Tantre Farm CSA Newsletter
WEEK 19
Oct. 2-8, 2011
THIS WEEK’S SHARE
We usually try to give you a pretty accurate listing of the produce in your box, but since the newsletter is published before the harvest, sometimes we may substitute some vegetables for others.
GREEN and YELLOW BEANS: You will receive Jade (long, slender, deep green, filet bean) and/or Concador (a smooth, straight, thin, yellow filet bean). See Week 7 newsletter for storage & usage information. **Keep in mind that beans are easy to freeze, if you feel like you’re overrun with them. To freeze: Chop or slice into usable pieces and blanch for 2 minutes, rinse in cold water, drain, dry, then place on cookie trays, and transfer to freezer bags.
BABY BEET GREENS: tender, red stems and leaves to be used like spinach; greens can be substituted for spinach and chard in recipes excellent in a frittata. See Week 5 for storage and usage information.
CARROTS (Chantenay): shorter than other cultivars, but have greater girth with broad shoulders and taper towards a blunt, rounded tip; most commonly diced for use in canned or prepared foods. Greens are delicious in soups and also salads. See Week 9 for storage and usage information.
EGGPLANT: You will receive Nadia (slender, purplish-black, glossy-like, bell-shaped fruit) or Orient Express (long, lavender fruit). See Week 12 for storage & usage information.
KALE (Green Curly): well-ruffled, curly green leaves on green stems; this variety makes a good, roasted “kale chip”. See Week 1 newsletter for storage and usage information.
SWEET ONIONS (Yellow Spanish): a sweet, mild flavored onion with a yellow skin. See Week 8 for storage & usage information
POTATOES (Russian Banana Fingerling): an heirloom potato with small, banana-shaped tubers with yellow skin and light yellow flesh; used by chefs for its delicious flavor and smooth “waxy” texture that doesn’t fall apart when cooked; good baked, boiled, or in salads. See Week 10 for storage & usage information.
RADISHES (Pink Beauty): pink-colored root with mild, spicy flavor. See Week 1 for storage & usage information.
RAPINI (optional): also called “Broccoli Raab” or Rabe or Rape; leafy green with 6 to 9 inch stalks and scattered clusters of tiny broccoli-like buds (some of ours don’t have buds yet, so just the leaf). See Week 17 newsletter for storage & usage information.
BABY LETTUCE MIX: Red and Green Romaine, and other Red/Green Leaf lettuces. See Week 16 for storage and usage information.
U-PICK FLOWERS (only available on the farm): A bouquet per household of up to 15 stems will be part of your share, but whenever possible if you can donate $1 or more that will help to pay for some seed and labor costs. More information about u-pick flowers is in the “Announcements” section.
U-PICK RASPBERRIES (only available on the farm): 1 pint is available as part of your share this week, only if you are able to come out to the farm and pick it yourself. More pints are available for u-pick as well for $3/pint. See u-pick information in the “Announcements”.
SWEET POTATOES (Beauregard): large, edible root related to the morning-glory family that has dark red-orange skin with a vivid orange, moist, sweet flesh; high in vitamins A & C. See Week 18 for storage and usage information.
TATSOI: an Asian green with small, spoon-shaped, thick, dark-green leaves with tangy, sweet flavor.
How to use: commonly eaten raw in salads and in stir-fries/soups
How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag or wrap in a damp towel for up to a week.
WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: A white salad turnip with round, smooth roots that have a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture. See Week 18 for storage and usage information.
WINTER SQUASH/PUMPKINS: You will choose 2 from Delicata (small, oblong, creamy colored with long green stripes, only slightly ribbed; pale yellow, sweet flesh; edible skin; best eaten within 4 months of harvest), Spaghetti (3-5-pounds, pale yellow, oblong, smooth, medium size, only mildly sweet with “spaghetti” (stringy) flesh; bake like squash or boil and fork out the flesh, topping the “spaghetti” flesh with your favorite sauce; mildly sweet), and Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin (medium-sized golden russet color with finely netted skin and flesh is very thick, sweet, sugary, and deep golden in color; makes a delicious, velvety pumpkin pie; good keeper for winter storage). See Week 18 for storage and usage information.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. ENDING SUMMER CSA DATES: The end is drawing near. This is just a reminder that our summer shares are ending in just a few weeks. That means Oct. 12 (Wed.), Oct. 14 (Fri.), and Oct. 15 (Sat.) are the last distribution days.
2. “TASTE OF TANTRÉ” AT ZINGERMAN’S on FOURTH: Join our Tantré Farm crew at Zingerman’s new events space, Zingerman’s on Fourth, on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. for a ZingFeast Dinner featuring Tantré Farm produce. Chef Rodger Bowser will be sculpting our farm’s produce into scrumptious dishes again this year. This is a delicious meal for $50/person or $60 with beer. Call early 734-663-3400 to reserve a space, since this event usually is sold out. Hope to see you there!
3. MEXICAN FIESTA “FARM DINNER” on Sept 29 was unbelievably “filling”! We enjoyed many traditional fillings for our taco bar with two different kinds of salsa, a pot of heirloom “Cherokee Trail of Tears” beans, watermelon fresca, hot cocoa with Tantre Farm milk, and cookies. Thanks to Kim, Misty, Jane (Kim’s mom!), Randy, and Greg for helping lead all the different stations that led to this delicious meal.
4. HARVEST AT THE FARM: Please call ahead if you plan to u-pick or pick up on other days besides Farm Distribution Days (Wed. and Fri.), so we can make sure someone is around to help you. There are also some “already picked” options.
U-pick Broccoli Florets—$0.50/lb. Good time for freezing.
U-pick Raspberries—1 pint free with your share, and $3/pint for additional pints. *Easy to freeze on cookie sheets.
U-pick Fresh Flowers– You may pick 1 bouquet of up to 15 stems per household at no charge as part of your share.
Already-Picked Green, Yellow Filet Beans for $1.50/lb. or U-pick Beans for $1/lb. Good time for canning and freezing!
5. FROZEN LOCAL FRUIT AND VEGGIES SHARES FROM “LOCAVORIOUS” AVAILABLE: Some of you may have limited freezer space or haven’t had time to preserve as much of the harvest as you would like for winter. Tantre Farm member and Locavorious community freezer owner, Rena Basch, wants to let everyone know that Locavorious provides locally grown, delicious, frozen fruits and vegetables in the winter months, and there are still shares available for winter ’11-12. Locavorious members receive 4 deliveries of local frozen fruits and veggies, including Tantre’s Carmen red peppers, green beans, sugar snap peas and squash. Shares are $200. Contact Rena for more information at rena@locavorious.com or 734-276-5945 or visit www.locavorious.com.
6. LUNASA MARKET (www.lunasa.us): An opportunity exists in our area to continue purchasing Michigan products and supporting Michigan producers (including Tantre Farm) all year long! It’s like an online farmers market. During two shopping windows each month, Lunasa members purchase items online from local producers and pick them up at the Lunasa Warehouse (6235 Jackson Road Ann Arbor, Michigan). Shopping windows open on Thursday mornings and close at midnight on Saturdays preceding Market Days on two Tuesdays each month. See the website for specific dates and times. For questions please contact Jane Pacheco (jane@lunasa.us).
7. EXTENDED FALL CSA SHARE AVAILABLE FOR 2011: We are offering an Extended Fall CSA Share again for $90 for 3 weeks from Oct. 16 through Nov. 5. There will not be a distribution in Chelsea on Saturdays though. The other distribution sites and days are the same. If you’re interested in registering you can return your registration form by e-mail, send it in the mail, or put it in the labeled envelope at the distribution sites. Registration and payment due by Oct. 15.
8. THANKSGIVING SHARES! We are offering a distribution in November for you to stock up on vegetables before the holiday or for winter storage for $100. This share will be available for pick up on Nov. 19, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market from 7 A.M. until noon or at Tantré Farm from 2-5 P.M. A $50 deposit can reserve your share, but full payment needed by Nov. 12.
9. INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR CSA IN 2012? Shares will be available for $575 (Farm) and $600 (Ann Arbor or Chelsea) from June through the middle of October. We will be accepting $100 deposits ($25 of that deposit is nonrefundable if you choose to cancel your share) to reserve your share for 2012 starting now until the end of December. Please ask for a registration form at the distribution sites if needed, or it can be sent online and through the mail.
10. PICK UP TIMES & LOCATIONS REMINDER:
Farm on Wed.–10 A.M. to 7 P.M.
Farm on Fri.–2 P.M. to 7 P.M.
Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Wed.)–7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Community High School (Sat.) –7 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Chelsea Farmers’ Market (Sat.)–8 A.M. to 12 P.M.
REFLECTIONS ON THE FARM
By Deb and Richard
Despite the warnings, we didn’t get much frost Saturday night, so the winter squash, pumpkins, and our summer veggies–peppers, tomatoes, green beans, and eggplant have been spared from a quick, overnight demise. Thank you so much for those that arrived on Saturday to pick over a hundred bushels of squash on such short notice. This has been added to many more bushels of already picked squash in the barn, along with several hundred crates of potatoes, onions, and garlic.
Fall is a time of equinox and equilibrium. The days last as long as the nights. The temperatures can be gentler now, less extreme with heat and cold. The long, amber rays of the sun are just glancing the northern hemisphere in a golden tangent that enlarges leafy greens by soaking them with as much warmth and light as they can before the sun lessens for the winter. This is a time for raw or sautéed tender, bug-free, baby greens and a time for crispy, crunchy, sweet roots which are good in a slaw or roasted. The bug cycle is down. The weed cycle is down. We can now focus on the joy of harvesting and laying up storage crops for the winter. We are looking forward to our Extended Fall Share that begins in 2 weeks and a bountiful Thanksgiving Share in November. In the next couple of weeks, we will have fall spinach, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, turnips, celeriac, parsnips, and broccoli. We also will have a winter abundance of root crops, squash, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, and spinach from several hoop houses that are available all winter long, so give us a call if you want to pick up something at the farm. We are looking forward to having many vegetables to overwinter and distribute through Lunasa and also through the Ann Arbor Farmers market through November and maybe into December depending on freezing temperatures.
It has helped a lot to have such an excellent group of dedicated, hardworking, and innovative workers. Over the long, summer season of excessive heat, excessive rain, unseasonable cold, weeds, insect damage, and plant disease, the rainbow of intelligences have shown their light in the fields for many weeks, and in turn creating a rainbow of vegetables for storage and our weekly delight. For those of you who don’t know, we have one more week of our summer share to enjoy!
RECIPES
CARROT TOP SOUP (Local Flavors by Deborah Madison) Serves 4
1 bunch (6 small to medium) carrots, the tops and roots
2 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. white rice
2 large leeks (or green onions), white parts only
2 thyme or lemon thyme sprigs
2 Tbs. chopped dill, parsley, celery leaves or lovage
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 c. vegetable or chicken stock or water
Pull the lacy leaves of the carrot greens off their stems (2 to 3 cups, loosely packed). Wash, then chop finely. Grate the carrots, or finely chop them. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the carrot tops and carrots, rice, leeks, thyme, and dill. Cook for several minutes, turning everything a few times, then season with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and add the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until the rice is cooked, 16 to 18 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and serve.
Back to top