1) In Your Box this Week
2) Farm News:
- From the Farmer’s Perspective… Way to Help a Farmer Out
- The Nitty Gritty: “Rosie’s Story,” by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG Resident
3) Updates, Meetings, and Events
- Help JBG at the Farmers Market!
- Like Free Stuff? Follow JBG on Twitter and Facebook! Free Giveaways every week!
- Special Low Price on Tomatoes Until We Run Out!
- Get Your Colleagues Healthy with “CSA to Work”
- The Perfect Anytime Gift: JBG Gift Certificates!
- GroupOn Deal at the Hope Market this Weekend
4) Quotable Food
5) Recipes, by Melissa Vance, JBG CSA Member
- Spaghetti with Roasted Summer Squash and Tomatoes
- Easy Pommes Anna
- Green Beans with Roasted Tomatoes
6) Produce Storage Tips
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info
A plan is hatching
1) In Your Box this Week
Roma and heirloom tomatoes
Eggplant
Sweet and Hot Peppers
Onions
Okra
Basil
Cucumbers
Summer Squash
Green Beans
Garlic
2) Farm News:
- From the Farmer’s Perspective… Way to Help a Farmer Out
Sunday afternoon I was riding my bike from my apartment on South Congress to Guadalupe to go to Buffalo Exchange. A farmer’s gotta have her resold clothes fix. I had just passed Homeslice when I noticed my bike was riding a little funny. I pulled over and saw my back tire was low. So I got on the sidewalk and started walking back to Tsunami Bikes to see about getting a bike pump. When I approached the door, they were closed, so I walked across the street to a 7-11 to use their air pumps. My problems only got worse after that, because I couldn’t figure out how to get a car tire pump to pump up my bike tire, and in my haste trying to figure it out, I ended up letting the air out of my front tire, too. Nice. I figured I’d just walk my pathetic bike back home and take my car.
Just then a guy walked out of the 7-11 and said, “Wow that doesn’t look good.” He looked at my tires and offered to run home and get his pump and help me out. I said that was very nice of him, as I noticed he had mountain biking paraphenelia all over his car. He left and came back within 10 minutes and started pumping up my tires for me. “You look familiar, you know,” he said to me, “do you work at Austin Java?”
“No,” I said, I work at Johnson’s Backyard Garden.
“Oh! I get your vegetables! The tomatoes have been awesome!”
Now that’s community supported agriculture for you. Some random kind stranger helps me in a 7-11 parking lot and he turns out to be a CSA member! That’s why we love our CSA–it creates a small community in a big city. So thanks, Kirk, for helping a farmer out.
From the Farmer’s Perspective is written by Neysa King. To read more by Neysa, check out her blog at www.dissertationtodirt.com
“Rosie’s Story,” by Grit Ramuschkat, JBG Resident
3) Updates, Meetings, and Events
- Help JBG at the Farmers Market!
You say you want to workshare for JBG, but your schedule doesn’t vibe with our workday volunteer slots? Well, now you have a chance to volunteer at one of the JBG farmers market stands on Saturdays and Sundays! JBG currently has multi-tent stands at the Barton Creek, Downtown, Sunset Valley, Triangle, and Hope farmers markets, and we could use some help keeping our stand look stocked and fresh! Volunteers will be responsible for helping our interns in setting up the stand, stocking produce, making sure signs are up, and any other market-related duties assigned to them. In return, they can take home their choice of 10-12 veggies from our stand!
Saturday Markets (Barton Creek, Downtown, and Sunset Valley) run from 9am to 1pm. The Sunday Market (Hope) runs from 11am to 3pm. Volunteers must meet our market crew at their market 45 minutes to an hour before market begins. When the market ends, volunteers will help our interns break down the stand, and then they are free to go.
Interested in volunteering with JBG at our market stands on the weekend? For more details and to arrange a volunteer day, email Carrie at farm@jbgorganic.com.
Jon carries a 50lb bag of dried onions to our cooler space
- Like Free Stuff? Follow JBG on Twitter and Facebook! Free Giveaways every week!
Follow our new twitter @JBGOrganic, or check us out on facebook! It’s a great way to stay updated on the goings on around the farm, plus we’ll be having a special giveaway every week!
- Special Low Price on Tomatoes until We Run Out!
The height of the summer is quickly approaching, which means our tomato production is going to slow down a lot until the temperature drops again in the fall. We want to make sure all of our CSA members have the opportunity to stock up on all the tomatoes they want, so from now until the end of the current tomato season, we’re marking our bulk tomatoes down to $2 a pound. Heirlooms are very limited quantity right now, but what we have left will go for $3.00 a pound. Hurry and place your orders–we’ll keep this deal going until we run out of tomatoes. After that, it’s goodbye tomatoes until September.
- Get Your Colleagues Healthy with “CSA to Work”
JBG is beginning new work place pickups at the Livestrong Center, the Jewish Community Center, and National Instruments. We are thinking this is going to be extra convenient for new members who can just pick up their box at the end of their work day and go! If you think you can drum up support among your co-workers, let us know and maybe you can pick up our local, organic veggies in your own office!
- The Perfect Anytime Gift: JBG Gift Certificates!
Looking for a birthday or graduation gift? How about the fresh, local, organic produce from Johnson’s Backyard Garden! You can purchase a gift certificate from us for a 10 week membership, 4 week membership, or just one box to give someone a special trial of our veggies. Give us a call at 386-5273 or email farm@jbgorganic.com to purchase.
- GroupOn Deal at the Hope Market this Weekend
Go to GroupOn to get a deal on your shopping at the Hope Market this weekend. JBG and other Hope vendors have signed up for a special deal with GroupOn to save our customers money while they do their shopping! Come on out and visit us Sunday afternoon.
4) Quotable Food
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” ~Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
5) Recipes, by Melissa Vance, JBG CSA Member
- Spaghetti with Roasted Summer Squash and Tomatoes
- 2 zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
- 2 summer squash, sliced into thin rounds
- 5-6 cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti
- Parmesan, grated or shaved
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Place the zucchini, squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and oregano in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the mix and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Toss well. Spread the veggies out on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
Boil the spaghetti until al dente. Drain and transfer pasta to a large serving bowl. Scrape in the roasted veggies with their juices. Toss well with the pasta. Garnish with parmesan, additional olive oil and herbs. Serve hot.
Cook’s Note: Don’t skimp on the olive oil – it really makes this dish. This is also wonderful with chicken or shrimp. Enjoy!
- Easy Pommes Anna
- 5-7 gold or russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8” thick
- 8-10 tablespoons butter, melted
- Kosher salt
- Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Pour enough butter in a round cake or pie pan to lightly coat the bottom. Arrange a single layer of potato slices in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping each piece. Drizzle the layer of potatoes with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat layering the potatoes, butter, salt and pepper, pressing down firmly to pack. Don’t be stingy with the butter, melt more if you need it.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and lightly golden.
Cut into wedges and serve, flipping the serving over on the plate so that the crispy bottom faces upward.
Cook’s Note: So simple and scrumptious! This recipe shows off how beautiful ingredients need not be fussy to be spectacular. If possible, use a mandolin to slice the potatoes to keep them even. For a bit more of a challenge, try cooking this in a pan on the stove, flipping halfway through cooking after the bottom is brown. It will result in two crispy surfaces. Enjoy!
- Green Beans with Roasted Tomatoes
- 2 handfuls green beans, trimmed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 small onion, sliced thinly in half moons
- 2 handfuls cherry or small plum tomatoes, cut in half or quarters
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the green beans for 4-5 minutes then remove them from the boiling pot directly to a bowl of ice water. Once cooled remove beans to a paper towel and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and sweat until translucent. Add the tomatoes and sauté until they give their juices and wilt. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add in the green beans and toss to combine. Cook until the green beans are heated through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot.
Cook’s Note: This is the sort of quick recipe that makes use of summer veggies so well. Simple and pure and great with herbs like fresh basil, oregano, or even tarragon.
6) Produce Storage Tips
Okra will store in plastic in the fridge for up to a week. Keep in mind that okra doesn’t have to be cooked before eaten. If you can’t get over the slimy of cooked okra, just chomp on one raw for a fresh, healthy snack.
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