Harvesting during a break in the rain. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Who would have thought I would still be writing about rain this far into May? Turns out, this has been the wettest May ever. But you wouldn't have had to tell that to anyone on our crew - they already know it's been one for the record books! The storms have offered welcome relief from drought, but they've come with a cost, too. My heart goes out to all of your who have experienced any flooding or other storm damage. It definitely has been a tough Spring for many people living in Central Texas.

Parts of our Garfield farm flooded due to rain. Photo by Scott David Gordon

As a farmer, I have never experienced weather quite like this. And I know I am not alone - many other growers in our community are struggling to recover from these unprecedented storms. I have been asked by quite a few people if there's anything they can do to help, and my answer is always the same - now more than ever, you need to support your local growers. This means doing things like going to the farmers market even if it is raining (we will be there, rain or shine!) or signing up to get a weekly CSA share from a local farm. In times like these, I have a heightened appreciation for all our CSA members. It is your consistent support that carries us through these rough patches - you have my sincere thanks once again. Really, I don't know what I would do without the strength of this community.

Over the past week, I have had more time than usual to think as I went on a sailing trip down in Florida with my father. We planned this before the rains hit, and I didn't want to cancel on him. Plus, there really wasn't anything I could do about the weather. Had I decided to stay home, I think I would have just been fretting even more over something that was out of my control.

Out on the water with my dad.

Now, I am really happy that I decided to go. I had a fantastic time with my dad. When I was growing up, we sailed and even raced together (try to picture me racing in a '79 Hobie Cat!). I am super competitive, so when some of my dad's buddies challenged me to a race last week, I of course said yes. And guess who won? Not me! Those guys are seriously good at sailing - it takes a lifetime of experience to be a good sailor, and they clearly have put in the work. In this way, sailing is like farming - you gain knowledge with each year. This year, I suspect I will learn a lot more about dealing with heavy rain...

Wild plum harvest.

My dad and I also spent some time in the historic parts of Panama City, and I took every opportunity I could to go running. On one of my runs, I came across some wild plums and was transported back to my childhood in Alabama. As I kid, I used to walk down dirt roads in search of these little treasures. Believe me - there is nothing like a ripe wild plum! Thanks to my dad, I also got to have some homemade squash pickles made from the squash in my father's garden. They were amazing - I included the recipe at the end of this post so you can make them, too!

Squash pickles. Look for the recipe in the blog next week!

As a farmer, I don't really like to be away from home for too long. I have to say, I'm especially glad to be back with my wife Beth and our four kids, Lila, Drew, Ada and Jimmy. Last week was amazing, though - it was wonderful to be able to reconnect with my father through our joint love of sailing. And, I got to see my Grandmother Mama Nell for a few days - she's turning 89 this year! So, I feel grateful for the break but even more thankful to be back with my family and doing what I love. How does the saying go? You can take the farmer out of the field, but you can't take the field out of the farmer... or something like that. You know what I mean!

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES (Use yellow squash, zucchini, or cucumbers)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds of yellow squash, zucchini or cucumbers, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (about 6 1/2 cups)

• 1 medium white onion (about 8 ounces), halved and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

• 2 heaping tablespoons coarse salt

• 3 cups cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

• 2 1/4 cups sugar

• 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds

• 3/4 teaspoon celery seed

• 3/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

• 3 fresh jalapenos (sliced round or lengthwise) or 3 dried hot chiles or

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring vinegar, sugar, mustard and celery seeds, peppercorns, turmeric, and red-pepper flakes, dried chiles to a boil in a saucepan. Add your choose or combo of squash, zucchini or cucumbers... and onion. Return cucumbers to a boil (if using squashes and or Jalapenos, add them, then remove from heat; do not return to a boil).

2. If eating within a week..(I at two jars in two days on vacation) just add the squash, zucchini or cucumber and onion/pepper liquid mixture to the mason jars and refrigerate. The bread and butter pickles can be eaten immediately!

3. For storage...I never take the time for this. Ladle into 3 hot sterilized pint jars, leaving about 1/2 inch below each jar's neck. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp cloth; cover tightly with sterilized lids and screw tops. Using tongs or a jar clamp, transfer jars to a rack in a large canning pot or a large, deep pot filled with hot water, being sure to keep jars upright at all times. (Jars should be spaced 1 inch apart, and should not touch sides of pot.) Cover with water by 1 inch. Cover pot, and bring to a boil. Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Let cool. Press down on each lid. If lid pops back, it's not sealed; refrigerate unsealed jars immediately, and use within 1 month. Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Caging tomato plants in the mud. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Well, we made it through another rainy week.  As you will see, our fields are a little muddy... We're working it through it, though - and check out the tomatoes and peppers we have on the way!

Some parts of our fields are muddier than others... Photo by Scott David Gordon

Montana drives tomato stakes into the mud. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Eric gets even more tomato stakes into the ground. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

And the tomatoes are coming in! Photo by Scott David Gordon

And peppers - here's a purple bell. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Bell pepper. Photo by Scott David Gordon

And more peppers - it's just the start. Photo by Scott David Gordon

A spot of sunshine. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our plan to attract bees seems to be working. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Come work for JBG! Photo by Scott David Gordon

We're hiring for seasonal and permanent positions at JBG - to check out the full list, please click here.  With the tomato season on it's way, we need a few dedicated people to join our crew for the Summer.  We are also hiring a Farm Courier and a Cooler Inventory Manager.  And if office work is more your speed, check out the open position for a Payroll Accountant.  Come be a part of our amazing team - click here for descriptions of our current employment opportunities.

By Megan Winfrey

Hey ya'll!

My name is Megan. I am a wife, brand new mama, and long time supporter of JBG. I've been a farmer's market frequenter for years, but since the arrival of our little one last month, I decided to hop on the CSA train. Let me tell ya, being able to count on a supply of fresh, organic produce every week has made life so much easier - and actually given me time to cook! I look forward to posting here weekly with recipes and ideas based on the contents of the current CSA box. Bon Appétit!

French Style Leek Tart

2-3 leeks, thinly sliced

2 tbs. butter

4 tbs. cold butter, cubed

1 cup cream

1 cup grated gruyére, swiss, or parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour

2 tbs. salt

5 tbs. ICED water

For the crust: Gently mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl or in a food processor. Use your hands to mix in the 4 tbs. of cold cubed butter, or add slowly to the food processor while pulsing. Add the iced water, one tbs. at a time. If done in the food processor, the dough will form into pea sized balls. Once combined, form the dough into a disc and let it sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until chilled.

Once the dough has chilled, use a floured surface to roll out an appropriately sized circle for your pie or tart pan. Lay the crust into your pan and flute the edges. Line the crust with aluminum foil and lay down pie weights or uncooked beans to keep the crust from rising. Bake for 10 minutes at 375ºF



For the filling: Melt 2 tbs. of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the leeks until soft, about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and add the cream and cheese. When the cheese is melted, pour the filling into your par baked crust and bake for 30 minutes at 375ºF

Side note: You are probably thinking "What? No eggs?!" And as crazy as it sounds, there are no eggs in this recipe. You can add 2 beaten eggs to the filling if you want for a fluffier, quiche like consistency.

Enjoy this dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! It's a delicious and easy way to use up those beautiful leeks.

CSA Box Contents Week of May 25th

Tractor wheel caked in mud. Photo by Scott David Gordon

As a farmer in Central Texas, my relationship to the all of the rain we've been having is complicated. Since I'm all too familiar with the threat of drought, I never want to say anything bad about the rain.  The truth is, we sure need it here - and lots of it.

And this is exactly what we are getting: days, and now going on weeks, of significant rain. In the long run, this is what we need to diminish the threat of drought, and it makes me happy to think of all of this beginning to refill our aquifers and lakes. As a farmer, I know my eye has to be on the future while simultaneously dealing with the problems at hand. For the future, this rain is a very good thing.

There are, however, problems at hand.  If you talk to our Assistant Farm Manager, Mike Reed, he will tell you flat out, “It’s bad out there.” First of all, there is the omnipresent problem of mud. Everything – and I mean everything – is caked in it. Our packing shed crew does their best to wash and clean the harvest, but it is impossible for them to get off all of the mud.

When you get your CSA shares this week, you will see some of this mud, and as your farmer, I ask for your understanding as we work under these unusual conditions.   We’ve had to harvest our potatoes in the rain, something we never do.   In fact, we usually stop watering our potato plants two weeks prior to harvest so that the surrounding soil and the potato skins can stay dry and have a chance to harden up.  Well, it didn’t matter one bit that we had stopped watering - Mother Nature had other ideas!

Given the forecast, we decided to go ahead and harvest the potatoes despite the wet conditions.  What this means for you is that the potatoes in your CSA box are uncharacteristically muddy, and in this case, the mud is intentional.  We purposely didn't wash it off.  This is because the mud serves as a protective cover for the skin and allows the potatoes to cure a little longer before you cook them.  I thank you for putting in the extra effort to clean these little guys - believe me, it will be worth the effort as they are delicious.

Our Assistant Farm Manager, Mike, has been working hard in these unusually wet conditions. Photo by Scott David Gordon

All of this rain has slowed things down considerably for our crew. Mike also said, “everything is slower and harder to do.” Imagine trying to harvest in muddy fields – your boots get a little heavier with each step you take. Also, it has been impossible to stay on our planting schedule. Currently, our tractors are of limited use. Plus, guess who also really likes this rain? Bugs! That means we can’t do much direct seeding, either, because all of these rain-loving bugs just eat up the seeds we put down.  Transplants do better, but it is a very slow process when done by hand in rain-drenched fields.

So, my hat goes off to our hard working crew. Typically, these wet conditions come and go pretty quickly, but this rain has hung around. And around. Our crew just keeps going, though. They are out there everyday, adapting to the changes the rain has wrought and doing it with incredible professionalism. I feel very lucky to have such fine people working for JBG. I imagine that they, like me, must also take the long-term view, since without rain, we would all be out of a job. It’s a frightening concept to think your water supply could disappear, and I think this is why no one wants to complain.  We would take this rain over the alternative any day.

As this rain continues, I hope that you will also take a long-term view. We are working really hard to grow the best organic vegetables we can for you, but the weather is beyond our control. It sure is a mess out there, but the good news is all of this rain will help enable JBG to grow your vegetables for years to come.

A lady bug at JBG. Photo by Scott David Gordon

This rain has been unbelievable, and our plants and flowers are soaking it up.  Check out those growing tomato plants and that amazing green bean harvest!

Tomato plants. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Tomatoes on the vine. Photo by Scott David Gordon

The flowers are loving all of this rain. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Green beans growing in the field. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Green bean harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Our greenhouse manager, Enrique, transfers a fig tree start. These were grown from clippings from the fig tree outside of the JBG office. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon