Recipe and Photos by Megan Winfrey

Cleaning out my spice cabinet earlier this week, I pulled out a jar of spices that my good friend (CSA manager) Ada sent me from Israel. I keep them in an old coffee tin, often forgetting they even exist. After removing the lid, the whole kitchen immediately filled up with spicy, pungent aromas that always transport me to a middle eastern spice market, even though I've never been to one. So for dinner that night, some JBG cauliflower, a random Israeli spice mix, and a few other kitchen staples came together to form this warm salad, which we paired with herb crusted chicken breasts. I wish I could tell you what's in the Israeli spice mix, but any combination of salt, pepper, dried dill, and sesame seeds would do the trick.



Warm Cauliflower Salad w/ Israeli Spices & Herbs

• 1 head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 1 tbs. olive oil
• 1 tbs. toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbs. Israeli spice mix
• 1/4 cup pepitas, toasted
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• Juice & zest of half a lemon
• 1 tbs. parsley, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

On a sheet pan, mix chopped cauliflower, olive oil, sesame oil, and spice mix until the cauliflower is coated.

Israeli spices from Ada.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and slightly browned.

While the cauliflower roasts, toast the pepitas over low heat until fragrant. Shake the pan often as to not let the pepitas burn.

Transfer the roasted cauliflower to a serving dish. Top with toasted pepitas, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, zest, and parsley. Combine well, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 24th

Happy holidays, farm friends! 

Holiday stockings for all the good JBG kiddos. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The farm will be closed on Christmas Day as well as New Year's Day. Therefore, all Tuesdays deliveries and pickups for the week of 12/24 and 12/31 have been moved to Monday 12/24 & 12/31. On Monday 12/24, you can expect all deliveries and pickups to be made at least an hour earlier than normal.

As a gentle reminder, if you don't need your CSA share during the holidays and haven't yet talked to Casey, consider donating your box instead of postponing it. All donated CSA shares go towards our Sponsored Share Program and are delivered to either The Settlement Home or Safeplace. In case you missed it, check out our recent blog post which highlights our 7-year partnership with The Settlement Home. We are so incredibly grateful for our CSA Members' generosity - this partnership wouldn't be possible without our incredible community. Thank you!

Artwork at The Settlement Home. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Please let us know if you have any questions about your delivery or perhaps have a new favorite recipe you'd like to share. We know that gatherings and meals abound this time of year, so here are some of our favorite recipes that are perfect for this holidays!

For the soup lovers, we're drooling over this coconut and turmeric soup recipe which makes great use of our winter greens.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith.

For the casserole lovers, try this chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole. It's immensely comforting and puts to great use all that broccoli we are harvesting right now. 

Need a quick and simple, but equally delicious and comforting meal to impress? How about throwing together this Asian beef stir-fry with bok choy for the family to enjoy!

Photo by the Migoni Kitchen.

This green pork posole would be a great one-pot dish for Christmas Eve or Christmas night. Pick up some tamales for a complete and simple meal.

If you are more inclined to skip the meats, check out this amazing cabbage steak with balsamic glaze. Who needs those meaty proteins, when you have a big crunchy cabbage? 

Photo by Megan Winfrey.

If you are looking for some great vegetable sides, how about AISD's famous carrots with herbs de Provence? Other great ideas for comforting vegetable sides include purple turnip & garlic mash or some delectable cauliflower skillet cakes. 

Everybody needs something light on their holiday table to break up the heavy and rich foods that usually dominate. Check out this everyday kale salad with infinite options. 

We think that this is the best salad ever. Seriously. This grilled caesar salad is legendary and sure to impress.

Photo by Megan Winfrey.

And finally, the classic New Year's dish, easy black-eyed peas and collard greens!

Need a last minute gift? We've got fun and fashionable farm merch as well as CSA Gift certificates and market bucks. Peruse some options here. Shoot us an email if you'd like us to deliver a gift along with your CSA share! Happy holidays from all of us here at JBG! 'Til next time.

Radiant radishes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We are getting ready for the impending holidays! They are right around the corner. The Garfield crew threw a fajita celebration last week, and the Hergotz crew is busy hiding presents for their annual Secret Santa and Holiday potluck gathering today. We are hiring for planting crew if you or someone you know want to get their hands dirty and work with the best in the farm business (okay, okay, we know we're biased).  Believe it or not, we already have Spring on the mind!

If you have been ruminating about joining our CSA, keep an eye out for a special promotion that we will be running in January! We have also had a mammoth cauliflower harvest these past two weeks, we will be sending extra to markets this weekend. Be sure to visit the markets this weekend for all your holiday needs! Happy holidays!

Radiant radish rinsing. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kohlrabi beauty. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fennel textures. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Carrot rinsing. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Getting onions in the ground. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Onion transplants waiting to get in the ground! Photo by Scott David Gordon.\

Transplanting. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Foggy farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Peeking out from the tractor window. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Lugging in the greens harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Radish harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fog filled kale field. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Getting transplants out of the greenhouse and into the fields. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Pretty farm details. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 17th

Here at the farm, we partner and supply weekly vegetable donations to a handful of Austin organizations that are truly unsung community heroes. This past week, we had the immense privilege of visiting our partner of 7 years, The Settlement Home, an all women-run private nonprofit that cares for young women who have been removed from chaotic, abusive, and neglectful backgrounds through a variety of services and programs, on their gorgeous and very impressive 10-acre campus. With around 50 girls on site, they are placed into different programs depending on their individual needs with the ultimate goal of being reuniting with their families or matching up with a suitable adoption family. The Settlement Homes' vision statement is "working to end the cycle of child abuse"; and every part of this nonprofit's meticulous programming and the staffing's determination speaks to that end goal. During our tour, we learned about the 4 programs that the Settlement Home runs on campus:

Ada and Heydon getting a tour at The Settlement Home. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Residential Treatment Center

The Settlement Home Residential Treatment Center (RTC) comprises of three cottages that provide an immensely structured environment. RTC has 27 beds for girls in need of 24-hour care to ensure safety and a sense of security. Most all of the girls attend the University of Texas charter school on campus (which covers 6th through 12th grades) and eat meals at the campus cafeteria.

Therapeutic Group Homes

The Settlement Home’s three group fosters homes are for girls ages 7 through 18 who have successfully completed treatment in the RTC or have moderate or specialized designations. Each home is staffed with a house mom and run by a licensed therapist who provides individual, group, and family therapy as well as treatment planning and consultation. These homes are focused on building life skills in a more independent environment that will prepare the girls for life on their own or being integrated back into a family situation. The girls plan and cook meals together, have a robust schedule chock full of recreational activities, and are out in the community on a regular basis. These girls either attend public schools in the surrounding area or on-campus at the charter school. Each group home focuses on a different program depending on the needs of the girls.

Group home kitchen. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transitional Living Program

This program offers females between the ages of 18 and 21, who have aged out of the foster care system, to apply for an efficiency apartment on The Settlement Home’s 10-acre property. This allows these young adults to have a little more time to strengthen life skills in a more lenient, safe, and supported environment. Each apartment houses one youth and offers utilities with basic cable/internet service. Residents meet regularly with a therapist who helps them set goals and continue work towards independence. The Settlement Home requires that residents have a high school diploma or their GED, and either have a job or actively pursue higher education during their stay.

a sign in the on-campus charter school. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Foster & Adoption Program

This program's HQ is housed on-campus but the foster homes are spread throughout the community. The Settlement Home locates, screens, trains, and verifies potential foster and adoptive parents to become providers for them. On top of that, The Settlement Home offers continuing education and development for those chosen to serve and provides on-call support, respite care, and crisis intervention when necessary. The Settlement Home believes that every child has a right to a permanent and stable home and that this campus will be each foster child's last stop before they find permanency in a home whether with their family, a kinship placement or in an adopted home.

Artwork at The Settlement Home. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

On our tour of The Settlement Home’s lively and colorful campus, we quietly moseyed through their small but mighty on-campus UT charter school whilst classes were in session. We passed the high-quality track and field en route to the campus "Clothes" closet. This closet is set up much like a boutique - girls can shop for clothes needed for extracurricular activities, jobs, or just the regular day-to-day. Need a haircut? The boutique also houses the salon where stylists will come in to freshen up girls’ hairstyles from time to time. We also had the opportunity to tour one of the group homes and chat with the therapist on staff. We could not be more elated to be partnered with such a passionate group of driven and amazing women.

Clothes closet. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Heydon and Ada getting a tour of the clothes closet. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Wondering how the Settlement Home utilizes our weekly veggie haul? During the week, chefs come in to cook lunch and dinner for the girls using our fresh produce, and the group homes cook for themselves, planning the week and weekend meals depending on what vegetables are available! Meal-planning is certainly another giant step towards self-sufficiency.

Fun fact: with 3 medium JBG CSA boxes being delivered each week for 7 years, that totals to around 1,092 boxes which is over 20,000 lbs of vegetables or around 26,200 servings of fresh vegetables a year! 

The cafeteria decorated for the holidays. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

JBG Sponsored Share Program

During the holidays, a deluge of helpful donations are frequently sent to organizations like this; however, often with the exception of fresh food. As we relish the holiday season with all the many celebrations and overflowing merriment, what better time to shower our neighbors in need with some fresh veggie donations? Your ongoing support of the CSA makes weekly Settlement Home deliveries possible, and we could not support these worthwhile organizations without your generous support. Consider donating your CSA share over the holidays instead of postponing! This time of year can be really tough for the girls at the Settlement Home, and what better way to share holiday joy than through nourishing vegetables. Just email us at farm@jbgorganic.com if you are interested in donating, or if you’d like to purchase an additional share to donate (or purchase one on a loved one’s behalf), you can do that here! Happy Holidays!

The Settlement Home tour. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Loading up the greens. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

As we head towards the end of the year, we are doing tons of preparation for spring and anticipating the quickly approaching holidays. We are crop-planning like crazy and cultivating tons of spring transplants in the greenhouses. Scott, our photographer, captured some early morning farm beauty and frost details that really transform the River Road acreage. We are wishing Michael Mosley, our wholesale manager, the happiest of birthdays this week, too! See you at markets this weekend.

Rutabaga harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Frost details. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Winter greens and purples. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Gorgeous farm vistas. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Kale harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Cauliflower. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Spinach harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Roxy and chucha. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Gorgeous baby basil. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Holiday stockings for all the good JBG kiddos. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Ada and Casey, the blonde JBG elves. Photo by Scott David Gordon.