What's Growing at Johnson's Backyard Garden

CSA members touring Johnson's Backyard Garden with owner/farmer Brenton Johnson on November 4, 2012  

It's been nothing short of incredible to see how has Brenton Johnson, the farmer/owner of Johnson's Backyard Garden, has grown a 1000+ member CSA farm offering 400+ varieties of vegetables in the time that I've known him. When we met in 2007, he was still working full-time for the Department of Agriculture, where he was an engineer specializing in water conservation. There's no doubt that his years of experience managing water resources has played a critical role in his ability to successfully cultivate and irrigate 70+ acres in the midst of Texas' record drought.

Today I tagged along as Johnson led members of the CSA on a walking tour around the farm. I learned a ton as he spoke with a gracious sort of joy about his growing practices. One of the things that struck a particular chord with me was when he answered the question about how he prevents crops from being overtaken by weeds and pests. To paraphrase his response: Just like when we nourish our bodies with all the nutrients that we need to maintain a healthy immunity, Brent makes sure that the soil has all the nutrients and trace minerals that his plants need to build up their immunity so that they are naturally less prone to disease. 

To build up my immune system this flu season, I am eating something green and farm-grown with every meal. Tonight was a delicious salad with some kohlrabi and kale from JBG tossed in a Tuscan white bean dressing. 

On the ANDI scale of 1 to 1000, kale ranks a perfect 1000 for its nutrient density.
ANDI stands for "Aggregate Nutrient Density Index." An ANDI score shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating an extensive range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities.

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Hausbar Farms

Gordito, a sweet bundle of a baby bunny who has a snug shady place to call home at Hausbar Farms.

The interconnectedness of living things is joyfully evident at Hausbar Farms, a 2-acre establishment in East Austin where farmer/owner Dorsey Barger lovingly tends to a bounty of plants and animals all the while looking to nature for cues on how to improve common agricultural practices. Dorsey is the first farmer who I have met in Austin implementing principles laid out in One Straw Revolution, a memoir by Masanobu Fukuoka, Japanese farmer and philosopher celebrated for developing natural farming techniques that "eliminate the need for pesticides, fertilizer, tillage, and perhaps most significantly, wasteful effort."

My colleague, Lani, a chef and farmer from the west coast, saw okra growing for the first time on this trip to Austin! 

Okra is native to Africa and thrives in our Central Texas summer heat. Hausbar's okra looked as healthy as can be and measured in at least a foot taller than me! 

David harvesting mint and fennel flowers at Hausbar to garnish a citrus cantaloupe soup to cool us down after spending an hour in the heat - superb.

Hausbar does the majority of their business with local restaurants.  You can find this rare North African green on the menu at Kome. It's definitely tough to grow greens in Central Texas' summer heat, but these do quite well because they contain an aloe-like gel that keeps them cool. Unlike some other other hearty greens like mustard and dandelion  greens which can be bitter,  these were pleasantly mild. We simply sauteed them with a bit of garlic to make a nourishing side dish. Next time we'll have to have them with some of Chef Rosa's gluten-free injera!

Thank you again, Dorsey, for bringing such a beautiful vision to life and sharing it with us!

http://www.hausbarfarms.com/

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Beyond Measure

A behind-the-scenes peek from TedxAustin 2012. Virtuoso trumpeter, Jeff Lofton, known as the Miles Davis of our day, began the conference with a performance that filled all of Austin Music Hall with its breath-taking resonance.

Beyond Measure was not just the theme of TedxAustin 2012; It was the amount of anticipation that I felt leading up the coordination of Natural Epicurean volunteers to support the lunch service of yesterday's conference. Tedx's Jennie Chen masterfully enrolled six of Austin's most renowned restaurant chefs to each design a unique menu with access to the same 12 locally-sourced ingredients, and it manifested in this amazing lunch experience:


Swift's Attic
Mat Clouser, Zack Northcutt and Callie Speer
Roasted Chicken Bahn Mi, Broccoli Kimchee Spinach & Quick Pickle Salad

Lenoir
Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher
The Chicken or the Egg - Chicken pot-au-feu with egg ravoili

Carillon
Josh Watkins
Chicken Roulades, bacon, espellete, sherry emulsion
Texmati rice, dried apricots, almonds, celery, black pepper syrup
Carrots, caraway, molasses, pork jus gastrique

Fino/Asti
Jason Donoho
Smoked Vital Farms Chicken & Spinach Morcilla Blanca, Carrot Purée, Broccoli Slaw & Egg Yolk Bottarga

Uchiko
Philip Speer
Vital farms chicken, sweet short grain rice, candied pork belly, crispy garlic
Pickled carrots & broccoli, Spinach oshitaki

Wink/BC Tavern
Matt Taylor
Cachatorrie-Style Braised Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Spinach
Broccoli & Bleu Cheese Macaroni

When not working with the chefs and Natural Epicurean assistants to prep and serve lunch, I was on the balcony soaking in the wisdom emanating from the amazing speakers who graced the stage. Here are some of the messages that stuck with me.

I was struck by how profoundly Tanya Streeter, freedive world record holder and environmentalist, redefines limits in every aspect of her life. As she so eloquently put it, "to redefine limits is to first accept that there are limits. They're just not where you think they are."

Jeremy Courtney, the founder of the Preemptive Love Coalition, a non-profit that sets out to eradicate the backlog of Iraqi children waiting in line for lifesaving heart surgery, spoke about how by "suspending suspicion and extending trust" he has been able to bring together individuals who belong to communities that are declared enemies and support the rebuilding of the war-torn country. I was left in wonderment of how someone who is not an Iraqi and not a surgeon, could garner such compassion and such expertise to make this impactful work possible.

Craig Hella Johnson, the conductor of Austin's multi-Grammy-winning choir, Conspirare, struck me by how effortlessly flowed between song and humble yet prophetic prose about our very existence in one of the most dynamic Ted Talks that I've ever witnessed. He concluded with this excerpt of a poem from Rumi, "What Was Said to the Rose."

What Was Said to the Rose
What Was Said to the Rose
What was said to the rose that made it open
was said to me here in my chest.
What was told the Cypress that made it strong
and straight, what was
whispered the jasmine so it is what it is, whatever made
sugarcane sweet, whatever
was said to the inhabitants of the town of Chigil in
Turkestan that makes them
so handsome, whatever lets the pomegranate flower blush
like a human face, that is
being said to me now. I blush. Whatever put eloquence in
language, that's happening here.
The great warehouse doors open; I fill with gratitude,
chewing a piece of sugarcane,
in love with the one to whom every that belongs!
Poem by Jalaluddin Rumi,
translation ©2005 — Coleman Barks

If you have yet to explore the vast online database of fascinating talks on ted.com, follow this link to see one of my favorites: http://www.ted.com/talks/luis_von_ahn_massive_scale_online_collaboration.html

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Ping & Pillows: Photos from our Ravioli Production Party

Karina and Jeff making the ping - Their Noni would be so proud!

Karina and Naoko spreading the ping on the pasta dough

Chef Jeff rolling the ravioli pin across the ping-stuffed dough to make pillows

Karina, Robert, Jeff and me taking a wine break ;)

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Natural Epicurean Earns Sustainable Teaching Award

The Natural Epicurean Academy earned Texas Campaign for the Environment's 2011 Sustainable Teaching Award at their 20th Anniversary Celebration that we catered on Saturday, September 24th.

Here's what we brought to the table:

The Plant-Centric Sandwich Trio

Prepared by the Barr Mansion and the Natural Epicurean

For TCE'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY "TRASH MAKEOVER" PARTY!

September 24, 2011

Plant-based cuisine is requires less energy, land, and water resources than animal-based cuisine. This plant-centric trio of sandwiches features an array of local, organic produce generously donated by Johnson's Backyard Garden, delivered on artisan-made, wood-fired bread which was made using no heavy machinery or additives, but rather the skill of a master baker able to adjust for natural fluctuations in temperatures and moisture levels.

* * *

Grilled Summer Squash

Marinated in Smoky Mesquite Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, and Sea Saltwith a Carrot Walnut Pate and Fresh Arugula

on Moroccan Spiced Ciabatta

Freshly-Pickled Pepper, Radish, and Fennel Medley

with a Root Vegetable Puree and Oregano Marinated Onions

on Parmesan Ciabatta

Roasted Butternut Squash

with Sweet Potato Greens Marinated in a Sesame-Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette and Caramelized Onion Spread

on Sesame Seed Ciabatta

* * *

The team of culinary students who executed on the menu just started the Natural Epicurean's 900-hr professional chef's training program in August. This event was great experience for working in tight quarters in public eye. Everything ran smoothly and on schedule thanks to the

excellent communication skills, work ethic, and supportive spirit of our team.

Natural Epicurean Culinary Students Crank out 500+ sandwich tastings at the Texas Campaign for the Environment Benefit on September 24, 2011. (From Left to Right) Einat Soltes, Katy Hacker, Brenda Reed, Natalie Conti and Olivia Gregg

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I heart Love Balls

Takoyaki has come to Austin thanks to Gabe and Sao Rothschild who opened a trailer eatery called Love Balls that specializes in this delicious Japanese street food.

Traditionally takoyaki is a ball of fried dough filled with octopus. What makes it especially delicious are all the sauces and toppings that deliver a mega punch of UMAMI**

• Smoky tasting fish flakes,
• The natural flavor enhancers of ao nori,
• A rich tomato & soy-based sauce,
• And Japanese mayo - follow this link to learn how they get Japanese mayo so much more umami than western mayo.

My favorite thing on the Love Balls menu is their creative vegetarian variation of takoyaki which replaces the octopus with mushroom (pictured below).

*One warning to the super-hungry: These are served right off the griddle, so let some of the steam escape from the inside of the balls before you try to devour one or else you WILL burn your mouth.

** Coined in Japan in 1907, umami translates literally to “delicious essence” and refers to the savory & rich essence that lingers on your palate and enhances your dining experience. Umami can exist in a wide range of foods, from vegetables to grains to meats - basically wherever there are proteins to be broken down, since the umami essence is created whenever protein strands are broken through the process of fermentation or cooking. Source: Kasabian, Anna and David. The Fifth Taste (2005).

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Love is What Makes this World Beautiful

While in Hualien, Taiwan, Danny and I went for a visit to a the Tzu Chi Buddhist Foundation. I really didn't know much about it before going... just what I read on the Taiwanese Secrets travel site - there's a beautiful roof and free lunch. Free lunch!? I'm there.


It turned out to be an incredible organization founded by a Taiwanese nun in the 1960's - that has expanded from an initial local effort of running free clinics, to building a national network of hospitals and schools, to doing international relief work in times of crisis.

I was especially interested to hear about their relief work in Japan since the tsunami, (which includes preparing and delivering hot meals to the people who lost their homes), since I have been looking for a venue to volunteer once we return to Japan.

We missed the free lunch which was a slight bummer, but were recommended to try out the food at the Tzu Chi Hospital next door. I don't usually go to hospital cafeterias expecting much, so you can imagine my delight when we were served this miso hot pot (below). So fresh, nourishing and delicious!

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Street Eats in Taiwan

Dumplings hot off the griddle. At just 30 cents a piece, a delicious daily staple of Taiwanese streets (Jingmei Night Market, Taipei)

Grilled pumpkin with drizzled honey (Wulai)

I Love Inari: Fried Tofu Pouches usually stuffed with Sweet Sushi Rice. This vendor did something a little different and stuffed some with sweet red beans which was equally as delicious! (Jingmei Night Market, Taipei)

Florence and Danny about to indulge in some candied fruit skewers: strawberries, loquats, and cherry tomatoes (Lehua Night Market, Taipei)

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Living Kansha

Kansha is the Japanese principle of using food to its fullest and the subject of Elizabeth Andoh's latest cookbook. Multiply the excitement that I felt when I received Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions in the mail from Amazon two months ago by at least 1000 and you can imagine how thrilled I was to receive a personal invitation from Elizabeth to stay with her several nights at her apartment in Osaka.

The circumstances were unexpected and unfortunate. The extended lack of control of a nuclear power plant 250 km north of where I had been staying in Izunokuni prompted my loved ones to plea my departure. I decided the risk was unknown enough and the ground beneath us still unstable enough, that I would err on the side of safety and head to Osaka the next day where I could catch a flight to Taipei and wait out the radioactive resolution from a safe distance.

Elizabeth and I had already exchanged several emails regarding my attendance at her cherry blossom cooking workshop in April, so as the one person who I knew in the Osaka area, I sent her an email seeking her advice. Without skipping a beat, she invited Danny and me to both come stay with her in Osaka several nights.

It was an honor and a joy to be invited not only into her home, but her kitchen, where kansha came to life. For example, four young bamboo shoots stretched to make an entire meal, where we began with an appetizer made of the tender artichoke-like tops of the bamboo tossed in white miso and sansho pepper leaves (pictured above). We then marinated the middle section of the bamboo shoots with a rich soy seasoning and cooked them into rice and dashi to make a sumptuous grain dish. And as a main course we braised the dense base of the shoots along with two kinds of tofu in a sake-soy glaze (pictured below).

You too can tap into Elizabeth's deep well of knowledge to make earnestly delicious Japanese dishes, by going to her website, www.kanshacooking.com, where you can sign-up to access select recipes from her workshops and cookbooks for free.

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