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

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 .

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!

 

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

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.

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.

Individual: Farmer's Choice, Cabbage, Chard, Spinach, Cilantro, Fennel

Small: Farmer's Choice, Cabbage, Orange Carrot, Kale, Mustard Green, Cilantro, Fennel

Medium: Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Oragne Carrot, Farmer's Choice, Arugula, Dino Kale, Mustard Green, Cilantro, Fenel, Watermelon Radish

Large: Brocoli, Red Cabbage, Oragne Carrot, Farmer's Choice, Arugula, Chard, Dino Kale, Cilantro, Fennel, Green Leaf Lettuce, Watermelon Radish, Purple Top Turnip