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

APPLE or PEAR: You will receive McIntosh (a small to medium-sized round apple with red and green skin that is thick, tender, and easy to peel; “all-purpose”, suitable both for eating raw and for cooking; used primarily for dessert) OR Bartlett (bell-shaped pear with smooth, green skin and sometimes blushed with red; great raw or baked, boiled, or grilled) OR Anjou (wide, globe pear with pale green skin and creamy white, sweet flesh, and slightly gritty texture; great raw in salads and also good baked, poached, boiled or grilled)
-How to store: keep for several weeks when stored in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer

ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C. See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

GREEN or YELLOW 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). See Week 9 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

BEETS (Red Ace): round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor; you will receive the roots and the greens, which are a great spinach substitute. See Week 7 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

CARROTS: You will receive a mix of Red Dragon (beautiful magenta-purple, smooth, thin skin and broad, Chantenay-type shoulders with orange internal color and yellow core) and Purple Haze (bright purplish-red roots with bright orange interior and a sweet flavor; cooking will cause the color to fade). See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

SWEET CORN (Vision): exceptionally tender, super sweet, yellow ears; great for fresh eating and freezing. 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 available for picking AT TANTRE FARM): We welcome you to the farm to pick your flowers on any day of the week, but please contact us if it will be on other days besides Wednesdays and Fridays, so we can make sure to be around to show you where to go. This week you can pick up to 16 stems per household with up to 3 sunflowers and an unlimited amount of dahlias this week in your bouquet of 16 flowers. 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 the sounds, smells, and colors!

GARLIC: a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, bolstering the immune system. See Week 3 newsletter for usage and storage tips.    

LETTUCE: You will receive any of the following– Romaine (upright, dense heads produce long, uniform hearts with good flavor), Tropicana (a green leaf lettuce with large, bright green heads with thick crumpled leaves; good in salads and sandwiches) OR Ruby Sky (all-season red leaf lettuce with dense, heavy heads; ruffled leaves are intense purple-red at the tips, and green at the inner base). See Week 1 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

SWEET PEPPERS: You will receive 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.

TOMATOES: You will receive any of the following: Tomato Mix (may include a colorful variety of Citrone, Sungreen, Sakura, Indigo Cherry, Clementine, Green Zebra, Verona, and Roma) and HEIRLOOMS –Brandywine (large, heirloom, beefsteak tomato–often over 1 lb–with a deep pink skin and smooth red flesh) See Week 10 newsletter for usage and storage tips.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. SUMMER’S BOUNTY: COOK A JAPANESE FEAST AT TANTRE FARM WITH KORI KANAYAMA on Wed. Sept. 13 from 6 – 9 PM:   Join us at the Tantre Farm kitchen to celebrate the summer’s bounty with a special, Japanese, seasonal menu that Kori Kanayama created. Kori is an inventive cook, who applies traditional Japanese methods to create delicious, nourishing dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. We will cook up a feast of grilled chicken on skewers, super tasty Japanese preparations of familiar vegetables, and a delectable dessert. Come enjoy a special meal for $30 per person to learn, build community, and enjoy feasting on the bounty of the summer through a cultural experience. We are offering a few scholarships at a reduced fee for those who come a bit early for prep support or stay a bit later to help clean up, so please let us know if you are interested in helping. This fee goes to Kori for her time to design and deliver a high quality cooking class with recipes, cooking coaching, and technical and cultural instructions, plus ingredients and materials. Please email us your NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, and any DIETARY RESTRICTIONS with SEPTEMBER COOKING CLASS in your Subject Line to register. You may pay ahead with Venmo to @Deb-Lentz or pay with Cash or Check on the day of class. More details about the menu and what to bring will be coming on Thursday this week, but sign up soon to reserve your spot!

2. U-PICK & ALREADY PICKED TOMATOES AVAILABLE: THIS WEEK we have sauce tomatoes available for those of you interested in u-pick for preserving, whether canning, freezing, or dehydrating.

–U-PICK ROMAS: $1/lb on Wed AND Fri during CSA distribution times. Please schedule the time on other days, so we can show you where to pick and what to do.

–ALREADY PICKED SECONDS: $1.50/lb These tomatoes are pretty ripe and ready for preserving and may require some separating. Please come only on Wed. and Fri. during distribution and pick out tomatoes from the backyard picnic tables or schedule other days by texting Deb at 734-385-6748.

–FRESHLY PICKED: Minimum orders of $35/half bushel for sauce tomatoes in good condition. Can be brought to Saturday Chelsea and Ann Arbor Farmers Markets if ordered by email by Thursday morning with BULK TOMATOES in the subject line.

3. U-PICK RASPBERRY PATCH OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY THIS WEEK: We will be open on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10 from 8 AM-4 PM at HoneyBee Upick, so you will find ripe fall raspberries, extra Tantre produce, Elder Farms eggs, HoneyBee honey, and even a few u-pick flowers (dahlias, sunflowers, strawflowers, globe amaranth) 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 stand with a Payment Box, so you can come all week long to get produce even if our raspberry patch is not open. To keep informed go to https://www.tantrefarm.com/tantre-farm-raspberry-u-pick.

4. ENDING SUMMER CSA DATES: The end is drawing near for our Summer CSA. This is just a reminder that our summer shares are ending in just a few weeks. That means Sept. 27 (Wed.), Sept. 29 (Fri.), and Sept. 30 (Sat.) are the last distribution days for our Summer Shares.

5. EXTENDED FALL CSA REGISTRATION COMING SOON! Some of you have inquired about our Fall CSA’s. Our 4-week Extended Fall CSA will start the week of Oct. 1-7 through the last week of October for $150. Later this week or weekend, you will receive a separate email announcing when registration is open, so you will not miss it. You can always look up general details on our website about each of our CSA programs. Thank you for your patience, while we work out a few more logistics!

6. HIRED HELP NEEDED: We are looking for additional help for the rest of the summer and into the fall. Please email us or fill out an application from our website at https://www.tantrefarm.com/internships/

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)

REFLECTIONS ON THE FARM
by Richard and Deb

 This is a very good time of year to enjoy the song of the cricket. We are coming to the time when the summer and fall begin to overlap. Many summer crops like peppers and tomatoes are overlapping with the autumn winter squash and pumpkins. It’s such a pleasure to savor the gentler light and milder temperatures as we go about our work on the farm. As we feel autumn slip gradually into our days, there are many hungry wasps, bees, and butterflies that are collecting nectar from the late summer blooms drawing our attention to the mysteries of these native insects.

 The crickets call us to come back to the present moment and savor this abundance, this beauty, through the simple ways of singing. “How are we native to this time, to this place?” they sing, and then continue to ask, “How are we learning to live a simpler life?” Can we learn from these insects, our elders, to simplify our own lives? Can we learn from these singing insects to consume less and to take only what we need? Just noticing how these simple creatures spend their day singing and ever present for the feast and celebration of the end of summer and the beginning of autumn transforms our consciousness and draws our attention to the simple work of harvesting and preservation for our friends and families. These insects gather and stockpile for their own community to tide over for the winter, and other creatures gather for their migratory trip to warmer climates. What are we gathering for our community? Is it appropriate? Is it enough? Is it too much? Are we perhaps stealing from future generations through our own compulsions and anxieties?

 As individuals we make choices for ourselves. Perhaps the crickets can awaken each one of us to use less, to want less, and to find a healthy balance in this place and time in our communities without jeopardizing the health and well- being of future generations. May we continue to hear the crickets sing.

RECIPES

SWEET PEPPER SAUCE (from The Victory Garden) Makes around 3 cups
1 1/2 lb sweet red peppers, roasted
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped celery with leaves
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

 Peel the peppers, if desired. Cut into strips. Heat the oil and saute the onions and celery until wilted and golden. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in peppers, tomatoes, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook 5 minutes; uncover and simmer 15-30 minutes or until thickened. The cooking time depends upon the juiciness of the tomatoes. Puree smooth in the blender, food processor, or food mill. Serve with cooked vegetables, eggs, fish, or poultry.

ARUGULA AND GREEN BEAN SALAD (from Bon Appetit, August 2001)
1 large shallot, chopped
1/4 cup walnut oil or olive oil
1 Tbsp Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 lb slender green beans, trimmed
4 oz arugula (about 8 cups)
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, coarsely chopped

Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Cook green beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain. Refresh under cold running water. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Add arugula and half of eggs. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Top with remaining eggs.

THAI CORN BLACK BEAN SALAD (from The Totally Corn Cookbook) Serves 4-6
2 cups cooked corn kernels
1 can (16-oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup celery or celeriac
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 jalapeno chili peppers, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger root
3 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp lime juice
Salt, to taste

 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.

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