From Wellspring Gardens this Week - March 24, 2022 Spring Edition

From the Garden this Week… Kale, Swiss Chard, Mixed Greens, Baby Carrots, Peas, Romanesco or Broccoli or Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Spring Onions, Beet Greens, Celery, Grapefruit, Lemons, & Oranges

Coming Soon… Bok Choy, Butter Lettuce

Using your Produce… by Julie Moreno

Our onions are starting to bolt in the warm weather. This week we are sending a few out to each of you. You might need to remove the inner core of the onion if it is tough and woody. Cut the onion in half lengthwise and it should come out easily. Except for the core, you can use all the parts of the onion, both white and green. I included one of my favorite Swiss chard recipes this week. Just to warn you, the red stems will turn the pasta pink, which makes for a beautiful spring dish. If you want, you can use the spring onions instead of a regular onion for this dish. I would estimate that ½ of a regular onion would be equivalent to 2/3 cup of diced.

Swiss Chard and Pasta

½ pound linguini or spaghetti pasta

2 tablespoons butter

½ onion, thinly sliced

1 bunch Swiss chard leaves and

stems, cut into thin strips

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons white wine or water

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Fresh ground pepper

In a large pot, bring about 8 cups water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water and then add the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, in a large sauté pan, heat the butter, onion, and Swiss chard stem slices. Cook for about 2-3 minutes and add the Swiss chard and ½ teaspoon salt. Toss the chard and onion together and add 2 tablespoons of white wine or water. Place a lid on the pan and allow the chard to steam for 1-2 more minutes. Remove the lid and turn off the heat. When the pasta is done, drain the water and add the pasta to the chard. Toss together with half of the parmesan cheese and then portion out into serving bowls, topping with the remaining cheese and fresh ground pepper.

Looks Aren’t Everything! by Wendy Miller

I know, I look albino, and I have no figure, but did you know I barely have any carbs?! On second thought, consider my figures. In one cup, I have 340 mg of potassium, which is more than my green friend, “broccoli”, which only has 286 mg per cup. For comparison’s sake, my fruit friend, the banana, has 451 mg per cup. The RDA for potassium suggests between 2000 and 2500 mg in your daily diet. Lack of potassium is often found in diabetic patients or persons suffering from diseases of the digestive tract. I have so many benefits for your blood/circulatory system, bones, nervous system, heart, intestine, joints, lungs, muscles, skin, teeth/gums, and stomach. Go figure!

So, remember, looks aren’t everything… Use me, Asian celery, in your meals!

Lady Bug, Lady Bug...

A Challenge for our Subscribers! Get Curious! That’s right, we want you to look for bugs in your spinach and greens this week! Yes, you may see a black and red striped looking caterpillar on the underside of a green leaf. Although we rinse all the fresh harvested lettuce, spinach, arugula and red leaf lettuces, a ladybug undergoing metamorphosis in the larvae or pupa stage can stick like glue. But don’t squish it or throw it in the garbage. Place it gently outside where it will soon complete metamorphosis and become a beautiful ladybug and natural pesticide in your garden. Place near roses and any plants that tend to become infested with aphids. Nursery stores sell live lady bugs for just this purpose! Consider it added value to your vegetable basket this week.

Dressing Ideas…

This combination of tahini and soy sauce is a favorite dressing recipe that I have been enjoying. I mix up a batch and use it on cooked broccoli or raw kale or a mixed green salad. If you don’t have tahini, you can use almond butter or even peanut butter. This recipe would make enough for 1 large salad for 2 people, but you could scale it up and mix in a blender if you wanted to have it on hand.

Tahini-Ginger Dressing

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon tahini

1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce

2 teaspoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon sriracha or other hot sauce

1 teaspoon honey

1 garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped

1-2 teaspoons grated ginger

½ teaspoon salt

Make the dressing, mix the oil, tahini, tamari, vinegar, hot sauce, honey,

garlic, ginger and salt in a bowl or jar, stir or shake to combine.

Metaphors of Soil and Soul . . . Avian Symphonies by Ronda May Melendez

Avian symphonies have been so extraordinary lately. I wake to them and enjoy the day to them. They are simply exquisite. The other morning during Lectio at the garden, my imagination was alight with the various bird songs. One even sounded as if it were playing timpani alongside the melody of the other songs! It was simply amazing.

Birdsong, I pondered, seems most noticeable and profuse during spring. A quick trip to Google confirmed that this is, in fact, true. As with all of God’s creation, there is a reason, a time and season for all things occurring under the sun.

During spring, males arrive at their chosen mating grounds ready to build and woo. They scope out the nesting possibilities, select a site, and begin the build. A week or two later, the ladies arrive on scene to examine the work that has occurred. How do the gents get them interested in checking them and their work out? Song! It is the singing of the male that attracts the female, who will not only check the nest, but also the health of the male, to see if he is good breeding material. The birdsong seems a song of delight in the world of possibility.

This calls to mind Zephaniah 3:17: “The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.” Of course, the Lord is not a bird, but to know that He delights in us, His Bride, with singing is deeply comforting. He builds the proverbial nest, calls us, loves us, and sings over us in delight. He is the perfect Mate.