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LOCALLY GROWN, ORGANIC PRODUCE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR.

ALL HAIL THE CARROT

03/06/20 — Ada Broussard

ALL HAIL THE CARROT

Two quick reminders before we jump into talking about our favorite crop.
  • This weekend we are hosting our Transplant sale on Saturday (3/7) and Sunday (3/8). The address to our farm where you’ll find the transplant sale is 4008 River Road, Garfield, 78612. Please use this address; Google may lead you to our other location! In addition to Sunday’s transplant sale, we are also hosting a Gardening Workshop. Workshop details and tickets here.
  • You can still order transplants online for delivery to a farmers’ market. *Please note that we have already passed the cutoff to order transplants for delivery this weekend. Order by Thursday night for same-weekend delivery. Otherwise, you can order and expect a delivery the following week. Order transplants here.


Okay, now onto carrots. Mackenzie’s beautiful carrot tostada recipe this week had us pondering the special place carrots have in our hearts… and farm. Thus, we decided to share a bit of carrot history that we first shared back in 2016. We still love carrots.

You like them. Your kids like them. Your farmers love em. We're eating carrots like they're going out of style at the farm these days, so this week on the blog, we wanted to shed a light on one of our favorite crops, Daucus carota. This crisp and crunchy taproot has a lot more to it than meets the eye (they're also great for your eyes), so read up, eat up, and enjoy!

Carrots: A Brief History

Wild ancestors of our modern-day carrots have been around for nearly 5,000 years. These carroty roots were woodier, bitter, and thinner than what we grow today, and grew wild in modern-day Afghanistan. And that bright orange root we're used to? Think again - the original carrots came in a variety of colors - purple and yellow were prominent, but black, red and white carrots were also consumed. You read that correct - no orange at all! As early farmers bred these plants for plumper and tastier roots, seeds were also traded to other growing civilizations - images of purple carrots adorn the tombs of some ancient Egyptian pharaohs!

7th century depiction. Courtesy of the World Carrot Museum

Carrots reached Europe by the 13th century, and were often prescribed as a medicinal plant, used as an aphrodisiac and for numerous ailments, including animal bites. By this time, the cultivated carrots were most often red, yellow, and purple, and closer in shape and size to the carrots we are familiar with today. The first appearance of an orange carrot was in the Netherlands in the 16th century, around the time that William of Orange led the Dutch revolt against the Spanish empire. Dutch carrot farmers had bred a hybrid of the carrot with a bright orange color due to high levels of beta-carotene, and with the formation of a new Dutch empire, the variety became wildly popular and widely grown in honor of the House of Orange (or so they say). Bet you never guessed your favorite veggie had a political agenda, did you?

Why are they so important?

Aside from their beauty and great taste, carrots have a lot to offer to growers and consumers. They are quite the nutritional powerhouse - just 100g of carrots (or, 2 large carrots) contains over 100% of your daily vitamin A and is also a good source of vitamins K and B6 in only about 40 Calories! The carotenoids in carrots are potent antioxidants, helping your body fight damage on a cellular level.

From a farmers perspective, carrots are a wonderful crop. They thrive in cooler temperatures, are fairly resistant to pests and disease, and are a great storage crop. Farmers and homesteaders have relied on the storage life of carrots for hundreds of years, especially in colder climates, to keep their families fed during the cold months. Frosts increase the sugar content of carrots, which means that right now in Texas is one of the best times to be eating these tasty treats!



Fun facts:

The Indo-European root ker- refers to the similarities in shape between a carrot and a horn (the originals were white, remember?) Carrots and parsnips were often called by the same name - the first record of a parnsip wasn't until 1753 Mel Blanc, the voice of cartoon character Bugs Bunny, reportedly did not like carrots. Think "baby carrots" are just a fun mini variety? Think again.

15 Things to Do with your Carrots:

  1. Hot Paprika Roasted Carrots 
  2. Campfire Carrots 
  3. Cabbage, Carrot, and Turnip Slaw 
  4. Vietnamese Carrot and Turnip Pickles
  5. Roasted Honey Rosemary Carrots
  6. Tostadas with Carrot Top Pesto and Roasted Carrots 
  7. A Simple Carrot Soup
  8. Carrot, Sweet Potato, Almond Cookies
  9. Carrot Tangerine Turmeric Juice
  10. Carrot Hummus 
  11. Spiffed Up Ramen
  12. Escabeche 
  13. Carrot Cake 
  14. Sesame Ginger and Carrot Soba Noodle Bowls 
  15. French Grated Carrot Salad 
Carrot Hummus. Recipe and photo by Mackenzie Smith.

 



French Grated Carrot Salad. Photo and Recipe by the Migoni Kitchen.

Balsamic glazed red carrots. Recipe and photo by Laura Lee Imhoff.

TOSTADAS WITH CARROT TOP PESTO & ROASTED CARROTS

03/04/20 — Ada Broussard

Tostadas with Carrot Top Pesto & Roasted Carrots By: Mackenzie Smith

 

I went whole hog on a bunch of carrots this week. Roasted the carrots at 400F with salt and olive oil until fork tender and crispy on the skin (15-20 minutes), while I made pesto from the carrot top greens with dill, cilantro, spring onion, lemon, pecans and pepitas.

 

The best way to take advantage of the overlooked greens at the ends of some root vegetables is to make them into a pesto as soon as you get home from the market. I find that if I get straight to chopping as soon as I walk in the door, I am much more likely to actually use the tops of a bunch of  carrots or the greens from a radish to make into a pesto vs. letting them get too sad to be appetizing in the refrigerator. The greens are as fresh as they’ll ever be, and blitzing in a food processor with nuts and seeds, salt, herbs, and something sour preserve that freshness really well for a few days. Not a classic pesto by any means, but a really delicious way to enjoy everything the humble carrot has to offer.

 

I shared a recipe for carrot top pesto with dill on the JBG blog back in 2017, but each batch changes based on what we have in our kitchen. Use either recipe for carrot top pesto as a loose guide and add put it on everything!

 

For lunch today, we each had a tostada with carrot-top pesto and sliced roasted carrots with cilantro, green onion and chili flakes. Then we both had one more. Bon Appetit!

 

Carrot-top Pesto

Makes about 1 cup and a half of pesto

 

⅓ to ½ cup olive oil

1 bunch carrot tops

1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped

4-5 tablespoons dill, roughly chopped

⅓ cup pecans

⅓ cup pepitas

Juice of one lemon, and zest of half of it

3 spring onions, ends removed and roughly chopped

Salt to taste (start with at least one teaspoon and add more as necessary)

 

Pulse everything in a food processor, adding more olive oil as you need to. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

CSA BOX CONTENTS WEEK OF MAR 2ND

03/03/20 — Scott

 
Large Box
Beets
Carrot, Orange
Carrot, Rainbow
Farmers Choice
Garlic, Green
Greens, Chard, Rainbow
Greens, Kale, Dino
Greens, Salad Mix
Lettuce, Romaine
Onion, Multiplying
Radish
Turnip
Medium Box
Beets
Carrots
Garlic, Green
Greens, Chard, Rainbow
Greens, Kale, Dino
Greens, Spinach
Herb, Cilantro
Lettuce, Romaine
Radish
Turnip
Small Box
Beets
Cabbage
Carrots
Greens, Collards
Greens, Kale, Curly
Greens, Spinach
Herb, Cilantro
Individual Box
Carrots
Greens, Collards
Greens, Kale, Dino
Lettuce, Romaine
Roasting Veggies

REMINDERS FROM YOUR FARMERS

02/28/20 — Ada Broussard



This week we've got a few quick reminders.



Number 1: The first day of our Greenhouse Transplant sale is happening this Saturday, 2/29. This sale is taking place at our farm in Garfield, Texas, located at 4008 River Road, Garfield, 78612. The sale will be happening from 9am-1pm.



Number 2: Can't make it to the sale this Saturday? Lucky for you, we're opening our greenhouse doors for more dates than ever this year. Other sale dates will be: Sat. March 7, Sunday March 8, Sat. March 14, Saturday March 21, and Saturday March 28th. In addition to our transplants, we’ll also have a selection of farm-grade tomato cages and stakes, compost, and fertilizer. In other words, we’re prepared to be your one-stop shop for an amazing spring garden.



Number 3: On Sunday, March 8th, we're hosting an Organic Gardening Workshop with our friends at Club Home Made. One ticket is good for the whole family. We will have a volunteer on site to help with the kiddos and lead them in an activity so you can focus on the workshop. Tickets and details here.



Number 4: We're partnering up with TreeFolks and distributing free saplings of native trees to anyone who purchases transplants at our sale on Saturday March 7th, and Sunday March 8th. If there are any saplings leftover, the rest will be distributed the following week.



Number 5: In case you didn't get the memo, you don't have to visit our greenhouses to get your hands on our organic transplants. You can order online and pickup at a farmers' market! To see the full online offerings and order your garden transplants, click here.

OUR FAVORITE WEEKNIGHT SIDE SALAD

02/28/20 — Ada Broussard



Our Favorite Weeknight Side Salad Serves 2 Total Time: 10 minutes

We have been getting TONS of beautiful greens in our CSA box and cannot complain. Once you have a beautiful head of fresh lettuce in your salad and try to compare it to boxed salad mixes you can’t go back. We are loving the greens so much we wanted to feature them in a simple recipe - a classic side salad! We had a salad very similar to this at a restaurant in Dallas called R&D Kitchen called the pine room salad and loved it so much we decided to recreate it.

Ingredients: 1 head Romaine or Green Leaf Lettuce, chopped ½ Cup White Cheddar, Grated ¼ Cup Glazed Pecans or Almonds(we get ours at Sprouts/Central Market/Whole Foods), Roughly chopped

Dressing: 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar 1 Tablespoon Whole Grain or Dijon Mustard 1 Tablespoon Honey ¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions: In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Then, slowly add in the olive oil and whisk until combined. (Tip - to save a bowl - you can actually make your dressing directly into your large salad bowl and then throw your salad ingredients in!)

Combine the lettuce, cheddar, and pecans in a salad bowl and toss with dressing before serving.

CSA BOX CONTENTS WEEK OF FEB 24TH

02/24/20 — Scott

CSA Box Contents Week of Feb 24th

Large Box
Beets
Cabbage
Carrot, Orange X 2
Citrus, Mixed
Greens, Collards X 2
Greens, Kale, Curly
Greens, Spinach
Herb, Cilantro
Lettuce, Romaine
Onion, Spring White
Roasting Veggies
Medium Box
Beets
Cabbage
Carrot, Orange
Farmers Choice
Greens, Chard, Rainbow
Greens, Kale, Curly
Greens, Salad Mix
Herb, Parsley, Flat
Onion, Spring White
Roasting Veggies
Small Box
Beets
Carrot, Orange
Greens, Chard, Rainbow
Greens, Kale, Dino
Greens, Salad Mix
Herb, Parsley, Flat
Onion, Spring White
Individual Box
Beets
Carrot, Orange
Greens, Chard, Rainbow
Greens, Kale, Curly
Lettuce, Romaine

OUR TOP 4 TRANSPLANTS THIS YEAR

02/21/20 — Ada Broussard

Our annual transplant sale is happening now. You can order transplants online for pickup at a farmers market, or you can make a trip out to Garfield and visit our Greenhouses which, for the next few weeks, have transformed into a public-facing nursery. This year, we are opening up the greenhouse for more dates than ever: Saturday Feb. 29, Sat. March 7, Sunday March 8, Sat. March 14, Saturday March 21, and Saturday March 28th. On these dates, the doors will be wheeled open (they’re on rollers) beginning at 9am and wheeled closed at 1pm. In addition to our transplants, we’ll also have a selection of farm-grade tomato cages and stakes, compost, and fertilizer. In other words, we’re prepared to be your one-stop shop for an amazing spring garden.  Last but not least, on Sunday, March 8th, we’re hosting our annual Spring Gardening Workshop, taught by Farmer Becky and Ada of Club Home Made. Tickets and details here. 

Want to grow a bounty like this? JBG transplants are poised to produce. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Farmer Becky has taught the JBG Gardening Workshop for the past 3 years. We're stoked to have she and her Club Home Made partner Ada lead the workshop again! One ticket is good for the whole family. Bring the kiddos - we'll have some activities and volunteers in place to keep them occupied.

This year, our sale features so many varieties of vegetables. Like an old collector purging their coins, we started this year off by cleaning out our seed cooler. We found so many special seeds that have been hiding back there, waiting to get their moment in the sun. These seeds are some of our favorite varieties, but for some reason or another, they’re not a good fit for our production or farm model. Instead, they prefer the intimate confines of a home garden, room to flourish and an opportunity to be appreciated for their uniqueness. Classic spring and summer plants adorn the selection, too, including classics like Genovese Basil (endless fresh pesto, anyone?) and heirloom tomatoes. 

We’re not here to tell you want to plant, because really, there are so many exciting varieties. But! If you do need some suggestions, here are our top 4 picks this season:

 

Cherokee Purple Tomato

If you’ve never grown your own Cherokee Purple tomatoes, please, do us a favor and plant one this season. Your experience of what a tomato should taste like might never be the same. Like all heirloom tomatoes, Cherokee Purple tomato seeds have been carefully selected by farmers for flavor (rather than consistency). A prized Cherokee Purple tomato should have a deep and dusty color that blends into moments of dark maroons, purples, and greens when ripe. The flesh is a deep crimson, and sliced in a thick steak it’s the ultimate contender for a tomato sandwich - perfecting balancing elements of sweet, acidic, and a deep deep tomato-ey taste. Though we sometimes plant a few beds of Cherokee Purple tomatoes at JBG they require a bit more space and attention that we have the labor to provide on such a large scale. For this reason, it’s up to you. 

The Cherokee Purple Tomato is really more crimson with moments of dark greens and blues. Whatever the color, it's delicious. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our Transplant Sale offers many heirloom varieties. Come check them out in person on the last Saturday of February or any Saturday in March. We will also be open on Sunday, March 8th, when we're hosting our gardening workshop.

 

Sungold Tomato

Sungold tomatoes might rival Cherokee Purples for the title of most popular heirloom tomato, but the distinctions between these two varieties couldn’t be more striking. And for this reason, no tomato garden, and no tomato salad, salad is complete without both of these delicious varieties. Sungold tomatoes are small yellowish-orange cherry tomatoes. Sungolds are often heralded as the sweetest tomato, and a pint of these cherry tomatoes can be gobbled up like a pint of raspberries. One sungold plant in your garden can grow as tall as 8-10 feet, and if picked consistently, it will produce heavily all season long. Grow 2 sungold cherry tomato plants, and you’ll be gorging on this delicious fruit like a king or queen. 

One well-fed and well-cared for Sungold plant will yield huge clusters of the candy-like tomato, all season long. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

 

Genovese Basil

Whether you’re new to gardening or have an almanac of experience, no summer garden is complete without basil. Basil is easy to grow and is undeniably a delicious herb to have around all season - torn basil leaves are as essential to a summer plate as a sliced tomato. A bunch of fresh basil from the grocery store can run upwards of $5, making this common herb feel more like a precious box of saffron. But if you grow basil in your own garden, a productive plant will yield a basil abundance that will leave you feeling rich in green. Huge vats of fresh pesto can be slathered on bread, dolloped on eggs, or tossed with pasta, the extra frozen for colder seasons. Blend basil with olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and garlic to make a basil oil so good you’ll want to drink it. Fresh basil leaves are essential for a trattoria-inspired summertime lunch, but are also delicious in other worldly cuisines. Plant basil next to tomatoes for some companion planting benefits: basil’s beautiful aroma will help deter pests like aphids, tomato hornworms, and flies - keeping them off of not only your basil plant, but also the neighboring tomatoes. 

Basil is always one of the most popular transplants at our annual sale, and for good reason: it's easy to grow and is even suitable for a pot.

 

Pequin Peppers

Pequin peppers are very small hot peppers, commonly used as a spice but also totally edible fresh. The peppers grow wild in Mexico and parts of the Southwest, and we hope that a few grow wild in your garden, too. Pequins pack a punch: they are a little hotter than a cayenne and about 12 times hotter than a jalapeno. Aka, a little goes a long way. Popular hot sauces like Cholula are made with pequins, and they also make a wonderful red pepper flake when dried. In fact, if you like to cook, your pantry should most certainly be stocked with chili pequin, and the best chili pequin comes from drying and grinding your own pequin peppers. No Mexican dish is complete without a dash of dried pequin. We promise, the process of drying & grinding is simple. To make the dried spice known as Coban, smoke your pequins before drying and grinding. One or two pequin plants will yield many peppers. Plant a couple more to do the Texan thing and make some homemade hot sauce to share. By the time you grow, dry, and grind the peppers, your sauce will be ready in time for holiday favors. 

 

See the tiniest red pepper in this spread? The small red dots, in the far right column? Those are pequins, and they pack a punch. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

See you at the greenhouse!

 
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