By Isaac and Heydon

I’ve orbited around JBG blogosphere for long enough to have seen my fair share of kale chip recipes. This dish is inspired by that oh-so-unique feeling of crunching into a kale chip paired with a smattering of other flavor-packed players to zhuzh up your drab weeknight salad. There’s something very fun about kale's metamorphosis from leafy to crunchy and when paired with bacon, Parmesan, olive oil, and lemon, I assure you your quarantine pod will be hooting and hollering over this plate. Enjoy, this is a delicious one.

Ingredients

• 1 Bunch of Dino Kale
• 1 Lemon
• Bacon
• Parmesan
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put bacon in, and pull out just before burned. Extra crispy is where it’s at for this meal/snack.

Get the grill hot, lay all kale evenly on the surface. You really want each leaf to be directly on the grill. Flip leaves after about 30 seconds and continue in this fashion. You shouldn’t need more than a minute or two depending on heat level & grill type. The leaves will become crispy. Get some char marks on them and they are ready.

Plate the leaves - chop kale leaves into fourths. Drizzle a healthy amount of olive oil, break bits of bacon all over (1 or 2 pieces total depending on the size of bacon). Grate a healthy amount of good Parmesan over the plate. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice and then zest the lemon over the leaves. Add one more healthy drizzle of olive oil, a touch of salt, a good crackling of pepper, and voila! This is simple goodness. Both good Parmesan and bacon are integral to this recipe if your diet allows it.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re a fan of our vegetables. Perhaps you value spending dollars locally, employing Austin farmers, and strengthening your Central Texas food system. Or perhaps you love the taste of fresh carrots, that emerge from the dirt bright, crunchy, and as sweet as candy. By supporting JBG, you’re also supporting organic growing practices that prioritize the health of our environment and the well being of our consumers. Does all this sound pretty good to you? Do you also have a list of friends and family members that you need to buy gifts for? Why not share the farm-love this year. It’s pretty easy, and tastes good, too. Here are a few ideas:

 

1. Farmers’ Market Bucks:

Gift the adventurous culinarian on your list some JBG Farmers’ Market bucks. You can use these like cash at any of the 12 markets we attend each week. With market bucks in hand, a shopper can follow their senses and choose a bounty of whatever vegetables catches their eye. When you give someone an envelope of farmers’ market bucks, you’re giving them an Austin (or Waco, or New Braunfels or Houston) farmers’ market experience. Buy a $5 buck for a stocking stuffer, or give someone a formidable wad that will keep the carrot supply coming all year long. Market bucks never expire. We can mail these bucks to you or directly to the recipient - just let us know if you’d like us to include a gift message along with the gift.

2. A CSA Box or CSA Subscription:

For someone who loves to cook but could use a little convenience, give them a single CSA box or even an entire CSA Subscription. We offer gift certificates for either a Small ($27.50) or Medium ($35) box. The lucky gift recipient can choose to pickup at any one of our 56 pickups locations on a date of their choice. For an additional $5/box, we’ll deliver the box of freshly-harvested veggies straight to their doorstep. Gift certificates are packaged in a card featuring some beautiful farm photography and come with easy instructions on how to redeem your veggies. As always, folks can redeem their CSA share whenever they’d like. Flexible scheduling!

3. Sponsor-A-Share:

For someone who has it all, consider sponsoring a CSA share on their behalf. You can purchase a CSA share for your friend and we’ll deliver it to one of our two community partners - SAFE Alliance and The Settlement Home . JBG has partnered with these two organizations for almost 10 years, and with the help of our community, we provide weekly vegetables to the residents of these organizations. Some of the vegetables are used in programming activities geared towards teaching cooking skills, and others are simply enjoyed by residents for weekly dinners. If you purchase a share on someone's behalf, we will send you a hand-written thank you card that you can share.

4. Farm Swag:

Maybe your loved one already fills their crisper with JBG vegetables. Why not solidify their fandome and get them a JBG hat, tote bag, or one of the softest farm shirts ever harvested? Our tote bags are built to last can hold up to 20 pounds of beets. Or a laptop. Or a picnic. Or whatever else in your life needs toting needs toting.

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 7th

Large:

Cauliflower

Fennel

Spinach

Baby Bok Choy

Farmer's Choice Herb

Cabbage

Sweet Potato

Mustard Greens

Collard Greens

Carrot

Farmer's Choice

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 7th

Individual: Carrots, White Radish, Arugala, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Farmer's Choice Herb

Small: Cauliflower, Puple Top Turnips, Spinach, Farmer's Choice Herb, Romain Lettuce, Collard Greens, Carrots

Medium: Fennel, Purple Top Turnips, Curly Kale, Romain, Farmer's Choice Herb, Carrots, Cabbage, Farmer's Choice, Braising Greens, Bok Choy

Large: Cauliflower, Fennel, Spinach, Romain, Baby Bok Choy, Farmer's Choice Herb, Cabbage, Sweet Potato, Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Carrots, Farmer's Choice

Recipe and Photos by the Migoni Kitchen.

 

We are loving the heads of cabbage we’ve been getting in our box. It’s so versatile - you can eat it raw in salads and slaws, or roasted, sauteed, in stir fries, the list goes on! We wanted to create a cabbage forward dinner idea and wanted to try out a couple different preparations. We ended up frying a few cabbage leaves and roasting some wedges and loved the contrast of the two textures and flavors together. We served the cabbage over some mashed potatoes with chopped almonds and a spoonful of a smoky red chimichurri (recipe on our site). We wanted a little bit of additional protein with our dish so we did serve it with a bratwurst, but this is a great dish to enjoy on its own for our vegetarian friends!

Serves 4



Ingredients:

Cabbage Prep

• 1 head cabbage
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup Canola Oil
• ½ cup chopped almonds

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

• 1 lb Russet potatoes (peeled and cut into large chunks)
• ½ cup whole milk
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1.5 tbsp kosher salt

Instructions: 

Roasting the Cabbage

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Cut the cabbage into 4 quarters, removing the outer 2-3 layers of leaves and setting them aside for later use.
3. Drizzle the cabbage quarters with olive oil and wrap each quarter loosely with aluminum foil. Place in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes until very tender.

Mashed Potatoes

1. While the cabbage roasts, place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover the potatoes. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of salt and set to boil.
2. Boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes until very tender. Drain and set the potatoes aside. Return pot to a low heat.
3. Add the butter to the pot. Once the butter has melted, add the milk and ½ tbsp of salt and allow to begin simmering.
4. Once the milk butter mixture has begun simmering, add the potatoes back to the pot and mash until a smooth creamy texture is achieved. (Season with salt and add additional milk if potatoes are extra starchy). Set aside until it is time to plate.

Fried Cabbage Chips

1. In a medium sized flying pan, heat canola oil to medium high heat.
2. Using tongs, place the reserved cabbage leaves (4-5 at a time) in the hot oil. Fry the leaves for 3-4 minutes per side, or until entire leaves are brown and crunchy. Remove and set on paper towels. Season with kosher salt. Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves.

Charring the Cabbage

1. Remove roasted cabbage from foil and space each quarter on a baking sheet.
2. Return the uncovered cabbage to the oven and set to broil. Allow cabbage quarters to char along the edges and side in the broiler (3-5 minutes).
3. Remove cabbage from the oven and carefully remove the hard stem holding the leaves together.

Plating

1. Smear a large spoonful of mashed potatoes in a circle at the center of your plate.
2. Set the charred cabbage quarter on top of the mashed potatoes.
3. Top with chopped almonds and crispy cabbage chips. Optional - top with smoky chimichurri!

 

This week, we’re sharing 10 ideas for homemade gifts that you can create using the vegetables currently in season here in Central Texas. Though they do require a bit of time currency, homemade gifts can be incredibly rewarding to make, and even more rewarding to receive. Let us know if you give any of these a whirl!

1. Fermented Carrots

Here is a recipe for fermented carrots that we truly love. If you’ve never fermented carrot sticks before, you’re truly missing out. These crunchy, effervescent snacks are a wonderful way to get some probiotics on your plate and preserve the taste of freshly harvested carrots for months. If you’ve never fermented before, don’t overlook this idea before reading how easy the process is.

2. Herb Salt

This is perhaps the easiest “recipe”  of the entire list. Use any combination of herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro, chop them up, combine them with corse salt, dry, and store. Herbed salts can be used instead of plain salt when seasoning just about anything you’d add fresh herbs to. If you have woody herbs, like thyme or rosemary, growing in your garden, these would work too!

3. Sweet Potato Apple Butter

Yep, you heard us. Sweet potato butter. Sweet potatoes will only be around at JBG for another week or two, so if this sounds like a gift you’d like to give, don’t dally. Here is a recipe that Megan whipped up years ago. Checkout her cute packaging, too!

4. Salad Kit

Know someone in your life that is on the go? Perhaps a busy teacher (they deserve ALL THE PRESENTS THIS YEAR!) or other essential worker? Why not put together a beautiful salad kit. It’s salad season, after all! Sure, this gift is technically perishable and needs to be refrigerated, but everyone has a night of the week when they’re wholly underprepared for dinner. Or lunch. Scoop up a JBG head of lettuce, a watermelon radish or two, and maybe a bunch of fresh parsley to make things interesting. Pair these veggies with a jar of homemade salad dressing (here is an easy vinaigrette recipe)  and if you’re feeling extra spirited, a container of homemade croutons , roasted pecans, or a tiny tub of locally-made cheese .

5. A Bag of Organic Citrus

Need to keep things very simple this year? We get it. Why not scoop up a bag of organic oranges or grapefruit from G&S Groves? Texas citrus season is in full swing, and this year’s harvest is sweeter than ever. You can order Texas citrus through JBG’s website. We get a fresh delivery from the grove every week!

6. Cocktail Kit

Speaking of citrus, why not make a citrus-salt and pair with margarita fixins? Like the herb salt, making a citrus salt is very simple. Basically, you just need to zest the fruit, and combine with salt. For a margarita, you have the option to add other spices, or maybe even a bit of cilantro. You can pre-measure tequila and triple sec into a mason jar, or you can get the tiny bottles. Either way, this is a good gift.

7. Chimichurri

Leafy herbs like parsley and cilantro are at the peak of their season in central Texas. You can expect these leafy greens to be decorating market stands and CSA boxes for the next couple of months. Why not head to the market and buy a huge bouquet of these herbs, and make a big batch of zingy, oily, chimichurri. Like the salad kit idea, this gift needs to be refrigerated. Fresh chimichurri should be consumed within a couple of weeks, which should be no problem if you provide a list of ideas on how to use this versatile and delicious sauce to go along with your dish.

8. Carrot or Beet Hummus + Chips

The best edible gifts are the ones you can’t wait to eat. Plus, everyone loves snacks. Highlight two of the seasons favorite crops by turning them into hummus, and then gifting this delectable snack with a bag of salty, savory, pita chips. Here is a tried and true method for making carrot hummus , and here is a tried and true recipe for beet hummus.

9. Pickled Cauliflower

If you’re feeling really ambitious, why not break out the canning pot and pickle some cauliflower? Pickled cauliflower goes good on just about anything: sandwiches, salads, pasta, as a soup garnish, or just straight out of the jar. Personally, we like a recipe like this one that includes a bit of heat.

10. Take and Bake Lasagna

This is perhaps the most involved idea of the list, but it’s one that will undoubtedly communicate your devotion. Why not assemble delicious, veggie-centric lasagna pans, and give those as gifts? A delicious homemade lasagna, stowed away in the freezer, is truly a gift that someone will use and enjoy. You will be a hero when the lasagna is pulled out and baked, on a night when no one felt like cooking. To make this work, set aside some serious time. We suggest freezing the lasagna before baking it, and letting the gift recipient bake it themselves. Include instructions for reheating, and make sure to wrap it well to prevent freezer burn. Here is a great recipe for a winter-greens heavy lasagna , and here is a great article with some freezing tips .

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 14th

Large:

Sweet Potato

Carrot

Herb

Green Garlic

Radish

Turnip

Chard

Kale

Farmer's Choice

Dandilion Greens

Red Lettuce

Cabbage

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 14th

Individual: Cauliflower, Kale, Fennel, Spinach, Carrots, Green Garlic

Small: Fennel, Cabbage, Braising Greens, Kale, Broccoli, Farmer's Choice Herb, Radish

Medium: Cauliflower, Sweet Potato, Carrots, Farmer's Choice Herb, Collard Greens, Radish, Red Leaf Lettuce, Dandilion Greens, Cabbage, Green Garlic

Large: Sweet Potato, Carrots, Farmer's Choice Herb, Green Garlic, Radish, Turnip, Swiss Chard, Kale, Farmer's Choice, Dandilion Greens, Red Leaf Lettuce, Cabbage

It has been a chilly couple of weeks at the farm! And by chilly, we mean COLD! We have had several freezes that have damaged tender winter offerings like lettuces and mustard greens. You may notice that your bunches of kale for the next couple of weeks have a slightly yellow tint to them - this is caused by the cold temps, too. When tender leaves get too cold, we call this a "burn", and the leaves of many of our root crops were burned to a crisp. Luckily, there is a simple solution - just remove the tops! While the burned leaves are completely edible, we know that they can be a little unsightly, which is why we opt to simply remove them. Ever wonder where those tops go? Straight to the hog trailer! We're very proud of the fact that our Hergotz packing shed operation refrains from putting any vegetables into the landfill. The majority of our "inglorious" produce gets donated to the Central Texas Food Bank (upwards of 100,000 lbs. a year!) and what isn't suitable for humans, gets donated to a local hog farmer who uses the nutrient-dense veggies to feed his happy hogs.

Carrot tops covered in frost. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Orange roots, covered in dirt... because that's where they grow! These will be sprayed and soaked at our Hergotz packing shed to reveal bright orange carrots. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dress like an onion - in layers! Mornings start out very cold at the farm, but by the afternoon, it's time to shed some layers! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We're all happily donning a mask during the cold and windy mornings. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What to do with the radish greens have freeze damage? Remove them! The radishes themselves are damage free because they remained insulated in the ground. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

An under the truck, behind the scenes, perspective. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

 

All the hip-belt necessities: truck keys, knives, radio, and rubber bands. Farmers are always prepared. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We spy farmer Brenton's truck beyond the green sea. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Hearty spinach, still looking fine despite the freezes. Popeye would be proud! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

While some are welcoming a blanket of snow, we're tending a carpet of green. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

These are the rows farmers' dreams are made of. Straight, green, and near-perfect germination. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dreamy rows, at a diagonal. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Exciting things happening at our Garfield farm... stay tuned to the blog for the full story coming out in 2021. We can't wait to tell ya! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Onions, in the ground! These tiny babies will be overwintered and harvested int he spring, once a large bulb has formed. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

A treeline framing the dino kale, slightly burnt by the freezing temps, but delicious and nutritious nonetheless. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The farm will be closed on Friday, December 25th and Friday, January 1st. For this reason, our CSA Delivery schedule is altered for these two weeks. If you usually receive your CSA share on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or are located in DFW or Harker Heights, please refer to the graphic below to see when your scheduled delivery is for the week of 12/21 and 12/28. As always, shoot us an email if you have any questions, and happy holidays! farm@jbgorganic.com

 

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley. All Rights Reserved

Photos and Recipes by Mackenzie Smith Kelley. 

I am always stoked to find a few heads of baby boy choy in our CSA. The leaves are tender and the stalk is mild and crisp, a solid foundation for an easy winter salad. One of my favorite ways to prepare these verdant, cool weather gems that originate from the Yangtze River Delta area in China, is to serve them raw and chopped, sort of like you might do with celery, tossed in a sweet and sour dressing. This results in a spoonable salad great for topping hearty stews that could use a crisp zing, or served on the side of a meaty dish (beef short ribs, maybe?) that needs some acid to cut the fat.

The sweet in this recipe comes from Nuoc cham ga, or sweet chili sauce, a very tasty Thai condiment/marinade studded with vaguely spicy red chiles and garlic. The sour comes from rice vinegar, and a dash of sesame oil for good measure. I made the batch pictured with scallions, but if I had mint and cilantro on hand, a handful of each would have been added to the mix.

• 2 heads of baby bok choy, washed and chopped into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (could sub lime or lemon juice, or another type of vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 2 scallions, chopped
• Mint and cilantro (bonus!)

On Washing Bok Choy

Place bok choy in a large bowl and fill with water. Agitate the water with your hands, then let sit for 10-15 minutes so the water can loosen up any dirt on the veg. Most of the dirt will sink to the bottom of the bowl. When you remove the bok choy from the water, do so by picking it up and placing it in a colander to give it one more rinse. When you see the the dirt at the bottom of the water bowl, pause for a moment to thank the farmers that pull our food from the ground. Water houseplants with what's left in the bowl-- they don’t mind the dirt.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley. All Rights Reserved

Roughly chop bok choy into a size that would make the pieces easily spoonable. Chop scallions and herbs if you have them.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine sweet chili sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and salt. Add bok choy and scallions (and herbs if you have them.) Taste, and add salt if needed.

Sweet chili sauce is available at most asian grocery stores in Austin -- I buy mine at 99 Ranch Market on Airport and Lamar, and I have occasionally seen it for sale at various HEBs. You could also make your own.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley. All Rights Reserved

Greetings Wonderful JBG Readers! This week we have two quick announcements:

1.The farm is closed on Friday December, 25th, and Friday, January 1st.

 

These are both paid-holidays for our hard-working farm staff who we hope will spend the day surrounded by family with their feet kicked up. Goodness knows our crew deserves it! In addition to these two days, many of the weekend markets are closed on the weekend following Christmas. For these reasons, the CSA Delivery schedules for the next two weeks are altered! If you normally receive your delivery on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday or are located in the DFW area, please note the changes in your delivery schedule below. All other deliveries will take place on their normally scheduled day. Please email A with any questions - farm@jbgorganic.com.

2. Citrus! Our bulk citrus sale is here!

We pride ourselves on only selling produce that we grow here at our farm just east of town. Seriously! We plant, care for, harvest, and wash everything you see in our CSA boxes and market stalls! However! We happily make one exception every winter season for Texas Citrus. There is just nothing like it! For many years now, we’ve worked with David Strohmeyer, a citrus farmer in McAllen, Texas who owns and operates G&S Groves. Each week, David drops off Ruby Red grapefruit and juicy navel oranges, all certified organic, which you can order for pickup at select markets or to accompany a CSA delivery. CSA Members, to add some Vitamin C to your next CSA delivery, just login to your account, click on “My Deliveries” and then choose the delivery you’d like to add citrus to. Not a CSA Member? Order your citrus here.

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 21st

Large:

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Orange Carrot

Sweet Potato

Multiplying Onion

Cabbage

Farmer's Choice Greens

Farmer's Choice Herb

Rutabaga

Radish

Kale

Spinach

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 21st

Individual: Cauliflower, Broccoli, Orange Carrot, Multiplying Onion, Collard Greens

Small: Cauliflower, Broccoli, Orange Carrot, Sweet Potato, Multiplying Onion, Collard Greens, Farmer's Choice Greens

Medium: Cauliflower, Broccoli, Orange Carrot, Sweet Potato, Multiplying Onion, Collard Greens, Farmer's Choice Greens, Farmer's Choice Herb, Rutabaga, Spinach

Large: Cauliflower, Broccoli, Orange Carrot, Sweet Potato, Multiplying Onion, Cabbage, Farmer's Choice Greens, Farmer's Choice Herb, Rutabaga, Radish, Kale, Spinach

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 28th

Large:

Cauliflower

Carrots

Sweet Potato

Romain Lettuce

Cabbage

Kohlrabi

Golden Beets

Rutabaga

Bok Choy

Broccoli

Farmer's Choice Herb

Fennel

Swiss Chard

The last great cabbage harvest of 2020, plus many more stunning farm photos.

Every year we look through the photos of the past twelve months and reflect on the seasons. It's winter now, and our days are filled with freezing hands and rubber boots, but it seems like only yesterday we were hand-picking thousands of pounds of yellow, orange, red and green tomatoes, sweating under the summer blaze, and praying for even a whisper of a breeze. Some seasons are marked by record harvests, or new tractors, or improved coolers. This year? A global pandemic. We look forward to the new perspective that the flip of a calendar will bring, but we also can't help but look back on 2020 with a bit of wonder and pride, and mostly with an incredible since of admiration for our community who have supported us and staff who have sustained us.

When the Covid-19 pandemic became a reality, we quickly realized that our work as farmers was essential - a fact that we've intellectually known, but one that became incredibly clear when we had to print out waivers for our staff to keep in their car when the rest of the city was locked down. The size of our CSA nearly doubled in two weeks, our website crashed, and we had to temporarily close signups to our CSA program for the first time in our farm's 16 year history. Many of our beloved restaurant partners had to slow orders from the farm, and farmers' markets worked tirelessly to adapt their operation and maintain their status as an important food access point. We purchased two new delivery vehicles, and tended to the bountiful crops in the ground. That was the spring.

Summer came, and like always, so did the tomatoes. By June, all of the food safety protocols in place at the farm, as well as the new delivery routes, felt like normal. Suddenly we've found ourselves deep in Texas winter, surrounded by dark leafy greens and vibrant root crops... the same vegetables that were in season when the pandemic first started. If you measure your year in carrots, we've come just about full circle.

The farm is always a busy place, but this year, we were required to answer to even more variables than the ones mother nature usually throws our way. There were chaotic and stressful days, to be sure, but overall we were able to meet the demands with cool heads and creative problem solving. Here at the farm, we have 76 full-time employees who work to plant, tend, harvest, wash, pack, and deliver our vegetables. We have 22 part time employees who enter the scene early on Saturday and Sunday mornings and haul our harvests to market. Together, these 98 employees make up Johnson's Backyard Garden, and we couldn't have met the demands of this year without this talented and strong group of men and women. Truly - farming nearly 200 acres of vegetables and distributing it to our community isn't a job for one, or even 20. It takes thoughtful crop planning, carful training, and a wondrously devoted group of farmers and farm staff. And, of course, a receptive (and hungry) community, too. If you're reading this, chances are there are some JBG veggies in your fridge. Thank you from the bottom of our tired, happy hearts.

Scroll below to see what 2020 was like for our farm! As always, thank you for reading and happy holidays!

January started out cold. The greenhouses are empty at this time of year, and pallets of pallets of cover crop seed are dutifully awaiting a dry, warm day for planting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

This beautiful macro photo of greens and oranges is also a photo of one of our biggest pests- thrips. These tiny bugs like to hide in the onion greens. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

People often ask if we farm year-round. Yes! Compared to other parts of the country, Texas winters are mild and our killing freezes minimal. The other main task farm task in January? Finalizing our crop plan for the busy spring ahead, which is what Jack is doing in this photo. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In January, dark leafy greens like kale abound. This past winter, recipe developer Mackenzie Smith Kelley gave us this incredible kale and parsley pesto recipe, and our winters haven't been the same since. Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

 

Romanesco cauliflower is piled on the arms of one of our harvest trailers. This mesmerizing crop was a CSA staple in January of 2020. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bright bok choy is harvested with a sharp knife. Check the homepage for a delicious bok choy salad recipe which you should definitely work into your 2021 dinner plans. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

FEBRUARY

The trimmed pieces of rainbow chard are left in the mud. Eventually, these bits will be tilled back into the soil, adding organic matter and nutrients. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

February of 2020 was wet. A harbinger of things to come, perhaps. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In 2020, our recipe archive was populated with simple, easy recipes, like this beautiful radish salad. Eating seasonally from your CSA box has never been easier. Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

MARCH

Early in March, when the spread of Covid-19 became a real concern in Austin, we had completely revamp our farmers' market operations. In addition to strict table, hand, and equipment cleaning protocols, customers were no longer allowed in our booths, and only one designated JBG staff member would "touch" the produce. Here, our downtown manager, Dusty, is blazing the way for this new and initially-cumbersome system. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

You can see the progression of the pandemic through our farmers' market response. This photo was taken on the first weekend of March, very early in the pandemic before before the benefits of masks were comprehensively understood. Within the next couple of weeks, our entire staff would be required to wear masks, as well as every farmers' market attendee. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Despite the chaos emerging on the distribution-side of our operation, things on the production-side were business as usual - peace, love, and dandelion greens. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In early March, our friends from Club Home Made hosted a gardening workshop at the farm to go along with our transplant sale. Little did we know, this would be the last time we'd invite guests to the farm for the rest of the year. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

As rumors of a potential lockdown in our community started to surface, people came out to our transplant sale in truly astonishing numbers. We know for certain that Austin had some amazing quarantine gardens! Fingers crossed this was not a fleeting fad. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

 

CSA Box Contents Week of Mar 16th

APRIL

Tender lettuces thrive in early April temperatures. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Beets were a tricky crop for us this year. Hogs and bugs wiped out huge parts of our harvests, and the availability was far less than usual. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our tiny tomato transplants usually get planted in late March, and the staking happens in April. Here, you can see rows upon rows of cherry tomatoes. The next step is weaving tomato-twine in between these stakes which will support the heavy plants to come. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Grassy-green carrots. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In April, the size of our CSA was bigger than it had ever been. We had to hire additional delivery drivers and more staff to meet the increased demand for safe, local, and fresh food. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

MAY

By May, masks were as essential of a farm tool as gloves, sun protection, and a sharp (sanitized) knife. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Local photographer Annie Ray (@annieraydotnet) captured this shot of our Mueller Farmers' Market Staff - all masked and gloved and ready to serve you.

Bright orange roots feed these leafy green rows. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our CSA Manager, Andrew, has to get creative with packing space when the orders pick up. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

A new farm sign, but no guests to see it. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Is there anything more spring-like than leeks and onions? Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dill flowers, left for the bees. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

JUNE

Red jalapeños, perfect for firey hot salsas. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Summer harvests at their best. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Over the summer, Mackenzie made a tomato shrub, or drinking vinegar. Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

Remember our record-breaking transplant sale that happened in February? My June, we were getting photos like this from community members all over Austin. Backyard gardens everywhere were exploding with produce grown from JBG transplants!

By late June, two-inch tomato transplants are suddenly huge walls of towering tomatoes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our green bean harvest was particularly successful this year! Instead of a few large plantings of green beans, we planted smaller, more frequent successions of beans. Because of this, CSA Members and market customers were offered green beans for more weeks than usual! Here the green-bean picker is doing it's thing. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

JULY

Lemongrass harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Glossy Italian eggplant is a summer staple for the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Even though they're considered a "winter squash", heavy butternut squash is ready for harvest in July. Even though this looks like a lot of squash in this photo, our butternut harvest was on the smaller side in 2002. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Farmer Brenton spent more time on a tractor in 2020 than in other recent years. Thanks, Brenton! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Mandatory watermelon taste tests help farmers pass the 100 degree days. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tracy and Krishna having a parking lot meeting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tracy, our barn manager, going over numbers for the week. Our whiteboard got a facelift in 2020 - a small, but meaningful improvement for our packing operation! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

AUGUST

In August, we repaired our shade cloth to prepare a space for thousands of winter transplants soon to be planted. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In the heat of summer, bright squash blossoms abound. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

August is one of the busiest times at the farm for our planting crew. Here, rows of direct-seeded beets germinate in the hot summer sun. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In August, we say goodbye to the tomatoes and carry-out the labor-intensive task of taking down stakes and cages. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

 

SEPTEMBER

A bit of September fan mail we received. Don't worry Rylan, we're not stopping anytime soon!

In September, we were proud to be featured in Central Market as a part of their local-produce week. Checkout this beautiful JBG display!

A delivery driver meeting. In 2020, our delivery drivers clocked more miles than ever and vegetables were on doorsteps from Georgetown to Manchaca. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

It's easy to social distance when you work on a farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Summer is peppers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

This summer, we adapted some of our harvest techniques and were able to offer bok choy in the hottest parts of our summer - a feat we're proud of! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

OCTOBER

In October, Héctor developed a sweet potato "meat" ball recipe for us and we are forever grateful. Photo by Héctor Gonzáles

Collards made their fall debut in September - a welcome change from peppers and okra! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our tiny, but mighty, Case tractor. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In October of 2020, we were at war with the bugs. Here's we're mowing down the tops of beets to rid the caterpillars of their favorite hiding spot. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

October came and went, and so did this plate of Mackenzie's beet hummus. Find the recipe in the JBG Recipe Archive. Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

It took several months, but we finally got around to painting those new delivery vans we bought in the spring! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In October, we followed our farmers' market crew from sun up to sun down to see just what it takes to run a famers' market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

October is a special time for Central Texas produce - we may have on winter clothes, but we're still harvesting summer crops, like eggplant. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

 

NOVEMBER

Adam, our office manager at Garfield, poses for a pic. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

This past November, we started work on a very exciting construction project that we hope to be completed by the end of 2021. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our greenhouse manager, Giana, works to get leek and onion transplants ready for the field. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Things are certainly getting colder, the chard a bit sweeter. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fall if our carrots favorite time to shine, and there are no shortage of carrots to pick. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

DECEMBER

Did we mention there are exciting things to come? Details coming soon to the blog :) Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In December, we had several freezes which damaged the leaves of root crops like radishes. The solution? Just sell them in bulk for a few weeks until the leaves can recover. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 14th

Goodbye 2020.

 

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 28th

Individual: Sweet Potato, Golden Beets, Romain, Kale, Carrots, Farmer's Choice Herb

Small: Romain, Farmer's Choice Herb, Kohlrabi, Cabbage, Kale, Carrots, Radish, Bok Choy

Medium: Cauliflower, Carrots, Romain, Kohlrabi, Golden Beets, Kale, Collard Greens, Radish, Sweet Potato, Broccoli

Large: Cauliflower, Carrots, Sweet Potato, Romain, Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Golden Beets, Rutabaga, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Farmer's Choice Herb, Fennel, Swiss Chard

Recipe and photos developed by our Market Staff Member, Robin Beltran of The Black Vegan Company. Checkout her blog here.

The easiest and fastest way to get some immunity-boosting goodness into your body is with a fresh pressed juice. But buying pressed juice at the grocery store or a smoothie shop gets really expensive. This low-cost carrot-based juice was created as an easy alternative to those pricey store-bought juices. Note: you’ll need a juicer for this recipe.

Ingredients for Immunity-Boosting Carrot Juice

• 1/4 cup fresh ginger chopped
• 3 medium chiogga beets (or red beets)
• 1 lb multicolored carrots
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 mango (peeled and pitted)
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup blackberries
• 2 pinches of fresh mint (optional)
• squeeze of lemon

Directions for Immunity-Boosting Carrot Juice

• Thoroughly wash your produce
• If your produce is organic, leave the skin on (except for the mango). If produce is not organic, remove skin with a peeler to avoid any pesticides getting in your juice.
• Process all your produce though a juicer. No particular order.
• Strain the juice with a colander for a smoother/thinner juice.
• Serve your finished juice over ice and garnish with your desired fruit (optional)

Robin enjoying her immunity-boosting juice on a warmer winter day. Photo courtesy of The Black Vegan Company.

CSA Box Contents Week of Jan 4th

Large:

Farmer's Choice Herb

Carrot

Radish

Turnip

Beet

Dino Kale

Collards

Broccoli

Bok Choi

Spinach

Romain Lettuce

Cauliflower

CSA Box Contents Week of Jan 4th

Individual: Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Collard Greens, Bok Choi, Radish

Small: Carrot, Scarlett Turnip, Collard Greens, Dino Kale, Farmer's Choice Herb, Beet, Romain Lettuce

Medium: Farmer's Choice Herb, Bok Choi, Carrot, Radish, Turnip, Collard Greens, Spinach, Farmer's Choice, Multiplying Onions, Farmer's Choice Kale

Large: Farmer's Choice Herb, Carrot, Radish, Turnip, Beet, Dino Kale, Broccoli, Bok Choi, Spinach, Romain Lettuce, Cauliflower