Our annual spring potluck in the pecan orchard.
1) In Your Box this Week
2) Farm News
- A Grand Time was had by All, Our Potluck was a Success
- Outstanding in the Field at JBG: September 29th
- The Florida Weave
- Log into your JBG CSA Membership Online
- The German Turnip- Kohlrabi
3) Events
- Earth Day at Austin Farmers’ Market at Triangle Park
- Garden to Market
- Building Local Food Systems
- Environment, Health and Food Safety
- Spring Speaker Series
- Austin Organic Gardeners
- Travis County Master Gardeners Association
4) Quotable Food
5) Recipes
- Scalloped Kohlrabi and Turnip
6) Vegetable Storage Tips
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Information
Please send newsletter feedback, suggestions and contributions to farm@jbgorganic.com
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Radishes peek out from under their sun-filled electric greens.
1) In Your Box this Week:
Radish
Lettuce
Arugula
Chard
Mint
Kale
Kohlrabi
Green Garlic
Mustard
Spinach
Broccoli
Peas
Collards
This list is subject to change depending on availability and quality of crops on harvest day. You’ll find the most accurate packing list on the homepage of our website.
Onion Creek Crawdaddies produced a great evening of tunes for us. Thanks.
2) Farm News:
- A Grand Time was had by All, Our Potluck was a Success:
Relaxing in the shade of the pecans.
Everyone got to play farmer.
And then there was food.
Now back to the food at the potluck. Several people asked for recipes of items brought to the potluck. So I’m putting out a call to collect said recipes from all of you. Next time around, we’ll see f I can get you to bring your recipes with you. There was a caramelized onion dish atop a soft bread. Not knowing what it was I first thought it would be sweet and then was thrilled to find it savory. A salad of green and purple grapes, walnut, Gorgonzola and what was that dressing? Amazing brownies and cakes, one with a strawberry puree; another a scrumptious peach torte. Salads, breads, casseroles, you name it (did I mention homemade vanilla ice cream with pecans?). Please send your recipes from the potluck to the farm for us to share.
- Outstanding in the Field at JBG: September 29th
Don’t forget our next big dinner this fall. Outstanding in the Field will be hosting here at JBG’’s on September 29 at 3pm in the pecan orchard. There are only 70 seats left and will likely sell out. Local chef Jesse Griffiths will be preparing a farm-style five course meal. Get registered for this event before it’s too late!
- The Florida Weave
Today Will and Evelyn did the Florida Weave. The tomatoes are growing quickly and need support for their ever burgeoning weight. The system for trellising our indeterminate tomatoes (the heirlooms) is commonly known as the Florida Weave. I realized, while watching Will weave his way across the field, that still photos could never do this display justice.
Both Evelyn and Will strapped a box of twine to their hips. They then threaded the twine through a pvc pipe that had two hoes drilled in either end of the three foot long piece. This allowed the twine to easily be wrapped around the tomato stake about 12 inches from the ground. The weaving began. Loop, sweep up the meandering vines, pull tight, step to the next stake, and loop again.
Harvesting is made easier by weaving each trellis only one-third the length of each row. First down one side of the row, circling back across the row at the one-third mark, and repeating the weaving pattern back to where they started.
Using a box of twine attached to her hip and a pvc pipe threaded much like a two ended needle, Evelyn winds her way through the tomato stakes.
The first pass of the Florida Weave.
The second pass of twine.
The final support system for this week's tomato growth. We'll make a few more passes each month to guide the tomatoes upward.
- Plant Sales will last One More Week
Our organic vegetable starts will be available for one more week through our website. Get your order in soon. This is not your last chance however, we’ll be selling plants starts at the Triangle Farmer’s Market in the next few weeks. If you’re interested in raising some of your own vegetables this season, check out our web site to place your order.
We’ve also donated starts to the Capitol Area Food Bank this week. If you know of any other organizations that might be interested in starts please let us know.
- Log into your JBG CSA Membership Online
We have fresh peas this week!
- The German Turnip- Kohlrabi
Many of you have been asking after kohlrabi……”What is this veggie and what do we do with it? It is a Brassica oleracea, just like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens and brussels sprouts. Last week, Jeff, a weekly voulenteer, brought up an interesting fact about the brassicas. They are all bred from and are the same species as, the wild cabbage. Through selection each species was bred to develope a given feature. Kohrabi was developed for its round bulb and mellow taste.
The greens are tasty when used as any other green. The bulb can be sliced and sauted in butter and garlic. Kohlrabi is an easy substitution for potatoes in any dish and adds a refreshing texture and flavor. See the recipe below for Scalloped Kohlrabi and Turnips.
Kohlrabi growing in the field.
Kohlrabi gathered while harvest notes are taken.
The root system is snipped off during harvest.
3) Events:
- Earth Day at Austin Farmers’ Market at Triangle Park
Wednesday, April 22. 4 pm – 8 pm
Austin Farmers’ Market at The Triangle, 46th & Lamar
Free Parking in the garage immediately adjacent to Triangle Park.
The Wednesday in which we have the market at The Triangle is the actual Earth Day, so we’ll have some garden workshops for kids, The Little Kitchen cooking class, and some other low-impact kid-friendly activities. Planning an after sundown Earth-inspiring film too, so keep looking at this schedule.
- Garden to Market
Wednesday, April 22. 6-7pm
Austin Farmers’ Market at The Triangle, 46th St. & Lamar
Learn to sell the produce you grow at a farmers’ market.
Nagoya kale, one of the laciest greens out there.
The heart of a Nagoya kale.
- Gourmet Magazine Green Market Tour
Saturday, April 25. Market: 9 am – 1 pm. Chef Jesse’s Demo: starts 10 am
Austin Farmers’ Market Downtown at Republic Square Park, 4th and Guadalupe
Like cooking, eating or shopping? Come, of course, to this special day. Featuring at chef demo and tasting tent with Chef Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due, a Gourmet Magazine tent with free give-aways, and a “Taste the Place” tent of volunteers tasting out AFM farmers’ produce for the season.
- Building Local Food Systems
April 30, 7pm, MonkeyWrench Books (110 E. North Loop)
Meet individuals and organizations in Austin that are contributing to food access, efficacy and awareness that helps make a local, sustainable food system possible.
* Andrew Smiley, Sustainable Food Center
* Youth participants, Urban Roots
* Erin Flynn and Skip Connett, Green Gate Farms
* Moderator: Marla Camp, Edible Austin
Mustard greens are in their prime.
- Environment, Health and Food Safety
May 7, 7pm, Center for Community Engagement (1009 E. 11th Street)
Explore the impacts of the conventional food system on the environment, health, and food safety.
* Curt Ellis, filmmaker, “King Corn”
* Charlotte Herzele, University of Texas at Austin
* More speakers TBA
Sponsors: American Friends Service Committee, Fair Food Austin, MonkeyWrench Books, Oxfam-UT, PODER, Sustainable Food Center, Texas Fair Trade Coalition, Center for Community Engagement (UT-Austin), Urban Roots, Workers Defense Project
For more information, visit
http://fairfoodaustin.blogspot.com
http://monkeywrenchbooks.org
- Spring Speaker Series
Varying times on select days through May 30. Check Web site for schedule. 10 a.m. today: Mixing It Up With Dave: Container Patio Gardening at its Best!’With Dave Mix, Pacific Home and Garden. Free. The Great Outdoors Garden Center Nursery, 2730 S. Congress Avenue. www.gonursery.com
- Austin Organic Gardeners
The Austin Organic Gardeners meet the second Monday of every month at Zilker Botanical Garden. www.austinorganicgardeners.org
Meetings start at 7 p.m.
- Travis County Master Gardeners Association
The Travis County Master Gardeners Association holds it’s monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month. www.tcmastergardeners.org Meetings starts at 7 p.m.
The results of walking the fields to see what's ready for harvest this week.
Front row left to right: Radish, mint, turnip ,arugula, baby carrot. Second row: Cabbage leaves, Rainbow chard, Nagoya kale, garlic, red onion. Third row: Broccoli and broccoli greens, kohlrabi,collards, beets.
4) Quotable Food:
If God had intended us to follow recipes, he wouldn’t have given us grandmothers. ~Linda Henley
5) Recipes:
- Scalloped Kohlrabi and Turnip
- Two rows of Winterbor kale. The one on the left was harvested last week, while the one on the right will be harvested this week. Both rows of kale will keep producing till the heat arrives.
6) Produce Storage Tips:
We aim to grow and package our vegetables to maintain the highest taste and nutritional quality possible. However, once they’ve left the farm it’s up to you to keep them fresh and nutritious. There’s no refrigeration at the CSA drop points so it’s best to pick up your box as early as possible. Here are some additional tips on how to store this week’s share:
Spinach, Kale, Chard, Lettuce, Salad Greens, Pak Choi, Braising Mix and Cooking Greens will stay fresh in the crisper for 4-7 days and should be kept in plastic bags. Any bunch greens can be freshened by cutting an inch of the bottom stalks and soaking the entire bunch in cold water for 10 minutes. Place in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few hours to revive. Also, when you receive lettuces and other delicate greens like arugula, you will notice that we bag them wet. This helps keep them fresh until members can pickup and refrigerate them. The lettuce heads, lettuce mixes, and arugula should not be refrigerated wet, though. Once you bring these vegetables home, you should wash and dry them before bagging and refrigerating. If you follow these steps, you lettuce should stay fresh.
Carrots, Radishes, Turnips, Beets, and Parsnips should be stored in plastic bags. They’ll last two weeks in the fridge. Take tops off carrots before storing, leave greens on radishes, turnips and beets, with both roots and tops in the bag.
Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Scallions, and Summer Squash will last 4-7 days in plastic bags in the crisper.
It is best to store the Onions at 40 to 45 degrees F. Don’t whole store onions in the refrigerator because the moisture is bad for them. Don’t store potatoes near onions. The onions will absorb moisture from the potatoes.
To store Kohlrabi for several weeks, remove the leaf stems and place, unwashed, in sealed plastic bags in the refrigerator.
Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your guide for how to can, freeze, dry, pickle or ferment just about anything.
Yummy, beets are on the way.
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info:
Johnson’s Backyard Garden
9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E
Austin, TX 78742
Office Phone: 512.386.5273
Office Hours: M-F 8am to 12:30pm