Tumbleweed Farm Harvest 17

It's the last official day of Summer and we cannot believe we've made it to this point in the season! We love this time of the year and are happily embracing the cooler mornings, warm afternoons and crisp evenings. The farm is still producing a few summer crops but the transition into Fall is happening quickly. With the majority of the winter squash and potatoes out of the ground we've begun to till under huge sections of the farm and are sowing our winter cover crops. The farm is looking more brown and less colorful but this is just how it goes this time of the year. We're looking forward to putting Tumbleweed to bed for a few short months so we can start from scratch next season!

Anyhow, this week your boxes contain quite a few tasty treats with winter radishes making their seasonal debut. If you haven't had the pleasure of eating a winter radish--watermelon, nero tondo (the black radish variety) or daikon radishes you are in for a real treat! Winter radishes are different from regular radishes because they store well for longer periods of time. Remove the greens and keep them in the fridge for 3-4 weeks or even longer. These winter radishes have a nice spicy kick and we love slicing them super thin and spreading a dollop of good quality butter and sea salt for a light snack. They also taste fantastic tossed into pasta, on pizza or shredded raw and added to salads. The long and short, there's no wrong way to eat a radish!

Alright we hope you all enjoy the week 17 bounty. Below the recipe of the week is a few links to other recipes to help inspire you to cook through your boxes. Cheers from Tumbleweed!

Week 17 Box

  1. Winter Radishes (either watermelon radishes or nero tondo-the black radishes)
  2. Eggplant
  3. Arugula
  4. Potatoes
  5. Scallions
  6. Broccoli
  7. Elegance Mix-This is great for braising or tossing into hot pasta. We also love cooking eggs with these greens!
  8. Bell Peppers
  9. Garlic

Tahini-Miso Crostini with Winter Radishes, Sesame Seeds & Sea Salt

  • 3 Tablespoons black sesame seeds
  • 1/8 teaspoon flakey sea salt
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1 Tablespoon mellow white miso
  • 1 clove of minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons water + more to thin if necessary
  • 2 medium-sized winter radishes, very thinly sliced  
  • 4 slices of good quality bread, lightly toasted
  • 2 scallions, minced, white and light green parts only
  1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the black sesame seeds and lightly toast, stirring often until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let slightly cool. Using a mortar and pestle (or the back of a spoon) lightly crush the sesame seeds and sea salt together.
  2. Using an immersion blender or small food processor combine the tahini, miso, garlic, lemon, vinegar, soy sauce and water. Blend until smooth and creamy-you want a thick consistency but smooth enough to spread on toast. Add more, 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the right consistency. Taste test and adjust seasonings if need be.
  3. Spread the tahini-miso sauce over 4 slices of toasted bread and top with a few slices of radishes and sprinkle each piece of toast with minced scallions and a few pinches of the sesame seed/salt mixture. 

 

Tumbleweed Farm Harvest 16

Change is in the air folks! Week 15 has brought cooler temperatures and cloudy skies. It's been a glorious change and has made the beginning our our winter squash harvest a lot more manageable since we're not harvesting thousands of pounds of heavy vegetables in the scorching heat! We have the majority of the winter squash harvested and it's currently curing in the barn along with the onions. Next up is sweet potatoes however, the deer did a lot of damage with our sweet potato crop and we're not sure what the yield will be until we start digging. Fingers crossed!

Anyhow, we hope you all enjoy the cooler temperatures and hopefully spending time in the warmth of your kitchen is on the agenda this week. The recipe of the week is a Kohlrabi & Leek Soup and Taylor and I both agreed it's one of the best soups we've made all year. We've actually whipped it up 3 times now and really hope you all give it a whirl too. Crack open a few cold ones and get cooking! Cheers from Tumbleweed.

WEEK 16 BOX

  1.  2 KOHLRABI-we removed the greens since the aphids we're attacking them!
  2. BEETS
  3. SWISS CHARD
  4. BAGGED LETTUCE
  5. CUCUMBER
  6. SUMMER SQUASH & ZUCCHINI
  7. GARLIC
  8. LEEKS
  9. POTATOES
  10. JALAPEÑO PEPPERS + SERRANO PEPPERS
  11. ANAHEIM PEPPERS 
  12. PARSLEY 
  13. TOMATOES

KOHLRABI & LEEK SOUP

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 cup chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large russet potato, cut into 1/2 inch thick chunks (about 1 cup)
  • 1 large or two small kohlrabi, greens and stems removed and cut into 1/2 inch thick chunks (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup chopped parley 
  • drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to finish 
  1. Heat the olive in a large pot over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, thyme, leeks and onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onions begin to soften and become fragrant. About 5 minutes.
  2. Add the salt, potato, kohlrabi, vegetable broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
  3. Discard the bay leaf and puree the soup in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy. You may need to add the soup in batches.  Taste test and adjust seasonings as needed.
  4. Return to the pan and keep on low heat until ready to serve. Divide between bowls and top with minced parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and additional salt + pepper to taste. Enjoy with crusty bread and a glass of red wine.

 

 

Tumbleweed Farm Harvest 15

Welcome to week 15 of your CSA! We hope you all had a lovely Labor Day weekend and hopefully got to enjoy a few tasty meals too. If your fridge is still full of veggies from last week just throw everything into a skillet with a little butter and salt and caramelize it until it's all cooked down and fragrant. Toss your veggie concoction over pasta for a quick "clean out the fridge" meal. We do this more often than not and it's always delicious!

This past week farm chores have kept us really busy and the harvest list is top notch. We're enjoying the cooler weather and it's amazing how much more energy we have with less heat. It's supposed to warm up a bit again but nothing compared to the extremes from the past few months so we can totally handle it! Thankfully we've made it through the halfway point and hopefully we'll be able to coast along for a while and enjoy the shorter days.

This week's CSA box is full of delicious goodies and we hope you're able to relax a bit in the evenings and enjoy some home cooked meals. After the recipe of the week I have some links to other recipes to help inspire you to cook through the box. Have a great week everyone and enjoy the sunshine! Cheers from Tumbleweed.

WEEK 15 BOX

  1. CARROTS
  2. TURNIPS
  3. GARLIC
  4. SCALLIONS
  5. HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
  6. ARUGULA
  7. BELL PEPPERS
  8. ANAHEIM PEPPERS
  9. JALAPEÑO PEPPERS & SERRANO PEPPERS
  10. EGGPLANT
  11. CUCUMBERS-SLICERS & LEMONS
  12. PARSLEY 

ROASTED EGGPLANT + CHICKPEA PIZZA WITH TAHINI & ZA'ATAR

Tahini Spread

  • 3 1/2 Tablespoons Tahini

  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 clove of garlic, minced

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

  • pinch of salt + pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon honey

Pizza

  • 1 medium-sized eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas (if from the can rinsed, drained and patted dry)
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • pinch of dried oregano
  • salt + pepper
  • 1 bunch of scallions, finely chopped (white and light green parts only)
  • 1 ball of your favorite pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons za'atar 
  • 1/4 cup minced parsley 
  1. Preheat the oven to 450F.
  2. Toss the cubed eggplant and chickpeas with 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil, pinch of dried oregano, salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet and roast until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  3. While veggies cook prepare the tahini sauce by combining all the ingredients together and mixing until thick and creamy. This works best with an immersion blender or small food processor. Taste test and adjust seasonings as need be.
  4. Heat a small skillet over medium heat with the remaining 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil. Stir in the chopped scallions and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remover from the heat and set aside.
  5. Roll out your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Spread the dough with the tahini sauce and layer on the roasted veggies, scallions, cheese and za'atar. Drizzle the whole pizza with a tiny bit more olive oil and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. 
  6. Sprinkle minced parsley over the cooked pizza, slice and serve. 

 

MORE RECIPE IDEAS TO GET YOU THROUGH YOUR BOX