From Wellspring Charitable Gardens this Week - February 24, 2022

From the Garden this Week… Carrots, Parsley, Mixed Greens, Arugula, Blue Leaf Kale, Turnips, Broccoli, Rutabagas, Grapefruit, Lemons, Meyer Lemons, Blood & Navel Oranges

Coming Soon… Butter Lettuce, Sugar Snap Peas

Using your Produce… by Julie Moreno

Our blue leaf kale is related to lacinato and can be used the same as all of our leafy greens. It is tender enough to be used in a salad. If you cook them, they will just need a few minutes to wilt. In addition to the plants that we grow for their greens, most root vegetables have greens that are edible. The only exception is parsnips, (their greens can be slightly toxic which is why we don’t send them out.) This recipe for a frittata, can use all our greens coming this week. I like frittatas as a quick weeknight dinner, or you can make it for a weekend brunch and enjoy the leftovers for lunch the next day. The greens add nutrition to the meal and their bitterness balances the rich eggs.

Kale and Turnip Greens Frittata

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large or 2 small potatoes, small

diced, about 1 & ½ cups total

1 garlic clove, smashed and

chopped

Salt

4 cups of loosely packed, chopped

kale and turnip greens

8 eggs, lightly beaten

Coarsely ground black pepper

½ cup grated cheese, like cheddar

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Warm the oil in a large skillet. Add the potatoes and cook over medium high heat until browned on the edges and soft in the center. Add the garlic and season with salt after the potatoes are cooked. Stir in the greens and cover, cook until wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Pour the eggs into the pan with the potatoes and greens, add the cheese and stir for a minute on the stove top. Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake uncovered until the frittata is just set, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Dear Loyal Wellspring Supporters,

Thank you for contributing to Wellspring Counseling Ministries through your garden purchases these last 5 Years. It’s been our joy to provide you with the finest, freshest, naturally grown produce. Beginning March 1, we are revising the pricing for our fresh vegetables and fruit. The weekly basket will be $40 ($160 for a subscription of 4) and a one-time basket will be $50. Fresh eggs will be $7 per dozen. Thank you for your continued support and concern for those needing counseling care in our community. You have encouraged many. The LORD bless you through your generosity!

How to eat a turnip…

Sometimes simple is better. When I was a kid, I liked my vegetables raw. The reason for this is simple. When cooked, some vegetables like turnips, create sulfur compounds that may be distasteful to some palates. If you don’t think you like turnips, try this recipe and enjoy them raw.

Turnip Slaw

1 clove garlic, minced or crushed

½ teaspoon red chili flakes

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 apple, shredded

1-2 turnips, shredded

1-2 carrots, shredded

1 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl combine the garlic, chili flakes, and lemon juice. Use a box grater (large holes) or food processor to shred the apple, turnips, and carrots. Combine with the garlic mixture and add the olive oil and salt. Stir well and let sit for 15 minutes or more before eating, if possible.

What am I, and why am I so important to you? In just one cup of me, your body will receive…

*5963 IU of vitamin A, *90 mg of calcium, *6.7 gm carbs, *and just 33

calories.

Of course, I have many more vitamins, minerals, lipids, and amino acids, but the above are my stand-out nutritional “qualities”.

But why do you need me…? I’m glad you asked. I aid in the growth and repair of body tissues, help maintain your skin, and protect your mouth, nose, throat, and lungs, thereby reducing susceptibility to infection. I also build strong bones and teeth, aid the formation of rich blood, and help maintain good eyesight. So, what am I? I am KALE!

Metaphors of Soil and Soul… Quince by Ronda May Melendez

I dinked about Google this week searching for an answer to, “Why does the

quince have thorns?” I will admit, dear readers, that I got tickled at David Beaulieu’s description of quince’s nature. He wrote, “The flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) is a thorny, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a somewhat messy growth habit but beautiful red, orange, white, or pink flowers to go with shiny, dark green foliage.” “Thorny” and “somewhat messy growth habit'' indeed! Sounds like human beings, if you ask me.

I have been reflecting upon quince’s thorns amidst the beauty of its blossoms. It seems a contradiction to me. Amid bleak winter days, alluring beauty brandishes very painful weapons. Why? Those thorns protect it against destructive animals and pests! I had been taught to look upon thorns and thistles as the curse of sin. It occurred to me, however, that we might also view them as a gift from God arrayed against the ravages of sin. Those thorns curb the aggressive nature of animals and pests that would destroy the quince bush. They provide protection so that its wholesale destructive consumption is not permitted or, at least, is made more difficult. In its beautiful blooms there is the invitation for beneficial creatures to enjoy and partake in the growth, as messy as its growth patterns may be, while in its thorns there are dire warnings to those that would wantonly consume and destroy.

Maybe we, too, can view the thorns in our and others’ lives as boundary signs and as signals to enjoy, with care and respect, a beauty worthy of protecting, despite our “somewhat messy growth habits.”