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

GREENS ADVICE for the entire season: Please keep in mind that greens there are a lot greens at this early part of the farm season, so basically, “It’s salad time!” If you’re not sure how best to enjoy your greens, taste it. If it’s too strong-flavored for a salad, then cook it. Greens can be eaten raw in a salad or lightly steamed or sautéed with garlic, green onions, or butter in order to mellow their flavor. They can also be tossed into a dish (such as soup or a smoothie) for an extra nutritional and flavorful boost.

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.

BABY RED ACE BEETS AND GREENS: round, smooth, deep red, small roots with sweet flavor and luscious medium-tall, red-veined green leaves. See recipe at end of newsletter for beet greens.
-How to use: greens can be substituted for spinach and chard in recipes; 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; store greens wrapped in damp cloth in plastic bag for up to 1 week.

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.

KALE (Lacinato): also called Dinosaur Kale, Black Kale, and Tuscano, this dark green kale has noncurled, blistered leaves, and is heavily savoyed.
-How to use: for salads, soups, and light cooking.
-How to store: keep in plastic bag or damp towel in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

KOHLRABI (Green or Purple): a delicious bulbous member of the cabbage family about the size of a golf ball to tennis ball size with greens attached; green or purple skin and crisp, apple-white flesh tubers. Peel the skin off and eating them raw like an apple with a taste similar to a cabbage and broccoli stems.
-How to use: good steamed and then mashed with potatoes, added to soups or stews, added to slaws or salads, or delicious sliced and eaten raw with dip; the greens can be prepared like kale/collards!
-How to store: store in refrigerator for up to a month.

LETTUCE MIX: a bag of dark reds and vibrant greens including Green/Red Oakleaf, Green/Red Romaine; your lettuce was rinsed 1x.
-How to use: raw in salads, sandwiches, or use in soups.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.

RADISHES: You will receive Pink Beauty (pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor) or Purple Bacchus (stunning, purple, round radish with white inner flesh. Very good flavor and not too hot).
-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
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.

SAGE: an herb from an evergreen shrub in the mint family with long, narrow, grayish-green leaves; a musky aroma and a warm and spicy taste. It is used for digestive problems, heartburn, depression, memory loss; used also in smudging negative energy from spaces. For those of you who may receive blossoms, here are some fun things to do with them: https://gardenandhappy.com/sage-flowers/
-How to use: used in making sausages, stews, breads, and teas; enhances meats, vegetables, salads, pickles, and cheese
-How to store: In general, 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.

SUGAR SNAP PEAS: flat-round, edible pod with immature peas inside; often lighter green than shelling pea pod; eat the whole pod!
-How to use: add pea pods to soups, stews, sautes, or stir-fries; blanch or steam for 2-4 minutes only until color is bright green; snap peas can be eaten raw in salads or cooked quickly as in stir-fries
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 4-5 days; if kept too long, their sweet flavor and crisp texture diminishes.

SCALLIONS (also called “Green Onions”): young shoots of red or green onions with long green stalks and milder tasting than large bulb onions; full of great fiber and antioxidants
-How to use: the bulb, flowers, and green leaves are edible; can be cooked, grilled, roasted whole as a vegetable; chopped in salads, soups, and other dishes for flavor.
-How to store: refrigerate in damp towel/plastic bag for 5-7 days.

U-PICK STRAWBERRIES: red, conical fruit with tiny white flowers. We are inviting you to come to our Honey Bee U-pick site (5700 Scio Church Rd.) at the corner of Zeeb and Scio Church Roads in Ann Arbor to pick your own FREE 1 quart as part of your share (and you can pick extra quarts for someone else less able-bodied, if you like) through Sunday, June 18. If you have a physical disability such as an injury or the inability to bend or walk very well, please preorder your 1 quart to pick up for this week’s share at the Honey Bee U-pick, the Farm in Chelsea on Wed. or Friday distributions, the Sat. Washtenaw Food Hub distributions, and at the Wed & Sat AA Farmers Market. Unfortunately we can’t deliver preorders to any other sites due to lack of refrigeration and logistics. Extra quantity for U-pick is $5/lb and Already Picked are $5/pint.
-How to use: excellent in smoothies, juiced, jams, in desserts like pie
-How to store: Do not wash until you are ready to consume them. Place them on a paper towel in a tightly-covered container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: a bunch of white salad turnips with round, smooth roots that have a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture. Both roots (good source of Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium, and delicious raw!) and greens are edible!
-How to use: greens good in salads and soups and can be steamed or sautéed with leeks; roots can be roasted, steamed, or sautéed.
-How to store: remove greens from turnip root and store separately in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 3 days; roots can last up to 1-2 weeks in refrigerator.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. STRAWBERRIES FOR MEMBERS! We are opening again today from 8 AM until 7 PM for strawberry picking for $5/lb at HoneyBee U-pick in Ann Arbor, since the strawberries have recuperated from some heavy picking on Friday and Saturday last week! We will be open 7 days a week unless the weather is bad or the patch needs a rest. We will provide buckets for picking. We will also try to have “already picked” berries there for sale at that location for $5/pint if we get enough staff to pick them. (See above for details of 1 free quart in your share!)

2. FAMILY FARM HIKE on FRIDAY, June 23, from 5-6 PM: Come join us for a guided, monthly, 45-60 minute exploratory walk around Tantre Farm with CSA members, Alisse Portnoy and her daughter, Jessica. Alisse and Jessica are in their fourteenth year of once-a-week, long visits to the farm. A special treat will be to visit with the ducklings, chicks, and a new baby kitten. Meet at the picnic tables behind the Main House.

3. JAPANESE COOKING CLASS on June 28 from 6-8:30 PM: Kori Kanayama is a food lover with a discriminating taste for healthy food, and she applies her culinary creativity to her own delicious dishes. A Japanese native, Kori learned to make traditional dishes for her family and friends. Have fun learning traditional cooking methods using Japanese cooking tools and Tantre seasonal vegetables in small groups! Kori will also demonstrate traditional food presentation and share beautiful cultural expressions of eating.  Please register by email with your NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, and PHONE NUMBER. This will be a “pay what you can” class with a suggested minimum of $10 to help pay for materials and extra ingredients. You may pay ahead with Venmo to @Deb-Lentz or pay with Cash or Check on the day of class. More details to come.

4. NO IMMUNE BOOSTER CSA on JUNE 17 AND JUNE 24, while Ryan is on vacation.

5. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:

*Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)—7 AM to 12 PM

*MOVE Fitness & Wellness Studio (Wed)—8 AM to 9:30 AM

*Farm (Wed.)—10 AM to 7 PM

*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) *New Location just a few doors down with pick up in the front of the store. Please look at our website for details.

Farm (Fri.)—2 PM to 7 PM

*Community High School (Sat.) —7 AM to 12 PM

*Washtenaw Food Hub (Sat.)—9 AM to 12 PM

*Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)—8 AM to 12 PM

*Argus-Packard (Sat) — 9 AM to 3 PM

*RoosRoast-Rosewood (Sat)–9 AM to 11 AM

*HoneyBee U-pick (Sat)–8 AM to 12 PM

RECIPES

AMAZING SAGE BUTTER SAUCE (from https://easysaucerecipes.com/sage-butter-sauce/)
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
4 fresh sage leaves
1 garlic clove, minced

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once it melts and begins to bubble slightly, add garlic and stir for 1 minute. After 1 minute, add chopped sage and continue stirring for an additional 1-2 minutes. Make sure you are constantly stirring and do not step away from the pan. The butter will turn light brown and give off a rich, nutty aroma. As soon as the butter sauce browns, take it off of the heat and serve with pasta, steak, chicken, and more! This easy but flavorful brown butter sauce is ready in 5 minutes.

**NOTES: Rather than melting the whole stick of butter in the pan, cut the butter into pieces first and melt it that way. Make sure to pull the butter from the heat as soon as it starts to brown. It is easy to burn brown butter sauce. Constantly stir once the sauce starts to form solids. Don’t step away from the pan.

BEET GREENS AND HONEY WALNUTS (from Capay Organic Farm CSA “Farm Fresh To You” website) Serves 6
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch beet greens (or kohlrabi greens, turnip greens,), stems removed, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped garlic scapes
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 cup whole, shelled walnuts
1 Tbsp whole butter (maybe use sage butter recipe above!)
2 Tbsp honey

Heat oil in pan and add beet greens. Stir-fry greens over high heat and add garlic, salt and pepper. Lower heat and let greens simmer in own juices for 5 minutes before pouring into a serving dish. Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute before adding walnuts. Shake nuts in butter; add honey and coat before pouring over beet greens.

STRAWBERRY NAPA SALAD (from https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/strawberry-napa-salad-303013)
1 head Napa cabbage
1 quart strawberries, coarsely diced
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons green onions, finely diced
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk or coconut milk

Cut Napa cabbage into bite-sized pieces and place into a large bowl. Add onion, almonds, and strawberries. Mix mayo, red wine vinegar, and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir and add milk, a little at a time, until milk is incorporated. Add dressing to the salad mixture and chill.

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