CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 5th

Photo by Brenton Johnson.

Well, we’re back on the farm after taking a rare (and well-deserved) long weekend for Thanksgiving! When I realized I had three days stretching ahead of me with no farm work to take care of, I had to take advantage of it. Having recently acquired a passport for my trip to Italy, Mexico immediately popped into my mind. I checked the map and the city of Monterrey was a straight shot down I-35, only six hours away. Perfect.

If you’ve never traveled alone, I highly recommend it. There are few things more freeing than heading to an unknown destination with zero itinerary and unlimited possibilities. I listened to Mexican radio stations as I drove, trying to pick up some Spanish last-minute. I drove across the border and was stopped a few miles later by a cop who wanted to see my paperwork. Apparently, I had almost none of the proper documentation for my truck. With the help of our Operations Manager, Krishna, back in Austin, we sorted out the issue and I was back on my way four confusing hours later. To avoid my mistake, you can find a list of necessary documents here. You should definitely make an appointment to get your vehicle permit at a consulate in the US if you do decide to make the drive.

Once in Monterrey, I checked into the Hotel Safi, a five-star hotel just South of the city’s center. I could not believe my eyes when I walked into the lobby. The ceiling must have been fifty feet high! The hotel had a pool with a slide surrounded by gardens, which I’m sure kids would love. For under a hundred bucks a night, this place is an awesome deal.

I spent the rest of the weekend basically eating my way through the city. I visited the farmers markets where the air was thick with the scent of smoked chilis, cheeses, and masa cooking on hot griddles. Piles of what looked like spiced insects caught my eye, which I learned are a local delicacy called chapolinas (roasted grasshoppers). The quality and abundance of locally produced goods was astonishing. Vendors were selling everything from verduras (fresh vegetables) to handmade gorditas in clay pots and freshly squeezed orange juice. Tiny trucks drove by piled high with roasted chilis and long braids of freshly harvested garlic from the nearby city of San Luis Potosi. (See more photos below!)

Photo by Brenton Johnson.

Photo by Brenton Johnson.

Chapolinas! Photo by Brenton Johnson.

For dinner on Saturday, I ate at a small restaurant called La Familia. I had an incredible warm avocado salad with wild arugula followed by the best chicken molé I’ve ever tasted, all accompanied by a stack of handmade corn tortillas. For dessert, I treated myself to chocolate cake with a molten chocolate center topped with ice cream. I felt like a king, but this incredible meal hardly cost me anything.

The food, the hotel, the people, and the markets were all incredible. I didn’t see a single American the entire weekend. Monterrey is pretty modern and I felt just as safe as I would in any American city. There are millions of people living peacefully in Monterrey, and it’s right there for us to explore. It’s just a six hour drive away!

When I crossed the border back into the US, the guard asked me what I’d been doing in Monterrey. I told him I went to see the farmers markets, and he looked at me like I was crazy. Believe me though, the markets alone are worth the trip.

Photo by Brenton Johnson.

Photo by Brenton Johnson.

Photo by Brenton Johnson.

Photo by Brenton Johnson.

Photo by Brenton Johnson.

Photo by Brenton Johnson.

Photo by Brenton Johnson.

Photo by Brenton Johnson.

by Hector Gonzalez

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Vegan Broccoli Soup

• 3-5 broccoli stalks. You can add florets but I’m saving mine for a stir fry
• 1 tbsp of olive oil. If you want a buttery flavor, @conolio has a butter olive oil that is ACTUALLY vegan! Ask them about it!
• 1/2 onion, diced. You can add more or less. It’s your choice
• 2 garlic cloves, diced. Same ^^ advice applies. If you like your garlicky, go ahead, add a whole head!
• 1 cup of vegetable broth. I had some mushroom broth saved and used that. You can add more broth to make it less creamy
• Salt & pepper to taste

A video posted by Johnson's Backyard Garden (@jbgorganic) on Dec 5, 2016 at 8:50am PST

Steam or boil your stalks until tender. Give it 20-25 minutes.

In the meantime, sauté the onions first until translucent and then add the garlic. Add salt and pepper at this point to infuse the oil.

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

Top with broccoli greens, your favorite breads/crackers, and a dash of spice. I used chipotle powder.

Wear your favorite pair of warm socks and enjoy!

We are seriously relishing these dazzling and frosty winter mornings. The first slight frost of the season arrived yesterday morning... the sparkly frost brings a little bit of magic to the farm. We've been planting leeks and onions all week, and are taking this month to plan and prepare for the quickly approaching planting season in 2017. We can't believe it's almost time to talk tomatoes again!

Have you bought tickets to Holiday on the Farm? Shoot be a hollerin' good time! Find more info here.

**farm update/contributions from Charlotte McClure

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The beginning of a new month means another highly-anticipated installment of our First Friday Staff Picks! We love sharing events, adventures, and side projects that inspire and excite us (food-related or not) with our community. Check out our JBG staff-curated list of favorites below!

Charlotte and Chucha. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Travis, Wholesale Manager: December 2nd & 3rd is Oozefest! It's a two day sludge, noise and gaze festival at Beerland, where 50% of the proceeds benefit Planned Parenthood. Weak Flesh and Terse are playing, and they always bring the heat. Definitely check it out!

Ada, Marketing and CSA Manager: All the photos of Heydon, Mike, Travis, and Brenton in turkey costumes. Pure gold!

 

Several staff members of the Johnson's Backyard Garden crew got up early today and had an awesome time volunteering as mascots for the Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot! I'm not sure how I got stuck with the bigfoot costume matched with a turkey head!

A photo posted by Brenton Johnson (@farmerbrenton) on Nov 24, 2016 at 11:46am PST

Turnip soup! Specifically, the delectable combination of (get ready for this) white Japanese turnips, asparagus, mushrooms, turnip greens, fish stock, oysters, and cream that my dad made for Thanksgiving. C'est si bon! But really, any version of turnip soup is hitting the spot these days. This is a pretty good base. Temps have dropped, and it's finally gumbo season! Act now, and add some of our peppers, green onions, and parsley to your pot for locally-sourced goodness. Promise it will taste better.

My favorite bluegrass boys (men), Wood and Wire, just announced that they're playing an intimate show on 12/17 at Strange Brew. Even better, part of the proceeds are headed to a local charity.

Kenny, Farm Administrator: December means my parents are coming to town to visit and that means I get to gleefully field their disdain with 90% of Austin's culinary offerings and instead take them to Cracker Barrel! 

Also, one of mine and Andrew's favorite bands, Earthless is coming to town again, 12/7 at Barracuda. Perfect on perfect, here's one of my favorite comics, Bill Burr, describing what an Earthless show is like. Basically, one giant arena rock outro!

Charlotte, Assistant Farm Manager: We're going to see Jim James at ACL Live in a couple weeks! His new album is a sparkling brood-fest with as many layers as my winter farm attire (a lot), perfect for these short December days.

I'm obsessed with pickling all of our multicolored radishes right now, which I use to top a simple veggie and rice bowl with a fried egg several times a week.

I did most of my Christmas shopping at EAST, but I'm picking up a few last minute Austin-themed things from local design collective Frankie Jean. Definitely check them out if you're into clean, meaningful design!

Brandon and I recently got our tintype portrait taken by photographer, Adrian Whipp.

 

Got our tintype portrait done this weekend with @lumiere_tintype

A photo posted by Brandon Mallonee (@bmallonee) on Nov 21, 2016 at 5:12pm PST

And last but not least, Dr. Strange is well worth a watch, especially in 3D.

​Michael, Wholesale Manager: I am really into Yolanda's tacos at Taco Guerrero on Cesar Chavez and Pleasant Valley right now. Also, super excited to make Kimchi with JBG Napa cabbage.​

Matt, CSA Manager: Weary Boys this weekend at Continental Club, and Steve Earle there later this month. It's a tiny venue to see him as he usually plays the Paramount. I doubt I'll get out to either show, but should be good ones!

Heydon, Blog Writer: My multi-talented and magnificent friend, Mandy Lyne, just launched her new jewelry line, InVenetus. Check it out and subscribe to her instagram... beautiful and timeless pieces inspired by the ancients. Could be a great holiday gift, too!

Austin Animal Center. My boyfriend and I just acquired the new love of our lives, Ocotillo Romo (named after a type of cactus in West Texas that enchanted us by it's novelty and general oddity and, duh, Tony Romo after his amazing show of magnanimity re: Dak Prescott). I highly recommend anyone who is looking for a new canine companion to visit the Town Lake shelter.

 

pt. II // late night cowboy and his stone cold companion, oco. ?

A photo posted by heydon (@heydopotato) on Nov 20, 2016 at 6:38am PST

Yoga with Adriene. These free online classes have been a mainstay in my daily routine for over a year now. I highly recommend checking out her library of videos - catered to all body types, body ailments, energy levels, and mental states. Whether you have ten minutes or an hour, you can get a stretch in!

Farm, in general: Don't miss the upcoming Taste and Learn event at Barr Mansion.  If you're an heirloom enthusiast or want to learn how to grow and cook delicious greens, don't miss this.  One of our favorite seed reps from Kitazawa will be there, to boot! More info here.

Holiday at the Farm! Don't miss out on the most festive farm event yet!

by Megan Winfrey

This time of year, I'm all about comfort casseroles. If I can get away with tossing together some ingredients, topping it with a bunch of cheese, and baking it for a quick 30 minutes every night, I certainly will. This casserole is one of my favorites because it's basically a solid, more filling version of broccoli and cheese soup. And who doesn't like broccoli and cheese soup?

Broccoli, Chicken, and Rice Casserole

• 1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 lb. broccoli florets
• 2 cups rice, cooked
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder, divided
• 2 tbs. all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk, divided
• 3 tbs. Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease a deep 9" baking dish. Cook the rice according to the package directions. I recommend cooking the rice in chicken stock, if you have it on hand. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the broccoli florets and let cook for 1-2 minutes - the broccoli should still be bright green. Immediately plunge the blanched broccoli into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Season the chicken with 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and salt and pepper to your liking. Add the olive oil to a heavy bottom skillet and heat to medium-high. Cook the chicken through, about 4-6 minutes, then remove to a plate.

Carefully wipe the skillet clean and reduce the heat to medium. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and 1/2 cup of milk.

Pour mixture into the skillet and add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the Dijon, remaining garlic powder, and pepper to taste. Stir in the Greek yogurt and 1 cup of cheese, until smooth. Add the rice, broccoli, and chicken to the cheese sauce and mix gently.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake 25 minutes, until heating through and cheese is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.