From Wellspring Charitable Gardens thi Week - July 14, 2022 - Bastille Day

From the Garden this Week… Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Carrots, Beets, Green Onions, Torpedo Onions, Tomatoes, Peppers, Radishes, Basil, Chives, Cilantro, Lemon Verbena, & Peaches

Coming Soon… Hot! Peppers

Using your Produce… by Julie Moreno

With our summer squash in full swing, they make the perfect replacement for noodles as the base of this dish. Use any of our summer squash interchangeably, not just the zucchini. Also, you don’t need to have a spiralizer to make the noodles, you can shred the squash with the large holes on a grater, or use a peeler, to shave slices or even just use a knife to cut long strips. Don’t try to boil the zucchini noodles in water like regular pasta, just cook the squash in one step right in the pan. If you need a little extra cooking, after adding the squash, add a few tablespoons water and then cover the pan to steam the noodles for an extra minute or two, before finishing the dish with Parmesan and basil.

Zucchini Noodles

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive

oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 cup chopped tomatoes or

halved cherry tomatoes

2-3 summer squash, shredded,

spiralized or shaved

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup shredded Parmesan

cheese

¼ cup torn fresh basil leaves

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper

*Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, about 1 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the shaved zucchini and salt and cook about 2-3 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, basil, and fresh ground pepper.

Red “Super” Hot Chili Peppers

Competition and Market demand are hot for chili peppers. Marc Fennell, of the podcast It Burns, claims growers competing to develop the hottest pepper are embroiled in scandals, cheating, and even face death threats. Per acre dollar yields of “super-hot” peppers approach the yields of Lavender, Saffron, and Marijuana. The current “heat” title holder, declared Guinness in 2017, is the Carolina Reaper. It measures over 2,200,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), a measure of pungency (spiciness, intensity). That is wicked heat! Consider: a bell pepper has 0 SHU, poblano chili 2,500, jalapeno 10,000, Tabasco 50,000, and Police Issue Pepper Spray 2-5 Million SHU!

Beet Salad…

I made this salad with our beets, arugula and carrots last week. This week, you can use the radish greens instead to stand in for the arugula. The creamy dressing pairs perfectly with the earthy beets. If you have time to make this ahead, let the beets sit in the dressing overnight. Then quickly toss with the other vegetables and greens before serving.

Roasted Beet Salad with Creamy Dressing

3-4 beets

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 tablespoon oil

fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

¼ cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

2-3 carrots, sliced thin

2-3 radishes with their greens, sliced thin

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the greens from the beets and reserve for another use. Peel, if desired, or just scrub well. Slice the beets in half and then place the flat side on a cutting board and slice into bite sized half-moon shapes. Toss the slices in a large bowl with ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and oil. Put them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until tender. While the beets are cooking, prepare the remaining salad items. In a small bowl mix the dressing: chives, lemon juice, buttermilk, ½ teaspoon salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Wash and chop the carrots, radishes, and greens. When the beets are done, remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl add all the vegetables and lightly toss with the dressing. Taste and add additional salt or pepper, if desired, and serve.

Metaphors of Soil and Soul…Grateful Awareness

by Ronda May Melendez

Meandering through my tiny garden this morning filled my heart with joy and gratitude - two emotions that are sorely needed by this battered soul. The garden is such a refuge, a place where all my senses are invited to participate. I hear the happy, chittery songs of the birds flittering nearby. Cool dew wraps around the curves of my toes, grass blades tickling my feet. Star jasmine scented air lazily wafts across my fence line to the west. Flame callas are unfolding with their warm yellows, oranges, and red spathes brightening an otherwise unremarkable area. And finally, the deep red cherries nestled high up on the tree, tucked among the leaves, bid me to taste. For me, these ‘little gifts’ from the Father are balm for my wounds. So often, I walk right past all of these, taking little notice of what they have to offer or of what the Father is offering in collaboration with these ‘plant beings’. I am sorry to say, reader, sometimes, I cannot recognize these things as gifts. I take for granted what the plants of the garden go through to offer what seems a most ordinary thing to me. The plants are offering what they are; they give based upon who they have been created to be, and the resources the Lord Himself has provided for them.

Could it be, when we find ourselves discontented in relationships, that perhaps, we are overlooking the gifts of being and life that are being given in the moment? Perhaps, we cannot see or understand the cost of the gifts because they seem so small to us...so ordinary? Maybe we can ask the Lord to open our eyes and hearts to see and, in turn, offer Him praise and others gratitude.