Week 8: We Need to Hear from You

Written By Matthew Baker

Greetings from Chicago! (still no salad)

Happy August, 

We've been hearing from a few of you that you haven't been receiving the emails, so you will be receiving a regular email as well as the newsletter this week.

This week’s update is coming to you from Chicago, where we just dropped Coltin off at the airport. We're sad to see him go, but excited for the start of his senior year. He was such a huge help with harvesting, washing, packing, and marketing. We'll miss him around the farm.

Important Pickup Update

We’ve got our organic inspection this Wednesday (also our normal harvest/pack day), so we’re proposing that pickup be moved to Friday at your usual location.

If Friday doesn’t work for you, we can also offer a Thursday evening pickup at the Bryan Farmers Market, or work with you on another solution.

Please reply to this email with a quick “OK” and how you feel about jalapenos/spicy food or reach out to coordinate another option.

Still Growing

Same update as last week: salad is still growing and not quite ready yet. We know this isn’t ideal, and we appreciate your patience.

If you're not into the greens we’ve got available this week, just let us know! We’ll send you a discount code so you can pick out something else from the online store. If you already have a code, it’s still valid.

This Week’s Share:

  • Napa Cabbage

  • Carrots

  • Green Onion

  • Jalapeño

Online store is open now and will stay open through Tuesday at midnight.
Check it out here: https://www.thatonefarmerguy.com/onlinestore

7 Ways to Use Napa Cabbage

  1. Quick Slaw – Shred it with carrots and green onion. Toss with rice vinegar, sesame oil, a pinch of sugar and salt. Bright, crunchy, and goes with everything.

  2. Add to Stir-Fry – Napa wilts quickly, so add it at the end. It soaks up flavor like a champ.

  3. Lettuce Wrap-Style Tacos – Use the big leaves as wraps. Fill with ground meat, rice, or beans for a no-fork-needed dinner.

  4. Make Kimchi (or a Shortcut Version) – Feeling adventurous? Try your hand at homemade kimchi (see recipe below). Or do a quick-pickle version for a fast hit of flavor.

  5. Toss into Salads – Use Napa as a base or mix with other greens. It’s sturdy and crunchy, perfect for summer salads.

  6. Stir Into Fried Rice – Leftover rice + egg + veggies + Napa = magic. Finish with soy sauce or chili crisp.

  7. Grill or Roast It – Slice in halves or quarters, brush with oil, and roast or grill until tender and charred. Finish with dressing.

Quick Kimchi Recipe with Green Onion & Jalapeño

Ingredients:

  • 1 Napa cabbage, chopped into 1–2" pieces

  • 1 large carrot (or as much as your heart desires for all of the veggies), peeled and julienned

  • 4–5 green onions, chopped into 1-inch pieces

  • 2–3 jalapeños, thinly sliced (adjust to heat preference)

  • Kosher salt or sea salt (non-iodized)

    • See equation below to figure out the amount salt you need!

Instructions:

  1. Mix the Veggies: Add cabbage, measured salt, carrot, green onion, and jalapeño to a bowl. Use gloved hands or a spoon to mix everything together. Let sit for an hour or until the juices come out. Massaging it will make this happen faster.

  2. Pack & Ferment: Pack tightly into a clean jar, pressing down to remove air pockets. Leave 1 inch of headspace. Let sit at room temp for 1–3 days (cooler = slower). We do weeks or months, but we like it sour! If you have any other ferments, add a tablespoon of the liquid as a starter. You could even add some kombucha as a starter. Burp daily to release pressure.

  3. Refrigerate: Once it’s tangy and bubbly, refrigerate. It keeps for weeks and gets better over time.

  4. Eat With: Rice, eggs, grilled meat, or straight from the jar!

Salt Brine Formula (by weight)

You can use anywhere from 2% to 4% salt for your brine, no less than 2%, no more than 4%. Using grams makes the math easier and more accurate.

Make sure you're weighing just the vegetables, not the bowl or the jar.

To calculate how much salt to use:
Weight of veggies (in grams or the smallest measurement your scale will do) × 0.02 to 0.04 = grams of salt

Example:
If you have 1000g of chopped veggies:
1000 × 0.025 = 25g salt

Tips:

  • Always use non-iodized salt (kosher or sea salt without anti-caking agents).

Thanks again for sticking with us through these late-summer weeks. We’re working hard to keep things colorful, tasty, and flexible. As always, reach out with questions, we’re happy to help.

Matt & Allie
That One Farmer Guy

Matthew Baker
Next

Week 7: Rainbow Box