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 CSA INFO or under RECIPES.

THIS WEEK’S SHARE

ARUGULA (Sylvetta): also known as “wild rocket” with more deeply lobed leaves and a more pungent flavor; an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor
-How to use: great in 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.

ASPARAGUS: Also known as “sparrowgrass”, these green or purple spears each contain vitamins A, B, and C, and iron.
-How to use: serve raw, chopped in salads, or with dips. You can also steam, roast, grill.
– How to store: wrap in damp cloth and plastic bag, then refrigerate. Alternatively, bundle spears with rubber band and place upright in container with an inch of water.

RED ACE BEETS from Second Spring Farm: These certified organic, storage beets come from Reid Johnston of Second Spring Farm (www.secondspringfarm.net) in Cedar, MI. These round, smooth, deep red roots have sweet flavor and can be used raw or cooked.
-How to use: roots good in soups, stews, roasted, boiled, steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.
-How to store: separate roots from leaves and store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks;

BOK CHOY (Asian Green): written as bok choi, bak choy, or pac choi; a traditional stir-fry vegetable from China with a sweet and mild flavor; looks like white Swiss chard with the stems all attached at the bottom; considered a cool weather crop and part of the cabbage or turnip family.
-How to use: two vegetables in one–the leaves can be cooked like spinach, and the crisp stem can be eaten like celery or asparagus; excellent in stir-fries, soups, sauteed or eaten raw.
-How to store: store as you would any green–in a loose plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

NAPA CABBAGE: crinkly, thickly veined leaves, which are cream-colored with celadon green tips; unlike the strong-flavored waxy leaves on round cabbage heads, these are thin, crisp, and delicately mild; good source of vitamin A, folic acid, and potassium.
-How to use: use raw, saute, bake, or braised; common in stir-fries and main ingredient in traditional kimchi; also eaten raw as a wrap for pork or oysters; the outer, tougher leaves are used in soups.
-How to store: refrigerate, tightly wrapped, up to 5 days.

GREEN GARLIC: young, baby garlic with tender leaves that is harvested early in the season before the bulb is fully formed; long, green top that looks a bit like scallions with usually a tiny white or red (depending on the variety) bulb at the end; more mellow and less spicy in flavor then regular garlic
-How to use: can be used raw or cooked like scallions; use as a pesto or subbed in for garlic in a plethora of pasta dishes to get just the right amount of spring on your menu.
-How to store: keep in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or wrapped in a damp cloth for 1 week

LETTUCE (Skyphos): Our Wednesday members will receive 1 head of Skyphos (a beautiful butterhead with large, dark red heads and nicely contrasting green centers; excellent flavor and texture) and 1 head of Adriana (a large, dark green butterhead with heads that are full and dense with good flavor). Our Fr/Sat members will receive 2 heads of Adriana, the red lettuce. All lettuce is rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C.
-How to use: raw in salads, sandwiches, or (believe it or not!) use in soups and smoothies.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.

ONIONS (Patteron) from Second Spring Farm: medium-large, blocky bulbs with dark yellow skin and thin necks; excellent storage onion. Tantre’s onions didn’t store as long this year, so thanks to our former intern (2003)-turned-farmer, Reid Johnston, of Second Spring Farm (www.secondspringfarm.net), he is providing you with his certified organic onions from Cedar, MI. Some of the tops may be a little soft since stored for the past several winter months, so please remember that you can just cut off the bad parts and chop the rest of the whole onions and freeze it in ziploc bags instead of throwing it away.
-How to use: can be grilled or roasted or chopped in soups, meat dishes, and other veggie dishes for flavor
-How to store: will store for six months or more, if kept in a cold, dark place, but remove any ones starting to go soft from the others.

POTATOES: You will receive Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; long storage and good tasting; perfect baked, boiled, mashed or fried) and Adirondack Blue (round to oblong, slightly flattened tubers have glistening blue skin enclosing deep blue flesh; moist, flavorful flesh is superb for mashing or salads; very high in antioxidants! Some of these are a little soft and wrinkly as they have been storing in the root cellar, but perfectly fine for soups or other kinds of cooking. We have been eating them all winter!). These “old buddies” potatoes have been over-wintered in optimum storage conditions; possibly slightly less firm and slightly more sweet than a new potato, but good for cooking in any way suggested below.
-How to use: good baked, boiled, roasted or in potato salads
-How to store: keep in cool, dark place in paper bag; ideal temperature is 38-40 degrees with 80-90 percent humidity

RADISHES: Our Wednesday members will receive 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), and our Fri/Sat members will receive Pink Beauty (pink-colored round root with mild, spicy flavor).
-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 and are an excellent source of vitamins.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.

SPINACH: crisp, dark green leaf; best eaten raw or with minimal cooking to obtain the beneficial chlorophyll, rich in of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron and a plethora of other nutrients and antioxidants. The appearance of spinach also marks the beginning of spring for many of us farmers/gardeners!
-How to use: delicious flavor when juiced, toss in fresh salad, add to sandwiches, saute, steam, braise, or add to crepes, quiche, lasagna, and soups.
-How to store: refrigerate with a damp towel/bag for up to 1 week.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. PLEASE RETURN BOXES WEEKLY- We ask that you remember to bring back your share boxes each week, so that we can reuse them. Please don’t leave them in a hot car all week, since the heat will melt these wax boxes. Some folks just bring cloth bags, coolers, or other containers to transfer their share into at the distribution site, so they don’t need to remember the box each week.

2. ANY CHANGES in your address, phone, e-mail, or of misspelled names on any mailings or Pick Up Lists at Distribution Sites? Are we missing your share partner’s name? Please let us know as soon as possible.

3. IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA: As some of you know during 2020 we started a collaborative CSA with several local farms and food businesses that you can opt in or out of each week called the Immune Booster CSA. If you are interested in supplementing your share with more veggies and other locally produced and sourced, value-added products, please go to our website to sign up every Monday – Wednesday night. This is also a perfect gift for someone else! Pick up is from 9 AM to 12 PM every Saturday at the Washtenaw Food Hub and the Chelsea Farmers Market during the summer: http://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-immune-booster-csa-work/. Still time to sign up this week!

4. FARMERS MARKETS: If you need to supplement your share with extra items sometimes, we are set up at the Ann Arbor Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 AM until 1 or 2 PM. We will also be at the Chelsea Farmers Market from 8 AM-1 PM throughout the rest of the summer and into the fall as well. On top of that, we have finally opened a small Farm Market at the Washtenaw Food Hub during the CSA pick up times on Saturdays from 9 AM-12 PM as well and next week starting on Wednesdays from 6 to 8 PM, so please feel free to purchase all your basic local needs and a few extra treats.

5. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER: Please use your Member Dashboard to schedule Vacations or Pick up Location Changes. Some sites have less space to drop share boxes at, so are considered “limited” (see below). Please always email ahead to see if the limited sites are at capacity before making any switches on your own to those spaces.
**Volunteers will be at each site during designated times below, so if you need to come at a different time, please feel free to bring your own pen to check off your name.

-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 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 (LIZZIE there the whole time)
-Pure Pastures (Wed.) (limited site) —9 AM to 11 AM (JESSICA there)
-Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there the whole time with some self check-in)
-Community High School (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 there the whole time)
-Argus-Packard (Sat) (limited site)—12 PM to 3 PM (ARGUS STAFF there the whole time)
-RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM (LIZ is there the whole time)
-HoneyBee U-pick (Sat)–8 AM to 12 PM (Tantre Staff)

REFLECTIONS ON THE FARM
by Richard and Deb

 Welcome to the Summer CSA share of 2022! Despite all the horrific tragedies of the world these days, we have had a very nice spring which has provided a consistent, gentle rain, moderate temperatures, and cooling nights. We are looking forward to a good harvest this season! The peas are happily blossoming on their trellises and running their tendrils along the ground, stretching for something to grab. The lettuce is tender and fat. The spinach is sweet and luxurious. The strawberries are blooming white, fragile blossoms standing tall in the warm sunshine, and it looks like another good crop of berries this year. Once again we have no strawberries at Tantre Farm in Chelsea this year, but rather at a property that we are providing folks with you-picking opportunities and ecological restoration on the corner of Zeeb and Scio Church Road in Ann Arbor called HoneyBee U-pick (https://www.tantrefarm.com/honey-bee/). We will let you know more details in the coming week or two when the patch is ready.

 Besides at Tantre Farm, we also have been harvesting asparagus at HoneyBee U-pick, which is steadiily thrusting their pointed, tender tips out of the moist, wet ground. Most of the new fruit tree seedlings are budding leaves and flowers. The chestnuts and northern hardy pecans are unfurling their radiant green leaves. It’s very comforting to be out here in the country and think about all the plant-based epicures. It’s comforting to hear the crickets in the afternoons and the tree frogs at night. Comforting and restful to find our place–our true home on our beautiful planet earth.

 Thank you for joining the Summer CSA this year. We also appreciate our farm crew for weathering every storm and temperature fluctuation from 30 degree mornings to 90 degree days during these past few months of planting and harvesting. They have been happily plucking weeds, harvesting vegetables, and packing your shares. It is another year of realizing the strength and sustainability of supporting our local farmers and our local community.

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!

GARLICKY BOK CHOY SAUTE (from Farm-Fresh Recipes by Janet Majure)
3 Tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 lb bok choy (or pac choi)
4 green garlic stems, chopped

 Heat wok or skillet over high for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat. When it is very hot (on verge of smoking), add salt, garlic and bok choy. Stir-fry until bok choy is wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve as a side dish.

NAPA CABBAGE SALAD (from www.allrecipes.com) Serves 6
1 head Napa cabbage
1 bunch minced green onions or green garlic
1/3 cup butter
1 (3 oz) package ramen noodles, broken
2 Tbsp sesame seed
1 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce

Finely shred the head of cabbage; do not chop. Combine the green onions and cabbage in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the crunchies: melt the butter in a pot. Mix the ramen noodles, sesame seeds and almonds into the pot with the melted butter. Spoon the mixture onto a baking sheet and bake the crunchies in the preheated 350 degrees oven, turning often to make sure they do not burn. When they are browned remove them from the oven. Make the dressing: in a small saucepan, heat vinegar, oil, sugar, and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, let boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat and let cool. Combine dressing, crunchies, and cabbage immediately before serving. Serve right away or the crunchies will get soggy.

Back to top