THIS WEEK’S SHARE

GREEN BEANS (Jade): long, slender, deep green, filet bean; tender and delicious
-How to use: raw in salads, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, etc.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 1 week.

ORANGE CARROTS (Mokum): a very sweet, slender, “pencil carrot”.
-How to use: can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sauteed, in stews, soups, casseroles, or stir-fries.
-How to store: refrigerate roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks

SWEET CORN (Montauk): small, fancy, bicolor kernels on 8” long ears with superior, sweet flavor
-How to use: ears of corn can be steamed in 1-2 inches of water for 6-10 minutes, or drop ears into boiling water (enough to cover) for 4-7 minutes; ears of corn can also be roasted unhusked in the oven or outside grill for about 20 minutes.
-How to store: refrigerate with husks on, and use as soon as possible to retain sweetness and flavor.

EGGPLANT: a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades); fruit is fleshy with a meaty texture that range in color from glossy black to pale lavender. You will receive Orient Express (dark purple Asian type with long, slender, glossy fruits, which are tender, delicately flavored, and quick cooking) OR Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit), OR Dancer (Light purple, Italian type, semi-cylindrical fruits are mid-sized, mild, and nonbitter).
-How to use: may be salted to remove bitterness from old fruit, but also makes it less watery and more absorbent, and can greatly enhance the taste and texture of your dish; can be baked, boiled, fried, grilled, or can be sliced into rounds for grilling or broiling, and cut into cubes for stews and stir-fries
-How to store: best fresh, but can be stored at room temperature or in refrigerator drawer for up to 1 week.

U-PICK FLOWERS (only available for picking on the farm): Every summer we plant a variety of flowers for drying or fresh bouquets. We welcome you to visit the farm to pick your flowers on any day of the week, but please contact us if it will be on other days besides our usual CSA distribution days of Wednesdays and Fridays, so we can make sure to be around to show you where to go and what to do. This week you can pick up to 10 stems per household. If you choose a dahlia, please only take 1 per bouquet. You may want to bring scissors or clippers and a vase/jar to keep your flowers fresh going home, but we will have clippers and donated yogurt containers to fill with water as well. Your bouquet is part of your share, although it is helpful when you make a small donation to pay for seeds and labor when you can. Extra bouquets cost $6/bunch this week.

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.

RED LETTUCE or LACINATO KALE: Wednesday members will receive New Red Fire (a red leaf lettuce with uniform, heavy heads of well-colored, frilly leaves) and Friday/Saturday members will receive Lacinato Kale (also called “dinosaur kale, tuscano, or black kale”; dark green, noncurled, blistered leaves, but heavily savoyed).
-How to use: for salads, soups, smoothies, and light cooking.
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

GREEN BELL PEPPERS: large blocky cells with fruity, sweet flavor; excellent source of vitamin C, fair amount of vitamin A, and some calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin.
-How to use: eat raw for best nutrient retention; can be added to soups, stews, omelets, quiches, stir-fries, etc.; excellent stuffed.
-How to store: refrigerate unwashed in hydrator drawer for 1-2 weeks; can be easily frozen by washing, chopping, and placing in freezer bags; can also be dehydrated or dried.

RED THUMB FINGERLING POTATOES: small, oblong potatoes with smooth, ruby red skin and creamy pink flesh; have a firm texture, nutty, earthy flavor, and are high in nutrients like potassium, vitamin C, and dietary fiber
-How to use: good for roasting, potato salads, and pair well with fresh herbs, garlic, and olive oil
-How to store: keep unwashed in a dark space or a paper bag

TOMATOES: You will receive any of the following: *Sun Gold Cherry (exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange cherry tomato; less acidic than the red cherry tomato. *NOTE: Our sungolds seem to be splitting very easily due to recent fluctuations in moisture & temperature this week, so despite our efforts to put in perfect ones, you may need to separate out less satisfactory ones, but still can be used when split), Cherry Bomb (vivid red fruits of cherry size; firm, sweet, and well-balanced), Cherry Mix (may include a colorful variety of Sungold, Sungreen, Sakura, Indigo Cherry), New Girl (medium-size fruits offer an ideal size for slicing onto sandwiches or cutting up into salads), AND Heirloom Tomato –Brandywine (large, heirloom, beefsteak tomato–often over 1 lb–with a deep pink skin and smooth red flesh).
-How to use: sauté, bake, broil, or grill; eat raw in salads or add to soups, stews, or sauces.
-How to store: keep at room temperature for up to 1 week.

RED WATERMELON (Mini Love): sweet and firm, oval-round fruits and distinctive, bright green rind with dark green stripes and dense, bright red flesh.
-How to use: slice, dice and serve as drinks, salads, or salsa.
-How to store: if melon seems not quite ripe, store at room temperature until sweet smell is coming from the soft, stem end; then store in the refrigerator.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. FAMILY FARM HIKE on FRIDAY, Aug. 23 from 5 to 6 PM: Come join us for a guided monthly exploratory walk around Tantre Farm with CSA member, Alisse Portnoy, who teaches at the University of Michigan. She and her daughter, Jessica, are in their 15th year of once-a-week, long visits to the farm. They look forward to having you taste different tomatoes and other veggies and herbs, exploring the mysteries of the mushroom forest, and feeding the cows, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and pigs. We’ll use all our senses as we take an approx. 45-60 minute hike. We will also fire up the earth oven to enjoy some roasted corn and other roasted veggies from the tour around 6 PM, if you’d like to meet us at that time! Meet at the picnic tables behind the Main House.

2. TOMATO PRESERVING WORKSHOP at Tantre Farm on Sunday, Sept. 1 from 1 to 4 PM: Dr. Kristen Uthus (Tantré Farm worker–2002) runs a family-owned orchid business in Manchester, Michigan called New World Orchids (https://newworldorchids.com/). She also is a long time home preserver and winner of awards at local fairs. She will teach mostly how to can tomatoes, but also some information will be about dehydrating and freezing them. There will be active participation and “take-home” samples for those attending. Plan on bringing a Quart Size Canning Jar. Please register by email with Subject Line as TOMATO WORKSHOP and add your Name, Phone Number, and E-mail Address in the body of the email to us. There will be a small $5 fee for materials, and $1 extra if you don’t bring a canning jar. Bulk tomatoes will be available for you to buy. This is a great time for canning, freezing, or dehydrating!

3. U-PICK TOMATOES AVAILABLE for $0.50/lb: THIS WEEK we have heirloom slicers (excellent for freezing, salsa, gazpacho, & sauces), Verona (small plum tomato, good for sauce and dehydrating), and cherry tomatoes (good for soups, freezing, & dehydrating) available for those of you interested in u-pick for preserving, whether canning, freezing, or dehydrating. They are falling off the vines, since they are so productive right now, so come soon. Please feel free to come on Wed AND Fri during CSA distribution times. The u-pick sites will be listed on the map on the distribution shed wall and signs will be in place in the fields to show you where to go, but it is always helpful for a heads up that you are coming, so please email or give Deb a quick text at 734-385-6748. Please schedule the time on other days, so we can show you where to pick and what to do. THIS WEEK we also have about 80 pounds extra cherry tomatoes that we are giving away for FREE at the Farm this week, since we over harvested our cherry tomatoes a few days ago, so feel free to dehydrate, can, or freeze these tomatoes.

4. FARMERS MARKETS: If you need to supplement your share with a few extra items, we are set up at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market on Wed. & Sat. this week starting at 7 AM. We will also be at the Chelsea Farmers Market from 8 AM-1 PM. On top of that, our Sunflower Farm Market (formerly known as the Washtenaw Food Hub Market) is OPEN on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 PM and on Saturdays as usual during our CSA pick up times from 9 AM-12 PM, so please feel free to purchase all your basic local needs and a few extra treats at any of these markets. We also have a small farm stand at the HoneyBee U-pick area (more details below).

5. CHELSEA FARMERS MARKET WILL CLOSE EARLY THIS COMING SAT. AUG. 24: Due to the Chelsea Fair Parade on Saturday at 1 PM, we will be packing up early at the market around 11 AM, since Chelsea will close Main St. around 12 or 12:30 PM due to the parade. Please come early to get your share box!

6. HONEYBEE U-PICK is OPEN ONLY ON SATURDAY MORNINGS: We are open this week from 8 AM until 12 PM on Saturday mornings at 5700 Scio Church Road on the corner of Zeeb Rd. and Scio Church Rd. in Ann Arbor. You may purchase fresh Tantre produce and Elder Farm eggs. The raspberries are not very productive this season and the thistles have overtaken the patch, so it will not be a good year for preserving. However, we have mowed some paths through and there are a few raspberries ready for picking, so if you are a true raspberry lover then we recommend bringing pants, long sleeves, closed toe shoes, and just give it a try! Sign up to be on our mailing list, so you know times, prices, weather-related closings, etc. here: https://www.tantrefarm.com/honey-bee/

7. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:

*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 9:30 AM (SARA there the whole time)

*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –4 PM to 8 PM (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share! STAFF there the whole time)

*Pure Pastures (Wed.) —9 AM to 11 AM (JESSICA there most of the time)

*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time 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 (Come inside the new Sunflower Farm Market to pick up your share. STAFF there the whole time)

*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (DEB there the whole time)

*Argus-Packard (Sat) — 9 AM to 3 PM ( STAFF there the whole time)

*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (LIZ there the whole time)

*HoneyBee U-pick (Sat)–8 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)

WHAT’S AN HEIRLOOM?
by Joel Heeres – 2001 Tantre Alumnus

 It’s not a loom for your heirs, as you might think. Heirloom fruit and vegetable varieties are hundreds and sometimes thousands of years old. Heirlooms differ in shape, color, size, flavor, and storability, but they all share one characteristic– their seeds can be saved one season to plant in the next. Heirloom varieties have been bred by local farmers and gardeners over many generations and have been established as stable varieties that grow “true to seed“. These varieties are special, because they have been adapted to certain climates over a long time.

 Heirloom vegetables are often more flavorful than hybrid vegetables. Hybrids are bred for high productivity, disease and pest resistance, drought resistance, and hardiness. While these traits are undeniably helpful, they often come at the cost of flavor. In addition, farmers cannot save seed from hybrid crops, as they are unstable crosses from two different varieties.

 In summary, heirloom crops are beneficial to small farmers and home gardeners, because their seeds can be saved to plant again. They have better flavor and are more unique than hybrids, although they can be less hardy and prone to diseases.

 At Tantré Farm, we grow both hybrid and heirloom crops. Some of the crops we grow from heirloom seeds are tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, winter squash, potatoes, onions, kale, beans, turnips, and radishes. Sometimes we will have some varieties of heirlooms only on the market tables, since we may not have a lot of them available. We’ll try to let you know when you are getting heirloom produce in your share box in the produce descriptions.

 Our heirloom tomatoes are phenomenal this year, so we encourage you to come u-pick some delicious varieties for some amazing flavors to can, make sauces, or even make fresh gazpacho. These tomatoes split very easily, but can easily be cut and cleaned to make a wide variety of flavorful dishes, such as tomato sauce, salsa (recipe below), or gazpacho (recipe below)! Please come to the farm and get some soon!

RECIPES

EIGHT GREAT WAYS TO SERVE SUMMER TOMATOES (Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website)
1. Cut tomatoes into wedges. Toss with finely chopped shallots, then splash with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.
2. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Remove center of each, and fill with a large basil leaf and a chunk of fresh mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with purchased garlic-infused oil, and wrap in foil. Roast on an outdoor grill for five minutes.
3. Cut tomatoes in wedges. Shower with grated Parmesan cheese. Top with fresh oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.
4. Cut tomatoes into chunks, and place in blender. Add a pinch of sea salt, a few fresh basil leaves and several ice cubes. Blend until smooth and frothy for a refreshing drink.
5. Cube tomatoes and firm ricotta salt or feta cheese. Toss with cooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta), fresh mint and a favorite vinaigrette.
6. For bruschetta, top grilled Italian bread with a mixture of chopped tomatoes, minced garlic, extra- virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
7. Toss arugula with chopped tomatoes, orange segments, basil and toasted pine nuts. Dress with olive oil, orange juice and a splash of wine vinegar.
8. Slather a thick slice of bread with good mayonnaise. Cover with thick slices of juicy tomatoes. Sprinkle with coarse salt and Szechuan pepper or some cracked mixed peppercorns. Add some fresh mozzarella cheese slices. Mmmmmm!!!

SALSA NANCITA (from Rolling Prairie Cookbook by Nancy O’Connor) Serves 6
5 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, finely chopped
1 sweet green pepper, minced
1 leek, minced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 hot pepper, cored, seeded, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp honey or other sweetener
1-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Mix ingredients together well. Allow to sit for 1-2 hours before serving. .

GAZPACHO (from Moosewood Cookbook) Serves 6
4 cups cold tomato juice (could be pressed from fresh tomatoes)
1 tsp tarragon
1 small, well-minced onion or 1 leek
1 tsp basil
2 cups freshly diced tomatoes
1 tsp honey
1 cup minced green pepper
1 diced cucumber
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 scallions or 1 leek, chopped
Dash of ground cumin
2 Tbsp wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dash of Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients, and chill for at least 2 hours. (This soup can be pureed, if desired.)

EGGPLANT TOMATO CHUTNEY (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website)
1 medium onion or 1 leek, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium eggplant, pared and cubed
1/2 tsp salt
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup currants
2 Tbsp tarragon vinegar

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil about 2 minutes. Stir in eggplant and salt. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients. Cook 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and no excess liquid remains. To microwave: place onion, garlic and oil in 3-quart microwavable casserole. Cover tightly and microwave on high 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add eggplant and salt. Cover tightly and microwave 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cover tightly and microwave 3 to 5 minutes longer or until vegetables are soft. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with slotted spoon. Great spooned over a main dish, served on crackers etc. Combine corn, beans, celery, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, chilies, garlic, and ginger root in large bowl. Wisk sesame oil with vinegar and lime juice in a small bowl. Toss with corn mixture. Season with salt. Chill.

WATERMELON LEMONADE WITH BERRIES (from Rolling Prairie Cookbook by Nancy O’Connor) Serves 2
2 cups seeded, cold watermelon chunks
1/2 cup frozen raspberries or strawberries
1/2 cup chilled lemonade
1-2 Tbsp sugar or honey (to taste)
8-10 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender until well-blended. Pour into large, frosty mugs.

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