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. **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.
If you are new to our CSA, because you signed up with a prorated share, you can find all past newsletters on our website under the NEWSLETTERS section in the CSA Info tab.
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
ARUGULA or RED MUSTARD GREENS: You will receive Arugula (known as “wild rocket” with more deeply lobed leaves and a more pungent flavor; an aromatic, bright salad green with a peppery mustard flavor) or Red Mustard (broadleaf mustard has purple-tinted leaves; somewhat spicy mustard flavor).
-How to use: deliciously beautiful in salads, garnishes, and for quick braising.
-How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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.
RED CABBAGE (Omero): midseason red with good flavor; heads are a vibrant red and are round to slightly oval; good, slightly sweet and peppery flavor. See Week 8 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
CARROTS (Mokum): a very sweet, slender, “pencil carrot” with roots only this week. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
CUCUMBERS: You will receive either Bristol (classic American cucumber look; fruits avg. 8″ long) OR General Lee (fruit is long and fairly narrow with white spines and an attractive mid-green color) OR Suyo Long (traditional, long-fruited variety from China; a sweet-flavored, ribbed fruit growing up to 15″ long; try using this unusual-looking cucumber in salads, for bread-and-butter or mixed vegetable pickles; excellent eating quality). See Week 5 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 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 always greatly appreciated when you make any donation to pay for seeds and labor. Extra bouquets cost $6/bunch this week.
FRESH HERBS: Everyone will receive a bunch of Prospera Italian Large Leaf Basil this week, an herb with a sweet aroma with notes of anise in its green leaves; traditionally used in pesto, and originally from India where it was traded in ancient times via the spice routes. This herb does not store well in a refrigerator, since it does not like cold temperatures. It will last longer when stored in a jar, vase, or glass of water on your counter or table top.
BULB ONIONS: You will receive Ailsa Craig (a sweet, mild, yellow-skinned, heirloom onion that is well known by British gardeners who grow show-size onions), Cipollini (a traditional Italian onion known for its flat, oval shape and delicately mild, sweet flavor; ranges in size from 1-3 inches; used for pickling and to season a wide variety of dishes and especially good grilled on a skewer), or Red Long of Tropea (specialty variety of tall, elongated, red bulbs traditionally grown in Mediterranean Italy and France). See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
NEW POTATOES: You will receive Satina Gold (yellow skin, yellow flesh, gourmet flavor; silky smooth and buttery for mouth-watering mashed potatoes) or Red Sangre (one of the prettiest of all red skinned varieties with medium-sized oblong tubers; creamy white flesh that is especially delicious boiled or baked). See Week 8 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
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 Sun Golds 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 less satisfactory ones, but still can be used when split), Sakura (bright-red, shiny, medium-large cherry tomato with sweet tomato flavor), or Cherry Mix (may include a colorful variety of Sun Gold, Sungreen, Sakura, Indigo Cherry). See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
WATERMELON (Mini Love): sweet and firm, oval-round fruits avg. 5–7 lb and distinctive, bright green rind with dark green stripes and dense, bright red flesh). See Week 9 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
ZUCCHINI (Golden and/or Green): gourmet golden and green zucchini with uniform, cylindrical fruits. See Week 5 newsletter for usage and storage tips.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. ALREADY PICKED “VERONA” TOMATOES AVAILABLE FOR SALE: We have an abundance of Verona tomatoes ready for harvest and ready for sale THIS WEEK. Veronas are small Roma tomatoes, which are perfect for cutting in half for dehydrating or canning for tomato sauce, and extremely easy to freeze. Bulk orders available for pick up at the Farm Friday (maybe some on Wed. too) and the Sat. Ann Arbor and Sat. Chelsea Farmers Market for $4/lb. It is extremely easy to freeze all tomatoes, but for cherry tomatoes, just pop the stem off, wash, and plop in freezer bags for excellent tomato soup or other cooked dishes throughout the winter. Please email us your name, phone number, amount needed in lbs, and pick up location ONLY at the Ann Arbor or Chelsea Farmers Markets or the Farm with BULK TOMATOES in your Subject Line.
2. U-PICK RASPBERRY PATCH OPEN EVERY SATURDAY: Our fall raspberry patch is ripening slowly at the Honey Bee U-Pick site. We will be open ONLY on Saturdays at this point from 8 AM-4 PM starting Aug. 12. U-pick is $6/pint and $4/half pint for Already Picked Raspberries. To keep informed go to https://www.tantrefarm.com/tantre-farm-raspberry-u-pick.
3. FAMILY FARM HIKE on FRIDAY, Aug. 25, from 4 – 5 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 14th 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, and pigs. We’ll use all our senses as we take an approx. 45-60 minute hike. Stay tuned for fun KID ACTIVITIES included in this hike! Meet at the picnic tables behind the Main House.
4. HIRED HELP NEEDED: We are looking for additional help for the rest of the summer and into the fall. Some of our summer crew were students and they are heading back to school, so we are short-handed going into the fall. We are looking for part-time and full-time workers who are interested in getting their hands dirty and enjoy healthy, hearty, hard work. We provide home-cooked lunches every day with food from the farm. Room and board are available for full time work, and part time work is available as well for an hourly wage. Please email us or fill out an application from our website at https://www.tantrefarm.com/internships/
5. WEEDING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: If you are interested in helping out–even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes before you pick up your box at the farm, come join us. Please contact us any day of the week or evenings until dark. Thank you!
6. STILL PLENTY OF BOXES AVAILABLE FOR OUR IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA THIS WEEK: Still time to sign up this week for the “Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner” share this week! This collaborative CSA started with several local farms and food businesses. You can opt in or out of this share each week. If you are interested in supplementing your share with more veggies and other locally produced, value-added products or gifting someone else, please go to our website to sign up every Monday – Wednesday night. 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!
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.) –6 PM to 8 PM (No Distribution Coordinator at this time. Please contact Deb @ 734-385-6748 for questions)
*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)
RECIPES
POTATO ARUGULA SALAD (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh to You” website) Serves 4-6
1 1/2 lbs red potatoes cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar or regular vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp of fresh minced basil
1 bunch arugula, rinsed and chopped or torn
2 cloves minced garlic
1 pt of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp salt
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add cubed potatoes and cook until tender, about 12-15 minutes. In a bowl, mix next 5 ingredients until salt dissolves. Whisk in oil until it thickens. Drain potatoes, return to pot. Toss with dressing, tomatoes, and arugula. Serve at room temperature.
ETHIOPIAN CABBAGE DISH (from http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/152937/ethiopian-cabbage-dish) Serves 5
1/2 cup olive oil
4 carrots, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
5 potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the carrots and onion in the hot oil about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric, and cabbage and cook another 15-20 minutes. Add the potatoes; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are soft, 20-30 minutes.
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