Johnson's Backyard Garden

Archive for November, 2009

Forming a Non-Profit: Making a More Organic Austin

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

: CSA patch on a bicycle

Contents:

1) In Your Box this Week

2) Farm News

JBG Now Accepting New CSA Members
Holiday Gift Certificates
Holiday Schedule Changes and Other Housekeeping Details
Workshares Needed and Appreciated
JBG at the Austin Farmers Market this Wednesday!
Local Thanksgiving Turkey Orders
The Internets: Blogs and Photo Essays about the Farm
Forming a Non-Profit: Making a More Organic Austin

3) Events

Edible Austin Eat Local Week, December 5-12
BookPeople Presents Multi-Media Food Night
Concert to Support Austin Sustainable Food Center

4) Quotable Food

5) Recipes

Roasted Veggies on a Bed of Tomatoes
Green Tomato Pickles

6) Produce Storage Tips

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

: Brenton holding a fennel bulb

1) In Your Box this week:

Chard

Okra

Spinach

Mustard Greens

Kohlrabi

Hakurei Salad Turnips

Butternut Squash

Tomatoes

Fennel

Coming Soon:

Dill

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Carrots

Krystin weeding carrots. They are coming soon!

2) Farm News

JBG Now Accepting New CSA Members!

JBG seeks to grow a diverse assortment of high-quality produce while working to help minimize the distance from farm to consumer. We are currently expanding in an attempt to increase the impact we have on Austin’s local food scene and to help do our part in meeting Austin’s demand for locally grown, organic produce. As such, we are accepting new CSA members and are asking you to share the word so together we can continue to spread the values of the local organic farms and expand our community of mindful Austin consumers. One way for you to do that would be to print the flyer off the link below, in color or black and white, and put it up on any bulletin board: work, church, coffee shop, bagel shop, children’s school, etc. Word of Mouth is our best advertising. Thanks for your help. http://jbgorganic.com/PDFs/JBG%20Flyer.pdf

Holiday Gift Certificates

We have a glorious idea for a holiday gifts…yes indeed…CSA gift certificates! Buy a four or ten week subscription for your friends and family and help spread the beauty of local organic produce this season. Gift certificates are regular price. If you’d like to order, call us at 512-386-5273 or email at farm@jbgorganic.com.

Holiday Schedule Changes and Other Housekeeping Details

2. Its important that we have accurate contact information for all of you, particularly at this time of flux on the farm. We want to be able to contact you as we shift schedules to ensure everyone is able to pick up their boxes. You can log in to your account in order to update your phone number and email address yourself.

Workshares Needed and Appreciated!

We don’t know what happened around here, but things just started growing! This week will be full of big harvests for our CSA boxes. We need some volunteers to come help us handle it all! Workshare opportunities are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8am to 1pm. All workshare volunteers get a share of freshly harvested vegetables in exchange for their help. If you are interested in participating on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday, please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com or call Carrie in the office at 512-386-5273.

: Workshares in the field

JBG at Austin Farmers Market This Wednesday!

We will be selling our fresh produce at the Austin Farmers Market at Triangle on Wednesday, November 25 from 4-8pm. Come downtown and support your local Austin farmers.

Order Your Thanksgiving Turkey from a Local Austin Family

Alexander Family Farm is taking Thanksgiving turkey orders now. Alexander Family Farm has all-natural, pastured, White Broad Breasted turkeys for sale for Thanksgiving. These are your standard white turkey raised in a very UNstandard way. A custom made, designer ration and the finest “salad bar” forage pasture make these birds an omnivore’s delight. To get on the list, email Kim at alexanderfamilyfarm@yahoo.com or call 512-247-4455.

The Internets: Blogs and Photo Essays about the Farm

Check out new intern Neysa King’s blog about moving from life in the city to living off the land at www.dissertationtodirt.com

Also take a look at photography student Shiyam Galyon’s photoessay of Johnson’s Backyard Garden at flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturallyshiyam/sets/72157622677350299/show/with/4102915707/

Forming a Non-Profit: Making a More Organic Austin

We are exploring the possibility of adding a non-profit component to our farm. A non-profit is an organization that exists to provide a beneficial service to its community. We would like to serve Austin by making organic, local food more appealing and accessible to its residents. We would accomplish this mission through three major initiatives:

1) Accessibility.

Creating a program that offers reduced CSA box prices for low income families in Austin. Ideally, we could cooperate with another non-profit to establish eligibility and handle distribution.

2) Education.

a. Sponsoring on-farm activities for schoolchildren to give them a glimpse of where their food comes from and how it grows. Our hope is to establish an appreciation and respect early on for good food.

b. Establishing an Internship Program to educate the next generation of organic farmers. Our program will teach sustainability and traditional organic growing methods, as well as practical business principles for the initiation and maintenance of a successful organic farm. We hope to offer a growing population of young “back-to-the-landers” a place to get their start.

: Travis sorting habanero peppers

3) Research.

Conducting research that will help Johnson’s Backyard Garden move towards higher sustainability. These topics already include moving from plastic to organic mulches, the reuse of drip tape, and composting. Our main interest is to understand the connections between sustainability and productivity, as they relate to organic growing.

To begin moving forward, Johnson’s Backyard Garden will pursue dialogues with established, successful non profits in the Austin area. We are anxious to learn about their missions, organization structures, programs, and milestones in order to help us move forward with our own non-profit concept.

We would therefore like to appeal to any CSA members with pertinent legal, accounting, or non-profit experience who have an interest in helping us move forward. Please call us at 512-386-5273 or email at farm@jbgorganic.com

: Brenton is very proud of his fall potato crop

3)Events

Edible Austin Eat Local Week

Edible Austin is hosting its 3^rd Annual Eat Local Week, December 5-12. Come out and support Austin’s local businesses! Events that week include Alamo Drafthouse BENEFEAST, live entertainment and samples at Whole Foods, and a celebrity cook-off at the Austin Farmers Market! For updates and a full calendar, go to www.edibleaustin.com. Proceeds for this year’s Eat Local Week benefit Urban Roots: Cultivating Young Leaders to Nourish their Communities.

BookPeople presents Multi-Media Food Night

BookPeople hosts a Multi-Media Sustainable Food night, previewing Edible Austin Eat Local Week, with special guests from the food film and book worlds, including Ana Sofia Joanes, director / producer of FRESH; Pamela Walker, author of Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas and more! Local farm food tastings and local beer and beverages will be offered. Friday, December 4, 7 pm.

Concert to Support the Austin Sustainable Food Center

How to Start a Community Garden Workshop (from sustainablefoodcenter.org)

Learn how to start more gardens at this workshop on Saturday December 12th. The workshop will cover

- How to Secure Land

- Finding Funding & Resources

- Organizing Friends & Neighbors to Create a Community Space

You will also take a tour of an established community garden.

See the website for more details. http://www.sustainablefoodcenter.org/events.asp?ItemID=298

: carrots and beets and turnips…oh my!

4)Quotable Food

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy.” –Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food

5)Recipes

Roasted Veggies on Bed of Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes with their juice

2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch rounds-then quartered

2 summer squash, cut into 1-inch rounds-then quartered

4 tomatoes, cut into wedges

Different colored bell peppers cut into large slices, or seeded hot peppers

1 red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges

Chunks of sweet potatoes

6 garlic cloves

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Mixed chopped fresh or dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme…)

4 to 6 slices sourdough bread brushed with olive oil and grilled.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Pour the canned tomatoes into 3 ½-quart roasting pan lightly coated with olive oil.

3. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients (excluding the bread). Toss to coat.

4. Pour the vegetables over the canned tomatoes in an even layer.

5. Bake until the edges of the vegetables are golden, about 50 to 60 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Serve over toasted sourdough bread for a main dish, or ladle over pasta.

Green Tomato Pickles

Ingredients:

1 gallon green tomatoes thinly sliced

6 large onions, thinly sliced

½ cup salt

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon allspice berries

1 tablespoon whole cloves

1 tablespoon celery seed

1 tablespoon mustard seed

1 tablespoon ground mustard

1 cups distilled white vinegar

3 cups brown sugar

½ lemon, sliced

2 red/green bell peppers, minced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Method:

1. In a large ceramic bowl or crock (glass is ok) combine the tomatoes and onions.Sprinkle with salt. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Pour cold water over tomatoes and onions and let stand for 1 hour. Place black pepper, allspice, cloves, mustard seed, celery seed, ground mustard in a small cheesecloth bag.

3. In a large pot stir together vinegar and sugar and then add the tomatoes and onions, the cheesecloth bag with spices, the sliced lemon and minced pepper. Bring to a low boil and simmer on low for 30 minutes.

4. Fill sterilized jars with tomato mixture, leaving ½ inch headspace. Garnish with thin strips of red pepper arranged vertically along sides of jars.. Screw on lids and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

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:

Chard should be kept in a plastic bag in the crisper for 3-5 days. 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.

Beets and Turnips 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.

Fennel can be stored in the vegetable crisper for about 4 days.

Peppers should be stored in the crisper, and washed before use.

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

Travis and Neysa at the end of the day

Concert to Support the Austin Sustainable Food Center

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The First Frost

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Contents:
1) In Your Box this Week
2) Farm News

JBG Now Accepting New CSA Members
Holiday Gift Certificates
Schedule Changes and Other Housekeeping Details
The Cold Has Arrived!
New Interns On the Farm
JBG at the Austin Farmers Market!
Donations for the Interns
Any leaves you might be trying to get rid of? …we could use them for mulch!
Want to Barter with us for a CSA Share?
New Workshare Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8am to 1pm

3) Events

Concert to Support the Austin Sustainable Food Center
How to Start a Community Garden Workshop

4) Quotable Food
5) Recipes

Beth’s Green Smoothie
Pasta with Butternut Parmesan Sauce
Melanzane Parmigiana

6) Produce Storage Tips
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

Beautiful Purple Kohlrabi

1) In Your Box this week:

Hakurei Salad Turnips

Kale

Mustard Greens
Sweet Potatoes
Kohlrabi
Piquant Salad Mix
Spinach
Mustard Greens
Butternut Squash
——First Frost Tuesday Night May End Summer Crops——-
Tomatoes (lots!)
Sweet and Hot Peppers
Black Beauty and Dancer Eggplant
Okra
Basil

Coming Soon:
Lettuce
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Carrots

Carrots

2) Farm News

JBG Now Accepting New CSA Members!

Holiday Gift Certificates

Schedule Changes and Other Housekeeping Details

1. Holiday schedule change – Christmas falls on a Friday this year so in order to keep everyone home with their families we are switching that Friday drop-off day to Monday, December 21st. Therefore, pick-ups at East Austin, Hyde Park, Zilker, Bouldin, and Brodie/Slaughter will be on Monday, December 21, during the week of Christmas. There will be no pick-up that Friday, December 25th.
2. Lastly, its important that we have accurate contact information for all of you, particularly at this time of flux on the farm. We want to be able to contact you as we shift schedules to ensure everyone is able to pick up their boxes. You can log in to your account in order to update your phone number and email address yourself.

Lettuce is Coming Soon!

The Cold Has Arrived!

Monday and Tuesday is the end for many of our crops, which makes it crazy busy on the farm. We have expanded our harvesting crew for a few days so that we can gather the last of our crops before the eminent cold. We have also turned on the space heater in the office for the first time this season, and Frankie, the farm dog, is spending an unusually large amount of time in the office with us this morning! The temperature is suppose to drop to thirty-four degrees tonight, so we are rushing to get in the tomatoes, basil, peppers, and okra. We have also just brought in the last of our sweet potatoes. We do have new crops coming in the next few weeks though! These include spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, cabbage, and carrots.

Brenton is currently discussing new greenhouse options with a local greenhouse manufacturer in order to extend our growing seasons. He is looking into a cold frame greenhouse as well as a shade structure. The cold frame would extend the season for warm crops, such as the tomatoes and peppers. It would protect the crops from the elements and add a few degrees of heat so that they would be available through December. The shade structure would extend the cold season crops, like lettuces and greens, promoting a dramatic increase in the growth of these crops in the end of July, August, and September. These greenhouses will result in higher crop diversity throughout the year and the protection they provide will improve the quality of the crops.

Last of the Okra

New Interns on the Farm

Neysa King graduated from UT in 2006 before moving to Boston where she completed a Masters in World History at Northeastern University. She then moved to Brewster, New York, with her fiancée, Travis Czerw, to work on a 3-acre organic farm. She returned to Austin to keep working and learning about farming through the winter. She and Travis are getting married this May in Dallas, Texas. Neysa loves trying new recipes with the organic ingredients from the farm, and she hopes to one day work with Travis on their own organic farm.

New Intern Neysa King

Travis Czerw grew up in Denton Texas. He graduated from the University of Arizona, Tucson, with a degree in history in 2006. He moved to Boston in 2008 and worked at an environmental non-profit for a year. Then he moved to Brewster, New York, with his fiancée, Neysa King, to work a season on an organic farm. He hopes to learn more about organic farming here in Austin at Johnson’s Backyard Garden. Travis and Neysa are getting married this May, and they hope to one day have an organic farm of their own.

New Intern Travis Czerw

Going to the Market!

by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG resident

I love going to the Farmer’s Market! Every week, I look forward to the chats with my favorite farmers, the smiles on their faces and their positive attitudes. Over the years we have gotten to know each other and going to the market is like checking in with old friends. One farmer remembers that I used to have pet rabbits and another inquires if my husband is still in school and how he likes his program. Another farmer offers me a yellow bell pepper, free of charge. Another one wants feedback on the tofu I purchased the week before. I inquire about the wellbeing of the farmer’s wife and compliment another one on his new, sharp-looking sign behind his produce stand. It seems that both customers and farmers enjoy going to the market. Here, my food has a face and a very happy one indeed. I feel my opinion is wanted and respected. Here, I am not simply a consumer but a co-producer, as the founder of Slow Food International, Carlo Petrini, says. Shopping at the market is a communal experience and I enjoy having a relationship with the people that grow my food.

When my husband and I moved to Austin about five years ago, the Farmer’s Market was much smaller both in terms of numbers of farmers and variety of produce. Figs were rare then, this summer however, they were abundant. Blueberries, plums, wheat berries and Texan olive oil became available only recently. At an herb conference in San Antonio three years ago I listened to a talk by a lady who had just started growing olives in Texas. She felt that the Central Texas climate is comparable to the Mediterranean, so why not grow olives? The local extension office’s advice was: Olives? No way. And three years later, here they are. At our Farmer’s Market.

The variety of meats now being offered is astounding. There are the major three – chicken, beef and pork – but then there’s also lamb, duck, ferrel hog, fish and goat. Farmers feel inspired and try bold, new things. For example, Peach Creek Farm, known for their pork, now offers tofu. Changes have taken place in the heart of Texas and with a growing demand local farmers became more plentiful. New urban farms such as Springdale Farm started up and older ones such as Johnson’s Backyard Garden feel save to expand.

I am thankful to all the farmers who bring this bounty to the market. I feel proud of my farmer’s achievements. I am excited to live in a place where this revolutionary stuff is happening. This is why I love going to the market!

And here’s yet another chance to become part of the Farmer’s Market community: Enter your recipe to the Austin Farmer’s Market cookbook venture! Please follow this link to learn more about the details.

Please link underlined words to the following websites:
http://www.slowfood.com/
http://austinfarmersmarketcookbook.com/

Accepting Donations for the Interns and their humble trailers!

We are happy happy to take any items with which you might be willing to part. Most specifically we are looking for a new washer and dryer (well, new to us!). However, we could use a wide range of items, from kitchen utensils to rugs. Old lamps, brooms and dustpans, clocks, stereos, bookshelves or other shelving, shades and curtains…you name it, we could probably use it! Any of these gifts would be truly appreciated. Please give us a call or send an email if you think you might have items to donate so that we might schedule a pick up in the box truck.

Keith and Neysa Harvesting Salad Mix

Any leaves you might be trying to get rid of? …we could use them for mulch!

We are considering turning the garden in the front of the farm (currently our trial garden) into a garden dedicated to the Farmer’s Market. This would allow us to plant different produce on a smaller scale, which means we could bring a more diverse selection of items to the Saturday market. The leaves would be wonderful mulch for this, as well as for the small 15ft by 30 ft garden that the interns are working on right now. We are beginning our own small garden, nestled between our trailers, so that we might apply and practice all that we are learning each day on the farm.
If the leaves are in bags feel free to leave them at the end of Hergotz Lane by our greenhouse. (See address at the bottom of the newsletter) If you have a lot of leaves that are not in bags please send an email so that we might coordinate a drop-off.
Also, if you have any suggestions for items you would like to see at the Farmer’s Market let us know. We are always looking for feedback from our consumers and certainly value your ideas!

Cash or trade! Bartering for work

We want to make it known that we are very willing to barter for your services here at JBG. We are currently looking for a plumber, for instance, as the new office that we are working on needs a bathroom too! We would be happy to make a deal and pay you in veggies if you’re interested (especially with plumbers!) Please spread the word.

Workshare Opportunities on Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8am to 1pm

With our new weekday-only pickup schedule, we will have Workshare opportunities on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8am to 1pm. Saturday Workshare will be temporarily canceled as we adjust to the new schedule. We are going to start attending the Austin Farmer’s Market on Saturdays and need to figure out the timing and employee coverage on this before we can start up the Saturday Workshare hours again. As soon as we can, we will make Saturday Workshare available again.
All workshare volunteers get a share of freshly harvested vegetables in exchange for their help. If you are interested in participating on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday, please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com or call Carrie in the office at 512-386-5273.

3) Events

Concert to Support the Austin Sustainable Food Center

The Aster Donovan Foundation is putting on the March Forth Benefit Concert on December 11th with proceeds going to the Sustainable Food Center. The show includes three different bands and will be held at the Parish at 214 E. 6th St. Visit their website for more information. www.asterfoundation.org
How to Start a Community Garden Workshop (from sustainablefoodcenter.org)
Learn how to start more gardens at this workshop on Saturday December 12th. The workshop will cover
- How to Secure Land
- Finding Funding & Resources
- Organizing Friends & Neighbors to Create a
Community Space
You will also take a tour of an established community garden.
See the website for more details. http://www.sustainablefoodcenter.org/events.asp?ItemID=298

4) Quotable Food

“When I walk into my kitchen today, I am not alone. Whether we know it or not, none of us is. We bring fathers and mothers and kitchen tables, and ever meal we have ever eaten. Food is never just food. It’s also a way of getting at something else; who we are, who we have been, and who we want to be.”

Molly Wizenberg (A Homemade Life)

5) Recipes

: Kale in the Blender

Beth’s Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
Kale (can substitute spinach, tomatoes, carrots, etc)
1 cup of plain yogurt (Beth and Brenton get their dairy products from a local goat farmer, but they recommend White Mountain if you’re looking for local yogurt at the grocery store)
1 cup of frozen berries and/or frozen banana
honey to taste
1 cup of juice (cranberry, apple, pomegranate, etc)
can substitute water and extra honey

: Blending…

Method:
Wash and chop whole bunch of kale (adjust to taste) put in blender (Beth loves her Vita Mix blender…it takes stems and all!) Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for one minute. Give it a taste test and see what it needs. You might want more berries or honey. Beth made one for me today and it was delicious. Play around with the recipe until you figure out what works for you. You may want to make a fruit smoothie and add just a few leaves of the kale, if you aren’t interested in the stronger flavor of the greens. Its a beautiful, bright color, super nutritious, and a great way to use your vegetables!

: Don’t be deterred by the color, its fantastic!

Pasta with Butternut Parmesan Sauce (simplyrecipes.com)

The sauce has the consistency of chunky tomato sauce. If you would like your sauce to be smooth, you can run it through a food mill.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash weighing about 2 1/2 pounds
8 ounces of bow-tie pasta
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/3 cup of chopped shallots
1/2 cup of packed, freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the butternut squash lengthwise in half* and scoop out the guts and seeds and discard them (or save the seeds and toast them). Pour 1/4 cup of water into a pyrex or ceramic baking dish and place the butternut squash halves cut side down. Bake for 40 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the squash. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out the squash flesh from the skins and purée with a blender (work in batches or place in a bowl and use a hand blender). Discard the skins.
2. Fill a pot with water and salt (1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water). Set over high heat to bring to a hard boil. Add the pasta and cook at a hard boil, uncovered until al dente.
3. While the pasta is cooking, pour the olive oil into a wide skillet on medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash purée and cook for about a minute, mixing it in with the shallots. Add the cream, a tablespoon at a time, slowly stirring it in to incorporate and to avoid lumps. Stir in the Parmesan. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Take off heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Cover the pan to keep warm.
4. Check pasta. When ready (al dente) drain and plate. Pour the sauce over the pasta. Garnish with a little extra parsley and Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Melanzane Parmigiana (from veggiegoddess.blogspot.com)

The trick is to add lots of basil and to fry to eggplant slices in egg and flour before creating the dish. It can be made in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to cook.

Ingredients:
2 large eggplants
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
3 carrots
1 stick of celery
1 large onion
2 large garlic cloves
2 balls of mozzarella
Freshly cut basil
Parmesan cheese
Olive Oil
Flour
2 eggs
Salt and Pepper

Method:
1. Thinly chop the onion, carrots and celery.
2. Fry in a saucepan until they soften. Add the tinned tomatoes, season and simmer for 20 minutes
3. Slice the eggplants length ways at about 1 cm thick.
4. Beat the eggs together in a bowl and cover each eggplant slice with egg, then with flour.
5. Heat the Olive Oil in a pan and fry the slices on a medium heat until they start to brown. Remove slices and place on kitchen roll to absorb excess oil.
6. Slice the mozzarella balls
7. To build the dish spread a layer of sauce, then add a layer of eggplants, another layer of sauce, half the mozzarella, sprinkle with a large handful of basil. Then add another layer of eggplants, sauce, the remaining mozzarella, basil. To finish add the final layer of eggplants, cover with sauce and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for about 40 minute until the top is browned and bubbling.

Serve with fresh crusty bread and a green salad.

6) Produce Storage Tips

Peppers 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 and Sweet Potatoes 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 store potatoes near onions. The onions will absorb moisture from the potatoes.
Green Beans should be kept in plastic bags or containers. They’ll last 3-5 days in the fridge.
Kale and Salad Greens have the same crisper life 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.
Turnips 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.
Cauliflower wrap in plastic and use within a week.

Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions.

Our Storage Packed with Ripening Tomatoes!

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
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Saturday Market Pickup, a Definite Possibility!

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Keith working the JBG Booth at the Farmer's Market

Keith working the JBG Booth at the Downtown Austin Farmer's Market

Contents:
1) In Your Box this Week
2) Farm News

A Few Quick Announcements
Behind the scenes look at how we get the vegetables to your kitchen
JBG Returns to the Austin Farmer’s Market… Farmer’s Market Saturday Pickup?
Donations for the Interns
Any leaves you might be trying to get rid of? …we could use them for mulch!
Cash or trade! Bartering for work
New Workshare Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8am to 1pm

3) Events

Greenhouse Construction from the Ground Up
Green City Festival – just two blocks from the Farmer’s Market
Holiday Festival Wine Tasting
Slow Taste of Tuscany

4) Quotable Food
5) Recipes
6) Produce Storage Tips
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

Anaheim Peppers

1) In Your Box this week:

Hakurei Salad Turnips
Kale or Collards
Tomatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Kohlrabi
Piquant Salad Mix
Basil
Acorn Squash
Sweet and Hot Peppers
Black Beauty and Dancer Eggplant
Okra (limited)
Green Beans (limited

2) Farm News

A Few Quick Announcements

JBG seeks to grow a diverse assortment of high-quality produce while working to help minimize the distance from farm to consumer. We are currently expanding in an attempt to increase the impact we have on Austin’s local food scene and to help do our part in meeting Austin’s demand for locally grown, organic produce. As such, we are accepting new CSA members and are asking you to share the word so together we can continue to spread the values of the local organic farms and expand our community of mindful Austin consumers. One way for you to do that would be to print the flyer off the link below, in color or black and white, and put it up on any bulletin board: work, church, coffee shop, bagel shop, children’s school, etc. Word of Mouth is our best advertising. Thanks for your help. http://jbgorganic.com/PDFs/JBG%20Flyer.pdf
Green Tomatoes. We had a member approach us at the market asking about her green tomatoes from her box two weeks ago. She mentioned that her tomatoes were still green after a week in the paper bag. I spoke with Brenton about this and he still suggests leaving the tomatoes in the bag and waiting for them to blush. They will turn red! Just in case you don’t want to wait though, I’ve included a recipe below for green tomato chutney. And this week the tomatoes in your boxes will be red!
We have a glorious idea for a holiday gifts…yes indeed…CSA gift certificates! Buy a four or ten week subscription for your friends and family and help spread the beauty of local organic produce this season. Gift certificates are regular price. If you’d like to order, call us at 512-386-5273 or email at farm@jbgorganic.com.
Holiday schedule change – Christmas falls on a Friday this year so in order to keep everyone home with their families we are switching that Friday drop-off day to Monday, December 21st. Therefore, pick-ups at East Austin, Hyde Park, Zilker, Bouldin, and Brodie/Slaughter will be on Monday, December 21, during the week of Christmas. There will be no pick-up that Friday, December 25th.
Lastly, its important that we have accurate contact information for all of you, particularly at this time of flux on the farm. We want to be able to contact you as we shift schedules to ensure everyone is able to pick up their boxes. You can log in to your account in order to update your phone number and email address yourself.

Behind the scenes look at how we get the vegetables to your kitchen (a photo essay…sort of!)

Below you will find a video and a series of photos showing you the box packing process in the barn. All of the workshare volunteers, employees and interns line up to make the process nice and speedy. Each individual is in charge of a different item to be placed in the box as it travels down the line. The last person in the line slides the boxes down the rollers where they are then loaded into the truck for take off.

Start of the Line

The veggies all lined up

Boxes moving down the line

Your box halfway down the line

Keith replacing empty bins from the back of the line

Matt making sure that the whole operation runs smoothly!

Workshare volunteer happily packing boxes at the end of the line

Friday workshare volunteer, Edgar, happily packing boxes at the end of the line

Timo folding up the boxes at the end of the line

Timo folding up the boxes to be loaded onto the truck

JBG Returns to the Austin Farmer’s Market… Farmer’s Market Saturday Pickup!

Keith and I returned to the Farmer’s Market this Saturday for JBG’s second week back. This week went very well. We had a better location for our booth this time, right along the main drag instead of tucked back in the parking lot. We are also starting to get ideas about how to make the operation flow a little more smoothly and make the tent look just a little more brilliant! We had returning customers from last week, CSA members, workshares, and prospective CSA members all stopping by to make purchases. It was wonderful, as a new intern, to see the sort of following that the farm really has. Several people that are no longer members came by the booth to purchase their produce, as they remain devoted to JBG’s high-quality, certified organic vegetables.

We received enough positive feedback about the Saturday downtown Farmer’s Market becoming a pickup that we have decided to go ahead with it. It is currently in the works so please check back on our website and/or upcoming newsletters for more information and sign-ups in the near future.

Veggies on the Market Table

Accepting Donations for the Interns and their humble trailers!

One of our Trailers

Any leaves you might be trying to get rid of? …we could use them for mulch!

If the leaves are in bags feel free to leave them at the end of Hergotz Lane by our greenhouse. (See address at the bottom of the newsletter) If you have a lot of leaves that are not in bags please send an email so that we might coordinate a drop-off.

Also, if you have any suggestions for items you would like to see at the Farmer’s Market let us know. We are always looking for feedback from our consumers and certainly value your ideas!

The intern's garden (covered in order to break down the grass)

Cash or trade! Bartering for work

Workshare Opportunities on Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8am to 1pm

All workshare volunteers get a share of freshly harvested vegetables in exchange for their help. If you are interested in participating on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday, please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com or call Carrie in the office at 512-386-5273.

The trial garden...soon to be the Farmer's Market garden!

3) Events

Greenhouse Construction from the Ground Up

Saturdays, November 14 & 21; 9am-1pm

Support Urban Roots while you learn about effective ways to grow your own food. In this two-day workshop, participants will learn how to build a greenhouse from scratch and will also retrofit a hoophouse into a 2nd functioning greenhouse. In the process we will be constructing the Urban Roots greenhouse.

For this two-day event, we will have one hour of instruction and will
provide plenty of time for Q & As. Participants will get plenty of
experiential learning opportunities and will get their hands dirty. Please
help spread the word in order to help educate the community while supporting Urban
Roots.

Informational workshop sessions will be held on:

greenhouse design and construction;
greenhouse management;
propagation principals; and
soil mix creation.

Workshop taught by David Pitre of Tecolote Farm and Max Elliott of Urban Roots. This is a hands-on, experiential workshop. Be prepared to work hard, learn lots, and get dirty!

Cost: 60$. One scholarship slot will be available. Proceeds benefit Urban Roots. Urban Roots is a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture
as a means to effect lasting change for youth participants and nourishes
East Austin residents who have limited access to healthy foods.
Learn more about Urban Roots, or donate online at
www.youthlaunch.org/programs/urbanroots.php

To sign up for the greenhouse construction workshop, or for more information, please visit www.youthlaunch.kintera.org/greenhouse. You may also contact Shirene Garcia at 512-342-0424 or sgarcia@youthlaunch.org

Green City Festival (also from austinfarmersmarket.org)

Saturday, November 14 2009, 10:00am - 3:00pm

Join Sustainable Food Center and dozens of other nonprofits and city departments in helping make Austin the greenest city on the planet! Come and learn about a more sustainable way of living at all kinds of workshops, kid’s activities, talks, and a fair of interactive booths at City Hall and City Hall Plaza! 10 am to 3 pm.
P.S., get your sustainable food for fuel in visiting all these activities at the Austin Farmers’ Market, just 2 blocks away! AFM is open 9 am to 1 pm.

Holiday Festival Wine Tasting (from austinfarmersmarket.org)

Saturday, November 14 2009, 9:00am - 1:00pm at the downtown Farmer’s Market

Capture the taste of Hill Country holiday flavors for all your local parties this season. The Market hosts the Hill Country Wineries in the first ever new festival setting where wineries can offer you tastes (just a lil’ 1/2 oz–it is Saturday morning after all!) and sell you the bottles of wine that you like!

Slow Taste of Tuscany (from slowfoodaustin.org)

A celebration and special dinner at Primizie Osteria

We present this event as part of a celebration across North America of Slow Food and Douglas Gayeton’s new book Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 7:00

Join us in honoring the simple and superb pleasure of fresh food that has been prepared slowly and locally.
Tickets ($85) include a multi-course feast highlighting local ingredients, an autographed copy of the book ($50 value), and a contribution to Urban Roots. Gratuity and taxes separate.

Please RSVP at www.primizieaustin.com by Nov. 6
Primizie Osteria, 1000 E. 11th St., Austin, TX
Telephone: 512.236.0088

4) Quotable Food
If organic farming is the natural way, shouldn’t organic produce just be called “produce” and make the pesticide-laden stuff take the burden of an adjective? ~Ymber Delecto

5) Recipies

Green Tomato Chutney (from inpraiseofleftovers.com)

You can deal with the tomato skins in one of two ways. You can either blanch them in boiling water for one minute to loosen the skins, or do what I do. Just cook everything, then pick through with a spoon and fork and remove the skins. Most of them will have fallen off and curled up into little cylinders during cooking. Of course you could make this chutney with ripe tomatoes, too, but part of its charm is the tartness that comes from the green ones.

2-3 lbs. tomatoes in various stages of ripeness, coarsely chopped
1 Tb. olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
2 Tb. chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tb. chopped fresh ginger
dash of red pepper flakes
salt

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and ginger and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of ingredients, bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer for about 45 minutes, until mixture is thickened, tasting a few times and adding more of anything to taste. Remove from heat, let it cool, then store in the fridge. Will keep for at least a week, and will thicken up a bit more when cold.
To make a galette, spread about 1/2 c. of your chutney over galette dough. Lay about 4 oz. of sliced brie over the chutney and grate parmesan over the whole thing. Fold the dough in to form a crust, then bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, until crust is golden.

West African Groundnut Stew (from moosewoodrestaurant.com)

I’m not sure how well-known the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY is in this part of the country, but its cookbooks are fairly popular in the northeast if you are looking for a creative vegetarian cookbook that also includes vegan recipes. Their website gives a small, but nice selection of their recipes as well as information about their cookbooks, a number of which have won the James Beard Award. I recommend you take a peek at the website and read about their Collective that began as a small restaurant in 1973, and sift through some of their recipes.

Serves 6

2 cups chopped onions
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon cayenne or other ground dried chiles
1 teaspoon pressed garlic cloves
2 cups chopped cabbage
3 cups cubed sweet potatoes (1-inch cubes)
3 cups tomato juice
1 cup apple or apricot juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
2 chopped tomatoes
1 ½-2 cups chopped okra
½ cup natural peanut butter

Sauté the onions in the oil for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cayenne and garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes. Add the cabbage and sweet potatoes and sauté, covered for a few minutes. Mix in the juices, salt, ginger, cilantro, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Add the okra and simmer for 5 minutes more. Stir in the peanut butter, place the pan on a heat diffuser, and simmer gently until ready to serve. Add more juice or water if the stew is too thick.

Winter Squash Polenta (from http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/)

Makes about 4 cups

ROAST SQUASH
2 – 3 pounds winter squash, washed (I used a small butternut and a medium buttercup)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Set oven to 400F. Carefully (so not to lose a finger) cut the squash in half either lengthwise or crosswise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Rub olive oil on the flesh, season with salt and pepper, then place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Place in the oven, even if not fully preheated. Roast until a knife easily inserts into the thickest part of the flesh, about an hour. (If the squash halves are of different thicknesses and varieties and moisture levels, they will likely finish at different times. I set a timer for 30 minutes, then check every 5 – 10 minutes until all the pieces are done. If the squash exudes a lot of liquid, pour it off otherwise it will scorch.) Let cool a bit. Scoop out the flesh and mash with a potato masher or a fork. I used about 3 cups cooked squash, more would be fine, less would make this very much a “starch” versus a “vegetable”.

MAKE THE POLENTA & ASSEMBLE
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup coarse stone-ground cornmeal (I love the Bob’s variety, often kept with the specialty bread flours)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces fresh Parmesan, grated with ribbon microplane (for larger pieces), some reserved
Salt & pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a medium non-stick saucepan on MEDIUM. Stir in the salt. Slowly stir in the cornmeal with a whisk. Reduce heat to MEDIUM LOW, cover and set timer for 5 minutes. When timer goes off, check to see if it’s cooking at a slow simmer, adjust heat accordingly and whisk gently for a minute. Repeat every 5 minutes, adjusting temperature and whisking. When it thickens, uncover and stir for 2 – 3 minutes. Stir in the butter and (most of the) Parmesan and stir til melted and glossy. Stir in the cooked squash and combine well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer to a greased baking dish. [If you're cooking ahead, stop here and refrigerate. Return to room temperature.]

Top with reserved Parmesan. Bake at 350F for 60 minutes.

6) Produce Storage Tips

Peppers 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 and Sweet Potatoes 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 store potatoes near onions. The onions will absorb moisture from the potatoes.
Green Beans should be kept in plastic bags or containers. They’ll last 3-5 days in the fridge.
Kale and Salad Greens have the same crisper life 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.
Turnips 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.
Cauliflower wrap in plastic and use within a week.

Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions.

Angel heading out to harvest okra

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
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Happy Tomatoes

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Happy Tomatoes Equals Happy Bellies!

Contents:

1) In Your Box this Week

2) Farm News

A Few Quick Announcements
Tomatoes Galore!
Eggs in the Winter
JBG Returns to the Austin Farmer’s Market… Farmer’s Market Saturday Pickup?
Cheese Tasting
Support Brenton in Two Up-coming Contests
Our Weekday-Only Pickup Schedule begins Tuesday November 3
New Workshare Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8am to 1pm

3) Events

Dr. James E. McWilliams Speaking at University of Texas
Bastrop Farmer’s Market Fall 2009 Gardening Seminar Series

4) Quotable Food

5) Recipes

Arugula Pesto
Acorn Squash Soup
Citrus Radish Confit

6) Produce Storage Tips

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

Ready for your box!

1) In Your Box this week:

Radishes
Garlic Green
Dinosaur Kale
Tomatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Kohlrabi
Arugula
Basil
Acorn Squash
Sweet and Hot Peppers
Black Beauty and Dancer Eggplant
Okra (limited)
Green Beans (limited)

2) Farm News

A Few Quick Announcements

JBG is now accepting new CSA members
We have a glorious idea for a holiday gifts…yes indeed…CSA gift certificates! Buy a four or ten week subscription for your friends and family and help spread the beauty of local organic produce this season. Gift certificates are regular price. If you’d like to order, call us at 512-386-5273 or email at farm@jbgorganic.com.
Holiday schedule change - Christmas falls on a Friday this year so in order to keep everyone home with their families we are switching that Friday drop-off day to the Monday, the 21st. Therefore, pick-ups at East Austin, Hyde Park, Zilker, Bouldin, and Brodie/Slaughter will be on Monday, December 21, during the week of Christmas. There will be no pick-up that Friday, December 25th.
Lastly, its important that we have accurate contact information for all of you, particularly at this time of flux on the farm. We want to be able to contact you as we shift schedules to ensure everyone is able to pick up their boxes.

Tomatoes Galore!

Today on the farm we have many, many hands working to harvest and sort the thousands of pounds of tomatoes that we have in the fields! We’re excited to have so many coming in as we anticipate the first frost to come in the second or third week of November. This will mean the end of some of our fall crops, including tomatoes, eggplants, basil, peppers, and okra. Also, the little squash bugs have brought about an early end to our squash and cucumbers. Nonetheless, we do have lots and lots of carrots. Beth has been begging Brenton to plant carrots for several years now and he has finally acquiesced. It appears he is making up for years lost by planting half an acre of the tasty roots! In addition to carrots, our fall potato trials are looking particularly good; which means we will have new potatoes in the next month or so. Today the new seventeen row seeder arrived. This will be used for planting high-density crops, such as arugula, salad mix, baby spinach, radishes, baby beets, and cilantro. In addition to the seeder we’ve brought in a fork lift to help us with our addition to the barn. On the whole, Brenton is incredibly happy with the way the farm is looking. In fact, he can be quoted saying it is “better than it has ever looked before!” The crops are weed-free and look particularly splendid and healthy. Monday was our first day beginning work after the sun had already peaked above the horizon and the farm has indeed been a wonderful sight each morning.

The first week of the tomatoes

Eggs in the Winter

Did you know that chickens naturally slow down their egg production in the fall when there are fewer hours of daylight? Our chickens are starting their autumn slow-down now. If you want to participate in this cycle, you can eat slightly fewer eggs from Oct to Dec, and then increase your consumption in Jan as the days start getting longer. The chickens will appreciate their resting time!

~Amy Ringger, Ringger Family Farms, JBG Egg Supplier

Please keep in mind that due to the slow-down in production, JBG may have to limit egg orders over the winter, depending on the number of orders received.

JBG Returns to the Austin Farmer’s Market… Farmer’s Market Saturday Pickup?

This Halloween JBG returned to the Austin Farmer’s Market on Guadalupe and 4th street. We loaded up the truck with lots of our produce early Saturday morning and, of course, in our haste to get to the market we all forgot our cameras. I can tell you, however, that the tent looked beautiful with tables full of fresh kale, tomatoes, basil, radishes and more, as well as a location where market shoppers could fill their own bags with green beans and sweet potatoes. We were excited for the opportunity to have some direct contact with the consumers and had a blast representing the farm among the rest of the local foods community. The Johnson kids, all dressed up in their Halloween costumes, were even there to help out at the stand! We will be there on Saturdays from now, so we would love it if you to came by to say hello!

Also, there has been some discussion about making the Farmer’s Market one of the pick-up points. We realize weekday pick-ups can be difficult for some individuals and are considering bringing some boxes along with us. We would love to get some feedback on the idea, so please email us if you think this might work better for you and your schedule.

The Johnsons on Halloween

Cheese Tasting

by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG resident
I participated in many wine tastings, a couple of chocolate and honey tastings and even a meat tasting event before, but the recent Slow Food fundraiser event was my first cheese tasting experience. As with all tastings, there are several categories to evaluate a product in. For cheese it’s (1) Appearance/ Looks, (2) Smell, (3) Flavor, (4) Texture and (5) Aftertaste/ Finish. To smell the cheese, pick your little cheese square of your plate and squish it between your thumb and first finger. To breaking the cheese open in such a way releases its’ fragrance and you’ll be able to take in its’ smell to the fullest. In order to catch the flavor, texture and aftertaste, chew the cheese but don’t swallow it right away – coat your mouth with it first. Words used to describe cheeses within the different categories are clean, complex, pungent, nutty, grassy, buttery, fruity, crumbly and sharp. Follow this link for more words.

http://www.thenibble.com/REVIEWS/main/cheese/cheese2/terminology.asp
Kathy Strange, Whole Foods’ cheese buyer and the cheese tasting moderator of the evening, suggests to buy small amounts of cheese and to use it fast (within one week) to ensure freshness. For storage, she recommends to take the cheese out of its plastic wrapping and to rewrap it in parchment paper so that it can breathe, then store it in the produce drawer. Whole Foods will paper wrap cheeses for you upon request.
I learned that even though the original Cheddar cheese indeed stems from the small British town of Cheddar, Sumerset, the name of the cheese refers to the process of cheddaring utilized for making this style of cheese. Cheddaring is a process of piling cheese curds on top of one another to reach a distinct level of moisture and texture.
I also learned that goat cheese pairs particularly well with honey and pecans and together with some tasty bread, makes a great dessert. To create a full out Texan experience, purchase all of those items locally.
Tastings of any kind can be a fun holiday activity to do with your friends or family. Personally, I can hardly come up with any descriptive words ever, however, I enjoy experiencing the subtle differences and nuances of alike items, which can only be experienced when tasted side by side. I think, this is a very educational activity to do and it engages us with our food on yet a deeper level.

Grit Ramuschkat

Support Brenton in Two Up-Coming Contests!

Brenton is feeling rather old this week as his birthday is coming up this Sunday. In an attempt to lift his spirits Carrie has entered him into two fun contests. The first is Edible Community’s Local Heroes. If you click on the link below you can vote for Brenton under the farm/farmer category as well as your other local heroes in five different categories.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=K5lPuq4fFOQXlcS6pbrbwg_3d_3d

The second contest is Hot Organic Farmers! If you want to have a little fun and brighten Brenton’s spirits take a peek at the website and give him your vote!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/13/hot-organic-farmers-pick_n_300414.html?slidenumber=10#slide_image

Just in case you forgot about his good looks!

Our Week-day only Pickup Schedule Begins Tuesday November 3rd

After this past Saturday, October 31, we will have successfully made the transition to week-day only pickups. Thanks to everyone for their patience as we have made this change. For the finalized schedule, please see the chart below. If you have any questions about your specific pickup schedule, please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com or call Carrie in the office at 512-386-5273 from 7:30am to 3:30pm, Monday-Thursday and until 12:30pm on Friday.

New Schedule:

new delivery schedule

Please note that the Brodie/Slaughter location will remain on Fridays from 3:30pm-7:00pm

If none of our locations are convenient for you, please let us know where you would like to see a new pickup site by sending an email to farm@jbgorganic.com

Workshare Opportunities on Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8am to 1pm

With our new weekday-only pickup schedule, we will have Workshare opportunities on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8am to 1pm. Saturday Workshare will be temporarily cancelled as we adjust to the new schedule. We are going to start attending the Austin Farmer’s Market on Saturdays and need to figure out the timing and employee coverage on this before we can start up the Saturday Workshare hours again. As soon as we can, we will make Saturday Workshare available again.

3) Events

Dr. James E McWilliams Speaking at University of Texas

The author of Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly, Dr. James E. McWilliams, will be speaking at the University of Texas on Wednesday, November 4th at 6pm. The event will be held in the Texas Union Ballroom. Tickets are not required for the event, but seating is limited so be sure to get there on time. Visit utsec.org for more information.

Bastrop Farmer’s Market Fall 2009 Gardening Seminar Series

Each Saturday at the Bastrop Farmer’s Market Master Gardener Dolores Svoboda Leeper gives a free lecture on gardening. This Saturday, November 7, the lecture is titled Getting Ready for the Cold/Extending the Growing Season. The Farmer’s Market is located at 1302 Chestnut Street by the railroad tracks, and the lecture will begin at 10am.

ttp://www.bastrop1832farmersmarket.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34&Itemid=26

4) Quotable Food

“It is difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.”

~Lewis Grizzard

5) Recipies

Arugula Pesto (from simplyrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed1/2 cup of walnuts

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced

Directions:

Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.
Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.
Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Mortar and pestle method (photo pictures pesto produced this way): Combine the nuts and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.

Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.

5. Mix with freshly prepared pasta of your choice*. You may need to add a little bit of water or more olive oil to mix the pesto more evenly with the pasta.

Makes enough pesto sauce for an ample serving of pasta for four people.

Acorn Squash Soup (from Vegetarian: The Greatest Ever Vegetarian Cookbook. This was actually a pumpkin soup recipe but I substituted Acorn squash and it was wonderful! Also I would like to note that this cookbook really is fabulous. The first one hundred plus pages are a guide to natural foods, anything from fruit and vegetables to grains, spices, and dairy foods. The guide includes descriptions, suggestions for cooking, preparation, and storage, as well as health benefits and healing qualities. All of this is followed by delicious recipes! I recommend checking it out.)

Ingredients:

1 lb peeled Acorn squash

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cups vegetable stock or water

2 cups of milk

pinch of grated nutmeg

1 & 1/2 ounces spaghetti, broken into small pieces

6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Chop the pieces of Acorn squash into 1-inch cubes
Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until it softens, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the squash pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
Add the stock or water and cook until the squash is soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Process the soup in a blender or food processor. Return it to the pan. Stir in the milk and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup back to a boil.
Stir the broken spaghetti into the soup. Cook until the pasta is done. Stir in the Parmesan, sprinkle with nutmeg, and serve at once.

Citrus Radish Confit (from www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes)

This confit is a sweet, sharp and slightly peppery relish, with a glorious pink colour. Try it with fish, with meat (it’s lovely with lamb) and even with bread and cheese.

Ingredients:

9 oz summer radishes, trimmed, cut into 1/4 in thick slices

½ lemon, zest and juice only

½ orange, zest and juice only

2 tbsp granulated or caster sugar

1 tbsp butter

salt and freshly ground black pepper

water, to cover

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients into a wide shallow pan along with enough water to almost cover the ingredients.

2. Bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until all the liquid has reduced down to a few tablespoons of rich buttery syrup and the radishes are very tender. Serve warm (it reheats beautifully).

Oh so excited about the new salad seeder!

6) Produce Storage Tips

Peppers 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 and Potatoes 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.

Checkout our storage tips on our website for a more complete guide, and of course, feel free to contact us with any questions.

Beautiful Afternoon

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

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HOMEGROWN IN EAST AUSTIN

Archive for November, 2009

Forming a Non-Profit: Making a More Organic Austin

The First Frost

Saturday Market Pickup, a Definite Possibility!

Happy Tomatoes

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