In case it hasn't been on your radar, we publish this fabulous staff-favorite-centric post every first Friday of the month! We thought it deserved a highlight since it's one of our long-time favorites and definitely a skim-worthy feature if you're in the market for new ideas and inspiration. Ever wonder what your local farmers do off the fields? Cue: FIRST FRIDAY STAFF PICKS!

We think that our staff is the best in the business (okay, okay, we are a little biased), but the JBG family hails from all over the place and covers the gamut in talents and interests. We love sharing events, adventures, and side projects that inspire and excite our JBG-ers (food-related or not) with the community. Check out the staff-curated list of favorites below!

Brenton: I’m terrible at buying movie tickets in advance, so often go see movies at the Arbor. I love that place! I recently saw Joker and Parasite… this Korean film that I really enjoyed.

I also wanted to give a big shoutout to Yellowbird Hot Sauce. These guys have purchased hundreds (maybe even thousands?) of pounds of our peppers this past summer including habaneros, serranos, and jalapenos. Oh! And some of the ghost peppers we grew, too. Even our carrots have also made their way into the Yellowbird bottles. If you haven’t tried their hot sauce, get ready. It’s addictive, delicious, stuff. It’s the go-to hot sauce in our house, and is great to use in cooking, but is also thick enough to make for a dipping-style hot sauce. When this week’s freezing temperatures signaled an abrupt end (aka death) to our pepper plants, we called Yellowbird up and they happily ordered “the rest” of our red jalapenos. Can you believe it!? When I called George, the owner, he admitted that they had plenty of red jalapenos in inventory, but very happily bought the rest of ours anyway. It’s so incredible to be able to call on partners like this in a pinch, and we’re incredibly grateful for this relationship. And for their hot sauce.

Photo courtesy of Yellow Bird's Instagram.

And if you’re wondering, we loved Yellowbird even before they started to use our peppers in their sauce. This glowing endorsement is real! Try the sauce! Our favorite is the jalapeno.

Okay, I realize I have a lot of picks this month. It’s the weather! I’ve also been kayaking on town lake, or Lady Bird Lake, a lot! This perfect fall weather is all the excuse I need to take out the boats for a little spin. Don’t have any kayaks of your own? No problem.. There are plenty of rental places. If you’ve never kayaked or canoed on Town Lake, you should do it!

Annemarie: A few years ago I joined a trail running group out of curiosity and went from running 2-4 miles casually here and there, to running ultra-marathons (anything over 26.2 miles) in the mountains. This eventually led to my new side gig as a Health Coach focusing on trail running for beginners and fueling with proper nutrition (emphasis on JBG veggies). My goal as a Health Coach is to shine a spotlight on those who are new to running and feel overwhelmed and intimidated by the whole trail running concept because often times the beginning stages (i.e. running your first mile or two) are overlooked but they are just as important and require just as much work to get going. My website is in the making but you can follow along on my Instagram for now.



Ada: I’m pretty stoked for Club Home Made’s upcoming Everything But the Turkey class. This class is just what it sounds like - a Thanksgiving prep class. Come dirty up our kitchen and keep yours clean! This class will take place on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, meaning you’ll be ahead of schedule for your Thanksgiving prep. My partner Becky and I are pretty passionate about Thanksgiving, and we can’t wait to get you prepped to serve a bunch locally-sourced side dishes. You can see the full menu (and buy a ticket) here on our website. Per usual, we’ll be featuring some JBG produce!!



Ada, Continued: Also, Jenny Slate's new standup that just came out on Netflix is pretty funny and weird.

Faith: FKA twigs sophomore album is coming out this month after a four year wait, and I'm verrrrryy excited. She is this generation's Kate Bush in my opinion and an incredible artist. Here's an interview/review about the album.

Andrew: I just released a new cassette tape along with some other folks in my collective, Chill Select.  I’m also hosting a monthly lofi kickback show at the Spokesman. Last but not least, I’ll be in a show happening at Swan Dive on November, 7th. It’s a free show, but you should register here.  



Tim: “Weather.” Ada: “Would you like to say more?” Tim: “I love cold weather. Make sure you note my monotone delivery.” Noted.

Angie: Working at a farm, clothes have become something of a tool to me. They all get used, hard, and need to either be completely indestructible… or completely dispensable. I’ve found the perfect winter jacket that’s only $15 from Sam’s Club, making it dispensable. Unlike an expensive Patagonia jacket, for example, I’m okay with this one getting farm ragged. It’s the coziest thing in the world! Sam’s actually has some pretty legit outdoor clothing. I bought two of these, and suspect I’ll get more for Christmas. Or maybe I’ll just go all-in and ask Santa for one of these (photo on right).



Joyce: Plow Bao. I'm opening up a plant-based dim sum food trailer at Buzzmill’s new location on Shady Lane… and am so excited! We had a soft opening last week and I made hundreds of dumplings for the occasion. We aim to officially open in mid-November… stop by and say hi for all your dim sum and dumpling needs!





Krishna: I loved the post Ada wrote earlier this month about some of my recipes. I hope you enjoy!

Fawn: Fantastic Fungi film at the Wildflower Center next Thursday!

Heydo Potato: I have so much love and excitement about Claire Saffitz in Bon Appetit's YouTube series, Gourmet Makes, that I can't see straight right now. I have been consuming this mastery on the edge of my seat (or couch) nonstop since I discovered it. This angel of cooking recreates snacks and sweets that are ubiquitous in our culture, gourmet-style... think: Doritos, Starburst, Poptarts, Hot Pockets, etc.

She starts the show in the BA test kitchen conversing and tasting the product with fellow BA contributors who you know and love (sup Molly Baz and Brad Leone). She summarizes the taste profile, texture, feel, you name it, and COMES UP WITH A RECIPE JUST FROM HER SMART 'N SEASONED BRAIN (and ample testing). Watch it, she's amazing. Her nonpareil skill has me locked in a Gourmet Makes-binging daze. Isaac and I couldn't take our eyes off of the Poptarts episode . Here's a video a friend sent me that mirrors my sentiment exactly re: Claire from the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen. Rant over. Happy November!

Lena: I love hot dogs, and I love my dog. This halloween my worlds crashed together in a cute, floofy, plush plumperdog. Needless to say, she was the best dressed at the farm on Thursday.



Hector: I'm going to Italy for 15 days, where I'll help with the olive harvest at a farm, hunt for truffles with a cute dog, learn how to cook some Italian dishes with authentic nonas, sunbathe naked under the sun in Cinque Terre and even take a brief detour to watch Godspeed You! Black Emperor in Madrid. You can follow some of my adventures here .