Fresh from Wellspring Charitable Gardens - August 14, 2025

Fresh Today… Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Summer Squash, Eggplant, Leaf Lettuce, Cucumbers, Sweet Bell Peppers, Green Beans, Garlic, Cilantro, Basil, Oregano, & Peaches

Using your Produce… by Julie Moreno

Home grown bell peppers never seem to have the perfect shape that happens when grown in a commercial hot house. Stuffed bell peppers was a recipe that I avoided because it never made sense to remove the top stem and then try to balance the pepper and fill it with stuffing. Then I came across a recipe where they cut the peppers lengthwise instead of cutting the top off. When you cut them like this, it doesn’t matter the shape, you end up with two halves that can both be filled with your favorite filling. This recipe uses rice, meat and cooked veggies, but you can stuff them with your favorite cooked items, like breadcrumbs, beans, tofu or more vegetables.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2-3 bell peppers, cut in half  lengthwise,

leave the stem on, and seeds removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, sliced, white and

    green parts separated

1 small zucchini, diced

1 tomato, diced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup leftover meat, diced small

    (optional) (cooked ground beef,

     turkey or diced cooked chicken,

     pork or beef)

1 cup cooked rice, any kind (or

    cooked grain or beans)

1 tablespoon basil, chopped

1/2 cup cheese

* Preheat your oven to 350° F. Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise,  le the stem on, only removing the seeds and membrane. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil and sauté the garlic and white parts of the green onions for one minute. Add the diced squash and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft, then add the remaining green onions, tomato, oregano, salt, meat and cooked rice. Heat thoroughly and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the basil, drain off any excess liquid, fill the peppers with the mixture and top with a sprinkle of cheese. Place them in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are soft. Top with additional chopped basil and serve.

The Lady of the Roosts Declares...

Lady Cynthia of the Garden and Keeper of the Flock has decided to lay aside her chicken tending duties. Try as she might with her formidable counseling arts, she could not move the indolent chickens to lay more steadily (Remember, bird brains!), so she has decided, for the foreseeable future, to withdraw eggs from the WCG offering. For those who have purchased eggs in advance, we will happily provide you a refund. Sadly, the resolution of the 23-year saga of chicken tending at Shire Martin is similar to the final scene of The Lord of the Rings. Just as Gandalf leads Bilbo and Frodo to the Grey Havens to sail with the Elves to the Undying Lands to find rest, so the Lady of the Roosts leads her flock to sale at the Escalon Livestock Market where they find their everlasting roost. Well, “somewhat” similar!

Eggplant…

The neutral flavor of eggplant makes it the perfect vehicle to absorb flavorful ingredients. Make sure to let the eggplant sit for at least 15 minutes or longer to let the seasoned tomatoes soak in.

Grilled Eggplant with Marinated Tomato, Herbs and Feta Cheese

2 eggplants, sliced into ½ inch slices    

Salt                                                                    

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil                       

1 garlic clove, pressed or grated                  

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil                        

½ tsp salt

½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters

4 ounces feta cheese

* Slice 2 eggplants 1/2 inch thick; lay on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and let sit 10 minutes, then pat dry. In a large bowl, combine extra-virgin olive oil with 1 grated garlic clove, chopped herbs, salt and pepper, mix well. Add in the tomatoes and feta cheese to the oil mixture and stir gently. After patting the eggplant slices with a dry towel, grill over medium-high heat, flipping about every 2 minutes until soft about 7-9 minutes. Remove from the grill and place the slices on a platter. Drizzle the slices with the feta-tomato-herb oil and let sit for 15 minutes before serving with the feta cheese.

Metaphors of Soil and Soul… 

Seeding Life

by Cindi J Martin

Rarely do we see carrot flowers. They are beautiful! Today I walked through rows of unharvested carrots that we “let flower” to harvest their seeds. We have never saved carrot seeds, so it has been instructive to watch their lush foliage progress from lacy greens to lanky stalks, from lanky stalks to lavender blooms, and from lavender blooms to withered flowers bespeckled with auburn seeds. Today I harvested those frail flowers and auburn seeds to store for the next growing season.  

Observing their decline helped me better understand and appreciate aging and the beauty of life in the shadow of death.  Too often, though, we privately lament and deftly disguise our tell-tale signs of decline – greying hair, sagging skin, dimming eyes, waning strength, and flagging memory. We loathe talking about death, perhaps hoping that by ignoring the matter, we should avoid it altogether.  In the Gospels, Jesus tried on various occasions to talk plainly with His disciples about the manner and purpose of His immanent death.  Uncomfortable, they ignored and even rebuffed His candid comments on His coming crucifixion. One occasion Jesus used an agricultural metaphor to clearly state the purpose for His incarnation: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12:24).” Uncomfortably blunt, this paradoxically hopeful statement about dying and bearing fruit expresses how we best approach our last season of life.

We can learn - from our Lord and garden plants - to appreciate the beauty and purpose for each season of life, especially the last.  Are we aware that in our “withering” years we are most prepared to seed others from our precious stores of insight, understanding, and wisdom?  Rather than giving up and withdrawing – no, withholding - because our physical losses and limitations seem unflattering or unappealing, we can choose to keep giving despite them. Rather than remaining alone, let us consider ways to engage and seed the next generation – those grateful for the good seed we now provide and those who will grow and bloom when our flower has faded. It is never too late, the gift never too small when giving hope-filled seeds that store the promise of new life and the next harvest.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  Galatians 6:9-10