Harvesting kale. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Planting season is in full swing! We are prepping the beds and getting those transplants in the ground as fast as humanly possible. Our greenhouse is VERY full of transplants right now, and it is quite the sight. On top of that, one of our spring re-finishing projects is fixing up, revitalizing, and re-painting our farm trailers. Busy, busy, busy here at the farm. Come see us at the markets this weekend, this weather is incredible!

Harvesting kale. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Brussel sprout details. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Plantin' taters. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Plantin' 'taters. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Rainbow kale sittin' pretty. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplants and their future home in the distance. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplant team. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Prepping and smoothing out the beds for planting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Evenly spreading compost over the beds. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvesting collards. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In case it hasn't been on your radar, we publish this fabulous staff-favorite-centric post every first Friday of each month! This is the inaugural picks post of 2018, and we thought it deserved a highlight since it's one of our long-time favorites and definitely a skim-worthy feature if you're in the market for new ideas and inspiration. Ever wonder what your local farmers do off the fields? Cue: FIRST FRIDAY STAFF PICKS!

We think that our staff is the best in the business (okay, okay, we are a little biased), but the JBG family hails from all over the place and covers the gamut in talents and interests. We love sharing events, adventures, and side projects that inspire and excite our JBG-ers (food-related or not) with the community. Check out the staff-curated list of favorites below!

Ryan and the radishes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Farm, in general

Mark your calendars! Our Spring Potluck is Saturday, March 31... it'll be a bundle of fun with a Garden Gallop, music, tons of kids' activities, and veggies galore, of course.

Our transplant sale is also coming up fast! It will take place over three Saturdays: February 24, March 3, March 10th. On the March 3rd weekend, we will be having a Spring Gardening Workshop with Becky + Brenton from 10am-noon. The workshop will be from 10am-11:30, with either a wagon ride or walking tour the last 30 minutes. Please note: we are doing things a bit differently this year with regard to the transplant sale! We won't be doing any online sales... we will only be selling transplants in person at the farm; however, for the weekend of March 3rd, we will take online orders and deliver them to farmers' markets only.

ALSO, PRE-TRANSPLANT SALE! Curly kale, tuscano kale, cabbage (red, green, and savoy), plus onions... all for sale. Prices below:

Price for everything (except onions): Trays of 100 plants for $20/tray. If you buy five or more, the price per tray is $15.

Onion price: Onions are available in bunches of 50-75 plants. We have 3 varieties: our favorite red short-day, Texas Early White and yellow Texas super sweet 1015Y, all well adapted to central Texas.

Prices are as follows:

• # of Bunches
• 1 $15
• 5 $37
• 10 $60
• 15 $73
• 20 $86
• 30 $105 (full case)

To order, please e-mail or call Noemi at: noemi@jbgorganic.com or (512) 666-3460. All transplants must be picked up at the farm location (4008 River Rd, Cedar Creek TX, 78612) OR HERGOTZ M-F 8-4:30pm. Please schedule your pick-up time with me at least 24 hrs in advance. We accept cash, check or credit card. Payment due at time of pick-up.

Becky (Farm Manager)

In the theme of culinary explorations, I have to take a moment to admit how smitten I am with the Instapot. Instapot came into my world at Christmas time, and at first I was skeptical... usually anything that claims to do everything actually does nothing well. BUT, this wonderful kitchen gadget is the exception. About 40% of my meals are now coming out of this pot. Because pressure cooking speeds up the cooking time; I can get home, throw a bunch of veggies in the pot, and have it be done cooking by the time I'm done getting cleaned up from work. Also, It sautes well, if I want to start out by browning onions or meat before pressure cooking without getting another pan dirty. *Swoon* Plus, did I mention it makes yogurt, steams veggies, works like a classic slow cooker and makes rice in 10 min? Yes, I know being this smitten with a cooking gadget is really uncool-- and NO, I am not an Instapot sales rep. Just a very busy farm manager who likes a good hot stew at the end of the day.

Here's a recipe I made last night that came out well:

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 5 heads of garlic, minced
• 1 quart of stock
• 2 small heads of cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch of swiss chard or beet greens, chopped
• 1 scarlet turnip, cubed
• 5 carrots, sliced
• 1 tbs of Ghee or other cooking oil
• 1 bay leaf
• Curry powder (to taste)
• Salt (to taste)

First cook the onions and garlic on the "Saute" Function.

Then, throw everything else in the Instapot, close it and press "Pressure cook" function for 20 min.

Come back in 20 min, tweak salt and curry powder to taste. and ENJOY! (You can also make this in a regular pot ?)

Montana (Direct Seed Lead)

Coffee. Dark roasted, French pressed, and blended with coconut oil and grass-fed butter. By the quart. It's plantin' season, y'all!

Brenton (Head Farmer)

Oh, my picks?! RUNNING. I've been on a health kick. After I heard about the US News and World Reports best diets, I've been diving deep into the Mediterranean diet and Dash diet.

I've been CRAZY into smoothies. I've been making the worst smoothies you can imagine. So, I've always loved the taste of V8 and Bloody Marys, so for awhile, I was on a kick of recreating that: celery, cherry tomatoes, garlic, carrots, and spicy chili pequin peppers, ground, white vinegar, black pepper, parsley. YUM! [gross]. I drank those for a few weeks and then couldn't take it anymore. Then, I moved onto my next gross smoothie creation... take your standard banana-yogurt-blueberry smoothie, and kick it up with a huge handful of salad mix. Kale would've been the obvious choice, but I had a bag of salad greens on hand. Juiceland, you hiring? Most people do a fridge clean-out with a soup or stew, but I just throw mine in a blender and drink it. All this running and smoothie-drinking is paying off. I've lost 10 lbs!

But I did make these awesome Dutch donuts called Oliebollin for New Years. The literal translation is oily balls. Seriously! Grease splashed all over my face and I got a little burned! I also went to L'oca D'oro and it was really top notch. The food was really enjoyable, I had beet ravioli. It was awesome. It reminded him of my trip to Italy. Plus, every month they focus on different regions of Italy. I love to cook and am really picky most of the time. I've been eating out a lot lately and it really was a standout.  Highly recommended!

Taylor (Spray Team)

My dream came true this past month! all I've wanted was to own a restaurant on the beach, listen to reggae, cook on the beach, and meet people. This happened! On a getaway to Costa Rica this past weekend, we befriended the owner of a local spot who gave us a cooking lesson and let us work in his restaurant for the day (we weren't doing anything else!). This restaurant was incredible. I was only in Costa Rica for 4 days, and we ate here for at least four meals. Cool and Calm Cafe! "Welcome to Cool and Calm, Treat it like it's your home!" - That's the motto, and how the owner would greet everyone who entered. I made coconut milk from scratch! We also made Caribbean chicken, rice and peas, fish tacos, patacones (fried plantains), and this delicious mixed-cabbage salad with a mustard vinaigrette that is served on everything.



Wanna try your hand at some patacones? Here's a basic recipe.

Andrew (CSA Line Lead)

My second show this month is a heavy hitter. It's on Sunday, February 18th from 3 to 6 PM at Work Well Austin. WE ARE is a collaborative effort blending the photographic eye of "Magnetic Focus Photography" Nikki Acosta with the concepts of Cindie "Stormie" Corbin. Drinks, fire spinning, and yours truly serving crunchy riffs. Maybe even a radical beagle named Butters.

Photos by Magnetic Focus Photography.

Megan (Recipe Blogger)

I've made a lot of fun plans in February that I'm super stoked on. First, there's the Jay Farrar (Son Volt) set at ACL Live this Saturday (2/3). Son Volt is a classic Americana/alt-country band whose tunes elevate the summertime-backyard-BBQ or river float. I'm excited to see them stripped down to a duo, for a softer take on some of my all-time fav summer jams. Next up is the Pop Up Magazine show at Hogg Auditorium on the 21st. The Pop Up Mag crew has been through Austin before - my oldest and dearest friend is one of the producers - but this will be my first time seeing the show in person. And my only expectation is to be completely blown away. Having never witnessed a live storytelling performance with an orchestra, visuals, and incredibly moving content - I'm riding this wave of glowing reviews and awe-stricken friends right into my seat. And you should, too!

Last on the docket, and arguably the most exciting, is seeing Daniel Tiger LIVE at Bass Concert Hall on the 24th. I have an almost 3-year old, and she's going to lose her freakin' mind! And Daniel Tiger is actually one of my favorite kid's shows, Ugga Mugga!

Ada (CSA + Marketing Manager)

I just finished a "30 at home" challenge, where I cooked all my meals at home for 30 days. The idea is simple, and mostly it was, but it did make me aware of some of my serious taco-grabbing tendencies. Although it wasn't necessarily the goal, I ended up saving a lot of money, which made purchasing really nice proteins (thanks, Salt + Time) a no-brainer. Finished up the month with a posole-inspired soup and used up the rest of my Thanksgiving chicken/turkey stock, and some delicious smoked pork that was also hanging out in my freezer. Top with half a perfectly ripe avocado and a very generous squeeze of lime, and boom-shaka-laka. If you're reading this, I invite you to check out this challenge!



Just got my new favorite pair of jeans from @loyalvintage. No picture to share, but they look just like these Wranglers. My kinda pants.

Mike (Wholesale Manager)

All things Fareground!

Henbit - The Pork Sando. Just eat it!

Dai Due Taqueria - all the tacos, but get an extra of anything with the wild boar.

Contigo - the burger with a start of kimchi flavored wings with any of the sauces.

Farground Austin. Photo by Robert J. Lerma. Courtesy of the EATER Austin website.

Heydon (Farm Blogger)

Music: Kendrick Lamar's performance at the Grammys this year, holy moly. His unparalleled musical stylings paired with Dave Chappelle and incredible choreography... I had chills and jaw dropped the entire time.

Movies: I, Tonya, Lady Bird, Call Me by Your Name, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri, The Shape of Water, The Post... I've been going to the movies a ridiculous amount the past month thanks to my newly acquired MoviePass membership.

This picture of my beau by his really good friend, roommate + bandmate, and incredibly talented photographer, Tamir Kalifa. This is an oldie from one of their Mother Falcon tours... speaking of, all the band members host a music camp for kids every summer called Mother Falcon Music Lab. "Diversity and accessibility are central to the Mother Falcon Music Lab’s mission. Each year, the summer music camp has aimed to provide need-based scholarships for up to 50% of its attendees. Through their membership in the Austin Creative Alliance and a generous grant from the City of Austin, MFML has the wonderful opportunity to offer a creative learning experience to any applicant." So think about donating to MFML and helping sponsor a really unique and life-changing experience for a music-loving kiddo? It's really an incredible camp, plus, they have a showcase at the end of both sessions, so you can come see the campers slay at a venue in town. Watch the video here to get a better idea of what the camp is really like.

Photo by Tamir Kalifa.

I just finished Yoga with Adriene's TRUE: 30 Day Yoga Journey yesterday and am feeling psyched about my home practice. Check it out here, maybe a little yoga revamp is just what you needed.

Marc (Farmers' Market Manager)

I wanna give a shoutout to my Instapot that I got for Christmas. It goes with our veggies, you know? You can make your bone broth in an hour, roast a pork shoulder in two. It makes my life easy when I'm really busy. (Shout out to Becky - I totally understand the Instapot fervor).

Missoula (Farm Dog 1)

Sneaks. Sneakers and jeans. I've always had a positive association with sneakers (they usually mean walks, but here at Hergotz they just mean straight comfort and tender arch support). I'm just loving all the sneaks and jeans popping up at the barn. Pictured here are Brenton's (left) and Andrew's (right).



My other staff pick: Mike Mo. I know I sound like a broken record here, but this guy really knows how to pamper a pup. Pictured here is my daily neck massage. Not pictured was the spiral dog chew he treated me to this week from @daidue. I've never had a treat which such deliciously tough and chewy texture. I could smell the hog from whence it came. Plus, I don't feel bad about those extra calories knowing I'm doing my part to support local ranchers and keep the hog population at bay. As me and Jesse Griffiths say, #eatahogsavetheworld.

Rocky + Chooch (Farm Dogs 2 + 3)

Lena. That gal always has our backs and, dare we say, understands us.

CSA Box Contents Week of Jan 29th

Recipe and Photos by Nadia Tamby

You can make this dish with any other root vegetable or green as well. Our basket this week came with rutabagas, beets, and kohlrabi – all of them (or a mélange of any combination) would be great in this dish. Cooking the turnips in this way with cream mellows out the sharpness of the vegetable and the anchovy breadcrumbs are just salty and crunchy enough to give the dish some contrast. Don’t be afraid of the anchovies – you can’t see them once they melt into the butter and aren’t fishy at all in this dish – the umami flavor they contribute is perfect. Originally, we made the breadcrumbs to top roasted broccoli, so make extra and top leftover veggies or pasta dishes with the breadcrumbs for a little extra flavor and crunch. They should keep in the fridge for about a week. This dish is filling enough to serve with a salad, but is also a delicious side dish to roasted chicken/fish or a unique alternative to scalloped potatoes. I also love a dish like this because you can assemble it ahead of time and on a busy weeknight, all you need to do is turn the oven on to have a comforting gratin ready in less than an hour!



Ingredients:

Gratin:

• 1 tablespoon softened butter (to coat bottom and sides of gratin dish)
• 2 lbs thinly sliced turnips or other root vegetables (peeled, if needed)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1-2 bunches spinach greens, washed, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Breadcrumbs:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4-6 anchovies from a tin (make sure you’re not buying sardines!)
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 cup torn bread (crusts removed – pulse in food processor if needed)
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced (for garnish)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Melt butter in a sauté pan, then add the anchovies and mash with a spoon into the butter until they have “dissolved.” Add the grated garlic and the bread and toss until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the chopped rosemary and set aside.

In the same pan, add the chopped garlic cloves and sauté until they are softened (add a drizzle of olive oil a bit more butter if needed), then add the spinach and toss until wilted. Remove from the heat.

Coat a gratin dish or glass baking dish with the softened butter. If you have extra just leave it in the dish as it will melt into it. Layer the sliced turnips or other root vegetables on the bottom, slightly overlapping them, then drizzle some cream and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Spoon some of the spinach mixture on top and spread as evenly as you can (perfection isn’t necessary for this dish!). Repeat these steps until you have used all the turnips and spinach.



Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 35 minutes (at 400F). Do not add the breadcrumbs yet or else they will burn! I cover the dish with foil so that everything steams and cooks evenly. Remove the foil and look at the dish – if it seems like there is excessive liquid, bake it for another 5-10 minutes uncovered. Once the gratin is creamy without being too moist, add the breadcrumbs and increase the temperature to 425F. Bake for another 10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the gratin rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it (you’ll have cleaner cuts when serving and if there was any excess liquid, the vegetables will have time to absorb it). Top with thinly sliced scallions or chopped parsley.

Frost on the crops. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Every morning this week was either at freezing or below. The harvest crew has been focusing on harvesting root crops until everything else has been warmed up by the sun. Some of the crops have damage from the freezing temperatures, and some have fared the cold quite well. There wasn't much planting done this week, but the bed preparation continues.

We also visited the HOPE Farmers Market this past weekend, too. Check it out this Sunday at Plaza Saltillo!

Frost on the greens. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Frost on the crops. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvesting roots. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Frost on the lettuce. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Filling up the compost spreader for bed prep. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Glorious brussels. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Ada, our marketing manager, getting the word out. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

HOPE Farmers Market stand. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Some of the market spread. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Some of the market spread. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Interactions at the farmers market stand. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The hard-working HOPE farmers market staff. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tunes at HOPE. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

All you have been hearing from us this New Years is this persistent message: "Join the CSA! Join the CSA!" And well, we still stand by that (PS - You have less than a week left to seize the wonderful opportunity to get your first box free upon joining this month), but we wanted to take a minute to illustrate some of the magic around our CSA community. The best part of joining the CSA is, undoubtedly, the delicious food that you can make with our local and organic veggies. Food can be a tool to nourish our bodies, but also to create and strengthen community. It brings family and friends together time and time again, and we think that our CSA members do that the best - bring people together. We wanted to portray what a CSA really looks like for our members through the incredible culinary creations they make and share on social media every day. Take a gander below. **Disclaimer: it might make you hungry**



The collage above shows quick sandwiches and easy tacos to elaborate dumplings, stunning bento boxes and warming soups, all done with the vegetables from our CSA boxes! Whether you have an entire night to leisurely cook, or a quick fifteen minutes to throw something together before running out the door, there are recipes aplenty for your specific lifestyle. Joining the CSA is obviously a wonderful opportunity to brighten your plates and ameliorate your overall health, but on top of that, our CSA members love sharing brilliant and delectable recipes online, just check out our instagram, our tagged photos, or peruse our hashtag - #jbgorganic for some new ideas. Just when you think you've tried everything with those ubiquitous beets? Think again, our CSA community is a gaggle of innovative folks. Click here to sign up now, and don't forget to use the code: getcookin2.

Here is what the CSA means to some of our long-term members:

"We've been JBG members for years now and love it. It makes us feel connected to our home in a meaningful way, watching the veggies in the box change with the seasons. But what I love most now, as our family has grown, is going through our box and teaching my two-year old son the names of veggies and trying the news ones together as a family." -Joanna

"When we first moved to Austin, we joined another CSA (Johnson's wasn't around then), and for various reasons, JBG is the 3rd CSA we have been a member of. And they are the best! I remember when we first joined that I was so impressed with the condition of the veggies we received, they were so clean and fresh! We picked them in part because they provided veggies all year around, and we could choose to receive a box every week or every other week. Since then, the farm has continued to make improvements for members and provide different options." -Christina

"Mostly, though, we eat those vegetables in ways that I've always loved and in new ways: migas with collards, veggie tortilla soup, frittatas, greens soup, roasted root veggies, butternut soup, zucchini soup, baked crispy okra with onions, and eggplant every way. I don't know which I love more, that I'm eating healthy, organic food; that I'm buying local and I know the names of the farmers who grow my food; or that I'm providing an insurance policy for Johnson's Backyard Garden with my CSA. Maybe it's just that my CSA is another way I can try to help save our planet." -Alana

"In the passed 5 years I've gone from a busy professional to a busy stay-at-home Mom of two. During that time one thing that has remained constant has been our yearly subscription to JBG. It's like putting "healthy eating" on autopilot. I know when I open the fridge I always have organic, locally grown, FRESH vegetables to feed my family ...and I am so incredibly grateful!" - Stephanie

"JBG has added some very helpful features over the years. The swap/add features lets you trade out a couple of choices for preferred items and the add option gives easy access to organic eggs and citrus as needed. You can postpone a delivery if you’re busy or traveling. You can order as few as 4 weeks of delivery." -Genoka

Gals and their carrots. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Thanks to: @mackannecheese, @banananads, @remythecook, @mattft33, @tmgrayless, @christykramer, @tacodeli, @eatthegains, @gourmettexaspasta, @bentopicnic, @sheenaspickles, @skullandcakebones, @bigals_kitchen, @_worldinapocket, @adrianapalucci, @plantbasedschool, @christielynnclarke, @localcreativeedibles, and @themigonikitchen for your incredible food photos!

Recipe and Photo by Megan Winfrey

During the colder months, cabbage becomes a staple in our CSA boxes. Week after week, I find myself trying to figure out a new way to use it. There's just SO MUCH OF IT!

On one of those nights when the fridge was practically empty, I plugged what I had into Google. "Cabbage and rice side dish." (yes, the fridge was that empty)

I found a recipe from Amy on the "All Recipes" page that I could work with. It sounded a little bland, so I spiced it up a bit and let me tell you - I'll be making this and variations of it on the regular.

You can substitute basically any spice or marinade mixture and add the gamut of diced veggies to the versatile side dish. Cabbage and rice are such a clean palate, you could really take this dish in almost any direction!

I haven't been this excited about cabbage since I mastered my sauerkraut recipe.

Cabbage Rice with Tomatoes

• 1 head cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp. salted butter
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. lemon pepper
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar

Start by bringing the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the rice and butter then stir, cover, and lower to a simmer. Allow the rice to cook for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove the rice from the heat but leave covered.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high. Add the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage, vinegar, and spices and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Once the cabbage is cooked down, mix in the tomatoes and cooked rice. Combine well and serve. I served mine with braised short ribs and gravy.