from Wellspring Charitable Garden this Week - September 1, 2022

From the Garden this Week… Eggplant, Cucumber, Carrots, Peppers, Bok Choy, Tomatoes, Micro Greens, Red Curley Leaf Lettuce, Green Beans, Basil, Parsley, & Melon

Coming Soon… Winter Squash - Butternut Squash, Spaghetti Squash

Using your Produce… by Julie Moreno

Eggplant is really a neutral flavored vegetable that works perfectly as a vehicle to carry sauce, cheese, and herbs to your mouth. In the recipe today I have a simple alternative to traditional eggplant parmesan. Without the breadcrumb coating, the dish doesn’t become soggy when soaking up the sauce. If you do like the fried flavor, which I can’t argue with, use a little more oil when cooking the eggplant. It helps to get more browning and flavor into the eggplant. Basil loses its flavor quickly when cooked, so add your basil just before serving as a fresh garnish.

Baked Eggplant

Parmesan

2-3 medium sized eggplants

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black

pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh or dried Italian seasoning -

thyme, rosemary, and parsley

Fresh torn basil leaves, for garnish

* Preheat oven to 400 °F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the stem and slice the eggplant into ½ inch slices. In a large mixing bowl add the eggplant slices, drizzle with the olive oil to coat as evenly as possible. Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder to the bowl and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan cheese and herbs and lightly toss again. In one layer, place the seasoned eggplant slices on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Add any remaining herb-cheese mix to the top of each slice. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the eggplant is tender. Serve with marinara sauce if desired and garnish with fresh torn basil leaves.

Mission Possible: How You Help Those

Who Are Hurting

Your purchases of farm to table produce make a difference in the lives of hurting people in our community. Recently I spoke to a community leader who called Wellspring Counseling Ministries for help finding a therapist for a loved one. He was frustrated by the many calls he had made to counselors who were not seeing new clients or did not return his calls. He called us because he knew he would get a return call. We hear this story again and again. Yes, we are human and do sometimes let a call fall through the cracks, but our mission and deepest desire is to call within 24 hours every single person who calls us. We then contact our network therapists to find out who is available, whether they take the client’s insurance, and whether that therapist has specialized expertise related to the client’s specific needs. We do this so our clients do not experience the discouragement of calling and calling and not receiving a call back from a real person with real compassion who can offer real assistance. It takes great courage for those needing counseling to reach out for help. When we answer a call and provide resources and referrals in a timely manner, we are fulfilling our mission to connect hurting people to healing relationships. Thank you for doing your part to make our mission possible.

Thai Salad…

Thai food uses lots of herbs and strong flavors that are the signature of this cuisine. When making the dressing, taste all the ingredients together before and after creating the salad. If you don’t have a spicy Thai chili, you can use a jalapeno or even dried red pepper flakes, if needed.

Thai Cucumber Carrot Salad

1-2 limes, to make ½ teaspoon zest

and 1.5 tablespoons juice

2 teaspoon sugar or honey

1 small Thai red chili pepper, seeded and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter

3-4 cups lettuce greens, shredded

2 medium cucumbers, halved and sliced

1 medium avocado, peeled, and cubed

2-3 carrots, shredded

3 green onions, sliced

1 inch peeled, grated ginger

½ cup basil leaves, chopped

½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped

* Finely grate zest from lime. Cut the limes into halves crosswise and squeeze juice from limes. Place zest and juice in a large bowl and add sugar, red chili pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper, mix well then add the nut butter, oil, and combine. Add to the dressing the lettuce, cucumber, carrots, green onions and mix well. Add the avocado, cilantro, and basil, then stir gently to combine. Eat right away.

Metaphors of Soil and Soil...

Living with Manure

by Cindi J Martin

The picture at the bottom of this page does not do justice to the size of the weed (on the right) I found growing next to my chicken coop. I first thought it was “volunteer corn” until I realized it was just a common weed on steroids (aka, chicken manure). I couldn’t help comparing it to the same weed I found growing nearby in very poor soil (weed on left). They make me think of Jesus’ parable of the various soils.

It occurred to me that good soil is often full of.... well, manure. Now it is not just any manure, mind you, because fresh manure typically burns the heck out of any plant trying to grow in it (except stinging nettle - but that is another metaphor for another day). It must be well rotted manure. Every metaphor breaks down ultimately, and I certainly don’t want to push this one too far, but whenever I am complaining about my stinky, sinful flesh (or that of those around me), I can’t help but remember that when my flesh is crucified with Christ, God does the most wonderful transformation to the soil of my heart.

I don’t know why God allows so much time on earth for our sanctification process, but I do know that fresh manure - manure that would burn and destroy - needs time to be transformed into nutrient-rich fertilizer that amends the soil and makes things grow a hundred-fold. There must be something beautiful and powerful, even lasting, in a transformation process that takes place over time. Perhaps our enduring His process provides us a glimpse into the essential nature and attributes of God Himself. He, in His good time, turns the manure of our lives into the good soil of our hearts. Every trial, temptation, affliction, and wound that I faithfully surrender to God - yield to His care and time - transforms a sorrow into joy and produces a bountiful harvest of fruit that remains - the fruit of His beautiful, powerful, and everlasting Holy Spirit.

“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of

righteousness.” Hebrews 12:11