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. 

Tumbleweed Farm Harvest 6

Hello everyone and welcome to week 6 of your Tumbleweed Farm CSA! We hope you enjoyed last weeks harvest and are hungry for more farm fresh goodness this week. It's great grilling weather so we hope you're able to kick back this week with a few cold ones and fire up the BBQ!

The temperature continues to climb here which means certain crops (like the lettuce and broccoli) are going to taste a little stronger right now. Strong isn't bad though! It's just the reality of the weather and everything still tastes wonderful (it's just more pungent!) This is actually your last week with broccoli until the fall when it will be tender and sweet once again. The lettuce will continue to make appearances in your boxes all season long (not every week, but often). It looks like the temperature will start to drop a little next week which means future plantings of lettuce will be stoked! Our fingers are crossed for some rain and a nice cool breeze!

This past week on the farm we finished our garlic harvest. Hundreds of pounds of lovely garlic is drying in the barn and getting ready to make it's seasonal debut in your boxes very shortly. We're also noticing some bright colors coming from the tomato patch! We're still a few weeks out from having enough for all of the boxes but we're about 3 weeks early this year with tomatoes and peppers. It's crazy (and kind of scary!)

Anyhow, we hope you all have a great week and get to enjoy some tasty meals with good company. Cheers from Tumbleweed!

Week 6 Box

  1. Lettuce
  2. Broccoli-this taste great on the grill with the kohlrabi (try the recipe of the week from week 4!)
  3. Kohlrabi- See above
  4. Swiss Chard-Try the recipe of the week from week 3 
  5. Parsley
  6. Cilantro
  7. Fennel-See the recipe of the week below
  8. Baby cabbage-great shredded and added to salads or grilled
  9. Summer Squash and Zucchini

Grilled Fennel with Fennel Frond Gremolata 

 

  • 2 fennel bulbs, stems trimmed and 3 Tablespoons of the fronds reserved
  • olive oil
  • 1/4 cup parsley
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving
  • salt + pepper to taste
  1. Oil the grill grates and heat the grill to medium-high.
  2. Slice the fennel bulbs into about 2 inch wedges. Toss the fennel with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook for about 10-15 minutes per side. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your fennel. Fennel is done when all sides are lightly charred and the fennel is tender.
  3. While fennel cooks prepare the gremolata. Finely minced the fennel fronds and parsley. Place them in a bowl and use a microplane to grate the garlic and lemon zest. Toss well to combine.
  4. Serve the grilled fennel with a few hefty pinches of the gremolata, parmesan cheese and salt + pepper to taste. Serve warm

 

 

Tumbleweed Farm Harvest 5

It's been one hell of a hot week here at Tumbleweed Farm! It doesn't look like this heat will be letting up anytime soon so we're just rolling with the punches. Lot's of water for us and the plants.  The heat is definitely not good for the leafy greens but we're still managing to harvest plenty for your boxes. We're crossing our fingers for some rain and cooler temps but I think it's wishful thinking at this point. It doesn't hurt to do a rain dance though!

Summer produce is starting to make it's debut this week and it's always a fun time of the year when your boxes are a clash of spring/summer crops. It will happen again in the fall and we love the variety! 

Most of the vegetables in your box this week taste great thrown onto the grill or eaten raw. I know it's too damn hot to turn on the oven so don't fret!  You can still enjoy the bounty without heating up your kitchen!

Alrighty, that's about all we've got on our end. We're looking forward to our drive into Portland today so we can enjoy the simple pleasure of sitting upright in and air conditioned truck. We're also excited to clink glasses with some of you at Migration Brewing. See you all this afternoon!

WEEK 5 HARVEST LIST

  1. KALE-it's a great week for a big kale salad! If you need inspiration check out Dishing up the Dirt for a ton of kale salad recipes!
  2. Beets- Check out the recipe of the week for a wonderful beet tzatziki dip.
  3. Dill- Check out the recipe below
  4. Broccoli-Try making a curried broccoli and yogurt salad or throw the broccoli right on the grill
  5. Cauliflower-Try this
  6. Snap peas-Eat raw, dip into hummus, or throw on the grill with a little soy sauce
  7. Snow peas-same as above
  8. Scallions- These taste awesome on the grill. Just trim the tops and bottoms, slice in half lengthwise, drizzle with olive oil, salt + pepper and grill!
  9. Summer Squash + Zucchini-Toss on the grill, eat raw in salads, stuff them with other veggies and cheese or simply dip in hummus.
  10. Spicy Mustard Green Mix- Our favorite way to enjoy this spicy mix is to cook it with eggs and make a spicy scramble. It also makes killer pesto for burgers and sandwiches

BEET TZATZIKI

BEET TZ HARVEST 5.jpg

This refreshing dip is so stinking good! We've been making it for years now and every summer, when beets and dill are available at the same time we love whipping up a few batches. I hope you all enjoy this dip as much as we do!

  • 1 pound beets, greens removed (save for another use) and scrubbed clean -about 3 medium-sized beets
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, minced
  • 2 cups plain goat-milk yogurt (or greek style yogurt)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  1. Cut beets in half and place in a saucepan, pour water over the beets to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the beets are fork tender. About 20-25 minutes. Drain and when cool enough to handle grate the beets on the large holes of a grater or use the grater attachment on your food processor.
  2. Combine the grated beets with the yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon juice and salt. Stir and let chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
  3. Enjoy with homemade crackers and a glass of your favorite wine.