CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 29th

In case you missed it, we are hosting one of our most favorite events of the year, our Fall Open House, tomorrow, Saturday 10/27 from 4:30 until sundown. We have so many fun events planned: yoga, a petting zoo, food trucks, live music, and so much more (check out more information on the vendors and activities here). We can’t wait to see you.

One of the spookier activities with the kiddos we are leading at the Fall Open house tomorrow is the Make Your Own Veggie Monster station in lieu of pumpkin-carving. We are using our veggies to create the scariest monsters we can, and are inviting the youth or the young at heart to do the same with us tomorrow night. Since we don’t grow pumpkins at the farm, we love the idea of playing/building with the veggies that we DO have (and do it often as you'll see below). However, all this talk of veggie monster-making and pumpkin-carving piqued our interest in two Halloween-related mysteries that we aim to answer/address this week on the blog. First of all, why don’t we grow pumpkins at JBG? Next, where did the whole pumpkin/Jack O’Lantern ritual come from anyways? Buckle up because we're going to get to the bottom of both these questions today! Read on below if you dare.

Jack O'Lantern. Design and photo by Lauren Helmer.

Why don’t we grow pumpkins at the farm?

This question might have been on your mind for quite a while now. Well, as you might have noticed, fall can be a really rainy time (cue: boil notice), and pumpkins aren’t keen on too much rain. Simply put, too much rain can cause powdery mildew which makes the pumpkin crop lose all its leaves and ultimately die. It’s a risky crop this time of year, especially here in Central Texas. Our head farmer, Brenton, tried to grow them in his backyard garden when he began farming and never saw the crop to harvest. Since we are all organic, we cannot use insecticides or fungicides to ward off insects and disease; thus, pumpkins in the fall just aren’t in the cards for us. We could grow them in the spring as the conditions are right, but who wants pumpkins in the spring? We could also grow them in the greenhouse, but the yields would be so inconsequential that only about 50 people would get a pumpkin! So, we will have to stick to our veggie monsters.

Broccoli art by Amy Gallo.

Veggie Monster by Niki.

More veggie monsters + bunny by Amy Gallo.

Where did the whole Jack O'Lantern tradition come from?

We did some digging and found that the whole Jack O’Lantern tradition hails from Ireland and the UK. The legend revolves around a nefarious character known as Stingy Jack. He liked to get drinks with the Devil, and one night when they were running short on funds, talked the Devil into transforming into money so that they could pay for their hefty bar tab. Once the Devil turned into money, Stingy Jack put the coins in his pocket next to a cross which rendered the Devil useless and hindered him from shape-shifting again. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise that he wouldn’t claim his soul when he died, and to also stay away for a year. The Devil agreed and Stingy Jack allowed him to change into his previous form. A year rolls by and we find the Devil and Stingy Jack hanging out around some fruit trees. Stingy Jack tricks the Devil into climbing up a tree to harvest some fruit. Once the Devil is high in the tree retrieving snacks, Stingy Jack carves a cross into the tree trunk which traps the Devil. Stingy Jack makes him promise that he won’t come back for another ten years… the Devil abides and they both go on their merry way. However, Stingy Jack ends up dying soon after. Since God didn’t want a reprehensible person like him populating heaven, he banned him. Since the Devil promised he wouldn’t claim his soul, Stingy Jack was gifted a piece of coal from the Devil to light his way while he wandered the earth in the afterlife. Stingy Jack put the coal in a turnip to hold and light, and as legend has it, has been wandering ever since. Alas, the “Jack of the Lantern” or shortened “Jack O’Lantern” tradition was born.

Much like we are improvising and using fall crops that we cultivate at the farm, the Irish and Scottish originally used turnips and potatoes (the British used beets!) for their Jack O’Lanterns. They put them on their doorsteps or windows as protection to ward off Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. When folks started immigrating to the United States, they found that the native pumpkin was the perfect vessel for their continuation of Jack O’Lantern tradition across the pond, and boom, the pumpkin carving tradition was created! Spooky!

Natural veggie monster. Photo by Ada Broussard.

RSVP for the Fall Open House here, and see you there! ‘Til next time!

We are moving along into fall! It's still really wet and muddy, but thankfully temperatures are warming up a bit. Cabbage and broccoli are finally here, so expect to see them at markets this weekend. We are working extra diligently to have clean, high-quality products since the community is concerned about being able to wash produce under current water restrictions. Have you RSVP'd for our Fall Open House tomorrow? Venture out and join the fun, you won't want to miss it.

Cleanin' carrots. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Lucas loading up. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

MUD! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Hitchin' a ride. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Pollinating. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

A butterfly enjoying the zinnias. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bell peppers. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Harvesting spring onions. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fields of radishes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Carrot harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Recipe and Photos by Nadia Tamby

This is a spin on a heart-warming French countryside classic. Make more than you think you need – you can use this as a main or side dish and put leftovers in goat cheese sandwiches. I even chopped up the leftovers and made a version of eggplant caponata to serve as an appetizer on toasted bread. It seems like a lot of olive oil but this ensures smooth creamy eggplant and concentrated flavors…plus you’ll want to dip bread into the extra herby- garlicky oil in your pan. You’re essentially slow cooking the vegetables in oil (much like duck confit or other meats, but vegetables take much less time). Leftovers will keep for a while because this method of cooking preserves the vegetables in oil. I left onions and tomatoes out, but you can add those as well for a more traditional ratatouille combination.



Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants, sliced into ¼ inch slices (I cut lengthwise, but rounds are fine too)
• 2 summer squash and/or zucchini, sliced into ¼ inch slices (I cut lengthwise, but rounds are fine too)
• 2 large bell peppers or several smaller ones, cored, seeded and quartered
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bunch oregano, thyme, or marjoram (or a combination) Enough extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to coat and season the vegetables (about 1 full cup olive oil)

Instructions:

Set your oven to 350F.

Prepare a baking sheet to place your sliced vegetables on in layers. Chop garlic cloves and about half the herbs. Keep a few sprigs of herbs to tuck into the vegetables.

Slice vegetables and drizzle olive oil on each layer. Liberally salt and pepper each layer and sprinkle some chopped garlic and herbs on before stacking on more layers.



Select a roasting pan/skillet that will fit all the vegetables and arrange by overlapping everything except the peppers (since they are a different size and shape it is easier to tuck them in after you have a tight arrangement). Pour the extra oil, garlic and herbs from the baking sheet into the vegetables and tuck in peppers and sprigs of herbs. Cover with foil or a lid and bake for about 1 hour. Remove foil and allow top to brown for a bit longer (about 10 min, if needed).

CSA Box Contents Week of Oct 22nd

Torrential downpours got you down? Well, JBG’s Fall Open House is right around the corner with a drier forecast to boot! Running from 4:30 until sundown on Saturday, October 27th, you won’t want to miss this fun-filled autumnal festivity. Celebrating our fall harvest and the change in seasons, this annual event takes place on our 200-acre organic vegetable farm - located along the Colorado River about 25 minutes from downtown Austin. We'll be relishing the cooler weather and JBG staff will be on site giving tours of the farm and Farmshare Austin, too. Bring your family, maybe a picnic, and join us! We will have all kinds of vendors and partners on site contributing to the fun… a petting zoo, guided yoga in the barn, live music, a food truck, along with endless activities for the kiddos! Learn more about the line-up below.

Farm tours of open houses past. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fall Open House Vendor & Activity Spotlights

Learn more about our wonderful partners & friends who will be on site!

Tiny Tails To You!

With a mission statement centered around promoting environmental stewardship, this highly lauded traveling petting zoo seeks to create safe and fun experiences between humans and animals that foster a “more personal understanding of nature, the larger ecosystem, and the importance of protecting our environment”. Tiny Tails to You! was started in 2010 by a dynamic duo with each animal’s safety as their highest priority. Each animal eats local (JBG!) organic produce, has weekly check-ups, enjoys clean, comfortable habitats, and enriches their minds with toys and games in their free time. Ranging from chinchillas and guinea pigs to rarer bearded dragons and blue-tongued skinks, animal lovers of all ages will have the opportunity to interact with a gamut of creatures.

Tiny Tails to You! Photo courtesy of the Tiny Tails to You! website.

Austin Yoga

Founded and directed by Alek Trail, Austin Yoga offers functional yoga instruction for the complete beginner to the advanced practitioner in a down-to-earth, practical way. With a background in modern dance and improvisational movement, Alek has been exploring and experimenting with the physical and mental practice as a way to stay curious, humbled, and connected since she was a teenager. With her teaching philosophy rooted in authenticity, kinesthetic awareness, and inquiry, her classes give her students a deeper sense of their inner-landscape into which they can dive deeper intellectually, spiritually, and physically. We are elated to have her host a fall evening flow yoga class under the beautiful Texas harvest moon. The class will be donation based (pay what you can) and remember to bring your own mat. Find more information on the class here.

Alek Trail, Austin Yoga founder. Photo courtesy of the Austin Yoga website.

The Frauleins

These supremely talented ladies will be providing the tunes at this year’s Fall Open House! With Beth Chrisman on the fiddle and banjo, Amanda Jo Chisholm on bass, and Jenn Miori Hodges on the guitar, these three longtime friends make up Austin’s newest roots trio, The Frauleins. Playing old-time bluegrass and country with a sister-like harmony, these pals will have you stompin’ your boots in no time. So, remember to bring your dancin’ partner to swing around! You're in for a real treat.

The Frauleins. Courtesy of The Fraulein website.

The Ginger Armadillo

Head chef, Jennifer Schaertl, author of Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens, takes you on an epicurean adventure with her food truck, The Ginger Armadillo. “We’re not a BBQ truck, not a burger or a taco truck—but we might just be all those things.” Sometimes taking international dishes and putting a Texas spin on them, and sometimes taking quintessential Texas dishes and putting a gourmet spin on it, The Ginger Armadillo offers a wide-ranging and all-encompassing menu. Schaertl works with seasonal produce, so the menu is constantly changing and evolving, making every visit a novel experience. Come hungry!

The Ginger Armadillo is no stranger to the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Activities for the kiddos

We will have ample arts and crafts for the kids to enjoy. There will be a chalkboard car to decorate, plus a veggie-monster making station. Make your scariest and spookiest monster out of our vegetables! We will have a challenging scavenger hunt for those tiny explorers, tractors to climb, and a gigantic sandpile to conquer. Like to jump? We have a super bouncy trampoline for those keen on hoppin' around!

Tractors and trampoline hang. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Veggie art. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sandpile shenanigans. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Activities for the adults

Adults rejoice! We will have a small market booth set up with only the freshest and best of the season for you to peruse and enjoy. CSA Members: you have the option to pick up your CSA share at the Open House (pick up your veggies straight from where they're grown.. we think that's pretty cool!). To reschedule your delivery and pickup at the Open House, shoot us an email at farm@jbgorganic.com. Want to get some exercise? Skip the farm tour and take your own self-guided walking tour of the farm with a friend! You can get some fresh air, explore the vast fields, and get some steps.

Perusing the market stand. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

We cannot wait to have the community out to our River Road farm. See you soon! We are still looking for volunteers for the event, email ada@jbgorganic.com if you are interested.

It's a rainy week in Austin town, and it's really starting to feel like fall, too! With shorter days and cooler temps, those fall favorites like kale are really starting to thrive, while the summer crops are petering out.

We are getting super excited for our Fall Open House on Saturday, October 27th. This event celebrates our fall harvest and the change in seasons on our 200-acre organic vegetable farm - located just along the Colorado River about 25 minutes from downtown Austin. We'll be relishing the autumnal weather and giving tours of the farm from 4:30-dark. You won't want to miss it! RSVP here.

Braising Mix harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Navigating the mud. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Red Lettuce growing. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Tractors on standby. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Greenhouse babies. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Jack loosening cabbage transplants. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Nothing but thyme. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Kohlrabi close-up. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Bok Choi beauty shot. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Photo by Scott David Gordon

Cabbage cover. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Young carrots. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Carly working with Lemongrass. Photo by Scott David Gordon

Onions just coming up. Photo by Scott David Gordon