Lots of changes on the farm this week.  We are still in the process of rebuilding the greenhouses, plus seeding and readying for the Fall.  All the while, dripping profuse amounts of sweat in this Texas sun, and trying to soak in this season before it morphs into another.  We are all excited to see what this new month has in store for us!  Thanks to Scott David Gordon for another amazing batch of images.

Lost in all the green. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Red bell peppers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Squash blossom. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Watermelon. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Melon harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

More beautiful bell pepper colors. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Rebuilding. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Seeding. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Red hat, red peppers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Can't get enough of these okra blooms. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Greenhouse work. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kenny!! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Zinnias. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

So many blooms. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Jalapeno business. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvesting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

by Megan Winfrey

This week's focus is on a particular pepper, one that I believe has the absolute best flavor of any other pepper I've tried. You may have noticed an influx of these lime green fellas on local restaurant menus in the last several years and I, for one, am glad they haven't faded away like so many other food trends. I first tried shishito peppers in 2011, while managing at Jeffrey's Restaurant (original ownership). They were served as a starter, blistered, with a dusting of Himalayan sea salt - and they were utter perfection. I ordered them every night while they were on the menu at Jeffrey's, and to this day will never pass them up when dining out. Thankfully, JBG offers these tasty treats every summer, and I've got the three ingredient recipe.

Blistered Shishito Peppers

• Whole Shishito peppers, as many as you can find!
• Good quality olive oil
• Pink Himalayan sea salt, preferably fresh cracked

 

Add 1-2 tbs. of olive oil to a heavy bottomed skillet and heat to medium-high. Once the oil begins to ripple, add the shishito peppers. Toss sporadically. They won't take long to blister, no longer than 5 minutes. They are best when you can see black char marks, but the green color is still bright and vivid. When the green starts to brown, they are becoming overdone and the flavor isn't as amazing.

When they are blistered but still vibrant, remove from the heat and transfer to a plate. Lightly crack sea salt over the peppers, give them a quick toss, and serve immediately. I like to eat every bit from the stem down!

The story goes that 1 in every 10 peppers packs a kick, but I think it depends more on how much rain we've had and the size of the peppers. I'm pretty sensitive to spicy foods and haven't been knocked out by any of them, although I do tend to avoid the red ones. Enjoy!

CSA Box Contents Week of Aug 1st

Week 30 brought that oppressive Austin heat, but with a brief and very welcome cameo from the sweet (and lately elusive) RAIN! I don’t know about y’all, but having that slight plummet in temperatures was the quick reprieve we farm folks needed despite some standing water in the fields.  The last week in July has us rubbing our eyes in disbelief… August is next week?!  In the words of Charlotte, our farm administrator extraordinaire, “it won't be long before we're back in sweaters, chomping on kale and dreaming about Barton Springs.”  In the midst of a smoldering heat spell, it’s easy to forget that the summer and its bounty are fleeting.  A good reminder to bask in the sun, relish that summer swim, and savor those cucumbers and melons while they last!

Summertime bliss. Photo by Allison Smoler.

We can’t thank the Alamo Drafthouse enough for hosting The Seer at the farm a couple weeks ago.  Throwing an event of that magnitude proved very daunting, but with the Drafthouse’s seasoned expertise on our side, we didn’t look back once.  It was such a magical evening, saturated with interesting, food + cinema-loving people.  The funds raised by the event have propelled construction of our new greenhouses in a big way.  In the past couple of days, the greenhouses are finally taking shape just in time for the massive amount of fall transplants we have been so busy seeding (lettuce, onions, leeks, artichokes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower + romanesco, collards, and kale are on the way)!  We might sound like a broken record over here, but your support is our cornerstone.  We are endlessly grateful to the community who attended the screening and in turn aided in the reconstruction of these structures.

Greenhouse reconstruction. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our invaluable and versatile assistant farm manager, Jason Hamelwright, left us this week to pursue a career in agricultural education.  Jason has been around JBG since 2012, when he started showing up at our Garfield farm as a regular workshare.  We hired him first as farm driver, transporting all of our harvests between the field and the packing shed.  Soon after, he became our Garfield Farm workshare coordinator, moved on to become a field coordinator and farm administrator, then finally and most recently, took on the huge responsibility of assistant farm manager.  This position is indispensable to maintaining the smooth flow of business as usual for us, so if you or someone you know meets these requirements and want to join a farm community of hard-workin’, fun-lovin’, passionate folks, send ‘em our way!  We would love to hear from you.  Best of luck, Jason, we miss you already!

Selfie by Jason Hamelwright.

We are chompin’ at the bit for some exciting and quickly approaching events in the coming weeks...

• First off, the next installment of our Yoga at the Farm series is this Sunday, 7/31 from 6 to 7 PM at our River Road location in Garfield (4008 River Road, Garfield, TX).  Yoga Yoga will be hosting, and Juice Society will be providing yummy refreshments post-workout.  Bring a mat, a friend, and get your stretch on in the farm-fresh air!
• Calling all Austin artists and painters! On Monday August 8th, we're painting some of our delivery vehicles and are looking for some volunteers to help get these vans looking street-worthy. If you have any painting experience, and would like to get involved in the project, email Ada at ada@jbgorganic.com. The volunteer shift is from 7:30am-12:30 on Monday. If you'd like to get involved, but that day or time doesn't work for you, email Ada with that info, too! All volunteers are thanked with a medium CSA box and the satisfaction of seeing their handiwork zoom around town delivering local veggies to eateries and homes, alike.
• Next Saturday night, 6/8 from 6 to 9 PM, in.gredients is throwing a rip-roarin’ and (as always) waste-free 4th birthday party!  We are teaming up with awesome local producers, JuiceLand and Hops & Grain, to produce the once-a-year small-batch Watermelon Brown Ale.  We will be providing the watermelons, JuiceLand the juicers, and Hops & Grain the oh-so-delicious beer recipe, one that they have been perfecting for this specific event year after year.  There will be live music from the Stovetop Rangers and Devin James Fry, loads of local vendors, face-painting, a photo booth, a dunk tank, and live screen-printing (be sure to bring a shirt) by Fine Southern Gentlemen!  A portion of the proceeds will benefit in.gredient’s non-profit community partner, the Workers Defense Project.

 

Come join us for some zen on the farm, van art, and/or a cold pint at in.gredients!  See you soon!

The first Yoga at the Farm gathering. Photo by Charlotte McClure.

 

Love of Holland. Austinites: Want to get in in this fun project? Volunteers are thanked with lots of veg. ??? Email ada@jbgorganic.com if you have some painterly experience and wanna hear more.

A photo posted by ada lisa broussard (@adalisab) on Dec 12, 2014 at 4:39am PST

It was a bustling week on the farm.  Another scorcher, but with a surprise taste of rain to quell the heat mid-week (YES!). We have finally started rebuilding the greenhouses destroyed in the spring, thanks to the funds raised by the Alamo Drafthouse's Rolling Roadshow event a couple of weeks ago.  The reconstruction is happening just in time for the imminent and massive amount of fall transplants.  August is next week?  Where does the time go?  Get your cucumbers, melons, and tomatoes while you still can!  As always, a huge thanks to Scott David Gordon for all these beautiful images, captured week after week.

Bell pepper pretties. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvesting bell peppers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bell peppers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Okra. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Greenhouse reconstruction. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvesting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Do you see the eggplant flower? Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Eggplant action. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Montana hard at work. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Farm meeting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Volunteers working hard. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Serrano-sorting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

So. Much. Green. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Jordan, one of our CSA drivers, on the job. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

 

 

by Megan Winfrey

Quick pickling is a great way to make that gorgeous summer produce last a few extra weeks, and it doesn't just apply to cucumbers! Vinegar will work magic on many different types of produce, and I love a good kitchen experiment. Three weeks have passed since I poured my go-to pickling brine over gorgeous JBG okra and yellow tomatoes and I have to say, I'm very pleased with the results! Okra is my favorite thing to pickle, but I'd never done tomatoes before. I was surprised with how firm they remained and how the natural sweetness of the tomatoes shone through the vinegary-ness.

Pickled Okra and Yellow Tomatoes

• 1 lb. okra, washed and stems trimmed
• 1 lb. yellow tomatoes
• 2 cups filtered water
• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• 4 tbs. kosher or pickling salt
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 tbs. black peppercorns

Wash your mason jars, lids, and rings in hot soapy water and rinse well. To each jar, add 2 garlic cloves and 1 tbs. peppercorns. To ensure that the brine seeps into the tomatoes, pierce a hole through each one. I used my meat thermometer, but an ice pick or skewer will also work.

Next, pack the okra and tomatoes into their respective jars. Don't be afraid to really pack in the okra, but be sure to leave the tomatoes some breathing room. Set the packed jars aside.

In a saucepan, add the water, vinegar, and salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and carefully pour into the prepared jars. Screw the lids on until they just stop turning and let them cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

Let them sit for at least 2 weeks and up to 4 for more pickle-y pickles. I think they get more delicious the longer you let them go! Use them within 3-4 months.

CSA Box Contents Week of July 25th