Easter Egg Radishes

Contents:

1) In Your Box this Week

2) Farm News:

• From the Farmer’s Perspective… 

• Eggs, by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG Resident

3) Updates, Meetings, and Important Events

• News From Our First Slow Money Meeting
• Workshares Needed This Week to Cut Potatoes: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
• Cheese, Please! Class at Whole Foods
• Free Composting Class from the Sustainable Food Center
• For the Home Gardener: Seeding for our March Transplant Sale

4) Quotable Food

5) Recipes

• Borscht

6) Produce Storage Tips

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

Beth and Ada love their veggies

1) In Your Box this Week:

Carrots – Big Bunches!
Turnips
Spinach
Mixed Lettuce
Radishes
Brussels Sprouts or Cabbage
Broccoli Florets
Green Garlic
Scallions
Grapefruit (G and S Groves)
Oranges (G and S Groves)

2) Farm News:

• From the Farmer’s Perspective…

2009: A Year of Expansion, and More to Come

2009 was a year of growth at Johnson’s Backyard Garden-and not just for the vegetables. This year, for the first time, JBG put its entire 16 acres on Hergotz Lane into vegetable production. At the same time, we’ve been building up our infrastructure, so we can both grow our high-quality vegetables and distribute them to as many Austin residents as we can. Allow us to reminisce…

Back in January, the farm crew finished the construction of our barn, where we wash, pack, and store our harvest every day. Soon we had enough cold storage space to grow and keep storage crops. In 2009, we stored onions, potatoes, garlic, winter squash, and carrots for our CSA members.

In February and March, we finished the construction and wiring of our large greenhouse, giving us a climate controlled home for our seedlings. This has given JBG more business independence, since now we can grow all of our transplants! To boot, JBG spent much of the beginning of 2009 digging wells and installing irrigation systems around the farm, to keep our plants healthy in the Texas heat. This might be our most significant development in growing quality produce year round.

But not all of our expansions have been in the field. This year, Aaron, our computer programmer, created a program that plans crop rotations, tracks seeding and greenhouse schedules, alerts us when seed inventory is low, and most importantly assists in calculating how much we need to grow to fill everyone’s weekly share box. This program has gone a long way in helping JBG stay organized and running smoothly during our expansion.

But where would JBG be without our great members? In 2009, our CSA family increased from 400 to over 600 members. With that, our weekly CSA box shipments increased from an average of 200 a week to 450 a week! To deal with this demand, JBG added pick up days and sites (some of you must remember when we only had 2 pick up days a week. Now we have four!) And to deal with all of the excess veggies, JBG began attending 3 Austin farmers markets, and is just starting a wholesale enterprise. Right now, we are producing more vegetables than we ever have before.

That might sound like a lot, but we are not through yet. At the end of 2009, JBG signed a contract to purchase an additional 40 acres of farmland on River Road. In October and November, we prepared the soil to plant in 2010. This additional acreage is going to let JBG double its production, from 450 CSA boxes a week to 900! That’s over 1200 CSA members! To boot, in December, JBG began negotiations to buy the entirety of the old River Road dairy-not just 40 acres, but 200! While the amount of land we have in vegetable production will stay around 40 acres, this extra land will allow us to practice more sustainable methods of farming, such as field rotation, cover cropping, and organic grain production.

2009 was quite a year. And with this new property in our sights, 2010 is positioned to exceed it. Even as we continue to expand, we always remember that our mission is to serve Austin by providing its residents with fresh, organic vegetables, directly from our farm to your table. We are excited to keep serving you, and gaining more relationships in the Austin area in the years to come. We hope to make JBG a serious staple in Austin’s local food chain. With your continued support and enthusiasm, 2010 is going to be another incredible year.

• Eggs, by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG Resident

Versatility in the palm of your hand

• For the Home Gardener: Seeding for our March Transplant Sale

This week we are beginning our seeding of Solanaceae (or in other words, those lovely summer crops: tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers) for our spring transplant sale during the first three weeks of March.  In collaboration with Slow Food USA, JBG will be selling transplants of open-pollinated, heirloom, and Ark of Taste varieties of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, melons, cucumbers, and squash.  The sale will take place alongside a farm tour and a Q&A session about organic growing and community supported agriculture in Austin.   Whether you’re a seasoned gardener, or giving your backyard a try for the first time, mark your calendars.  We hope to see you all this spring!

lots of seeding to be done

4) Quotable Food

“Handling living food is so inspiring and energizing it makes you want to cook. You will never get tired of washing lettuce if it is beautiful to look at.” –Alice Waters

5) Recipes

This week’s recipe comes from one of our new CSA members, Wendy Wagner, who has found a creative use for the lovely brussels greens that we’ve been having lately.  Thanks, Wendy for your contribution!

Borscht

8c water or veggie broth
1 bunch of beets
2 carrots
1 onion
2 to 4 potatoes
brussel greens (steams removed)
beat greens (steams removed)
green onions
sour creme/ goat cheese/ yogurt
fresh dill, chopped
salt & pepper to season
dash of vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)

(extras if you use them and have them on hand: miso or shoyu instead of salt at the end of cooking)

Preparation:
Cut all veggies into bite-size pieces removing the steams from the beat and brussel greens. Saute onions in a big pot. Add beets and carrots and cook for a few minutes before adding broth. Add potatoes and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes. Add brussel greens and beet leaf and let simmer for another 10-20 minutes. Add the chopped green onions a few minutes before the end of the cooking time. Finalize the taste by adding salt and pepper and a dash of vinegar (or miso and shyou and apple cider vinegar).

6) Produce Storage Tips

Brussel Sprouts are best stored on the stock.  Once removed, place the sprouts in a plastic bag or Tupperware and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Spinach is best stored in a plastic bag or Tupperware in the vegetable crisper for 3-5 days.

Wrap cabbage in plastic wrap, or place in a covered container and store in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator.

Chickens at Steven's and Grit's: Is this some sort of meeting?

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

Johnson’s Backyard Garden
9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E
Austin, TX 78742
Office Phone: 512.386.5273
Office Hours: M-Th 8am to 5pm, Friday 8am to 12pm

The farm office is closed 12 pm to 1 pm for lunch.

e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com

Endives waiting in the greenhouse

Contents:

1) In Your Box this Week

2) Farm News:

• From the Farmer’s Perspective…
• From Pig to Meat, by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG resident

3) Updates, Meetings, and Important Events

• Wholesale Updates
• Our First Slow Money Meeting
• JBG Accepting New CSA Members
• Stewing Chickens from Ringger Family Farm
• Workshares
• Celebration of Austin Farmers’ Market Move into Republic Square, postponed to January 23rd!
• A Fresh Idea: Screening of the documentary FRESH at St. David’s Episcopal Church

4) Quotable Food

5) Recipes

• Bok Choy Stir Fry
• Lamb Potato Carrot Stew

6) Produce Storage Tips

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

Travis prepares the bok choy for boxes

1) In Your Box this Week

Tangerines! (Orange Blossom Farm)
Oranges (G and S Groves)
Carrots – Big Bunches!
Grapefruit (G and S Groves)
Beets
Radishes
Mixed Lettuce
Bok Choy
Brussels Greens
Green Garlic
Broccoli florets

Scallions

Dill

Brussel Sprouts and cabbage coming soon!

**No worries, Orange Blossom and G and S Groves are also certified organic farms!**

2) Farm News:

From the Farmer’s Perspective…

You might say farmers are eternal optimists. If not by personality, then by circumstance. The nature of our work has us constantly looking ahead, unable to dwell on mistakes or misfortunes for too long, because a new task is always pressing. Even now as winter is right on top of us, the crew at JBG is busily planning for the spring, our most productive time of the year. This week, Travis built a greenhouse inside our greenhouse for the nightshades–tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. These heat-loving crops require constant temperatures around 80 degrees. Anything under 50 degrees and problems come up.

A greenhouse in the greenhouse

Angel, Keith, and the rest of the field crew have been transplanting onions this week and last, which was made slightly more complicated by the rain on Thursday and Friday. First, we were worried the low temperatures at the end of last week would damage or kill our transplants, which aren’t as acclimated to the elements as the older, more established crops. Now, all this rain (5 inches this week) has the potential to wash out the new kids, or may just disable our tractors (we can’t have them stuck in the mud!), which will delay the planting process, or could cause us to lose some transplants altogether. In total, we plan to plant nearly 30 beds of onions, and it’s all pretty time sensitive. The loss of even a day can cause serious interruptions in our schedules. On Wednesday night, the field crew worked until after 6pm to get as many transplants in the ground before the rains made the fields too muddy to work.

Keith was a little wet after harvesting bok choy

On Monday afternoon, the farm got a potato delivery–10,000 pounds! Yukon Gold, Purple Majesty, Red Gold, and Caribe. These yummy storage crops are in our coolers right now. Yes, the farm crew loaded 10,000 pounds of potatoes by hand. The tubers will be planted in the coming week to produce that spring crop everyone looks forward to. This year, I’m sure you noticed, we had fall potatoes, too. What you may not have known, though, is that fall potatoes are quite the accomplishment in central Texas. At least in farming circles. No other growers in this area have grown autumn potatoes on a large scale. We gave ourselves a big pat on the back for that one. Next year we plan on using our own seeds so that we don’t have to get them from an outside source.

One pallet is one ton of potatoes!

Yes, farming in the winter, even in a mild climate like Austin, is difficult. Though it’s never too cold for too long, the variability in the weather makes it hard to stick to a schedule. Especially recently, there have only been a few windows of opportunity every week to get all of our seeding, transplanting, and harvesting done before the weather goes south again and we have to limit our field work. On top of that, the shorter days and lack of sunlight mean the plants just aren’t growing as fast or as big as they do in the summer, when the sun doesn’t set until around 9 pm (don’t you just love summer?).

It’s because of this difficulty that the winter is when we especially appreciate our CSA members. We know the boxes get a little leaner in the winter months, but our members stick with us because they know about the bounty that’s coming. All the hard work we put in now will be returned to us tenfold come April and May. That is the greatness of Community Supported Agriculture. It’s our community–ie, all of you–supporting your local farmer, through thick and thin, through the lean months and in the bounty. It makes all of you a part of team, part of the cyclical process of organic farming. All of us at JBG are very grateful and humbled by your support.

As we were packing our last boxes of the week on Friday (180 of them!), and the standard bluegrass medley was playing on the speaker in the barn, there was so much buzz and activity that we seemed to forget the grey weather outside, and that we were all sopping wet from harvesting and washing that morning. A perfect example of our farm’s ability to lift spirits, even on the dreariest of days.

As it turns out, the perfect outdoor activity for a record-cold Austin winter day is killing a hog. Major benefits are natural refrigeration and no flies!

I prefer to say, harvesting a hog though. Words like killing or slaughtering make something that once was natural to us sound unnecessarily cruel, bloody and harsh. Like a farmer tends to his vegetables he tends to his animals: providing for them the things they need to grow best. The harvest concludes their lives in the fields, however stands at the beginning of their lives on our plates. I want to say that animals and plants have an afterlife and a happy one, too. Arranged on our plates in vibrant colors and ever-changing combinations they bring us joy and nourishment.

As we eat other species, we engage in a relationship. A contract rather. As they give us their life, we give them a good one. Recently though, we humans have fallen short of fulfilling our part of the contract. Happily, this was not the case for the pig we harvested on that cold Saturday in early January.

Our pig spent its last night out under the stars on a thick bed of hay in a little fenced-in area overlooking the pastures of its home.

When we arrived on the farm, we positioned our gunman right next to the pig-pen. For a fast death, the pig must be shot in the head between its ear and eye. To lure the pig into a good shooting position, we threw some food into the pen in the corner closest to the gunman. Our pig, however, was not interested in the food, but instead spent a good long time gazing into the other direction, away from us, out towards the pastures and the raising sun. Then it slowly turned, facing the gunman. It raised its head and chest looking the gunman straight in the eye, telling him, it’s ready for the task that lays ahead. Then it comes, the shot. The bullet cuts through the air like a sharp blade cuts through paper. Before the shot there was stillness, after the shot, there was commotion. We moved fast into the pen to cut the pig’s throat.

As our pig gracefully executed its part of the contract, us and the farmer did the best to fulfill ours. The farmer provided a beautiful life for the pig, raising it on open pasture and feeding it organic feed. We provided a fast and humane death. Later we cut its meat into official cuts, prepared them accordingly, arranged them on a platter with an array of vegetable side-dishes and enjoyed them in the company of our friends.

Grit and her harvest

For more pictures of the hog harvesting day, follow this link (use a little caution.  Some images are a bit graphic):

http://gallery.me.com/stevenmattern#100705&bgcolor=black&view=grid

3) Updates, Meetings, and Important Events

• Wholesale Updates

Our wholesale website is up and running! You can check it out at www.jbgorganic.com/cart. Unfortunately, the extended cold weather has affected our production, so we will not begin wholesale deliveries until late February or early March. In the meantime, though, if you are interested in becoming a customer in the future, set up an account with us. Remember, all new accounts require approval prior to ordering from our web site. Thanks to all who are following along and are interested in becoming a wholesale customer. We encourage you to give us feedback so that we can give you the best service!

• Our First Slow Money Meeting

As you probably know, JBG will be expanding from 20 acres to 70 in 2010. In 2009, JBG signed a contract to purchase 40 acres of an old dairy on River Road, about a ten minute drive east from our current location on Hergotz Lane. This is some of the last remaining farmland in Austin, and we are ecstatic about preserving such a vibrant and fertile piece of Austin’s history. The crew here at the farm spent October and November carefully preparing the soil at River Road, and we are just beginning the first plantings of the new year.

This expansion is generating a lot of excitement around the farm, along with a lot of changes. We are hiring new employees, constructing new buildings, and growing more organic vegetables than ever before. We have also started attending three Austin farmers markets weekly and wholesaling to local markets and restaurants. We are happy taking on this new work, but we need the right infrastructure and equipment to make it all happen. That’s where you, as slow money supporters of JBG, come in.

For more details, come to our first Slow Money Meeting, which will take place next Thursday, January 21st, at 7:00 pm in the farm office (right next to the packing shed). Learn how you can make a significant contribution to the future of Johnson’s Backyard Garden, and the organic food movement in Austin. Please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com if you plan on attending. Also, join our slow money mailing list.

• JBG 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!

• Stewing Chickens from Ringger Family Farm

The best all natural way to treat the common cold is homemade chicken soup! Get your chickens now from Ringger Family Farm. These chickens are hens raised on pasture, with no hormones or antibiotics, and are chemical-free. Processed with care by the Ringger Family.

These stewing hens are not available in stores, but are what your grandmother used to make chicken soup. They come bagged individually (3-4 pounds) and frozen. Simply store in your freezer until you need one. Put in crockpot overnight with herbs of your choice, salt, and water. Make your soup the next day! Also, the chicken and broth make wonderful chicken enchiladas. We’ll include our favorite recipes upon request. $10 each. Contact ringgerfarm@gmail.com or 923-2053 and inquire about delivery dates for this week. Free delivery in the east or central Austin area for orders of 10 or more.

• Workshares

Due to the rain, we may not be cutting potatoes as soon as we thought. But we will need help soon with this big project. Stay tuned for more information!

• Celebration of Austin Farmers’ Market Move into Republic Square, postponed to January 23rd!

The Austin Farmers’ Market will begin its 8th year in 2010, and with it, a re-launch of all that this premiere market represents in Republic Square Park. Come for the celebration that unfolds January 23rd with double live music, a cast-iron dutch oven cooking demo, fish grilling, Simply Fresh cooking demo, sack races, free cocoa for the kids, tastings galore, trivia hunt with prizes, live music and kid’s patch. The activities will last all day!

When/Where

Austin Farmers’ Market

Republic Square Park

4th and Guadalupe

9am – 4pm

Free parking available

• A Fresh Idea: Screening of the documentary FRESH at St. David’s Episcopal Church

Fresh Screening at St. Davids Downtown

Come out to a screening of FRESH, a documentary about the state of America’s food system, and what all of us can do to support local, organic farming. There will be a discussion after the movie, and Brenton will be giving a short talk. Bring a dish to share, and enjoy eating and talking about organic food with others of like mind.

Friday, January 22, 6:00pm, at St. David’s Episcopal Church, 301 East 8th Street

4) Quotable Food

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” -Virginia Woolf

5) Recipes

• Bok Choy Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds bok choy, plus any other veggies you want to add, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons canola, vegetable or peanut oil

1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

3 tablespoons broth or water (or 2 tablespoons broth/water + 1 tablespoon wine)

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Method:

1. Start by trimming the stem off – don’t trim too much – just the end. Cutting the thick stem off will ensure that the bok choy cooks evenly. Separate out the leaves, keep the tender center intact and clean under running water. Drain.

2. Finely mince garlic and grate fresh ginger with a microplane grater. Grating the ginger helps break up the tough fibers! (and yeah, sometimes when the ginger is nice and fresh, I don’t even bother peeling off the paper-thin skin)

3. Place wok or frying pan on your stove and pour in the cooking oil. Add the garlic and ginger. Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the ginger and garlic gently sizzle in the oil. When the aromatics become fragrant and light golden brown, add the bok choy leaves and all the other veggies. Toss very well to coat each leaf with the garlicky, gingery oil for 15 seconds. Pour in broth, water or wine. Immediately cover and let cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and drizzle a bit of sesame oil on top.

Monica washes bok choy

• Lamb Potato Carrot Stew, by Neysa

It’s a tradition for Greeks to have roasted lamb on New Year’s Day as a celebration. This New Year’s, I gave lamb a little bit of a twist by turning it into a stew, and using some of the lovely veggies from our farm. Hope you enjoy!

1 pound stewing lamb cuts

1 pound potatoes or sweet potatoes, quartered

2 or 3 large carrots, chopped

2 or 3 celery stalks (may substitute fennel bulbs or kohlrabi or any other meaty veggie)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, or several stalks of fresh garlic

Beef stock

Olive oil

2 tbsp. Oregano

A pinch of Chili Powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Lightly sear the lamb cuts in olive oil in a shallow pan. Do not cook all the way through yet. As that cooks, begin the soup in a large pot. Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat. When soft, add carrots and celery (I used fennel when I made this on January 1st). Cook for two minutes. Add potatoes and oregano. Cook another 3-5 minutes. Add mostly-cooked lamb cuts (they’ll finish cooking in the soup), then add 8 cups of stock, or a combination of stock and water. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let it cook, uncovered for 35-50 minutes. You’re looking for the right thickness and intensity of flavor, so keep a close eye on it; taste and adjust. Adding a little flour helps thicken the broth a bit. Add chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, with crusty bread.

6) Produce Storage Tips

Store Bok Choy in a plastic bag in your vegetable crisper. Wash immediately before using.

Remove the tops from carrots before storing them in you refrigerator. Greens draw out nutrients from the root.

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

Johnson’s Backyard Garden
9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E
Austin, TX 78742
Office Phone: 512.386.5273
Office Hours: M-Th 8am to 5pm, Friday 8am to 12pm

The farm office is closed 12 pm to 1 pm for lunch.

e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com

Neysa hiding from the camera

Last Week's Box

Contents:

1) In Your Box this Week

2) Farm News

• Wholesale Updates
• Our First Slow Money Meeting!
• JBG Now Accepting New CSA Members
• New Year – New You: Improving the Way You Eat! By Grit Ramuschkat, JBG Resident
• The Internets: Food and Farm Blogs, and  Brenton on the news!
• Don’t Let Your Spirits Fall After the Rose Bowl, We Have Your Orange Boxes Right Here!
• Ringger Family Farm Eggs on Hiatus
• Workshare Policy Change

3) Events

• Celebration of Austin Farmers’ Market Move into Republic Square, postponed to January 23rd!
• Our First Slow Money Meeting!
• A Fresh Idea: Screening of the documentary FRESH at St. David’s Episcopal Church

4) Quotable Food

5) Recipes

• Sweet Potato Biscuits with Bacon and Thyme
• Oven Roasted Broccoli with Lemon, Chili-Garlic Oil and Parmesan

6) Produce Storage Tips

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

Travis packing boxes

1) In Your Box this Week:

Tangerines! (Orange Blossom Farm)
Oranges (G and S Groves)
Carrots – Big Bunches!
Grapefruit (G and S Groves)
Sweet Potatoes
Radishes
Lettuce
Bok Choy
Kale
Green Garlic
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts (maybe!)

**No worries, Orange Blossom and G and S Groves are also certified organic farms!**

2) Farm News

• Wholesale Updates

Our wholesale website is up and running!  You can check it out at www.jbgorganic.com/cart.  Unfortunately, the extended cold weather has affected our production, so we will not begin wholesale deliveries until late February or early March.  In the meantime, though, if you are interested in becoming a customer in the future, set up an account with us.   Remember, all new accounts require approval prior to ordering from our web site.  Thanks to all who are following along and are interested in becoming a wholesale customer.  We encourage you to give us feedback so that we can give you the best service!

• Our First Slow Money Meeting!

As you probably know, JBG will be expanding from 20 acres to 70 in 2010. In 2009, JBG signed a contract to purchase 40 acres of an old dairy on River Road, about a ten minute drive east from our current location on Hergotz Lane. This is some of the last remaining farmland in Austin, and we are ecstatic about preserving such a vibrant and fertile piece of Austin’s history. The crew here at the farm spent October and November carefully preparing the soil at River Road, and we are just beginning the first plantings of the new year.

This expansion is generating a lot of excitement around the farm, along with a lot of changes. We are hiring new employees, constructing new buildings, and growing more organic vegetables than ever before. We have also started attending three Austin farmers markets weekly and wholesaling to local markets and restaurants. We are happy taking on this new work, but we need the right infrastructure and equipment to make it all happen.  That’s where you, as slow money investors in JBG, come in.

For more details, come to our first Slow Money Meeting, which will take place next Thursday, January 21st, at 7:00 pm in the farm office (right next to the packing shed).  Learn how you can make a significant contribution to the future of Johnson’s Backyard Garden, and the organic food movement in Austin.  Please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com if you plan on attending.  Also, join our slow money mailing list.

• 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!

• New Year – New You: Improving the Way You Eat! By Grit Ramuschkat, JBG Resident

A week of groceries for Grit and Stephen

• The Internets: Food and Farm Blogs, and  Brenton on the news!

http://aneelee.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/csa-score-this-week/

2) Dissertation To Dirt: While you’re surfing, check out our intern Neysa’s blog, www.dissertationtodirt.com, to follow her move from urban living to a career in farming.  Last year Neysa left a PhD program in History to work on an organic farm.  The journey has taken her and her fiancee Travis from Boston to New York and now to Austin, Texas.

3) Local News: Maybe you’ve noticed that our own farmer Brenton is becoming a local celebrity lately!  He’s been on the news four times in one week!  In case you missed, it, here is one of the internet spots from Saturday at the Austin Farmers Market.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Cold-Weather-cant-keep-shoppers-away-from-the-Austin-Farmers-Market–81067672.html

Brenton – I would rather not be on the news for speculation about how much damage the cold weather will result in!  We did have some damage to crops like cauliflower, some broccoli damage and newly planted beets…but since we have had a number of other freezes the crops looked remarkable well today….and the freeze made our terrific carrot crop even sweeter!  I would estimate the damage some where at around 15-20%.  The good news is that we have a greenhouse full of transplants that we will be racing to get in the field before the rain returns.  We will not worry about what we cannot change and we are looking forward to spring crops.

• Don’t Let Your Spirits Fall After the Rose Bowl, We Have Your Orange Boxes Right Here!

Tangerines, oranges, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, and carrots, our CSA members are getting a big orange box to cope with the …ahem, unpleasantness of last week.  Make an orange dinner with our yummy sweet potatoes and carrots, or an orange dessert with the sweet tangerines from Orange Blossom Farm.  Whatever you choose, we hope you eat your orange produce with pride!

Sweet Carrots

• Ringger Family Farm Eggs on hiatus

“Some of you have been asking about the different labels on the egg cartons you’ve been getting the last few weeks.  Our normal egg provider, Ringger Family Farm, is going through a hardship right now with their largest laying flock.  To keep up with the demand of our members, we have gone to other local, free range egg producers.  These include Nana’s Golden Eggs, Vital Farm, and Smith and Smith Farm.  We are confident in the quality of all of these produces, but we do hope that the Ringgers’ flock gets back on track soon!  If you’d like to keep supporting the Ringger’s in this interim, they have stewing hens available for purchase.

Below is an article written by Dale Ringger about his family’s current situation:

“Ringger Family Farm’s largest laying flock have quit laying eggs before scheduled, so the egg supply will be very low until their new chicks begin laying in April.  This is not good news, but as we all realize, sustainable farming has ups and downs due to nature and/or weather cycles, and the Ringgers appreciate your patience and plan to build their egg supply back up to normal levels as soon as possible.

The best all natural way to treat the common cold is homemade chickensoup!  Get your chickens now from Ringger Family Farm.  These chickens are hens raised on pasture, with no hormones or antibiotics, and are chemical-free.  Processed with care by the Ringger Family.  These stewing hens are no long available in stores, but are what your grandmother used to make chicken soup.  They come bagged individually(3-4 lbs.) and frozen.  Simply store in your freezer until you need one and pull it out, put it in a crockpot overnight with herbs of your choice, salt, and water.  Make your soup the next day!  Also, the chicken and broth make wonderful chicken enchiladas.  We’ll include our favorite recipes upon request. 5 birds for $50 — Tell your friends too!

ringgerfarm@gmail.com or 512-923-2053

Available for pickup at Johnson’s Backyard Garden this Saturday 2:30to 3:30 or arrange other pickup options.  Please call or email Rinnger Family Farm at ringgerfarm@gmail.com or 512-923-2053 and order by 3 pm Friday afternoon, Jan. 16 for this weekend deliveries.

• Workshare Policy Change
  

We really appreciate all the workshares that have come out over the years to help with our harvests, boxing, and other projects.  JBG achieved its first successes through the hard work and dedication of volunteers.  Now, the success of our business has allowed us to shift to a full time workforce.  This means we a higher consistency in our work and better customer service for our members.  We are so thankful for our successes so far.

Exception:

Next week we are planning on cutting potatoes up to plant so we need as many volunteers as possible on Tuesday 19th, Wednesday 20th and Friday 22nd!

Our new found efficiency means that we have decreased our dependence on volunteers.  In addition,this extended cold weather has slowed down some of our production.  Lately, there just isn’t a lot of work that’s not covered by the team here at JBG.  Therefore, we won’t be taking new workshares until our production picks up again in the spring.  Workshares who have been coming out since the beginning and know the routine, you are welcome to keep coming out, just send us an email.  Otherwise, we will post another call for workshares once the spring season starts and the farm really gets going!  Thank you all for all your hard work!

3) Events

• Celebration of Austin Farmers’ Market Move into Republic Square, postponed to January 23rd!

The Austin Farmers’ Market will begin its 8th year in 2010, and with it, a re-launch of all that this premiere market represents in Republic Square Park.  Come for the celebration that unfolds January 23rd with double live music, a cast-iron dutch oven cooking demo, fish grilling, Simply Fresh cooking demo, sack races, free cocoa for the kids, tastings galore, trivia hunt with prizes, live music and kid’s patch.  The activities will last all day!

When/Where

Austin Farmers’ Market
Republic Square Park
4th and Guadalupe
9am – 4pm
Free parking available

• Our First Slow Money Meeting!

Our first Slow Money Meeting will be held Thursday, January 21st, at 7:00 pm in the farm office on Hergotz Lane.  Please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com if you plan on attending.  A description of our slow money project is above under “Farm News”.  If you are interested in remaining updated about investing in Johnson’s Backyard Garden, please join our mailing list.

• A Fresh Idea: Screening of the documentary FRESH at St. David’s Episcopal Church

Fresh Screening at St. Davids Downtown

Come out to a screening of FRESH, a documentary about the state of America’s food system, and what all of us can do to support local, organic farming.  There will be a discussion after the movie, and Brenton will be giving a short talk.  Bring a dish to share, and enjoy eating and talking about organic food with others of like mind.

4) Quotable Food

“A farm includes the passion of the farmer’s heart, the interest of the farm’s customers, the biological activity in the soil, the pleasantness of the air about the farm — it’s everything touching, emanating from, and supplying that piece of landscape. A farm is virtually a living organism.” –Joel Salatin

5) Recipes , taken from Pinch My Salt

• Sweet Potato Biscuits with Bacon and Thyme

Ingredients:

2 C. Bisquick baking mix
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 heaping teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mashed sweet potato
1 T. brown sugar
all purpose flour for dusting counter

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a  counter top lightly with flour.
2. In a medium bowl, combine baking mix, bacon, and chopped thyme. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweet potato, milk, and brown sugar.
3. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined.
4. Dump mixture out onto a floured counter and knead a few times just to finish mixing the dough.
5. Pat out into a circle about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut biscuits and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes until just lightly browned on top.
7. Enjoy warm with a little butter.

Yield: 8-10 small biscuits

Recipe notes: To make 1/2 cup of mashed sweet potatoes, I just peeled one smallish sweet potato, cut it into chunks, and boiled it for about 15 minutes until it was fork tender.  I put the potato through a food mill, but you can mash it however you like.  Just make sure that it’s tender enough not to leave little chunks in your biscuits!  You could also mash a leftover baked sweet potato.

• Oven Roasted Broccoli with Lemon, Chili-Garlic Oil and Parmesan
  

Ingredients:

1 bunch of broccoli
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 t. crushed red pepper (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat the oil and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Make sure the heat is low and that the garlic is not cooking too fast. Set timer for five minutes.
3. While garlic oil is heating, wash and cut your broccoli into pieces. I cut the flowerets into halves and/or quarters and leave a couple inches of stem attached to each piece.
4. After the oil and garlic has heated for five minutes (the garlic should be turning golden brown, not burning!), add the crushed chili if using, heat for an additional minute then turn off stove.
5. Strain chili-garlic oil into a large, heat-proof mixing bowl then add the broccoli.
6. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the bowl then add a pinch of coarse salt (keep in mind that the cheese will add more saltiness) and several grinds of black pepper (if you don’t have a pepper grinder, why not??).
7. Toss everything together well with a big wooden spoon so that each piece of broccoli has a thin coating of oil.
8. Using tongs, so that the excess oil drains off, remove the broccoli to a rimmed baking sheet and spread it out in a single layer.
9. Place broccoli in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If your oven tends to be hot, check the broccoli earlier. If you like it to be extra tender, leave it in longer. At 10 minutes, the broccoli will have started to caramelize on the bottom and may even look a little burnt but don’t worry, it will taste good!
10. While the broccoli is roasting, grate some fresh Parmesan cheese (I prefer parmigiano reggiano).
11. When the broccoli is done to your liking, immediately toss it with as much cheese as you desire and enjoy!

6) Produce Storage Tips

Storing Citrus: Keep citrus fruit at room temperature for up to a week. Keep them in a cool dark place, out of direct sunlight, and be sure to check them regularly for spoilage.  Extend the life of your citrus fruit by storing them in the refrigerator. Store them in a mesh, cheesecloth or perforated plastic bag. Avoid airtight containers, as these will collect condensation that can promote mold and spoilage. You may also store citrus fruit in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Refrigerated citrus may keep for up to several weeks.

Our greenhouse is working overtime these cold days

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

Johnson’s Backyard Garden
9515 Hergotz Lane, Box E
Austin, TX 78742
Office Phone: 512.386.5273
Office Hours: M-Th 8am to 5pm, Friday 8am to 12pm

The farm office is closed 12 pm to 1 pm for lunch.

e-mail: farm@jbgorganic.com

Travis Has Found Creative Ways to Stay Warm

Contents:

1) In Your Box this Week

2) Farm News

• Wholesale Deliveries Begin Thursday
• Slow Money Investors Needed
• JBG Now Accepting New CSA Members
• Attention New CSA Members: Eggs Are Back
• Goodbye Port-a-Potty! New Bathrooms at JBG
• It’s Cold Outside, But Get Ready for Spring Gardening!
• Planting Onions: The Water Wheel Transplanter at Work
• Updates from the New Farm on River Road
• Chalon’s Wizardry: The Elevated Sprayer
• Tangerines from Orange Blossom Farm!

3) Events

• Celebration of Austin Farmers’ Market Move into Republic Square Park, Saturday, January 9
• Local Maker Fair at Whole Foods
• Kocurek Family Charcuterie Pork Charcuterie Class

4) Quotable Food

5) Recipes

• Double Broccoli Quinoa
• Spicy Carrot Peanut Soup
• Steamed Bok Choy with Broiled Salmon and a Warm Roasted Tomato and Lemon Vinaigrette
• Scallion Pancakes

6) Produce Storage Tips

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

Brussel Sprouts are on Their Way!

1) In Your Box this Week:

Tangerines! (courtesy of Orange Blossom Farm)
Carrots
Salad Mix
Potatoes
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Bok Choy
Turnip
Dill
Green Garlic

2) Farm News

• Wholesale Deliveries Begin Thursday

Our online shopping cart is finished!  We are excited to offer our fresh, organic vegetables to Austin’s restaurants and markets in the New Year.  Right now we have especially large amounts of beautiful broccoli and extra sweet carrots!  Our wholesale deliveries will run from 9 am to 3:30 pm on Mondays and Thursdays.  Our customers may also call to schedule a specific delivery time.

JBG’s goal in our wholesaling business is to develop close business relationships with a few vendors in Austin and serve them to the best of our ability.  In order to do that, all wholesale accounts must be approved before a customer can purchase produce from our web site.  If you are interested in becoming one of our wholesale customers, please email us at farm@jbgorganic.com and give us an idea of the volume and frequency of your anticipated purchases.  If we are aware of your needs in advance, we can plan our crops to meet them.

To peruse our new shopping cart, click here.  As we are just beginning our wholesale enterprise, the availability of some items are limited.  As we grow, we will begin selling our produce in standard wholesale quantities.  We welcome any feedback you have to help us serve you better!

• Slow Money Investors Needed
  

Our recent talk of slow money investments in Johnson’s Backyard Garden has generated a lot of response. We are now taking steps to pursue slow money investments in order to finance a $250,000 farm credit loan, guaranteed by the Texas Department of Agriculture.  These funds will be used to purchase crucial farm equipment for washing, packing, tilling, and harvesting as we expand our operations next year.  This loan is critical to the growth of our new farm on River Road.  For those interested in making a slow money investment to help us grow our farm in East Austin, we are asking for a minimum investment of $5,000.  We will repay with 4% interest monthly over 7 years.  If you are interested in a slow money investment in JBG, please sign up for our mailing list for continuing information.

• 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.

• Goodbye Port-a-Potty! New Bathrooms at JBG

We rang in this New Year with the flush of a toilet at JBG! Many hands helped to dig a hole for our new septic tank last week. While under the protection of several pop-up tents, the rain pounded around them making for quite a muddy job. Nonetheless, they managed to lower the tank into the ground and connect the toilets before leaving for the holiday last Thursday. We are excited that workshares and employees now have running toilets to use, and will be removing the port-a-potty from the property in the next few days!

The Septic Tank

Temo and Angel digging as the sun finally comes out

Nesya was Happy to be Digging Outside!

• It’s Cold Outside, But Get Ready for Spring Gardening!

Brenton has Spring on his mind as we begin our first seeding of the year. Those nice spring crops, such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, are all being planted now so that they may begin their germination in the greenhouses. The plants remain there for eight weeks and then will be transplanted into the fields at the beginning of March.  Be sure to catch our Spring Transplant Sale and Slow Food Farm Tour during the first three weeks of March, where we’ll have a wide selection of heirloom varieties of peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, melons, and squash.  More information to come!

• Planting Onions: The Water Wheel Transplanter at Work

This morning, Travis, Neysa and I worked on a new transplanter (well, new to the interns) to plant 3 different varieties of onions on 8 beds.  It is a transplanter designed primarily to transplant into plastic mulch.  It’s called water wheel because water flows from a tank onto 3 large wheels which make holes for the transplants.  The water falls into the holes, making the soil wet for easier transplanting and better growing conditions.  We had the wheels on our water wheel custom made to 4 1/2 inch spacing.  The wheels just arrived early this morning, and we attached them and planted with them today!

Planting Onions with the Water Wheel

We are growing some of our onions in plastic, and others on bare ground.  We’re conducting a sort of experiment, to see which method works better.  We think plastic might benefit us because it will make our irrigation and weeding more efficient, and it will make the onions, which respond to warm soil, size up faster.

• Updates From the New Farm on River Road

Michael and Brent have been working to finalize their plans for the orchard on the new property. They are hoping to put their order in for the fruit soon!

Today Noe and Memo started helping Michael put up his barn on the land. It is a Quonset style barn which is generally a prefabricated corrugated steel structure with semicircular cross sections. This structure was widely used by the military after its development during World War I at the Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center in Quonset Point, RI and has since become popular among the public for a variety of uses (such as barns!)

Quonset Barn

*Image from texasescapes.com*

• Chalon’s Wizardry: The Elevated Sprayer

Chalon has used his mad skills to jack up the spray rig that we pull behind our tractor, so that it doesn’t crush the plants while crossing the bed.  We use this sprayer for BT, or Bacillus thuringiensis, a type of bacteria that is used to control certain pests, such as plant-eating caterpillars, moth caterpillars, and Gypsy Moth larvae.  BT is a favorite among organic gardeners because it is effective on the “bad” insects and harmless to the “good” insects.  In most insects, as well as people, birds, fish, and other animals, the BT proteins have virtually no effect.  Also, in general BT and its toxins are destroyed within three to five days by sunlight and other microbes, so BT does not multiply or accumulate in the environment.  Caterpillars killed by BT stop feeding, drop to the ground, and decay harmlessly.  Read more here.

Chalon, the Mastermind Behind the Creation

The Elevated Sprayer at Work

• Tangerines from Orange Blossom Farm This Week!
  

In case you didn’t notice, there is an exciting addition to the list of produce in your box this week: Tangerines! We are purchasing tangerines from Orange Blossom Farm in Carrizo Springs in order to add the lovely fruit to your boxes.

We also have a limited amount of tangerines available in bulk. You may purchase one box of tangerines, approximately 15 lbs, for $15.  This offer is available for one week only!  If you are interested in purchasing a box of tangerines with your CSA share, email Carrie at farm@jbgorganic.com as soon as possible!  For the first twenty customers who email us, we will deliver your box of tangerines with your CSA share this Wednesday the 6th, Friday the 8th, and next Tuesday the 12th.  Sales are on a first come, first serve basis, so don’t delay.  If you’re one of the lucky few, Carrie will email you with payment information.  We will deliver these boxes to you with your scheduled CSA share this Wednesday, Friday, and next Tuesday only!

Keith and I bring these tangerines home from the market every week. In fact, we usually bring home two bags each week, one from the Wednesday market and one from the downtown Saturday market, as we are often set up adjacent to Orange Blossom Farm. Jason (son of the owner, Bay Laxson) and Jessica (his girlfriend, and their generous saleswoman!) are wonderful people and I highly recommend you stop by and say hello next time you are at the market.

Below is an article about Bay Laxman and his practices at Orange Blossom Farm. It was written by Clay Coppedge for Country World, November 2009. It’s a nice read to help you familiarize yourself with the farm from which your fruit is coming! Again, please  email the office (farm@jbgorganic.com) ASAP  if you are interested in ordering a box of tangerines this week!

A Box of Sweet Tangerines

Back in the 1970s, when Bay Laxson was first starting to grow melons and citrus fruits on his farm near Carrizo Springs, a local AgriLife Extension agent told Laxson he would never be able to grow his crops organically.

“Hearing that, I pretty much made up my mind to go organic,” Laxson said. “After I turned out some good organic citrus, he said, ‘Well, you might be able to get away with growing organic citrus here, but you’ll never be able to grow your melons organically.’ So, I grew up my melons and started doing well with them. That guy who told me I’d never be able to do it, eventually left.”

While a lot has changed in Carrizo Springs, which is located about 50 miles southwest of Uvalde, Laxson and his family are still there and still producing certified organic oranges, tangerines, watermelons and cantaloupes at Orange Blossom Farm. They sell at the Austin farmers markets, but Laxson’s biggest break came when he first started and wasn’t sure what to do with the small family orchard he had taken over.

First, he hooked up with one of the earliest purveyors of organic produce in Austin, the Good Food Store. Later, when Whole Foods was starting out as a small Austin storefront, Laxson contracted with owner John Mackey to provide produce for that store, which has expanded into a national chain. Whole Foods is still one of Orange Blossom’s key customers.

“I guess you could say we started growing up with Whole Foods,” Laxson said.

Laxson was raised in Carrizo Springs, working his family’s cattle operation. His grandfather had been a citrus grower in the Rio Grande Valley, eventually buying a small farm west of Carrizo Springs. After Laxson completed military service in the early 1970s, he went back home to help his parents manage the land. They were aging and had sold out of the livestock business, but needed help keeping up with the orchard.

“We got into some other areas for a while,” Laxson said. “We have good soil and good water. You can’t grow anything in this country without water. You have to irrigate. We’re fortunate to have good water. We couldn’t do this without it.”

Laxson grew vegetables in addition to the citrus and melons for a while, and local bankers tried to persuade him to go big, to take his operation to the next level. He resisted the urge, partly because labor issues in the 1980s were becoming thornier, and reliable help for the labor-intensive vegetable harvests were getting harder to find. The fact that he was growing organic produce heightened the need for reliable help.

“You had that to deal with, along with the cost of pumping that much more water to grow that many more crops,” he said. “I never have gotten rich doing this, but that’s fine. I work a lot of 16-hour days, but I’ve raised three kids doing this and I don’t have any regrets about it.”

Laxson especially harbors no regrets in regard to his decision to go organic. When he was first starting out ,he noticed a lot of leaves on his trees afflicted with a kind of sooty substance. He went to the local feed store and asked what to do about it and was sold a mixture of sulfur and Sevin, which he promptly applied.

“What it did was it killed all the beneficials (insects),” he said. “I realized right away this was not for me.”

When the owner of the Good Food Stores told Laxson he was looking for organic produce and wouldn’t buy anything that had been sprayed, Laxson told him he wasn’t going to use sprays because he didn’t like them and, besides, he didn’t know anything about them.

About that same time he met Malcolm Beck, whose Gardenville stores were among the first in the state to sell organic fertilizer and other products.

“He was instrumental in getting the orchard started,” Laxson said. “He was the one who first told me what I should do and what I should not do in my orchard. He still visits sometimes. When he does, he parks that big ol’ car of his and takes off walking to the orchard and picks him a big orange off the tree and eats it.”

Laxson’s farm is isolated, sort of an oasis among the scrublands, but that has worked to his advantage.

“I’ve been real fortunate to never have a conventional (farming) neighbor,” he said. “The closest we’ve got is about three miles away.”

Laxson maintains his orchard and melon and cantaloupe acres with a lot of mowing, hoeing and light cultivation. He also keeps pruning to a minimum and keeps an eye out for freezes, something his orchard hasn’t experienced in several years.

“In some ways, that’s not entirely good,” he said. “The trees are getting so big now it’s sometimes hard to get around the orchard. A freeze would knock them back a little bit. We’d have a short crop that year but it would knock the trees back a little bit.”

Molasses, green sand, kelp and compost tea, along with composts with chicken and turkey litter, are part and parcel of what he uses on his crops in lieu of chemicals.

“I’ve never been tempted to resort to chemicals since that first time when I was starting out and didn’t know any better,” he said. “Since then, I’ve seen farmers start having problems of one kind or another because of the chemicals they use and so they get something else to counteract that and before you know it they’re putting five different things down. It’s like a dadgum rat on a treadmill.”

The last few years have been hard on Orange Blossom Farm and other agriculture producers in the area. The farm received too much rain in 2007, then suffered through two years of drought. It rained on the farm on Sept. 5 of this year, the first rain the farm had received all year. Subsequent rains have greened up the land and orchard, but the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer that supplies the area with water is sand-based and recharges much more slowly than the limestone-laden Edwards aquifer.

Laxson’s wife, JoAnn, helps sell their produce at the farmers markets. The Laxson’s son is 30 years old and has shown some interest in returning to the farm and carrying it on for at least another generation.

“It’s one of those things where you move off to the city and start a life there, but at some point you start missing the way of life you grew up with,” she said. “The kids have shown some interest in helping out and we’re getting to that age where we can use the help.

“It would be nice for the farm to continue like this. What they have to understand is how much work it is. Growing it is a lot of work, but selling it and getting it to the market and managing the money is a lot of work. We’ve always enjoyed it, and hope they will too.”

3) Events

• Celebration of Austin Farmers’ Market Move into Republic Square Park, Saturday, January 9 Postponed to January 23rd!

The Austin Farmers’ Market will begin its 8th year in 2010, and with it, a re-launch of all that this premiere market represents in Republic Square Park.  Come for the celebration that unfolds January 23rd with double live music, a cast-iron dutch oven cooking demo, fish grilling, Simply Fresh cooking demo, sack races, free cocoa for the kids, tastings galore, trivia hunt with prizes, live music and kid’s patch.  The activities will last all day!

When/Where

Austin Farmers’ Market
Republic Square Park
4th and Guadalupe
9am – 4pm
Free parking available

• Local Maker Fair at Whole Foods Market Gateway

We are showcasing in the first week of January the people behind the many wonderful products we offer. Local Makers will be Sampling, Cooking, and Lecturing about their products all week. Come learn what inspired them to come up with their products and do what they do.

Monday, January 4th through Sunday, January 10th, 4-7 PM at Whole Foods Market Gateway, on Research Blvd.

See http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/gateway/ for details on which local makers will be there each day this week.

• Kocurek Family Charcuterie Pork Charcuterie Class (from edibleaustin.com)

Join us on Sunday, Jan. 17th, from 2 to 5 pm for a Pork Charcuterie Class. This is a hands on class where attendees will prepare some of our favorite recipes: Pork sausages, rillettes, pork belly, bacon, whole pig head cookery, etc.

The class will conclude with a tasting of the days work with complimentary vino and charcuterie discussion.

The price is $75 per person.

For more information, contact:

kocurekfamilychacuterie@yahoo.com

* If you haven’t yet tried the delicious charcuterie products from the Kocurek family I certainly recommend that you do. Keith and I took home some of their pâté from the market and enjoyed it on a baguette from Texas French Bread. It made for a wonderful afternoon treat that we enjoyed while squeezing our orange juice! Check them out at the Wedneday Farmers’ Market where they provide tastings of their array of products.

4) Quotable Food

“Working with living creatures, both plants and animals, is what makes agriculture different from any other production enterprise. Even though a product is produced, in farming the process is anything but industrial. It is biological. We are dealing with a vital, living system rather than an inert manufacturing process. The skills required to manage a biological system are similar to those of the conductor of an orchestra. The musicians are all very good at what they do individually. The role of the conductor is not to play each instrument, but rather to nurture the union of the disparate parts. The conductor coordinates each musician’s effort with those of all the others and combines them in a harmonious whole.”

- Elliot Coleman, from The New Organic Grower

Green Garlic

5) Recipes

• Double Broccoli Quinoa (from www.101cookbooks.com)

3 cups cooked quinoa*
5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems
3 medium garlic cloves
2/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 big pinches salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
Optional toppings: slivered basil, fire oil (optional)**, sliced avocado
crumbled feta or goat cheese

Directions:

Heat the quinoa* and set aside.

Now barely cook the broccoli by pouring 3/4 cup water into a large pot and bringing it to a simmer. Add a big pinch of salt and stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for a minute, just long enough to take the raw edge off. Transfer the broccoli to a strainer and run under cold water until it stops cooking. Set aside.

To make the broccoli pesto puree two cups of the cooked broccoli, the garlic, 1/2 cup of the almonds, Parmesan, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and cream and pulse until smooth.

Just before serving, toss the quinoa and remaining broccoli florets with about 1/2 of the broccoli pesto. Taste and adjust if needed, you might want to add more of the pesto a bit at a time, or you might want a bit more salt or an added squeeze of lemon juice. Turn out onto a serving platter and top with the remaining almonds, a drizzle of the chile oil, and some sliced avocado or any of the other optional toppings.

Serves 4 – 6.

*To cook quinoa: rinse one cup of quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa, two cups of water (or broth if you like), and a few big pinches of salt until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

**To make the red chile oil: You’ll need 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. If you can, make the chile oil a day or so ahead of time by heating the olive oil in a small saucepan for a couple minutes – until it is about as hot as you would need it to saute some onions, but not so hot that it smokes or smells acrid or burned. Turn off the heat and stir in the crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside and let cool, then store in refrigerator. Bring to room temp again before using.

• Spicy Carrot Peanut Soup (from moosewoodrestaurant.com)

In the cuisines of Africa and Southeast Asia, peanuts and peanut butter are a staple ingredient in sauces and condiments. Here, peanut butter is the background that offsets the spices, garlic, and sour and salty flavors in this rich and aromatic soup. Use any gourmet or commercial peanut butter or roast and grind our own peanuts into a paste.

Serves 6 to 8
Yields about 8 cups
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
1 tablespoon canola or other vegetable oil
1 large onion, thickly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 pounds carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Chinese chili paste*
6 cups water
2 tablespoons peanut butter (see Note)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
a few fresh lime wedges

*Or use a fresh stemmed and chopped fresh chile and 2 minced garlic cloves.

Directions:

In a soup pot on medium heat, warm the oil and add the onions, carrots, celery, salt, and chili paste. Sauté on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the water, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 25 minutes.

Stir in the peanut butter, soy sauce, and lime juice. In a blender, purée the soup in batches. Reheat, if necessary.

Serve with lime wedges.

Note: If you wish, replace the peanut butter with freshly ground peanuts. Grind ½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts in a blender or small food processor and add them to the soup just before puréeing it.

Variation: Try serving the soup cold. It’s not your usual chilled soup candidate, but we like it!

• Steamed Bok Choy with Broiled Salmon and a Warm Roasted Tomato and Lemon Vinaigrette (from foodnetwork.com)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
4 bulbs bok choy
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 (6-ounce) portions salmon fillets
8 sprigs fresh marjoram

Directions:

Preheat the oven to broil with the rack 6 to 8 inches below the lighted broiler plate.

Place the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, marjoram, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the lemon juice in a 10-inch saute pan, saute quickly, and set in the oven on the rack. Cook until the tomatoes are well caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Add the basil to the vinaigrette and toss to blend. Set aside until ready to use.

Place the bok choy in a Dutch oven with the water and turn the heat up to high. When the water begins to boil, season the bok choy with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. Place a lid on the pan and steam the bok choy until most of the liquid has evaporated and the bok choy is tender, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the Dutch oven and slice each bulb in half lengthwise. Place the bok choy, cut side down, on a plate with the leaves in toward the center of the plate and the bulb ends facing towards the rim.

To cook the salmon, lay the fillets in a 12-inch saute pan and season with the remaining salt and remaining black pepper. Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the salmon, arrange marjoram sprigs over top, and broil in the oven until the salmon is browned and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and lay the salmon on the bed of bok choy. Top with the tomato and lemon vinaigrette.

• Scallion Pancakes (from moosewoodrestaurant.com)

Yields four 8-inch pancakes
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes each

½ teaspoon dark sesame oil
7 teaspoons canola or other vegetable oil
2 ¾ cups unbleached white flour
1 cup hot water
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
4 to 8 scallions, chopped (about ½ cup)
sprinkling of salt
vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together the dark sesame oil and 4 teaspoons of the canola or other vegetable oil. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine 2 ¼ cups of the flour, the hot water, salt, baking powder, and 2 teaspoons of the canola oil. Stir until the dough comes together. Lightly dust a working surface with some of the remaining flour and knead for about 2 minutes, adding flour if the dough is too sticky. Cover the dough with the mixing bowl and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 balls. With a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a circle about 10 inches across. Brush each circle with ¼ of the sesame oil mixture, top with ¼ of the chopped scallions, and sprinkle with salt. Roll each circle into a tight cylindrical rope, then coil the rope to form a flat spiral about 5 inches across. Flatten each spiral by hand, and then roll it into a think 8-inch pancake with a rolling pin, dusting with flour to prevent sticking. It’s okay if a few scallions escape from the dough.

Heat a skillet on medium heat, add the remaining teaspoon of canola oil, and swirl to coat the pan. Fry each of the 4 pancakes until brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning down the heat if the outside gets to brown too fast. Add a little more oil to the pan, if necessary, for frying.

Cut each pancake into wedges and serve immediately. Leftover pancakes may be refrigerated for 3 or 4 days and then reheated in the toaster.

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.

Potatoes and Winter Squash 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.

Carrots, Radishes, Turnips and Beets should be stored in plastic bags. They’ll last two weeks in the fridge. Take tops off carrots before storing, leave greens on radishes, turnips and beets, with both roots and tops in the bag.

Broccoli and Scallions will last 4-7 days in plastic bags in the crisper.

Spinach, Kale, Lettuce, Salad Greens, and Cooking Greens have the same crisper life and should be kept in plastic bags. Any bunch greens can be freshened by cutting an inch of the bottom stalks and soaking the entire bunch in cold water for 10 minutes. Place in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few hours to revive.

Cauliflower wrap in plastic and use within a week.

Cabbage have a fridge life of up to two weeks. Wrap celery in plastic.

Parsley and Cilantro are best with bottoms of stems trimmed, placed upright in a jar of water in the fridge. These do well frozen also (they will loose texture but not taste).

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

Temo Rockin' Out

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