Servings: 4 / Total Time: 35 minutes / Author: The Migoni Kitchen

If you are still looking for a healthy side to accompany all those summer barbecues, I highly recommend you try out these zucchini chips!! They are so addicting and incredibly tasty with this honey mustard dipping sauce. It’s also a great way to get your kids and/or picky eaters to get some veggies in their diet and the perfect replacement for all those potato chips at backyard BBQ parties.



Ingredients:

Zucchini Chips Ingredients:

• 2 Medium Zucchini, sliced very thin
• 2 Medium Yellow Squash, sliced very thin
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Parsley, chopped

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:

• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Whole Grain Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Yellow Mustard
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• ¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions:

Using a mandolin slicer on the thinnest setting, slice all the zucchini and squash into rounds. Place into large ziplock bag or bowl and add olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake to coat well. Preheat the oven to 325F.





Line a large baking pan with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.

Place zucchini and squash rounds onto baking pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until they start to get golden brown.



While the chips are cooking, mix together all the ingredients for the honey mustard in a small bowl and whisk together.

Top chips with chopped parsley and serve with honey mustard dipping sauce.

CSA Box Contents Week of July 2nd

It’s summer alright. You walk outside and are marinating in sweat within moments of leaving the house. That summer sunshine serves some serious heat-packed punches, especially if you work outside. We’re looking at you, field crew! After work, you delightfully hop into the car only to be met by the sizzling burn of that sunbaked car-seat leather and a steering wheel that stings even the slightest graze of your fingertips. So, when the heat has us delirious and pressing ice to our foreheads, what do we think about? Well, air-conditioned moviehouses and refreshing and yummy snacks, of course. That’s right, how about just skipping it all, sidling up next to a pal on a comfy couch, and enjoying a flick in a nice, dark, air-conditioned room? Well, lucky you, because this week, we have 10 either farm(ish)-related and/or Austin-related movies for you to enjoy with a curated snack to pair. Check ‘em out below!

Alamo screening at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Son-in-Law (1993)

When a country, farm girl from South Dakota heads to a hip college in LA, she has some serious culture shock. She is homesick and miserable until she befriends psychedelic party animal, Crawl, who comes back home with her over the holidays and really shakes things up Cali-style.

Watch this movie with Cowboy Caviar! Fresh veggies and beans to mimick the wild, bright garb that Pauly Shore dons throughout the movie meets the corn-farmin’, cowboy lifestyle of South Dakota.

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

Evelyn Couch, a housewife having a mid-life crisis, meets a vibrant, breath-of-fresh-air woman, Ninny Threadgoode, in a nursing home. Ninny’s stories of her past, her community, the Whistle Stop Cafe, and mostly stories of her wild sister-in-law, Idgie, bring Evelyn a fresh perspective and a new lease on life.

Watch this movie with fried green tomatoes. What else? With Farmer Brenton’s authentic Alabama recipe, you’ll feel like you’re sitting in Whistle Stop Cafe with Idgie and Ruth.

Making fried green tomatoes. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Take a dive back in time to a more carefree and less populated Austin. Filmed all over town, you’ll see glimpses of all your favorite capital city haunts throughout the movie. Linklater’s coming-of-age classic oozes with summertime - last day of school hazing, rowdy keg parties, and no-good shenanigans of school-free days. Plus, McConaughey as Wooderson is not to be missed.

Watch this movie with delicious french fries made from our Yukon Gold potatoes. These blase high schoolers spend a lot of time cruising around Austin, hitting mailboxes, and grabbin’ burgers at the Top Notch drive-through. So grab a handful of fries because it'd be a lot cooler if you did!

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Set on the last day of camp in the early 80s, this hilarious comedy shows campers and counselors alike trying to tie up loose ends, make out, and have show-stopping performances ready for the talent show by the end of the day. You wondering how this is farm-related? Well, it's the only movie we know with a talking can of veggies. We love you, Mitch!

Watch this movie with watermelon slices & Tajin or watermelon popsicles. We can’t think of anything more refreshing on a hot day of camp than a simple slice of melon with a splash of Tajin. Take it up a notch and make some ice-cold watermelon pops for some serious refreshment.

Watermelon pops on a hot day. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Man in the Moon (1991)

In Reese Witherspoon’s film debut, she plays a young tomboy, Dani, burgeoning into womanhood with a tight bond to her older sister, Maureen. Farm boy, Court, comes into play and throws the sisters' relationship amiss with their mutual love and lust for him.

Watch this movie with veggie skewers. Inspired by old trucks, wide open porches, and expansive farm landscapes from the movie - we are thinking of summertime cookouts featuring the best of the summer produce (think onions, eggplant, summer squash, and bell peppers) grilled and eaten off the skewer. Perfect for movie-watching.

The Notebook (2004)

South Carolina summers are hot and sweaty just like Noah and Allie’s right-off-the-bat romance. Despite being madly in love, Allie’s high-falutin’ and massively rich parents do not approve of Noah’s socio-economic status. Thus, quite a tale of once-in-a-lifetime love ensues spanning over many years and lots of obstacles.

Watch this movie with potato leek pancakes. A savory pancake inspired by a savory scene from the movie. It’ll make sense after you watch it.

The Parent Trap (1998)

Annie and Hallie are twins that have just met for the first time at camp. Their divorced parents are living quite far apart... their mom is in England designing dresses, and their father is in California making wine. When they split years and years ago, each decided to take one of the kids. The twins decide to switch identities to meet their other parent, and maybe even reunite the family again?

Watch this movie with a Honeydew and Tomato Gimlet. The father of the twins, Nick, owns a gorgeous vineyard that gets you in the mood for a drink. So how about a refreshing cocktail?

Honeydew and Tomato Gimlet. Photo by Rick Cortez.

Field of Dreams (1989)

“If you build it, he will come,” a voice tells protagonist, Ray in his cornfield one night. He decides to act on this message (despite folks questioning his sanity) and builds a baseball diamond in the middle of his fields. Ghosts of great baseball players start emerging to play on his field, and soon he realizes the field is for way much more than just playing baseball.

Watch this movie with POPCORN. Come on, it’s obvious. There’s so much corn in this movie, and popcorn is the quintessential movie food. DUH!

Babe (1995)

Farmer Hoggett wins a piglet at the state fair, and boy does this little one shake things up once he’s at the farm. Border collie, Fly, takes the pig under her wing and teaches him the ins-and-outs of herding. A pig who can herd sheep? Will the rest of the farm hierarchy accept this unconventional hog?

Watch this movie with BLT bites. Okay, okay… bad joke? If meat isn’t your thing, how about a refreshing tomato, cucumber, and avocado salad for a little movie-time snackin’.

Tomato salad with friends! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Chef (2014)

Chef Carl has a culinary vision but works at a fancy LA restaurant with a controlling owner who often stifles his creativity. When Carl has a meltdown, he decides to quit, and head to his hometown, Miami, for some headspace. There he, his son, his ex-wife, and best friend decide to start a food truck and embark on a food-lovers’ road trip/journey across the US (one of the stops being Austin! Hey, Franklins + Guero’s!).

Watch this movie with a Veggie Cubano! This movie is jam-packed with gorgeous and delectable food. You will definitely want to eat or have something to snack on during this flick! What could be more perfect than a Cubano, just like what they serve at the food truck, but with a veggie spin?

Food trucks at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Get the films queued up and make a snack! ‘Til next time.

Sun hemp. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

This past week, while our staff photographer was out of town, we had guest photographer, Megan Winfrey, take a stab at capturing the farm. This name might ring a bell as she is also one of our recipe bloggers (do yourself a favor and check out her most recent recipe for a bangin' Tomato Martini!). When she's not working full-time, momming it up, snapping beautiful images of loved ones, or knee deep in veggies, she gets her zen by slinging vintage at her online shop, Loyal Vintage. Talk about a Renaissance lady. In this collection of images, she gives us a fresh perspective of JBG with film photos from her Zenza Bronica medium format camera. She talks a little about how she initially became interested in photography, and what shooting at the farm was like this past week. Check it out below.

I got into photography in high school. My school offered beginner and advanced darkroom photography classes, and I took both. In the advanced class, you got to go off campus to shoot - which was a huge selling point for me. (what high school student doesn't want to leave during the day!?) But, it became so much more than a free hall pass. I became completely obsessed and spent all of my free time in the darkroom developing negatives and printing images. I purchased my first camera, a Minolta SRT 101 off eBay, found lenses and flashes at a garage sale, and set out to shoot anything and everything. Everything I saw became a photograph. I had countless photo shoots with friends in graveyards, backyards, abandoned houses, and open fields. My (now) husband and I fell head over heels during this sweet time, constantly photographing one another, hoping to be the next Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe (roles reversed).

By the time I went off to college at St. Edward's, I had myself a pretty provocative portfolio. I decided to minor in Photo Communications, so I "wouldn't be stuck photographing weddings for a living" - this was 2007, before wedding photography morphed into the stunning art form it is today, and I might possibly regret that little quote - but basically I didn't want anyone telling me what, when, who or how to take pictures or to have my livelihood dependent on it.

Tower of tomatoes. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

So, I took all of the classes I could during those 4 years and learned everything from digital photography (hate) to large format film photography (LOVE). I shot, and still do, mostly for the love of it. The photos I take are for me, family, and friends to look back on, enjoy, and remember. The occasions where I get to shoot for someone else are a real treat. It brings me back to being a student, just me and my camera, looking for the perfect shot.

The day I shot these images for JBG, it had been raining and terribly humid all day. I drove out to the farm in the early evening, parka on, cameras loaded, nervous about the rain and mud and the pressure to get good images. I was listening to NPR, as always, and they repeatedly played clips from the audio tape of children and parents being separated at the border, with no disclosure warning. Each time those baby's voices rang out, my body reacted with heaving sobs, uncontrollable. I hadn't heard the tapes yet. By the time I got to the farm, I had to sit there in my car for a few minutes, wipe tears away, and regain myself. The rain had stopped but dark clouds loomed, mimicking my mood. I started walking the farm in search of images worth capturing, focusing on keeping my footing in the thick, slippery mud. Image after image, my fingers became less shaky, my feet more certain, and my mind more at ease. The daily pressures of adulthood, parenthood, and politics slowly melted away with each shutter snap and there, covered in sweat and dirt with nothing around me but nature, the hard work of others, and a will to capture it, I felt a sense of peace that has eluded me for what feels like forever.

--Megan Winfrey

Gorgeous bell peppers. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Melon on the vine. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Purple basil. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Zinnias. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Onions curing. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Truck graveyard. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Farm vista. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Big rig. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Peppers. Photo by Megan Winfrey.

Recipe and Photo by Megan Winfrey

Tomato infusion has fascinated me for years. In high school, the local boutique had a line of "everyday scents" perfume. Titles like Dirt, Fresh Cut Grass, and Sea Air sparked my interest and I vividly remember standing there with friends smelling each and every one, giggling about how silly it was to wear a perfume that smelled like dirt. But we liked it! They all smelled really good! My favorite of all of them was called Tomato Water, and I would use the sample all the time. Today, I'm mostly into tomato infusions of the boozy variety. If there's a tomato cocktail on the menu, I will definitely be ordering it. To be clear, I'm not talking about Bloody Marys - I'm talking about subtle, crisp, and refreshing tomato infused water or liquor. The next time you're at the Highball on S. Lamar, order the Heirloom Tomato Martini if it's available. It's the best drink I've ever had.

After making salsa and pasta sauce for the year with my tomato haul from the U-pick, I had about 3 cups of San Marzanos left. Perfect, I thought, for a vodka infusion. Behold.

Tomato Martini

For the infusion:

• 1 1.75 liter bottle of good vodka
• 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• 3 tbs. peppercorns

For the martini:

• 1/4 ounce Dry Vermouth
• 1/4 ounce Clamato (optional)
• 1 ounce tomato infused vodka
• Olives, onions, cherry tomatoes, dilly beans for garnish

Infuse:

Pour the entire bottle of vodka into an airtight container. Add the tomatoes and peppercorns, stir to combine. Close the lid and keep in a cool, dry place for 3 days. After 3 days, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. It will take awhile to fully drain. Mash the soaked tomatoes with a muddler to release every drop possible. Once strained, return the infused vodka to the original bottle, a mason jar, or the container you used to infuse it in.

Shake it up:

Add the tomato vodka, vermouth, and clamato, if using, to a shaker with a few cubes of ice. Shake shake shake for about 30 seconds, or until your hand is almost numb. Strain into a martini glass, shaking out every last drop. Add garnishes and drink up! According to my husband, they are "dangerously delicious."

CSA Box Contents Week of June 25th

This week on the blog, we have a guest writer, Nora Chovanec. She is Director of Marketing & Agriculture at Texas Farmers Market. In the piece below, she dives into why shopping at farmers' markets is important, fun, and vital for the community. Check it out and get to the farmers' market(s) this weekend! 

Gorgeous day at the Mueller market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

With so many different ways to grocery shop these days, it can be hard to know where to begin. Do I visit the grocery store, receive a food delivery service, order off Amazon, sign up for a CSA or visit my local farmers’ market? While all of these avenues have benefits and drawbacks, as someone who has been shopping with my momma at farmers’ markets since I could barely walk and now helps run Texas Farmers’ Markets in Austin, I’m here to make a case for why the farmers’ market should be your go-to spot for weekly staples! As my friends can all attest, I have so many reasons for why you should shop at a farmers’ market, but here are just a few to whet your appetite:

• The produce options are out of this world! Think about the fact that when you go to the grocery store you buy food from a shelf that usually says something like “tomatoes” and you have a couple of different options and all the tomatoes look perfectly round and blemish free. But have you ever seen a tomato grow in a garden? Very rarely does a tomato found at the store look like one pulled from a vine. And that is because grocery store tomatoes varietals are often selected to be good for transport and long shelf life, not flavor. When you shop at the farmers’ market our farmers are more focused on delicious flavor, unique options, optimal nutrition and what types grow well in central Texas. The next time you are wondering exactly how different veggies are from the farmers’ market versus the store, do a taste test. Buy a bunch of carrots from the store and one from the market and see for yourself. You will never want to buy a carrot without a leafy top ever again!

Tomatoes freshly picked. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• You are investing your money in the local economy! Studies have shown that for every dollar spent at the farmers’ market, twice as much economic activity is generated within the region. So that means more jobs for farmers and less money in the pockets of agribusiness and GMO food conglomerates. Doesn’t it just feel better to know your buying habits are helping send your farmer friend’s kid to college instead of putting more money in the pocket of a CEO?
• The produce is fresh, fresh, fresh! Almost everything you buy at the farmers’ market was picked that day or the day before in order to retain the perfect ripeness and flavor. Farmers’ can’t afford to store their harvest for long on the farm, so you are ensured that whatever you buy at market is going to be peak freshness to enjoy at home. On average, the produce you buy at the grocery store is stored for at least a week, sometimes up to a year, and can come from anywhere in the world. Who wants a nine month old carrot from California on their dinner plate? I surely don’t!

Picking up from market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• Sustainability is key! At Texas Farmers’ Market, we have a strict rule that farmers’ and ranchers be completely transparent with their growing practices. We do farm inspections of every vendor to make sure that our farmers are growing what they are selling at the market. That means, if a farm is certified organic (like Johnson’s Backyard Garden!), we check their papers. If a farm promotes themselves as using “sustainable practices”, we collect detailed information about what they put into their soil and make sure that chemical pesticides and herbicides are not a part of their practices. You will not find greenwashing over here, folks. Have a question about a farmer’s growing practices? You can ask them in person instead of trying to figure out a label full of fancy marketing speak. And let me tell you, farmers love talking about their practices! They are proud of the work they do and want to share it with you. Our farmers know that taking good care of the land and their ecosystem is taking care of their business, their customers and our planet, all at the same time.

Market scene. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

• Seasonality is special! While it can be very convenient to be able to buy blackberries year-round in Texas, the truth is that blackberries bought in December have either been stored for months or shipped from far, far away. Both of those things mean your berry is going to have very little flavor and a very big impact on the environment. If you shop with the seasons, you are guaranteed to not only have flavorful, nutritious produce, but excitement every time you visit at the farmers’ market. Trust me, when your favorite items are back into season, it will feel like your birthday every month of the year. In Texas we are lucky that we have two growing seasons, so we can keep our farmers’ markets full of seasonal produce year-round. That means you will never find a banana at Texas Farmers’ Market, but you will find ripe, sweet strawberries in spring and the tastiest melons in the summer.
• Shopping at the Farmers’ Market is fun! When you visit the farmers’ market you can simply shop for what you need and go home, or you can bring a friend, have a snack, chat with a friendly farmer, listen to some live music and linger a while. Farmers’ market people know that shopping at the market is a social affair and that food just doesn’t taste as good when it is delivered to your doorstep with the click of a button. Need a mid-week pick me up after staring at a computer for three days? Why not plan an after-work happy hour with your friends at Texas Farmers’ Market at Mueller on Wednesday nights 5-8pm! Hump day just got a lot better now that you can hang by the lake and take home some tasty produce to get you through the rest of the week.

Gorgeous Mueller Farmers' Market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

But don’t just take my word for it, determine for yourself if these reasons to shop at the farmers’ market ring true. Visit us at Texas Farmers’ Market at Lakeline Saturdays 9am-1pm and Texas Farmers’ Market at Mueller on Wednesdays 5-8pm and Sundays 10am-2pm. Hope to see you at the markets!