Howdy folks, and welcome to week two of your Tumbleweed Farm harvest!

Before I get to the newsletter I wanted to invite anyone who’s interested in joining us at the farm on Thursday evening for a crop talk. We’ll tour our farm and have a change to answer any questions from the public. This is being put on my Gorge Grown Food Network but I wanted to pass it along to our CSA members as well. It’s potluck style so bring a side dish or snack (or just come for the tour and bail before food!) Whatever you fancy! The tour starts at 5:30 at the farm.

Alrighty, this week is ALL about the greens. This is the time of year when the fields really start showing off, and that means your boxes are overflowing with all the leafy goodness. We know it can feel a little overwhelming at first, especially if you’re staring into the fridge wondering how on earth you’re going to make it through mountains of greens before next week’s pickup. But trust us — once you find your rhythm, it gets a whole lot easier (and tastier).

One of our favorite tricks is doing a little veggie prep right when you get home. We like to chop and wash greens right away, then store them in glass or stainless steel containers stacked neatly in the fridge. Having everything prepped and ready makes it so much easier to toss greens into scrambled eggs, soups, stir fries, grain bowls, smoothies, pasta dishes, or quick sautés throughout the week.

For root veggies like radishes, turnips, or beets, we recommend separating the roots from the greens before storing them. Keeping them attached can cause the roots to soften faster because the greens continue pulling moisture away. We store the greens and roots separately in the fridge, and it really helps everything stay fresher longer. It takes a few extra minutes up front, but future-you will be grateful during a busy weeknight dinner scramble.

This week’s haul is absolutely jam-packed with nutrition, vibrant flavors, and the kind of fresh food that reminds us why we love this season so much. The fields are thriving right now, and we’re excited to share the abundance with you. We hope the recipes below help inspire you to cook your way through the box and maybe even try something new along the way.

One recipe we’re especially excited about right now is the Coconut Braised Collard Greens. It’s rich, cozy, flavorful, and quickly became a new farm favorite around here. If collards aren’t usually your thing, give this one a whirl — it just might convert you.

As always, thank you for trusting us to grow your food this season. We’re working our butts off to make this a beautiful, abundant season for our CSA community, and we’re so dang grateful to have you along for the ride.

Your farmers,
Andrea, Taylor, Pepper, Maize, and the whole Tumbleweed Farm crew

Harvest 2

Spinach— rich in iron, potassium, vitamins C & E, and magnesium. Spinach can also aid in digestion and has anticancer properties. Eat this veggie up!!
Collard Greens—not only are they high in vitamin K they are also a good source of cancer fighting compounds. They are rich in glucosinolates which is a sulfur-containing compound which is thought to help stop cancer process at different stages of development. Pretty rad!
Bok Choy— Full of anti-cancer properties such as Vitamins C & E, beta carotene, and selenium which is thought to slow the growth rate of tumors.
Head Lettuce — A rich source of vitamins A, K and folate. Contains anti-inflamatory properties.
Green Garlic- the list is too long!! It’s anti-fungal, anti- inflammatory, boosts immune health, and is full of antioxidants!
Lettuce Mix—A rich source of vitamins A, K and folate. Contains anti-inflamatory properties.
Beets—rich in folate, manganese and copper. Copper is very important as it helps make red blood cells and helps keep your immune system healthy.