Recipe and Photos by Megan Winfrey

Salt and vinegar chips are my food weakness. I can eat an entire bag, mouth burning, and still want more! This homemade version turned out incredible, and I did not feel an ounce of guilt eating them all in one sitting.

Making these is a labor of love. It's time-consuming and tedious, and I highly recommend eating them up the same day, as the vinegar flavor turns a bit "soapy" overnight without all of those preservatives.

Trust me, you won't have any trouble finishing them off!



Salt and Vinegar Chips

• 4-5 JBG potatoes
• About 3 cups distilled white vinegar
• 2-3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbs. fresh cracked salt or vinegar salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

The best way to bake chips is to use a rack in a sheet pan. If you don’t have a rack, line a sheet pan with foil or spray with nonstick spray, but note that cooking times may increase.

Using a mandoline, slice the potatoes on the thinnest setting.

Place the sliced potatoes in a large bowl and pour in the vinegar until the potatoes are submerged. Let soak 30 minutes to 2 hours - the longer they soak the more vinegary the flavor.



Drain potato slices and toss with oil and salt.

Place slices in a single layer on the rack, foil or sheet pan. About 1 sliced potato fits on each pan, so if your oven can accommodate 2 pans at a time, go for it.

If using a rack, bake for 10-12 minutes. If using foil or an oiled sheet pan, the times may vary. Check them after 7 or 8 minutes, flip them if ready, and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes.

Once lightly browned and crispy, remove the chips from the oven and cool on a rack for 2-5 minutes.

In case it hasn't been on your radar, we publish this fabulous staff-favorite-centric post every first Friday of the month! 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!

Office staff hangin'. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The Farm (in general)

Steel City Pops kindly sent us some popsicles this week. These aren't just any popsicles.. these are FANCY PANCY popsicles and they were amazing. They had both creamy and fruity flavors, including cookies and cream, dairy free peanut butter, coffee, as well as watermelon, strawberry, and passion fruit. Brisa, who works on CSA line, opened the passion fruit popsicle, stuck her nose in the cellophane wrapper, and declared that it smelled like the pops of her childhood. What more could you want on a 100+ degree day?



Believe it or not, we're busy planting fall vegetables right now! If you're interested in learning more about our production, we're currently hiring for our planting crew. Know someone who has always wanted to learn more about farming? Send them the job link!

Mark your calendar! The Farmers' Artist Art show is coming up on September 8 at Prizer Gallery. A couple of the JBG farmers have submitted.

Casey (Customer Service Extraordinaire)

I've just been hanging with my pup, Odie, trying to stay cool during this sizzling hot summer. Odie is 10 years old, but acts like a freakin' teenager-he's so healthy thanks to our awesome vet, Dr. Kautz! If you are looking for a new vet, Dr. Kautz is amazing! He just opened his own practice, Crestview Veterinary Clinic, and I highly recommend him if you like a vet that is super smart, kind, and patient. He will let me ask all my "worried mama questions" without feeling rushed, and he truly cares about the well-being of all his furry patients.

Odie by Casey.

Fawn (Farmers Market Manager)

It's that time of year when my Northie-self loves to travel away from the heat. This year I am bringing the family to Minnesota, the land of my youth, and South Dakota, my roots. Next weekend I'll be enjoying some Minneapolis farmers markets, where August is a month of plenty, as opposed to Texas where our peak summer season has come and gone. I am looking forward to a wider selection of locally grown leafy greens, as well as berries, beans, maybe some exciting corn varieties, and more! I'm going to be about a month too early for wild rice. Next Staff Pick, I can share some Midwestern produce pics!

Tracy (Barn Manager)

Saw Golden Dawn Arkestra this past Friday at Stubb's as a part of Austin's Hot Summer Nights. It was an amazing psych band, complete with elaborate costumes, all enjoyed under a full moon. It was such a vibrant evening, and very inspiring. I even pushed my way to the front of the crowd, which is pretty uncharacteristic for me.

Ada (CSA + Marketing Manager)

I went to Marfa this past weekend with my old friend Heydon to hang with my new friend Darby, who has lived in the area for a few years. I felt like we got the insider's tour to the region, and it made me fall in love with Marfa, a town that I kinda thought was too hip for my taste. But alas, it's beautiful out there! We explored the intersection of architecture, landscape, and light at The Chinati Foundation. Donald Judd is the founder and dreamer behind Chinati - if you're unfamiliar with his work, it's minimal in nature. Though apparently, he detested the descriptor, he is often considered him a pioneer of minimalism, and thus all the works at Chinati fall under that umbrella. In a world where we're so easily over-saturated, being surrounded by these works, in the middle of the desert, has some serious head-clearing effects. So much room to breathe at Chinati.

One exhibit I really loved was a collection of John Wesley paintings, which feature bold and simple graphics, all with amazing colors. These truly made me want to break out my paints. Another favorite from Chinati was some of the structural components of the buildings, including the "Judd Doors" (shown below) and "Judd Tables". These were so beautiful and simple, and both are going to serve as some inspiration for future construction projects. I strongly recommend visiting Chinati if you've never been! And try to go on a tour with Darby. If you want bonus points, bring her some JBG veggies. The produce situation out there is pretty dismal. And all the Marfa-hipness has it's pros, too... the frozen margaritas at the St. George were the perfect poolside bevy, and I came back feeling like a West Texas rockstar.

Judd doors.

Wesley paintings.

Heydon (Farm Blogger)

I bopped out to Marfa for a little reset over the weekend with two very good friends. One of which is ADA, who also works at the farm. See her take of the trip above. This is her bird-watching in the Pinto Canyon.



It was the perfect combination of mind-blowing and very, very chill. We had one day of super concentrated art exploration on Saturday. My friend, Darby, is one of the Chinati docents and took us through a very well curated tour of all the work. Robert Irwin's wild scrim light play, John Wesley's paintings, Flavin's light installations, and Don Judd's aluminum installations were my favorites. We then ate at the nonpareil Stellina for dinner. YUM.

Robert Irwin.

Then we had a very chill pool day at the Hotel Saint George on Sunday after Ada made some killer breakfast tacos. This pool is the perfect place to hide-away on a scorching-hot day. Awesome landscape design. We splashed around, claimed a cabana (highly recommended), and read about wildflowers. Side note: if you like wildflowers, get this book. Then we schlepped down to Pinto Canyon for a sunset hike to end the day. WATCH OUT FOR THE BUNNIES. This canyon, though! Talk about an incredible sight. I love Ocotillo plants very much, so I got to relish their densely-populated, spiny ubiquitousness on the South Texas hillsides. Ada found the husk of one and gifted me a limb. It's one of my new favorite things.

We also listened to Stuff You Should Know: The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five on the way out on Friday night. LISTEN TO IT. It's crazy and scary and mind-boggling. I'm still trying to figure out what happened.

Andrew (CSA Manager)

Going to see "They Live", John Carpenters 1980s film. Some people like The Godfather, but I like Halloween and They Live. My niece is also in town from Indianapolis for 2 weeks before starting her senior year. Needless to say, we are cramming as much awesome into our time together as possible.

Megan (Recipe Blogger)

My dreams are coming true and I'm going to Fiesta Texas as an adult!!! I haven't been since high school, having gone every single summer growing up. I am more excited than words could ever justify!!!!! I'm talkin' Poltergeist, Superman, Wonder Woman, Iron Rattler, Texas wave pool, Rockville High (which now takes place in the '80s, and I'm sort of OK with that), water slides, Dippin' Dots, turkey legs, BEER! 'cause I'm a grown up!, souvenir photos, and all the other thrills this magical park has to offer.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas! Image courtesy of the internet.

Lucas (Delivery Driver)

My staff pick is the new Sacha Baron Cohen show, This Is America. I haven't seen an episode yet, just YouTube clips and news coverage. So crazy.

Nadia (Recipe Blogger)

Completely unrelated to the farm, or food, or cooking...but something I've been really into lately... the Ken Burns documentary "The Vietnam War." I'm not much of a TV show person but this is incredible. The story is told from many different perspectives. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in history or politics or just humanity in general! My boyfriend is watching it for the second time while I catch up to him - it's that interesting. I went to a friend's wedding in Saigon a couple years ago and totally wish I would have seen this before I went - it explains so many things I didn't know about the Vietnam War (and war in general).

Missoula (Farm Dog)

Mostly, I love routine. But, sometimes weekday routines can feel like weekday ruts. Short, 20 minute walks after work, simple home-cooked meals, rinse, repeat. Mama shook it up this week and we went kayaking after work, on a week night! She even let me go without my life jacket. She was slammin' cans of rose, and I was howling at the moon. Dinner was a 10pm trip to P-Terry's on Barton Springs. Wild, classically Austin Wednesday if you ask me!

Muah.

Chucha and Roxy (Farm Dogs)

Lena got us a pool. What a good aunt.

Poolside hangs.

Kenny (an old JBG employee who we love and miss)

The Beach – I grew up in a beach town on the east coast and now that I’m back it’s just good medicine to be back near the Atlantic. Before living in Texas I’d never lived more than 20 minutes from an ocean. However, during my time in Austin I supplemented with heavy doses of Lake Travis, the San Marcos, and Guadalupe Rivers, but there is nothing like salt water and waves to humble you right down to the soul. Toss in wildcards like rip currents and sharks and you develop a healthy respect for it, too!



Neil Pigrasse Tyson – That wasn’t a typo! My good friend Mike recently moved to a sleepy little town on the Pagan River called Smithfield, VA. If you’ve ever bought a ham from the grocery store, particularly the salty ones, then you’ve heard of Smithfield. Sleepy and small but not devoid of culture, I think Mike and his family got a little lonesome out there so they got a pet pig, and named him Neil PIGrasse Tyson. Let me repeat that – my friend who moved to the Ham Capital of the World, decided to get a pet pig, and name it after one of the world’s leading astrophysicists. And let me tell you he is an intelligent little ray of light. I’d really love to get him and Chucha in the same vicinity. She’d probably terrorize him for a bit but then they’d end up snuggling. I just know it. I MISS YOU, CHUCHA!

Chucha.

New Earth Farm – When I first moved back to Virginia I put my feelers out to find other organic or CSA farms to volunteer or work for and to my surprise, quite a few had popped up in my absence. One, in particular, is New Earth Farm in Virginia Beach, VA. It’s a small operation with big yields, and a spirit not too dissimilar to the JBG fam. New Earth also owns a local restaurant called Commune in Norfolk, VA, where much of their produce ends up on your plate.

Farm Pedals - there’s a family CSA farm in Maine who hand builds boutique guitar effects pedals in the off-season, they’re called Farm Pedals. I have yet to own one but I’ve been drooling over the YouTube demos. AND they have one called the Subsoiler Fuzz, just like the “Ripper” that Brenton bought back in 2016!

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

We are elated to announce that this month, we are doing a guest photographer series! We will have five immensely talented photographers capture their personal spin on the farm world whether it's from the comfort of their own kitchen or out standing in the field with mud caked on their boots.

We are beginning the five-week stint with food and portrait photographer, Mackenzie Smith Kelley. This name might sound familiar as she has contributed to our recipe blog quite a bit in the past (you can find some mind-blowing recipes here, here, and here). We chatted briefly with Mackenzie whilst she was on break from another shoot in Driftwood, TX to learn about her inspiration for these images.

In an attempt to circumvent schlepping out to the farm 37 weeks pregnant in the oppressive heat, Mackenzie opted to shoot bold cross-sections of seasonal JBG produce at her home studio with AC keeping her and baby cool. She wanted to offer a fresh perspective on the seasons and found that once you start taking the vegetables apart, they take on a new life. She shot these stunning images with a Canon 5D Mark 3. Follow her along on Instagram, or peruse her website here.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

Photo my Mackenzie Smith Kelley.

Recipe and Photo by Nadia Tamby

The smokiness of the charred eggplant is perfectly balanced with a creamy, tangy, fresh cucumber tzatziki. The quick-preserved lemon isn’t necessary for the dish but it is quick to make (obviously) and it adds a nice acidity and sweetness for extra depth. Don’t feel like you need to limit yourself to eggplant, either! Okra, zucchini and many of your other veggies this week can be grilled and served with this sauce. I made this as a side to some Moroccan-spiced lamb meatballs, but it has enough flavor and some protein to fill you (and your pita bread) up without meat.



Ingredients:

• 2-4 eggplants, sliced into ½ inch rounds (or any other veggies you want to grill)
• Enough olive oil, salt and pepper to coat and season the eggplant or other vegetables

Tzatziki:

• 1 cucumber, grated
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
• ½ cup sour cream (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Quick-Preserved Lemon:

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 lemon, washed and finely chopped (entire fruit including peel and pith – but remove seeds and stem end)
• A few basil leaves, chopped for garnish (mint works well here too)

Instructions:

Prepare your grill for the eggplant. In the meantime, make the quick-preserved lemon by combining the chopped lemon, salt, and sugar in a small jar. Set aside or refrigerate (this will keep for a few days).

Add a tablespoon of kosher salt to the grated cucumber and set in a colander over a bowl or in your sink. The salt will draw out the moisture from the cucumber and keep your tzatziki thick and creamy. Let it drain for at least 10 minutes and use paper towels or a cheesecloth to squeeze any excess water out. Combine with yogurt and sour cream if using, and stir in grated garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust by adding more yogurt if needed.

Grill the eggplant until soft and charred in places. Serve alongside the tzatziki, or you can spread tzatziki on a platter, lay grilled eggplant slices atop, and top with the preserved lemon and chopped basil. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top and it’s ready to serve!

CSA Box Contents Week of July 30th

The dog days of summer are upon us. The heat is so oppressive, it can be hard to cool yourself down. Thankfully, this week, we have an arsenal of lifestyle tips, foods, and recipes aimed to beat this blistering Texas summer.

Austin-native health + lifestyle coach, acupuncturist, herbalist, yoga + meditation instructor, and Chinese medicine guru, Anne Woods-Miller, advised us on 10 lifestyle pro-tips to keep you cool when all you feel is HOT.

Dog days. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

10 Ways to Beat the Texas Heat

1. When cooking at home, change the way you cook to focus more on fermenting, sprouting, steaming, simmering, and marinating meals instead of frying, grilling or baking. Or eat food cold!
2. This might seem counterintuitive, but don’t eat too many frozen foods. It is harmful to the digestive system (extreme cold meeting extreme heat can cause issues). Enjoy a frozen treat here and there, but keep it to a minimum. Think about keeping things chilled instead of frozen, and even skipping ice in your water.
3. Add 1 drop of peppermint oil to your water bottle.
4. Stop using black pepper and switch it out with white pepper. White pepper is more neutral for the body. Black pepper heats the body, and can make you feel warmer in the heat.
5. Add more foods with blue, green, and purple colors. It’s simple, cooling colors cool the body. Reach for a green salsa at the grocery store instead of a red salsa!
6. Introduce more raw foods, salads, smoothies, and juices - they are all cooling and refreshing.
7. Avoid red meat, smoking, excessive alcohol, too much coffee, fried and greasy foods, and excessive dairy. These are all inflammatory foods. Smoking is literally the act of adding smoke + fire to the body.
8. Wear a cap or a cool bandana around your neck. Put one drop of peppermint oil into a bucket of water, douse bandanas in it, put them into the freezer overnight, and wear around your neck when you go outside for long periods of time.
9. Avoid running midday and hot yoga. Running during yin time (yin time = early morning and late night) is best. Also get good sleep. Good sleep will cool and rejuvenate the body, and also aid in the healing process.
10. Use the cooling yoga breath. Inhale through teeth or rolled (like a taco) tongue for a count of 5, and exhale with a relaxed jaw. Do this for 10 breaths up to 4 times a day. It cools your insides down
11. Bonus tip: go swimming!

Go get in some water! Photo by Anne Woods-Miller.

Anne's Top Cooling Recipes:

Healthy Homestyle Okra and Tomatoes

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 large plum tomatoes, diced (or 28 oz can of fire roasted organic tomatoes)
• 1lb fresh okra
• 2 tsp gumbo file
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, white pepper
• 1 cup short grain brown rice, 2 cups water

Make your brown rice first. 1 cup of washed and drained brown rice, to 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and set on low for 40 min.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven on medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 min. Add the garlic, and saute until fragrant. Add okra and salt, and cook for about 3 min, or until soft. Stir in the tomatoes and gumbo file seasoning with the bay leaf, and cook for 5 min. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

Okra. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Lemongrass Shrimp Skewers with Coconut Rice

Marinade: 1 stalk of diced lemongrass, diced 1 inch ginger, 1 clove garlic diced, sesame oil, rice vinegar, gluten free tamari (soy sauce), melted coconut oil or olive oil. Marinate the shrimp in the fridge for minimum 1 hr (can do this step overnight).

Shrimp skewers: Grill, or heat on a skillet until cooked through, chill the shrimp in the fridge.

Lay the chilled shrimp on top of a bed of fresh arugula or salad greens. Toss with a little olive oil, salt, and white pepper. Garnish with thinly sliced watermelon radish, cucumber, and shredded carrot.

Lemongrass-coconut rice: Soak 1 cup white rice, rinse and drain. Use half coconut milk and half water that equals 1 ½ cups, tie the lemongrass into knots. Lay them on top. Cook rice for 20 min. Remove lemongrass knots before serving.

Farm Fresh Pesto Pasta

• 3 zucchinis (or a spaghetti squash)
• 1/2 bunch amaranth greens, 1/2 bunch basil, 1/2 bunch parsley
• 1/2 cup of pine nuts (or a variation)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup - 1 cup olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/4 tsp of salt

Spiralize zucchini into noodles. (or if no spiralizer, bake your JBG CSA spaghetti squash at 425 for 40 minutes, and use as spaghetti!)

Pesto: amaranth greens, parsley, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, small garlic clove, salt, and pine nuts (or substitute with walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, or almonds). Add all those ingredients into a food processor, and process until smooth. Add more oil, lemon juice, or salt to taste.

Mix the zucchini with the pesto, and top with fresh cut tomatoes, salt, and white pepper, and a few chopped nuts that you added in your pesto.

Greens in Anne's garden. Courtesy of Anne's instagram @woods.acupuncture.

Chilled Hibiscus Herbal Lemonade

• 1 Tbs loose Hibiscus tea
• 1 Tbs loose Tulsi tea
• 1 Tbs Goji berries
• 1 Tbs Spearmint leaves
• 3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (to add at the end) water

Check the bulk section at your local grocery store for these ingredients. Add enough boiling water to your tea to steep for 1 hr. Or, place herbs in a large jar or covered pitcher of water, and leave out in the hot sun for 2-3hrs for sun tea (a fun project for kids!). Work with the seasons to your benefit! Strain, and reserve the herbs to make a 2nd batch, if you wish. Once cooled off a bit, add ¾ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Store herbal lemonade in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy chilled with sparkling water, or add a little honey and enjoy hot in the morning.

Lemonade makings. Photo by Anne Woods-Miller. Courtesy of Anne's instagram @woods.acupuncture.

Cool as a Cucumber Green Juice

• Sweet potato greens
• Romaine lettuce
• Cucumber
• Spinach (chard or kale would work here, also)
• Celery
• Mint
• Lemon

Can be made either in a juicer or your blender. Drink at room temperature. Can save extra for up to one week in a sealed jar or container in the fridge.

A huge thanks to Anne for keeping us cool! Check out Anne’s website and Instagram and to learn more about booking health coaching sessions and more!

A huge thanks to Anne Woods-Miller! Thanks again for taking the time to talk to us.