Tumbleweed Farm Harvest 9

Welcome to week 9 of your CSA! We hope you're hungry for another round of farm fresh goodies this week. We've been blessed with some really amazing cool weather (unfortunately no rain though). The temps will increase later this week so we're going to enjoy this break while it lasts!

Anyhow, we're looking forward to clinking glasses with folks at Migration later today. If you have an extra few minutes definitely stay for a beer!

This week we're sharing a really simple farm fresh pasta dish as the recipe of the week but I've linked a lot of recipes from Dishing up the Dirt to help inspire cooking with some of the other veggies. Have a great week everyone!

HARVEST 9

  1. CARROTS-Remember to remove the tops right away to prevent the carrots from getting soft.
  2. BEETS-Remove the tops from these guys too
  3. KOHLRABI
  4. MELONS
  5. PEPPERS
  6. BEANS
  7. CHERRY TOMATOES
  8. ZUCCHINI/SUMMER SQUASH 
  9. GARLIC-German White is the variety this week
  10. CUCUMBERS
  11. BASIL

Tumbleweed Farm Summer Pasta

  • 1 (8oz) package spaghetti
  • 1 medium-sized zucchini, julienned 
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup basil, coarsely chopped
  • salt + pepper to taste
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. 
  2. While the pasta cooks use a julienne peeler, or (regular peeler) to peel the zucchini into thin strips (think pasta size strips!)
  3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often until the garlic is fragrant and slightly soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and add the 1/2 cup of wine. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until the tomatoes burst open and release some of their juices. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.
  4. In a large serving bowl toss the cooked spaghetti with the zucchini, tomatoes, basil and top with a few healthy pinches of parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve warm.

BELOW ARE A FEW RECIPE LINKS TO HELP USE UP SOME OF YOUR VEGGIES. ENJOY!

Tumbleweed Farm Harvest 8

Summer has officially arrived at Tumbleweed! Tomatoes, basil, squash, peppers, carrots oh my! We hope you're hungry for some more delicious farm fresh goodness this week.

The temperature has climbed back up to the 90's this week but for some reason it doesn't feel nearly as bad as it did a few weeks back. I think we're just getting used to the heat and toughening up a bit! The good news is that most of the crops are surviving the extreme temperatures pretty darn well and we're very pleased with this weeks harvest. 

Below you'll see a few links to recipes on Dishing up the Dirt for some of your produce but the recipe of the week is highlighting the delicious carrots. We couldn't resist throwing them on the grill after a really hot day in the field and MAN grilled carrots are the bomb! We hope you all try the recipe this week. If you do, let us know how you like it!

Alright, we hope this week you all are able to relax a bit and enjoy some good food, great company and a few cold ones. Don't forget to mark you calendars for Sunday, August 16th. The second annual Rock the Harvest party at Tumbleweed is going to be a blast and we hope you all can make it!

Cheers from Tumbleweed!

WEEK 8 BOX

  1. Carrots-see recipe below NOTE-Remove the greens right away to prevent your carrots from getting soft!
  2. Garlic-this week's variety is Chesnok Red
  3. Sweet Peppers
  4. Tomatoes-half of you got cherry tomatoes and the other half got full size tomatoes. 
  5. Summer Squash/Zucchini 
  6. Cucumbers-we grow a few different types of cucumbers.  Some look pretty traditional, some look pretty strange!  
  7. Baby Cabbage
  8. Lettuce
  9. Basil
  10. Radishes-Remove the greens right away to prevent your radishes from getting soft!

To use up your tomatoes and basil try this Roasted Chickpea & Tomato Salad

To use up your zucchini/summer squash and radishes try this Zucchini & Quinoa Salad with Fresh Herbs

To use up your cucumbers try this Cool as a Cucumber Chickpea Salad With Tahini Dressing 

GRILLED CARROT & WALNUT SALAD WITH CARROT TOP PESTO

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3/4 cup of quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
  • 1 bunch of carrots with greens
  • 3/4 cup walnuts
  • 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • salt + pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts or almonds
  • 3/4 cup packed basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt + pepper to taste
  1. In a saucepan combine the quinoa with 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until the quinoa absorbs the liquid and can easily be fluffed with a fork. About 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Trim carrot tops leaving some stem attached. Toss the carrots with 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. If any of the carrots are extra large slice them in half lengthwise. Place the carrots directly on the grill and cook until lightly charred and tender. About 10-12 minutes. Flip the carrots once or twice while grilling. 
  3. In a small dry skillet over medium-high heat lightly toast the walnuts for 2-4 minutes. Shake the pan a few times while toasting. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a food processor add the garlic and pine nuts. Pulse until finely chopped. Add about 3/4 cup of carrot greens, basil and parmesan cheese. With the motor running slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. Toss the quinoa with half of the pesto. Divide among plates and top with a few grilled carrots, toasted walnuts, a dollop of more pesto and a healthy sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a glass of your favorite white wine and enjoy! 

 

 

Tumbleweed Farm Harvest 7

Howdy folks and welcome to week seven of your Tumbleweed Farm CSA. We hope you all have been enjoying the cooler weather that has finally come our way!! Man, it was brutal there for a while! 

Anyhow, this week your box is a lovely combination of colors, flavors and textures. The morning harvest was really enjoyable because it involved bunching a ton of fresh basil which is always a delight. The basil is taking off and will definitely overlap with tomatoes which are coming up quickly.  Be on the lookout for those gems in the next week or so! I think bruschetta will be on the menu soon.

This week your boxes contain a bag of pickling cucumbers which can be eaten without being pickled but their skins are quite bitter so if you don't end up picking them I'd suggesting peeling them. I've linked a quick pickle recipe for you that is easy to prepare and is a great use of the pickling cucumbers so let us know if you give it a whirl!

Speaking of cucumbers, we grow a few different varieties of slicers and some of you received the striped Armenian variety which is long and curly. Others received the traditional slicer. They all taste similar and can be eaten straight up!

Also, if you haven't marked your calendars yet, please do so soon! Sunday, August 16th from 3-7 PM we're hosting our second annual Rock The Harvest concert. Bring a picnic dinner and we'll supply the beer, wine and non-alcoholic refreshments. It was a total blast last year and we're looking forward to doing it again. It's a great way for you all to come see where your food has been grown and clink glasses while listening to some great music.

We hope you enjoy your week seven harvest and the recipe of the week suggestion. Cheers from Tumbleweed!

week 7 harvest box

  1. Kale
  2. Summer Squash/Zucchini
  3. Garlic-the variety this week is Xian
  4. Scallions
  5. Rainbow beets
  6. Pickling cucumbers- Try this recipe from Food & Wine for quick pickles 
  7. Dill
  8. Slicing Cucumbers
  9. Basil

Roasted Beet & Chickpea Tacos with Herb Tahini Sauce 

Tacos:

  • 3 medium sized beets, washed and sliced into 1/2 inch chunks
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 4 scallions, minced
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups of cooked chickpeas, if from the can rinsed and drained, and patted dry
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt + pepper to taste
  •  corn or flour tortillas for serving, lightly warmed in the oven if desired 

For the sauce:

  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 scallion, diced
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2  cup basil, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup dill, finely chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
  • salt + pepper to taste

Garnishes:

  • micro greens
  • chopped dill and basil

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the chopped beets with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and cover the baking sheet with foil. Place in the oven and roast until tender. About 15 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through cooking. Beets are done when they are can be easily pierced with a fork. 
  2. Heat a dry skillet over medium-high. Place the pine nuts in the skillet and toast until lightly browned on all sides. About 2-3 minutes. Shake the pan often and don't walk away! Burnt pine nuts are expensive!
  3. Heat the remaining olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped scallions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant. About 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are lightly browned. About 5-7 minutes. Mix in the cooked beets and stir everything together. Season with salt and pepper
  4. Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients and whisking until smooth and creamy. This works best with an immersion blender or small food processor. Taste test and adjust seasonings as needed. 
  5. Divide the beets and chickpeas between tortillas (preferably warmed in the oven for a few minutes) sprinkle with pine nuts, drizzle with sauce, and garnish with micro greens, minced dill and basil if desired.