Johnson's Backyard Garden: Cooking Up Dinner

Johnson's Backyard Garden is one of the largest Austin-area farms and providers of CSA boxes in Austin. What's a CSA? Community Supported Agriculture -- you can read more about it on Johnson's page -- but basically, you pay into a local farm for a share of the produce that comes out of it. The farm will pack a variety of their seasonal items literally into a box and subscribers pick them up from a pre-established location or they are delivered right to your doorstep. Prices start at $21 and go up from there; you determine the size of the box and the frequency in which you want it. They were kind enough to offer me a box free of charge. All opinions are my own, and I was not financially compensated.

What comes in the box? Well, of course that will depend on the season! Johnson's has stuff growing 365 days out of the year, so even if you were only going to get a box occasionally from them, there would be a ton of variety! Have you ever been to one of the Austin-area farmers markets and seen a HUGE booth with just about everything that could be in season? Yeah, that's JBG, and they're at 20 different markets now! Anyway, if you're a CSA box subscriber, you can always go to their website for a description of what's in that current week's box.

I left a cooler on my front porch, so this was my first glimpse of my produce treasures!

I was excited because when I looked online, I saw that carrots and beets were part of the current haul, and I wanted to make this awesome vegan, almost-raw beet slaw that I've made before (and blogged about it! here's the recipe). But when I got the box, no beets or carrots! So you have to remain flexible when working with a CSA. Here's what I did received (with the official produce inspector!):

Inspector Charlie gives his approval

From left to right, we had sweet potato greens, poblano peppers, cantaloupes, red potatoes, yellow squash, basil, cucumbers, eggplant, malabar spinach (in the bag) and okra.  For a small household, it's a lot of produce! I have to admit, unless it's fried, I am not a big fan of okra, so I gave it to a friend who loves it. And I still haven't used the malabar spinach; it seems very hardy, and in fact isn't even a spinach! But here's a look at what I've been cooking for dinner.

The sweet potato greens were a new one for me. I looked online for some recipe ideas, and via Prevention magazine, actually found a recipe from local blogger MJ and the Hungryman! So I made my version of their sauteed sweet potato greens: heated a equal combination of grapeseed oil (neutral flavor) with sesame oil (great flavor, but low smoke point) in a skillet, and added some fresh grated ginger and a little garlic to taste. I added the greens, and just cooked them for about 2 - 3 minutes so they wilted down. I made a complete meal with some miso-glazed wild salmon and brown rice. I really liked the greens (I was surprised!); they were a lot like cooked spinach with a little bit more of a bite to them, kind of like arugula. I had some leftover and took them to work for lunch the next day; unfortunately, they were much more bitter the second day.

Asian-inspired sweet potato greens

With the poblano peppers and basil, I made pesto.  I lightly charred the peppers over the open flame of my gas stove, sealed them in a plastic bag to steam, and then peeled the skins off. I cut the stems off, de-seeded them and put them in a food processor with the basil and pumpkin seeds, some Parmesan cheese, and then drizzled olive oil in. It's got a nice little kick! Pesto is one of those versatile things that can be made a million ways depending on your preferences; it doesn't have to just be basil. While I do like pesto pasta, as seen below with sauteed yellow squash from the box, I LOVE using pesto as a base on a pizza instead of red sauce.  Smear it over your crust, add a little prosciutto, some good fresh mozzarella, and maybe a touch of olive oil on top. Bake it around 425 degrees for about 10 minutes, so the cheese is getting bubbly and a bit golden. Great for an appetizer or main dish. Pesto also freezes fairly well. You can freeze in small batches (ice cube trays or just plop by the spoonful or quarter-cupful on plastic wrap, wrap well, and put in a zippered bag) so you can then pull out just what you need.

Poblano basil pumpkin seed pesto

Sauteed yellow squash with pesto pasta

I love different types of Asian food, and a Thai curry stir fry is one of my go-to dishes. You can vary the protein: tofu cubes, pork or beef strips are my favorites, and of course lots of different vegetables. I had lots of eggplant and yellow squash from Johnson's, and I added red bell pepper and baby bok choy. In a wok or large skillet, I heated some grapeseed oil and a splash of sesame oil; for this one, I used beef that was already cut into stir fry strips by the butchers at Central Market (it's very handy). I cooked them for about 2 minutes to take the pink off the outside, and removed them from the pan; they'll get cooked all the way through later. In the same wok, I added a touch more oil, and added my cut up vegetables, saving the bok choy for last because it takes less time to cook. Push the vegetables up the sides of the wok; add about a quarter cup of well-shaken canned coconut milk and then about 2 tablespoons (or more if you like it spicy!) of the panang curry paste. Work the paste into the coconut milk to dissolve, gradually adding more coconut milk, and finally adding the entire 15 oz. can.  Incorporate the veggies into the sauce, and let simmer about 5 minutes, adding the protein back for the last two minutes (can get tough if over-cooked). Check for seasoning; I usually add a couple tablespoons of fish sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar (or palm sugar if you have it) to round out the flavors, and my Thai friend has complimented my panang rendition! Serve over rice of choice (white jasmine would be the traditional Thai choice, but basmati, Texmati or even brown are fine -- you're in control!).

Preparing panang curry

I am partial to the Mae Ploy brand of curry pastes, as my Thai friends have recommended them. Central Market carries the red, green, and yellow, but the Asian groceries like MT Market up at the Chinatown complex on North Lamar and Braker has the panang. Yes, these curries are all different and are nothing like Indian curry!

Available at local Asian markets

Potato and pea mint salad is a recipe that my mom used to make. Cube/large dice (your choice on size, just so they are mostly uniform so they will cook evenly) about a pound and a half of red potatoes (I used three small fist-sized ones), and either boil or steam them until tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and toss with 1 - 2 tablespoons white vinegar to keep from sticking as they cool down. Blanch about a cup of green peas until just cooked, and drain and rinse in cold water. Toss with the potatoes. Add 2 - 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped mint.  In a small bowl, combine about 1/3 cup mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add to potato mixture, combine well, and refrigerate for at least an hour so flavors can meld.

Like Mom used to make!

All the variety, year-round abundance, and multiple outlets from CSA deliveries to farmers market stands give Johnson's Backyard Garden a huge presence in Austin and the surrounding areas. I imagine they will be here for years to come, which is awesome. And if you really want to know where your food comes from, they take volunteers to help out in exchange for a bit of produce. Though for now, it's time to figure out that malabar spinach.... any suggestions?

Dai Due

Dai Due has evolved over the years from a farmer's market booth with high quality handmade products such as sausages, leaf lard, and condiments. Then they started adding hot prepared foods at the market, and soon after, classes like snout to tail butchering. Now they have graduated to a brick and mortar establishment on a bustling Manor Road that is both market and restaurant, and they continue to lead the way in serving local and seasonal foods.

But even a place so highly regarded had its slower times. Seated at the bar one night at the end of February, my friend and I were at Dai Due to "celebrate" Ladies Night, which is every Tuesday. According to our affable bartender, after just a month or two of service, the head butcher (a WOMAN!) and other staff realized that Tuesday nights were definitely slower than others. And, they would have random cuts of steak available that weren't as popular as say a rib eye. So Ladies Night was born, where Tuesdays are $10 steak nights for a 6 ounce portion; on the night we were there, we had a choice between tri-tip and I think eye of round. Regardless of the cuts available, I am sure it will be delicious. And Tuesdays are no longer slow nights there, so ladies, make your reservations!

We started our meal with wine (Duchman's Montepulciano from Driftwood for me) and the house-made pecan sourdough bread with a whipped lard sweetened with a touch of cane syrup. Nice chewy crust, and soft but yeasty insides with a lovely spread of mild pork fat.

Next was a venison ceviche with purple potato chips, tangerine, and carrot. I enjoyed this, but could take it or leave it, only because raw isn't my most favorite. My friend really loves ceviches and tartars and she was very pleased! The purple was a really nice pop of color.

We both opted for the tri-tip steak, cooked to a perfect medium rare and served with a green garlic butter, and we split a side of the kale gratin which came in its own separate gratin dish. The steak was pink and juicy and tender and flavorful. And a complete bargain at $10, and really, I could barely finish it. It was pure meat, no bones. I also loved the kale, which had just a touch of nutmeg or allspice in it. Now the plating of just the steak and the butter was fairly unimaginative just sort of plopped on a beige plate, but I guess at $10 for an exquisite steak, you're paying for taste not looks. And by the way, green garlic is completely underutilized! You never (okay, rarely) see that on a menu; it's got such a nice mild garlic flavor that just reminds you that spring is coming.

I didn't get any good pictures of the interior, but I really enjoyed the modern galley-like space, with black leather booths and wooden accents. The skylights kept the space from feeling too heavy or drab. The market space is closest to the street-side door. There are a few different cases with freshly butchered meats, lard and schmaltz, and ground meats and sausages ready to take home. The main host stand is at the rear of the restaurant, or, the side closest to the main parking lot area and the back entrance.  Might be a touch confusing if you came in the street door expecting to be seated from there.

All in all, great friendly service and very fine food. Ladies Night or not, the steak and kale gratin beckon. Oh, and side note, the lovely east side location of Sugar Mama's Bakeshop is right next door; they're open late and they serve wine!