January 2, 2021
Happy New Year, fellow Locavores!
Welcome to the Immune Booster week 40 CSA Share – our first box of fresh, locally grown produce and healthy prepared foods to start 2021 on the right path! A new year with new possibilities and promise. 2020 was a life altering year that we are all fervent to see fade away in the rear view mirror. As we look forward to a brighter horizon in 2021, we are hopeful for a somewhat normal return to life with smiling faces and readable expressions, social life and normal schedules. Stepping out of the blender of 2020, we will all reset and focus on greener pastures in the days ahead with new benchmarks and a refreshed vision for the opening up of society. In reflection of the past year’s trials and tribulations, we will remember the struggle of the day in and day out, but feel proud of our endurance, thankful for our health and closer to our loved ones and our community. Although the struggle will continue for a time, it is easier knowing that there are better days ahead and the end of the pandemic is in sight. So let’s re-energize and prepare ourselves to be our best ever version this new year. Be positive, be kind, be safe, eat well, sleep well and do well. The Immune Booster will help you on your way with nutritious, clean and delicious fuel to boost your 2021. The year is off to a great start with this week’s Immune Booster breakdown!
Rolling right on into the new year, let’s freshen things up straight away with a nice crisp head of Lettuce – either Red Leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce from Goetz Greenhouse and Family Farm. Both of these varieties are greenhouse grown just 30 minutes south of Ann Arbor and these cold winter conditions dense them up with powerful antioxidants, and vitamins A and K to help keep the COVID away. So saddle up and salad up!
Stepping up to the plate we have a purple and orange Carrot Mix from Tantre Farm. Both varieties are super sweet when cut fresh and served with a condiment, or even sweeter when roasted or steamed. Packed with beta carotene and linked to lower cholesterol, these robust carrots are a no brainer to boosting your immune system, so carrot away to a better day.
Need to practice your grip for the bowling days when lockdown ends? Then look no further than Green Cabbage bowling balls from Tantre Farm. These storage cabbages have stored away the summer sun with vital nutrients that help lower blood pressure and cholesterol to sustain a healthy heart, while also improving the digestive tract. These beauties are a guaranteed strike (X) so ‘slaw’ it up, steam or stir fry; it all tastes great!
Mixing it up, because that’s what we like to do, without further ado, I introduce to you, the Tantre Farm and Wayward Seed Farm Mixed Root Bag. Tubers, tubers, tubers galore, the more you consume the less you will snore. Well, maybe not, but this mix will fill that belly full for a good night’s rest. This hefty bag of Tantre Farm turnips, Watermelon radish and garlic along with Wayward Seed Farms organic Chioggia beets and Detroit Dark Red beets is a sure winner with a roasted chicken or tofu dinner. Hint hint. Nothing like wholesome food roasting away on a cold winter day. I know I’ll definitely be snoring away, zzzzzzz.
Another roasting veggie that would be great to add to the mixed root bag roasting party is the almighty organic Sweet Potato from Wayward Seed Farm. Packed with beta-carotene and Vitamin A, this versatile wonder can be prepared in a multitude of mouth watering ways. From casseroles, to soups, fried or roasted, boiled or mashed, this tasty tater sure has me on blast. They’re good for you and your taste buds, so get creative; you never know, you might find a new way to make this a fan favorite in your house like we have at mine.
Moving right along on our Immune Booster song we have organic Red and Yellow Onions from Second Spring Farm. Both unique with their own little zest, these allium globes are heart healthy, packed with cancer fighting compounds and help cleanse the liver from your New Year’s celebration. They are versatile and can be quickly pickled, sliced for that salad, roasted, minced and fried, steamed or BBQ’d and many other tasty ways. It’s an important staple to include in your daily consumption.
Rounding out the tasty produce in this week’s share we wrap things up with Pea OR Sunflower Shoots from Garden Works Organic Farm. Either one you get in your share is (A) guaranteed a super food, (B) super tasty and (C) extremely packed with nutrients. So eat them up quick while they’re fresh and have not respired and lost nutrients. They are great on pretty much anything and I would eat them raw, never cooked for full health benefits.
Next up, we have a tried and true favorite from Raterman Bread with their Sesame Sourdough Bread. This loaf is sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds, is easy to digest, and is a great probiotic for the gut. Easy to use in any way you choose. Toasted and drizzled with honey or dipped into our first prepared food of the share…
Tomato Curry Soup from Juicy Kitchen! This perfectly balanced savory soup is made up of tomatoes, coconut milk, shallots, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, curry spices, crushed red pepper, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Vegan, gluten-free and tasty down to the last drop, this light soup takes the pressure off all the holiday binge eating. Slice up some of that tasty sesame loaf and throw together a little side salad with the produce from this share. A healthy, feel-good meal that will boost you to your best.
Our second featured dish this week is Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry with Turmeric Basmati Rice from Ginger Deli. This dish features one pint of flavorful stir fry and one pint of savory, turmeric basmati rice. The stir fry contains fresh pea tip leaves, tomatoes, garlic, Tofu, scallion, olive oil, sesame oil, sea salt and black pepper. The rice portion is composed of basmati rice, fresh turmeric, sea salt, and house-made vegetable broth. This is a dynamite combo and if it leaves you wanting more, you’re in luck… Ginger Deli has recently opened their new eatery in downtown A2 (203 E. Liberty Street). Pay a visit for tasty Banh Mi sandwiches, delicious Pho and fresh Spring Rolls that will satisfy your cravings for good Southeast Asian cuisine.
Shifting gears to Zingerman’s Creamery, we have one of their fan favorites – Pimento Cheese. A play on traditional Southern cheese spread, this cheese contains a fusion of cheddar, roasted red pepper, tellicherry, black pepper, mayonnaise, and cayenne pepper. Delicious on crackers and celery sticks, it can be used to liven up burgers, sandwiches, or even macaroni and cheese.
Our last featured prepared food for this week’s share comes in the form of NY Black Jack 21 Granola from Harvest Kitchen. This granola is a gluten-free blend of blackcurrants, black sesame seeds, dried jackfruit, cashews, cinnamon, honey, canola oil and oats. Consume as a dry snack by the handful, in a bowl of cereal, cooked into oatmeal or incorporated into baked treats. So enjoy the health kick, there’s no gambling here – it’s good for you!
Pivoting to our last featured item for this week, we have Midnight Moon Kombucha from Boochy Mama to wash the share down. This probiotic kombucha is made up of organic black and green tea, organic evaporated cane juice, elderberry concentrate, rose water, juniper extract and live probiotic cultures. A tasty drink with a fizz sure to satisfy, the content will keep your gut and immune system strong and extra healthy. For the Boochy fans out there, Boochy Mama is now offering a monthly winter wellness “Bear Care Box” that includes herbalist-formulated natural immune boosters, including Wildfire Tonic (fire cider), Elderberry Syrup, an herbal tea and tincture, and of course kombucha! The flavors will change monthly and Ann Arbor deliveries can be arranged. Visit the Boochy Mama website for more details and to sign up.
So that’s a wrap for this breakdown of the Immune Booster’s 40th week share! Life begins here with the best in local, farm-to-table, sustainably grown and sourced food. We are grateful for your continued support of this project that has served as a buoy for many local farms and businesses to stay afloat through the turbulent waves of the past year. We look forward to welcoming more partnerships into our fold throughout 2021 to reach further into the community, diversify, and keep you all healthy and hungry! We wish each of you a safe and happy New Year.
Here’s a link to Tantre’s treasure trove of recipes, where you can get some additional ideas for using this week’s share: http://tantrerecipes.blogspot.com
Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our next email on January 3rd regarding Tantre Farm’s Immune Booster CSA Share, Week 41 for pick up on January 9th.
We look forward to seeing you all this Saturday at the Washtenaw Food Hub OR Agricole Farm Stop!
All the best,
Ryan Poe and the talented Tantre Farm Crew
**We look forward to hearing your weekly feedback on the shares and welcome any suggestions on how to improve. Please understand that we try to give you an accurate listing of the produce in your box each week; however, since this menu is published before we pack the boxes on Fridays, we may sometimes have to substitute some vegetables for others. Mostly we are able to update you of changes in our Friday newsletter, but sometimes our decisions are made after the newsletter is published. Please let us know whenever you think you are missing anything, and we will try to find some way to make amends. Thank you for your patience and understanding, as we try to keep things as smooth as possible. Please contact Ryan and Zoe with questions or comments at immuneboosterbytantre@gmail.com.
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