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
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!
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:
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.
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
- 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
Arugula Pesto (from simplyrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced
- 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.
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
- 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.
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
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 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