CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 2nd

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 2nd

Large Box
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots X 2
Farmers Choice
Greens, Kale, Curly
Greens, Mustard
Greens, Spinach
Herb, Cilantro
Onion, Multiplying
Radish
Turnip, Rutabaga

Miso Tofu Soba Noodle Bowls with Bok Choy and Mushrooms

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 35-45 minutes

Author: The Migoni Kitchen

Ingredients

• • Miso Tofu
  • 14 Ounces Firm Tofu Patted dry and cubed
  • 1 Tablespoon Miso Paste
  • 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
  • 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
  • 1 Clove Garlic Minced
  • 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
  • Noodle Bowl
  • 1 Head Bok Choy Roughly Chopped
  • 1 Pound Baby Bella Mushrooms Sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce Plus more for topping
  • 1 Tablespoon Sambal Oelek Plus more for topping
  • 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
  • ½ Teaspoon Ginger Grated
  • 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 6 Ounces Soba Noodles

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients for the tofu marinade – the miso paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and garlic – in a shallow bowl and whisk to combine. Add in cubed tofu and toss to coat. Allow to marinate about 20 minutes while you prep the bowls. Heat up the canola oil in a large saucepan. Add in the chopped bok choy and mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes until softened. Combine the soy sauce, Sambal, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the sauce over the sauteing bok choy and mushrooms and cook another 3-5 minutes. Cover and remove from heat. While the veggies finish cooking, prepare the soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. Heat up another two tablespoons of canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Remove the tofu from the marinade and pat dry. Fry in hot oil for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Arrange your bowl with the soba noodles, cooked bok choy and mushrooms and fried tofu. Finish off with a little extra soy sauce and Sambal on top.

Maybe it was the hazy, misty morning, or maybe mother nature, but this week our vegetables look particularly vibrant through Scott's lens. Bouquets of lettuces and chards will make their way into CSA boxes and market stalls. Also, if you're a farmer in Central Texas, you likely already know this - but if not, we'll tell you: it's time to get in the ground. After plastic mulch has been laid over prepared beds, each of our onion transplants is placed in a hole, one by one. It's a tedious task, to say the least.

Neon greens and dark burgundy make the most beautiful contrast, don't you think? Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Rainbow chard: dice up the colorful stems and use like onions or celery, and chop up the greens for use like spinach. It's all edible! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Who needs a florist when you've got a farmer? Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Chard loaded on our harvest box truck, on it's way to the cooler. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

It's a sea of green. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bed prepping on a misty morning. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sort of looks like the produce section at a grocery store, except these plants are still alive. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

 

Thousands and thousands of onion transplants in the greenhouse waiting for their forever home in the fields. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Onion transplant plugs. These baby onions are popped out of their greenhouse containers, loaded in an harvest bin, and then sent to the fields for planting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We can fit 4 rows of onions on one bed. In they go, one by one. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Nappa cabbage, up close. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dusty-looking dew. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

On the hunt for broccoli heads. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bingo - broccoli. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Checkout these big, beautiful stems. We hope you're slicing those up and eating the along with the crowns, else you're not enjoying this brassica to it's full extent. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Here is the moment every year where we remind you about the option to give JBG vegetables as a holiday gift. To clarify, we don’t suggest you wrap up some bags of lettuce. Instead, we suggest you take a gander at our Farm Shop  and select a gift certificate that suits your needs. When you give local and organic veggies to the home chef or foodie friend on your list, you will not only have a very happy friend, but you may even get a dinner invitation. But in all seriousness, in a season often swallowed by mindless consumerism, sustainably grown vegetables are a meaningful gift that will not only help nourish the lucky recipient, but will also help support a local business and perpetuate responsible farming practices in Central Texas.

Our Top Pick: CSA Gift Certificates

Our CSA or Community Supported Agriculture program is, in a nutshell, a vegetable delivery service. Boxes brimming with seasonal vegetables picked from our east Austin farm can be delivered to doorsteps (Austin-area only, sorry!) or sent to one of our Community Pickup Locations. When you purchase a CSA gift certificate, you can choose what size box you would like to gift, as well as the number of boxes - ranging from just one to 100. If you purchase a CSA subscription to give, we will mail you (or your recipient) a physical gift certificate that they’ll just need to call-in or email Faith to redeem. Recipients can choose the date/s they’d like to get their veggies, as well as the pickup or delivery location.

Farmers Market Bucks

JBG Market Bucks come in $5 increments, and can be redeemed at any of the 14 farmers markets we attend.  They can be used just like cash to buy a bunch of fresh carrots or a bushel of brussels. They never expire, and are perfect for the picky home-chef on your list.

Farm Merch

Do you have a friend on your list who likes to cook ...in theory? We’ve got some oh-so-soft farm tees and some timeless trucker hats that should fit the bill. And did we mention our tote bags? They might just be the best, most utilitarian tote bag you'll ever own.

More Farm Gifts:

Pickup a 10 lb. bag of organic Texas oranges or grapefruit to bring to a friend. Or if there is someone on your list who has it all, consider sponsoring a share on their behalf. More on that here. 

Picks from the Pros

If all of your friends are already CSA Members, or you’re looking for something to go along with your veggie gift, we’ve got some more recommendations, straight from our beloved recipe developers. No one knows their way around the kitchen like these women - Megan, Mackenzie, Summer, and Heydon. And for this reason, the rest of our gift guide will feature their picks for this holiday season.. For years now, these women have opened up a CSA box and worked their magic - cooking, writing, photographing, and sharing recipes that highlight our seasonal produce. The recipes these women create make delicious use of all our vegetables from the common carrot to the curious kohlrabi. They do not discriminate, and their creativity in the kitchen never ceases to amaze us. Case in point: Summer’s recipe this week for miso soba noodles with bok choy. We trust ‘em, and so should you.

Summer’s Pick:

Summer and her husband Marcelo are long time JBG CSA Members and the visionaries behind their personal blog - The Migoni Kitchen. You know how they say not to go to the grocery store hungry? Maybe wait to visit their blog until you’re fully fed… else you’ll be too tantalized. Summer’s recipes always have a confident point of view, and if you’re interested in making dinner that you know will be drop-dead-delicious, look no further.

Beautiful and accessible ceramics by Felt and Fat, shown in their "canopy" glaze. Photo courtesy of feltandfat.com.

Summer’s holiday pick’s are Felt and Fat mugs and plateware, and with one look at their website you’ll see why. “We discovered this gorgeous range of plateware at one of our favorite home and kitchen shops in Dallas, Set and Co.,  located in the Bishop Arts area. We absolutely love the matte look and the gorgeous colors of this brand! If you’ve ever seen some of our more colorful plates in our Instagram feed, they are probably Felt and Fat.” With colors like honeydew, periwinkle, and pigeon, you really can’t go wrong.

Megan’s Pick:

On the weekends, you may find Megan searching for inventory for her online vintage shop - Loyal Vintage, and when she’s not doing that, you might find her in the kitchen. She loves a good weekend kitchen project (she’s our resident canner and pickler) but she’s also a pro at quick dinners that satisfy a family. Megan has been transforming our CSA boxes into easily accessible recipes for over 5 years now, meaning she’s been with us for over 20 distinct seasons! Somehow her creative juices keep simmering and she’s yet to repeat a recipe.

A one-of-a-kind gift that will last someone a lifetime. Photo courtesy of Straight Leg Ranch.

Megan’s pick for this holiday season are these beautiful and one of a kind butcher block cutting boards made by a local rancher based out of Gillespie county - Straightleg Ranch. Long leaf pine salvaged from old barns dotting the Hill Country are given new life with these heirloom pieces. For those on your list who have been extremely nice, these would make a treasured gift. Prices range $75-$250 (depending on the size and design), and each board is hand made. These boards function beautifully as cutting boards or can be used to plate cheese, charcuterie… or veggies, of course.

Heydon’s Pick:

Heydon has been a part of the JBG family in some capacity for many years, but she is the newest member of our recipe round-up, specifically. She and her partner, Isaac, waste no time whipping up no-frills dishes which truly highlight our vegetables and make them the star. Her most recent salad, in particular, is perfect for the days when you have “minimal effort” to expend on cooking and need a CSA meal that almost makes itself.



Heydon, or Heydo Potato as she’s oft referred to, has Shun knives on her holiday list. “Shun makes chopping tasks immensely easy, efficient, and honestly more fun. There is nothing in the kitchen like a good knife... I've heard that from countless folks.” If there is someone on your list who deserves an extra sharp gift, a Shun knife will surely please. They are worth the investment. While perusing the (web) pages of Bon Appetit, Heydon came across this amazing dish tote made by Aplat. “Transport your dishes, keep them warm, and skip the spills. Your life will never be the same”. Two picks, one gal.

Why didn't we think of this? The perfect way to transport your party food. Photo from aplat.com .

Mackenzie’s Pick:

Mackenzie is an Austin-based food and lifestyle photographer and has been transforming our veggies into bright, beautiful, and herby dishes for quite some time. We’ve seen her beautiful kitchen backdrops change from red to baby blue, and even seen the addition of recipes like “Zucchini Mint Basil Cinnamon Coconut Puree for a Baby” to Mackenzie’s archive.

A sustainable way to leftover. Photo courtesy of Bee's Wrap's website.

Mackenize’s holiday pick are Bee’s Wrap, which are sustainable alternatives to plastic wrap made by infusing organic cotton with beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin. With a little practice, Bee’s Wrap can change the way you store leftovers, half-used blocks of cheese, and those rogue carrot slices.“The initial investment feels like a lot more than saran wrap, but it has helped me cut down on plastic quite a bit.” Do your loved one a favor and make the investment for them. It’s a gift that’s not only practical, but also beautiful! Look at all these pattern options!

Thanks in advance to all of you who have chosen to gift from the farm this year. If you have any questions about gift certificates, shoot Faith an e-mail - farm@jbgorganic.com . Happy, December, ya’ll! Here is what our staff is up to!

In case it hasn't been on your radar, we publish this fabulous staff-favorite-centric post every first Friday of the month! We thought it deserved a highlight since it's one of our long-time favorites and definitely a skim-worthy feature if you're in the market for new ideas and inspiration. Ever wonder what your local farmers do off the fields? Cue: FIRST FRIDAY STAFF PICKS!

We think that our staff is the best in the business (okay, okay, we are a little biased), but the JBG family hails from all over the place and covers the gamut in talents and interests. We love sharing events, adventures, and side projects that inspire and excite our JBG-ers (food-related or not) with the community. Check out the staff-curated list of favorites below!

THE FARM Check it out! Farmer Brenton was on the news!

MACKENZIE I am super excited about citrus season here in Texas! My friend has a big old Meyer Lemon tree in East Austin and she gave me 20lbs of those juicy things last week. So far, I have made a big batch of preserved lemons , a super refreshing lemon turmeric tonic with black pepper and honey, and a double batch of whole lemon salsa verde. Thinking about making whole lemon curd (yeah, you use the whole lemon!!) with the rest of these little balls of sunshine.

Mackenzie's preserved meyer lemons. Photo by Mackenzie, of course.

JOYCE PlowBao will be opening on Dec 7th at 5pm! Come check us out at Buzzmill Shady! We are sandwiched between Buzzmill and Infinite Monkey Theorem, so there's a great selection of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks available. I'm really excited to be opening, and my 3 helpers are from JBG too! (Angie, Ginger and Adam)

Also! On Dec. 14th from 11am-2pm, PlowBao will be hosting a dog adoption event at Buzzmill Shady. We will be raffling off baskets with lots of great stuff (almost all local, hot sauces, sweets, gift cards, dog stuff, wine, etc). There will also be several vendors there including a pet portrait photographer. Last, but certainly not least, there will be some great dogs who need good homes. The main goal of the event will be to find Oscar, a 13 yr old dog, his forever home. Oscar has been with us for 3 years, and he has had very few inquiries :( I really want to find him a home by the holiday season so he can spend the new year with a family who will cherish him for the rest of his sunshine days.

ANGIE I am super excited about this sandwich that I ordered at The Beer Plant last weekend. It is entirely vegan and is one of the best sandwiches I have ever had! I can't wait to go back and get another one. It perfectly captures the essence of Nashville hot chicken and I think I enjoyed the fried mushrooms even more than I enjoy chicken (which is quite a lot). The icing on the cake is that they order loads of produce from us as well.

NASHVILLE HOT & CRISPY | 14.5 battered king oyster mushroom, pickled celery, purple cabbage, remoulade, pretzel bun

Yes, please.

FAITH I'm reading Underland by Robert MacFarlane, and it's like taking tiny journeys into fascinating crevices of the world. In one chapter, he visits a dark matter laboratory snuggled inside a salt mine 3000 feet below the earth's surface. The vehicles they use in the salt mine have to be constructed from pieces carried down miles of underground tunnels to the active site. Once they can't be used anymore, the vehicles are parked at the end of an abandoned tunnel and left to be slowly encased by the collapsing salt structure. What a tragically beautiful and confounding thing that will be stumble upon generations from now. And that's all before he even starts talking about dark matter! It's a good book.

MEGAN Busting out my Christmas records!! I just got the Molly Burch Christmas Album and I really love her take on the classics like Auld Lang Syne. A Very Kacey Christmas by Kacey Musgraves is a forever favorite, and I cannot wait to dive into her new Christmas Special on Amazon. It looks so retro and campy! And I can't forget the classics that frequent the turntable the most this time of year like Bing Crosby's White Christmas and Once Upon a Christmas by country music legends Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.



ADAM My staff pick this month goes to Fukumoto on East 6th (right across the street from Shangri La). It’s a super under-rated local spot for sushi, yakitori, and other more adventurous offerings if that’s your style. Don’t leave without experiencing the grilled salmon skewer (my favorite thing on the menu) smoky, tender, and pairs perfectly with a cold glass of sake. Overall awesome quality food and a comfortable atmosphere. Pro tip- be sure to ask the chef about any off-menu specials!

ADA Zaza is my new favorite Instagram influencer (@redcarpetgirlz). Also, I wrote a piece for Edible Austin about the good folks at Roam Ranch! Check it out! Spoiler alert: there is a picture of a baby bison!

HEYDON My pick this month is my momma’s dark chocolate bourbon pecan pie. I’ve been making it the past couple of years when I’ve not been in Alabama for the holidays. It’s an attempt to summon some sliver of my mother’s inimitable cooking from afar. I love it so and think it’s a beautiful and drool-worthy addition to any holiday party. I’m not even a pie person and I crave it during the winter months. Pair with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream for maximum enjoyment. Follow this recipe.

Heydon's Mama's Dark Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. Photo by Heydon.

SCOTT Check out Scott’s latest Austin Art Talk podcast episode where he speaks with four different people to learn more about Art From The Streets. And don’t miss their annual show and sale this weekend!

"The mission of Art From The Streets is to provide a safe and encouraging environment where the positive spirit of homeless and at-risk people is nurtured through artistic expression, offering them a pathway to self-determination as a source of pride, achievement, social connection, and income through the creation and sale of their work.

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 9th

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 9th

Large Box
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot, Orange
Greens, Chard, Rainbow
Greens, Collards
Greens, Spinach
Kohlrabi, Purple
Lettuce, Romaine
Onion, Multiplying
Potato, Sweet
Radish
Turnip, Purple Top

A beautiful bowl of soup featuring none other than your neighborhood rutabaga and turnip.

 

Photo and recipe by Mackenzie Smith.

This soup is inspired by the thick paste at the bottom of a jar of tahini -- the stuff you wish you had thought to mix in to the rest of the jar when you first opened it. I had already planned to make a pureed soup with the turnips and rutabaga in our CSA last week before I spotted that jar of tahini in my fridge, and it dawned on me that throwing a tahini puck into a blender with soft braised root vegetables and stock would make much more sense than trying to get the right consistency if I used it to make hummus.

Smoky tahini and salty-sweet miso do a beautiful job of wrangling any bitterness from the rutabaga and turnip in this silky, pureed soup which is gracefully pulled together with one pear, garlic and ginger.

This soup makes a lot (8-10 servings), so if you’re not up for a week’s worth of it, freeze some of it for later, or halve the recipe.

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 2-inch nub of ginger, grated
• 4 large rutabaga and/or turnips, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 pear or apple, sliced
• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons white miso
• 1 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
• 1 quart stock or water
• ¼ teaspoon of lemon zest
• salt to taste

In a large pot, saute garlic and ginger in hot olive oil until you can begin to smell it, (30-45 seconds) before adding rutabaga and/or turnips and apple or pear. Cook on medium-high heat until root vegetables start to soften, then add coconut milk, stock, and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes or until vegetables can be easily pierced with a fork. Let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a blender with miso, tahini, and lemon zest. Blend until smooth; add water if needed. Salt to taste.

Optional toppings/add-ins: chili oil or hot sauce, a squeeze of lemon or lime, chopped parsley or cilantro, toasted nuts and seeds, roasted vegetables, chopped pickles, potato chips, crackers, pesto, a drizzle of nice olive oil. The list could go on and on! I can’t think of a savory bit that wouldn’t go well here -- survey your fridge and pantry and get creative!

Greetings and happy Friday!

This week we're keeping things brief with a few announcements. Four, to be specific.

Citrus so beautiful it belongs in a wreath (of carrot tops).

First, and perhaps most exciting, bulk citrus is here!

If you've been a CSA Member or Newsletter reader for a long time, you know that every fall brings the glorious time known as Texas citrus season. This is the only time of the year that we partner with another farm and bring their offerings to you in the form of organic Texas oranges and organic Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit - both coming from G&S Groves. We have worked with David and the farmers at G&S for many, many years, and are proud to offer their sweet and juicy citrus to our customers.

How to order:

CSA Members: you can add on 10 lb. bag of oranges or grapefruit (or both) to any  upcoming delivery by simply logging into your CSA account, clicking on an upcoming delivery, and choosing your citrus. Just make sure to hit "save changes" once you've made your selection. *If you'd like to go ahead and add citrus to all of your upcoming deliveries (orange juice for the masses!), feel free to email Faith and she can help you out - farm@jbgorganic.com.

Non Members: Simply head to this page and choose your citrus and pickup location!

 

A fresh harvest or Texas oranges and grapefruit from our friends at G and S Groves.

Moving right along to our second announcement: Fall Juice Boxes are here!

You may remember over the summer we brought back our popular juice boxes (not the kind you stick a straw into). These adult-sized produce boxes are chock-full of seasonal vegetables, especially picked for the home-juicer. Juice boxes are $15 for CSA Members (this is a steal!) and $20 for non-members. Boxes currently feature some of fall's best: carrots, kale, spinach, parsley, and of course, G&S citrus. To order a juice (or smoothie) box, simply email Faith - farm@jbgorganic.com.

Third: It's not too late to order farm gifts and get them in time for Christmas.

Gifting a few CSA boxes or even some Market Bucks is a wonderfully unique gift that says "I love you!" in addition to "please cook for me!".  Giving fresh and organic vegetables to those you love is truly a home-run gift. If you need some more convincing, here are 5 great reasons you should give a gift from the farm.

Last but not least, your CSA schedule changes for the holidays.

We love to work hard, but not on Christmas and New Years Day. The farm will be closed these two day, and so our delivery schedules will slightly different for the week beginning 12/23 and 12/30.

If you normally receive a home delivery on Wednesdays, you will get your box a day earlier (on Tuesday) for both the week of the 23rd and the 30th.

If you normally pickup your CSA share on Wednesdays, your delivery will instead be moved to Monday 12/23 for the week of Christmas and Monday 12/30 for the week of New Years. This goes for all Austin, San Antonio, and Houston CSA pickups. Everyone else, business as usual! As a gentle reminder, if you don't need your CSA share during the holidays and haven't yet talked to Faith, consider donating your box instead of postponing it. All donated CSA shares go towards our Sponsored Share Program and are delivered to either The Settlement Home or Safeplace. In case you missed it, check out our recent blog post which highlights this program. We are so incredibly grateful for our CSA Members' generosity - this partnership wouldn't be possible without our incredible community. Thank you! And thanks for reading!

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 16th

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 16th

Large Box
Bok Choy, Baby
Cabbage
Carrots X 2
Cauliflower
Farmers Choice
Greens, Collards
Greens, Kale, Curly
Greens, Red Mustard
Onion, Multiplying
Potato, Sweet
Radish
Turnip, White Japanese

Forget wish lists, letters to Santa, and piles of presents underneath the tree. You know what makes us farmers light up more than a big pile of homemade chocolate chip cookies and a glass of raw milk? Errr.... or maybe just as much? Fan mail. This week we wanted to share one special letter from our friend Jeremy that we recently received... as well as some kind words from CSA Members. Enjoy the fan mail, and if you feel so inclined, drop us a line and tell us why you love the farm. On freezing cold mornings, it takes reminders like these to get our tractors started!



"Keep up the Great work and THANK YOU for providing this service. I can't always make it to the Farmer's Market to purchase local vegetables. Having this CSA service always me to support local business and get local veggies rather than having to get veggies from the grocery stores which may come from many states away."

"We love you guys! Thanks for feeding us well for 3+ years now!"

"We are pretty new to the membership. So far it has been a fun experience.... We want to not only introduce our three year old to new veggies, but also expose him to how/where our food comes from. We feel it is important to understand the value of how precious our food supply is and the hard work that y'all do in order for us to eat well. Thank you for your time, dedication, and most of all hard work!"

"Overall, I love my experience! One of my favorite parts of the CSA is JBG's recipe blog. Especially when first signing up and having a surplus of red potatoes & collard greens (something I had never eaten before), I often turned to the blog to find inspiration for my meals. I don't rely on it quite as heavily now but I still have some of my favorite recipes that I go to when I have certain veggies or when I'm not feeling creative enough to come up with my own recipes. I'm so glad that I found this CSA and think that the quality produce combined with phenomenal customer service make it well worth it."

"I love being a part of JBG !"

"I was a CSA member, getting a medium box, several years ago. I stopped getting the box because it was becoming a chore to use all the vegetables, and I recently picked back up with the individual box after making some lifestyle changes. I am so impressed with the variety, it seems like this program has made some changes in the time I was out of it, and I am loving what I get in my box every week. I have a picky eater in my house, and she's also very excited and willing to try using something she says she doesn't like, and she usually winds up enjoying it. I value this program, and it is an important part of my life right now."



"Joining this CSA has been so wonderful! I tell everyone about it and it truly brings me joy. Thanks for all of your hard work!!"

"Thank you guys for all that you do. I grew up in Germany and miss the seasonal/farming/fresh connection to my food. Your veggies make my body feel happy :)"

"I’m very happy with my experience. We travel a lot so I’m not always consistent but have loved how easy this has made getting fresh quality veggies. Thanks!"

"We love our veggies! My kids now eat okra and kale chips thanks to you."

"Thank you! I am so grateful JBG exists. Also, you have the best carrots ever."

We love picking carrots, just for you.

We love hearing from you. Email us, write us, Instagram or Facebook us.

farm@jbgorganic.com

JBG 9515 Hergotz Lane Austin, TX 78742

@jbgorganic on Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

These will be the last set of the photos from the farm of this decade! Can you believe it? Checkout the frosty morning Scott caught on camera.

 

Bunching carrots isn't as easy as you may think. Unearthing the root without breaking the greens off is a true art! And our farm crew are true masters! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Here some are, ready to go. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The freeze this week caused some damage, and though it means a loss of profits for the farm, it does look beautiful, no? Photo by Scott David Gordon.

These greens should hopefully bounce back after an afternoon of sunshine and a good watering. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Purple top turnips, ready to be lugged out of the field. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

After this freeze, turnips are getting separated from their greens. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Rows ready, and rows to come. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Thousands upon thousands of onions spending some last days in the greenhouse before they get planted. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 23rd

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 23rd

Large Box
Broccoli
Cabbage, Green
Carrots
Cauliflower, White
Greens, Chard, Rainbow
Greens, Kale, Curly
Greens, Spinach
Herb, Cilantro
Herb, Fennel
Kohlrabi, Purple
Lettuce, Romaine
Radish, Daikon

Recipe and Photos by Isaac Winburne and Heydon Hatcher

These two recipes should be in every CSA member’s recipe arsenal during busy weeks. We were pretty downtrodden and low on energy reserves after a week of holiday festivities, on the precipice of another string of holiday engagements, and needed a quick, nourishing meal, but also to utilize the fridge full of veggies before travel. Isaac loves a good coleslaw and this one turned out beautifully with the toasted sesame oil. The hot and sweet dichotomy of the crispy roasted orange roots was my personal favorite, but you be the judge! Enjoy and happy holidays, friends.

Napa Cabbage Slaw:

Ingredients

• 1 whole head of napa cabbage, shredded
• 2 watermelon radishes, chopped into thin spears
• A dozen sprigs of cilantro, stem included, loosely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped into thin crescents
• 6 sprigs of dill, loosely chopped

Dressing Ingredients

• Four shots of olive oil
• Two shots of toasted sesame oil
• Half shot of fish sauce
• One lemon, juiced
• Zest of a lemon
• 20 grinds of salt
• 10 grinds of pepper

Combine slaw makings in large bowl, add dressing. Mix thoroughly. ___________________________________

Hot ‘n Sweet Roasted Orange Roots:

Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes, cut into thin disks
• Small bunched carrots, cut in half or into quarters (long-wise) depending on thickness
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chili powder
• Butter
• Sriracha
• Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400. Coat the pan with olive oil throw the veggies in and mix them around. Cover in chili powder, liberally salt them (about a dozen to 16 grinds). Throw a bit of pepper (maybe a half dozen grinds). Cut thin, wafer-like slices of butter and place all over. Lightly drizzle honey and sriracha over the mixture. Bake for 40 min.

IMPORTANT!

After they come out re-drizzle with honey and sriracha. Enjoy.

Orange Roots and Spicy Slaw!

This year is coming to a close, and we relish in the opportunity to reflect on the 2019 bounty. It's been 365 days of tractor repairs, all-day harvests, and literal tons of fresh, organic vegetables. We've driven thousands of miles around Austin delivering our vegetables to homes and neighborhood pickup sites, and have troubleshooted flat tires, stuck tractors, and broken forklifts. We have partnered with AISD for their Farm Fresh Fridays and at least one of our crops has been featured on an Austin cafeteria menu each week for the entire school year. We've added some additional opportunities to grab a CSA share in Houston and DFW, and have continued our partnerships with some of the best restaurants this town has to offer. Acreages of the farm have been planted in cover crop, insuring healthy soil for seasons to come, we just completed our annual organic certification. Each Saturday morning, rain or shine, we've packed up our trucks and headed to a myriad of Farmers' Markets around town - opening tents, unfolding tables, and stacking the week's harvest in mountains of herbs and pyramids of turnips - bring the freshest crop straight to you. We've also provided a safe and reliable workplace for around 100 employees this year, without whom we could not have done any of this. We look forward to this next decade and the opportunity do what we love - farm and deliver vegetables to you, our wonderful community.

Without further ado, 2019 in photos:

January

Barn Manager, Tracy, and Packing & Processing Manger, Tim, are two of the individuals who make sure that the right crop is harvested, on the right day. Thank you to these men for helping to make 2019 such a smooth, bountiful year! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

January is the coldest month on average at our Garfield Farm. Here, rows of leafy greens are bouncing back after a chilly night. On nights that we know will be extra frigid, we turn on the irrigation and cross our fingers. This photo, along with most int his series, was taken by our farm photographer Scott David Gordon. He makes his way to the farm just about every other week, usually in the very early hours, to capture the weekly beet.

Last January we had fun with our rainbow carrots which really give new meaning to the idea of eating the rainbow. We snapped this picture, posted it to Instagram, and were shocked to break the JBG record for "most liked" photo on social media. This beautiful carrot gradient collected over 1,707 likes on Instagram! Who know if we will be able to top that internet love this year... Photo by Scott David Gordon.

February

Kale fields! Our hearty kale crop can usually stand up to the occasional frosts that sometimes hit in winter months, making it a reliable crop for January and February. Kale's popularity affects our crop plan, and we plant a lot of this crop! Specifically, for about 36 weeks out of the year (October through May) we harvest around 100 cases of kale a week. That's around 3,600 cases of kale a year, and with 24 bunches per case, that's around 86,400 bunches of kale harvests from our fields annually, and THAT'S A LOT OF KALE.  Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In addition to crop planning for our own fields, we put a lot of effort into crop planning for our annual transplant sale, which usually happens sometime around the last weeks of February/the first weeks of March. The 2019 transplant sale was a huge success and was certainly worth the effort of transforming our commercial greenhouses into a customer nursery. Checkout this colorful group of future farmers that visited the sale. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

March

With the danger of killing frosts diminishing and the ground warming, March can be a beautiful time at the farm. Crops like bunched beets make their return, and we are busy busy.  Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Did you happen to catch those kale statistics listed above? March is a busy harvest month at the farm, and cases of kale almost always make the pick list. Our favorite March days are the ones where we still need a sweatshirt. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

April

The first glimpse of summer squash is always such a welcome sight. If you're a customer reading this, we're sorry to say, but the first case of harvested squash is usually taken home by JBG staff - we're just so excited to see this juicy fruit after endless months of leafy greens and root crops  It's hard to even imagine the late summer-squash fatigue in early April. Photo of this early squash crop by Scott David Gordon.

Our tomato transplants have been dutifully growing in the greenhouse since February, and by mid-April we're are racing to finish planting the tomatoes and getting the tomato stakes in the ground. Despite the mud on this particular day, stakes were going in. One by one by one. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Green beans are a finicky crop, with a very short planting window in Texas. Some years, we miss the window and there are sadly, no beans. This past spring, we had a small crop of green beans that were ready for harvest in April. Enter: The green bean picker - this machine’s sole purpose is to pick green beans. The reason for that is that it’s super labor intensive to pick all those little green beans that are hiding in leaves. With three people we can harvest large swaths of green bean crops that would otherwise take us all day plus a lot more people."

Some of the most stunning pictures of the farm happen as the sun is rising over a bountiful field, but our Garfield farm is only of the equation. Almost every day, anywhere from one to three harvests make their way from our Garfield farm to our Hergotz Packing Shed. Here, Cooler Manager Ricky is unloading the harvest from our (half painted) refrigerated truck. Produce gets loaded into the coolers where it's sorted, organized, and delegated to various departments. We're happy to report that later this April, the remainder of this truck was painted with the generous help of some awesome volunteers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

May

When a pipe breaks, you've gotta fix it. Even if it means an all-day, muddy excavation. This past May Brenton took the lead on fixing some damaged pipes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

June

If you're reading this as a part of our year in photos post, then June may seem like a long way away. And it always does, yet before we know it, we'll be covering our greenhouse with shade cloth, trying to eek out even a 1-5 degree temperature drop for the transplants growing inside. Shadow puppet show by the farm crew, photo by Scott David Gordon.

If you've been following our farm for a number of years, you know that every June we get really excited about one thing: tomatoes.  We love this shot Scott captured of Brenton with a mixed tomato harvest, enjoying the warm June sunrise.

More tomatoes, of the Sungold variety. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

July

In the warm summer days, leafy greens like this arugula are harvested first thing in the morning when the day is at its coolest. Photo by Scott Gordon.

This past summer we aimed to do a bit of education regarding the varieties greens we can grow in this Texas heat - because there are a lot! From left to right, we've got: (top row) purple amaranth, baby bok choy, arugula, sweet potato greens, (next row) basil, mizuna, and purple and green amaranth. We hope that some of you learned how to easily incorporate these greens into your cooking!  Photo by Scott Gordon

Fishing for black beauty eggplant among waste high plants. July and August are the peak season for eggplant at JBG. Pictured here is an early morning eggplant picking with our harvest trailer. "Arms" are swung out and float over crops, eliminating the need to carry heavy bins of produce down our long rows. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

It always amazes us how delicate and tiny our crops start out. Come late July, we're already thinking about the beginning of our cool weather crops. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photographer Tamir Kalifa made his way out to the farm one hot August. Tamir paired an off-camera flash with his digital camera to add a surreal, vivid element to everyday scenes on the farm. Here, Luis uses his machete to make a path among flourishing cover crops and sunflowery forbs.

August

Brenton and Krishna go over seeding and planting schedules in the greenhouse. August is one of the busiest seeding months of the year. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Luis and Jack laying the drip tape. Here at JBG, we burry our drip tape under a prepped bed. This way, drops of precious water are targeted to plants roots and hidden from the sun's bring blaze, which would cause quicker evaporation. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The summer heat compelled us towards some creative solutions. This year marked the first time we draped shade cloth over our transplanter for a shaded transplanting experience. This cool innovation will certainly be carried into the next decade. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Okra is a member of the Mallow family, and is related to the cotton and hibiscus plant. It's actually a tropical plant, and can therefore stand up to the unrelenting Texas summers. The same plants are picked on all summer and can grow to be over 6 feet tall. These okra seed pods were harvested by the farm crew and photographed by Scott.

September

Don't the flowers resemble hibiscus? Up and up our okra grows, all the way until the first first. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The very first of the fall crops start to make their appearance in September, making for a wide variety of farmers market offerings. If you look closely at this photo from the Sunday Mueller Farmers' Market, you can see the first signs of fall - big heads of bok choy and bunched radishes among summer staples like watermelons and peppers.

October

This past October we finally got in the kitchen with our beloved Operations Manager, Krishna, where he shared some of his family recipes including banana pepper fritters and aloo mutter. Thanks again, Krishna, for all you do and for also sharing these gems! (To find the recipes, just search "Cooking with Krishna" in the search bar on our home page. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Just like that, CSA boxes are filled with greens like collards and kale, and savory warming recipes like this seem right. This past October recipe developer Mackenzie Smith made a dish we can't stop thinking about that included collard greens, miso, coconut milk, kidney peans, and pecans. Photo (and recipe) by Mackenzie Smith. Search "Kidney Beans Coconut" in the search bar to find this recipe.

November

We may not have much of a fall leaf change in Texas, but rows of colorful lettuce will certainly suffice. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Early morning bed prep. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Purple Daikon harvest, from above. To get the shots he wants, our photographer Scott Gordon has been known to climb on top of trucks and tractors, as is the case here.

December

Delicate December moments caught by Scott David Gordon.

And just like that, we're suddenly in December with endless fields of verdant rows. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

By mid December, our brassicas like broccoli and cauliflower are hitting their peak. Shown here, broccoli crowns are being harvested into ifcos, set atop the arms of our harvest trailer. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Each year ends and begins with onions. Here are some 2019 onion transplants that were planted in January and harvested in March of 2019. It's a year later, and our December photos look about the same - thousands and thousands of onions, waiting in the greenhouse for planting in the fields. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

CSA Box Contents Week Dec 30th

Position Title: Wholesale Sales Manager
Location: 9515 Hergotz Lane, Austin
Department: Wholesale
Reports To: Owner, Operations Manager
Supervises: Works together with Restaurant Sales Manager and Wholesale Packing Manager to supervise Wholesale Drivers and Wholesale Packing Crew

Position Summary: Johnson’s Backyard Garden (JBG) is seeking a Wholesale Manager to join our Sales Department. This position coordinates closely with the JBG Restaurant Sales Manager, Harvest Manager, wholesale packing crew, wholesale delivery drivers, and wholesale customers. This position must maintain and expand relationships with local grocery stores and produce retailers as well as distribution centers. The ideal candidate will have previous produce sales experience and/or retail produce experience, be able to work independently and cooperatively, and have excellent communication, negotiation and organization skills.

Responsibilities:

• Maintains and expands relationship with wholesale customers
• Shares the daily duties with the Restaurant Sales Manager that support the sales process – answering phones, sending emails, modifying and emailing our price list, compiling invoices, running and distributing daily sales reports
• Develop new sales outlets and pursue prospective customers (Both Wholesale and Restaurants)
• Seek to improve sales revenue in line with established sales targets
• Communicate daily with Barn Manager, packing crew and drivers to ensure orders are packed and delivered while maintaining the highest quality product
• Promptly resolves customer complaints by investigating problems; developing solutions; preparing reports; making recommendations to management
• Manage rental delivery materials, inventory of packing supplies, and orders barn supplies as necessary
• Work with wholesale and restaurant customers and distributors to analyze demand and gaps in the local market, and work closely with Assistant Farm Manager and Farm Administrator to ensure planting is in line with customer commitments
• Together with Cooler Inventory Manager, identifies and assesses crop and storage surpluses; develops projected movements for all departments to ensure profitability

Qualifications:

• Ability to work both independently and cooperatively
• Experience in commercial farming or the produce industry highly preferred
• College degree in related field highly preferred
• Must be highly organized and be able to multitask effectively
• Must possess good communication skills and work well under pressure
• Excellent sales and negotiation skills
• Strong writing skills and comfort with Microsoft Office

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to repeatedly lift 40 lbs

Schedule:

• Full-time, Monday - Friday

Compensation & Benefits:

• Hourly $16 with target-based bonus with potential sales-based target incentives.
• Permanent employees are eligible for Individual Health Plan benefits.

Directions for Applying: Please reply to this post with the following format. Following specific directions is the first way to impress us!

• Subject Line should read “Wholesale Sales Manager: [First Initial]_[Last Name]” … For example, “Wholesale Sales Manager: J_Smith”
• Email body should be short & sweet - help us notice you! Ensure that it contains your contact information.
• Attach three documents to your email, ensuring that their file names are clear:
  1)Cover Letter 2) Resume 3) List containing contact information of two professional references

 

This individual must possess a personal vehicle that he/she is able to use for occasional deliveries and site visits. JBG Organic will reimburse for all gas expenses.

CSA Box Contents Week Dec 30th

Large Box
Cabbage
Carrot, Orange X 2
Cauliflower, White
Farmers Choice
Greens, Collards
Greens, Mizuna
Herb, Fennel
Herb, Parsley, Flat
Kohlrabi, Purple
Onion, Multiplying
Turnip, White Japanese