1) In Your Box this Week

2) Farm News:

• From the Farmer’s Perspective …
• “Farm Kids” By Grit Ramuschkat, JBG Resident

3)  Updates, Meetings, and  Events

• Help JBG Grow: Refer a Friend, Get a Free Box!
• JBG T-Shirts are In Stock!  Sign Up Today and Get a Free Johnson’s Backyard Garden T-Shirt!
• We Want 5 Nominations for a Thursday CSA Drop-off Site
• Workshares!  Come Help Us Harvest Garlic!
• Nominate JBG as Your Favorite Slow Money Business!

4) Quotable Food

5) Recipes, by Melissa Vance

• Sweet and Tangy Broccoli Salad
• Chipotle-Citrus Fajita Tacos with Escarole and Pickled Onions
• Italian White Bean and Escarole Soup

6) Produce Storage Tips

7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info

1) In Your Box this Week

Carrots
Beets
Swiss Chard
Kohlrabi
Green Onions
Lettuce
Frisee
Parsley or Dill
Fennel
Arugula or Broccoli

2) Farm News:

• From the Farmer’s Perspective … We Grow, You Eat
  

Brenton has a big smile on his face this morning.  What’s making Brent so happy?  Well, we are 100% on schedule for our planting at the new farm!  Last week we planted 34 beds of winter squash to go with our summer squash, cukes, corn and okra.  Not to mention our mountain of potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers.  We also received the results from our soil test from River Road farm, and we were very happy with the results!  Good soil, fairly similar to our Hergotz property. Everything over there is looking very healthy.  As Hergotz farm winds down and River Road is just beginning, it’s a good time to reflect on the importance of farming in Austin, and around the country.

CSA’s are a unique business.  Part grocery store, part farmers market, part delivery service, a CSA is different from all of them because it allows you to connect with a farm on a very personal level.  CSA’s are about community; when you become a member of a CSA–of our CSA–you become more than a patron, you become an active member of Johnson’s Backyard Garden. While the crew at JBG plant and grow and harvest, our members cook, eat, and offer their support.  Both sides of this relationship are integral to the workings of a farm.  We wouldn’t be able to grow food if we didn’t have anyone to take it from us!  That’s why a CSA is more than just a business transaction, it’s a relationship between farmer and consumer.  We grow, you eat.

When you come to pick up your boxes or see us at the markets, we hope you feel some sense of ownership over our veggies, because you are the ones who make growing them possible.  We hope you come out to our events, come out to visit the farm and meet the staff, workshare, chat with the interns at the farmers market, shoot us an email and let us know what you are doing with your veggies.  Because the importance of a CSA is that it’s not just about what you eat, but where what you eat comes from.

• “Farm Kids” By Grit Ramuschkat, JBG Resident

3)  Updates, Meetings, and  Events

• Help JBG Grow: Refer a Friend, Get a Free Box!

As you know, JBG just expanded from 20 acres to nearly 70!  This summer, we will have enough organic veggies to supply 1,000 Austinites, and we want to make sure we hit that target!  We’re looking to our trusted CSA members to help us with our expansion.  Tell your friends about us!  If they sign up for a 10-week membership and mention that they were referred by you, then we will add a complimentary box to your subscription!  If your friend signs up for a 4-week membership, we’ll give you a free Johnson’s Backyard Garden American Apparel T-Shirt.  Help us get more people eating organic, local veggies and make a more organic Austin!

• JBG T-Shirts are In Stock!  Sign Up Today and Get a Free Johnson’s Backyard Garden T-Shirt!

Show off your love for organic and local veggies!  These T-shirts are American Apparel’s sustainable edition, 100% organic cotton.  Available in carrot or beet design.  Limited quantity in stock, so sign up soon, because once they’re gone, they’re gone!

• We Want 5 Nominations for a Thursday CSA Drop-off Site

We’d like to begin delivering our CSA boxes on Thursdays, in addition to Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  If you have a suggestion for a drop-off location on Thursday, or you’d like to be a host yourself, please contact our office at farm@jbgorganic.com or 386-5273.

• Workshares!  Come Help Us Harvest Garlic!

Last week workshares helped us harvest 5 beds of garlic!  But we are still at it this week–we have about 10 beds left!  Come out this week and help us finish up our garlic harvest.  Mosquito and vampire repellent included!

• Nominate JBG as Your Favorite Slow Money Business!

The Slow Money Alliance is taking votes on your favorite slow money businesses.  If you mention JBG, we’ll be promoted at their national gathering in Vermont this June.  It just takes a second, so click over and give us a shout out!

4) Quotable Food

“Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do” –Wendell Berry

5) Recipes, by Melissa Vance

• Sweet and Tangy Broccoli Salad

• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup canola mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Pinch garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon red onion, finely diced
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons sunflower kernels

Wash broccoli florets and dry thoroughly (if broccoli remains wet it will make the dressing too runny).  Set aside.

Combine the mayo, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, red pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Taste, and adjust seasoning to your liking.

In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, dressing, onion, raisins, and sunflower kernels.  Make sure the dressing is even distributed.  Place in the fridge and let sit for at least an hour, stirring every so often to ensure the broccoli stays evenly coated.  Serve chilled.

Cook’s Note: This recipe is also wonderful with bits of pancetta sprinkled in it.  It is always well received at pot lucks and BBQs.  Enjoy!

• Chipotle-Citrus Fajita Tacos with Escarole and Pickled Onions

Marinade:

• 2 oranges, juiced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 chipotle chilies in adobo, pureed
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Pickled Onions

• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon pickling spice
• 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

Tacos

• 1 – 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak (beef, bison, or yak), trimmed
• Kosher salt and Black Pepper
• 1 head escarole, trimmed and sliced thinly
• Red wine vinegar and olive oil
• Whole wheat tortillas
• Good quality Salsa
• Goat cheese, optional

Prepare the marinade:

Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Pour into a plastic bag and add the skirt steak.  Seal well, removing as much air as possible, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Prepare the pickled onions:

Place all ingredients except the onions in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool at room temperature.  Strain and pour liquid over the onions.  Steep in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Assembly:

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat.  Remove meat from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.  Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper and place on grill, cooking for 4-5 minutes on each side.  Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before cutting against the grain into strips.

Sprinkle the escarole with red wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Toss well to dress evenly.

Toast the tortillas over a medium low flame, turning frequently with tongs to prevent burning.

Fill each tortilla with strips of the skirt steak, salsa, escarole, pickled onions, and goat cheese (if desired).  Serve immediately.

Cook’s Note: I used yak in this recipe and it turned out great.  The marinade really comes through nicely.  The leftover pickled onions can be used for sandwiches and salads and they store well in the fridge.   Enjoy!

• Italian White Bean and Escarole Soup

• 2 strips bacon, cut into matchsticks
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into small rounds
• 6 medium button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup small pasta, such as macaroni
• 1 head escarole, chopped into bite size strips
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 green onion, green parts only, sliced thinly
• Parmesan, grated

Place a soup pot over medium heat, add the bacon and sauté until the bacon renders down and becomes crispy.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Add additional oil to the pot if needed.

Add the onion and sweat until they start to become translucent.  Add the carrots and continue to cook about 5-8 minutes or until the onions are fully cooked.  Add the mushrooms and sauté until lightly browned.  Add the garlic and sauté while stirring until fragrant, about 1 min.  Add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, beans, tomatoes, broth, and salt to taste.  Bring to a boil then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer.

Once the soup is simmering, add the pasta and the escarole.  Cook until the pasta is tender and the escarole is wilted.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve hot; topping the bowls with green onion, grated parmesan and crispy bacon.

Cook’s Note: Swiss chard and beet greens are fine substitutes for the escarole, although the escarole practically melts in your mouth when prepared this way.  This soup is wonderful with crusty wheat bread and a glass of red wine.  Enjoy!

6) Produce Storage Tips

Lots of spring greens in the boxes during these cool months.  We hope you are enjoying them, since they’ll be gone soon, and they’re some of the most nutritious vegetables around!  But what do you do if you can’t get through all of them in a week?  Don’t fret, storing greens is pretty easy, and they last longer than you think!  All you need is a plastic bag (which you can reuse from week to week).  If you separate and wash the bunch of greens in cool water, then place it in the plastic bag in your fridge, your greens should last you over a week, probably around 2 weeks.  If you see them getting a little wilty, place them in the vegetable crisper for added protection, but don’t forget about them there!  Greens go wilty faster because of dry air.  The plastic wrapped around it helps to keep in the moisture and keep the greens crisp and fresh!

Any other storage tips?  Send them our way!

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

This entry was posted on Monday, April 19th, 2010 at 1:28 pm and is filed under Newsletters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.