From the Garden this Week, September 9, 2021...
From the Garden this Week…
Corn, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Sweet and Hot Peppers, Summer Squash, Okra, Carrots and Basil, Pumpkins, Pluots, Peaches, Apples, Wheat Sheaves, Jack-B-Little Miniature Pumpkins, Cinderella or Sugar Pie Pumpkins
Coming Soon…Delicato Squash
Using your Produce… by Julie Moreno
I’ve had some bad experiences grilling corn, and I think that is what led me to my raw corn salad. There is a method to remove the silks and leave the husk on, but you can end up with a mess of burnt husks, if you don’t have the time to soak the ears. If you take the husk off, it is easy to end up with inedible, charred kernels. This past summer I keep seeing the Mexican style grilled elotes and wanted to try a recipe again that would avoid the mess I had in the past. I find the easiest way to grill corn is to remove the husks and then quickly cook it on a hot grill just until there is very light browning. In fact, you are better off cooking it less and not worrying about even grill marks. In the recipe I cut the kernels off the husk and serve it like a warm salad. If you wanted to serve it on the cob, mix the chopped green onion, garlic and lime juice with the mayonnaise and then spread it on the grilled corn cob; then sprinkle the remaining seasonings on the cob.
Mexican Elotes Salad
4 ears sweet corn, husks removed
1 green onion
2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper or smoked paprika
grated lime zest, from 1 lime
¼ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
½ cup chopped cilantro
Preheat grill or broiler to high heat. Grill or broil corn and green onion until lightly charred. (Be careful not cook too long, so that the kernels become dry.) Finely chop the green onion and cut the kernels from the cob. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently and serve right away.
Favorite Green Beans…
I have just one way I like to cook green beans. I try other recipes but always come back to the same basic style. I like that this recipe only uses one pan and that it is full of flavor with the garlic, butter and white wine.
Sautéed Green Beans
1 pound of green beans, ends removed, cut in half if desired
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or oil
2 tablespoons white wine
¼ cup water
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
In a large sauté pan with a lid, cook the beans, garlic, salt and butter/oil over medium heat, for about 3-4 minutes, or until the garlic starts to brown. Add the white wine and continue cooking uncovered until the wine has evaporated. Add the water and cover the pan, cooking about 3-4 minutes more until the beans are cooked through. Remove the lid, taste and add salt and pepper if desired, let any remaining liquid evaporate over low heat. Eat right away.
Metaphors of Soil and Soul…by Ronda May Melendez
For many months, Thomasina has unwittingly become my muse. She happily snuggles with those who will allow it. She hunts a loose sleeve or bouncy low-lying flower with curiosity and intense focus. On occasion, she has been known to enjoy batting at her own tail, as it lilts back and forth while she relaxes. This last week, I found it quite amusing as she snuggled up to Sylvester and then, decided to gnaw on his neck, who allowed it for a while. Once, she found quite a long time of contentment in whacking at a dead weed that was blowing through!
Her natural curiosity and lack of boredom has been what has continued to catch my attention. One observes her contentment. She does not withhold her curiosity just because there are a group of us in Lectio. Nor does she try to hide her intense focus while others watch. She seems quite content to be what she is... a kitten...or, perhaps, by now, an adolescent.
Whatever her developmental stage may be, it is clear; she is content to explore, have fun, let others know she needs attention and at times, just lay there. Which seems to me a rarity! Yet, she always seems to be at peace and enjoying life.
Her little life has challenged mine many a time. Can I trust that all is well and explore, play, and rest, as she does? Can I allow myself to let those I trust know what I need and trust that they are willing to self-reflect and tell me, truthfully, where they are able and willing to meet me? Thomasina seems to have this capacity in spades!! She doesn’t bat an eyelash, seemingly, if one of our members can’t (or is unwilling, at the moment) have her in their lap or at their side. This peaceful approach to life pulls in my attention every time.
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