“Because you are my countrymen and so forth; and a good fellow, is a good fellow, though he have never a penny in his purse. We had but even pot-luck, a little to moisten our lips, and no more.” - Thomas Nashe, Summer’s Last Will and Testament

With the Fall CSA Member Only Potluck right around the corner (RSVP here!), we thought we would delve into a little history of potlucks in general AND pertaining to JBG!

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The term “potluck” originates from taking the “luck of the pot”... Instead of discarding leftovers, people would save their excess food, heated in a pot, with the unexpected visitor in mind (especially at inns and taverns in medieval times). A kind of “luck of the draw” and impromptu meal for a wayward traveler who happened upon an inn or someone’s home needing food and/or lodging for the evening. Fun fact: the above quote from prevalent 16th century writer, Thomas Nashe, is said to be one of the first times that the term “potluck” was used in a published piece! Moving on to more modern(ish) times, in the mid-19th to the beginning of the 20th century, the meaning shifted to a communal dinner where guests prepare and bring a dish to share. These are the potlucks we know and love. Our CSA is made up of some of Austin’s best home-chefs… and while we’re busy every week cooking for our families, the JBG Potluck is a wonderful time to share your favorite dishes with your CSA community, farmers, and friends. We know you have a favorite potluck dish… let’s see it (but more importantly, eat it)!

Potluck deliciousness. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

At JBG, we have been doing community potlucks since 2006! A bi-annual event that we always look forward to… a chance for the community to get together, enjoy the farm, and relish in the fall and spring weather. When we moved out to the 20 acres at Hergotz, Beth Johnson cooked up a bunch of chocolate chip cookies, brewed some strong coffee, and invited all of our CSA customers out to the farm. Thirty folks joined us as we walked through the fields and talked about our vision for the farm. We loved having everyone out to meet and interact; thus, the following fall, we had our first official potluck. We set up tents in the orchard, invited a couple of bands, and had a heck of a time. In 2008, we added a bunch of fun events, like ‘jump-the-creek’ and most notably, chase the farmer because who doesn’t want to chase Brenton, clad in a luchador mask and outfit, around the farm?

Chase the farmer!

Old potluck flyer!

Another old flyer!

In spring of 2015, we decided to move the potlucks out to the Garfield farm. This way, everyone could breathe the fresh and funky farm air and enjoy this newly (at the time) acquired veggie oasis. We added a 5k to the event and partnered with the best in the runnin’ biz, Rogue Running, as a kind of self-guided tour around our 200 acre property on River Road (we are only doing these in the spring now… start training!). We built an awesome stage, especially for these events, to house some bona fide boot-stompin’ tunes from people like: Elizabeth McQueen, Doug Moreland, La Tampiquena, Chansons et Soulards, among many others.

We are over the moon that this year we'll be having a CSA Member potluck, and going back to the event's humble roots. We love the idea of people enjoying food with their community... after all, we’re all a part of the same C[ommunity]SA! The act of sharing food with another person has an overwhelmingly powerful ability to connect people. Doing this same act on the farm that grows your food... you're not only connected to your community, but also to the land, seasons, your farmers... WHOA! If that's not a special event, we don't know what is.

Boot-stompin' good time. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sand pile = good times. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Family fun time. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The farm should be a place for the whole family, and we want you to make the CSA a part of your family life... hence, bring the kiddos! There's tons of fields for them to explore and a sand pile to conquer. Tractor photo shoot? We've got you covered. Plus, a true fall is so fleeting in Texas... make sure you're enjoying it and getting OUTSIDE. Did we mention that our farm is a lovely place to be this time of year?

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Family portrait in the fields. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sand pile poses. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The DL on this year's potluck

• Saturday, 10/22
• GARFIELD farm (4008 River Road)
• 4:30-dark. We'll try to eat at around 5:30
• Yes to kids, yes to byob, yes to chairs + blankets (we'll have some tables set up, too).
• Adelbert's, Hops & Grain, and Jester King have donated some brew for the occasion. (YUM!)
• No dogs (Sorry, farmer’s orders! We love our doggies, too!)
• BYOD[ISH] TO SHARE! That's what a potluck is, after all. Please label your dish noting any potential food allergens
• Trying our best to make this a zero-waste event. Bring a dish + cutlery to enjoy your grub.
• Our good friend, Josh Larue, from Breakaway Records will be there spinning some amazing tunes, and showing off his one-of-a-kind vinyl collection.

Our stage lit up at night. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Excited to join the event, but don’t know what to make? Grab a recipe idea from Ada and Mike Mo below.

Ada, the recipe extraordinare! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Ada: Cabbage. So wonderful in all of its forms: raw in a salad or slaw, coarsely chopped and roasted with a generous squeeze of lemon, slowly braised, stuffed... perhaps one of the most versatile crops we grow.

We love this gratin recipe; sub sweet potatoes for regular potatoes, and you've got a hyper-seasonal potluck dish... perfect for sharing.

Coleslaw doesn't have to be the soupy mayonnaise-y mess that you might think of. Check out this Asian version that uses a miso-dressing. Throw in some in-season carrots, carrot tops, and radishes for a colorful fall salad. Short on time? A shredded cabbage salad doused in Wheatsville's cashew tamari dressing is just as good.

Instant seasonal dish, sure to please a crowd? Roasted veggies. Check out some techniques below. General techniques. Honey-roasted carrots. Coconut-oil roasted sweet potatoes.

Confused about that to do with turnips? Roast, mix with goat cheese and some herbs, and voila! *can sub beets in this recipe, too!

Looking for a way to use your CSA parsnips, kohlrabi, herbs, and turnips in one hearty recipe? Did someone say bacon vinaigrette?

Black spanish radishes. Great info on this sometimes puzzling crop here (been used for medicinal purposes for centuries!). Three great ways to use your radishes (this would work with black spanish, or any other!).

Mike Mo: I am a big fan of radishes with butter and salt. It's a French thing. Sauteed with butter and salt as a side (I think it may be a breakfast dish as well).

Our blog is always a great place to obtain seasonal recipes as well!

Our recipe blogger, Megan, and her daughter, Louisiana! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Ever go to the farmers market, fraternize with the JBG market staff, and think... 'Man! I want to be like them. They are so knowledgeable about veggies, hard-working, AND awesome!' Well, fret no longer, folks! Now's the time to join our team! We have farmers market openings - check out the job listing here. 

In week 41, we are nearing the end of fall planting, and the crops look amazing! Relishing in the cool early mornings, the changing of the seasons has us reeling in awe (and grateful!). We have quite a diverse fleet of radishes growing right now that will have your head spinnin' at market. Broccoli and cauliflower is on the way, too!

In other farm-event news, have you RSVP'd for our CSA Members Only Potluck Dinner on 10/22, or grabbed some tickets for Slow Food Austin's tour of the farm on 10/23? It's gonna be a jam-packed weekend... Come join the fun, we can't wait.

Transplant work. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplant teamwork. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tractor talk. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Brenton and Roxy surveying. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplant teamwork. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Yummy fall greens. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvesting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvesting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sweet 'taters. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Coming soon! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

I spy broccoli! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dreamy curly kale. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

You're super rad-ish! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Stunning farm colors. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The prettiest salad you ever did see. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 10th

by Megan Winfrey

I stopped by the SFC farmer's market at the triangle last week and was pleasantly surprised to find a few baskets of late season tomatoes! Tomato season is always too short for me, so you better believe I scooped some up and have been relishing in their sweetness. This is a super simple breakfast to put together, but it packs mean nutrition and looks beautiful on the plate. No doubt this will become part of your regular rotation, if it isn't already.

Egg in an Avocado

• 1 large avocado
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. cilantro or parsley, chopped
• A handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
• Toast or tortillas, for serving

Preheat the oven to 450ºF and move the rack to the center.

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Using a spoon, make the well a bit larger by scraping out about a teaspoon of avocado. You want plenty of room for the egg to fit inside.

Squeeze lime juice over the avocado, sprinkle with salt, and place on a baking sheet. Break an egg into the center of each avocado. Some white may spill out and that is okay, as long as the yolk stays intact and in the center of the avocado. Bake until the white is set, about 10 minutes.

While baking, mix the tomatoes, cilantro or parsley, lime juice, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Toast a slice of bread or warm up a tortilla to soak up the runny yolk with. Plate everything once the eggs are done, and enjoy!

Bongiorno! If you’ve been reading the farm blog, you might know that I traveled to Italy (and abroad) for the first time ever last week. I was appointed as a delegate for Slow Food International’s biennial week-long event, Terra Madre Salone del Gusto. There are over 3000 delegates that represent over 150 different countries, so I was floored by my nomination. Prior to jumping on the plane, I was super excited, but had no idea what to expect. Besides growing produce from Slow Food’s Ark of Taste seeds to propagate to the community through transplant sales, I feel like I had a lot to learn about all that Slow Food International does.

Turin from the Mole Antonelliana

Turin street-scape.

The Po River runs through Turin.

Right off the bat, I was amazed and inspired by the history and culture of Italy. All the different regions in Italy were so well-represented at the event. All the regional produce/products were so unique... preserved meats, cheese, all different kinds of rice, and WINES! Turin is located in the Piemonte region of Italy, an area notorious for their three “B”s of wine: Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera. Holy moly, are their wines delicious! Ever had Prosecco? It’s Italy’s version of Champagne… but, I digress…

My host on her way to work!

After I landed in Milan, I had a two hour drive to reach Turin. Man, did I feel ill... the bus-driver was whippin’ the bus around like it was a Ferrari! Despite being car-sick, I sat next to a brewer from Jalisco, and when we arrived in Turin, he treated me to an espresso. A bona fide Italian espresso! I was in hog heaven, because if you know me, I love coffee. After checking in, I met my host family and promptly caught some shut-eye. I had been awake for 30 hours at that point! They woke me up at around 8, and we enjoyed some dinner. My host family curated an amazing menu of meals throughout my stay; I was so grateful as they provided breakfast and dinner for me the entire week. Fresh bread and cheeses, marinated and roasted peppers, delicious wines, fresh salads, I could go on and on! The woman I stayed with was an attorney in Turin, her daughter was a drummer in a local band, and her other daughter had just moved to Mexico to be with her soon-to-be husband. I was fascinated to learn about this Italian family and their story.

The first dinner with my host family - roasted peppers, a refreshing salad, & fresh bread and cheese.

The view from my window!

I quickly realized that I had hit the jackpot on my lodging location as it was located in central Turin! I could mosey over to the Slow Food meetings, I was so close.

The speeches took places in the coolest theatre I have ever been in!

Tasting workshop.

Alice Waters!

Kicking off with a giant parade through town, all of the Slow Food events were mind-blowing. I attended tons of interesting speeches which took place in the most stunning theatre… This is where I met Alice Waters and the founder of Slow Food International, Carlo Petrini. Not only were there speakers of great culinary notoriety, but also talented filmmakers showcasing their films!

The kick-off parade!

There was a marketplace in Valentino Park right next to the Po River, where you could peruse and learn about artisans and their goods from all over the world. There were also the coolest-looking food trucks I had ever seen! On top of that, they hosted tasting workshops, where delegates could taste the craziest and most far-out produce, meats, artisanal goods… I tasted kangaroo and other aboriginal Australian foods! Delegates from certain regions would throw pop-up dinners as well. One of my favorites was when the Louisiana and Vietnam delegates paired up and hosted a delicious dinner featuring po-boys and traditional Vietnamese dried fruits. Yum!

A woman tying tiny tomatoes together.

Onions.

All kinds of corn!

Preserved meats.

Aged Balsamic.

Other than that, I spent a lot of time walking around Turin, sight-seeing, visiting museums, and my favorite activity of all, checking out the daily farmer’s market. Despite the language barrier, I spent a lot of time chatting with the local farmers, showing them pictures of our farm, and vice versa. The produce that they offered was similar yet very different from what we cultivate here in Central Texas... I was mesmerized by the diversity.

Farmers Market.

Farmers Market.

Grapes galore.

Plethora of fruits!

Cheese, please.

Meats!

Market scene.

Italian food trucks.

I made a horde of new friends and learned loads about farming all over the world. One of my favorite moments was walking through the market, a cheese-maker recognized my JBG hat, ran over and said that he followed us on Instagram! Crazy!

Our Italian cheese-making Instagram friend on the left!

I was remiss to leave when the time came, but sated with all the new experiences I had under my belt. I treated my host to a going away dinner on the final evening, and left on a high note of having the best pasta of my life! Arrivederci!

Pasta paradise.

Speaking of Slow Food events, don't miss out on Slow Food Austin's tour of the farm on October 23rd! Buy tickets here, and find more general information here. Also, we are having our CSA Members Only Potluck Dinner the night before! RSVP here, we can't wait!

October means another highly-anticipated, possibly spooky(?) installment of our First Friday Staff Picks! In the words of one of our wholesale managers, Travis: "October brings with it so many awesome things... where even to begin?"

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!



Montana: I'm excited about a new crop of carrots starting to size up. Fresh bunched beets being harvested also makes me happy! This weekend I enjoyed a relaxing trip to Utopia fest. Calliope Musicals, Rubblebucket, Milkdrive, and Whiskey Shivers all got my feet movin'!

Daniel: I went to Telluride for the Blues and Brews festival a few weeks ago - it was awesome. Also got a shoutout from some random guy when I wore my JBG hat. Delivered some hats to Shakey Graves, did some great hiking, heard some good bands, and drank some good beer.

Ada: My new 501 jeans that I just bought from local vintage shop, Loyal Vintage. Everyday, I thank my lucky stars that I live in an era when mom-jeans are in style (I think).

SOUP! Specifically, this Italian meatball soup which I made with venison and pork instead of beef. I also added in all the veggies I needed to use up in my fridge (zucchini, butternut, kale, peppers, sweet potatoes), and used some frozen tomato sauce from the summer. DELISHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

The Greenbelt!! It's never been better, AND makes me and my dog feel like the wild women that we are.

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A photo posted by Missoula Broussard (@chermissoula) on Sep 22, 2016 at 6:57pm PDT

Kenny: Going to Nashville weekend after next to see Bill Burr tape his new special! Margo Price @ Gruene Hall is next week too, and also lookin' forward to Morris Day & The Time @ ACL Zombie Ball! If you're bored in Austin you're doing something wrong. I'm stoked for the return of kohlrabi because it's like eating little alien Hell-raiser babies for breakfast. Stoked for fall weather, if it lasts.

Travis: Horror movies (especially B-grade). The more campy the better, if ya know what I mean. Troll 2, Plan 9 from Outer Space, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, House on Haunted Hill, Return of the Living Dead, The Toxic Avenger. All amazing in their own horrible ways.

Flannel shirts. It dropped down into the mid-80's last week and everyone I know started wearing flannel. I don't think there's a better signifier of cool weather than the flannel shirt.

Reverend Horton Heat. He's doing a six-night run at the Continental Club Oct. 25th-Oct. 30th, so you have six chances to get your dose of the psychobilly king.

Heydon: Iceland Airwaves. I interned with IA in 2014, and besides meeting some of the most interesting folks from all over this lovely planet, making fast friends, and falling deeply in love with Iceland's shockingly beautiful landscapes, a deep-seated respect and awe for Icelandic music was born within me. I swear, there is something in the geothermal waters that spawns this strange and awesome affinity in Icelandic people to make innovative, creative music. The queen being Bjork. Grab tickets to this year's event? It's not too late... plus sheepies and Northern Lights? Super cool.

#SHEEPS

A photo posted by heydon (@heydopotato) on Jul 2, 2014 at 8:17am PDT

Also, Die Antwoord and Radiohead tonight at ACL! Knocking off a couple of bucket-list performances... aaand, Thom Yorke dancing forever and always.

Lena: I've been listening non-stop to Nothing's Real by Shura - it's fun, dance-y synth-pop with a touch of 80s nostalgia. My favorites are the title track, What's It Gonna Be? and Indecision.

I'm also really excited about The Beer Plant, a vegan gastropub that just opened. I'm looking forward to checking it out ASAP, starting with those delicious looking beer-battered hearts of palm!

Week 40 has us REALLY busy. The slight change in weather has been welcomed with open arms as we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel… two weeks away from having all the fall planting done! After having the greenhouses brimful of transplants, these babies are on tractor after tractor, and we are getting them in the ground.

A huge thanks to the volunteers who have been helping us out at the farm! We need as many hands on deck as we can get! This time of year is always super exciting on the farm, as there are so many different things simultaneously happening. Seeding, plowing, cover crops from the summertime are getting mowed down, while cover crops for the fall are getting seeded, and on top of that, the greenhouses are getting their final touches. The carrots we planted early are almost ready for market, and kale is, too! Yahoo!

We're are getting psyched for our CSA Members Only Dinner on October 22! RSVP here. Also, Slow Food Austin will be doing a tour of the farm on October 23! Buy tickets here, and find more general event info here. Keep farmin', y'all!

 

Transplant work. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Farm dawg, Chucha. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Flower power. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kale texture. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Montana workin'. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Montana doing a seed dance. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fall-time goodness... bunched beets! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Temo's model moment. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Ready to go in the ground. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Greenhouses getting their final touches. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Ready for market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fall scene. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Mustard greens. Photo by Scott David Gordon.