Thanksgiving Share on our website under “CSA Info” and register here https://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-thanksgiving-csa-work/. 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 $125. This share will be available for pick up on Nov. 20 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving) at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market 7 AM-12 PM, Tantré Farm 2-5 PM, Washtenaw Food Hub 9 AM-12 PM, Agricole Farm Stop in Chelsea 9 AM-12 PM, and Pure Pastures in Plymouth 9 AM-5 PM.
4. IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA: We will continue offering this CSA throughout the winter. This weekly CSA is a collaborative CSA with several local farms and food businesses that you can opt in or out of each week. A new menu is updated every week on our website with registration open Mon – Wed. Pick up is from 9 AM to 12 PM every Saturday in Ann Arbor and Chelsea: http://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-immune-booster-csa-work/. Still time to sign up until midnight on Wednesday!
5. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDERS: **Volunteers will be at each site during designated times below.
*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)
*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 10 AM (SARA will be there the whole time)
*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there with some self check-in)
*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.)–6 PM to 8 PM (LIZZIE will be there the whole time)
*Pure Pastures (Wed.)—9 AM to 5 PM (PURE PASTURES STAFF will be there with some self check-in)
*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there with some self check-in)
*Ann Arbor Farmers Market (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM (SHANNON there the whole time)
*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 12 PM (RYAN and Staff there the whole time)
*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB and staff there the whole time)
*Argus-Packard (Sat)—12 PM to 3 PM (ARGUS STAFF there the whole time)
*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (DEBRA is there the whole time)
REFLECTIONS ON THE FARM
by Richard and Deb
We are moving into some cooler times these days after enjoying some beautiful fall days in September! We had quite a bit of rain lately, over two inches, making everything tender and sweet. During this time of year, we are gathering the early winter harvest for winter storage items, such as carrots, radishes, cabbage, spinach, turnips, potatoes, and harvesting kale and Brussels sprouts every week. All of our winter squash and garlic are already harvested and stored in our packing shed for the winter and our Thanksgiving CSA shares. This is the overwintering season and we are finishing the end of the year clean up tasks, and getting ready to mulch strawberries and plant garlic. Please feel free to let us know if you have any interest in helping with mulching or planting over the next couple of weekends. We will keep you posted on garlic planting coming up in the next month. If we get everything harvested in the next few weeks, then we will get our garlic in before Thanksgiving. If you email your interest with your name and phone number, then we can let you know the dates that we will be doing these activities.
Thank you for a wonderful EXTENDED FALL Season filled with gratitude, community building, and a bountiful harvest. Please feel free to contact us throughout the rest of fall and winter for any storage produce or come visit us at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Chelsea Farmers Market, Argus Farm Stop, Agricole Farm Stop, and People’s Food Coop throughout the winter. Thank you for being a member of the Tantre Farm Extended Fall CSA!!
–Deb, Richard, and the Tantre Farm Crew
RECIPES
ROASTED WATERMELON RADISHES (from www.myrecipes.com)
1 lb watermelon radishes, trimmed
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp coarse sea salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut radishes into wedges. Mix with 2 tablespoons oil and put in a 2-quart baking dish. Roast radishes, stirring occasionally, until fork tender, about 1 hour. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
CREAMED BRUSSELS SPROUTS (from Tom Aiken, CSA member)
Slice sprouts in half. Steam or boil. Steaming is healthier, of course, but boiling can help take more of the bitter (and nutrition) from bitter sprouts, if your spouse is picky that way. In a saucepan, saute butter and a little garlic. Add sprouts and continue saute. Add a little stock if needed to keep from drying out. Salt and ground white pepper to taste. Finally, drizzle in a little (or a lot) of heavy cream, toss and cook just to heat through. (This dish is not recommended by the American Heart Association, but is yummy nonetheless!)
COOL and CRUNCHY RADISH AND TURNIP SALAD (from Eggs on Sunday) Serves 2
6-8 radishes, thinly sliced
3 white salad turnips, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
Juice of half a lime
1 Tbsp chopped chives or parsley
Coarse kosher or sea salt, to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir gently but thoroughly to combine and coat all the slices. Taste and season with salt (start with a little pinch and gradually add it until the flavors “pop” as much as you like).