by Megan Winfrey

There's almost nothing better than a one-pan-dinner. We're all living hectic lives, and the last thing we need is more dishes to do. I'd say at least four nights a week are one-pan-dinner nights at our house, and I am so OK with that. Minimal ingredients, minimal clean-up, big flavor and nutrients. Can't beat that.

Red Wine Risotto with Cherry Tomatoes & Broccoli

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked arborio rice
• 1 cup good red wine
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• salt and pepper

In a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute or until the rice is glossy and beginning to toast. Stir in the wine and cook until it is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes before serving. Top with grated parmesan cheese, and enjoy! This recipe makes great leftovers.

Tomato sorting time is here! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Week 22 was another rainy one for the books. But the team is pushing through the mud to get those summer veggies out of the fields and into your kitchens! Cherry and Juliet tomatoes are picking up in the fields, and we're booming with cucumbers, zucchini and farm-fresh sunflowers. Enjoy these images of the farm through the lens of Scott David Gordon.

Psst - want to work on an organic farm? We're hiring! For loads of great positions! Check out our Jobs Page to learn more and to apply.

We're harvesting these beauties despite the rain! Photo by Scott David Gordon

More storms on the horizon.. Photo by Scott David Gordon

But the farm is lush with greenery right now. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We saw some eggplant, including this colorful Graffiti variety, starting to come in this week. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Making progress on part of a new greenhouse. Photo by Scott David Gordon

A hard working honeybee on one of our sunflowers. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Zinnias are blooming! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

The team at the SFC Downtown Market last weekend. Photo by Scott David Gordon

A customer picks out a bunch of golden beets. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Restocking veggies! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Have you tried our carrots this year? Photo by Scott David Gordon

Cabbage in all these beautiful colors won't be around for long - take advantage while you can! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Happy 4th Anniversary to our super sales manager, Michael Mosley!!! Better known as Mike Mo around the farm, this week marks four full years that he has been working with JBG. How he has put up with all of us for so long, we will never understand, but the farm would be a completely different place without him, so we are sooo happy to have him as a part of the team. Farm community - meet Mike!

Where did you grow up and how did you get to Austin?

I grew up in Hollandale, Mississippi. It's a real small town surrounded by cotton fields. Everyone in my family has always cooked a lot - good southern cooking, fried foods, veggies. I never thought about working in agriculture growing up, though.

I moved to DC for college and started working in hospitality/restaurants after that. My interest in the restaurant industry led me to move out to San Francisco for a while, then eventually back home to Mississippi. My wife and I quickly realized we weren't going to stick around at home for too long, and since she had lived in Austin previously and we had lots of friends here, we packed up and came to Texas.

What brought you to JBG?

When we came back to Austin, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and a really awesome job counselor was the one who put me on this track. He basically asked me to sit down and tell him my life story, and noticed that I kept referring to food - my grandma's garden, my families cookouts, my experience working in restaurants. He asked if I'd ever looking into sustainable agriculture or farming, and I told him I hadn't. But it sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a try.

So after that, I applied to be on the JBG tomato crew, and the rest is history.

What roles have you held at the farm, and what do you do in your current role?

Well, I didn't end up getting the tomato crew position, but JBG asked if I would be interested in working on the CSA packing line. I've also worked on the wholesale crew (back when we would pack orders as soon as they were called in - things have certainly changed around here), as a restaurant delivery driver, and then created the restaurant sales manager position at the farm.

My job now as restaurant manager is basically to communicate between the farm and our loca chefs and caterers, to let them know what we currently can harvest as well as what's coming up from the farm. We always strive to get our customers the freshest product possible, and I order produce from the field to be harvested, packed and delivered around town within 24 hours or being ordered.

Mike Mo is a human GPS! He coordinates all of our wholesale routes, and knows pretty much every shortcut, side-road, back alley and delivery entrance around town to get our orders delivered in a super timely fashion. He's also the JBG team member who worked closest with AISD for our farm-to-school initiative earlier this year.

What's been the biggest change you've seen over the years in Austin's food scene?

I've spent close to 3 years in my current role at the farm. It's shocking the number of new restaurants that have come to Austin in the past few years. I've really enjoyed seeing Austin cuisine evolve - it has certainly been elevated to new levels, with lots of really impressive high end food in our city. I think that customers have played a big role in shifting the market towards a local food economy, and our restaurants have really responded to the demand for locally sourced menus.

Reverse seared ribeye from Mike Mo's kitchen.. yum!

Best meal you've eaten out this year?

I had an absolutely outstanding meal at Gardner - we tried to eat a little bit of everything and it was all so great, a really wonderfully thought out meal. While I can't remember every dish we tried, a huge standout favorite were their roasted JBG carrots cooked in soy milk, topped with golden raisins. The dish seemed so simple when you read it, but so incredibly good. I was sorry to see Gardner go, but Chicon is also really great and I've had a number of great meals there too!

I'd also have to give a special shoutout to the steak at Dai Due. It was perfect - prepared so minimally and really highlighted the incredible meat they source.

Tell us about what you're cooking at home.

A lot of cooking and experimentation goes on in my kitchen. We cook a lot of Asian dishes at my house, as well as a good mix of Southern and Cajun cuisine.

I've been learning more about how to barbecue at home - even though it's worlds better to buy from the masters, it's an interesting and fun way to cook. You are simultaneously trying to flavor and cook the meat with smoke, and there are so many nuances to it. Luckily, even when you "mess up," the result is still pretty good to eat.

This summer I'm going to try my hand at another home fermented sriracha and sambal. I used red serranos last year, and it was a little much. Definitely tasty, but way too hot for most people. I'm going to go with red jalapeños instead this year.



Favorite and least favorite veggies?

Tomatoes are my favorite. They are just so versatile and just scream of summer. My least favorite is daikon radish - I just cant get into the flavor, it doesn't do it for me.

If you were stuck on a desert island and could bring 3 things along, what would you choose?

1. A cell phone? Would it work?
2. A water purification system
3. A knife.

How very practical of you, Mike.

Mike and a team of folks from AISD for the launch of Farm Fresh Fridays.

Staff Survey: If Mike Mo were a veggie, which one would he be? Why?

Daniel: Dandelion greens - he's everywhere on the farm! And while he flies under the radar most of the time, when you pay attention you realize how great Mike really is for us!! (side note: Mike Mo does not like Dandelion Greens. But his rabbit, Glenn, loves em.)

Ada: Okra! Mike is a good southern gentleman (and a great southern cook!!), and what better vegetable to represent the south?

Nellie: A tomato - each one is colorful and unique, and tomatoes certainly make almost everyone happy. Mike Mo is a great sales manager and does whatever it takes to make our customers happy too!

You can follow along on Mike's culinary adventures on Instagram @veggiemonger. Be sure to have something to eat nearby - it'll definitely make you hungry! Happy 4 years at JBG, Mike Mo - we couldn't imagine this place without you.

CSA Box Contents Week of June 6th

CSA Box Contents Week of June 6th

Medium Box
Beet, Red
Carrot, Orange
Cucumber, Slicing
Eggplant , Black
Greens, Dandelion
Herb, Spearmint
Onion, Yellow
Potato, Red
Squash, Acorn
Squash, Zucchini

by Megan Winfrey

Our CSA boxes are looking a little different lately, and that is because summer produce has officially arrived! I get so excited at the turn of each season to become re-acquainted with the flavors I've been missing. One of my favorite things to do with summer produce is to make pickles and experiment with different vinegars, ratios, spices, and vegetables. This is my absolute favorite quick pickle recipe because all of the ingredients are pantry staples and it is extremely well balanced and simple. Use these tasty morsels in salads, pastas, wraps, sandwiches, on popcorn, with cheese, or straight up. There are a million possibilities and I intend to discover as many as I can!

Quick Pickled Peppers

• 3 purple bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 3 banana peppers, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1 tbs. honey
• 1/2 tsp. salt

I just made an 8 oz. jar of these pickles for immediate use, so this recipe is for that size only. Simply double or triple the quantities for a larger batch.

First, prepare the peppers by de-seeding and de-ribbing them as best you can. For spicier peppers, I recommend wearing latex gloves. Thinly slice them and pack them into your jar along with the smashed garlic cloves. Leave 1" of room at the top of the jar.

Put the vinegar, water, honey, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Don't let it get quite to a boil. Remove from the heat and carefully pour over the peppers to cover. Tamp down the peppers to release any air bubbles, then let cool until room temperature. Screw the lid on and refrigerate until ready to use! Most peppers will be ready to eat in an hour or two, but can stay in the refrigerator for a week. Since we didn't properly seal the jar, these should go straight into the fridge and be eaten in a timely manner!



I decided to use my quick pickled peppers in my weekly pasta salad. I also utilized the leftover brine for the vinaigrette! Just add oil and shake well.

 

A diverse and colorful summer squash harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Dry weather! Sunshine! Finally! This week, we hustled to take on more projects than there are hours in the day to take advantage of the break from the wet weather we've been experiencing. The farm crew has been all over the place and we can't thank them enough for their dedication! Thanks to Scott David Gordon for these images from the farm, as well as from last weekend's farmer's market at Lakeline. Enjoy!

A very full Colorado River after loads of rain in May. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Yellow straightneck squash on the vine. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Pattypan squash - they sure do look like UFOs! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Pick up some of our certified organic sunflowers this weekend at markets! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Colorful June spread. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Zinnias and sunflowers will be at all of our markets this weekend! Photo by Scott David Gordon

A busy Lakeline Market. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

A young market customer with a sunny find. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our Lakeline Market Staff last weekend! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Finally, a little bit of sunshine at the farm! This week was a big shift in the decidedly-PNW weather that central Texas has been experiencing, and we were grateful for the change in pace it provided us. Harvests all week have been noticeably less muddy, we can actually get our trucks around the farm, and this heat is finally putting some color on our early tomatoes!

Lots of crops are on the upswing with the better weather. Our zucchini and cucumbers have seriously taken off. If you're stopping by markets this weekend, be sure to grab a big load of these to help us move through our harvest - time to bust our your best pickles and zucchini bread recipes! We'll have an abundance of Juliet tomatoes as well - these plum-style tomatoes are sold by the pint and are absolutely delicious in salads, on pizza, roasted - pretty much any way you can dream up to use em, they'll really shine.

Time to bust our your Ball jars and juicers! Photo by Scott David Gordon

The Annual Tomato Sale is currently delayed until we have a little more tomato variety to offer, but in the meantime, we've got a really special box to bring you that we hope you'll enjoy. The cooler temperatures have extended our harvest on greens like kale and collards and herbs like mint and parsley, right up to our first big cucumber harvest. What better combination of ingredients for a nice big glass of nourishing green juice? We are offering a JBG Juice Box, available for a short time only, to share this abundant season with you. The Juice Box is available for pickup at this weekend's markets (order by 2pm today to ensure you get one!). It will contain juicy quantities of cucumbers, greens, herbs, and juicing roots like our sweet carrots and beets! You can order yours here.

Out in the fields, we are as busy as we can be trying to take advantage of the drier week. We've been out seeding more sunflowers, prepping as many beds as we can for transplanting (because who knows when the next rain will hit), and even though it sounds crazy, starting some of our longer-germinating crops for Fall in our shaded greenhouse structure - parsley and a round of peppers for late summer planting. The projects seem never ending with the sunshine - get the new greenhouse up, fix the trucks, clean-up projects everywhere! We hope you don't mind a slightly shorter newsletter this week while everyone at the farm enjoys this heat and makes hay while the sun shines, as the saying goes. We'll see you at markets this weekend!

Progress on our rebuilding efforts! Photo by Scott David Gordon

CSA Box Contents Week of June 13th

CSA Box Contents Week of June 13th

Medium Box
Carrot, Orange
Cucumber, Pickling
Greens, Dandelion
Herb, Spearmint
Leek
Onion, White
Potato, Red
Squash, Spaghetti
Squash, Yellow
Tomato, Juliet

by Megan Winfrey

Nothing says summer in Texas like ripe, juicy Fredericksburg peaches. And what a treat, the crop is early this year! I scooped up a $7 bag from the Vogel Orchard stand off of 290E on my way back to Austin last week, and I could smell them the whole way. It was amazing. There are several orchards to choose from between Stonewall and Fredericksburg, and most of them offer all sorts of delicious peachy treats like ice cream, candies, teas, and preserves. It also just feels good to buy produce right from the farm stand, doesn't it? It feels so authentic and real, and for us city dwellers, it's an extra special experience.

Peach Crisp with Basil & Mint

Filling:

• 8 peaches, thinly sliced
• 2 tbs. white sugar
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 basil leaves, torn
• 8-10 mint leaves, torn

Crisp:

• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 tbs. cold butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 400ºF

Prepare the filling by mixing all of the ingredients directly in your 9x13 baking dish. Spread the filling out evenly.

Next, combine all of the ingredients for the crisp in a bowl and work together with your fingers until a crumbly texture forms. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the peaches, transfer to the oven, and back for 25-30 minutes or until the topping is beginning to brown and the peaches are bubbling. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

You may have seen our rave review of Laura Dunn's touching documentary, The Seer: A Portrait of Wendell Barry after Laura invited Austin-area farmers to the film's premiere during SXSW this year. Well, we are so excited to announce that we're teaming up with Laura, Alamo Drafthouse, and the Sustainable Food Center to host our very own screening of The Seer on July 9th! We hope you and your family will join us on Saturday, July 9th at our Garfield Farm. Tickets will be available very soon through the Alamo Drafthouse page.

Whether you're Wendell Berry's biggest admirer or have never heard of the man, The Seer will change the way you eat, consume, and care about your local area farmers and farmland. And where better to watch a film celebrating farmers than on a farm... surrounded by farmers! The movie screen is going to be set up in the middle of our certified-organic 200 acres. We can't think of a better way to celebrate summer than to bring you out for this film.

Wendell Berry.

In order to bring this important story on-home, we thought it would be fitting to introduce viewers to some of Austin's own agricultural players. SFC will lead a panel discussion among local-area farmers, and hopefully set the scene for the day-to-day realities of the folks growing food in and for our community. In addition to those farmers sitting in on the panel, other farmers will be in attendance and its our hope that you meet, greet, and high-five the men and women growing food for you. As they say, know your farmers, know your food.

Proceeds from this event will help to rebuild the greenhouses at Johnson's Backyard Garden that were just destroyed by recent storms. Buy your tickets for July 9, we can't wait to see you!!

Details

Where: JBG Garfield Farm, 4008 River Rd. Garfield, TX 78612

When: Saturday, July 9

6:30 PM: Doors Open

7:30 - 8:30 PM: Panel Discussion

9 PM: Movie begins

Bring a blanket or chairs, a picnic, a cool drink, and enjoy the show! We hope the whole family will join us - kids under 12 get in FREE!

Our farm stage - soon to be big-screen!

 

 

Photo by Scott David Gordon

The farm is in overdrive this week, with temperatures in the 90s kicking our summer production into high gear. We're harvesting loads of sunflowers, tomatoes, cucumbers, okra and more -- and we've got lots of great new crops on the way! Some CSA members got a little extra slice of the bounty this week, as we sent a bouquet of sunflowers with your share to thank you for being a part of our community supported agriculture program. Enjoy the week in photos!

Harvesting sunflowers. Photo by Scott David Gordon

CSA members might have gotten a sunny surprise with their box of veggies this week! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Did you see? Our tomato sale just started! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Harvesting in a tunnel of tomatoes. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Malabar spinach is a heat-loving green.

Bicolor amaranth is another summer treat. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Dandelion greens are still coming in despite warmer temps this week! Photo by Scott David Gordon

The Garfield Farm, week 24. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our next cucumber succession is ready, just in time for markets this weekend. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Cucumber harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Nothing says summer like a fresh cuke. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our grapes are growing like crazy too! Photo by Scott David Gordon

We're harvesting some acorn squash these days. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Happy squash plants in the sunshine. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Look for melons in a few weeks! These plants are crawling right into our footpaths. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

We told ya it was coming - all this heat has really kicked JBG's tomato crop into high gear this week, and we're stoked to announce that it's time for the annual Bulk Tomato Sale! Orders are open now at jbgorganic.com/tomatoes - get your canning supplies ready!

Beginning this Tuesday, June 21st, your order can be picked up at any of our farmers' markets, as an add-on to your existing CSA home delivery, or picked up at our Hergotz Farm located just east of town near ABIA. If you're a current CSA member, you can select your own delivery site, whether it be home delivery of community pickup, after logging in at the top of the page.

The star of the show this year has to be our Juliet Tomatoes - these delicious plum style tomatoes are coming in by the bucketload, and are great fresh, roasted, or even for salsa and pasta sauce - we tried and the results were awesome. We've got a load of varieties for you to choose from (make note - some are limited availability), but they won't be here for long. Once the heat really sets in Texas, these tomatoes will stop setting fruit and our short, but sweet season will be over. Order now before they're gone!

CSA Box Contents Week of June 20th

CSA Box Contents Week of June 20th

Medium Box
Beet, Red
Eggplant , Black
Herb, Spearmint
Okra
Onion, Red
Parsnip
Potato, Red
Squash, Spaghetti
Squash. Summer Medley
Tomato, Juliet

by Megan Winfrey

Raise your hand if you secretly (or not so secretly) love those "Tasty" videos on Facebook? You know, the ones where the camera is set perfectly above a cutting board or stove top and you can watch, mesmerized, as a pair of hands act out each step of a recipe. Yeah, you know. While I thoroughly enjoy watching these little recipe shorts, I've never actually made one of the recipes. This is a loose version of one that I threw together - but with a certain video clearly in mind. I'm sure you'll know the one I'm talking about, I saw it shared in my news feed at least 5 times!

Goat Cheese & Basil Baked Chicken with Heirloom Tomato

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 large basil leaves
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• 1 large heirloom tomato
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket into the middle of each chicken breast. Don't butterfly the breast, just open up the center, like a canoe. Split the goat cheese evenly between each breast, spreading it throughout the cavity. Add the basil leaves to the opening, 3 leaves per breast.  Close the opening in the chicken, gently pressing it shut using the goat cheese as glue.  Drizzle each breast with olive oil, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Place the chicken in an oiled baking dish and top with one thick slice of tomato. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes.  Remove from the oven, top each breast with mozzarella cheese, then broil on high for another 5 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.

I served this dish with garlic sautéed spinach and lemon wedges. Enjoy!

With the Summer Solstice and the June full moon, known as the “Strawberry Moon,” coinciding a couple of days ago, the Summer season is off to a running start.  A stark contrast from the mild Spring that central Texas experienced, the quickly rising temperatures have some of us Austinites in a daze.  It’s that time of year where the only solace from the unrelenting heat is jumping into the cool spring-fed Barton Springs, or settling down right smack-dab in front of your beloved AC with an ice-cold Topo Chico pressed against your face.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our crops, on the other hand, have had no reprieve from the beaming sun as of late.  The constant deluge in the Spring had the crops growing at a creeping pace, which significantly slowed the harvest schedule.  However, with the sudden swelter, the plants have been in a sort of heat-shock this week.  The heat spell had one crop in particular, the Juliet tomatoes, ripening abruptly and rapidly.  Placing us in the midst of quite a predicament… a voluminous harvest, we’re talkin’ hundreds of pounds, of very ripe tomatoes that needed to be utilized STAT.  Thankfully, when we sent the S.O.S. to our local food-lovin’ community, we got a strong response. Restaurants like the ABGB and Bufalina among others, happily came to our rescue, and enlisted a portion of our tomato bounty for some of their delectable menu items.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Internally, the JBG community has been making all the sauces, salsas, and salads you can imagine at home AND in the office. Over 300 pounds of these tomatoes were also delivered to the Central Texas Food Bank (formerly known as Capital Area Food Bank), a delivery that was made possible through a food drive organized by Music Tech and Food that took place at a recent Chris Robinson show at The Parish.  As you can tell, we had this plenitude of oh-so-sweet and delicious Juliet tomatoes truckin’ all over Austin-town this week, sharing the summertime wealth.  

With the myriad of ‘maters, there is a slew of recipes to explore.  Gazpacho?  Salsa?  Ketchup?  Pasta sauce?  Canning galore?  The possibilities are endless.  Tim, the head chef at The ABGB created this savory Gazpacho recipe below with their order of JBG tomatoes.  They are also using our tomatoes to top some of their pizzas with red sauce!

ABGB JBG GAZPACHO

 

• 8 cups JBG Juliet tomatoes
• 4 JBG cucumbers seeded, but not peeled
• 2 JBG red onions
• 3 red bell peppers, corded and seeded
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup sherry (or white wine vinegar)
• 1/2 cup good olive oil (we use Texas Olive Ranch Arbequina EVOO)
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 JBG jalapenos

Additional (for garnish)

• two tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 Avocado
• Toasted day old bread

 

Blend tomatoes in a food processor then strain through fine mesh sieve. Separately blend cucumbers, red onions, bell peppers, garlic, and jalapeños. After everything is smooth, combine all with olive oil, vinegar, s & p.

Chill (overnight is better). Serve chilled with a garnish of seasoned toasted bread, diced tomato and cucumber, sliver of jalapeño, a slice of avocado.... and a drizzle of Olive Oil.

100% Vegan. For those who love meat, add cold crabmeat or shrimp!

ABGB JBG GAZPACHO, image courtesy of Mark Jensen.

As the summer continues to heat up, we want to remind our CSA community to arrive at your pick-up location earlier rather than later so that your veggies don’t sit out in the heat for too long.  If you have home delivery, you can always leave out a cooler to keep your vegetables in peak condition until you can transport them into your refrigerator.  Stay cool and eat your ‘maters, folks!  Until next time.  

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

If you are contemplating joining our CSA, there’s no better time than the present!  Sign up for the CSA now, enter “tomato” at checkout, and you’ll receive a free flat of Juliet tomatoes with your first delivery (while supplies last)!

Two more days until the Farm Yoga Summer Series begins!  Join us this Sunday (6/26) for our first gathering, hosted by Practice Yoga with gratis refreshments provided by People’s RX.  All you need is your mat and a friend with a suggested $6 donation!  Also, have you marked your calendar yet for the Rolling Roadshow event at the farm on July 9? Tickets for The Seer are available here!

'Maters, 'maters, 'maters!  This week, we are swimming in a sea of beautiful, succulent tomatoes.  The field crew has been bringing in hundreds of pounds of these lovelies, so grab 'em while they're hot at our market stands or order some through our Bulk Tomato Sale!  We visited the Sunset Valley Farmers market last weekend, and had the pleasure of the Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts' students come and volunteer with us.  A huge thanks to Scott David Gordon for all the beautiful photos this week!

Juliets for days! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

A bustling Sunset Valley Farmer's Market stand. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Workin' hard at the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market. A huge thanks to our farmer's market crew! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Some of the delectable market spread. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The Sunset Valley Market crew. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tractor work. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tossin' dandelion greens. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Squash harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Did you know that okra is a close relative of hibiscus? Okra growing with a beautiful bloom. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Ripening sweet Italian Carmen peppers, coming soon! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Leeks, YUM! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The harvest trailer filling up with cukes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Patty pan squash with it's beautiful coloring. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Orange you glad these lovely guys are around all year? Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The Natural Epicurean students helping us with seeding. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Thanks to the Natural Epicurean Academy students for volunteering! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

by Megan Winfrey

Unless you're totally crazy like I apparently am, this is a stash away recipe for colder months. In my defense, the onions we've been getting lately are just so beautiful and plentiful! I blame that and a nagging nostalgia for my study abroad days in France. So, join me in cranking up that A/C and enjoying those onions the way nature (and Julia Child) intended.

French Onion Soup

• 6 medium yellow onions, sliced thin
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 (large) cup of dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 French baguette, sliced thick
• 5 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

 

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Melt the butter in a heavy dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.

Adjust the lid to be slightly ajar, then place the onions into the preheated oven. Leaving the lid cracked will help the onions brown. Let cook for an hour in the oven, stirring at least once to prevent sticking and burning.

Next, remove the pot from the oven and return to the stovetop over medium heat. Stir well, scraping up all of the brown bits. Turn off the heat, pour in wine, then return the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing the wine to reduce. Add the broths, Worcestershire, and garlic then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

While the soup comes together, butter both sides of the sliced bread and broil on LOW, allowing it to get nice and crispy. The crispier you can get it without it burning, the better it will hold up in the soup.

When the soup in finished, ladle it into oven safe bowls or ramekins. Place crispy bread on top, then finish with grated Gruyere cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly, serve immediately.



YUM.

CSA Box Contents Week of June 27th

CSA Box Contents Week of June 27th

Medium Box
Beet, Red
Carrot, Orange
Cucumber, Pickling
Eggplant , Black
Herb, Spearmint
Leek
Okra
Potato, Red
Squash, Spaghetti
Tomato, Red Slicer