Fresh from Wellspring Charitable Gardens - October 16, 2025

Fresh Today… Arugula, Broccoli, Eggplant, Swiss Chard, Lettuce Mix, Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Watermelon Radishes, Salad Turnips, Green Onions, Celery, Oregano, Parsley, Pumpkins, Persimmons & Pomegranates

Using your Produce… by Julie Moreno

We have more fall vegetables this week including broccoli and arugula. In addition, we are sending pumpkins this week. Use the pumpkins as décor for a few weeks and then you can eat them. If you keep them outside, make sure to keep them out of the sun for most of the day. I have a basic broccoli recipe to share as well as an arugula salad. The taste of arugula is rather unique among leafy greens. The leaf is tender (similar to spinach), but the taste is strong, resembling black pepper. Arugula pairs well with rich, heavy foods, like cheese, eggs, and meats. For vegetarians, try combining with white beans, nuts and avocado. This simple salad makes a great side dish for pizza or your favorite grilled meat or seafood.

Arugula Salad

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups arugula, chopped,

    washed and dried

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

    shavings (use a vegetable peeler)

2 tablespoons pine nuts or chopped

    walnuts, toasted and chopped

* In a large bowl combine the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt. Drizzle in the oil while whisking. Add the arugula and toss the leaves to coat with the dressing. Transfer to a serving platter and top with the cheese and nuts or just mix in the same bowl and serve.

Using Your Arugula

Arugula’s distinctive peppery flavor makes it a versatile companion for your culinary favorites. It pairs well with complementary and contrasting tastes alike – such as sweet, salty, tangy, nutty. Add it to soups and stews, sandwiches and wraps, pizzas and pastas. Arugula is versatile, so try one of these tasty uses:

* Blend into Pesto: For a twist on classic basil pesto, use arugula as the base. Blend it with olive oil, nuts (like walnuts, pine nuts, or pistachios), garlic, and parmesan cheese.

* Wilted Side Dish: Lightly sauté arugula in a pan with olive oil and garlic. Its leaves will quickly wilt, creating a simple and flavorful side dish.

* Balsamic Glaze: Lightly sauté arugula in a pan with olive oil and finish with a splash of balsamic vinegar for a touch of tangy sweetness.

Arugula Pesto

Broccoli Basics…

Broccoli can be blanched, steamed, roasted or eaten raw. In this recipe, I cook it in boiling water. Use the method that is easiest for you. I like to undercook it slightly knowing that it will continue to cook after removing from the water. Adding the seasoning at the end gives it all the flavor that it needs. Enjoy the simplicity and flavor of the first broccoli harvest of the season.

Seasoned Broccoli

1 head of broccoli, cut into      

    florets, about 4-5 cups         

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Squeeze of half a lemon or sprinkle

of white wine or cider vinegar

* Bring a large pot of water with 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the water and let the broccoli drain completely.  Transfer the broccoli to a serving dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Serve right away.

Metaphors of Soil and Soul…

Pruning

Cindi J Martin

The tangle of bare grape vines growing in the garden needs pruning. I shudder in sorrow whenever I face this annual task. How do I muster courage to sever branches once covered in lovely leaves shading sweet grapes? The courage comes from experience and faith. With practice I have learned which branches to remove and which to prune. I have seen the benefit of the prior season’s pruning on the coming season’s producing, so I muster courage to endure the loss that is worth the gain. I know the blessing in severe pruning, so in faith I look forward to new growth. Today, though, life hangs in the balance and branches hang suspended between the blades of the shears.

Remaining productive while growing older also demands severe pruning. It’s not merely snipping a twig here or a leaf there – like foregoing a floral bouquet for the table, not attending a summer evening concert, or declining a Sunday afternoon picnic. It’s severing entire limbs that once bore delightful fruit. My strength waning, I forego preparing extravagant daily meals, hosting weekly get-togethers, serving on multiple committees monthly.  The fruit of these efforts once brought me joy through purpose, encouraged others, and made my life and work meaningful. Now looking closely at my own aged and barren branches, I see a tangle of loss and shudder in sorrow.

Despite my grieving, I have learned to trust the Lord of the Shears. His careful cuts encourage the growth of good fruit. When the Lord looks closely at our lives, He will, in season, cut back once productive limbs that we would never choose to remove. Pruning ALWAYS hurts, but when I place my limbs into His capable hands, I can be assured He will redirect my strength into the choicest branches remaining, so they continue to bear sweet fruit. Are you entering the painful season of pruning? Do you feel your life-branches suspended between the blades of the shears? Faith in The Ever-Faithful Vine Master will give you courage to endure the loss and wait confidently for the next season of sweet and satisfying growth.

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit…. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”    John 15:2