Hello Fellow Locavores,

Welcome to the Immune Booster Week 51 Newsletter. This week we have an alluring spread of local fine fruits and vegetables, scrumptious prepared foods, fresh baked bread, tempeh chorizo, eggs, oats and honey. A bright and healthy spread that complements the becoming of spring here in Michigan, which officially starts this Saturday. With the mild weather we have been busy bees planting seed tray upon seed tray, cutting logs to inoculate oyster and shiitake mushrooms, cleaning up the fruit orchard and clearing off the asparagus patch. Asparagus is one of the first perennial crops to emerge each year, closely followed by rhubarb–two wonderful plants not so far over the horizon now. This week we also had a spring welcome to Tantre’s family with the birth of Paddy, a calf bull who was fittingly named as he was born on St. Patrick’s Day morning. I missed the birth by about 10 minutes, but I did get to see him take his first steps and begin to suckle with his proud mama. So with that enlightenment, let’s switch gears and enlighten those taste buds…

With a hop, skip and a jump, we round up some pungent Yellow Onions from Second Spring Farm. Packed with zest and a bit of bite, as well as antioxidants that decrease inflammation and reduce bad cholesterol, these onions are a no brainer to use as frequently as possible. So slice some rounds for a burger and make a side or two of homemade onions rings. Cha-ching! Money!

Hi ho, hi ho, off to Ohio I go in search of the best Potato Mix, Wayward Seed Farm bound with a hound in tow. Pulling up to the cellar door we have found what we were looking for… Red and gold potatoes galore! Packed with protein and with life nourishing starch, we loaded them up as our long shadows cast an arch. Before long, a farm hand came along with another pallet of nutritious Green Cabbage. We tucked them right in, stacking them in crate after crate before the hour got too late. Just when we thought we had plenty, along came farmer Jenny with a pallet of Parsnips that we hastily loaded into our moon booster ship. Long white tubers packed with vitamin K and folate to save the day. As the sun fades away on this early spring day, Adam the head farmer rolls out the last skip of the day. Robust Red Beets packed with vitamin B, folate, fiber, and manganese, so my one suggestion is make some Borscht please 😉

Back on the road now and heading ‘Up North’ with our bounty and beet red faces from all the loading up, we make a stop at Kapnick Orchards to add to our loot. This week we have crisp Fuji Apples that are packed with vitamin A for Apple and D for Delicious. Great for slicing or baking, thinly sliced on salads, dehydrated or mashed into homemade applesauce. Just to make sure they were all tasty, I had to have a few on the way back to A2.

Back up in the A2, without further ado we present to you, Pea Shoots from Garden Works Organic Farm. Packed with cancer preventative carotene, folate and antioxidants, these clever baby plants are great for your immune system in a paramount way. Serve them up high on salads, sandwiches, or just right out of the container. It’s a great green gateway food for young children and sooo good for them. Eat them up while they are fresh and crisp!

Rounding out the plentiful produce for this week’s share, we have frozen Blueberries from Joe’s Blueberries that are guaranteed to chase the last of the winter blues away. These bulbous berries are the king of antioxidants, reducing DNA damage and warding off free radicals that cause cancer. These blueberries were picked and immediately frozen last summer, while in their prime and are a perfect pairing for the oats and honey coming up next…

Rolling along in with this Immune Booster share, we roll right into Organic Rolled Oats from Ferris Organic Farm. These heart-healthy oats are packed with soluble fiber, help reduce bad cholesterol and are great for your anatomy. I eat oatmeal for breakfast almost everyday and have for years. I buy several oatmeal varieties, mix them all in a container and use frequently in hot oatmeal, cold oats with yogurt and fruit, or for baking projects. These oats are versatile and superior in quality, so get creative and whip them up into something tasty on the hasty with the blueberries and honey.

Speaking of honey, we have a one pound glass jar of Wildflower Honey from Hives on the Hill Apiary to complement the oats and blueberries. This honey was harvested, processed and stored late last summer, just for winter treats like this. The bees have pollinated many types of local flowers and consuming it may help with your allergies as we roll into spring. Honey can be used widely across the culinary world in boundless ways in many drinks, prepared foods or just simply drizzled over a hot bowl of oatmeal and blueberries. This triple combo trio of awesomeness is sure to please in the cool, spring, morning breeze before the long days begin out at the farm.

Need a little toast to complement that bowl of oats? We got you covered with a Cinnamon Raisin Loaf from Avalon International Breads. This bread is loaded up with raisins, cinnamon, spice and everything nice to go with any breakfast dish. My kids love it as an afternoon snack with cream cheese. So get your toast on before it’s all gone!

Looking for something savory to whip up for breakfast or brunch? Then how about a solid dozen of local Free-Range Eggs from Webbed Foot Pines and Old Brick Farm. We split the egg farmers to fulfill this share, because we like to share the love in this current time of chicken eggs-a-plenty. This is the time of year when the chickens are just laying them down by the bucketful. They can sense that spring is in the air and the sun is getting closer, so they are just cranking them out. Both farms have free range birds, clean food and water, and tidy pens. I stopped by Larry Doll’s Old Brick Farm this week to take a tour and I must say these hens were pampered. Plenty of space and living the good life = happy eggs! So scramble them up, make an omelette with some of the produce, craft a quiche, bake a cake, hard boil for that egg salad sandwich you grew up on, the options are endless. These eggs contain omega-3 fatty acids which are great for warding off depression and anxiety, improved eye health and reducing symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

Let’s toss in a little Chorizo Tempeh from The Brinery to really get that savory kick going with those eggs. A match made in heaven. The Chorizo Tempeh is a surefire way to get you loaded up on a clean and healthy, plant-based protein that is flavorful and versatile. I’ve used this product for breakfast tacos with scrambled eggs, cooked it in oil until slightly blackened and tossed it on top of savory soups, pastas and salads, and I’ve also added it to meatballs for a bit of texture and spice. So get creative and whip up a show stopper meal.

Since you’re picking up your share mid morning, why not head home and treat yourself to a Rainbow Root Salad from Harvest Kitchen that is vegan and gluten-free. This dish is loaded up with Tantre Farm carrots and purple daikon radishes, parsnips, beets, a splash of lemon juice, olive oil, toasted sunflower seeds and salt and pepper. It’s a perfect seasonal dish that is extremely healthy and satisfying.

Rolling into our final, featured, prepared food for this week and closing out this week’s share, we offered you a choice of either a Mixed Vegetable and Chicken Kebabs OR Mixed Vegetable and Tofu Kebabs from Ginger Deli, depending on if you signed up for an omnivore share or a vegan share. Both options come with vermicelli noodles and a mix of fresh greens, shredded carrots, and grated pickled veggies. There is also an accompanying housemade sweet and tangy sauce in a side container. This dish is clean, colorful, and made with so much love. It took Ginger Deli’s staff three days to pull this all together. First, marinating the tofu and chicken, then pickling the veggies and on the final day, skewering and charcoal grilling the kebabs. Yessss, pleaseeeee! This dish pairs well with the Rainbow Root Salad and would be the perfect Saturday lunch or dinner after picking up your share. Get ready for some seriously tasty food!

So there you have it, the Week 51 Immune Booster CSA share breakdown has come to an end. We hope you enjoyed your moon boost ride, and we hope you delight in this local, healthy box of food with loved ones, friends, and family. Please keep your eyes peeled for next week’s one year Anniversary Share. We will have accomplished an entire year of Immune Booster CSA Shares, and we have an epic box of food lined up for this very special occasion! So check your email Sunday afternoon and get ready to launch! The stars are aligning. For now, let’s sign off and savor the flavor of this week’s share. As always, we are grateful for your continued support, as are all of our contributing partners. I look forward to seeing you Saturday morning. Be well!

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 March 21, regarding Tantre Farm’s Anniversary Immune Booster CSA Share, Week 52 for pick up on March 27.

All the best,

Ryan Poe and the talented Tantre 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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