Something Good Organics

If you are reading this blog I imagine you subscribe to our CSA program here at John Givens Farm. All the produce is selected especially for you and picked within hours of receiving it. If you are finding that your produce is going bad in your fridge within a week (or even 2) of receipt, definitely keep reading and ask me if I don’t cover a vegetable you’ve experienced difficulty with in the past. I’m focusing mainly on leafy greens because I’ve found you can make them last up to two weeks in the fridge. Even if you plan on devouring them within a few days, it’s nice to pull crisp, fresh lettuce and other greens that are ready to eat.
I’m not a fan of plastic bags, although they somehow end to pile up in my house. I’ve invested in a few nice plastic containers that are usable pretty much for my lifetime. Take the time to chop and wash your greens the day that you receive them. Discard any parts that you don’t plan on using. Line a plastic storage container with paper towels, dump the greens in an even layer on top, and cover it with another layer of paper towels before locking down the lid. The greens should not be packed in.The paper towels here serve to absorb extra liquid that would turn the greens mushy. And did you know you can compost paper towels? A plastic box protects the greens from other foods in your refrigerator.
Alternatively, you can blow a puff of air inside a clean bag that holds your washed greens. This is supposed to provide enough carbon dioxide to keep the greens fresh for a week and no paper towels are needed. Make sure to store squash, peppers, cucumbers, carrots in the crisper section. Tomatoes and onions sit on your counter top unless you have cut into them. Put the other half in the fridge, but use within a few days. All those veggies should go into your mouth and none should go into the trash. Waste less, save more!!!

Cindy is back in action with granola this week. Choose your flavor in gluten free or organic. We also are starting to offer fresh picked berries from the farm in our CSA Store. Feedback is appreciated.

CSA Contains:
AMBROSIA MELON
LACINATO KALE
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
CIPPOLINI ONIONS (a caramelizing onion, super sweet when cooked)
SWEET RED CARMEN PEPPERS
YELLOW CROOKNECK SQUASH
CUCUMBERS
CARROTS
BUNCHED MINT
RED ROMAINE LETTUCE
BIG BOX ADD: YELLOW CHERRY TOMATOES, GREEN LEAF LETTUCE, CANARY MELON, CARROTS, RED BELL PEPPERS

Fruit Expansion Includes: Concord Grapes from Vincent Farms and a basket of blackberries or raspberries

Continue reading “Week of August 19th – Waste Less, Save More”

NO granola or cookies this week. Cindy will be back at it next week. Lots of delicious eggs in our CSA store and other breads and goodies. Hope you enjoy the special watermelon we are putting in the box this week. A golden rind with a sweet pink center, a happy place in the midst of summertime!

CSA Contains:
GOLDEN CROWN WATERMELONS
YELLOW BELL PEPPERS
GREEN KALE
CARROTS
RED ROMAINE LETTUCE
GREEN ZUCCHINI
CUCUMBERS
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
YELLOW ONIONS
GREEN BEANS
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS, RED LEAF LETTUCE, YELLOW CHERRY TOMATOES, AMBROSIA MELON or PEACHES from FAIRHILL FARMS, AVOCADOS from GOODLAND ORGANICS

Fruit Expansion Includes: Blackberries and/or Raspberries
Continue reading “Week of August 12th”

What a weekend! Trying to collect all the vegetables and fruit that are unsuitable for sale is a big job. Those chickens are living the summer life. Their coops are filled with roma tomatoes, spaghetti and acorn squash, melons of all varieties and any greens I can find (which are in short supply during the summer). My little VW Rabbit is filled with dust, dirt, veggie juices and seeds! We are also grinding our own corn from last year for these ladies.
I wanted to raise some awareness, although this might be old news, never hurts repeating. Organic chicken feed costs a lot of money, at least 2x that of conventional grain. To keep a chicken happy it really needs to be outdoors with sufficient space (not just called “free-range” in a building with an access to an outdoor lot which is typical of any big store brand). After helping butcher a few chickens this weekend for food for ourselves and friends it re-grounded me to the process. It’s SO easy to walk into the store and just pick up the cheapest deal available. But consider who is absorbing the costs? The earth, the farmers and our future. Shop local meat when available and cut down on animal protein in general. Better for the environment and your pocket book. Ok – off the soap box and back to work. Enjoy the summer goodies this week! Don’t cook the canary melon;) it’s not a spaghetti squash.

CSA for the first week of August includes:
CARROTS
CUCUMBERS
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, mixed varieties
RED ITALIAN SWEET PEPPERS
CANARY MELON
ITALIAN PARSLEY
RED LEAF LETTUCE
YUKON GOLD POTATOES, freshly dug
DELICATA SQUASH
GREEN BEANS
BIG BOX ADD: YELLOW ONIONS, ROMAINE LETTUCE, RED CHERRY TOMATOES, STRAWBERRIES or A melon

What you might have found in your fruit expansion this week: STRAWBERRIES, YELLOW PEACHES from Fairhill Farms, BLACKBERRIES, RASPBERRIES

Continue reading “Week of August 5th”

Our chickens have been feasting this week on lacinato kale, cantaloupe, carrots and worms along with other assorted greens that I’m tossing in to them today. Happy, well fed chickens!
Stock up on granola this week, because Cindy is taking two weeks off and granola will not be available the first two weeks of August.

CSA for week of July 29th:
CARROTS
LEEKS
CUCUMBERS
DINOSAUR KALE
ARTISAN CHERRY TOMATOES
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
AMBROSIA CANTALOUPE
LIPSTICK PEPPERS (sweet colorful peppers)
GREEN ACORN SQUASH
CILANTRO
BIG BOX: FRENCH BEANS, CARROTS, STRAWBERRIES, ROMAINE, BUNCHED SPINACH

FRUIT EXPANSION INCLUDES: STRAWBERRIES and RASPBERRIES OR 2XSTRAWBERRIES

Continue reading “Week of July 29th”

CSA this week contains:
CUCUMBERS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
CARROTS
CHERRY TOMATOES
STRAWBERRIES
GREEN BEANS
BABY SPINACH
YELLOW CROOKNECK SQUASH
RED ONIONS
ITALIAN PARSLEY
BIG BOX ADD: LACINATO KALE, CARROTS, STRAWBERRIES, GREEN BELL PEPPERS, SALAD MIX
*note to big boxes. strawberries will be packed in two separate bags to avoid squishing as strawberries become softer in the summer.

Fruit Expansion Includes: Strawberries and White Peaches (hopefully) This might change
Continue reading “Week of July 22, 2015”

Our chickens are in full swing and we have eggs and egg subscriptions available. A note for our strawberries through the summer – strawberries don’t really enjoy hot temperatures and this definitely shortens the time they will hang out in your fridge without spoiling. Try taking them out of the bag immediately and put them in an airtight container with a paper towel at the bottom to extend their life.
Making any delicious recipes this summer from your CSA box? Tag us on instagram #somethinggoodorganics or email the idea this way so we can all enjoy it. Red and orange peppers, melons and heirloom tomatoes are right around the corner.

CSA share this week:
CARROTS
CUCUMBERS
GREEN BELL PEPPERS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
LEEKS
POTATOES
RED TOMATOES
BABY SPINACH
STRAWBERRIES
GREEN ZUCCHINI
BIG BOX ADD: WHITE NECTARINES from VALLEY PRIDE FARM, CARROTS, STRAWBERRIES, RED LEAF LETTUCE, RED CHERRY TOMATOES

FRUIT EXPANSION CONTAINS: WHITE NECTARINES and STRAWBERRIES
Continue reading “Week of July 15th”

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend and enjoyed some good eats with family and friends.

Get to know where your eggs are coming from. We turned a bunch of pens that were used for other animals in the past into chicken coops from old fence and other reusable parts. I tried not to let much go to the dump when we moved onto the new property. Just cleaned a lot up and now the chickens occupy all! The birds are set up on automatic watering and are tended to daily with food and farm greens. Pasture pens are being created and the birds will be rotated in grassy areas.

Here are some of our teenage turkeys. They are very inquisitive and would probably follow me around the farm all day if they could.

Baby chickens, about 6 weeks old. Bantom chickens and regular chickens hanging out together. They will be separated into their own pens this week.

Different varieties of chickens give us all those beautiful brown, blue and white eggs. These guys are just starting to lay.

White Chickens and brown chickens. Happy chickens is the goal.

Have you ever seen a guinea fowl? Here are about 20 of them. They are loud birds and help keep predators at bay.

CSA Contains:
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
CARROTS
YELLOW ONIONS
CUCUMBERS
ARTICHOKES
YELLOW SUMMER SQUASH
STRAWBERRIES
SPAGHETTI SQUASH
AVOCADOS from RAO RANCH
RED CHERRY TOMATOES
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS, STRAWBERRIES, ITALIAN PARSLEY, RED LEAF LETTUCE, GREEN BELL PEPPERS

FRUIT EXPANSION INCLUDES: STRAWBERRIES and ? – to be determined soon
*A note to fruit expansion subscribers: it is very difficult to find local, organic stone fruit. When we get stone fruit it comes on a truck that’s already making deliveries to Goleta. All fruit is 100% organic of course and is grown in California. That’s the best we can do until we have our own trees, because I really want to include stone fruit!

Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms and Parmesan cheese

(Cheesy, earthy and healthy spaghetti squash recipe that’s kid friendly and gluten-free)
Ingredients: Serves 4
1 small spaghetti squash (about 2lbs)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups button mushrooms, chopped bite size (I love shitakes)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
(For full recipe and directions please visit Pickled Plum)

Creamy Summer Squash Soup

Ingredients: Serves 4
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro stems, plus 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon ground coriander
5 medium yellow summer squash (2 1/2 pounds), chopped
Coarse salt
Lime wedges, for serving
(Visit Whole Living for the full recipe and directions)

Baked Artichokes

Ingredients: Serves 4
4 Artichokes
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
4 cloves Garlic, Chopped
4 tbsp Olive Oil
3 Lemons
Salt, To Taste
Pepper, Fresh Cracked, To Taste
1/4 Cup Water
(Visit Cherry Bomb Kitchen for full directions)

Erin’s Baked Eggs on a Bed of Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

(Eggs baked on top of tiny halved tomatoes, topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan and basil, make a simple, delicious summertime breakfast or quick dinner. Recipe as written yields 4 medium servings. I highly recommend serving this with toasted bread (goat cheese on whole grain toast is perfect!) or something similar (Erin suggests polenta fries, yum.)
Ingredients: Serves: 4
3 cups (about 16 ounces) sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced (optional)
Sea salt, preferably of the flaky variety
Freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs, at room temperature
(For full recipe and directions visit Cookie and Kate)

JUICE FEAST INCLUDES:
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
CARROTS x2
CUCUMBERS
STRAWBERRIES
ITALIAN PARSLEY
GREEN BELL PEPPERS
LACINATO KALE
RED BEETS
RED TOMATOES
BABY SPINACH

The new ranch we are farming on in Buellton used to be an Icelandic Pony ranch. Nothing was growing here before we came, but the horses were definitely leaving a lot of compostable materials that are benefiting our crops now. We don’t have a lot of leafy greens up here because it runs about 10 degrees hotter here during the day. I see lots of spaghetti and butternut squash, onions, garlic, melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and other summer crops. We are also fortunate enough to have over 100 boxes of bees from San Marcos Ranch on the farm. The bees bring a lot of good vibes to the farm to say the very least. I catch swarms of them up in trees and buzzing through crops. Check out some recent pictures I took of the farm today.

Lot’s of tomatoes coming our way.

A view from the top of the hill where our orchard will go.

https://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/carolyneliz/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150629_115651146.jpg
Boxes and boxes of glorious bees!

The center road of the farm is lined with trees creating shade for the workers, the chickens and makes for a beautiful picture.

The CSA van doing a little off the clock work hauling overgrown produce to chickens.

We have lots of eggs in our CSA store right now. Check them out for only $4/dozen. I anticipate the quantity of eggs to continue to increase throughout the summer so you should see them in our CSA store moving forward. Please feel free to check in with me if you don’t see them available.
Cindy Dollar has added a new addition to her granola line up. Try out the new flavor Blueberry Almond! You can also choose from cran-cashew, raisin pecan or coconut seed. Don’t forget about the fresh baked cookies. Perfect for a weekend BBQ.

CSA Box Contains:
CARROTS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
FRENCH GREEN BEANS
PABLANO CHILE PEPPERS
GREEN ZUCCHINI
ACORN SQUASH
BABY SPINACH
STRAWBERRIES
RED AND YELLOW CHERRY TOMATOES
CILANTRO
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS, STRAWBERRIES, CUCUMBERS, GREEN BELL PEPPERS, LACINATO KALE
Continue reading “Week of July 1st – Grillin’ Veggies”

Cindy Dollar is cooking up some Cranberry Cashew granola right here in Goleta. It’s some of the tastiest granola around AND you are supporting your local community with every bite. Check it out here along with many other delicious things.

CSA Contains:
BABY SPINACH
CARROTS
ITALIAN PARSLEY
YELLOW CHERRY
SALAD MIX
GREEN ZUCCHINI
STRAWBERRIES
RED AND YELLOW ONIONS
CUCUMBER
AVOCADOS from RAO RANCH (they’ve been ripening for a week. THE BEST avos I’ve ever had)
BIG BOX ADD: RED LEAF LETTUCE, GREEN BEANS, CARROTS, STRAWBERRIES, GREEN ACORN SQUASH

FRUIT EXPANSION INCLUDES: LATE LANE NAVAL ORANGES from VINCENT FARMS and STRAWBERRIES
Continue reading “Week of June 24th”

I’m truly amazed at what the California fertile soil can produce. I’ve been harvesting heads of red leaf lettuce that are so big that they can’t even fit in boxes to be sold. They aren’t going to waste though! We complete the cycle by making sure the animals are eating their veggies too! Our chickens in Buellton are all relocated and they are sitting pretty in big paddocks to roam in. A big mobile coop is in the works so we can move them from field to field. While the chickens enjoy new territory, bugs and grasses, we get to enjoy all the benefits they bring to a farm. As I get settled in the town of Buellton I will definitely get some pictures posted. It’s been extremely chaotic, but an amazing experience. Looking forward to raising broiler chickens, goats for milk and cheese and pigs, along with new crops like blackberries and raspberries!
Cindy Dollar is cooking up some Raisin Pecan granola for us this week. Try out a bag and get a bag for a friend. Check it out here in our CSA store!

CSA Contains:
CILANTRO
BABY SPINACH
RED LEAF LETTUCE
GREEN BEANS
CARROTS
BROCCOLI
CUCUMBERS
RED CHERRY TOMATOES
STRAWBERRIES
RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT from SOMMERS RANCH
BIG BOX ADD: SUGAR SNAP PEAS, RED CHERRY TOMATOES, ROMAINE LETTUCE, CARROTS, STRAWBERRIES

Fruit Expansion Includes: Kiwis and Strawberries
Continue reading “Week of June 17th”