Tumbleweed Farm Harvest 13

Howdy folks and welcome to week 13 of your CSA. It's been another warm week here at the farm but the mornings have managed to stay cool and crisp. We definitely feel fall in the air on these cool mornings and it feels great!

This past week we finished our major fall brassica planting and boy does it feel good to have all of those plants in the ground! We'll continue to sow lettuce, radishes, turnips, and greens throughout the next few weeks but the big plantings for the 2016 season are behind us. Our sprits are quite high at the moment and we feel really good about where we're at in the season. 

This week you have another bountiful box full of summer produce. The recipe of the week will use quite a bit of your veggies and we really hope you enjoy the harvest ratatouille as much as we do. It's delicious and is a true celebration of the season! 

Have a wonderful week everyone.

WEEK 13 BOX

  1. LETTUCE
  2. RADISHES
  3. HOT PEPPERS-2 JALAPEÑOS, 2 SERRANOS, 1 ANAHEIM
  4. HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
  5. CHERRY TOMATOES
  6. GREEN BEANS
  7. GARLIC-POLISH HARDNECK
  8. SCALLIONS
  9. CUCUMBERS
  10. BASIL
  11. EGGPLANT
  12. SUMMER SQUASH/ZUCCHINI

SUMMER HARVEST RATATOUILLE WITH PASTA

  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 bunch of scallions, diced, white and light green parts only
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 medium-small eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 1 small summer squash or zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, some sliced in half others left whole
  • 1 heirloom tomato, coarsely chopped, about 3/4 of a cup worth 
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 8 ounces rigatoni pasta
  • fresh parmesan for serving
  • Salt + pepper for serving
  1. Over medium-low heat add the olive oil to a large skillet with the scallions, garlic and bay leaf. Stir often until the vegetables soften a bit and become fragrant. About 3 minutes.
  2. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally until the eggplant has softened. About 5 minutes. Stir in the summer squash/zucchini, Anaheim pepper, cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomato and salt. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped basil.
  3. While the vegetables simmer for the last 10 minutes bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 5-7 minutes (cooking times will vary depending on your specific pasta so look at the suggested cooking time on the label)
  4. Drain the pasta and add it to the simmering vegetables. Stir well and divide the pasta between plates. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a few pinches of salt + pepper.