Tumbleweed Farm Harvest 18

Howdy folks and welcome to week 18 of your CSA! We hope you all are enjoying the incredibly beautiful Fall weather we've been having recently. Crisp and cool mornings with warm afternoons and chilly evenings. What could be better? Hopefully you all aren't working too hard and get to sneak away from indoor activities to enjoy some fresh air.

Taylor and I feel incredibly lucky to be working out on the farm this time of year. All of the heat, bugs, sweat and tears are totally worth it. The Pacific Northwest sure has its moments and Autumn is a great time of the year to be a farmer out here. 

This week your boxes have a few summer staples making a comeback! Yay for the last of the tomatoes and summer squash! This week we are also introducing a few new items and as we enter into October your boxes will shift significantly into full blown Fall produce. Enjoy those tomatoes while you can!

We hope you all get to relax a bit in the kitchen this week and cook up some of your fresh produce. The recipe of the week is a winner and tastes extra good with a few colds ones. Take care everyone and enjoy these last couple of days of September. Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm!

Week 18 Box

1. Spaghetti Squash -The first of the winter squash varieties we harvested. (see the recipe of the week)
2. Leeks
3. Radishes-remove the greens so they stay crisp longer!
4. Arugula
5. Kale
6. Red Potatoes
7. Heirloom Tomatoes
8. Summer Squash/Zucchini
9. Garlic
10. Hot Peppers- Jalapeños and Serranos

Spaghetti Squash & Kale Fritters with Smokey Cashew Sauce

Fritters:

• 1 spaghetti Squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed (use a sharp knife and steady hand to slice the squash in half!)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 leeks OR 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced 
• 1 1/2 cups kale, roughly chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup oat flour-ground in a food processor or blender from about 3/4 cup of old fashioned rolled oats (can sub all purpose flour if need be)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• neutral oil for frying

Smokey Cashew Sauce:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 30 minutes in water
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika (more or less depending on preference)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper + more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup water + additional to thin if necessary

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the squash slices with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Place cut side down and roast until fork tender. About 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before scraping out the flesh with a fork. Reduce the oven temperature to 200F.
2. While the squash cooks prepare the veggies. Heat the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, jalapeño, and kale. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the kale is slightly wilted adding additional oil if necessary. Remove from the heat and place the cooked veggies in a large bowl. Wipe out the pan and set it aside (you'll be using it again!)
3. Once the squash has cooled use a fork to scrape out the flesh into long strands. Place the scraped squash strands into a dish towel and wring out as much liquid as possible. Place wrung out squash in the bowl with the cooked veggies. Add the eggs, flour, salt and spices. Mix until well combined. 
4. Place the cornmeal in a shallow dish and using your hands form the squash/veggie mixture into small uniform patties (about 1/4 inch thick) Carefully dip each side of the patty in the cornmeal. (The patties may be a bit fragile at this point but they'll be sturdy once they're fried up!)
5. Heat about 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches add the squash patties in a single layer and fry until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. 
6. Keep the cooked fritters warm in a 200F oven until ready to serve.
7. Prepare the cashew sauce by draining the soaked cashews and running them under cold water. Place the cashews along with the rest of the sauce ingredients into a high speed blender and blend on the highest setting until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary. Add additional water-1 Tablespoon at a time- until you reach the right consistency. 
8. Serve fritters with the smokey cashew sauce and enjoy! 

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. 

Arugula Peso

Eggplant & Tahini Falafel With Tzatziki Sauce

Carrot & Broccoli Salad with Ginger-Miso Sauce 

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.