8/21/24 - North Bay Jobs with Justice

(Written by Field Manager Sarah)

Sonoma County is a beautiful place that many of us are happy to call home. It is known internationally for a picturesque landscape where you can go wine tasting in  the golden California hills. It is, quite literally, a name that is bottled and shipped to sell customers on its beauty. The other side to this pastoral image are the farmworkers who are harvesting the grapes. Over the past two weeks, the grape harvest season has officially begun. This means thousands of workers are starting to  spend long hours overnight harvesting grapes. We see and hear them harvesting across the fence from us.

For this reason, we wanted to highlight an organization I have been volunteering with and whose work I am deeply aligned with to spread awareness. North Bay Jobs with Justice (NBJwJ) is a growing, grassroots coalition of over 30 labor and community organizations fighting for economic and racial justice. After the 2020 fires that decimated Sonoma County, a movement started to advocate for the farm workers impacted.

In the spring of 2021, a team of worker leaders surveyed 100 farm workers regarding their experience during the fires and developed the Five for Farmworkers. This is a set of five demands that workers are asking from their employer and vineyard owners. Of the five, NBJwJ has seen victory in three. First, language justice on the worksite: the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has approved a formal policy that requires employers to provide safety trainings in workers’ preferred languages. Second, the implementation of disaster insurance: when grape growers lose their harvest due to flooding, fire, smoke, etc. they receive crop insurance. For the first time ever, the county has developed a fund of $3 million for frontline workers who lose work due to evacuation zones. Lastly, farm workers asked and owners delivered having clean water and bathrooms on the job sites.

However, the fight continues. NBJwJ has a group of volunteers called Community Safety Observers. As a CSO, you can show solidarity with farm workers by observing working conditions of overnight harvest shifts. More than anything, NBJwJ is campaigning for hazard pay for farm workers. In an industry that is valued at $7.7 billion in Sonoma County, farm workers are fighting for dignified wages; compensation for wages lost during disasters, hazard pay for dangerous working conditions, and a minimum of $25 an hour, or $250 per each ton of picked grapes.

The other side of JNBJwJ is their positioning around a just transition in the labor industry by creating and supporting opportunities for farm workers to build careers and skills outside of the wine industry. Specifically, NBJwJ is creating opportunities for former farm workers to build fire resiliency and tackle our climate crisis head on.  This includes many things, from prescribed burns, vegetation management, and clearing invasive species. NBJwJ has partnered with local organizations to create opportunities for farm workers including working with Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, Audubon Canyon Ranch, and the Gold Ridge RCD, to name a few.

North Bay Jobs with Justice is fighting for worker rights because there is a deep understanding that we cannot build a climate resilient future without worker justice. As a grassroots organization, community support is always needed, and every voice is valued. The best way to keep up with NBJwJ is to follow them on social media; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. There are lots of ways to get involved, but here you can learn about their upcoming actions and volunteer opportunities.

Produce Notes & Recipes

This Week’s Box

Cegolaine & Green Mini Romaines

Tomato Quart

Summer Squash

Eggplant (SR) OR Shishito Peppers (WC)

Basil (SR) OR Parsley (WC)

Cherry Tomatoes (SR) OR Strawberries (WC)

Family: Tokyo Bekana, +1 Mini Romaine

We have several rotations this week, so below are ideas that work for either Santa Rosa and West County drop sites.

We are SO excited for our eggplant this week. Our hoop house bed space is small and thus valuable, and we make sure to prioritize some of our favorite summer vegetables, including the eggplant in your box today (or next week for WC)!

For our Santa Rosa Members, I have the perfect recipe for you! Many members of our crew have been absolutely loving this Eggplant and Cherry Tomato recipe by  Allison Roman. She has a great oeuvre of recipes; the anchovy pasta is a classic in my house. I highly recommend checking out her website, where she has a newsletter you can subscribe to,  and lots of veggie recipes.

Eggplant Pasta

1 - 2 pounds Italian eggplant

1/2 cup plus 4 tbsp olive oil

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup parmesan or pecorino

1/2 cup chopped parsley

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

8 oz cherry tomatoes

1-2 tbsp tomato paste, harissa pasta, gochujang

Crushed red pepper

12-16 oz dried pasta

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Arrange eggplant in an even layer on a sheet tray, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with ½ cup of the olive oil. Flip the eggplant, and season with salt and pepper on the other side. Roast eggplant for 30–45 minutes, flipping the eggplant halfway through cooking, until everything is deeply browned on both sides.

2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper. Toast until the breadcrumbs are gorgeously golden brown, about 5–7 minutes. Add ¼ cup cheese of your choosing and toss to coat, letting it melt into the crumbs. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Add two or three tbsp of chopped herbs, toss and set aside.

3. Wipe out the pot or skillet of any crumbs and add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until softened and nicely toasted. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and crushed red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes burst and the tomato paste turns dark brick red

4. Once your eggplant is done, add it all to the skillet, stirring it in so it melts into the tomatoes.

5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta of your choosing until just before al dente. Save 2 cups of pasta water and drain the rest.

6. Add the pasta and 1½ cups pasta water to your pot or skillet and cook over medium heat. Keep tossing and stirring, until the sauce goes from watery to thick and almost creamy (it happens quickly), 3–5 minutes.

Now West County Members have Shishito Peppers. They’ve only made a debut for Family Members and in our Add-Ons. Look to the 7/31/24 newsletter for a recipe for Blistered Shishitos, a classic way to enjoy them.

Shishitos are from Japan (their word is derived from shish or lion) although developed from Padron peppers from Spain which were introduced to Japan by Portuguese traders in the 16th century. Shishitos are best suited to light cooking applications such as blistering, grilling, sautéing or roasting. That said, they are also great pickled or dipped in tempura. 4 out of 5 peppers are quite mild, but they you’ll come across one that makes your eyes water! That’s part of the fun we think and we hope you agree.

A great recipe to pair with shishitos is this simple New York Times Takeout Style Asian Noodle. We are deep into the farming season and always looking for easy things to make after a long, hard day on the farm. This has been a favorite, since it is simple and works with anything.  Recently, I have been serving cold with freshly blistered shishitos on top. For Family Boxes, a quick stir fry of Tokyo Bekana in sesame oil and a dash of salt and pepper would pair nicely on top.

Takeout Style Sesame Noodles (via NYT Cooking)

• 1 pound noodles, frozen or fresh

• 2 tbsp sesame oil

• 3 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 tbsp sesame paste

• 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp finely grated ginger

• 2 tsp minced garlic

• 2 tsp chile garlic paste or chili oil

• 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add noodles and cook until barely tender.

2. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, drain again and toss with a splash of sesame oil

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, maple syrup, ginger, garlic, and chili paste.

4. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. Garnish with peanuts