By Megan Winfrey

Wondering what to do with allllll of that okra that just keeps showing up in your CSA box? We're coming atcha with the best gumbo EVER this week!



This week, I took on a challenge that I've been shying away from for a few years. Gumbo, y'all. I have several friends that hail from Louisiana and they are all fabulous cooks - so I can confidently say that I've had some of the best gumbo out there. Now making it myself, not so confident about that one. But what better way to test yourself than in front of an audience, right? So here it is, my first attempt at gumbo, and I gotta say it was pretty damn good.

I used this recipe from the June 2012 issue of Smithsonian. It was the first link that came up when I googled "BEST GUMBO EVER"

• I modified it to better fit my time and budget. Here's how and why:
• I didn't use crab, too expensive
• I used headless shrimp, Whole Foods didn't have them with the heads on
• I used spicy pork sausage instead of Creole hot sausage, couldn't find it
• I served it over cornbread instead of rice, because I already had cornbread, and because yum

Everything else I followed exactly and was super pleased with the outcome.

Making roux.

I was most nervous about making the roux because I've never made one before and I've heard time and time again that it is the most important part of a good gumbo and it has to be PERFECT. Turns out, as long as you keep stirring, a roux will appear. Just as I was thinking that it was the perfect color, I began to really smell the flour cooking and took it off the heat. The milk chocolate-y color along with the nutty flour smell were strong indicators that the roux was done. Look out for those and you will be fine.

Now that I've made gumbo, I really don't know what I was so afraid of. When you think about it, it's a simple dish comprised of well-known ingredients. But my, oh my, when everything comes together over a hot stove in a kitchen full of love, it's slap-yo-mama-good. So 'tis the season for comfort food, family, and finding that classic recipe that will become your signature.

CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 28th

Vicente and Brenton pose with sunflowers destined for farmers market. Photo by Scott David Gordon

From the Farmer's Perspective: Risky Business

Driving into the farm this morning, I'm amazed to see the change of seasons manifesting in our fields; there are a million things going on these days! Today we harvested our first carrots of Fall and the cabbage along the main farm entry road is starting to head up, and it looks like we'll see the first of the broccoli in about two weeks, as well as our first dill. We've started harvesting all kinds of radishes - red, watermelon, and black Spanish, and the first beets are out of the fields also! The harvest crew has no shortage of work these days, especially since all of our sunflowers and all of our green beans have matured at the exact same time - these will both be bountiful at all weekend markets. In the greenhouse we are approaching the last big week of seeding for fall, and we would love your help volunteering any day in the next week - just email us at volunteer@jbgorganic.com to reserve your spot. In the fields, Montana has been seeding lots of cover crop this week, a mix of fava beans, oats, and peas to add nitrogen and green matter to our soils. Also, I am planning to try some new Asian greens on the farm this fall, with fun names like mibuna, choi-sum, and hon-tsai ta, and this week we hope to get the first seeding of these new crops in the ground.

We've got loads of green beans headed to market this weekend! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Cover crop seeds. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Fall is a little bit different every year, and with the "official" change of season this week, I've been reflecting on a few big risks we've taken at JBG, which have shaped the way that the fields look right now. The first is marked by an anniversary - this week, we celebrate one year without plastic mulch at JBG, an accomplishment I am very proud of. While plastic mulch has a number of benefits for farmers - weed control and water conservation for example - I hated the amount of waste we were producing on the farm using all of that non-recyclable plastic! Although my staff was on board with my decision to curb our waste, it has been a bumpy road readjusting our growing practices, and we've seen both positive and negative consequences from this decision.

The first and biggest plus, is that we've reduced our plastic waste by over half over the last year and kept a lot of rolls of this stuff out of the landfill. We're also spending much less time cleaning up our fields after the crop is harvested, since now we don't have to pick out pesky pieces of plastic from the soil before turning the field under. On the other hand, our labor costs have increased significantly - we've had to hire a 5 person crew nearly full time, year-round just to hand-weed beds, which costs a lot of money! We were also really surprised to see the effect that the heavy rains this year had on our bare ground crops. One important benefit that we did not realize until this year is that plastic sheds the rainwater from our beds, thus keeping our organic soils and amendments from being leached away by the rain. The extraordinary heavy rains we had this year resulted in a lot of material being washed away, so many of our crops suffered from reduced yields and smaller fruits in the spring and early summer.

It's been a year full of learning for us, and I'm grateful for the team at JBG for sticking with it and keeping the farm running with all of the changes. Moving forward, I feel that we made the right choice and will continue to grow at the Garfield farm without plastic mulch, learning even more as we move into our second year.

We're celebrating one year without plastic mulch! Photo by Scott David Gordon

The second risky plan was a little more recent. After the floods in May and June, we were left with a farm full of potentially compromised fields. This year was the worst harvest of tomatoes we've ever seen, and pests have been putting heavy pressure on all of our crops left and right. While we worked our hardest to take care of the plants, my worry was that when the end of summer rolled around and the heat of late August and September set in, we might not have a great variety of crops for our customers. This just wasn't an option for us. We take great pride in providing for our year-round CSA program, and providing a healthy variety each week. This has been a mainstay of the farm since the beginnings in the backyard garden and I didn't want to let CSA customers down! So, when I saw a potential problem, we decided to take a risk and put in some fall crops much earlier than in most years. I wasn't sure how these early plantings would go - the summer heat is not always kind to leafy green crops - but I'm surprised and relieved to say that it was a great success. I don't like to gamble in Vegas, but I really do enjoy the gamble of farming!

Fields of early Fall greens are looking great. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Hopefully, you've been enjoying your summer veggies alongside greens like bok choy, kale, and chard for the last few weeks-  a result of this somewhat risky chance we took this summer. It's always a little scary taking a gamble like this, and while it doesn't always work, it tends to produce great results when it does! Farming is a profession that requires a lot of hope, and I think Will Rogers said it best - "A farmer has to be an optimist, or he wouldn't still be a farmer."

Interested in joining our CSA? We have two weeks left of a great promotion - first box free for all new customers! Just enter the code VEGNOW at checkout, and start getting deliveries of those tasty summer peppers, cukes, and squash in alongside your early fall greens this year.

For more of the farmer’s perspective, follow Brenton on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @farmerbrenton.

Buy your tickets for our Fall Potluck and Harvest Hustle here!

On Saturday, October 24th, join us and celebrate Autumn’s return with our annual Fall Potluck & 5K Harvest Hustle. These events will both be held at our Garfield Farm, 4008 River Road, Cedar Creek TX, 78612, located right along the beautiful Colorado River just east of ABIA.

We will be kicking off the afternoon with our 5k Harvest Hustle and 1-mile Kids’ Fun Run around the farm. Rogue Running is sponsoring the race, and it will surely be top-notch! Expect to get a sneak peak of our fall crops as you weave your way through fields of brassicas, carrots, and more. This is a fantastic way to celebrate the season with friends and family, and experience first-hand where your food is grown!

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Less of a runner and more of an eater? We hope you’ll join us for our Fall Potluck meal after the Harvest Hustle. At this one-of-a-kind meal, guests are encouraged to bring a dish to share with their fellow locavores and farm-lovers. Please bring a dish; potluck participants will enjoy a discounted entrance ticket. This event is BYOB, so be sure to grab your favorite fall porter or sparkling cider and settle in.

Of course, we’re bringing in several outstanding musicians to help set the mood for this harvest celebration. Carson McHone and her band, The Bottom Dollar String Band, and one other act (TBA) will make sure to provide lively entertainment. In addition to our monster-sand pile, there will be arts and crafts for the kids (and plenty of fields to explore!). Proceeds from the Fall Potluck and Harvest Hustle will help support the local bands playing that afternoon, and help fund JBG's recycled tire playground. Fall one of the most beautiful seasons on the farm!

You can buy your tickets at jbgorganic.com/hoedown. See you on October 24th!

Photo by Scott David Gordon

 

Harvest time. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Everything is coming together at the farm for a great fall season. We're filling in the gaps in the field with lots of favorites - head lettuce, brassicas, carrots and beets, to name a few. With lots of new crops in the ground, we're also working hard to plot the course for our Harvest Hustle 5K race on October 24th, a great way to see where your food is grown first hand. Scott David Gordon made it out to capture sunrise on the farm this week, and it was a beautiful one. Enjoy!

JBG staffer Andrew and volunteers having fun at our packing shed. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Peppery arugula is a favorite this time of year. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Scott captures a sunrise harvest at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon

The big oak at sunrise. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We're celebrating one year without plastic mulch! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Bunching sunflowers. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

The makings of a great braising mix - from left to right: red mustard, mizuna, baby kale, bok choy, tatsoi. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Collards peeking out of a harvest bin.

Our first kohlrabi is starting to make bulbs, be on the lookout soon at market! Photo by Scott David Gordon

Transplanting lettuce. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Fields of baby lettuce heads. Photo by Scott David Gordon

We're making progress on the new shade structure! Photo by Scott David Gordon

By Megan Winfrey

A couple of nights a week, I find myself making vegetarian meals, even though my husband and I are meat eaters. Most days, it's honestly because I forgot to take meat out of the freezer.... You see, my husband really really likes meat in his meals, ( he was raised on steak and taters ) but with such bounty from our CSA box, I've been able to make super satisfying vegetarian meals that satisfy my carnivorous hubby. Stuffed peppers are one of our go-tos, and we both thought this week's were exceptionally good.

I served rice, and braised JBG greens with garlic and a splash of apple cider vinegar on the side. I will definitely be repeating this exact meal very soon!

Mexican Sweet Potato Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 small bell peppers
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 3/4 cup mozzarella or Mexican blend cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the sweet potatoes and boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside in a medium sized bowl.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes, add garlic and sauté for another minute or two. Remove from heat and add to the sweet potatoes. Add the cumin and cayenne pepper and mash everything together. Keep the consistency chunky if you like, or mash until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Half the bell peppers length-wise and hollow out the seeds. Arrange bowl side up in a baking dish and fill each one with the sweet potato mixture.



Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until the peppers are tender. Remove the foil and top each pepper with a little shredded cheese. Leave uncovered and bake for another 5 minutes, then serve.