CSA Box Contents Week of Apr 1st

CSA Box Contents Week of Apr 1st

Large Box
Beet, Chioggia
Bok Choy
Carrot, Rainbow
Greens, Arugula
Greens, Chard, Rainbow
Greens, Kale, Curly
Herb, Fennel
Herb, Thyme
Lettuce, Romaine
Radish, Red
Turnip, Rutabaga

Recipe and Photos by Megan Winfrey

Nobody asked anyone to combine spaghetti and collard greens with the concept of enchiladas, but I did it anyway. When you assemble ingredients that already go together in a new way, how could you fail?! This was so fun to make, incredibly tasty, and felt much lighter than eating a bowl full of spaghetti. I will definitely be making this dish all summer long!

Baked Spaghetti Collard Green Wraps

• 1 bunch of collard greens - bigger leaves are best
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tbs. dried oregano
• 1 tbs. dried thyme
• 1 24oz. can whole tomatoes, divided in half
• a handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
• a handful of fresh oregano leaves, chopped
• 3-4 servings spaghetti noodles
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper, to taste

This recipe requires some multitasking, but nothing too crazy!

Remove the thick stems from the collard greens. I cut the stems out from the middle of each leaf, down, leaving the top half of the leaf whole. Stack the prepped leaves on top of each other and set aside. Separate the whole canned tomatoes into 2 bowls, then squeeze the tomatoes with your hands until they reached a crushed consistency. Mix the fresh herbs into one of the bowls of tomatoes and set both aside.

Next, fill a pasta pot with water and set it on high heat to boil. Then, add the olive oil to a heavy bottom skillet and heat over medium-high. Cook the onions and bell peppers until soft but not yet translucent. Add the turkey and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes or until the turkey is cooked through. Stir in dried herbs with the crushed tomatoes without fresh herbs, lower to a simmer, and let thicken while the rest of the dish comes together and season to taste.

Once the water in the pasta pot is boiling, take the stack of collard greens and lower them into the pot, pushing them down with a spoon to submerge. Let boil for about 5 minutes, submerging the leaves when necessary, until they are tender but still a vibrant green. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Keep the water boiling and add the spaghetti noodles to the same pot. Cook to al dente then drain into a colander.

So, the meat sauce is thickening, the collard greens and spaghetti are cooling. Now, add the remaining bowl of crushed tomatoes and fresh herbs to a small saucepan and heat over low. Preheat the oven to 375.

Time to assemble. Clear off your cutting board and lay down a collard leaf. Layer one half of the cut part over the other, effectively closing the gap where the stem was. Lay a small nest of spaghetti noodles down in the middle of the leaf, then top with a spoonful of meat sauce and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. These should all sit right in the center of the leaf with room on all sides. Fold like a burrito, bringing the bottom of the leaf up over the filling, tucking in the sides, then rolling once over to form a log. Continue this process with the rest of the collard greens, laying the wraps side by side in a baking dish as you go.

Once all of the greens have been stuffed and wrapped, cover each one with the warm, herby tomato sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese evenly over everything, then finish off with a dusting of nutritional yeast.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and starting to brown a bit. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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 runs 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!

We will miss you, CASEY!!! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Morgan (Farmer's Market Superstar)

Since my days as a farm girl in Nebraska, Jenny Lewis has voiced the soundtrack to my life. As she grows in success and shines, I like to think so do I...or at least try my best to emulate her hair, style, voice, honesty, and self-assuredness.

DON'T MISS her tour as it rolls through Austin on 4/6... On the Line is a solid record (the first she has solo-written since Rabbit Fur Coat) and features bunches of my rock heroes (Beck and Ringo, anyone?). If you're lookin' for your next girl crush, come fall hard with me at the Moody Theatre on Saturday.

Jenny Lewis!

Megan Winfrey (Recipe Developer)

We've entered my favorite time of year, and I'm beyond excited for summer weather, summer produce, swimming, camping, and wearing shorts again! But until we get there I'm savoring these mosquito free evenings by grilling on the porch, getting the yard into shape, and eating all the crawfish. There are two crawfish events coming up that have me super jazzed. First, this Saturday, Hank's is boiling up 1,200 lbs. of crawfish to celebrate their 1st anniversary! There will be a bouncy house and cotton candy for the kids, live music, and it's rain or shine! Hank's is a neighborhood establishment for us, so catch me there in my rainboots, slurpin' on some mudbugs!



Then the weekend of April 26th, we'll be at the Llano Crawfish Open, which we've gone to nearly every year for over a decade. They boil over 18,000 lbs. of crawfish right on the banks of the Llano river. Cheap beer, two-stepping to live country bands, amazing vendors, and supporting the local special education program all make for a great Hill Country weekend.

Hector (Social Media Guru)

The lovely Jenny Lewis will visit our city this Saturday 6th at the Moody Theater. She's on tour for her latest album, On The Line. Perfect for a date night or just to listen to this talented chanteuse live. There are still tickets available!

The Weird Homes Tour is happening again in Austin on April 20th. Check out the strange, funky or just plain unique homes in our lovely city.

BookPeople is hosting T. Kira Madden, an amazing queer biracial essayist, and photographer, for the release of her memoir Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls. The event will be at their store on April 9th at 7 PM.

Fans of Game of Thrones and the Songs of Ice and Fire books should check this pop-up art show in San Antonio's The Brick at Blue Star Arts Complex on 4/17! Hugo Award-winner John Picacio, whose designs were used for casting some of the TV series actors, will be there with works by Hamilton King Award-winner John Jude Palencar and many other amazing artists. Get pumped for the last season of GoT with this exhibit!

Fawn (Farmers Market Coordinator)

This song. It's been around for a while but I recently found it, and it has been playing in my head ever since.

I'm also enjoying listening to an audio copy of Wendell Berry's Jayber Crow. I am whisked away to a mid-20th-century small town community. I can't say I'm not nostalgic for this simpler time, one more connected to the earth.

Heydon (Farm Writer)

I just got back from a 30th b'day Mediterranean cruise that started in Rome, bopped down to Sicily and Malta, over to Spain and France, and then had two more stops in fair Italia. My pick this month is ITALY. I mean, whoa. The food, the people, the wine, the architecture... I can't get enough. I have a newfound respect for the versatility of artichokes, the nuttiness of pesto, all the different kinds of focaccia, and all the nuances of pasta. I'm OBSESSED. We delved into the subtleties of Grappa and I had my drink of choice, Prosecco, for the first time ever in its homeland! I could go on forever.

I brought my camera and had the best time getting lost in the narrow, gorgeous streets of all the amazing European towns. And oh my stars, THE SAGRADA FAMILIA in Barcelona! Stunner, for sure. Definitely ticked off one on the bucket list wandering around in that basilica.

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures. Check more out here.

Isaac in the Sagrada Familia. Photo by Heydon Hatcher.

View from our table in an osteria nestled in La Vucciria, Palermo's oldest open-air market. Photo by Heydon Hatcher.

Vatican Museums. Photo by Heydon Hatcher.

Ada (CSA and Marketing Manager)

I recently celebrated my 30th birthday (woohoo!) and went to the Frio River with some of my dearest friends on this earth. I'm feeling excited and hopeful for this Spring season. My pick is the river, and all of the other bodies of water that I plan to inhabit now that it's warm!!

Ada's b'day peeps!

Shameless plug for my side-hustle Home Made! This is a super cool and super fun meal prep club. Check out our website here, and read more about the project here.

Last, I would just like to give a shout out to our wonderful CSA Administrator Casey. She's been with the farm for several years now but is leaving the farm to start new adventures (a family!). We're excited to welcome our new CSA Admin, Faith, to the crew. CSA Members: please help us welcome Faith to the CSA Family!

We love you, Casey!

Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The Spring Harvest Festival has come and gone! A huge thanks to all the farm friends who made it out to such a fun-filled celebration of the change in seasons. We are SO grateful for Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys for making the trip from Lafayette and blowing us away with an amazing performance. Ada certainly got some dancin' in!

Ada dancin'. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Brenton and our trusty volunteers were busy cookin' up a delectable feast of gumbo, jambalaya, and crawfish for the masses. We felt like we'd been transported to Louisiana once we took a bite of his dishes! The kiddos played hard in the sandpile, drew all over Casey's chalkboard car, jumped on the trampoline, and painted to their hearts' content with our art teacher, Kathryn. Our farm community got to wander on self-guided tours of the fields and relish the verdant spring beauty of the farm.

Cooking up a storm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Thanks again to everyone who made it out and our amazing volunteers! We are so grateful for the support of our community and couldn't do what we do without you!

Chalkboard car. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Farmshare educating the masses! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Longtime farm friends. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Barn manager, Tracy, and his fam. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The last of the transplant sale. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Trampoline fun! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Barn hangs. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Drummin' hard and singin' too! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Arts corner. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Field tours. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Farm fam! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

More trampoline fun. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Mudbugs going in! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

YUM! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Brenton cooking! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Gorgeous crawdads. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Cuties! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

CSA Box Contents Week of Apr 8th

CSA Box Contents Week of Apr 8th

Large Box
Beets X 2
Bok Choy
Carrots X 2
Greens, Collards
Greens, Mustard
Greens, Salad Mix
Herb, Dry
Onion, Spring White
Radish, Black Spanish

Author: The Migoni Kitchen / Servings: 1 Cups / Total Time: 5 minutes

We have loved getting a box of fresh vegetables every week with our CSA membership. We get carrots often and usually get the carrot top greens as well. The greens are beautiful and we feel terrible just throwing them out so we often use them to make a delicious carrot top pesto. There are so many variations on pesto that we’ve tried. The most traditional Italian pesto is hand chopped and contains basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil. This definitely produces a deliciously bright pesto, but pine nuts can be pricey and basil is not the only herb that lends itself well to a pesto. You can use parsley, arugula, spinach, and of course, carrot tops, and still get a delicious pesto.



Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Carrot Tops
• 1 Cup Fresh Basil
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1/3 Cup Walnuts Or other nuts of your choice
• 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Add your walnuts to a small saucepan over low-medium heat and toast for about 5-7 minutes or until gently browned. Shake the pan every 30 seconds or so to prevent them from burning.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Add the toasted nuts along with the remaining ingredients except for the salt and pepper to your food processor or blender.

Pulse lightly until the ingredients are well incorporated.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Store in an airtight jar for up to 1 week in the fridge.

Transplants going in the ground. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

During this gorgeous week, we are busy with the usual farm business of transplanting and harvesting veggies. One of our old farm managers, Jason Hamelwright, stopped by with a gaggle of his students from Calhoun High School to volunteer! It was wonderful to see him and the students were very hard-working and eager to learn. It's forecasted to be a rainy Saturday, but we will be open at all markets rain or shine. Come support your local farmer!

We are now offering volunteer opportunities on Saturdays! Devon, our market coordinator, needs someone who is willing to help organize Saturday market returns and assist in getting everything set up for the Sunday markets. We are looking for someone to help out from 2:30 to 6:30 and you would, of course, be given a box of veggies to take home and enjoy. Email us at farm@jbgorganic.com if you are interested. Lots of heavy lifting and time spent in walk-in coolers involved!

We're excited to welcome a new vehicle to our delivery fleet - a 24-foot refrigerated truck! But, we need help to get this thing in proper delivery shape. Help us paint this baby!! Our first painting volunteer day will be on Tuesday, April 16th from 4-7pm at our 9515 Hergotz Lane location. Volunteers should have some experience painting or be artistically inclined. If you'd like to join us on April 16th, please email Ada at ada@jbgorganic.com with "Painting Volunteer" in the subject line. Please make sure to mention what experience you have wielding a paintbrush. Per usual, all volunteers are thanked with a CSA box of veggies!

Transplant beauties. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Teamwork. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Gorgeous lettuce. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Stunning greens. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kohlrabi. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Collard harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Collard harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Jason Hamelwright, an old farm manager, with his students from Calhoun High School in Port LaVaca. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The students preparing to volunteer harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Brenton teaching the students. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Learning at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Having a great time! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

This week, we are revisiting and mapping out some of our favorite blog posts (along with a couple videos and a Statesman article) covering a gamut of helpful and informative topics regarding all things JBG. Wondering about the history of tomatoes? How about what the entire process from seed to market of a crop looks like? Or maybe you were wondering about pro tips on how to increase your produce's longevity... it's all covered below!

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

GROWING PRACTICES

• Here is a blog post about our growing practices.
• Here is a post explaining our production from seed to market (broccoli!).
• Here is a post about some of our farm machinery and systems for increased efficiency.
• Here is a post about cover crops at JBG.
• Here is a short post about weeds at the farm.
• Here is a post about Gap Audit + NICS certification.
• Here is a post about what it means to be certified organic (similar to above).
• Here is a post that may answer some questions about the use of plastic on the farm.
• Here is a post about the day in the life of our planting crew.

"The green bean picker - this machine’s sole purpose is to pick green beans. The reason for that is that it’s super labor intensive to pick all those little green beans that are hiding in leaves. With three people we can harvest large swaths of green bean crops that would otherwise take us all day plus a lot more people." - excerpt from Farm Machinery and Efficiency.

HISTORY + CULTURE

• Here is a flashback blog post we did.
• Here is a post where Brenton answered lots of questions from social media.
• Here is a little about us video.
• Here is a video about Brenton, head farmer, and founder.
• Here is that farmer to farmer podcast episode featuring Brenton + JBG.
• Here is a post written by the farm dogs.
• Here is a post about the music at Hergotz.
• Here is a post about some volunteers.
• Here, here, here, and here are examples of a series of "CSA Member Spotlight" we do.
• Here and here are examples of a series of "First Friday Staff Picks" that we do.
• Here are a bunch of quotes from CSA Members about their JBG experience.

"Missoula, Chucha, and Roxy are our three dreamboat farm pups, and they are so ingrained in the farm lifestyle that we would absolutely be lost without them. They serve as emotional support during those long and stressful farm days, entertainment when someone’s in dire need of a smile, companionship for farm walks long or short, and an endless supply of friendly tail wags to anyone who graces the farm. First, we will hand off the mic to Roxy." -excerpt from Farm Dog Spotlight.

CSA TIPS

• Here is a post with lots of storage recommendations for produce. This can also be found on the veggie guide.
• Here is a post about summer CSA Hacks.
• Here is a post about the necessary servings of fruits and veggies.
• Here is a post about getting your garden prepped for transplants.
• Here is a bit of info about our Referral Program.
• Here is some information about donating your share instead of postponing it.
• Here are some reasons to join the CSA.

"Get yourself a good knife. The one I have, I’ve had since my college years, and I (and Hunter) sharpen often" -Megan on CSA Hacks.

PARTNERSHIPS

• Here is an article about one of our favorite partnerships that we have - with our local school district!
• Here is a post about our Sponsored Share program with The Settlement Home.
• Here and here are posts about some of our restaurant partners.

"My first introduction to local farmers was through Johnson's Backyard Garden, back when y’all were extremely small. Brent was at all the Farmers Markets himself, and hosting everybody on the farm very often. So, that's why I still do business with JBG... it's really special to me, and I think a lot of the product is just really amazing." - Gabe Erales from Dai Due Taqueria.

VEGETABLES

**What varieties we grow can change every season... so, there may be certain varieties that we don't grow anymore, and others that aren't included in these posts.

• Here and here are posts about all the different peppers we grow!
• Here is a post about why we don't grow pumpkins.
• Here is a post about all the radishes we grow.
• Here is a post about some of the Asian greens we grow.
• Here is a post all about our onion production.
• Here is post about melon varieties we often grow.
• Here is a post about tomatoes - history, varieties, and more.
• Here is a post about carrots - history, fun facts, and more.

"The watermelon radish, named for it’s magenta-pink striated inside similar in hue to that of a watermelon, has a pale exterior with some green coloring at the top of the root. It has a peppery taste that is mild, and a succulent crunch. Nature's neon vegetable, and natural source of Vitamin C - here for an immune boost if you're feeling low." -excerpt from Ravishing Radishes.

Position Title: (Temp.) Farm Administrator Location: Garfield, TX Reports To: Farm Manager Schedule: Full-Time. Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30 pm

 

Role Overview: Supports the Farm Owner/Farm Manager and Operations Manager with administrative and human resources related tasks. This is a temporary position with the approximate dates beginning immediately until approximately May 31st. This applicant for this should be an excellent communicator and have strong customer service skills. There may be opportunities for future work after this contract position terminates.

Farm Operations:

• Coordinate and schedule, restroom, facility clean up, pick up of waste bins, plastic waste bin
• Coordinate CSA box deliveries for staff, volunteers and members.
• Coordinate courier and special deliveries
• Assist Farm Manager and and Assistant Farm Manager as needed. This may include scheduling appointments, managing calendar, drafting email responses, and getting time-sensitive documents signed.
• Periodically will be required to run errands to pick up parts, supplies, or transport employees or vehicles

Communication:

• Greet farm visitors including CSA members, volunteers, etc.
• Answer office phones. 
• Receive packages, shipment and mail correspondence-check mailbox daily. 
• Notify management of all relevant incoming deliveries.
• Submit purchase invoices to Finance Officer.

Asset Liquidation:

• Prepare and post written ads with photographs on Craigslist and other venues to assist in liquidating farm assets.

Human Resources:

• Support Operations Manager in processing of workmen's compensation claims Orientation for new employees and assign supplies, rain gear, radio (if needed), etc. plus enroll qualifying employees in CSA program
• Keep record of employee time changes, days off, etc.(Information received from their Manager)  
• Assist Operations manager to ensure payroll is accurate.
• Assist employees with any HR questions and concerns - run it by their Manager and Operations Manager.  

Qualifications Required

• Highly organized with excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Self-directed worker, effective in both independent and collaborative settings
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to multi-task
• An interest in agriculture and promotion of local and organic farming
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Docs
• Skilled at typing and writing

Preferred

• Previous experience as an administrator or administrative assistant
• Spanish fluency

 

Physical Requirements

• Ability to repeatedly lift 50 lbs
• Ability to repeatedly kneel, bend, and squat
• Ability to withstand exposure to varying weather condition
• Ability to withstand prolonged standing or walking

 

Compensation & Benefits: Pay:  $13/hr.  Paid bi-weekly.

 

Directions for Applying: Please send an email to jobs@jbgorganic.com with a resume and a brief cover letter.

 

JBG Organic provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, marital status, or sexual orientation.

CSA Box Contents Week of Apr 15th

CSA Box Contents Week of Apr 15th

Large Box
Beets
Carrots X 2
Greens, Chard, Rainbow
Greens, Kale, Curly
Greens, Spinach
Herb, Cilantro
Herb, Dry
Kohlrabi, Purple
Onion, Spring Yellow
Radish
Turnip, White Japanese

Photos and Recipe by Ada Broussard

Preparing food over a campfire is a great practice in simplifying your cooking, and letting a few (quality) ingredients shine. We love simple and vegetable-driven cooking at Club Home Made, and this recipe is just that. Enjoy!

Campfire carrots.

Ingredients:

• Carrots - If they're small carrots, keep them whole. For larger carrots, slice in half lengthwise. Depending on the grill, keeping the carrots large will help you avoid losing carrots to the fire gods.
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Acid of choice - I prefer a squeeze of lemon, but any vinegar would work, too.
• Optional: Toppings like carrot-top pesto, Greek yogurt, shaved Parmesan, or freshly chopped herbs and nuts.

How to:

Make fire! Most good campfire cooking happens over hot coals, not roaring flames.

Wash and prep carrots. Small carrots can be kept whole, larger carrots sliced lengthwise. If the carrots still have their greens on them, you can trim these, keeping about 1-2 inches of green stem attached. Not only is this bit delicious, but it makes for a convenient handle while camping.

Drop carrots into a pot of boiling and highly salted water for just about 2-5 minutes. They should still be pretty firm when done. Skip this step if it seems too fussy. Remove carrots from water, dry, and toss with olive oil and salt.

Place carrots on a hot grill, and cook turning a few times, until carrots are al dente. Depending on your carrots and depending on your fire, this will take anywhere from 15-35 minutes. Drink beer whilst waiting. Transfer carrots to a bowl, and toss with a bit of acid to taste. These are delicious enjoyed both hot and at room (outdoor?) temperature.

If you're making these while camping, par-boil your carrots at home, and bring pre-chopped and pre-(par)boiled and carrots in a Ziploc or tightly sealed Tupperware already tossed with salt and oil. If you don't have a grill, carrots wrapped in double layers of aluminum foil and a big pad of butter cook well over hot coals. Save leftover carrots from dinner, and enjoy for breakfast on a tortilla with a scrambled egg, maybe some canned corn and spicy salsa.

A Feast! Smoked chicken, ribs, grilled romaine with Cesar dressing, campfire carrots, grilled spring onions, and buttery rice cooked in home made chicken stock. This is what weekend eating should be!

Loading up on a bounty of fresh vegetables is the best way to eat healthily at home, but we know that working your way through a CSA box or market haul can sometimes be intimidating. The women at Club Home Made offer up some of their favorite tips to more easily create delicious food with those beautiful vegetables.

Simple, gorgeous, and delicious. Salad and photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

1. Find Your Go-To Recipes Cooking Methods

Having a couple of recipes* in your arsenal that will work with whatever vegetables you have is a wonderful way of avoiding veggie waste. And when we say recipe, we really mean a cooking technique. Some of our favorite dishes that work well with just about any seasonal vegetable are stir-fries, quiches, and tacos. If you're interested in strengthening your confidence to throw together a meal with whatever you have, check out Club Home Made. We're passionate about arming cooks and wanna-be-cooks with these kinds of skills.

Ada and Becky from Club Home Made stocking up on veggies. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

2. A Few of My Favorite Things...

Get a fancy-ish knife and good cutting board.

Photo by Casey Willson.

I'm a firm believer that you don't need super fancy gadgetry to cook good food, but having a knife you love (that is sharp!) and a big and solid cutting board will make vegetable prep so much more enjoyable. Seriously. When I got my first grown-up knife, I was shocked to see that the non-serrated blade sliced through a tomato without any trouble. You shouldn't have to put any muscle behind chopping vegetables. A sharp knife should do the work for you. Head to YouTube to learn how to sharpen your knife, or do like me and get a professional to sharpen it at the farmers' market.

Invest in a good knife like Megan! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

3. Don't Crowd

Don't overcrowd your pan, your pot, your bowl, or your cutting board. Food will brown better when it's spaced out in a pan, and mixing will be easier when you choose the right bowl. Your prep space will be better organized when you have room on your cutting board to chop multiple ingredients at once. When choosing a bowl or cutting board, I always choose one size larger than I think I need. And have never wished for a smaller vessel.

Don't overcrowd. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

I have an enviable collection of beautiful ceramic bowls in my kitchen, but my most used bowl is the huge stainless steel mixing bowl I got at Ace Mart. I have a gorgeous cutting board from Straight Leg Ranch that I use for meat and cheese boards, but my favorite cutting board for daily use is a restaurant quality cutting board, also from Ace Mart. It's no-frills, easy to clean, and has a big enough surface area to chop all the vegetables. Again, give yourself some space.

In addition to a good knife and chopping surface, my two other most used items in the kitchen are my dutch oven and honestly, my set of glass pyrex storage containers. I use these to store pre-chopped vegetables (ready for quick cooking) and also leftovers. Speaking of leftovers, might I recommend this quick read to help you think about your leftovers (among other things) differently: The Everlasting Meal.

4. Become Friends with Your Freezer

Specifically, start to utilize your freezer space for things other than pizzas and frozen-potato products, which, for the record, we support. But, your freezer is also a wonderful way to store leftover meals, or even just components of future meals, for quick and easy use.

Freezing Leftovers: Steer clear of freezing dishes with dairy products in them, but if you're making meatballs, for example, consider making a double batch and freezing leftovers in single-serving containers for quick lunches when you ain't got nothing else. Making a big pot of beans? Make more than you need! I freeze cooked beans in 1 or 2 cup portions, which can easily be thrown into the microwave. Realize that you suddenly have an entire drawer full of beets? For the quickest of preservation, boil, peel, and then dice your extra beets and freeze for a ready-to-go addition to a smoothie or salad. This method can really be applied to just about anything you have too much of and is a wonderful way to avoiding wasting a vegetable you may be (momentarily) sick of. I promise you'll miss those beets and that chard come July.

Do yourself a favor, and label what you put in the fridge. Even if you think you'll remember, just stick a label on it. Because the more you start to use your freezer, the crazier it will get in there. Include the date. I try to eat frozen leftovers in about 4 months, and try to use up frozen vegetables/ingredients in about 7 months. Of course, the food will likely still be fine past these dates, but you'll start to lose flavor and texture.

Freezing Ingredients: Freeze other ingredients like freshly minced garlic and ginger paste, seasonal pesto, or tomato sauce. During tomato season: dedicate one lazy Sunday afternoon to hitting up the market, buying a bounty of tomatoes, and have nothing on your schedule except making and freezing tomato sauce. Consider making this tomato gimlet to fuel the enterprise.

Frozen ingredients. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

I have a sheet of paper taped to the side of my fridge: every time I add something to my freezer, I add it to the list. That way when I'm trying to cobble together a quick and easy meal, I can see what ingredients I have frozen at just a quick glance. Having the list up also is a visual reminder at all times that there are beautiful ingredients just begging to be used in the freezer. It helps me work through these things quickly, which facilitates this entire method of preservation. The more I utilize these ingredients when I'm out of fresh options or need to go to the store, the more space I have to then freeze them when the CSA box overfloweth.

5. Wash Your Veggies

Clean, wash, chop, and sort your veggies when they arrive in your kitchen. Sourcing vegetables straight from a farm means your vegetables are closer to their harvest date... aka, fresher. This means vegetables that are far superior in flavor and also in nutritional value. We all know that sometimes vegetables that come straight from a farm may arrive in your kitchen with a story to tell. "I'm a carrot! I grow underground, and to prove it, here's a little dirt."  Grocery stores have primed us to expect spotless vegetables, void of any trace of how they actually grew. If you're new to getting farm-fresh vegetables, do yourself a favor and get them immediately ready for cooking when they arrive at the house. This will help you get used to your organic, homegrown, and superior tasting vegetables from the farm.

For more tips on how to properly store your veggies, check out this JBG blog post. Storing your vegetables properly will extend their life, and avoid any incidents of veggie-shame that may accompany wasting delicious produce.

Hope you enjoyed these tips. Join Club Home Made's newsletter or follow along on their brand new Instagram for more veggie tips 'n tricks and recipe videos (to come!). Happy cooking!

Kale bath. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

 

Location: Garfield, TX

Reports To: Farm Manager

Schedule: Full-time, Typically Monday-Friday with weekend work based on seasonal needs

Compensation & Benefits: Compensation is dependent on experience. Eligible for Health Insurance benefits.

Position Summary

JBG Organic is seeking a Greenhouse Production Assistant for our certified organic farm located in Garfield, Texas. This position is responsible for managing the production of various types of vegetable transplants scheduled to be planted. The Greenhouse Production Assistant plays an integral role in the farm’s year-round operation, working closely with the Farm Manager and other senior farm staff. When there is limited greenhouse work available this individual will join other farm teams and assist with planting, weeding and/or harvest tasks.

 

Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation of the farms weekly year-round greenhouse seeding plan.
• Mix organic fertilizer and soil blends
• Maintaining seed and supply inventories
• Irrigate greenhouse as needed daily
• Ensure plant health and fertility
• Supervise other volunteers or staff(when applicable) in Greenhouse work
• Prepare for and manage annual Spring Transplant Sale
• Ensure compliance with national organic standards
• Maintain a clean/organized workspace
• Adjust greenhouse plant arrangement to maximize growth and plant health
• Ensure all applicable equipment is maintained correctly
• Maintain greenhouse seeding records

 

Required Qualifications

• At least 1 year horticultural experience, particularly in greenhouse or organic farm
• Adaptive personality, able to adjust both work method and scale as the planting season fluctuates
• Self-directed worker with ability to prioritize tasks and delegate work load, particularly in response to high demand
• Excellent communication and managerial skills
• Basic knowledge of crops, seedlings, and soil types
• Ability to work effectively in both independent and collaborative settings
• An outgoing and friendly attitude! Ability to create a positive team dynamic is key, utilizing both interpersonal skills and maintaining excellent organization.
• Willingness to work extra hours during seasonal peaks
• An interest in agriculture and promotion of local and organic farming

 

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of horticultural experience
• Spanish fluency
• Previous experience managing volunteers

 

Physical Requirements

• Ability to repeatedly lift 50 lbs
• Ability to repeatedly kneel, bend, and squat
• Ability to withstand exposure to varying weather conditions

 

Directions for Applying

Please send an email to jobs@jbgorganic.com with a current resume and a brief cover letter.

 

JBG Organic is the largest certified organic vegetable farm in Texas. We grow a large variety of mixed vegetable crops for multiple outlets including CSA, restaurants, farmers' markets, and wholesalers. We are looking for an experienced farm worker to join our team. We're looking for someone with experience driving tractors, cultivating, spraying, and general equipment operation. This candidate should have experience with general preventative maintenance. This position is not rigid, and applicants should be ready to help on all aspects of our farm operations including: greenhouse work, transplanting, cultivation, and harvesting

 

Job Description

JBG Organic is a 200 acre certified organic vegetable farm located 10 miles east of Austin, Texas. We grow a large variety of mixed vegetable crops for multiple outlets including CSA, restaurants, farmers' markets and vegetable wholesalers. We are looking for a general farm worker and equipment operator to join our team. 

Duties

• General farm labor and tractor operation and maintenance. 
• Assist with cultivation, spraying and tillage.  
• Help with greenhouse work, transplanting and harvesting. 

 

Qualifications

• Vegetable farm and tractor operation experience is preferred however for the right candidate we are willing to train.  
• Positive attitude, strong work ethic and flexibility to assist with various tasks
• We are looking for someone who is flexible and is a team player, eager to assist our farm in continued growth.

 

Preferred

• At least 1 year working on a farm on a vegetable farm or related equipment operating experience preferred
• Basic knowledge of crops, seedlings, and various soil types and conditions a plus
• Spanish and English-speaking preferable

 

Physical Requirements

• Ability to repeatedly lift 50lbs
• Ability to repeatedly kneel, bend and squat
• Ability to work in varying weather conditions
• Ability to withstand prolonged sitting on tractor

 

Compensation and Benefits

• Pay range $13 plus depending on experience. Paid bi-weekly (dozen eggs included) as well as a weekly supply of organic vegetables.
• Permanent employees are eligible for Individual Health Plan benefits

CSA Box Contents Week of Apr 22nd

CSA Box Contents Week of Apr 22nd

Large Box
Beets
Bok Choy
Carrots X 2
Farmers Choice
Greens, Collards
Greens, Kale, Curly
Herb, Dry
Kohlrabi, Purple
Leek
Lettuce, Romaine
Potato

Recipe and Photos by Megan Winfrey

Nothing says 'Spring is here' like fresh pasta salad. It's a meal perfectly suited for warmer months. I never make it the same way twice, so it's one of me and my family's favorite meals to throw together as a team - everyone helps!

Daughter Louisiana was in charge of picking a handful of perfect basil leaves while I chopped veggies and husband Hunter watched the pasta pot. It's amazing how quickly everything comes together with 3 sets of hands - and how fast it disappears! If you do have leftovers, they'll keep in the fridge for about a week. Before eating the leftovers, let them sit out at room temp for a bit. The flavors will come through much more than when it's just out of the fridge!

Spring's Sprung Pasta Salad

• 1/2 lb. fusilli pasta (or another short pasta)
• 1 head of bok choy, cut lengthwise into ribbons
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• olive oil, as needed
• Juice and zest from 1/2 a lemon
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 balsamic vinegar
• 5-6 basil leaves, cut into ribbons
• 1 tbs. dried oregano
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 3 slices hard salami
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed
• salt and pepper, to taste

Fill a pasta pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente, drain, and set aside to cool. (It's super important not to overcook pasta for a pasta salad! It's gotta have that firmness to stand up to the rest of the ingredients.)

Add 1 tbs. of olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium-high. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes, then add the bok choy, lemon juice, and zest. Simmer until tender, then crank the heat up to evaporate the liquid and lightly blister the bok choy.

Lightly oil a sheet pan and place the halved tomatoes face down. Sprinkle a little salt over the tops then broil over low until soft and starting to blister. Keep an eye on them so they don't turn to mush!

Add the balsamic to a small saucepan and heat over low. Simmer until reduced just enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Now it's time to combine these and the rest of your stellar ingredients into a big bowl, season to taste, and chow down!

We published a piece a little over a year ago covering how to effectively process your produce in order to ensure its longevity (here). This week, we’re following up with a post about how to lengthen the seasons, or in other words, utilize long term storage in the kitchen! We’re talkin’ freezing, dehydrating, quick pickling, canning, and fermenting! The benefits of long term storage are not only increasing the life of your produce but preserving and extending the season. You may be sick of something now because it's abundant, but you can always save it for later when you are aching for those spring crop darlings. Additionally, long term storage avoids waste. Throwing those beautiful, unused radishes into the compost bin brings a tear to everyone’s eyes; however, if you have too much radish bounty, you can store and save them for later. You’ll be grateful when you are in another season and missing that tangy flavor! Finally, long term storing organic produce will certainly taste more flavorful than the store-bought versions. This year, replace off-the-shelf canned vegetables with local, organic, and home-made alternatives. Let’s get to it!

Veggie gradient. Photo by Gillian Shewaga.

FREEZING

Most fresh vegetables should be blanched before freezing. This will kill the enzymes naturally present on the plants, and stop any further degradation in the freezer. Dry veggies thoroughly before putting in the freezer. Selecting produce at its peak freshness is vitally important to this process, and always store in airtight containers or freezer bags. Remove as much air as possible from your packages! Consider dating packages in order to keep track, too. Like master home chef, Ada Broussard, says in her post last week: “Do yourself a favor, and label what you put in the fridge. Even if you think you'll remember, just stick a label on it. Because the more you start to use your freezer, the crazier it will get in there. Include the date. I try to eat frozen leftovers in about 4 months, and try to use up frozen vegetables/ingredients in about 7 months. Of course, the food will likely still be fine past these dates, but you'll start to lose flavor and texture.”

Another worthy Ada tip: “Freeze other ingredients like freshly minced garlic and ginger paste, seasonal pesto, or tomato sauce. During tomato season: dedicate one lazy Sunday afternoon to hitting up the market, buying a bounty of tomatoes, and have nothing on your schedule except making and freezing tomato sauce.“ Check more of her freezer tips here.

Frozen ingredients, ready to cook! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

DEHYDRATING

A fancy dehydrator is great, but you can also use your oven. It’s just as effective and you probably already have one! Here’s a recipe for oven-dehydrated tomatoes. After you dehydrate these, freeze in between layers of parchment paper in a sealed Tupperware for up to 8 months. For a shorter term take on delicious oven-dehydrated produce, here’s a delectable recipe for kale chips. These will keep for about a week, but good luck not eating all of these fresh out of the oven. These chips are amenable to any seasonings you have in the kitchen that you are keen to use.

QUICK PICKLING

Do yourself a favor and learn how to do this if you haven’t already. As the name implies, this is QUICK and is the best way to use some surplus root crops like carrots, beets, and radishes. We love quick pickled onions and squash to top sandwiches and tacos. Peppers will be here soon, and both hot and sweet peppers make a delicious pickle, as well. Think pickled peppers on that favorite juicy summer hamburger (or veggie burger)! YUM! The uses are truly endless once these veggies take on their new tangy and sometimes sweet pickled taste, they are perfect for snacking, augmenting charcuterie boards, or even a side dish! Our recipe developer, Nadia Tamby, has a great rundown of the joys of sweet and hot radish pickles here and our pickling champion, Megan Winfrey, has a couple of mind-blowing recipes here and here.

Nadia's sweet and hot radishes. Photo by Nadia Tamby.

CANNING

Canning is a wonderful skill to have and an excellent way to extend the seasons. There are two different processes when it comes to canning: boiling water bath and pressure canning.

Boiling water bath canning requires simple tools - you just need a larger pot with a rack at the bottom, jars, and tops (canning tongs are helpful, too!). You place the jars filled with food in boiling water for a specified time (depending on the recipe) and essentially as the jars cool a vacuum seal is created. Foods that can successfully be canned this way include pickled vegetables, preserves, and tomatoes with a little added acid (think - vinegar, citrus, or citric acid). Check out this delicious recipe for canning tomatoes here by our recipe developer, Megan Winfrey!

Pressure canning requires more specialized equipment, namely a pressure canner. This method gets the jars hotter than the temperature of boiling water which is important for certain kinds of veggies. Alkaline or low acid must be processed in a pressure canner in order to rid the food from dangerous bacteria. Canning really opens up a world of preserving seasons - think of all the jams, sauces, salsas, preserves, pickles! It's truly an amazing and fruitful technique - get to it! Here are some canning ideas to peruse. You'll have some amazing tastes in the pantry for months to come.

Ada's tomato canning extravaganza last summer. Photo by Ada Broussard.

FERMENTING

Fermentation is when microorganisms like bacteria or yeast convert carbohydrates into alcohol or organic acids under anaerobic circumstances. It's an easy process that has been culturally ubiquitous for centuries and makes amazing products like kefir, kombucha, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, and yogurt. With wide-ranging benefits from increased digestion and bioavailability of nutrients to reduced social anxiety, fermented foods combat against pervasive diseases like cancer, arthritis, and liver disease. These foods are chock-full of healthy bacteria, or probiotics, that reinforce the good bacteria in your gut, and in turn, improves your immune system (fun fact: 80% of your immune system is in your gut!).

Fermenting is relatively easy and is another very nutritious way to utilize veggies. Fermented recipes often keep for months in the fridge. Check out our recipe developer, Megan’s sauerkraut with fennel recipe here, it has a great rundown of the fermentation process.

Long term storage rules! We can’t wait to utilize some of these awesome techniques this weekend.

Some of our Favorite Resources:

We love the USDA's complete guide to canning. food safety is a concern when preserving food for long-term use, and though it may be a bit overkill, this guide covers IT ALL.

The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking is a cookbook written by local Austinite and Texas Farmers' Market director, Kate Payne. There are lots of pickling recipes in here!

The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz, this is the bible of fermentation.

Lots of folks locally are occasionally doing classes on pickling. Check out Club Home Made, Maggie Perkins, Kitchen Underground.

Pickling and fermentation have been around for a LONG TIME. It helped preserve food before refrigeration. Think globally when looking for pickling or fermented recipes. Japanese and Korean cultures, for example, have a rich history of fermentation, and the internet is full of info, recipes, and resources.

CSA signs! See below for more info. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tomatoes are on the way! We are busy putting up stakes and getting everything ready for these summertime sweethearts. Squash is blossoming and headed to market soon! We love spring, it is bustling and beautiful.

CSA Members! Check out these yard signs that we just had made! Do you love your CSA Box? Please let us know if you'd like a yard sign, and we'll send one along with your next share! Just email Faith at farm@jbgorganic.com and she'll hook you up!

Packing the veggies up! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Want to help finish painting this big rig - email Ada! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

All the alliums you need. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Gorgeous morning at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Brenton and Taylor having a farm meeting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bok choy beauty. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Getting those tomato stakes in. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

For scale. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Getting soil packed for new transplants. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sage. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Spring onions. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tomato fields aplenty. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Squash on the move! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Patty pan close-up. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

CSA Box Contents Week of Apr 29th

CSA Box Contents Week of Apr 29th

Large Box
Beets
Broccoli or Squash
Carrots
Greens, Chard, White
Greens, Kale, Curly
Herb, Dry
Leek
Lettuce, Romaine
Onion, Bulk
Potato X 2
Radish