Brenton, Matt, Jon, Marissa, Andrew, and David and a truck full of tomatoes
1) In Your Box this Week
2) Farm News:
- From the Farmer’s Perspective…
- An Intern’s Perspective by Marissa Lankes
- Slow Money Spotlight: Vegetable Line Washer
3) Updates, Meetings, and Events
- Organic Tomato Bulk Sale
- The Ringger Family has lots of Eggs!
- Donation Request from the Farm Crew
- Fast Veggie Facts
- Slow Food Austin Fundraiser: Texas Artisan Showcase
4) Quotable Food
5) Recipes, by Melissa Vance, JBG CSA Member
6) Produce Storage Tips
7) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info
1) In Your Box this Week
Basil
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Potatoes
Dandelion Greens
Squash
Fennel
Broccoli
Garlic
Green Beans
Onions
Coming Soon!
Peppers
Melons
2) Farm News:
- From the Farmer’s Perspective… Neysa is Currently on Her Honeymoon!
Neysa, our harvest leader and author of From the Farmer’s Perspective is currently on her honeymoon in Greece with our greenhouse manager, Travis. Love is in the air at JBG. Neysa will be back in mid-June to resume writing our newsletters, so stay tuned!
- An Intern’s Perspective by Marissa Lankes
Marissa helps unload tomatoes from the truck.
Six Months isn’t such a long time. I’ve measured it in little ways: half birthdays, semesters, inches my hair has grown. But six months is long enough to watch the mesquite and pecan trees’ barren branches blossom with tiny green buds, signaling the last frost had finally passed and it was safe to plant tomatoes. It’s long enough to bite into the ripe crimson fruit of those tiny fuzzy tomato seeds I’d placed so delicately into their potting soil on my very first day.
In February, I’d begin each groggy morning by thanking myself for not throwing out the ski-socks I’d packed from Michigan, and pull them over two pairs of pants I would stuff under my jeans. We would ride into the sopping fields on a flatbed trailer, and watch through the steel grate as endless rainwater sloshed back into the deep furrows the tractor’s wheels etched into mud like chocolate custard. It seemed to have been raining for 2 months straight. But we harvested arugula, even when it was surrounded by a moat. And we harvested broccoli, even with sleet coating our eyelashes. The day it snowed, I got the plum job of weighing out sweet potatoes in the cooler, where it must have been twenty degrees warmer than the field. It was maybe a month later, Saint Patrick’s Day, when I went on a treasure hunt to east Texas and found our pot of gold in 5,000 more pounds of seed-sweet-potatoes to plant. Five long hours away from Austin was the nearest farm that had managed to salvage seed potatoes from such a soggy winter’s flooded fields.
We cut the sweet potatoes slips just last week. They’re grown now and ready to bear new tubers. We planted them all at the new River Road farm, halfway to Bastrop; what a long way they’ve traveled. Those sodden fields that bore us such adamant kohlrabi and spring onions over the winter are all going fallow and turned to cover crop. Meanwhile, we don’t even have to bring lunch to the River Road farm, it’s so overflowing with squash and tomatoes. So much has changed in a season.
Now the box-truck kicks up dust too thick to see through when we bump along the bone-dry farm road. Now our eyes itch with pollen from mulberry trees and pigweed, and the sun stains our skin dark as all those potatoes. Now I know how to measure the months in the way the sun rises over the glistening beds, and the birth and death of seasons. And what a long way everything can come in a time that seems so short.
- Slow Money Spotlight: Vegetable Line Washer
Noe puts the vegetable washer together.
A few months ago, JBG was able to order a custom-made vegetable line washer thanks to Slow Money loans from several of our members. The support from our members has allowed us to meet the demands of our growing business – and the corresponding vegetable yield! The vegetable line washer couldn’t have arrived at a better time, and it has been put to use on a daily basis cleaning tomatoes. Here’s how the machine works. First, the tomatoes are put on a moving belt and pulled into the washing chamber of the machine. There, the tomatoes are sprayed with water as they move along cushioned rollers. Then, the tomatoes come out on the other side of the machine and move down a second conveyor belt. This belt has padded rollers that also serve to gently dry the tomatoes. Finally, the washed and dried tomatoes make it to the end of the machine. There, the tomatoes rotate slowly on a circular table so staff can sort them.
Tomatoes move into the washing area.
A tomato being washed.
Tomatoes exit the washing area and are dried off by rollers.
Matt, Andrew, and James sort through the washed and dried tomatoes
3) Updates, Meetings, and Events
David poses with our new tomato boxes.
- Buy JBG Organic Tomatoes in Bulk!
Get more of our great tasting tomatoes while they’re still available! Order them in bulk through our website at www.jbgorganic.com – just click on the bulk tomato sale link at the top. We are offering large slicer tomatoes, $30 for 10 pounds and $60 for 25 pounds; San Maraano Italian Heirloom Sauce Tomatoes, $30 for 10 pounds and $60 for 25 pounds; and Heirloom Tomatoes, $50 for 10 pound box. Plus, all bulk tomato orders come in our new tomato boxes designed by artist Ryan Rhodes.
- The Ringger Family has lots of Eggs!
The Ringger family’s chickens have started producing lots of eggs now that it is warmer and the days are longer. The Ringgers have changed their farm name to Fruitful Hill, but they are still producing the same great-tasting eggs from free range hens. Next time you renew your subscription, consider adding locally produced, free range eggs to your order!
The Ringger Family chickens and their mobile chicken coop.
- Donation Request from the Farm Crew
The farm crew is over at River Road a lot these days, but over there we don’t have the nice digs that we have at Hergotz Lane. The farm crew would love a place to eat lunch. If any of our generous CSA members have some outdoor furniture–a table and chairs–that they have been itching to get rid of, consider donating it to JBG! Give us a call at 512-386-5273 or email farm@jbgorganic if you’re interested in donating.
- Fast Veggie Facts
Cucumbers belong to the same family as watermelon, zucchini, pumpkin, and squash. The flesh of cucumbers is primarily composed of water but also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid, both of which help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Cucumbers’hard skin is rich in fiber and contains a variety of beneficial minerals including silica, potassium and magnesium.
- Slow Food Austin Fundraiser: Texas Artisan Showcase
Come support the Slow Food Austin by attending the Texan Artisan Showcase on Saturday, June 26th. It will be held from 4pm to 8pm at Studio 12 (3121 E. 12th Street, Austin, TX 78702). Click here (http://slowfoodaustin.org/) for more details.
4) Quotable Food
“You, as a food buyer, have the distinct privilege of proactively participating in shaping the world your children will inherit.” –Joel Salatin
5) Recipes, by Melissa Vance, JBG CSA Member
Crispy Leek Rings
Crispy Leek Rings
* 1-2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced into 1/2” thick rings
* 1 cup flour
* 1 cup milk
* 1 egg, beaten
* Canola oil
* Kosher salt and black pepper
Place an inch or two of canola oil in a small saucepan and bring to 350 degrees.
Remove the centers of the leek sections, and separate the outer layers into rings two layers thick. Set aside.
Combine the milk and egg in a small bowl. Place the flour in another bowl.
Working in batches, dip the leek rings in the flour, then into the milk/egg mixture, then again in the flour. Fry in the oil until golden brown. Remove to paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper immediately.
Cook’s Note: This is a cute variation on the classic onion ring. I like these crispy little rings as snacks or garnish for a hearty meal. If you like spice, add some cayenne to the flour before dredging. Enjoy!
Potatoes and Green Beans with Pesto
Potatoes and Green Beans with Pesto
* 2 cups basil leaves
* 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
* 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
* 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted lightly in a pan
* Big pinch Kosher Salt
* 2 good turns black pepper
* 1/3 cup good quality olive oil
* 2 handfuls of small new potatoes, any variety, well scrubbed
* 2 handfuls green beans, trimmed
Place the basil, parmesan, garlic, pine nuts, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to mince the ingredients. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, checking for consistency before adding it all. If it is too thick, add more olive oil. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Scrape into a bowl and cover with plastic to help prevent darkening. Set aside.
Bring the potatoes to a boil in a pot full of salted water. Cook until almost fork tender. Add in the beans and cook for 4-5 minutes longer. Drain and place potatoes and green beans in a large bowl. Toss with some of the pesto and season to taste. Serve warm.
Cook’s Note: This is so simple and so tasty. It’s also a great way to use up your basil shares. The remaining pesto should keep for a week in the fridge with plastic pressed on its surface. For this recipe use the greenest, most fruity olive oil you have. Enjoy!
Summer Veggie Sauté
Summer Veggie Saute
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1-2 large summer squash, sliced on the bias into ovals
* 1-2 large zucchini, sliced on the bias into ovals
* 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced on the bias into ovals
* Crushed red pepper
* Kosher salt and black pepper
Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the veggies and sauté until they soften and begin to caramelize. Once fork tender, season with the crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Serve hot.
Cook’s Note: This recipe is as flexible as it gets. If you have fennel or peppers add them as well! It’s a quick way to get tasty veggies onto your plate on a busy night. It’s also fantastic with fresh herbs sprinkled on it at serving time. Enjoy!
6) Produce Storage Tips
Avoid refrigerating tomatoes–it degrades their flavor! Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature for better flavor and longer life. Although, once you cut a tomato, put it in plastic, in the fridge as soon as possible.
Ringger chickens enjoy the flowers.
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