CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 2nd

CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 2nd

Medium Box
Carrot, Orange
Eggplant, Medley
Greens, Collards
Greens, Kale, Curly
Herb, Parsley, Flat
Onion, Multiplying
Potato, Sweet
Radish, Black Spanish
Radish, Purple Daikon
Squash, Farmer's Choice

Photo and Recipe by Mackenzie Smith

“It is easy to think of potatoes, and fortunately for men who have not much money it is easy to think of them with a certain safety. Potatoes are one of the last things to disappear, in times of war, which is probably why they should not be forgotten in times of peace.” - How to Cook a Wolf, MFK Fisher, 1942.



Up until a few months ago, I had been treating potatoes with hardly any regard. And because I didn’t cook them often or have a vision for how I wanted to enjoy them, they were always the first to trade when I picked up our CSA on Saturdays. Maybe it was the 95 percent chance that I’d make a potato hash that never softened up before it burned, or the mediocre potato salads from the church potlucks of my youth. My inclination to save making mashed potatoes for special occasions (the cheesier, the creamier, the more butter, the better) probably had something to do with the aversion, too.

Whatever the reason, everything changed after my parents had me dig a few red potatoes from their garden out in Driftwood back in June. Pulling them out of the ground made me realize my attitude toward spuds had less to do with their awesomeness, and more with how I had prepared them in the past. I finally made a hash that wasn’t a disappointment, and stopped trading the potatoes that came in my CSA from JBG.

My solution? Parboiling potatoes in water as salty as the ocean until they’re just soft enough to pierce with a fork during Sunday meal prep. That step makes for quick prep on weekdays when I have less time to make a meal. With these on hand, the once dreadful hash crisps well and cooks fast, crispy smashed potatoes come together very quickly, and adding cut potatoes to soups in the last 15 minutes or so works beautifully for me.

No doubt I have much to learn about how to appreciate the humble potato and I look forward to adding more foolproof recipes to my arsenal. In the meantime, you’ll find me bathing them in boiling saltwater on Sundays and using them as an ingredient for my meals throughout the week.

My friend Michael Harlan Turkell’s newest book, Acid Trip, hit the shelves last week! This gem shows us the world through the lens of vinegar, with recipes from chefs and vinegar makers around the globe, and a fascinating account of how he starting making vinegar, along with instructions to make your own. Get into it!

A quick reminder before our main post… Mark your calendars for JBG’s Fall Open House! This year we're going to have a laid-back and very casual open house at our Garfield farm on Saturday, October 28th from around 4:30 until sunset. Free and open to the public, this event is for our beloved CSA community and anyone else who’s had a hankering to experience the magic of the farm. We can’t think of a better place to relish the beautiful Texas fall than our expansive 200 acre farm! Also, if you’ve always wanted to work on a farm, now’s the time! We’re hiring a handful of positions - check 'em out here. We are also urgently looking for a hard-working volunteer to help us at the Bastrop Farmers Market. Do you or someone you know fit the bill? Throw us a line at farm@jbgorganic.com.

Summer has come and gone, and though it doesn’t really feel like Fall, the seasons are indeed changing. Right now we are in the depths of the planting season... it is notoriously one of the busiest times on the farm and we are tirelessly toiling to get all of your favorite Fall and Winter crops into the ground. The leafy greens have been stretched with the late summer heat, but with the deluge of rain this past week and intermittently this past month, the temperatures have moderated a bit, and has enabled the crops that are already in the ground to really thrive.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

However, with rain, comes quite a lot of frustration and stress on the farm. When the ground is soaked, we are unable to plant. It takes a few days or even up to a week for the farm to dry off (depending on variables, like the amount of rain, wind, and sun). This planting season has been laden with setback after setback, starting with Hurricane Harvey. With only two weeks left in the planting schedule, we are chomping at the bit to get our crews out into the fields. With this erratic schedule dictated by the rain, our crews have often had to work 7 days a week. As the weather is highly unpredictable, these hardworking folks have had to forego a regular schedule and have been going above and beyond to get everything done when there is a dry day. This warrants a huge thanks, our tenacious and unrelenting field crews are dedicated to getting food to the community in a timely manner. Their effort has been incredible this season.

Rainy, rainy fields. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

When the fields are wet, we cannot get tractors out into the fields to transplant or to seed. On top of that, when rain is heavy, it’s difficult for us to control weeds. On a conventional farm, they can just spray; however, as an organic farm, we have to cultivate our weeds, which essentially means that we get on a tractor with cultivation knives and specialized tools to kill weeds. Like we mentioned before, tractors cannot function on water-laden fields; thus, weeds are currently flourishing! Soggy fields are immensely tricky to harvest on and twice the amount of work as well. Our harvesting crew has to trudge through with mud-heavy boots to collect the ripe produce which as you can imagine can be quite the workout.

Drying out rain gear. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

On a brighter note, since we have plenty of hands twiddling their thumbs waiting to get back out into the fields, we have accomplished all the seeding in the greenhouse that needed to be done. Kirby, our greenhouse manager, has had to manage a densely populated greenhouse, as we are filled to the brim with transplants waiting to get out into the field. We are scrambling to get everything done in the short window of time that is left!

Full greenhouse. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Hoping for a couple dryer days, and to see you at the markets this weekend! 'Til next time.

The arrival of a new month means another marvelous edition of our 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!

Andrew, workin' hard. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Farm, in general - Fermentation Fest is quickly approaching!!! We will be there slinging veggies... come say hi and checkout this one-of-a-kind event! Sandor Katz is this year's keynote speaker.

Bento Picnic's yummy fall Quinoa Kale Salad featuring our kale and carrots with pasture-raised eggs, toasted pumpkin seeds, ginger, green onion, garlic, and their famous ancho sauce! It's gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian - order one now!

Ada (Marketing and CSA Manager) - Went to New Orleans this past weekend to visit my sister, and had the immense pleasure of visiting the House of Dance and Feathers - a small grassroots museum in the back of Ronald Lewis's home that celebrates the Mardi Gras Indians. This isn't your average museum, so give Ronald a call if you plan to go to make sure he's home. If you've never heard of the Mardi Gras Indians, do yourself a favor and do some googling. Google Images will quickly show you the grandeur of their costuming. This Mardi Gras krewe has a rich history in New Orleans, and was established over 100 years ago as a way for Nola's African American communities to participate in Mardi Gras celebrations. There are dozens of krewe's, but in my opinion the costuming of the Mardi Gras Indians are parallel to none. The beadwork is stunning, and at Ronald's house you can see, touch, and feel some of this incredible artwork. The best part? Each year you see the Indians, they're dolling brand new costumes with completely new designs. Anybody else got the Mardi Gras fever? Only 129 days and counting.



Missoula (Farm Dog) - Well, in case you missed it, my career as a celebrity farm dog peaked last week when Modern Farmer reposted a photo of me. In all fairness, they posted a shot of Chooch, too, but we all know who got more likes.... (checkout the hashtag #iamamodernfarmdog for endless photos of farm dogs from all over the country. Swoon!)

Repost @chermissoula ・・・ Hello, boys. #jbgorganic #johnsonsbackyardgarden #romaine #romainecalm #farmdog #doggo #iamamodernfarmdog

A post shared by Modern Farmer (@modfarm) on Sep 25, 2017 at 10:29am PDT

Mike Mo (Wholesale Manager and Avid Ole Miss Fan) - Auburn loses to Ole Miss this Saturday.

Megan (Recipe Blogger) - I'm beyond excited to see Reckless Kelly on Friday night at Neighbor's Kitchen and Yard in Bastrop. If you don't know, Neighbor's serves bomb pizza, cocktails, and local beers right on the Colorado river in beautiful Bastrop. Two close friends of mine, Katie and Chris Allcorn, opened the joint in 2014. The historic, multi-tiered-creaky-floored building and the sprawling riverside yard make it the most perfect getaway from the city. If you find yourself fed up with the ACL crowds, come out to Bastrop and join me + fam + the band that (arguably) started Americana.

Lucas (Delivery Driver Extraordinaire) - I won Roky Erickson tickets on Dudley and Bob and am STOKED.

Stoke level HIGH.

Andrew (CSA Packing Manager) - Khruangbin, whose new album has been in heavy rotation at the barn as of late, plays Emo's with Chicano Batman October 28th. They are a Taiwanese band with Psych/Surf vibes and a lot of heart and flavor.

Also, all month long Blue Starlight is showing awesome horror movies drive-in style. Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Friday the 13th (on Friday the 13th!!), and Halloween "my favorite movie ever" on and around Halloween. If you wanna smooch and watch some spookies you should go!

Casey (Customer Service Extraordinaire) - I feel like I have been surrounded by giant sweet potatoes and dogs lately. So, I'm finding a way to combine the two in my life and in my staff pick. Our office at Hergotz is usually the place veggies too large to sell go to die, but I have been taking these enormous sweet potatoes home to make dog chews! I slice em up into thin wedges and dehydrate them in my nifty dehydrator. My dog at home (Odie) can't get enough of them, and Roxy, one of our farm dogs, dreams about them while she sleeps at the foot of my desk. Yum! Also, I've been seeing a lot of comedy at ColdTowne Theater. They even have a free improv class every Monday!

Roxy and Missoula.

Odie and the sweet potato dehydrator.

Hector (Social Media Manager) - I had the chance to visit the Texas State Fair last weekend for the first time and it was fantastic! My lovely tour guide recommended getting started with a corn dog (which was the best one I ever had) and a Shiner at the food hall. I didn’t try any fried foods too ridiculous, with the exception of chicken fried bacon. Give the fair a try if you haven’t yet!

IT’S TIME TEXAS is leading a statewide effort to help people with healthier habits. Join me and hundreds of others at the first TEXAS WALKS, taking a 10-minute walk on 10/20 at 10am!

Heydon (Blog Writer) - I've been in the depths of a wild bachelorette party/wedding season this summer + fall, and am floored by the outpouring of love in the midst of such a tumultuous time in our country. My pick this week is my friends, family, and all the folks out there who choose to love over hate. Plus, a shout out to my old Minolta Freedom Zoom & Nikon N65 that I get to take film photos of my near and dear folks with - check out a few of my snaps below.

Harvesting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

It's been a week of mud and rain, which has set our planting schedule way back. The next two weeks will be a race to get all the transplants in the ground. On a brighter note: all of our fall seeding is done in the greenhouse! Let's hope for some dryer weather so we can get those transplants in the ground.

Montana gassing up. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our handy harvest tractor. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvesting vastness. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kale harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kale loot. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Workin' in the fields. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our open house flyer! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Andrew our CSA Packing Manager. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Cleaning carrots. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sorting greens. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Images and Recipe by Megan Winfrey

Nothing says "fall has arrived" like beautiful, varietal squash. JBG always boasts an excellent selection, and what I've seen rolling into my CSA share has me anticipating all the warm, homey, comforting squash dishes I'm going to make this season. This recipe can be tweaked and added to, with just about any type of squash. I love using the pattypans for this, and telling my daughter they're flying saucers. 'Tis the season, am I right?!



Sausage Stuffed Pattypan UFOs

• 2 pattypan squash, sliced in half to resemble flying saucers
• 1 lb. ground sausage, venison, or beef
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, or other white cheese + extra for topping
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbs. dried sage
• 1 tbs. onion powder

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a skillet to med-high, add the minced garlic and meat, cook until browned. Stir in the sage and onion powder in the last minute of cooking.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix the browned meat, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of cheese, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Scoop the seeds and pulp out of each squash half, forming a bowl. Fill the center with the meat mixture, top with more cheese, and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until the squash is tender.

I served these with a squirt of Yellowbird serrano hot sauce, and a little pickled red onion salad.

CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 9th

CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 9th

Medium Box
Greens, Collards
Greens, Kale, Curly
Greens, Spinach, Malabar
Herb, Cilantro
Herb, Spearmint
Okra
Onion, Multiplying
Pepper, Sweet Medley
Radish, Red
Radish, Watermelon

**major contributions by Lindsey Bradley from AISD

Perez Elementary School crew. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In case you haven't heard, October 9th through the 13th is National School Lunch Week! This week was created by JFK in 1962 to commemorate the most beloved part of the school day, lunch, and all the benefits of the National School Lunch program, which provides nutritional lunches to over 30 million students nationwide! That sure is something to celebrate. With farm-to-school efforts taking off around the country, school lunches provide an important access point to these kids, not only nourishing future generations and fostering healthy diets, but also introducing students to food system, in general. For this celebratory week, school lunch staff all around the country curate special menus, make fun foods, and just generally enjoy their favorite meal, lunch! We had the immense pleasure of attending a school lunch at Perez Elementary School this week, plus we got to experience some of the NSLW festivities, and boy, does AISD do NSLW right.

Ada, Marketing Manager, and Mike Mo, Wholesale Manager, ruminating on what to pick! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

You CAN sit at our table. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

AISD prides themselves on exposing kids to new foods and global flavors. So this year, they decided to focus on global fare during NSLW. All cafes selected a day to sample baba ganoush, prepared with JBG eggplants, and the Sustainable Food Center helped support these local veggie samplings. Check out the AISD recipe at the end of this post!

Baba ganoush glory. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

On top of mind-blowingly delicious NSLW delicacies, AISD is really reinventing what cafeteria food means. On Farm Fresh Fridays, they are feature JBG roasted sweet potatoes each Friday, in all cafes, during the fall menu cycle. After Thanksgiving, they'll rotate to the winter menu, which will feature JBG greens in a braised greens recipe. The spring menu will feature JBG carrots, where it all began two years ago!

Baba ganoush tasting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Food + Art? Yes, please. With this also being Farm to School Month, AISD is working with the visual arts department on an elementary school art contest. Students will be encouraged to create art featuring carrots and the winning design will be used as the promotional sign during Farm Fresh Fridays in the fall.

School lunch line. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

AISD completed all the elementary school salad bar rollouts last school year, so now lunch features a daily salad bar option. High schools also have a daily self-serve salad bar option, and middle school salad bars will be debuting later this fall. Can you believe what AISD is doing for school lunches? It is truly incredible. A huge shout out to all of their hard work and how they are revolutionizing the school lunch.

To the parents out there, you are truly lucky to be able to send your kids to school where food services is committed to "positively impacting Austin’s food system by continually incorporating more local options into their school menus." We loved to hear that this project is "helping [students] learn the benefits of locally-sourced food and gain closer community connection." We can't thank AISD enough for this commitment and what it means to us as farmers in Austin. 'Til next time!

Baba ganoush tasting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

AISD Baba Ganoush Recipe

Scaled for 14 (1/2 Ounce) servings

• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon + 1.5 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon + 1/3 teaspoon fresh parsley
• 5/8 ounces garlic
• 7 1/8 ounces roasted red pepper
• 1 lb + 13.5 ounces eggplant

1. Set convection oven to 375F on a low fan convection.

2. Rinse fresh eggplant under cool running water and remove tops (stem-end) carefully with a knife. Cut eggplant into quarters and drizzle quarters with oil.

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place seasoned quarters on a foil lined baking sheet pan and place in pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

4. While eggplant is roasting in the oven, place canned roasted red peppers into a blender pitcher.

5. Add roasted garlic to the drained red peppers. Pulse the blender in short bursts so that peppers and garlic are chunky but NOT LIQUIFIED.

6. Remove Roasted eggplant quarters from oven and remove/peel skin with gloved hands.

7. Placed roasted and peeled eggplant quarters into a large mixing bowl and add red pepper and garlic mixture into the same bowl.

8. Add fresh chopped parsley, fresh lime juice and salt to mixture and mash-up all ingredients by hand with a potato masher.

Toast pita bread to make pita chips to serve with and enjoy!

Teamwork. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We are still a little behind schedule and racing to get planting done. With temperatures way down this week, it's finally feeling like Fall. Our fall greens and roots are thriving, see for yourself at the markets.

Have you heard? We are hosting a laid-back Fall Open House on Saturday, October 28th from 4:30 until sundown. Don't miss the fun!

Collard harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Becky working on the tractor/compost spreader. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Smiling at the helm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In the dandelion green field. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dandelion green harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

A race to get beds prepped and planting done. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Signs of Fall. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fall herbs. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Radish harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kale harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 16th

CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 16th

Medium Box
Broccoli
Carrot, Orange
Eggplant, Medley
Greens, Chard, Rainbow
Greens, Collards
Greens, Kale, Dino
Herb, Lemongrass
Herb, Parsley, Flat
Potato, Sweet
Radish, French Breakfast

Recipe and Images by Nadia Tamby

The name of this pie isn’t entirely accurate but it is loosely based on the idea of the popular Greek pie – a spinach and feta filling enveloped in layers of flakey filo dough. When I am faced with a daunting amount of greens, I often wash, dry and trim all of them at once so they are ready for salads or side dishes (I’m more likely to eat a kale salad when it’s already halfway prepared). This time my CSA basket came with collard greens, kale, malabar spinach, and a bunch each of radishes and turnips (with perfect-looking greens attached). I saved the collards and Malabar spinach for another use as they tend to keep for longer, and cooked down the kale, turnip and radish greens with garlic and herbs and subbed the feta for some fresh goat cheese for a twist on the classic pie. You can use any mix of greens, herbs and cheese to your liking for this forgiving recipe!

I tend to use more robust herbs in dishes before cooking them (sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram…) and fine herbs after cooking, for garnish, or in sauces (cilantro, parsley, mint, dill…).

The green sauce I made to swirl into the yogurt served alongside this pie is similar to a French “sauce verte” which literally means “green sauce.” It is a great way to use up all your leftover fine herbs. Simply blend herbs with a couple raw garlic cloves, salt and extra virgin olive oil and a splash of lemon juice or vinegar. This sauce is delicious as a marinade, used to top grilled fish or meat, can be diluted with more olive oil and lemon juice to make a salad dressing, or swirled into hummus or yogurt to make dips.



Pie Ingredients:

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons herbs, finely chopped (I used oregano, marjoram and thyme)
• 1 bunch turnip* greens (cut stems off)
• 1 bunch radish* greens (cut stems off)
• 1 bunch kale (ribs removed)
• 10.5 oz goat cheese, room temperature (1 full log)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Crust:

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 8 oz filo dough (1 roll of ~20 sheets)

Herbed Yogurt Ingredients:

• 1 cup of good quality whole milk yogurt and a few tablespoons of prepared “Sauce Verte”

Sauce Verte:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of cilantro (just tear off the bottom part of the stems, you can actually use cilantro stems in addition to the leaves)
• 1 bunch of mint (discard stems)
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (or more, if needed)
• ½ lemon (juice and zest)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Extras/Tools to have on hand:

• Brush for butter, springform pan, clean damp kitchen towel to cover filo, blender or food processor for sauce verte

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Sautee the garlic and onions over medium heat until cooked and started to slightly color. Add the herbs of your choosing and cook for another minute and then add all your greens (you can add them in batches if you can’t fit them all in your pan at the same time – as they cook down you will have room for more). Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool about 10 minutes. At this point you may need to squeeze out any excess moisture from the greens to prevent your dough from getting soggy. I didn’t have to, but it depends on the type of greens you decide to use.

In a mixing bowl, whisk your eggs and goat cheese together until smooth and fold in the mixture of cooked greens.

Unroll your filo dough and cover with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from becoming brittle while working with it. Using your pastry brush, brush the inside of the springform pan with butter. Lay a piece of filo dough inside with about a 2-inch overhang (precision not necessary) and brush a layer of butter over the filo dough. Then rotate the pan and continue this process of overlapping filo sheets and brushing butter until you’re out of sheets and the whole pan is lined with filo.

Spoon the filling into the filo and flatten the top. Flip the edges of the filo pastry onto the filling creating folds and waves in the sheets. Don’t worry if it breaks – it’s going to look rustic anyway. Brush butter on the top and then bake for 45-50 minutes until the filo looks browned.



Combine the Sauce Verte ingredients into a food processor and blend until you have a smooth, bright green sauce. I spoon this into a jar and top it with an extra bit of olive oil to prevent it from oxidizing and turning brown. This should keep for about a week. Spoon some of this into a bowl of yogurt and give it a swirl.

Serve the pie warm with a dollop of the herbed yogurt for dipping!

*Slice up the turnips and radishes into a jar with spices, vinegar, water, salt, and a little sugar to make some crunchy quick-pickles

Sorting carrots. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We are in a rush to get the last of the direct seeding done before the Fall planting window closes! The fall greens are out of control right now, so hop on over to the market and grab some of this verdant bounty. Did we mention that the autumnal crops are some of our favorites?

Fields of green. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kale details. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kale harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fields forever. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplanting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Working hard to get Fall planting done. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvest work. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Collard harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Collards. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Collard (hand for scale). Photo by Scott David Gordon.

All farm dogs on deck. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Cabbage details. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fall is a notoriously stunning time at our farm, and we want to share the beauty of it with you, our community. We want you to see, spend quality time, and create memories on the land where your weekly veggies are cultivated. Come join the fun, you won’t regret it! This event is for our beloved CSA community and anyone else who’s had a hankering to experience the magic of the farm. We can’t think of a better place to relish the beautiful Texas fall than our expansive 200 acre farm. What a time to get lost at the farm, too, with fields galore laden with your favorite fall crops.

Farm tour. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

On Saturday October 28th from 4:30 - Sundown, Johnson's Backyard Garden will be hosting a Fall Open House at our Garfield, Texas farm located at 4008 River Road, 78612.

On this Saturday, we'll open up the farm at our favorite time of day - the late afternoon when the sun loosens her hold and the tractor engines have cooled down. We've got a plethora of activities lined up to show you the farm including: tours on our flatbed trailers (think hayrides minus the hay) JBG staff will be there informing attendees about what’s growing where and schooling people on farm history. Which by the way, did you know that it has been a longstanding tradition on the farm to get folks out to share the land with us? Not only will our amazing staff photographer be out documenting the day, but he will also be taking family portraits from around 5:30 to 6:30! Been stressing about that Christmas card photo? Fret no longer, you are sure to love Scott’s photos, he’s a pro. Worried you might miss out on exercise if you join us at the Open House? We will have walking trails galore among our crops accompanied with maps of what’s growing where so you can peruse your favorite crops and avoid those you aren’t so fond of. Our friends at Youga Yoga will be teaching a sunset yoga (with face painting!) class at around 5:30 as well. There will be a mini-market stand so you can snag some veggies straight from the farm (*csa members: if you want to pick up your csa box at the farm this day instead of your usual pickup location, email casey at farm@jbgorganic.com). We're hoping our flower crop cooperates so we can have a floral U-Pick. For the kids: there will be a vegetable-inspired arts and crafts activity, tractors to sit on, trampolines to bounce on, ample space to run around, and a ginormous sand pile to conquer.

Tractor fun. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Walking tour. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bring a picnic, perhaps some beers, and hang out awhile. Our farm is your park! This event is free and open to the public, so tell your friends! Please leave four-legged friends at home. See you at the farm!

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 23rd

CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 23rd

Medium Box
Bok Choy, Baby
Cabbage
Carrot, Orange
Greens, Dandelion
Greens, Kale, Curly
Greens, Spinach
Herb, Cilantro
Herb, Fennel
Okra
Potato, Sweet

Recipe and Images by Megan Winfrey

There is one vegetable in particular that is always in my CSA box, no matter the season. I'm talking about beets, y'all, and I was OVER them. After roasting them, boiling them, pickling them, even dying cotton with them, I'd resigned to throwing them in my juicer, every single week, with different additions like carrots, apples, ginger, garlic, parsley, and lemon. Although absolutely delicious, I started to feel guilty about pulverizing my beets every week, and started looking for some new recipes.

This recipe is so simple, and I haven't enjoyed beets so much in months.



Moroccan Beet Salad

• 2-3 beets (or more for a larger batch)
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely grated
• Juice of one lemon or lime
• 1 tsp. cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Behind food photography scenes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Wash beets and place them on a piece of foil. Drizzle with a bit of olive, sprinkle with some salt, and wrap the foil around the beets like a pouch.

Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes, until you can pierce them all the way through with a knife.

Let them cool, then peel. The skin should slide off when you run your thumb over it.

Once peeled, cut into bite sized cubes and transfer to a medium sized bowl.

In a small bowl, combine all other ingredients except parsley. Whisk vigorously until combined.

Pour mixture over the beets and toss well.

Top with chopped parsley, serve slightly chilled or at room temperature. Stays good in the fridge for 1 week.

Finishing up planting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The temperatures keep dropping and we are at the end of the fall planting. Phew! Our farmers have been running full-steam ahead with planting, and are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Are you coming to our Open House this weekend? Don't miss an opportunity to see the farm in it's most magical state and also during such a magical time.

Radishes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Radish harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dill. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

They're kind of a big dill. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Prepped beds. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Becky, farm manager, deep in planning. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fall 'maters. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Lettuce details. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The beautiful makings of a salad. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

1. SUPPORT LOCAL

By joining our CSA, you are supporting a locally owned and operated business. Buying local helps our economy as well as supply jobs and support the livelihood of fellow Austinites. Unique local businesses are part of what makes Austin and Texas so special!

Our CSA can augment your regular weekly shopping list, ensuring that you have some of that scrumptious local produce in your diet, too! A little goes a long way!

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

2. Freshest-Possible Veggies

Cultivated in East Austin and harvested no more than a day or two before reaching your doorstep, these vegetables are at peak nutrition and flavor. Getting a CSA share with JBG means you know exactly where your food is coming from and how it's grown. GMO? Heck no! Come out for a volunteer day, see your crops in the field, and ask your farmers about it!

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

3. Know your Farmers

Montana seeds the crops, Ada champions our marketing efforts, Brenton and Becky manage the fields, Krishna crunches numbers, Andrew and his crew carefully pack every single CSA box... we love our people, and think you will, too. Come and meet us, we are regular Austin folks, just like you.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

4. Feed Those in Need

Thanks to the support of our CSA members, JBG is able to donate thousands of pounds of produce every year to large operations like SafePlace, Central Texas Food Bank, as well as grassroots efforts who are all helping to keep Austin’s hungry, nurtured and fed.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

5. Farm Community on the WWW

If our veggie guide and weekly recipes by our amazing food bloggers aren’t enough, our CSA community loves sharing how they innovate with their veggies on social media outlets. Check out our Instagram or FB, we love re-posting awesome recipes, photos, and videos from the community. Running low on recipe ideas, and want to see what other folks are doing with our produce? Check out our jbgorganic hashtag!

6. Flexibility

Gone on vacation for a week or a month? No problemo, we make it super easy to postpone your weekly deliveries. Got a big family, or just feeding yourself? We have 4 different box sizes that cater to your lifestyle. JBG also offers add-ons of local eggs from pasture-raised hens, and small batch locally roasted coffee as well. Customize your box with your favorite veggie and ditch the ones you aren’t keen on.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

7. Get involved with our CSA Community

With member-only dinners, happy hours, plant sales, cooking classes, yoga + races at the farm, PYO-events, we really emphasize the “C” of CSA. We want the farm to connect awesome people, whether at one of the aforementioned events or at your community pick-up site! Speaking of exclusive farm events, we're having a huge Open House THIS SATURDAY!

8. Reduce Food Miles

It's estimated that the average American meal travels over 1500 miles before making it to a dinner plate. With all of that fuel, even a plant-based meal might not be so eco-friendly. We do wave at the planes going by, though, our farm is just 10 miles east of the Austin-Bergstrom airport!

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

9. Know your Seasons

Eating locally connects you to the seasons, to the land, and to your own health and wellness. Cucumbers will cool you down in the summer, while braised collards will warm you up when the temperatures start to drop. Enjoy the best pico de gallo of your life during the short window when cilantro, onions, peppers, and tomatoes all overlap, and we promise you'll never go back to the store-bought stuff again. You'll get acclimated with the seasons on a whole new level, and learn about what naturally grows when and why.

Photo by Casey Wiggins.

10. Try New Foods

With farmers who are constantly chompin’ at the bit to try a new crop, who knows what will show up in your CSA box. From the array of Asian greens to the broad pepper spectrum, keep your mind wide open to a whole new world of vegetables you never even knew existed.

CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 30th

CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 30th

Medium Box
Bean, Green
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Carrot, Orange
Eggplant, Medley
Greens, Collards
Greens, Red Mustard
Greens, Spinach
Herb, Dill
Potato, Sweet