CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 3rd

CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 3rd

Large Box
Beet, Red
Bok Choy
Carrot, Orange
Eggplant, Medley
Greens, Amaranth
Greens, Loose Bagged
Herb, Thyme
Okra
Pepper, Jalapeno
Potato, Sweet
Squash, Butternut
Turnip, White Japanese

Servings: 2 / Total Time: 25 minutes / Author: The Migoni Kitchen

We've been getting a ton of okra in our weekly box and have been trying out different recipes with it. Okra is also a great source of Vitamin C, A, and K and is high in fiber, making it a healthy side option. At first, we were making a lot of gumbo, but the Texas summer made gumbo less and less appealing. We've come to love the taste of grilled okra - it's much less "slimy" than when cooked into stew and is perfect for dipping into sauces. It makes a great side dish to pretty much any protein!

Photo by the Migoni Kitchen.

For the sauce, we wanted something to really balance out the charred flavors. Lemon, mint, and parsley keep the sauce bright and fresh. Parmesan adds a bit of umami flavor and garlic balances it all out. It's honestly a great sauce for proteins as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Fresh Okra
• 1 Clove Garlic
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Mint
• 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
• ¼ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ Cup Toasted Pine Nuts

Instructions:

Combine garlic, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon parsley, mint, salt, pepper, and parmesan (reserve some for topping) into food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth and set aside.

Heat gas or charcoal grill to high heat.

Toss okra with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Using a grill basket or skewers, grill okra for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until well-charred. Remove from grill.

Drizzle mint sauce over okra and top with toasted pine nuts, reserved parmesan cheese and remaining fresh parsley.

Photo by the Migoni Kitchen.

Transplants growin' strong. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our staff photographer, Scott David Gordon, is back! Save the date for our long-awaited Fall Open House on Saturday, October 27! We're also having another Volunteer Day on Saturday, September 22nd, because the last one was so fun! Email the farm at farm@jbgorganic.com to RSVP!

More greens are making their way to the markets this weekend. Look for mustard greens, bok choy, our braising mix, and arugula for that sweet leafy-green hint of Fall.

Heat-loving basil. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Farm meeting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kohlrabi. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Black beauty and its blooms. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Black beauty harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplants in the greenhouse. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Japanese white turnips. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvesting the turnips. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Pollinators and the okra towers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Stunning squash. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Having fun in the lemongrass. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

For the first time ever in blog history, we took to social media to gather burning questions from the masses for our Head Farmer, Brenton Johnson. You threw inquiries ranging from musical preferences to specialized farming practices, and Brenton answers them all this week. Buckle up and get ready for some exciting and insightful ANSWERS!

Brenton in the greenhouse. Photo by Tamir Kalifa.

What's the best produce to grow in a home garden in Texas? And when do you plant it?

It really depends on your location, especially with the amount of shade or sun. If it's summertime and sunny - tomatoes are the tastiest, but not necessarily the easiest. You have to plant them at the right time, get plenty of sun + fertility, and nail down proper watering. The easiest to cultivate in Texas heat are peppers, eggplant, okra, and basil. The hardest for home gardeners are squash and zucchini because of the insect problem. Dang squash vine borers.

What do you do with avocados after they sprout? Transplant? Leave in water?

Avocados don’t really grow well in Austin - it’s too cold here. Save yourself the trouble and don’t try to grow avocados in Austin.

When should I plant sweet potatoes?

If you want to plant early and already have your own slips - start in April. The Natural Gardener might have slips for sale in April. However, If you are making your own slips - start 6 weeks ahead of time. We usually plant them in 2 inches of sandy soil and cover them with black plastic to warm up the ground. In a couple weeks, the slip will poke through the plastic (having grown about 2/3 inches), we snag them, and then we transplant them!

Sweet potatoes take about 100 days to mature and usually finish around November. So, the last planting day would be 100 or 110 days before November.

What works best in Dallas? For a home farm or just simple plants?

For a home farm get fruit trees started. The best ones for the Dallas area would be pomegranate, fig, persimmon, and Kiefer pear.

Does a full-time farmer ever get time off?

I use to work all the time because I loved it so much. Then I realized I was working my life away and worked myself out of a marriage.

I realized over the past couple of years, I need to take time off... this summer I've been to Alabama to sail with family, and just got back from ten days in Costa Rica surfing, zip lining, and having tons of adventures with my kiddos. It's been really important for me to try and balance work with play over the past few years. I've been blessed to go on some pretty awesome little journeys. In the beginning, you are building your business and working so hard. I have been full-time farming for 10 years now. Eventually, if you build a good team, everybody can take a break sometimes and folks can cover for other people.

On a recent trip to Alabama with family. Photo by Brenton Johnson.

Teamwork, yeah! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What do you think the minimum scale is for a farm to generate sustainable income for the farmer?

To be honest, a single person farm could probably make it. It's really dependent on the farmer and how good they are at making money. If you live in a good market, have strong direct sales to grocery stores and restaurants... you can definitely make a living. The better you are the smaller the farm can be.

It would desirable to at least have an acre or two, and not be SO small. As a part-time job, you can do with even less and make around $500 a week in a backyard garden selling to markets and what-have-you. Having some tools also make it less labor intensive, but with a really small space you aren't going to use (or more realistically have space for) a mini-Kubota, so you have to do it by hand which can be really tiring.

If you had a theme song, what would it be?

Rock You Like A Hurricane

What are your favorite sources of farming advice/information?

The bible for me is New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman. Another good one is How to Grow More Vegetables: Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons. Finally, grab Sustainable Vegetable Production From Start-Up to Market by Grubinger. Those are all invaluable reads.

Farm publications worth reading over.

What would you tell someone considering the move from backyard gardening to farming for the masses?

I will quote an old Grateful Dead song here, “keep your day job, until your night job pays.” That’s what I did at least. I worked a day job and kept my veggie job as a hobby. Then when I felt I could support my family, I made the leap. Educate yourself and talk to other farmers to get more insight. There is a great survey in the aforementioned Grubinger book that evaluates a bunch of lifestyle questions… check it out. It helps you make decisions and assesses if you are suited for farming as a career. It’s not easy running your own business... you will put in a lot more hours than if you were working for someone else.

Old photos from about 10 years ago at Hergotz.

Are you laying subsurface drip, if so, how do you lift it out?

Yes, we bury it an inch deep, so it's shallow enough where we can lift it out by hand.

How do you grow lettuce and spinach in this heat?

We don’t grow spinach just yet, and we are just starting lettuce now in the fields. We don’t grow outside the recommended windows of time (fall + winter). We push it sometimes, but not too much.

Any upcoming events at the farm?

Oh yes! Save the date for our Fall Open House on Saturday, October 27th! We are also having another Volunteer Day on Saturday, September 22nd because the last one was so much fun. E-mail the farm at farm@jbgorganic.com to RSVP! Spots go fast.

Do you ever meditate?

No, but I should. Does running count?

Brenton meditating?

What’s your favorite Grateful Dead song?

I honestly don't have a favorite. What a really enjoy about the Grateful Dead when I first discovered them was the experience and all the energy. I grew up in a conservative Alabama town, and the Grateful Dead was the complete opposite of everything I knew. I didn't like the music that much in the beginning, but it grew on me over time. They introduced me to so many different types of American music. They have so many elements of rock and roll, country, blues, disco, jazz in their music, and a gamut of slow songs, fast songs, everything in between. I also really enjoyed that you never knew/know what they are going to play. No show is ever the same. It all based on feeding off of each other and improvising. Kind of like we do at the farm... plans never work out in reality, so we just make things work with tons of improvisation.

Brenton 20 years ago in his Grateful Dead touring days.

What crop are you most excited about that is coming up, and what’s your fave way to cook?

The older I get, the healthier and spicier I like things. This year, I've been enjoying smoothies, soups, and a lot of veggie grilling. I've been incorporating those grilled veggies into other dishes as well. No matter what, I will always have a real strong affinity to Southern, Mexican, and Cajun cooking. I'm excited about cauliflower... it's coming soon! Looking forward to it.

Brenton making his famous fried green tomatoes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Cauliflower! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What crop improvements at the farm are you most proud of this year?

We put a LOT of research into veggie variety this year and changed some things up. We pored over seed catalogs and really tried to plan smart. Most notably, we ended up having some really good varieties of watermelon that were really successful in the field and at the market.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made farming this past year?

There have been so many of them - I can’t figure out which one is worth mentioning. It's how farming goes.

Why did you decide to farm organically?

Hmm, the main and top reason is for my kids’ and family’s overall health.

The Johnson kiddos a long time ago, eating organically and enjoyin' the farm life.

What is your favorite vegetable and what is your favorite field/area of the farm?

My favorite field would be the original 40 acres at Hergotz. That farm has great drainage, great soil, and is situated right by the river. My favorite vegetable is hard to choose. It always changes every year. I tend to favor the one that we have the best success with and has the best quality.

Do you think it’s possible to farm at scale without animal inputs?

Yes. You absolutely don't need any animal inputs to farm veggies. For us, instead of animal inputs for fertility in an organic system, you can buy nutrient-packed meal (like corn seed or alfalfa) or to save some cash (meal can be pretty pricey), you can grow your own fertility with cover crops.

My cover crop spiel: Lots of nutrients are left in the soil at the end of cropping cycles. For example, when we put down a layer of compost for a squash crop, the crop doesn’t necessarily utilize all the nutrients readily available in the soil during it’s life cycle. Nitrogen, an integral element for vegetable farming and all gardening in general, is water soluble so it’ll wash away (this is something that is especially important to note for us because our farm is situated next to a couple waterways); so, the cover crop will sop up the nutrients and fix the nitrogen for the next crop cycle. When we go through, mow, and till the crop back into the soil, microorganisms within the soil feed on the raw organic matter and break it down. The composted and broken down remains of the cover crops are known as humus, which is rich in minerals essential for plant health. All of this maintains a healthy microbiome in the soil, and if you maintain this, it helps prevent disease and benefits the next round of crops exponentially. Maintaining a healthy microbiome is a very important tenant in organic farming.

Sunn hemp is a popular cover crop. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What’s the hardest thing to grow?

A lot of things are hard to grow in Texas because the weather is so variable. Hard crops, we quit growing because they are so risky. For example, fall green beans and fall potatoes are really risky, so we just don't grow them anymore. Onions are the hardest because of insects and weather.

The great onion curing. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Thanks again for participating, folks! 'Til next time. 

Recipe and image by Nadia Tamby

This is a perfect dish to make when you have a lot of greens on hand.  Not only can you use the bag of baby mustard greens, but you can also trim the tops of turnips, radishes, beets, etc – and use them as well.  The coconut rice is versatile, and you can add other aromatics as well (think ginger, garlic, galangal, a couple Thai chilies…).  I had galangal root on hand (if I ever find it fresh, I slice it and freeze it…so technically I always tend to have it on hand).  This seemingly simple combo takes very little time to make and can be paired with any protein – from a fried egg (I love the runny yolk mixed into the rice) to grilled steak or salmon or pan-fried chicken.  I roasted tofu that I tossed in store-bought red curry paste for a very quick weeknight meal.



Coconut-Lemongrass Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1 cup coconut milk (or ½ cup water and ½ cup coconut cream)
• 1 lemongrass stalk (tough green parts removed, sliced into chunks)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear (this takes me about 3 iterations).  Combine all ingredients in a rice cooker and cook on the “white rice” setting.  Alternately, this can be made on the stovetop just as easily – bring it to a boil then turn to low heat and cover with a lid for 15 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and let the rice steam further for another 10 minutes.  Fluff with a fork!  Remove the lemongrass chunks (or just beware they aren’t pleasant to chew on – so let your guests know).

Braised Mustard Greens

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 thai chili, serrano pepper or jalapeno, chopped (optional)
• 1 bunch baby mustard greens, roughly chopped
• Other greens (if using – if the stems are long, use them but keep them separate from the leafy parts)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

Instructions:

You will want to chop the stalks and cook those with the garlic as they take a little more time than the leaves.  Keep the stalks and garlic separate and roughly chop the leaves.

Heat the olive oil up in a skillet on medium heat.  Add the garlic, chili (if using) and chopped stalks and sauté until softened and the garlic is lightly browned.  Then add the greens and toss until they have slightly wilted but are still a vibrant green.  Add the fish sauce and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.  If your greens are very tender – cook until just wilted and serve the greens with the extra liquid over the rice.

CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 10th

CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 10th

Large Box
Beet, Chioggia
Bok Choy
Carrot, Orange
Eggplant, Medley
Greens, Loose Bagged
Greens, Mizuna
Herb, Lemongrass
Herb, Spearmint
Pepper, Sweet Medley
Potato
Radish, Daikon Bunched
Squash, Farmer's Choice
Turnip, White Japanese

Farm travel. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Save the date for our long-awaited Fall Open House on Saturday, October 27! We're also having another Volunteer Day on Saturday, September 22nd. Email the farm at farm@jbgorganic.com to RSVP!

Lot's of mud and rain at the farm this week but the show must go on! See you at the markets this weekend.

Muddy roads. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Rows of radishes. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Morning harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Making Mizuna bunches. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Mizuna. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Montana's rainy day work. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Summer squash bloom. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Squash bloom with visitor. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Back'er up. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Lemongrass harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Lemongrass close-up. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Poppin' flats. The transplants need a little help to come out of the starter trays(flats). Photo by Scott David Gordon

Cucumber plants in front of squash. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Nice Zucchini. Photo by Scott David Gordon

By: Ada Broussard

Why do we work here?

The hours? For our staff in the fields, they can be brutal. We don’t work at JBG for the hours.  We were not drawn here for the farmer’s salary nor the glamorous conditions. The Texas summers are hot, and on a farm our size, the vast majority of our harvesting is done by hand. Have you been to our office? It’s a trailer. I took a cue from Brenton and call it a “mobile home” when giving directions to a new visitor, who I’m worried may or may not mistakenly arrive in heels. The hole under my chair is patched by an old piece of tin, and we’ve got rocks borrowed from the parking lot in the back of our printer trays to keep tension on the paper. There are piles of ancient Edible Austins, collections of seed catalogs, and old and made-to-look-old posters from farm events adorning our walls. The spiderwebs in the corners are the least of our worries because van 6 broke down on North Lamar and we’re missing a part for the green-bean sorter. There are always vegetables sitting on someone’s desk. Currently, I’ve got the innards of red and green bell peppers sitting next to me (mid-morning snack), and there is a spaghetti squash with sharpie faces drawn all over it on Casey’s desk.

Would I dare to have spent the past four (or five?) years working anywhere else? Hell no. I’ll happily travel east every morning, against the flow of Austin traffic, to the welcoming sound of barking dogs and Jerry Garcia blaring from the barn. The bend in the Colorado River southeast of downtown looks like a Labrador Retriever’s head, and I was delighted after working here for a while when Brenton told me that many folks actually refer to parcel of land, our Hergotz property, as the Doghead. We spend a lot of time at our jobs, often more time with co-workers than we do with our families, and on most days, this has been a delightful Doghead trailer to come home to.

When you work in the office of a farm, vegetables are your job. How we grow, pick, pack, and distribute vegetables are the equations that fill our days. The moments in between, at least at the Hergotz office, are often filled with discussions (and tastings) of what we do with the vegetables we grow, back at home in our kitchens. One eggplant, many recipes: Lucas’s baba ganoush versus Krishna’s Baingan Bharta. How do you eat like a farmer? There are at least as many different answers as there are full time employees here – about 100.

Brenton, Mike Mo and I all hail from Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, respectively. I see the biggest similarity in our food traditions. We all know the ins and outs of how to make a succotash, or a casual potato salad, or some pickled squash. We are all well-versed in Southern gas-station delicacies. Brenton grew up eating boiled peanuts from roadside stands, Mike Mo gawked at Koolickles, and a bag of cracklin was my car-ride snack when visiting grandparents 10 minutes west of my hometown. The unprompted, intense, and veracious fried chicken craving is a real force that Mike Mo and I both know, deeply. Are we pregnant? No, we’re just southern. I only buy pasture raised chicken, usually organic, ideally from a farmers’ market, except when I sneak away to Popeye’s… usually about four times a year, always around Mardi Gras or any other bout of homesickness. (Before you judge me, know that I’m not the only one who has an affinity for the occasional Popeye’s run.) 



I hit the jackpot when it comes to family food traditions. My mom prioritized sit-down, home-cooked dinners, every night. As kids, milk or water was our liquid of choice.  On a special occasion, we might be offered “red juice”, and on a very very special occasion, we might even be allowed a can of Coke. Somehow her limited grocery budget always included fresh flowers for the table. She recognized the opportunity for connection and healthy habits that could blossom around the supper table. My love of meals comes from my mom. My love of food and flavor comes from my dad, whose Cajun rice and gravy rivals any grandmaw’s from across Acadiana. (And to be clear, the gravy I’m talking about is different from the white, flour-based gravy that goes with biscuits, and is more of a sauce made from the prized bits leftover after browning a meat of some kind. Sandra seems to know what she’s talking about, if you’re looking for a recipe.)  A very finely chopped holy trinity gets cooked down low(ish) and slow, until it’s an unrecognizable pulp, propelling a savory mouth-experience like no other. Cajun food under our roof included the classics that probably come to mind like gumbo and étouffée , but other, everyday dishes got the same attention to seasoning and the resulting depth of flavor: lima beans and rice, corn maque choux, stuffed mirlitons (often called a choyote squash here in Texas) or a big pot of split pea soup. When my dad cooks these, they are inherently “Cajun” food, and inherently good food, the kind that makes me want to cry.



Mike Mo  and Brenton know a thing or two about Louisiana cooking (Brenton makes a mean red beans and rice!), but they might be prone to throw in some tomatoes to their jambalaya, gumbo, or étouffée. And though I’ve had perfectly fine jambalaya that included tomatoes, such an acidic addition would be considered blasphemy in my traditionally Cajun (versus Creole) house.

Casey is a pescatarian, and while I’m not sure that she’ll ever be able to relish in the first bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo of the season, her plate still overflowith. Casey arrives at Hergotz every morning with a perfectly prepared lunch, always made by her sweet husband, Brian. Whatever is on the menu for the day is packed in the cutest and most ergonomic of containers, almost always with a perfectly portioned nut cup for snacking. While the rest of us occasionally show up to work under prepared, using clipboards for cutting boards and relying our pantry staples of oil, vinegar, and salt to concoct something consumable with whatever vegetable is lying closest, Casey’s lunch is always there, because Brian is steadfast, and if that’s not an expression of love through food, I don’t know what is.

I’m not sure what Andrew eats. Less by design and more by circumstance, he seems to always be intermittently fasting (a diet which seems to be having a moment right now).  Andrew is on his feet, hustling, beginning at about 6:45 every morning. CSA boxes are carefully packed Tuesday-Friday because of his efforts. I think he waits to eat the majority of his calories when he leaves the farm, and though the caretaker in me worries about his energy levels, he’s often the happiest guy in the barn.

Though technically he doesn’t work at Hergotz anymore, I can always count on Matt during tomato season. After the first tomatoes of the season start to arrive in volume, like clockwork, there will be a large stainless bowl of freshly-made salsa in the breakroom… plus a few bags of El Milagro chips. For those that work in the barn, snagging a couple chip-dips is as easy as filling your water bottle. But for us office folks, we have to concoct far more elaborate excuses to be in the breakroom, having a snack attack, in the middle of the day on a Tuesday. Speaking of past employees whose lunchtime habits have left a lasting impression on me – thank you, Nellie, for teaching me the art of the desk-salad (aka, add goat cheese).  Sarah, your miso dressing turns any boring roasted vegetable or grain bowl into an actual meal, balanced with flavor and full of umami. Her recipe, in its original form, is included here for your enjoyment.



And Krishna! Where to begin with his food traditions!? Krishna grew up in Chennai, and cooks like the gracious Indian uncle you never had. If pointedly asked, Krishna will always bring a large tray full of an authentically-Krishna rice dish for lunch. The crowd favorite is his yogurt rice, served with what he calls a “tomato pickle“ and what I would describe as a boldly-spiced tomato paste. His “Yellow Rice” is chocked full of turmeric, toasted mustard seeds and coriander, sometimes cashews, and plenty of peppers – the sweet ones are sautéed, and a few serranos are fried until burnt and crispy. I’m sure I’m forgetting ingredients, but until I say farewell to JBG I’ll never actually need to know how to make this dish, and really just need to perfect how to ask for this dish. No matter what dish Krishna brings in to share, you can always assume that he was up at 5 am that morning, cooking it. If his 80-something year old, spunky, jet-ski operating mom is visiting from India, there’s a good chance she’s up early in the morning helping Krishna with the vegetable prep to feed the farmers she’s never met.

We're all scavengers – seeking out and sharing bounty when it hits. Tracy is our barn manger, and also the leader of these calorie-seeking expeditions. I know I’m not the only person at Hergotz who will occasionally bring extra food to make sure our valiant and gracious leader is fed. Someone made a huge pot of beans last night? Bean and veggie tacos for all. Spoils from weekend farmers' markets often include delicious loafs of bread from Texas French Bread, and when someone is especially unprepared for lunch there's always a jar of mayonnaise in the fridge and (literal) tons of vegetables in the cooler. If you've never had a mayo, cucumber, arugula, pepper, tomato, onion, squash, basil, zucchini sandwich then you're really missing out.



The seasonal pulse of this place can be exhausting and stressful at times, and for the majority of our employees, this job is supremely physical. Lunchtime is a retreat from the sun, and a chance to take a breather. Here at Hergotz, our tiny breakroom and the food shared there is part of the fun of this job, and for me, is one of the reasons why I work here. Or wait, is it the people? They all blend together to me at this point, all well-seasoned. And I’d love to think that this is by design, a part of my comprehensive employee-wellness plan, but really, this is just what happens when you have a bunch of hungry farmers with access to quality ingredients under one barn roof. Cooking food for my family and friends is an expression of love that comes very easily to me. All of this is simply to say that I feel enormously grateful that my love of community, family, and food has found a home within the walls of our Hergotz trailer…..err mobile home.

 

Feral Hog Friday Carnitas

As some of you may know, wild hogs are an intermittent pest at JBG, as well as at many other farms across the state.  So tonight, I’m going to cook up some of this sustainable, healthy, and delicious protein for the Hergotz barn crew. Friday is for feasting.  The gigantic frozen block of mystery-cuts is currently defrosting in my fridge, and by this evening it will be ready for a slow roast in the oven. Thank you Temo and Vicente for the meat.

*This is less of a recipe, and more of a plan of action.

Ingredients:

• About 3 lbs of wild hog, or pork shoulder. Lucky (or unlucky…) for us, this hog has been feasting on organic butternut squash, watermelon, onions and beets.
• A couple of yellow or white onions
• If you have sweet peppers, throw those in too
• Cumin, salt, and oregano
• Either 2 limes or 1 orange

To Serve: HEB or El Milagro Tortillas, Jesse Griffith's Jalapeno-Salsa, some pickled onions, and fresh cilantro. If I’m feeling decadent, maybe some avocados. I’ll have to swing by HEB to grab tomatoes and cilantro, but other than that, this is a pretty homegrown meal.

Plan of attack:

Chop up a couple of onions, and maybe some peppers if you have a plethora, and put them at the bottom of dutch oven. I’ll be using my magnalite. Toss with a scant amount of neutral oil. Cut up your pork into 2 or 3-inch cubes, and season well with salt, cumin, oregano and maybe a bit of cinnamon or chili powder if you’re feeling wild. Nestle this on top of your onions. Squeeze the juice of a couple of limes or one orange on top of your pork and onion nest, and cook, covered, in a 275 degree oven for about 3 or 3 ½ hours, or until fork tender.  Consider removing your llid for the last 45 or so minutes of cooking. *If there isn’t much fat on your cuts of pork, you may need to add a bit of braising liquid to your pot or a quick glug of oil. Basically, you just want to make sure your meat doesn’t burn before its own fat renders.

Gather friends, and eat.

CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 17th

CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 17th

Large Box
Beet, Red
Bok Choy
Carrot, Orange
Eggplant, Medley
Greens, Sweet Potato
Herb, Thyme
Onion, Multiplying
Pepper, Jalapeno
Potato, Sweet
Radish, Watermelon
Squash, Butternut
Squash, Farmer's Choice

Recipe and Image by Megan Winfrey

This week, I was inspired by fellow blogger Nadia's latest recipe. I made her coconut lemongrass jasmine rice paired with stir fry veggies and the BEST frozen dumplings EVER from Costco. If you're a Costco regular and a fan of dumplings, I highly recommend adding these to your shopping list. They take 2 minutes to steam in the microwave and come with a delicious sweet-soy dipping sauce.

Lemongrass & Ginger Stir-Fry

For the rice, here are Nadia's instructions.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1 cup coconut milk (or ½ cup water and ½ cup coconut cream)
• 1 lemongrass stalk (tough green parts removed, sliced into chunks)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear (this takes me about 3 iterations).

Combine all ingredients in a rice cooker and cook on the “white rice” setting. Alternatively, this can be made on the stovetop just as easily – bring it to a boil then turn to low heat and cover with a lid for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the rice steam further for another 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork! Remove the lemongrass chunks (or just beware they aren’t pleasant to chew on – so let your guests know).

For the stir-fry:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped carrots
• 1 medium onion, sliced thinly
• 1 green and 1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbs. minced fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp. chili paste with garlic
• 2 tbs. lime juice
• 2 tbs. sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp. soy sauce

Combine chili paste, lime juice, and sugar in a small bowl and mix until the sugar has dissolved.

Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick wok or deep skillet over medium-high until it starts to smoke.

Once the oil is very hot, add the chili paste mixture and stir for about 1 minute.

Add all of the vegetables and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add the stock, coconut milk, and soy sauce and continue cooking over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender but still crisp. Serve over lemongrass coconut rice.

Japanese turnip harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The ample rainfall this past week really threw a linchpin in plans. We've had to rearrange planting schedules to make things work as planting in the rain is quite difficult. We gratefully welcome the rain and cooler temperatures though! We are hiring for the wholesale crew, and are happily welcoming some new volunteers at the barn. Ever wanted to volunteer or work at the farm? Check out volunteer info here, and job information here. See you at markets this weekend!

Early morning tractor work. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Readying transplants. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Readying transplants. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Readying transplants. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Eggplant blooms. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Eggplant harvest towers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Preparing beds. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Gettin' meta and preparing beds for fall crops. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bok choy bunches. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bok choy harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dandelion green details. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Japanese turnips freshly harvested. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Colorful CSA line. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Volunteers! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Ever made it out to our farm? If your answer is a resounding no, you're in luck! Our Fall Open House is just around the corner. As the temperatures cool, we always like to invite the community out to experience the magic of our River Road farm, laden with greener fall crops. Throw those sweaters on and bring the whole family to enjoy some farm-tastic exploration on Saturday, October 27th. Starting from 4:30 and running until dark, you'll find that our 200-acre farm haven sidled up alongside the Colorado River is only a quick 25 minutes away from downtown Austin, yet feels worlds away with its ample quiet and vast spaces.

Enjoying a fall open house farm tour. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tractor fun times. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bring your family and friends, a picnic and a couple of cold ones, and join us! JBG staff will be on site giving farm tours. This year's farm tour will include a tour of Farmshare Austin, a neighboring nonprofit that teaches folks to farm, increases food access, and preserves farmland. Additionally, there will be numerous tractors and a mammoth sand-pile for the young (or young at heart) to conquer. Our friends at Tiny Tails to You will be on site with some critters, and we'll have some spooky art projects, too. Want to get a little exercise? Forego the tractor-tour, and peruse our fields with a self-guided walking tour instead. Get those steps in! Rather get your zen on? We will be hosting a yoga class for those who are more keen to stretch and breathe in that fresh air. If picnics aren't your cup of tea, the Ginger Armadillo food truck will be around to satiate grumblin' tummies with the most delectable fare.

Picnics. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sand pile good times. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Amidst rows of lettuce and fields of carrots, we'll set up a small market stand highlighting the season's best. CSA Members: you have the option to pick up your CSA share at the Open House (pick up your veggies straight from where they're grown... we think that's pretty cool!). To reschedule your delivery and pick up at the Open House, shoot us an email (farm@jbgorganic.com). We are still looking for volunteers for this event, too. Email ada@jbgorganic.com if you'd like to lend a hand!

Schedule line up from last year. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our farm is truly beautiful this time of year, and we can't wait to share it with you. This event is free and open to the public, so bring a friend. Please leave your pups at home! See you at the farm! RSVP here.

Fall open house last year. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Becky leading a tour. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 24th

CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 24th

Large Box
Beet, Red
Bok Choy
Cucumber
Eggplant, Medley
Greens, Dandelion
Herb, Lemongrass
Kohlrabi, Purple
Okra
Pepper Bell, Green
Potato, Sweet
Radish, Red
Squash, Farmer's Choice

Servings: 4 / Total Time: 40 minutes / Author & Photographer: The Migoni Kitchen

Both of us share a love for spicy foods, and one of our favorite cuisines is Indian food. Unfortunately, we don't have a ton of great Indian restaurants near us, so we have tried our hand at some Indian recipes at home. One of our favorites snacks are these Aloo Tikki, or spicy fried potato patties. We often get them for an appetizer at Indian restaurants. We opted to pan fry these instead of deep frying to cut down a bit on the calories, and served them with a simple herbed chutney to cut through the spiciness. It's the perfect side dish to any protein - we like to make them with Tandoori grilled chicken or shrimp!

Ingredients:

Mint Chutney:

• 1/2 Cup Fresh Mint
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro
• 1 Clove Garlic
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 1 Teaspoon Ginger, Grated
• 1.5 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne

Aloo Tikki:

• 3-4 Medium Red Potatoes Peeled and Quartered
• 1 Medium onion Diced
• 3 Jalapenos Diced
• 2 Cloves garlic Minced
• 1 Teaspoon Ginger Grated
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro Chopped
• 1/2 Cup Green Peas
• 1.25 Teaspoons Garam Masala
• 1/4 Teaspoon cayenne
• 1.5 Teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 Cup Unseasoned Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 Cup olive oil

Instructions:

Mint Chutney

Add all of the ingredients for the chutney into a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Aloo Tikki

Bring a large pot of water to boil and season generously with salt.

Add chopped potatoes and boil for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside in a large mixing bowl.

While the potatoes are cooking, add diced onion, garlic, and jalapeno into a saucepan with olive oil over medium heat and cook about 5 minutes or until translucent. Set aside.

Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and garam masala to the boiled potatoes.

Mash well with potato masher or fork.

Next, add in chopped cilantro, peas, ginger, cooked onions, garlic, and jalapenos. Stir well with a wooden spoon.

Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Using your hands, form the potato mixture into 3 inch wide patties.

Spread breadcrumbs out onto a large plate. Coat each patty well with the breadcrumbs.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add patties in gently and cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Serve with chutney.

Barton Creek Farmers Market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Things are cooling down in week 39, with us farm folk reveling in the breezy fall temperatures. Greens like kale, collards, and bok choy are making their long-awaited return at the markets, with more coming soon. Our uber-talented and massively integral staff photographer, Scott David Gordon, has been with us officially for 8 years! We treasure all that he does week after week, and our farm memories certainly wouldn't be as beautiful without his highly-trained, compositional eye! So, thanks, Scott for sticking with us... we sure do appreciate you!

Quick reminder: save the date for our Fall Open House on Saturday, October 27th from 4:30 - sundown. RSVP here. 

Hues of the farmers market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplant trailer on the move. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Loosening transplants. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplant crew. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our head farmer, Brenton, loosening transplants. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplanter tractor. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplanter from the back. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvest trailer hangs. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Stocking up the transplanter with transplants to go in the ground. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The stunning colors of a growing eggplant. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bok choy harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Nutrient-rich soil. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Radish harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kohlrabi purple. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Imagine a bustling barn: volunteers chatting and sorting carrots, Devon preparing a box truck to head to that day's market, Hunter spraying down some muddy potatoes from yesterday's harvest, Lena packing beets to head to a wholesaler, the CSA line methodically prepping boxes for that day's delivery, and Tracy rearranging the cooler for maximum efficiency. Days can differ massively from one day to the next at the barn. One day, there will be insurmountable and constant issues, and the next will be as easy as apple pie. Regardless of the inevitably inconsistent challenges that farm life poses, there is one staple in the barn that everyone can count on (unless the power goes out), and that, my friends, is music. Connecting music-playing devices via an auxiliary tape deck adapter, farmers play their preferred tunes through an old 2-cassette Sony boombox covered in cobwebs and dirt, and stuffed with jalapenos, of course.

Barn Boombox.

The daily DJ changes from one day to the next, depending on who's on duty and what time it is; however, the person who finds himself in charge of barn tunes most frequently is Andrew Thompson, our beloved CSA Packing Line Manager (a position integral in quality control of the CSA boxes a lot of us look forward to every week). Hailing from a town neighboring Indianapolis, Andrew is a guitar-playing vocalist, who attributes his wide-ranging musical tastes to his family members' diverse album collection growing up.

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

When we spoke to Andrew, it was a cloudy Thursday morning, and "Zankoku Jyioshi" by MANABE was wafting through the cool barn air as folks went about their morning tasks. Think: extremely chill Japanese instrumental music that paired perfectly with the weather and general mood - just what you never knew you needed on one of the coolest mornings in September yet. "It's kind of like playing live music to a room you've never played to before, you really have to feel it out." When asked about his musical selection that morning, he added, "It's a cloudy day, so you have to ease people into the more rock 'n roll stuff, which is what I always want to play. I've got roots in rock 'n roll."

Barn vibes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Despite mentioning his personal preferences, he considers the mood of everyone in the barn when deducing what to play. "I don't play music just on how I'm feeling, it's more of a collective decision. We all work so closely together, we can all sense when one person is stressed and needs to listen to an album they really like." With a large group of folks and a vast array of preferences, things get really interesting when other JBGers take the DJ reins. Nicky loves rock 'n roll, Tracy is keen on electronica, and Collette jams out to the country tunes. When asked a universal fave of the barn? Willie Nelson, of course.

Tracy rearranging flowers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Even though researchers have mixed opinions on music and productivity, there is a strong consensus at the Hergotz barn: music directly aids in getting work done. When people are in a bad mood, throw on some sing-along classics to pump up the vibe. When it's a cheery Friday, throw on some soul for farmers to groove along to. Slow Monday? Put on some modern folk tunes to get the toes tappin'. Rainy? The blues pair well with an afternoon deluge. When the internet/power was on the fritz for a couple of days last week, the barn populace was in a noticeably worsened mood and work was just a little bit more difficult with the lack of tunes. Andrew adds, "man, we were going crazy."

So, for your easy Friday listening, we present to you 4 playlists that we adore and play regularly at the Hergotz barn. These were curated by Andrew Thompson himself, our resident DJ. See for yourself if they help your productivity! 'Til next time.