Is it kabocha? Acorn? James ponders the mystery squash
1) In Your Box this Week
2) Farm News:
- From the Farmer’s Perspective…. Tomatoes, Toodle-oo
- The Nitty Gritty: “The Coolest Plants in Our Garden” by Grit Ramusckat, JBG Resident
3) Updates, Meetings, and Events
- Tim Miller from Millberg Farms to Speak at Austin Organic Gardeners Club
- Help JBG at the Farmers Market!
- Like Free Stuff? Follow JBG on Twitter and Facebook! Friday Giveaways every week!
- Now Accepting New Members
4) Recipes, by Melissa Vance, JBG CSA Member
- Crispy Polenta with Sausage and Pepper Ragu
- Roasted Summer Squash Risotto with Sage
- Carmelized Onion Confit
5) Adventures in Canning: A Story by CSA Member Mary Esther Middleton
5) Johnson’s Backyard Garden Contact Info
While the Hergotz field rests, we're planting okra in our market garden
1) In Your Box this Week
Our Best Guess for Tuesday, July 27th through Sunday, August 1st
Purple and Black Eggplant
Sweet and Hot Peppers
1015 Onions
Okra
Basil
Mint
Melon (maybe!)
Summer Squash
Kabocha or Acorn Squash
Garlic
2) Farm News:
- From the Farmer’s Perspective…. Tomatoes, Toodle-oo
They say all good things must come to an end, or in this case, all insanely productive things must come to an end. Our 71 beds of tomatoes gave us a good harvest, to say the least, but now, as of last Friday, they are gone for the rest of the summer. The consistently high heat of August is too much for them, and we’re currently ripping up tomato stakes and cutting twine over at River Road. Don’t worry, they’ll make a comeback in the fall, and then goodbye again until next year. The Austin growing season may be year round, but that doesn’t mean it’s not dynamic. Certain times of the year are much more plentiful than others. The bounty we saw at the beginning of this season is now going to give way to a more steady, mundane harvest, as the heat gets high and the plants kick into survival mode, they won’t be growing and producing as much as they were last month. We’re planting a fall succession now so that when the weather cools again, we will be ready for the large fall harvest. And by then, we’ll have some greens–kale, collards, swiss chard–which I’m sure you all have missed dearly. I know I have!
“The Coolest Plants in Our Garden” by Grit Ramusckat, JBG Resident
Part 1: Purslane – Summer’s Salad Green
As most plants are withering in the summer heat, a tiny, perky salad green breaks through the dry, hot soil. Wait a moment—salad greens, in the summer? I thought lettuce only grew in cold weather. Although it’s not technically a lettuce, it looks and tastes pretty close to one and grows happily in the dead of the summer.
Purslane or Portulaca Oleracea, also known as pigweed or verdolaga, is a succulent and grows wild in Central Texas. It has a long taproot with fibrous secondary roots that enable it to tolerate drought as well as poor and compacted soils. Once you have developed an eye for its appearance you’ll see it coming up through cracks in the pavement all over the city.
It is also a prolific seed producer. A single plant can produce more than 52,000 seeds. Those seeds can survive for up to 30 years in undisturbed soil. This explains why without any help from Steven and me it shows up in our garden year after year in the same spot, every year expanding its area a little more. Its modest requirements for water and soil as well as its aggressive reproduction strategy may be responsible for its weed status!
However, this status highly underrates purslane’s true potential as a culinary speciality. It has a slightly sour and tangy taste and is best used soon after it’s been picked. It is said to taste more sour when picked in the morning. But as the day progresses and the plant had time to absorb the sunlight it is supposed to get sweeter. I like to eat it raw in a light summer salad with goat cheese and fresh, sweet figs to balance the sourness. But it can also be stir-fried, cooked and used as a substitute for spinach. It finds its place in soups and stews as well. Australian Aborigines grind its seeds into flour to make bread.
Besides being delicious, purslane turns out to be extremely good for us as well. It contains more omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid in particular) than any other leafy vegetable plant. It is also high in vitamins and anti-oxidants.
Due to its growing popularity as a summer salad green, purslane can be found at our local farmer’s markets. Look for it on your next stroll through your garden or neighborhood. You may find something tasty defying the summer heat!
Hergotz field in sorghum-sudan grass cover crop
3) Updates, Meetings, and Events
- Tim Miller from Millberg Farms to Speak at Austin Organic Gardeners Club, August 9th, 7:30pm
Tim Miller is an experienced sustainable farmer in the Austin area, known for employing dry farming techniques on his certified organic farm in Kyle, Texas. His farm has won numerous awards for Mr. Miller’s water conservation efforts. Mr. Miller grows a mix variety of vegetables, as well as tending to plum, peach, and pecan trees. He will be speaking at the Austin Organic Gardeners Club on Monday, August 9th, at 7:30pm, at the Zilker Botanical Gardens. For more information about Austin Organic Gardeners, visit http://www.main.org/aog/index.htm
- 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!
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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.
- Like Free Stuff? Follow JBG on Twitter and Facebook! Friday 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!
- Now Accepting New Members
JBG is looking for some community support to recruit new CSA members. We started small, passing out pamphlets, putting up flyers, and relying on word of mouth, and we want to keep that community involvement strong. If you are interested in spreading the word about Johnson’s Backyard Garden and our CSA, drop us a line at farm@jbgorganic.com, and we’ll send you a stack of our JBG pamphlets to pass out to your friends, your coworkers, or the people hanging out at your favorite coffee shop. Together, we can make a real contribution to the community by making organic, local food accessible to more people.
4) Recipes, by Melissa Vance, JBG CSA Member
- Crispy Polenta with Sausage and Pepper Ragu
Polenta:
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons lard or olive oil
Ragu:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 links hot Italian sausage links, removed from casings
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 2-3 cups assorted sweet and hot peppers, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or a pinch dried)
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano (or a pinch dried)
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 can tomato sauce, 10oz or 16oz
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Prepare the polenta:
In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. In a steady stream, add the cornmeal, whisking to avoid lumps. Lower the heat to a simmer and allow to cook, stirring with a spoon, until the polenta is thick and no longer grainy on the tongue. Add a pinch of salt and pour into a large baking dish. Smooth the top with a spoon and allow to cool slightly. Place in the fridge.
Prepare the ragu:
Place a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil and the sausage to the pan. Cook the sausage, breaking it up into crumbles, until browned. Add in the onions and carrots and cook until the onions are translucent. Add in the peppers and cook about 5 minutes more. Add in the thyme, oregano, and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and reduce until the pan is almost dry. Add in the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook until the sauce thickens around the vegetables. Remove the herb sprigs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assembly:
In a large sauté pan heat the lard or olive oil. Remove the polenta from the fridge cut into shapes. When the pan is almost smoking add the polenta shapes. Pan fry until golden and crisp, about 3-4 minutes per side. Be careful to wait until the polenta develops a crust or it will stick to the pan. Remove polenta to a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt. Plate the ragu over the crispy polenta and top with additional fresh herbs if desired. Serve hot.
Cook’s Note: Got lots of peppers? I certainly do. This recipe will make good use of a variety of the peppers we have in our boxes right now. I used at least one of each variety for great color and flavor. Just don’t put more than one hinklehatz or it will get very spicy! Enjoy!
- Roasted Summer Squash Risotto with Sage
- 2 medium summer squash, sliced
- 1 large or 2 medium pattypan squash, sliced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- Pinch crushed red pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Olive oil
Risotto:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 fresh sage leaves
- 1 medium onion, small diced
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups chicken or veggie stock, kept hot
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place squashes, onions, red pepper, and thyme in a large baking pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in the oven until lightly browned and tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Keep warm.
While the squash is roasting, pour about 4 tablespoons into a pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the sage leaves and allow to fry until crispy, about 2 minutes. Remove the sage leaves to drain on a paper towel.
Add the onions and a pinch of salt to the hot oil and sauté until they are translucent, taking care not to brown them. Add the rice and sauté, while stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add in the wine and cook until the pan is almost dry. Add one ladle of stock, and cook until the pan is again almost dry. Continue adding stock a ladle at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. Cook until the rice is tender. If you run out of stock before the rice is done, use hot water to finish the rice. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in butter and parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the roasted squash on a bed of risotto with a sprinkle of parmesan and crispy sage leaves.
Cook’s Note: You don’t need to stir *constantly* to get a good risotto – it can make it gummy from over agitation. A few good stirs and shakes of the pan each round of liquid works well. The crucial thing is to allow the liquid to fully absorb before adding more. Enjoy!
- Carmelized Onion Confit
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4-5 large onions, any variety, sliced thinly in half moons
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 sprigs thyme
Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and browned, about 40-50 minutes. The liquid should be fully reduced. Add a little water to help scrape up any bits stuck to the pan. Allow to cool. Remove the thyme springs and store in a glass jar, refrigerated, for up to a week.
Cook’s Note: Onion confit is incredible! It adds instant depth of flavor to anything it touches. Just last week I used this as a pizza topping. Use it as a spread, in a sauce, or as a condiment. Don’t toss out the extra fat in the pan either – use it to sauté up some veggies for awesome flavor.
5) Adventures in Canning: A Story by CSA Member Mary Esther Middleton
I didn’t really think I would be doing much this summer with canning or preserving, but the temptation was too great! I mean, after all, my brother had time to grow his own vegetables – beets, swiss chard, tomatoes, spinach, lettuces and more – and make tomato sauce and pickles, so why in the world wouldn’t I?? My friend, Mary, suggested getting together to make tomato sauce. And the tomatoes were so delicious, how could I refuse my friend or be bested by my own brother! I placed the order with JBG. And while I was getting tomatoes and cucumbers, why not get some eggplant to preserve as well? I had just seen an article about doing that…
We ended up ordering and then sharing 30 lbs tomatoes, 20 lbs cucumbers, and, why not, 10 lbs eggplant. Plenty of time and lots of jars later, I have some of the most beautiful jars of tomato sauce, spicy dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, baked eggplant in olive oil and herbs, and eggplant pickled in red wine vinegar and herbs.
A great way to approach these projects is to do it with someone else! A friend or family member will do nicely. Mary and I spent an evening making our tomato sauces, flavoring with our favorite herbs and spices. We made a huge mess in the process and ended up with a good supply of fresh San Marzano tomato sauce.
I also carted my cucumbers and eggplants, along with my niece, to my mom’s house in Houston and we got to it. We began with the eggplant, and while we did that, my mom would tell us how her mom cooked the different foods that they grew – green beans, swiss chard, tomatoes, black eyed peas, okra, melons, eggplant, onions, squash, cucuzza, and they raised chicken or fished. One year, my mom’s grandpa grew so many onions that each Saturday Grandma Bono butchered a chicken and smothered it in tons of onions. If it was a good eggplant year, Grandma made caponotina. She also put up black eyed peas and tomatoes (cored, cut, strained, then into the jars).
When I was a kid, my mom took us to the Airline Farmer’s Market in Houston, a place she went when she was a kid. My Grandpa was one of the truck farmers who loaded produce on their trucks, took them to the market and sold out of the back of the trucks. Okra was his main product, sometimes with mustard greens. One year, he grew artichoke plants and sold carduna. My memories are of buying bushels, crates, and lugs of things like onions, potatoes, peaches, grapes, cabbage, lettuce, and tomatoes. We’d go home and divide our bounty between neighbors and relatives. My mom also had cousins that grew different crops that we’d go pick and put up: black eyed peas, field corn and peaches.
My dad had a garden for about as long as I can remember in their back yard in Houston. I didn’t appreciate all of the fresh veggies when I was younger, but as I grew older and discovered how good some freshly grown lima beans from my dad’s garden could be (and I really didn’t like lima bean), I opened my eyes a little more!
My dad grew gorgeous green beans, okra, swiss chard, tomatoes, carrots, and cucuzza. I didn’t inherit his gardening skills but my brother and sister did! My sister in California has a yard full of fruit trees, an abundant garden and the ability to can/preserve so many things! She inspires and brings out a subtle competitive nature in some of us: I made this today, what did you do? My nieces and nephew have also picked up on the fresh, local food movement. They help cook and can the fresh vegetables and fruits. For me, the CSA route with JBG made the most sense. What an adventure! I’ve tried a bigger variety of produce that I would have imagined!
And imagine, if you will, I wrote this as my mom and brother were making grape jelly from the vines outside the Spicewood ranch house.
6)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