If needed, please contact Richard Andres & Deb Lentz at 2510 Hayes Rd. Chelsea, MI 48118 e-mail: tantrefarm@hotmail.com phone: 734-475-4323 website: www.tantrefarm.com.

    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.  The information provided here is also published each week on our website under the NEWSLETTERS tab.
 
    **Also, if you’re having trouble identifying any unfamiliar produce, please look for “Veggie ID” with addi tional information on our website under CSA INFO or under RECIPES. 

THIS WEEK’S SHARE

RED ACE BEETS: round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor and no tops. See Week 4 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

CARROTS (Mokum):  sweet, slender, “pencil carrot” with no tops.  See Week 6 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

EGGPLANT: You will receive Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit), Rosa Biana (an Italian heirloom; round fruit streaked with white and violet), or Orient Express (dark purple Asian type with long, slender, glossy fruits, which are tender, delicately flavored, and quick cooking).  See Week 8 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

KALE: You will receive Red Russian Kale (the stems are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green, purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged) or Green Curly (well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “ kale chip”) or Lacinato Kale (dark green, noncurled, blistered leaves, but heavily savoyed).  See Week 5 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

LEEKS: long, slender, 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.

PEACHES/RED PEARS: Believe it or not, we still have a few trees with peaches/pears, so you will get a few more this week.  Please keep in mind that we do not spray any chemicals on our trees, so some fruit may have a few bug spots, and some of them are quite small this year, because we didn’t have enough time to thin them, but they still are delicious if you let them ripen!  You will receive Red Haven Peaches (an early rosy-orange skinned peach with firm, creamy yellow flesh; mature peaches will continue to ripen after they are picked) AND/OR Red Clapp’s Pears (one of the first fresh-eating pears on the market; very red fruit is sweet, fine-grained with very white flesh and excellent flavor).  See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

CHILI PEPPERS (Shishito):  sweet, mild, slender Japanese chiles about 2- to 4-inches with squarish end.  It is said that 1 in 10 are hot, but we find them to be fairly mild.
-How to use: often roasted or used in stir-fried dishes, with tempura, in salads, or as a pickled condiment
-How to store: for fresh peppers, store in refrigerator; for drying peppers, place string through the stems and hang in cool, dry, well-ventilated spot.

POTATOES: You will receive Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; long storage a nd good tasting; perfect baked, boiled, mashed or fried ) and Red Norland (smooth, red skin and white flesh; great baked, boiled, or roasted).  See Week 7 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

SUMMER SQUASH or ZUCCHINI:  You will receive some variety of Green or Yellow Zucchini (gourmet golden or green zucchini with uniform, cylindrical fruits), Safari (green zucchini with attractive white stripes) , or Zephyr Summer Squash (distinctive, slender fruits are yellow with faint white stripes and light-green blossom ends with a nutty flavor).  See Week 5 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

TOMATOES: You will receive something of the following  varieties: Sun Gold Cherry (exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange cherry tomato; less acidic than the red cherry tomato, so slightly less bland in flavor; popular as a garnish, in salads, or as a cooked side dish that can be sauteed with herbs), a  Cherry Mix (includes  a colorful variety of th e orange Clementine,  red Mountain Magic, and the green Sun Green tomatoes), Cherokee Purple (heirloom, medium-large, flattened globe fruit with color as dusky pink and greenish blush), Brandywine (large, heirloom, beefsteak tomato–often over 1 lb–with a deep pink skin and smooth red flesh; known as one of the best-tasting tomatoes), Geronimo (newer variety but already one of the most widely used beefsteak varieties; fruits are very large, firm, nice red color and good taste), or Big Beef (Large, avg. 10-12 oz., mostly blemish-free, globe-shaped red fruit with full flavor). See Week 9 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

WATERMELON:  You will receive 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), Sorbet Swirl (tasty sweet flesh has beautiful pastel swirls of red and yellow; average 10 pound fruits are round to oval with 8-inches diameter), or New Orchid (sweet, b right orange flesh with sherbet-like taste and skin has dark green contrast stripes; oval round, medium large “icebox” size; similar to “Sunshine” in appearance, but larger).  See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. FAMILY FARM HIKE on FRIDAY, Aug. 20, 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 are in their twelfth year of once-a-week, long visits to the farm. They look forward to sharing some of its treasures and treasure spots with you. We’ll use all our senses and appropriate social distancing as we take an approx. 45-60 minute hike. Please feel free to wear a mask if it makes you more comfortable, but not required.  Meet at the picnic tables behind the Main House.

2. PLANT WALK ON  SUNDAY, Aug. 22, from 12-2 PM:  We are hosting a leisurely plant walk at Tantre Farm for our local foraging expert, Rachel Mifsud from “Will Forage For Food”. Plant walks are excellent learning opportunities for those with beginning to intermediate foraging skills, and for anyone wishing to increase their knowledge of the local flora. Our discussion will include information about identification, methods of harvest, preparation, and use. We will explore the area and choose around 15 edible, medicinal, or otherwise useful plants and mushrooms to focus on. 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/

3. WEEDING VOLUNTEERS MUCH NEEDED:  We really have a lot of weeds right now, so we have many weeds to pull!  If you are interested in helping out please contact us any day of the week or evenings until dark. Thank you if you are able to help!

4. WANTED: HERB WEEDERS!!   Do you like the a roma or flavor of rosemary or mint?  Is there anyone interested in helping us weed a few of the herbs that are getting overrun with invasives.   We will give you a free bunch just for helping, so please contact us.

5. U-PICK RASPBERRY PATCH OPEN AGAIN THIS WEEKEND:  Our August and September berries are still just trickling in at the Honey Bee U-Pick site (5700 Scio Church Rd., Ann Arbor), and will continue into August and September with different varieties.  We are selling them for $4/pint when you pick and $6/pint if we pick.  Our patch will not open this week on Wednesday, but it will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM-5 PM.  Please keep in mind this is not time yet for preserving, but rather enjoying being outside to get a fresh pint or two of raspberries, since picking is minimal.  To keep informed go to https://www.tantrefarm.com/tantre-farm-raspberry-u-pick.  We will keep you informed as the fall raspberries start ripe ning again!

6. IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA THIS WEEK:  Please feel free also to sign up for our weekly, collaborative CSA share if you would like to supplement your box or give it as a gift. This  menu is updated  on our website every Monday – Wednesday http://www.tantrefarm.com/how-does-our-immune-booster-csa-work/.  Still time to sign up this week until midnight!

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 10 AM (SARA there the whole time)
*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there with some self check-in)
*Washtenaw Food Hub (Wed.) –6 PM to 8 PM (LIZZIE will be  there the whole time)
*Pure Pastures (Wed.) —10 AM to 5 PM (JESSICA there from 9 AM – 11 AM)
*Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM (TANTRE STAFF there with some self check-in)
*CHANGE:  Community High School is now 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 (DEB and staff there the whole time)
*Argus-Packard (Sat) —12 PM to 3 PM (ARGUS STAFF there the whole time)
*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM  to 11 AM (DEBRA is there the whole time)

RECIPES

LEEK SALAD  Serves 4
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced thinly crosswise
2 ripe slicer or heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped basil for garnish

    Whisk together lemon and oil with a healthy pinch of salt and several grindings of pepper.  Toss with leeks.  Core large tomatoes, cut them in half horizontally, and shake out their seeds, squeezing gently.  Chop.  Combine all ingredients to taste. Garnish and serve.

COLD CREAM OF TOMATO AND PEACH SOUP
1 onion (or 1 leek), chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 lbs tomatoes, chopped
1/2 lb (1-3 little) peaches, chopped and peeled
1/2 cup cream (optional)
Tarragon for garnishing
    Cook onion in butter for 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes and peaches.  Simmer until the tomatoes break up.  Add cream (optional, but good), puree and chill.  Garnish with chopped tarragon.

THAI-STYLE POTATO-LEEK SOUP WITH CARROTS
1 qt potatoes, boiled then mashed (reserve 2 qts potato-water for soup stock)
2 leeks, washed and sliced in 1/4-inch diagonal rounds
2-3 carrots, washed and sliced small
1/2 cup ground/chopped peanuts (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Tamari, to taste
1/2 cup liquid sweetener: honey, barley malt, brown rice syrup, molasses if you’re really hard-core
2 cans coconut milk
Dash cayenne and/or 1-2 fresh hot peppers, seeded and minced
1/4 cup sesame oil
Basil or fresh cilantro (optional)

    In bottom of big soup pot, heat oil.  Saute carrots until soft, add leeks, peanuts, and fresh peppers, saute briefly.  Add coconut milk first, then mashed potatoes, sweetener, seasonings, stir until well blended.  Gradually stir in water until desired consistency is reached. Add sweetener, sea salt, tamari, or hot pepper to taste.  Simmer 10 minutes, garnish with basil or cilantro.

SAUTEED SHISHITO PEPPERS
1/2 lb shishito peppers or substitute with padrons, rinsed
1 Tbsp vegetable or sesame oil
Sea salt or coarse salt, to taste

   In a large, wide frying pan or saute pan, heat the oil over high heat for a minute or two.  Add the peppers and saute until the peppers begin to soften and cook around the edges (about 3-5 minutes).  You want a few “burnt” or darkened spots here and there.  Season with salt. Stir the peppers, so that they cook evenly.  When the peppers have wilted, remove from heat and serve.