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.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
ARUGULA or HON TSAI TAI: You will receive Astro Arugula (an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor with leaves less deeply lobed and with a more strap-leaf shape) OR Hon Tsai Tai (an Asian Green with pencil-thin, purple, budded flower stems; pleasing mild mustard taste). See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
GREEN, YELLOW, or PURPLE BEANS: You will receive Affirmed (straight, attractive, 5–6″, deep-green pods) OR Goldilocks Yellow (beautiful bright yellow beans; 5–6″ pods are straight, attractive, and flavorful) OR Royal Burgundy (brilliant purple, smooth, round, meaty pods; add stunning color to salads when used raw; pods turn dark green when cooked; excellent fresh or frozen). See Week 9 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
CAULIFLOWER (Amazing): medium to large, white heads with domed, solid curds.
-How to use: raw for salads and dips, steamed, sautéed, or roasted.
-How to store: sweetest and best when used within a week when stored in the refrigerator, but can last up to 2 weeks
SWEET CORN (Montauk): small, fancy, bicolor kernels on 8” long ears with superior, sweet flavor. See Week 12 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
EGGPLANT: You will receive Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit), Dancer (light purple, Italian type, semi-cylindrical fruits are mid-sized, mild, and nonbitter), OR Orient Express (dark purple Asian type with long, slender, glossy fruits, which are tender, delicately flavored, and quick cooking). See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
U-PICK FLOWERS ONLY at TANTRE FARM: Unfortunately our small HoneyBee location has been picked over very thoroughly, so no free u-pick flowers there this week. However, the selection at Tantre Farm has over 30 flower varieties to choose. Please feel free to come to the farm on Wednesdays and Fridays during pick up times, or schedule a time and day if you would like to come on other days of the week. Again, you may pick 16 stems per household with up to 3 sunflowers. Your bouquet is part of your share every week, although it is always greatly appreciated when you make a donation to pay for seeds and labor. Extra bouquets – $6/bunch for 10 stems. We hope you can come to enjoy this food for the soul!
FRESH HERBS: You will receive “Curly” or “Flat Leaf Parsley” (dark green leaves with a strong parsley/celery flavor for use dried or fresh; high in vitamins A and C, and other minerals, such as iron; especially good in omelets, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, pasta and vegetable dishes, as well as, sauces) OR “Rosemary” (a spicy, pungent, pine flavor, rosemary is one of the most potent herbs available; its flavor is extremely meat-friendly, so its primary use in the kitchen is bringing flavor to stews, braises, and roasts) OR “French Sorrel” (slightly tart, lemon-flavored green; excellent for salads, soups, and sauces; can be used in omelets, breads, or cooked as a side dish; leaves are shaped like spinach, but paler green in color).
-How to store: 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.
KALE: You will receive Green Curly (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”) OR Red Curly (well ruffled red or green leaves with red stems; gets redder and sweeter after a frost). See Week 2 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
RED LETTUCE (Cherokee): a red Summer Crisp with medium-sized heads with thick, crisp leaves that have dark red color with good flavor. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
STORAGE ONIONS: You will receive Patterson (medium-large, blocky bulbs with dark yellow skin and thin necks; excellent storage onion) and/or Redwing (the ultimate red storage onion; globe-shaped bulbs are 3–4 inches across, moderately pungent, very firm). See Week 14 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
SWEET PEPPERS: You will receive any of the following – Goddess Banana Pepper (sweet banana pepper for pickling or fresh eating; 8-9” long, thick-walled, smooth fruits; fruits are mild when yellow and moderately sweet when they ripen red) OR Carmen (6-inch long, tapered fruit that ripens from green to a deep “carmine” red; sweet taste in salads and when roasted and fully red-ripe) OR Red Knight Bell (big, blocky, thick-walled, green-to-red pepper with sweet flesh). See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
POTATOES (Butte): a russet baking potato that is highest in vitamin C and protein; great baked, mashed or fried. See Week 8 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
PIE PUMPKIN: bright orange skin with dry, sweet flesh.
-How to use: excellent for pies (for other ideas see winter squash).
-How to store: store whole pumpkins at room temperature up to a month or for 3-6 months in moderately warm and dry conditions (45-50 degrees with 60-75 percent humidity).
RADISHES: You will receive a mix of Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor) and Purple Bacchus (stunning, purple, round radish with white inner flesh; very good flavor and not too hot). See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
U-PICK RASPBERRIES (only available at Honey Bee U-pick in Ann Arbor): Last chance to pick a free pint of the fall, red raspberries as part of your CSA share on Sat. or Sun! If you are able to come to our Honey Bee U-pick site (5700 Scio Church Rd.), we are inviting you to pick 1 pint (and you may pick 1 pint for someone else less able-bodied, if you like). If you are less able-bodied with an injury or the inability to bend or walk very well, please PREORDER your 1 pint one day ahead by email to pick up at the Honey Bee U-pick this week on Sat. (9/30) or Sun. (10/1). U-pick pints are $6/pint or Already Picked are $4/half pint (if we have enough staff to pick them to have on hand).
WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS without GREENS: a white salad turnip with round, smooth roots and a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture. See Week 16 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
WINTER SQUASH (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 16 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. LAST WEEK OF THE SUMMER CSA: That means Sept. 27 (Wed.), Sept. 29 (Fri.), and Sept. 30 (Sat.) are the last distribution days for our Summer Shares, so PLEASE RETURN ALL SHARE BOXES THIS WEEK! Plan on bringing bags, a cooler, or a box to transfer your produce this week.
2. YOGURT QUARTS, PLASTIC OR PAPER “GROCERY BAGS ONLY” ARE NEEDED, if you would like to donate some to the farm.
3. STILL ROOM: “EXTENDED FALL CSA” SHARE REGISTRATION IS OPEN UNTIL SEPT. 30: This is a 4-week Extended Fall CSA Share for $150 starting the week of October 1-7 and ending the week of October 22-28. In order to receive all 4 shares, please register online anytime before Sept. 30 (extended deadline!) at https://tantrefarm.csaware.com/extended-fall-csa-2023-C26200. Please go to our website for more information.
4. U-PICK RASPBERRY PATCH OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: We will be open on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 from 8 AM-4 PM at HoneyBee U-pick for ripe fall raspberries, extra Tantre produce, Elder Farms eggs, HoneyBee honey, and u-pick flowers for sale. U-pick raspberries are $6/pint and $4/half pint for Already Picked Raspberries. We also have opened a SELF SERVE produce wagon, which is open 7 days a week, but please bring Venmo or exact change. To keep informed go to https://www.tantrefarm.com/tantre-farm-raspberry-u-pick.
5. SAVE THE DATE! HONEYBEE UPICK’S 3rd Annual NUT FESTIVAL – Oct. 8: Celebrate the Earth and the seasons with a free, fun, outdoors event at HoneyBee U-pick (5700 Scio Church Rd, AA). We will be cooking hickory nut milk and roasting chestnuts on the campfire, fall foraging (root season!) and nature hikes in the AM and PM, networking with local nut experts, learning about paw paw trees, and helping Tantre establish a wild nut-centered, native polyculture. More details will be coming soon. See our website for what our agenda was and who our local nut experts were last year: https://www.tantrefarm.com/nut-tree-planting-fest/
6. PLANT WALK ON SATURDAY, Oct. 14, from 4-6 PM: We are hosting a leisurely plant walk at Tantre Farm with local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud from “Will Forage For Food”. Our discussion will include information about identification, methods of harvest, preparation, and use. We will explore the area and choose around 20-25 edible, medicinal, or otherwise useful plants and mushrooms to focus on. Kids under 12 are free with paid adult. You may want to bring a notebook, camera, and water. Unlimited class size, drop ins are welcome, and cost is $25. To register ahead of time or find more information, just go to her website at https://willforageforfood.square.site/
7. FORAGE AND FEAST Cooking Class on Wed., Oct. 18, from 6-9 PM at Tantre Farm: Come to this foraging class and turn our collections into a gourmet meal with local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud, from Will Forage For Food. You will forage for edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful plants and then learn how to prepare and cook these items combining them with grocery store supplies and farm fresh ingredients to make a gourmet meal. Note that one or more of the dishes may include meat, eggs, dairy, wheat, nuts, etc., so if you have dietary restrictions you should let us know before signing up. Bring your harvesting basket if you have one, a kitchen knife, a kitchen towel, and a notebook to jot down recipes as we go. This class is limited to 8 participants, and sells out quickly, so don’t wait too long! Tantre CSA members are offered a discounted price of $50/person compared to $75 for nonmembers. Please register at https://willforageforfood.square.site/ .
8. SAVE THE DATE! THANKSGIVING CSA on November 18: This CSA is NOT open for registration just yet, but we wanted to let you know to “save the date”, since it will open sometime in October. A more detailed email notice will come to you in the next few weeks. 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 $140.
9. 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.) –6 PM to 8 PM (MARIS there the whole time and Hub Market open!)
*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 (RYAN and Staff there the whole time)
*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time)
*Argus-Packard (Sat) — 9 AM to 3 PM (ARGUS 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)
APPRECIATION FOR SUMMER CSA 2023!
**Thank you for a wonderful Summer Season filled with gratitude, community building, and a bountiful harvest. We would especially like to express our heartfelt appreciation to our hardworking farm crew who hung out for this end of season: Andy, Jordan, Chizo, Donn, Adam, Rachel, Chris, Jonny, Harold, Daniel, Carrin, and the Rubio Family. If you get a chance to thank them as well, please do. Please feel free to contact us throughout the rest of fall and winter for any storage produce needs. Thank you for being a member of the Tantre Farm Summer CSA!! Please consider signing up for our Extended Fall season and filling your homes with the most beautiful greens, carrots, cauliflower, winter squash, Tongue of Fire shelling beans, watermelon radish, and more. Hope to see you again in 2024!
–Deb, Richard (and the Tantre Farm Crew)**
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!
MARTHA STEWART’S PUMPKIN SOUP IN A PUMPKIN Serves 6
6 cups chicken stock
2-3 cups pared pumpkin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
5 peppercorns
1 medium pie pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
1 tsp chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley
In a covered saucepan, heat the stock, cubed pumpkin, onion, garlic, salt, thyme, and peppercorns to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of the pumpkin with a slotted spoon; reserve. Simmer remaining pumpkin mixture, uncovered, 20 minutes longer; transfer to a large bowl. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Cut the top off the sugar pumpkin and remove the seeds. Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes; set aside in a warm spot. Puree 2 cups of the pumpkin mixture in a blender or food processor; return pureed mixture to the pot. Repeat with remaining pumpkin mixture. Heat pureed mixture to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir warm cream and reserved pumpkin into soup. Place the warmed sugar pumpkin on a platter; ladle the soup in and garnish with parsley. Serve hot.
CAULIFLOWER CHEESE CHOWDER (from Rolling Prairie Cookbook by Nancy O’Connor) Serves 4
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 Tbsp. unbleached white flour
4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 medium potatoes, unpeeled, cut into cubes
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Snips of fresh chives or parsley for garnish (optional)
Heat oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender, approximately 10 minutes. Stir often to avoid scorching. Add flour, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Slowly add stock or water, using a whisk if necessary to avoid lumps. Add cauliflower, potatoes, and salt. Bring just to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, approximately 20 minutes. Remove about half of the cauliflower and potatoes from the pot using a slotted spoon. Set aside. Let the remaining soup cool a bit and then puree the soup in a food processor, blender, or with a hand-held blender right in the pot. Return soup to pot, and add reserved cauliflower and potatoes. Heat to a simmer. Slowly whisk in milk, then grated cheese. Heat over low heat until cheese is melted. Season with black pepper and a small amount of nutmeg. Serve embellished with a sprinkle of freshly snipped chives or parsley.
SPICY CORN KERNEL “PAN” CAKE (from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce by MACSAC) Serves 4
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 heaping cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 6-8 ears)
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil or parsley
2 Tbsp minced onion
1-2 Tbsp minced jalapeno or serrano pepper
3 Tbsp cornmeal
3 Tbsp flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garnish:
Fresh basil, cilantro or parsley
Freshly made or bottled salsa
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Measure oil into a heavy, ovenproof, medium-sized skillet (cast-iron is best) and heat pan in oven for 30 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients except the last two in a bowl, then press evenly into hot pan. (Don’t stir corn in the pan, or the crust won’t form properly.) Bake 25-30 minutes, until edges are brown and crispy. Run a spatula around the outer rim and underneath the corn cake to loosen it from the pan. Wearing hot pads, place a heat-proof serving plate face down over the pan and invert pan so the cake drops onto plate. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with salsa.
THE VERY FRESHEST GREEN DRESSING (from The Rolling Prairie Cookbook by Nancy O’Connor) Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 1/2 cups packed parsley (or sorrel for tangy, lemony flavor)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small shallot (or onion), chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend to create a smooth sauce. Allow to sit several hours before serving, so that flavors have time to blend. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Although best used when fresh, this dressing will keep for 5-6 days covered in the refrigerator.
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