We started growing vegetables in our Holly Street
backyard in 2004. Our goal is to provide the Austin community with the best
quality locally grown, organic vegetables possible. You may enjoy our
produce by joining our CSA or by visiting us at any of the
farmers markets around Austin, at local organic grocers as well as most top restaurants.
Looking for a New Host at Brodie/Slaughter Location
Thank You for all the Box Donations!
Celebrating our 5th Anniversary 2004-2009
3) Events
Austin Healthy Cooking Classes, all this week!
Sculpture Exhibit at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Whole Foods Presents Ice Skating on the Plaza
4) Quotable Food
5) Recipes
Jo Jo Potatoes
Carrot and Rosemary Scones
6) Produce Storage Tips
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info
Wakefield Cabbage
1) In Your Box This Week
Dill
New Potatoes!
Carrots
Beets or Turnips
Tomatoes
Cauliflower or Broccoli
Green Garlic
Broccoli Rabe
Butterhead Lettuce
Coming Soon:
Scallions
Bok Choy
At the Market:
Arugula
Broccoli
Mixed head lettuce (romaine, butterhead, oakleaf)
Salad mix
Spinach
Cilantro
Dill
Carrots
Beets
Bok choy
Turnips
New potatoes
Sweet and hot peppers
Tomatoes
Fennel
2) Farm News
JBG Now Accepting New CSA Members
Johnson’s Backyard Garden is expanding, and we are inviting Austin residents to become new CSA members. If you know anyone who loves local, organic vegetables as much as you do, let them know about your CSA membership, and encourage them to look us up! Our goal at JBG is to have a real impact on Austin’s local food chain by providing as many Austin residents as we can with food straight from our farm. So share the news with your friends, family, co-workers, church members, or anyone else you’d like to share fresh, organic veggies with. Word of mouth is our best advertising!
Attention New CSA Members: Eggs Are Back
We have recently connected with new local egg suppliers in order to meet the demand, therefore we are no longer putting a hold on egg orders for new costumers. If you are interested in receiving eggs with your box please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com.
Looking for a New Host at Brodie/Slaughter Location
We are still looking to fill the host position at the Brodie/Slaughter pick-up location. We have had a few approach us about becoming a host and we are now evaluating which would fit in best along our driving route. If you would like to be considered please contact the farm; we will be making a decision in early January.
In a hosting site, we are looking for a cool place for the vegetables (either air-conditioning or lots of shade) and easy access for CSA members (ample parking and pickup availability from 3:30pm until 7pm on Fridays). Most hosts use either shaded front porches or garages/carports for the vegetables.
Hosts are given a free box every quarter in exchange for the work they do. This includes keeping the empty wax boxes for us until we drop vegetables off again the following week, setting out a table for the CSA boxes, and giving away any leftover vegetables to friends, neighbors, or families in need. If you have any questions, or are interested in becoming a host for this location please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com or call the office at 512-386-5273.
Thank You for all the Box Donations!
A special thank you to all of our members who donated their CSA boxes over Christmas. Because of your generosity, the Salvation Army left JBG on Wednesday afternoon with over 40 boxes of vegetables, 14 dozen eggs, and 3 pounds of coffee! Everyone here at JBG is extremely grateful for your charity this holiday season. Alvin, from the Salvation Army, thanks you too.
Alvin picking up Salvation Army donations
Eggs and Coffee
Celebrating our 5th Anniversary, 2004-2009
The end of 2009 marks our 5th year growing and selling organic produce in Austin. Brenton was reminiscing this morning about how it was really the support and enthusiasm of Austin’s residents that encouraged him to grow from a backyard garden on Holly Street, to the largest organic CSA in Texas.
The Backyard Garden at Holly Street
Brenton and Beth started selling at the Austin farmers market in 2004. They had enough produce to barely cover a card table. Their cardboard sign, which at that time read “Brenton’s and Beth’s Backyard and Frontyard Garden,” communicated a very simple message: a family garden, open for business. Their first day at the market, they made under $100. Brenton recalls that he didn’t even know what to charge people. Customers would come up and ask how much for a bunch of collards, and Brenton would respond, “I don’t know, whatever you think is fair.”
JBG at the Beginning
Maybe it was the honesty that kept customers coming back, but Brenton and Beth’s profits increased every week. Soon, Brenton was selling produce directly from his backyard, in a small, 10-member CSA–the smallest in Austin. In 2006, JBG moved to its current place on Hergotz Lane, and now we host the largest and fastest expanding CSA in Texas–over 650 members, and counting!
Along with all of our current members, it was that early support that has led JBG to where we are today. We’re very grateful, Austin. Thank you to all of our members for your continued dedication to local, organic growing.
3) Events
Austin Healthy Cooking Classes, all this week!
Austin Healthy Cooking is a store that promotes health, nutrition, and great food. They offer a variety of weekly cooking classes, which seems perfect for our CSA members. Here’s the schedule for this week:
Wednesday the 30th – Chicken in a Hurry. Quick, easy, and double delicious. And just for fun, some rice pilaf unlike any you have ever had out of a box!!!!!
Saturday the 2nd – Pressure Cooking and Unique Grains.
Sculpture Exhibit at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Enjoy viewing some of Texas’ finest artists’ work at this sculpture exhibit. Begins Tuesday, October 20, 2009 through March 7, 2010. For more information about the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, go to wildflower.org
Whole Foods Presents Ice Skating on the Plaza
10:00 am – 10:00 pm $10.00 includes skate rentals. Austin’s first and only outdoor ice skating rink on our rooftop plaza! The rink opens Friday, November 27th and is open every day except Christmas through Sunday, January 17th. Tickets are only available at Whole Foods Market downtown Sixth and Lamar location. For more information visit http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/lamar/
4) Quotable Food
“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” ~George Bernard Shaw
60g (1/4 cup) butter, melted
1kg (2 pounds) baking potatoes (in France, use charlottes), scrubbed but not peeled
80g (2/3 cup) flour
60g (2 ounces) parmesan or other aged hard cheese, freshly and finely grated
2 teaspoons whole mustard seeds, crushed in a mortar
1 1/2 teaspoons celery salt (or celery seeds ground with sea salt)
1 tablespoon paprika or smoked paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground chile pepper, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4 to 6; the recipe can be halved.
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a rimmed cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with the melted butter, and slip it into the oven to preheat.
Combine the flour, cheese, and seasonings (from mustard seeds to black pepper) in a large freezer bag.
Cut the potatoes lengthwise in wedges, 4 or 6 wedges per potato depending on its girth. Try to make evenly sized wedges so they will all bake at the same speed. Do not rinse or pat the potatoes after cutting them; you want them to retain a film of starch on their cut sides.
Add the potatoes to the bag, close the bag tightly, and shake well to coat the potatoes on all sides. (There will be some flour mixture leftover; it will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.)
Place the potatoes, flesh side down, on the preheated cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, flip, and bake for another 30 minutes, until cooked through and golden. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and serve.
Carrot and Rosemary Scones
Ingredients:
150 grams (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
120 grams (1 cup) chickpea flour (substitute another kind of interesting nutty flour, such as chestnut or buckwheat, or just use all-purpose flour, 270 grams or 2 1/4 cups of it)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons fleur de sel (substitute kosher salt)
120 grams (9 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, diced
230 grams (1 1/2 cups) coarsely grated carrots, about 1 1/2 medium
100 grams (1 cup) coarsely grated aged Parmesan
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary needles (or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced, or pressed
2 tablespoons strong Dijon mustard
100 mL (7 tablespoons) light (15%) whipping cream, plus a little more as needed
Makes about 50 miniature scones
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with the tips of your fingers or a wire pastry blender, until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add the grated carrots, cheese, rosemary, and garlic, and blend with a fork. (This can also be done in a food processor.)
Add the mustard and cream and mix them in gently with the fork just until the dough comes together — add a tad more cream if the dough is too dry.
Turn the dough out on a floured work surface or a silicon mat, and gather into a ball without kneading. (This can be prepared up to a day ahead; cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to rumble.)
Roll the dough out into a rough rectangle, about 2-cm-thick (3/4-inch). If the dough is on the wet ‘n sticky side, it helps to cover it with a sheet of parchment paper and roll the pin over the paper rather directly on the dough.
Cut the dough into 3-cm (1 1/4-inch) squares and transfer onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about a little space between each.
Bake for 20 minutes, until puffy and golden, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Let cool on a rack for a few minutes and serve, warm or at room temperature, on its own as an appetizer, with a salad, or as part of a brunch.
The scones will keep for a few days at room temperature, wrapped tightly in foil.
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:
To store dill, place the stems in a glass of water in the fridge and cover loosely with a plastic bag. Be sure to keep the leaves about the water level.
Broccoli Rabe should be stored in plastic bags or containers and kept in your vegetable crisper. It will keep for 5 to 7 days.
Peppers should be stored in the crisper, and washed before use.
Happy Holidays from the Crew at Johnson’s Backyard Garden
3) Holiday Recipes
Carrot, Dill & White Bean Salad
Sauteed Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Olive Oil
4) Produce Storage Tips
5) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info
Frosty Brussels Sprouts
1) In Your Box This Week
New Potatoes!
Dill
Butterhead Lettuce
Carrots
Broccoli Raab
Sweet and Hot Peppers
Cauliflower or Broccoli
Green Garlic
Tomatoes
Bok Choy
Coming Soon:
Radishes
Spinach
Scallions
Kale
Lots more broccoli and cauliflower!
2) Farm news
JBG Now Accepting New CSA Members!
Johnson’s Backyard Garden is expanding, and we are inviting Austin residents to become new CSA members. If you know anyone who loves local, organic vegetables as much as you do, let them know about your CSA membership, and encourage them to look us up! Our goal at JBG is to have a real impact on Austin’s local food chain by providing as many Austin residents as we can with food straight from our farm. So share the news with your friends, family, co-workers, church members, or anyone else you’d like to share fresh, organic veggies with. Word of mouth is our best advertising!
Neysa and Travis sell at the Sunset Valley Market on Saturdays
A Call to Support Farmers at the Downtown Austin Farmers Market
The Downtown Austin farmers market will have an exciting new layout beginning the first of the year. With the changes, though, the council members are considering removing parking spaces dedicated to farmer parking. Suzanne Santos, the director of the Downtown market is asking for our support in calling the offices of Council Members Chris Riley and Mike Martinez, and Mayor Lee Leffingwell. The major concerns with removing the parking spaces are:
1) Safety – Removing designated farmer parking will force farmers to double park while they hurry to unload a truck full of produce.
2) Best conditions for farmer produce/product – If a farmer is forced to off-load partial inventory from their trucks and then park in the parking lot or parking garage, then the condition and quality of their product for the Austin shopper is at risk to get damaged, stolen, or not sold because the product is not readily available to the farmer’s stall.
3) There are plenty of public parking spaces available nearby – The availability of public parking is more than adequate at other metered spaces. In addition, the shoppers who come downtown specifically to visit the market may park for free in the 700-space state parking garage next to the market. This is courtesy of a State of Texas agreement with Sustainable Food Center.
Please call these three numbers and express your opinion for having designated parking for farmers at the Downtown Farmers Market on Guadalupe Street between fourth and fifth , along fourth and along west fifth street.
You may know that we’re going to be growing on an additional forty acres in 2010. As we expand, we are keeping our CSA as our top priority. We are going to have a lot of excess produce, though, and we will be wholesaling to local restaurants and markets to help us fill in the gaps while we grow our CSA membership. We are about to launch a shopping cart web site, where market or restaurant buyers may select the type and quantity of produce they wish to purchase. We will deliver on our non-boxing days–Mondays and Thursdays. We hope this fills a real need in Austin for its local restaurants and markets–a direct connection to a local farm, and fresh organic veggies! If you are a restaurant or market owner and would like to learn more about our new wholesaling enterprise, please call or email us!
Goings-On Around the Farm
JBG just installed a light on the greenhouse, so those members who pick up boxes in the evenings at the farm can see a little easier!
Special request from the interns in their humble trailers: a microwave is needed for the lunch rush during the day. If anyone is willing and able to donate, email the farm at farm@jbgorganic.com or call 386-5273.
Happy Holidays from the Crew at Johnson’s Backyard Garden
Brenton’s wife Beth, his brother Aaron, the kids Lila, Ada, Drew, Jimmy, and even the dog Frankie drove down to Alabama Friday morning to visit family for the holidays. Brenton will be joining them Wednesday afternoon, after he makes sure all the CSA members get their vegetables, of course. Carrie, our wonderful Office Manager is in DC with family for the holidays. As for the interns, Kristyn flew to visit family in New Hampshire this weekend, Neysa and Travis are driving up to Dallas on Wednesday night to see both of their families who, coincidentally, live about five minutes apart, and Keith will be visiting with friends in town, and making sure the farm is still here when everyone gets back. We hope you all have a joyful and relaxing holiday, and eat lots of our veggies with your families!
3) Holiday Recipes
Carrot, Dill & White Bean Salad (from 101 Cookbooks)
I like to buy young carrots at the farmers’ market – slice them slightly thicker than a banana chip for this salad.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
more olive oil (or ghee) for cooking
2 cups sliced carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick on deep bias
3 cups cooked white beans
scant 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Methods:
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and shallots in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.
In your largest skillet over medium high heat, toss the carrots with a splash of olive oil or a spoonful of ghee (I love ghee with carrots). Let them cook in a single layer – they’ll give off a bit of water at first. Keep cooking, tossing gently every three or four minutes until the carrots are deeply browned. All told, about twelve minutes.
Add the beans and dill to the skillet and cook for another five minutes, or until the beans as well heated through. If you are using beans that weren’t canned you can allow them to brown a bit as well (just cook a bit longer, and stir less frequently) – they can handle this in a way that most canned beans can’t. If you need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan – do so.
Place the contents of the skillet in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour the 3/4 of the lemon-olive oil mixture over the top. Toss gently. Let sit for ten minutes. Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature and finish by sprinkling with the almonds just before serving.
Serves 6 – 8 as a side.
Sauteed Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Olive Oil
Beauiful Broccoli Rabe
Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli rabe 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Sea salt, to taste
Method:
Boil several quarts of water to boiling. Remove any tough or damaged outer leaves of broccoli rabe. Peel thick, lower stems from broccoli rabe. Tear broccoli rabe into large pieces. Clean broccoli rabe in a large amount of cold water until all dirt is removed.
When water is boiling, place broccoli rabe pieces in colander and pour boiling water over them to scald. Drain broccoli rabe well and set aside. Meanwhile, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté garlic until browned. Be careful not to burn garlic! Add broccoli rabe to the pan and toss to coat with garlic/pepper mixture and heat through, around 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.
4) 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:
To store dill, place the stems in a glass of water in the fridge and cover loosely with a plastic bag. Be sure to keep the leaves about the water level.
Broccoli Rabe should be stored in plastic bags or containers and kept in your vegetable crisper. It will keep for 5 to 7 days.
Peppers should be stored in the crisper, and washed before use.
Holiday Schedule Changes and Other Housekeeping Details
Come Help Us Harvest Potatoes
Looking for a New Host at Brodie/Slaughter Location
Donate Your Box Over the Holidays
Holiday Gift Certificates
JBG Shirts and Totes!
A Greenhouse Full of Transplants
Cake for Breakfast
Good Flow Juice and Honey Provides Another Perspective on Local Juice
3) Events
Sustainable Food Center Seed Saving Class, This Wednesday
How-to Holidays, at Whole Foods
Festive Family Dinner: A Class with Chef Robert Jenkins
Austin Farmers’ Market Cookbook
4) Quotable Food
5) Recipes
Garlic Dill Roasted Potatoes
Eat Like a Texan (a delicious meal made by Keith and enjoyed by all the interns!)
6) Produce Storage Tips
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info
Bok Choy
1) In Your Box This Week
New Potatoes!
Dill
Butterhead Lettuce
Carrots
Beets or Turnips
Sweet and Hot Peppers
Cauliflower or Broccoli
Cilantro
Green Garlic
Braising Mix or Arugula
Winter Squash
Coming Soon:
Scallions
Bok Choy
At the Market:
Arugula
Broccoli
Mixed head lettuce (romaine, butterhead, oakleaf)
Salad mix
Spinach
Cilantro
Dill
Carrots
Beets
Bok choy
Turnips
New potatoes
Winter squash
Sweet and hot peppers
Tomatoes
Fennel
Carrot Bunches After Being Washed in the Packing Shed
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.
We have recently connected with new local egg suppliers in order to meet the demand, therefore we are no longer putting a hold on egg orders for new costumers. If you are interested in receiving eggs with your box please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com
Holiday 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. 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.
Come Help Us Harvest Potatoes!
We have begun harvesting all those delicious fall potatoes and we could definitely use some help! 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 work. 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.
Volunteers Cutting Collards
Looking for a New Host at Brodie/Slaughter Location
We are still looking to fill the host position at the Brodie/Slaughter pick-up location. We have had a few approach us about becoming a host and we are now evaluating which would fit in best along our driving route. If you would like to be considered please contact the farm; we will be making a decision in early January.
In a hosting site, we are looking for a cool place for the vegetables (either air-conditioning or lots of shade) and easy access for CSA members (ample parking and pickup availability from 3:30pm until 7pm on Fridays). Most hosts use either shaded front porches or garages/carports for the vegetables.
Hosts are given a free box every quarter in exchange for the work they do. This includes keeping the empty wax boxes for us until we drop vegetables off again the following week, setting out a table for the CSA boxes, and giving away any leftover vegetables to friends, neighbors, or families in need. If you have any questions, or are interested in becoming a host for this location please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com or call the office at 512-386-5273.
Donate Your Box Over the Holidays
We recognize that many people go out of town over the holidays to visit family and friends, and you may be considering canceling your box for the week of Christmas. If you need to cancel your Christmas CSA pickup, we understand. However, to save the farm a big financial hit over the holidays and to help provide food for those in need, please consider donating your share to the Salvation Army, or having a friend pick up your share for you. This way, you can keep supporting the farm, while sharing fresh, organic vegetables with others.
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.
JBG Shirts and Bags!
This morning while discussing the newsletter Brenton said, with a pleased smile on his face, “I think we have had tremendous success; and its incredibly unexpected. I never thought that we would have the amount of success that we have, and a huge part of that is a direct result of the work of many volunteers over the years.” He is both surprised and pleased by the rapid speed and quality of the growth, and is grateful for the many hands that have contributed to the achievements of the farm. From Grit and Steven, Brenton’s first volunteers at his property on Holly Street, who are now residents on the farm and continued supporters, to Matt our packing shed manager. Matt also started as a volunteer on Holly Street several years ago. Furthermore, there have been countless workshares over the years that have given their time to help in the operations on the farm, as well as numerous interns along the way. Our most recent contributor is Ryan Rhodes, designer of our new logo. Ryan currently rents an apartment on Holly Street from the Johnson’s. He is employed at McGarrah Jesse in Austin, but is working on the Johnson’s Backyard Garden logos for a share of vegetables. We think his work is beautiful and we wanted to show you the hand-bound book he created for JBG in order to display his ideas for the logo.
We are thankful to have Ryan share his talent with us, and for all the other individuals who have had a hand in the success of Johnson’s Backyard Garden.
Click here if you are interested in buying shirts and totes with the new designs!
Transplants in the Greenhouse
A Greenhouse Full of Transplants
Our greenhouse is currently stocked with transplants getting ready to be put into the field. Given the recent period of heavy rain it has been difficult for us to direct seed because the soil is too wet. Transplants however, can be planted in slightly damp soil. Brenton has quickly learned the need to prepare the beds as soon as one crop is finished so that the soil has time to dry. Raised beds quickly dry out and provide us with the appropriate conditions for transplanting from the greenhouse.
Butterhead Lettuce Transplants Destined for the Office Garden (now dedicated to crops for the farmers market)
Cake for Breakfast, by Grit Ramuschkat, a JBG Resident
One of my coworkers asked me recently, what I eat for breakfast, I told her, that Steven and I mostly eat cake for breakfast. She glance at me in utter disbelief thinking why in the world I wasn’t 50 pounds overweight then? As I realized that the cake-vision in her mind must have been one of a triple-layer, fluffy piece of chocolate cake with 1/2″ frosting on top, I quickly explained myself. The cakes I have for breakfast are mostly German recipes. They are generally not very sweet and often contain a good share of fresh or dried fruit. Also, more often than not, they have no frosting.
The word cake in German is somewhat indistinct. For example, a sweet bread and a pie are both called cake. The type of cake can be further differentiated by adding a prefix. For example, a “Blechkuchen” is a cake baked on a baking sheet with a dough that’s generally yeast-based and a “Ruehrkuchen” refers to a mixed cake similar to a sweet bread. But then there’s a “versunkener Apfelkuchen”, referring to the fruit, in this case sliced apples being submerged in the dough, but a “versunkener Apfelkuchen” is also a “Ruehrkuchen”. Even for a native speaker like me this can become very confusing very fast, so we Germans find common ground by calling every type of cake simply cake. See the following for one of my German “cake” recipes.
Zitronenkuchen or Lemon Cake
This is one of my grandmother’s recipes, that was handed down first to my mother and then to me. I failed at several attempts to replicate this recipe and was on the verge of throwing the recipes into my electronic trash can until I recently changed the baking vessel. That seemed to do the trick. So, please use a rectangular bread pan for this one. This is a very simple recipe and like it is with simple recipes, the magic lies in the ingredients. Use farm fresh eggs, since you will taste them. The butter, white sugar and white flour function as a flavor carrier for the lemons. I urge you to really use white flour and white sugar for this one. I experimented with whole grain flours and brown sugars before and it wasn’t good. You’ll loose the fluffyness and lightness and the vibrant lemon experience that this cake is all about.
Ingredients
For the dough:
2 sticks and 2 tbsp of butter
2/3 C sugar
2 C flour
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon lemon zest from 2 to 3 lemons
For the Frosting:
powdered sugar juice from 1 to 2 lemons
Preparation:
Use butter and eggs at room temperature. Grease a rectangular bread pan. Mix butter, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest into a creamy batter. Add the eggs, one by one; adding the next egg only after the previous one has been completely integrated. Sift the flour and add it in several portions (include baking powder in the last portion). Mix until the flour is integrated but not any more. Pour the batter in the pan and bake at 350 F for 50 to 60 minutes. After the cake has cooled some, poke holes, about 1 to 1 1/2″ deep, all over the top surface of the cake. With a little baking brush, paint the lemon juice over the top of the cake. It will sink into the holes and moisturize and flavor your cake from the inside out. When the holes are 3/4 full with juice, add some powdered sugar to the remaining juice and brush it on the cake as well
Zitronenkuchen or Lemon Cake
Good Flow Juice and Honey Provides Another Perspective on Local Juice, by Krystin Bowcutt
Given my recent arrival to the area I was never able to experience the fresh taste of Good Flow Juice, but many Austinites know the name. Not only are they familiar with the product, but there seems to be an emotional response to the loss of their juice over a year ago. The company stocked the shelves of many grocery stores and filled the cups of many restaurant goers consequently leaving a void in the wake of their closure, which many still respond to with a tone of sadness. Because of the public’s affinity for this juice company we wanted to follow last weeks article about the juice industry and South Tex Organics’ efforts to put forth a quality juice product, with a look at Good Flow. Although each has a different approach they are both interested in making local juice available for their customers.
With an appreciation for fresh, nutritious juice, Good Flow and its owners, the Crofuts, focused on providing hand squeezed juice to their customers. According to an article in the Austin Business Journal (09/20/96) produce was delivered to Good Flow in the morning, washed, hand squeezed, bottled and loaded onto the truck six mornings a week, in order to get the juice out by lunch. The major issue that brought about the termination of the juice component of their business (as they are still selling their honey products) was their failure to complete a 5 logarithm step in order to kill off 99.9% of bacteria.
The FDA considers juice to be a “high-risk”product that can carry salmonella and other bacterial pathogens. Therefore they require juice to go through the 5 logarithm step in order to destroy bacteria, this process has a bacterial survival rate of one in 100,000. The most common way to accomplish this is through pasteurization. Good Flow did not want to pasteurize their products because it kills off natural and beneficial bacteria and enzymes, in addition to the harmful ones. When asked about their decision not to pasteurize Judy Crofut said, “I think a lot of people think bad when they think bacteria.” She continued by pointing out that the majority of bacteria is beneficial and our digestive system actually requires a high amount of bacteria to work effectively.
Judy Crofut told the Austin Chronicle (09/12/08) the FDA regulations regarding the 5 logarithm step are “really designed for big corporate America. … We’ve been keeping our juice safe for a long time – we buy from reliable sources, clean our fruit in a chlorine sanitizing bath. We eyeball every single piece of fruit, even cut it open to eyeball it on the inside. We feel strongly that our process is a good process and a safe process, but that has nothing to do with our case.” Judy learned to wash the fruit with chlorine at the University of Texas Cancer Research Center where she once worked. They taught her that chlorine is great for cleaning because it evaporates and therefore leaves no residue behind. However, this chlorine pouring rinse process didn’t meet FDA regulations.
Judy believes that the FDA is finally beginning to see the health benefits of products, such as their juice, that are as close to the original produce as possible. She recognizes that the political climate is changing and the FDA is now working more to assist small businesses like Good Flow, instead of shut them down. When speaking with Judy Crofut this monday she mentioned that everyone at Good Flow is still working hard to get their juice operations open once more. “Its been difficult,” she said, “but we are closer than we have ever been to getting it up and running.” With hopes for reopening in the spring, they are busy preparing a new location, as their current space cannot accommodate the equipment necessary to fulfill FDA requirements. When they reopen the fruit will go through a scrubbing procedure to clean the the exterior of the produce. They will only sell citrus juices in the beginning because the 5 logarithm step is only required for the outside of citrus. In order to make their popular juice blends which have other produce in them, Good Flow would be required to sanitize the interior of the fruit, which would mean pasteurizing the final juice product. According to the FDA the only way for them to create these blends without pasteurizing the juice would be if they were involved in their own retail sales. This is something they would love to make a reality in the future, but until then, they will focus on producing fresh citrus juice for the people of Austin.
Local Tangerines
3) Events
Sustainable Food Center Seed Saving Class, This Wednesday (from sustainablefoodcenter.org)
Ever wonder how you can develop even more sustainability in your garden? This free class will go over the basics of how to save your seeds for future planting. Learn the difference between hybrid and open-pollinated varieties. Several seed saving techniques will be covered.
Registration required. Please call Jess Guffey at 236-0074 x 105 or email jess@sustainablefoodcenter.org
Wednesday December 16, 2009, 6PM – 7 PM
Gus Garcia Rec Center
Afterschool Room
1201 E. Rundberg Lane, 78753
How-to Holidays, at Whole Foods (from wholefoodsmarket.com)
Let us help you with some easy holiday solutions, from easy appetizers for entertaining to wine pairings and desserts! Each department will present some tips and recipes throughout the day to inspire you for your holiday meals, parties, and gift-giving. And we’ll be offering sips of all of our Top Ten Wines throughout the store – our top notch wines at easy to swallow prices!
Festive Family Dinner: A Class with Chef Robert Jenkins (from centralmarket.com)
Join Robert and Kathleen as the share this delicious Jenkins family tradition – a Mexican – inspired feast on Christmas eve, at the Central Market Cooking School. Menu includes:
Tortilla Soup
Shrimp and Guacamole Chalupas
Borracho Beans
Mexican Rice
Enchiladas with Cheese and Red Chile Sauce
Yucatecan Coconut Tart
AFM is working on making a cookbook full of recipes based on fresh, local ingredients. Check out their website for more information on the book and how to submit your recipes. http://austinfarmersmarketcookbook.com/
4) Quotable Food
“Remember every food purchase is a vote.We might be tempted, as individuals, to think that our small actions don’t really matter, that one meal can’t make a difference. But each meal, each bite of food, has a rich history as to how and where it grew or was raised, how it was harvested. Our purchases, our votes, will determine the way ahead. And thousands upon thousands are needed in favor of the kind of farming practices that will restore health to our planet.”
– Jane Goodall, Harvest for Hope
Joke of the Day!
“Sir, What is the secret of your success?” an intern asked the experienced farmer.
“Two words.”
“And, Sir, what are they?”
“Right decisions.” “And how do you make right decisions?” “One word.” “And, Sir, what is that?” “Experience.” “And how do you get Experience?” “Two words.” “And, Sir, what are they?” “Wrong decisions.”
This is a simple one, but I’m so excited about having potatoes and dill from the farm that I thought I would add it in. I actually had potatoes like this for lunch today. I boiled them, though, and then crisped them up in a pan for a few minutes, instead of baking them (simply because we only have an hour for lunch). Definitely play around with the recipe so it works for you. The most important part is the dill and potatoes! You could even use the green garlic that should be in your boxes this week.
Ingredients:
8 Baby red-skinned new potatoes
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or 3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
2 teaspoon dill
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Scrub the potatoes well and prick each 3 or 4 times with a fork.
Place in a single layer on a shallow pan and bake 1 hr 30 min to 2 hrs until potatoes are done
Cut each potato in half. If some of them are still too big? cut the halves in half once more
Toss potatoes with remaining ingredients in large bowl. Be careful not to toss the potatoes too much or they may start to fall apart, and you don’t want mashed potatoes.
Let rest for 30 minutes before serving
Eat Like A Texan, a Keith Loves Cast-Iron Production
Have you ever wanted to eat a local meal but find yourself at a loss for where to start and what to eat? Let me show you how. The other interns (here on the farm) and I just spent Sunday night dining on what was probably the most local dish we’ve ever eaten and definitely the most local dish I’ve ever cooked.
What was it? Imagine a leg of deer marinated overnight and then roasted to perfection in a beautiful array of sweet spices and seasonings. Picture a plate of mushroom caps full to the brim of flavored goat cheese. Envision a serving of fall-grown beautiful potatoes. And yearn for a big ol’ bowl of fresh green and red lettuce and tomatoes with a sweet dressing. And it was incredible. All of it. Probably the best meal I’ve ever made.
How did I do it? (how to get it local? – see below!)
One by one…
Roast Leg of Deer
(taken from cooks.com, “Leg of Deer Roast”)
Ingredients
5 to 7 lb. leg of deer
4 cloves garlic, cut in slivers
1/2 c. vinegar
3 tbsp lemon juice
7 c. water, divided
1 1/2 c/ brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tbsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1 tbsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 bay leaves, crushed
1 med. red onion, cut into rings
2 tbsp cornstarch
Directions
Cut slits in deer roast; insert garlic slivers. Thoroughly rub vinegar and lemon juice into dear leg; refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place deer roast in large Redi-Pan roasting pan (17 x 12 x 2 1/2 inch); cook 45 minutes. To make gravy, place 6 cups water in 4 quart saucepan. Add sugar, nutmeg, thyme, mustard, salt, pepper, bay leaves and onion; bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch with 1 cup water; slowly add to gravy mixture. Cook over medium heat until gravy is thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour over deer in roasting pan. cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat thermometer registers 180 degrees, basting deer every 20 minutes. Makes 12 to 14 servings.
Note… If you don’t happen to have any hunting friends or cannot take down a deer on your own, I definitely recommend picking up some bison meat from Thunder Heart Bison.
Variations are acceptable… I didn’t have lemons so I used limes instead (and I’m uncertain where these might be sourced locally). I also didn’t have garlic so I substituted garlic greens from our farm. As for local spices and the other ingredients on this item, I’m at a loss for where to get them. I used bay leaves that were graciously given to us by one of our favorite work-shares (thanks Lisa!) and some rosemary from Beth’s garden here on the farm (instead of thyme). I also omitted the red onion because it is out of season and we do not have any in storage.
Stuffed Mushroom Caps
(recipe recommended by Debbie of “Maid in the Shade”)
1.5 lb mushrooms (remove stems)
Bacon drippings or melted butter
4-8 oz goat cheese (I love Debbie’s “Tropical Heat”
Wipe off the tops of the mushrooms with a damp towel to clean them. Remove the stems from the caps. Place upside down in baking dish. Pour in a little bit of butter or a small bit of bacon drippings and fill the rest in with the goat cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes (be careful that you do not allow the caps to collapse). Serve hot from the oven.
Baked Potatoes
(my mom taught me how to do this long ago.)
Potatoes. As many as you’ll need. (1 or 2 per person by size)
Optional topping:
Yogurt and gravy (from deer/bison roast) Potatoes. as many as you’ll need. (1 or 2 per person by size)
Spear the potatoes with a fork in four or five places around the potato and place in the oven, directly on the racks. Bake for 45 minutes up to an hour and a half depending on the size of the potatoes (smaller potato = shorter time, larger potato = longer time).
Salad of Delight
(dressing inspired by “USA Rage”)
3 or 4 heads of open leaf lettuce
1/3 – 1/2 lb ripe salad/beefsteak tomatoes
1/3 c Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 c Olive Oil
3 – 4 tangerines for juice
1 tangerine for salad
6-8 beets (roasted)
garlic greens
fresh dill
salt/pepper to taste
I’m just guessing on the portions for this dressing… i just eyeballed it… use more or less of what you want as you want it.
Quarter and roast the beets in the oven at 400 for 15 minutes. Mix the oil, vinegar and tangerine juice. Chop up everything else (the dill, the garlic greens, the tomatoes in eighths, and piece the tangerines) and add it to the mix. Chop or tear the lettuce and coat with the dressing.
Hear ye, hear ye!
Where can these things be purchased? At your local farmers’ market! Find the veggies at our stand (please stop by and say hi anyway!). This meal features deer harvested wild in Texas or Thunder Heart Bison raised in south Texas, Kitchen Pride mushrooms, sweet tangerines from Orange Blossom Farms, Maid in the Shade goat milk cheese, Texas Olive Ranch Olive Oil, and bacon drippings from Richardson Farms
Be sure to read Grit’s Article for her Recipe for German Cake (Zitronenkuchen or Lemon Cake)
Turnips
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:
Beets and Carrots 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.
Holiday Schedule Changes and Other Housekeeping Details
Come Help Us Harvest Potatoes
Looking for a New Host at Brodie/Slaughter Location
JBG at the Austin Farmers Market this Wednesday!
Donate Your Box Over the Holidays
Holiday Gift Certificates
JBG Shirts and Totes!
Back to the Land
A Look at Texas Citrus Farm South Tex Organics
3) Events
Edible Austin Eat Local Week, December 5-12
Edible Austin Eat Local Week Finale Event – Media Celebrity Local Food Cook-off
How to Start a Community Garden Workshop
Austin Farmers’ Market Cookbook
4) Quotable Food
5) Recipes
Apple and Carrot Shortbread Recipe
Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Prosciutto Recipe
6) Produce Storage Tips
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info
New Potatoes, Available at the Market and Soon To Be In Your Boxes!
1) In Your Box This Week
Fennel
Tomatoes
Carrots
Lettuce
Kale
Cauliflower or Broccoli
Beets or Turnips
Bok choy
Eggplant
Sweet and hot peppers
Coming Soon:
Snow Peas
New Potatoes
At the Market:
Arugula
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Collards
Kale
Swiss chard
Mixed head lettuce (romaine, butterhead, oakleaf)
Salad mix
Spinach
Cilantro
Dill
Carrots
Beets
Pac choy
Turnips
New potatoes
Winter squash
Sweet potatoes
Sweet and hot peppers
Tomatoes
Fennel
Radish
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.
We have recently connected with new local egg suppliers in order to meet the demand, therefore we are no longer putting a hold on egg orders for new costumers. If you are interested in receiving eggs with your box please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com
Holiday 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. 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 out on the Farm
Come Help Us Harvest Potatoes!
We are ready to start harvesting all those fall potatoes and we could definitely use some help! 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.
Looking for a New Host at Brodie/Slaughter Location
We are currently looking to fill the host position at the Brodie/Slaughter pick-up location. In a hosting site, we are looking for a cool place for the vegetables (either air-conditioning or lots of shade) and easy access for CSA members (ample parking and pickup availability from 3:30pm until 7pm on Fridays). Most hosts use either shaded front porches or garages/carports for the vegetables.
Hosts are given a free box every quarter in exchange for the work they do. This includes keeping the empty wax boxes for us until we drop vegetables off again the following week, setting out a table for the CSA boxes, and giving away any leftover vegetables to friends, neighbors, or
families in need. If you have any questions, or are interested in becoming a host for this location please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com or call the office at 512-386-5273.
JBG at the Austin Farmers Market this Wednesday!
We will be selling our fresh produce at the Austin Farmers Market at the Triangle again this Wednesday, December 9, from 3-7 PM. Last week was quite cold, but there were still a good number of people out supporting their local farmers. Keep in mind that the cold temperatures are far less troublesome when you drink some of that wonderful hot chocolate sold at the market!
Ada with Santa Claus at the Farmers Market
Donate Your Box Over the Holidays
We recognize that many people go out of town over the holidays to visit family and friends, and you may be considering canceling your box for the week of Christmas. If you need to cancel your Christmas CSA pickup, we understand. However, to save the farm a big financial hit over the holidays and to help provide food for those in need, please consider donating your share to the Salvation Army, or having a friend pick up your share for you. This way, you can keep supporting the farm, while sharing fresh, organic vegetables with others.
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.
JBG Shirts and Bags!
We are working feverishly here to get out shirts and bags with our new logo on them. Friend of the farm, Ryan from McGarrah Jessee, has been the master mind behind the logo. He worked for the poor trade of vegetables and has provided us with high dollar designs! We are so excited about the new logos that he has put together for us and will soon have them on our trucks, as well as on those bags and shirts that are soon to come! Shirts will be $12 and bags are going for$15. If you are interested in making a purchase email us for details or check our website later this week.
Bags
Bag
Another Bag
Carrots Shirt
Beet Shirt
And the Pursuit of Happiness, by Maira Kalman
Below you will find the link to Maira Kalman’s blog And the Pursuit of Happiness, sent to us by longtime CSA subscriber Marian Schwartz. Kalman is an illustrator, author and designer living in New York City. This particular piece of work, Back to the Land, is a montage of photographs and other images inspired by a trip to California, during which she was invited to visit Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard Program and her restaurant Chez Panisse. Kalman also visited local farms and took a walk with Michael Pollan. While reading her blog I had the feeling that her messages about the food industry, and the direction many hope to see it travel, have all been said before, but she does provide a beautiful and creative display that is both evocative and inspiring. We can only hope that it pushes more people to get involved and help work toward change.
Tomatoes and Okra (in the back) Finished by the Freeze
A Look at Texas Citrus Farm South Tex Organics,by Krystin Bowcutt
Dennis Holbrook has spent the majority of his lifetime on a citrus farm. He is a fifth generation farmer who considers his career part of how he classifies himself as a being on this planet. He has witnessed many of the high and low times throughout the history of citrus in Texas and by the early 1980’s, as his experiences on the farm accumulated, he began to witness a pattern of unhealthy practices. The heavy use of chemicals and the massive amounts of fertilizer, water, and other inputs necessary to maintain their citrus groves inspired a major sense of dissatisfaction with conventional agriculture. Believing that their practices were not sustainable for the future of their groves, Dennis began the shift toward organic farming. They worked for several years toward creating the appropriate environment and providing the right nutrients to cultivate a more natural grove. By 1988 his company, South Tex Organics, became one of the first to be certified organic when the Texas Department of Agriculture initiated the program that same year. In 1989 they had about 100 acres, now, over twenty years later, South Tex Organics has about 500 certified organic acres. It is now the largest organic citrus and vegetable grower in Texas and ships all over the country, as well as to Canada. Southern Texas provides a wonderful citrus growing environment for two main reasons, ideal temperatures and deep, fertile, river delta soil, a gift of the Rio Grande River. Dennis has managed to take advantage of these characteristics and has expanded his company into a highly successful business, providing a beautiful model for others and acting as a mentor to Brenton as he too works to enlarge and further develop his own business.
Dennis’ practical approach to the necessity for organic farming is refreshing in the swirl of ideological arguments that buzz about today. He holds a strong sense of dedication to his crops, as well as to his customers, and practicing organic agriculture was the most effective way to provide sustainability for the future of his groves and health to the soil and crops. His goals are centered on working in harmony with nature, as opposed to dictating to the environment. While growing up Dennis was able to witness his father’s agricultural methods during the 1960’s when there was no chemical weed control and irrigation was only necessary four to five times a year. This gave him an invaluable tool for comparison. By the 1980’s they were irrigating as frequently as eight to nine times a year, flushing out the nitrogen and leaving salt in its path, furthermore, he found their highest amount of organic matter in the soil to be only .4%, their lowest at the time was .225%. Today, they apply compost twice a year and have about 1% of organic matter in their soil. While continually striving for a higher percentage, there are various characteristics in South Texas that make it incredibly difficult for organic farmers. For instance, as a result of the intense heat in that area during the summer the microbial content in the soil eats up the organic matter very rapidly. Their compost is a blend of two major components. One is a wonderful mixture obtained from a nearby USDA facility for cultivating sterile fruit flies that are released into the citrus area, This mixture is far more nutritious than any manure compost that they were using before the shift to organic. The second is made out of gas and other products from a sugarcane mill. Both have unique environmental properties and have shown to be quite successful in the groves when combined and applied as compost.
South Tex Organics is now in the process of developing a juicing plant so that they can help provide Texas, and perhaps beyond, with fresh organic orange juice. In a recent article in Acres USA (October 2009 issue) Alissa Hamilton, author of Sqeezed: What You Don’t Know About Orange Juice, discusses the orange juice industry. This article focuses largely on the process of making and storing the juice so that they can have a 365 day supply. While most advertise themselves as “not from concentrate” in an attempt to suggest a higher quality product, the juice is often put through a process that removes the oxygen from the product so that it can be stored in million-gallon aseptic tanks (about the size of a football field!) for periods over a year without oxidizing and going bad. The problem with this storage technique is the loss of flavor. When the juice is stripped of oxygen, flavor-providing chemicals are also removed. In order to bring a flavorful product to the customers the juice companies are forced to hire flavor and fragrance companies that engineer a flavor pack to put back into the juice. The juice companies fought hard to not be required to list these flavor packets on their labels. They argued that the flavor packets are derived from orange essence and oils, therefore nothing is being added, and they denied that these are attempts to mask bad juice. However, Hamilton found that the essential oils are all being broken down and reconstructed to make new mixtures. According to Hamilton it is now the storage process that is affecting the flavor and quality of the product, not the pasteurizing process. With the invention of flash pasteurization the juice retains the majority of its original flavor, contrary to popular belief.
Now that South Tex Organics is looking into their own juicing plant they will help provide consumers with options in fresh, low-processed juices. While they will not be doing retail packaging given the expenses involved, they will be bulk packaging for other retailers, such as Whole Foods or Central Market. In order to sell and ship the product, they plan to pasteurize the juice and then freeze it into 55 gallon drums. It will not be concentrated or reduced down, so flavor will not be lost in the process. Soon after being shipped most retailers will pasteurize the juice once more, as it will likely be added to other fruit products. South Tex Organics always strives for incredibly fresh products, whether in their juice, or with their other citrus products (they aim to pick, pack and ship on the same day whenever possible).
Dennis truly believes in the importance of providing a quality product to his customers. He aims to sell fresh citrus with great flavor and nutrients, while finding a balance with the environment. He seeks to take only that which he knows the earth can produce, while ensuring sustainability for the future. It is Dennis’ belief that farming is less a business and more a part of the individual’s nature, and acknowledges that in participating in this field he is contributing to something much larger. His commitment to the farming community has been significant and his love for what he does emanates from his business and his product.
We plan to include South Tex Organic citrus along with your CSA boxes during February. However until then, oranges and grapefruit will be offered in forty pound boxes and available for pickup at your regular pickup site beginning in the next week or two. Please email us if you are interested in ordering, or for details.
3) Events
Edible Austin Eat Local Week
Edible Austin is hosting its 3rd 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.
Edible Austin’s Eat Local Week Finale Event – Media Celebrity Local Food Cook-off
Come to the downtown Austin Farmers’ Market this Saturday, December 12th, to witness Kate Weidaw (KXAN) and Bryan Beck (KGSR) duke it out preparing a dish using all local ingredients from the market. 10 Am – Noon. Our celebrity chefs will be assisted by students from the Culinary Academy of Austin. Judges will include other media personalities, farmers from the market and Urban Roots youth.
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
AFM is working on making a cookbook full of recipes based on fresh, local ingredients. Check out their website for more information on the book and how to submit your recipes. http://austinfarmersmarketcookbook.com/
4) Quotable Food
The choices we make when we buy food are serious choices. More and more people understand this. We all know that when people choose organic foods and avoid mass-produced and fast foods, they are voting for a sustainable future and against a network of supply and demand that destroys human health, local communities, traditional ways of life, and the environment.
– Alice Waters, “The Ethics of Eating,” Fatal Harvest
Straight from the Ground
5) Recipes
Apple and Carrot Shortbread Recipe (from 101cookbooks.com)
You’re going to want to use metal (or sharp-edged) cookie cutters here, it will help cut through the shreds of apple/carrot more easily. If you can’t track down whole wheat pastry flour, substitute unbleached all-purpose flour, or I suspect white whole wheat flour work just fine as well.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup semolina flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
5 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup light Muscovado sugar (or brown sugar)
2 ounces carrot, grated (about 1/4 cup)
1 ounce apple, grated (about 1/6 of a med. apple)
zest of one lemon
milk
Method:
Preheat your oven to 350F degrees, or 180C. Sift the semolina, flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir the carrot, apple, and lemon zest into the flour mixture, and mix until well coated and evenly dispersed. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until a dough forms, then knead a couple times to bring everything together. Split the dough in two, flatten each piece into an inch-thick patty, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes.
When you’re ready to bake the shortbread, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface 1/2-inch thick/1cm. Use a metal cutters to stamp out cookies, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush lightly with a bit of milk and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown just a bit.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Prosciutto Recipe (from simplerecipes.com)
If cherry tomatoes aren’t available, you can skip them and add a few chopped sun dried tomatoes to the dish at the end.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
* 1/2 medium cauliflower, cored and broken up into 3/4-inch florets (4+ cups)
* 1 pint cherry tomatoes
* Olive oil
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
* 4 large cloves garlic
* 4 ounces of prosciutto
* 8 ounces orecchiette pasta
* 5 ounces baby arugula or spinach, cleaned and coarsely chopped
* 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Method
1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Lay out cauliflower and tomatoes in a roasting pan, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until just lightly browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
2 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt for every quart of water).
3 While water is heating, pulse garlic, sage, and prosciutto together in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Once cauliflower has browned lightly, remove from oven, toss cauliflower with garlic prosciutto mixture, and return to oven to cook for 5-7 minutes more.
4 Boil pasta uncovered (rolling boil) for 9-10 minutes until firm, but done (al dente). Reserve one cup of pasta liquid. Drain water from pot. Add cauliflower, arugula (or spinach), and Parmesan to the pasta. Stir in enough cooking water to moisten. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4.
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 Carrots 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.
• 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!
• Going to the Market – Part 2
• A Look at the Difference Between Local and Organic
• GAP Certification
• Biotex Foam Insulation on the Farm
3) Events
• Edible Austin Eat Local Week, December 5-12
• BookPeople presents Multi-Media Food Night
• Drink Local Coffee Festival
• How to Start a Community Garden Workshop
• Austin Farmers’ Market Cookbook
4) Quotable Food
5) Recipes
• Mushroom and Fennel Hot-pot
• Swiss Chard Gratin
6) Produce Storage Tips
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info
Everyone out to watch the 17 row seeder on a trial run!
1) In Your Box This Week
Purple Top Turnips
Tomatoes
Carrots
Chard
Kohlrabi
Head Lettuce
Butternut Squash
Sweet and Hot Peppers
Eggplant (Last Week)
Fennel
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.
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
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. 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.
•JBG at the Austin Farmers Market this Wednesday!
We will be selling our fresh produce at the Austin Farmers Market at the Triangle again this Wednesday, December 2, from 3-7 PM. Last week was a nice introduction to that particular Farmer’s Market, although somewhat slower than the Saturday Markets. It seems people were not waiting until the last minute to make their Thanksgiving produce purchases. We will return this week with hopes of spreading our vegetables and our name to more people in Austin. It looks like we will have some of those potatoes that Brenton was so very excited about last week, so be sure to stop by and say hello!
Brenton's prized maroon minivan got super stuck in the mud this Saturday before the market...three days and the invincible van is still bathing in the mud!
•Going to the Market – Part 2
by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG Resident
Before I met my husband and moved to the US, I lived and studied in Heidelberg, Germany. In this city of 150.000 there was an open-air farmer’s market at a different location in town on every day of the week except Sunday. My favorite one took place on a secluded cobblestone courtyard off the main road. The courtyard was surrounded by beautiful, old, multi-story, victorian-style mixed-use buildings. The centerpiece of the space was an old gunpowder tower built out of huge stone bricks around which the farmers under different, brightly colored tents gathered. This was quite a picturesque site and you understand why I fell in love with that market. The market had everything, from flowers to cheese, dried sausage, fresh sausage, sandwich meats, bread, loose teas, juices, wine, candy, dried fruit, nuts, eggs, pasta, milk, in season fruit and vegetables, but also imported fruits and vegetables. Some wholesalers specialized on imported fruits and vegetables as well as local farmers who wanted to supplement their income and increase their variety offered them. It was not apparent what had been grown locally and what was imported, and I never thought about it. The market offered everything, so I bought everything.
Shortly after we moved to Austin, I found my way to the Austin Farmer’s Market downtown. This was in the middle of June. Among other things, my shopping list contained ingredients for a refreshing fruit salad: pineapple, mango, grapes, bananas and cantaloupe. Boy, was I dissappointed! The only two items that were on my list and at the market were cucumbers and eggs, none of them got me any closer to my envisioned fruit salad. This was my first encounter with the concept of eating locally and in season.
Not wanting to give up on one of my dearest activities, I went again the next week – this time without a shopping list. I simply purchased what caught my eye and figured out what to make with it later. Today – four years later – I write a shopping list again. It contains different ingredients now. Instead of eating fruit salad every week of the year, I now look forward to the different fruits the different seasons have to offer: melon salad in the summer and grapefruit granita in the winter, in between strawberries with mascarpone and balsamic vinegar, blackberry pie and apple strudel. I have come a long way in many ways and have to say, I truly enjoy this new way of shopping and living!
Market in Germany
• A Look at the Difference Between Local and Organic
“The local foods movement is about an ethic of food that values reviving small scale, ecological, place-based, and relationship-based food systems,” says Jessica Prentice, the San Francisco food writer who invented the term “locavore” in 2005. While there has been recent discussion as to what eating local truly means these days, given the food industry’s adoption of “local” and other related terms in their advertising, at its roots this movement revolves around the knowledge of where your food comes from. It emphasizes the importance of where it is grown and the distance it traveled to get to your table. Organic, on the other hand, is less about where and more about how. The organic movement places the focus on how the food is grown; the soil, the seeds, and the practices that bring them to life. Having the organic certification ensures the consumer that the organic farm practices are valid, and that the farm is committed to the procedures necessary to producing healthy, natural food. Johnson’s Backyard Garden meets both of these standards for the greater Austin area. We provide quality Certified Organic produce to nearby residents. You can be certain of both the how and the where with JBG. Both are key components in familiarizing yourself with that which you consume and allow you to remain committed to your health, your local community, and efforts to protect your environment.
•GAP Certification
JBG Has been looking into GAP certification. GAP, standing for Good Agricultural Practices, is a means of regulating health standards for small growers. This includes sanitation in areas such as on-farm water, soil, packingshed, and personnel. Our current building project in the barn, which will bring us a new office, restrooms, and washing stations, is part of our efforts to better our food safety and sanitation practices. Furthermore, Brent is continually looking at new ways to enhance our practices, such as maintaining a clean floor and carefully regulating post-harvest handling.
Green barrels are full of soy
•Biotex Foam Insulation on the Farm
To precipitate our expansion, we are building a new office for our administrators, expanding our packing shed, and adding more space. Today we had Biotex Foam come out and install their soybean-based foam insulation in our office. Soybean based foam, as an alternative to petroleum-based insulation, has risen in popularity over the last few years because it is more efficient and effective. Regular insulation will settle over time, however, soybean based foam (the only one of its kind) is lasting and not influenced by moisture or time. You will never have to replace this insulation or worry about leaks or animals seeking warm housing among your walls. According to Jared, the man who installed our foam last week, vented attics are a WWI technology. Not only are they outdated, but promote lots of heat loss in the winter months and invite lots of cold into your house or other structures. The cost is higher upfront, over twice the cost of fiber glass insulation, but the savings, about 30-70% per month, is immediate because it regulates the temperature much more effectively and reduces your heating bill. Read more about this product at biobased.com. You can also find more information at buildingsciences.com.
Applying the Foam
3) Events
• Edible Austin Eat Local Week
Edible Austin is hosting its 3rd 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 (from edible austin.com)
Book People 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.
• Drink Local Coffee Festival (from edible austin.com)
Hosted at Owl tree Roasting. Whether your love for coffee is professional or recreational, this event will offer a taste of Austin’s Burgeoning coffee culture. Sample coffees from Austin’s favorite coffee roasters including: Owl Tree Roasting, Texas Coffee Traders, Little City, Third Coast, Cuvee, Austin Java and Fara Cafe. Each roaster will also have coffee beans for sale. There will also be a barista “jam”, a showdown of talent between some of the best baristas in Central Texas. (BBQ lovers will also have the opportunity to preview the brand new Franklin BBQ, located behind Owl Tree Roasting). $5 suggested donation at the door. 11 am – 2 pm.
• 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.
AFM is working on making a cookbook full of recipes based on fresh, local ingredients. Check out their website for more information on the book and how to submit your recipes. http://austinfarmersmarketcookbook.com/
4) Quotable Food
“A good farm must be one where the native flora and fauna have lost acreage without losing their existence.” –Aldo Leopold
5) Recipes
•Mushroom and fennel Hot-pot (from Vegetarian: The Greatest Ever Vegetarian Cookbook)
Ingredients:
1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
1 small head of fennel
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 shallots, peeled
2 cups button mushrooms, trimmed and halved
1 1/4 cup of dry cider
1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
1 bay leaf
fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish
Method:
1. Place dried mushrooms in a bowl. pour boiling water over to cover and set aside for ten minutes.
2. Coarsely chop fennel bulb and heat oil in a flameproof casserole. Add the shallots and fennel and saute for about ten minutes over moderate heat until the mixture is softened and lightly browned.
3. Drain the dried mushrooms, strain, and reserve the liquid. Cut up and large pieces and add to the pan.
4. Pour the cider and stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and the paste. Add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the casserole and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
5. If the mixture seems dry, stir in the reserved liquid from the soaked mushrooms. Reheat briefly, then remove the bay leaf and serve, sprinkled with plenty of chopped parsley.
•Swiss Chard Gratin (from recipezaar.com)
Ingredients:
1 potato, peeled (about 5 ounces)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup diced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pinch salt, pepper, ground nutmeg
1/3 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
2 1/2 cups swiss chard, shredded
Method:
1. In a small saucepan of boiling salted water, cook potato until tender, 10-12 minutes. Let cool for five minutes. Slice thinly and overlap in a greased small shallow gratin (casserole) dish.
2. In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat; cook onion and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour; cook for one minute. whisking constantly, add milk, 1/2 cup at a time. Whisk in cayenne pepper, musard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Reduce heat to low; simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses
3. Pour 1/2 cup of sauce over potato. Top with Swiss chard, pressing to compact. Pour remaining sauce over top. Bake in 400 F oven for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and browned.
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 Carrots 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.
