Okra blossom
Contents:
1) In Your Box this Week
2) Farm News
- Let the Plowing Begin
- Changes in Delivery Days Planned for October
- It’s Snake Season on the Farm
3) Events
- Outstanding in the Field
- Plein Air Austin Painting Group Celebrates Local Farms this Fall
- For Love of Water: F.L.O.W. of appreciation, awareness, action for a sustainable future
- Pamela Walker’s New Book ‘Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas’
4) Quotable Food
5) Recipes
- Arugula Potato Leek Soup
- Healthier Jalapeno Poppers
6) Produce Storage Tips
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info
1) In Your Box This Week
Okra
Basil
Acorn Squash
Red Onions
Potatoes
Sweet Peppers
Pablano and Anaheim Mild Peppers
Jalapeno and Serrano Hot Peppers
Black, purple, green, white and Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Yellow, Zephyr and Zucchini Squash
A new season of starts go into the ground.
2) Farm News
- Let the Plowing Begin
This Thursday is our unofficial ‘ground breaking’ ceremony at the new River Road farm. The star of the day will be local farmer Terry Hash. Terry lives across the street from our new property and has his own farming business raising cattle and forage crops. Terry will be turning over soil in what are currently 40 acres of hay fields. Plowing the fields for the first time will not only break the surface up it will also define the perimeters of our fields and harvest lanes. He will be using a 225 horse power John Deere tractor that will make quick work of preparing the fields for planting. Thank you Terry!
Beth's scarecrow helps keep the hawks away from the chickens.
- Changes in Delivery Days Planned for October
Several weeks ago, we asked our Saturday members if they would prefer a pickup on a weekday, and overwhelmingly, those who responded said yes. Therefore, we will gradually begin phasing out our Saturday deliveries starting the second week in October.
We will also be adding 4 new sites and offering pickups on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. All of the current pickup locations will remain the same, but we will add sites in Lakeway, Westlake, Allendale/Crestview, and South Congress. These changes will allow us to increase our membership, shorten our waiting, and facilitate worker scheduling. In order to make the most efficient use of gas and time, we will group the pickup days by geographical area.
We will work with current Saturday members to accommodate their schedules during our transition by continuing to offer them the same Saturday delivery schedule until November 1st. If Saturday members wish to change before November to a week-day pickup, a Friday pickup will be available at beginning October 9th at the sites listed in the chart below.
TIMELINE:
October 9th – November 1st:
| Monday no pickups |
Tuesday no pickups |
Wednesday NORTH |
Thursday no pickups |
Friday CENTRAL/EAST (option for new sign-ups or current Saturday members) |
Saturday CENTRAL/SOUTH (for existing Saturday members only; no new sign-ups) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round Rock
Cedar Park NW Austin Allendale/Crestview |
East Austin
Hyde Park Zilker South Austin |
East Austin
Hyde Park Zilker South Austin |
After November 1st:
| Monday no pickups |
Tuesday |
Wednesday NORTH |
Thursday no pickups |
Friday CENTRAL/EAST (option for new sign-ups or current Saturday members) |
Saturday CENTRAL/SOUTH no pickups |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeway
Westlake Tarrytown South Austin |
Round Rock
Cedar Park NW Austin Allendale/Crestview |
East Austin
Hyde Park Zilker South Congress |
We will continue to keep everyone updated as we make these changes over the next two months. Please let us know if you have any concerns or questions about these upcoming changes. You can email us at farm@jbgorganic.com or call the office between 7:30am and 12:30pm at 512-386-5273. Also, we are currently looking for hosts for the new Lakeway, Westlake, Allendale/Crestview, and South Congress pickups. Please contact us if you’d like more information about hosting.
Beth has acquired a communal alarm clock for us....the new rooster.
- It’s Snake Season on the Farm
Temo and Jessica have had quite the morning today. Three snakes, one rat. Temo found two rattle snakes out in the fields hanging out around the water risers. Then there was a rat that had made it’s way into one of the empty irrigation pipes. A good flushing of the lines helped Temo clear him out. Meanwhile, Jessica was trying to seed flats in the barn when she spotted a water moccasin hiding in the soil mix. All the snakes were juveniles, which means they were a bit more dangerous than their adult counterparts, not being able to meter out their venom like adults.
I suppose they were all in search of water and some relief from the heat. For us it is an adrenaline rush to discover their hiding spots; there remains a certain uneasiness between the critters and the farmers out here. And it’s not likely to change anytime soon.
Chalon works on the barn and office expansion.
Arugula, a newly prepared row, okra and the new barn facade.
3) Events
- Outstanding in the Field
Get your tickets while you still can for the Outstanding in the Field (OITF) dinner here on the farm on September 29th. OITF’s mission is to, ” is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it.” To read more about Outstanding in the Field, please visit their website at http://www.outstandinginthefield.com. We hope you can join us for this wonderful event in September here at JBG.
- Plein Air Austin Painting Group Celebrates Local Farms this Fall
The artist members of the Plein Air Austin group will be celebrating local farms this fall by gathering to paint at several organic Austin-area farms over several weekends. Each “paint out” will begin at 9 a.m. and wrap up by noon. Each event will feature plein air artists working in oil, pastels or watercolor and capturing lively scenes of farm stands and shoppers as well as beautiful old barns, funky tractors or whatever else catches our creative attention.
Artists of all kinds are invited to join us on these paint-outs and need not be members of Plein Air Austin to participate. Or, if you’re an art lover and collector, drop by a paint-out and meet the artists – who knows, you may end up the lucky buyer of a painting as freshly created as your farm stand produce. To let us know you’ll be participating, please visit www.pleinairaustin.org and click on “Calendar”. The artists are excited to celebrate local farms and promote the health, environmental and community benefits of eating locally. Bountiful places and beautiful art go hand in hand!
First stop for “Celebrating Local Farms” will be Boggy Creek Farm on September 12 at 3414 Lyons Road, Austin.
On Sept 19, we will visit Green Gate Farms at 8310 Canoga Avenue, Austin.
September 24, we will paint at Johnson’s Backyard Garden, 9515 Hergotz Lane, Austin.
October 10, artists will paint at Juniper Hills Farm outside Dripping Springs.
About Plein Air Austin: Plein Air Austin promotes painting directly from life through paint-outs, exhibitions, and fellowship benefitting artists as well as the community. It is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization with more than 80 artist members. Learn more at www.pleinairaustin.org.
- For Love of Water: F.L.O.W. of appreciation, awareness, action for a sustainable future
September 11 – 13, 2009Wimberley, Texas
With water making headlines as “liquid gold” and “the new oil,” a debate is heating up over whether or not we need to have meters on private wells and over how much authority we need to give regulating bodies as our creeks dry up and our wells go dry and new developments of thirsty families keep on moving in. We feel the time is right to invite consumers of water, recreationists relying on water, land managers, and public policymakers to gather for an event centered on appreciation, awareness and actions we can take to ensure a sustainable future for this precious resource.
Friday evening, 6 – 9pm, art show, reception, film
Saturday, 9 – 4pm, conference, classes, trade show
Sunday morning ceremony
Spread the word – hosted by Holistic Management Texas. Info/registration at hmitexas.org or call Peggy Cole at 512-847-3822
- Pamela Walker’s New Book ‘Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas’
Friday, September 11, 7 p.m. at BookPeople, Austin.
BookPeople and Edible Austin present author Pamela Walker for a reading, audience discussion and local food event with author Pamela Walker. Enjoy tasty treats and meet special guests featured in her new book, Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas. Appearing with Pamela will be Carol Ann Sayle and Larry Butler (Boggy Creek Farm), Betsy Ross (Ross Farm), Katie Kraemer (Tecolote Farm), Amelia Sweethardt (Pure Luck Farm and Dairy), Mike Sams (Full Quiver Farm and Dairy), Brad Stufflebeam (Home Sweet Farm) and Dennis Holbrook (South Tex Organics). Edible Austin will present a local food tasting at the event featuring dishes made with seasonal products from these celebrated growers and producers, including artisan cheese tastings and Eastside Café’s famous Betsy Ross Chili. Drinks will include local beer courtesy of Saint Arnold Brewery, artisan-blended tea from Zhi Tea and new sodas from Maine Root.
Read excerpts from Walker’s book in the Fall issue of Edible Austin and online at edibleaustin.com and listen to an interview with Pamela on the Edible Communities Show on Heritage Radio Network with host Marla Camp, airing September 7 and archived on heritageradionetwork.com
Keith cuts and bunches basil.
4) Quotable Food
“Always explore your garden and go to the market before you decide what to cook.” Alice Waters
5) Recepies
CSA Member Emily Weerts sent us her thoughts and two recipes for arugula and jalapenos. Here’s what Emily has to say:
“Unfortunately, I don’t love arugula (or rocket, as it’s sometimes called). There’s something about the spicy, horseradish taste that I just don’t like. Getting beautiful bags of fresh picked arugula in my Johnson’s box is a fun challenge for a cook who picks arugula out of salads. I’ve found that I can rather enjoy arugula as long as it’s cooked or at least not the predominant flavor in a dish. Last year, I made a big batch of arugula and basil pesto, froze it in ice cube trays, and tossed a few in pasta sauce – yum! This year, my arugula went into a tasty soup. The potatoes (also from my veggie box bounty) make this soup taste so creamy and the arugula adds freshness and a beautiful color.
Arugula Potato Leek Soup
(note: can also be served cold as an Arugula Vichyssoise, see note at end of recipe)
(adapted from:www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Arugula-Vichyssoise-12096)
Makes 2 servings as a main dish, 3 as a side
Time: 30 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped leek (1 large leek should yield about a cup – use only the white and light green section of the leek)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 cup potato, peeled and grated
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 packed cups of arugula washed and dried
1 slice of bread cut into small cubes (to make croutons)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons cream, half and half, milk, or soy milk
a few slices of tomato for garnish (optional)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the leek and cook over medium heat until softened (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic, potato, and broth. Simmer covered for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft.
While the soup is cooking, heat a little bit of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook the breadcrumbs in the oil until they are toasted brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside for a garnish. Stir in the arugula and simmer for another minute. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the soup into two bowls, drizzle cream or milk over each serving. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and croutons, add tomato slice for garnish. Serve and enjoy!
This soup can also be served cold as an Arugula Vichyssoise. After blending the soup, pour it into a bowl nested inside of a larger bowl of ice water. Stir in the cream. Chill the soup by stirring occasionally. Garnish with croutons and tomato.
Arugula, Potato, Leek Soup
——————————————————————-
Emily continues “I’ve made these jalapeno poppers a few times. They’re a good way to use up lots of spicy peppers we get in our box all at once. These are an easy and tasty party food. I call them “healthier” jalapeno poppers only because they aren’t battered and deep fried. I think they’re tastier too – you can really taste the fresh picked pepper. When I don’t already have the oven on to make something else, I just pop ‘em in the toaster oven. Bland food lovers, beware: some of the peppers can be pretty hot!”
Healthier Jalapeno Poppers
Makes 24 poppers
Time: 30 minutes (prep and baking time)
12 medium to large jalapenos (green or red)
1/4 cup Neufchatel or cream cheese
1/4 cup cheddar or jack cheese grated
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
black pepper
a few sprigs of cilantro, chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons soy “Bacon” bits
Cut the jalapeno peppers lengthwise and take out the seeds. I wear gloves for this – whatever you do, don’t touch your face or eyes! Mix the cream cheese, grated cheese, chili powder, and black pepper in a small bowl. Fold in the cilantro and “Bacon” bits. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Using a teaspoon, fill each jalapeno half with the cheese filling. Place the poppers on a small baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the filling gets a little melty and the peppers are cooked through. Remove from oven and let cook for 5 minutes. Serve warm with cold drinks and good company.
Jalapeno Poppers
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:
Peppers and Cucumbers should be stored in the crisper, and washed before use.
Basil can be stored upright in a jar of water at room temperature, or in an open bag on the counter. These three all do well frozen also (they will loose texture but not taste).
Eggplants, Potatoes, Onions are best kept moderately cool, no lower than 50 degrees. A cool, dry dark place is best- on the counter, in a cupboard or basket. 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.
Summer Squash will last 4-7 days in plastic bags in the crisper.
Melons should be ripened before refrigeration, stored in plastic bags when ripe. Melons should be used as soon as possible after ripening.
Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions.
Sweet corn
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Information
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
e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com