Sweeeeeet Corn

I've returned from my trip to Santa Monica and stand in awe at the Produce Section at the corner of 15th & Main! We've got vegetables galore out there ripe for the picking and the eating. Although you might think I am biased, I've never tasted such decadently sweet corn, butter crunch lettuce, or sun-ripened tomatoes. Beautiful. Thanks for all of those who continue to love and care for our little corner garden patch.

If you're interested in picking this sweet corn, there is trick or two to know before you pick. If the husk meets these two criterion, you should soon be enjoying a tasty little corn or two.

1. Look to see that the silk at the tip of the husk is all bronzed and dried up.
2. Feel to see that the corn is nice and full and extends up into the tip of the husk.


I like to soak the complete husk in a sink full of water for 30 minutes and then throw the entire husk on the grill for about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the corn. The soaking fills the husk with moisture so that there's a lovely steam effect inside the husk while it's grilling. Delicious.

If you'd like to try some butter crunch lettuce, then simply take a pair of scissors with you and cut the lettuce off at the base. Do not pull it from the ground as it may bloom again for us. Soak the lettuce in a water bath, pat dry and eat with hundreds yellow and cherry tomatoes! Let me know how it tastes!

Stunning Zinnia

I just simply cannot get over how something this beautiful starts out as a largely non-descript seed. There is nothing stunning about a Zinnia seed except how small it is and how hard they are to handle. Yet, inside that tiny seed lies this great beauty. This bold color. This wonderfully formed piece of creation that with the right conditions grows perfectly into what God designed it to be. Amazing. Come on in to the garden and marvel. There are miracles at every turn. Keep growing into what God designed you to be.

Cindy's Zucchini Muffin Recipe

Cindy R. passed along to me a recipe for zucchini muffins.  She makes bunches of these and freezes them for breakfast and says they are really good! Thanks for sharing Cindy!

2 cups flour                                          2 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed           3/4 cup of milk

3 tsp baking powder                          1/3 cup of vegetable oil

1 tsp. cinnamon                                  1 cup grated zucchini

1/2 tsp. salt                                           2/3 cup of raisins

Combine dry ingredients. Beat eggs, milk and oil.  Fold in zucchini and raisins.  Add dry ingredients, stirring only until combined.  Spoon into muffins tins ( I use the paper).  Bake at 375 approximately 20 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.

Variation:  Use 2 cups whole wheat flour.  I also have put in ground nuts.  After the muffins cooled I put them on a cookie sheet to freeze. After they are frozen, I wrap them in saran wrap individually then put them in a freezer zip lock bag.  They are really fast and easy in the mornings for a quick breakfast.

Laugh Out Loud Story From Cindy

I love hearing about little garden snipets like this. Cindy Rice brings her nieces and nephew to the garden to help weed their patch and work in the garden as a whole. One of her nieces, Natalie, came up to me at the garden and told me very clearly that she wants to grow up and have a big, big garden with lots and vegetables and flowers and that this is going to be her business. Cindy and I swelled with pride!! Today, Cindy wrote me with this,

"Hi Jennifer,

 Natalie and I was at the garden yesterday weeding.  Natalie noticed that someone was pulling weeds and left them in the path way. She told me that I needed to let you know that the weeds need to go into the compost pile so you can tell everyone. She took care of them. I just thought it was neat that she noticed and knew what to do with the weeds.  The garden does look good.  We weeded under the tee p and our section.  She wanted to stay but Aunt Cindy was tired.  Let me know if there is any thing else that we can help with.

 Aunt Cindy and Natalie"

How great is this?

Check out Those Cherries!

Jan P. was at the garden and took a picture of our cherry tomatoes, which are almost ready for picking and eating! She also commented that are still plenty of beans, squash and peppers that need harvested and/or shared with friends, family or charity of choice. Please help yourself --just remember to gently twist all produce off its vine.

And, as a beautiful aside, some of the deadheaded marigolds have re-seeded themselves and have started to grow new flowers. That's a beautiful thing.

Keep growing!

Tips From Nancy on Nasty Squash Borers

If you have wilted yellow leaves that are not due to hot sun or lack of water, the cause may be squash borers which turn into narrow-winged olive-brown 1-1 1/2 inch moths! The borers chew the inner tissue near the base and cause vines to wilt suddenly, rot, and die.  If you find the moths they should be destroyed, too.

If you find that you have squash borers, try this process in the early morning on summer squash.

1. Cut off the entire wilted leaf very close to the stem and find the bore embedded in the hollow stem of the leaf. An indicator as to where the borer may be is some some sawdust like substance on the ground under the neck of the plant where the stem protruded out of the ground.  This is the borer's feces.
2. After removing the borer with tweezers, place the bore in a jar of soapy water.
3. Then, cover the entire stem of the plant with a mound of soil to promote further rooting. 
4. Dispose of the yellow leaves and rotted materials in a plastic bag and place in garbage. 
5. Never compost decayed or moldy vegetables or leave them lay on the ground. 

Garden Pesto

Basil Mint Parsley "Pesto" Recipe

This garden fresh sauce is so light and delicate, unburdened by cheese or nuts. It tastes herbal and green.

1 cup washed, loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup fresh parsley

2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled

1/4 to 1/2 cup good tasting cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Sea salt, to taste

1. Combine the basil, mint, parsley and garlic in a food processor bowl; pulse and process the mixture until it is chopped very fine.

2. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil in a steady drizzle as you pulse the processor on and off. Process until it becomes a smooth, light paste. Add enough olive oil to keep it moist and spreadable. Season with sea salt, to taste.

3. Cover tightly and store chilled for at least an hour to saturate the flavors. If storing overnight I pour a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil over the top of the pesto to help keep it bright green.

Makes roughly a rounded cup.

Spread it around:

Serve on cooked spaghetti (shown is Tinkyada's gluten-free White Rice Spaghetti), or other pasta shapes.

Toss it with raw zucchini "pasta".

Thin it with extra virgin olive oil and your favorite vinegar to create a pesto salad dressing.

Stud Muffins

You didn't know we were growing Stud Muffins in this garden, did you? Well, there you have it. On Thursday night and Friday morning, Lori and I had the pleasure of working with four great young men who are contributing their time to a community service project on behalf of The National Honor Society. These guys are not only handsome but smart! They hauled wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of wood chips and shavings to the perimeter and center of the garden. In two short periods of time, they removed both piles from the side of the garden while Lori & I weeded our tails off in the garden. A big thanks goes out to  Jay Williams, Matt North, Dominic Razzano, & Ethan Zimmerman. A big thanks also goes out to the City of Niles and American Tree Care for donating the wood chips and thank you to a local Niles resident for the wood shavings!

Zucchini Salmon Kabobs with Citrus Basil Dressing

Serves 4

These light kabobs are a perfect complement for summer salads or on top of a bed of couscous or quinoa pilaf.

Ingredients

1 pound wild salmon fillets, cut into chunks
1 zucchini, cut into chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 large red onion, cut into chunks
Sea salt and black pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon (about 2 small sprigs) chopped rosemary leaves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
Wooden or bamboo skewers, soaked in water 10 minutes 

Method

1. Place salmon, zucchini, bell pepper and onion in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Whisk together garlic, rosemary, olive oil and lime or lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour mixture over salmon and vegetables, toss and marinate 15 to 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the grill or broiler. Skewer the salmon and vegetables, reserving marinade, and grill or broil 5 to 7 minutes, turning once, until salmon is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
4. While cooking, boil the marinade in a small saucepan for 5 minutes. Drizzle over skewers and serve as is or with the Citrus Basil Dressing or Creamy Salsa Verde.

Citrus Basil Dressing:

1 medium handful fresh basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method: To make the dressing, finely slice half the basil leaves and put into a small bowl with 1 tablespoon oil and the lemon juice. Mix together.

OR 
Creamy Salsa Verde:
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh mint or ¼ cup fresh basil
1 handful chives, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons capers
1 fat clove garlic
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1/2 cup natural yoghurt

Method:
 Very finely chop or process all ingredients except for the yoghurt. Adjust the consistency by adding a drizzle more oil if very thick. Taste and add more lemon juice if needed. Fold into the yoghurt and serve with cooked salmon or other barbecued foods. Try salsa verde as an alternative to mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce or as an accompaniment to roasted meats and roasted vegetables.

Zucchini Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Adapted from Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld

Prep: 20 minutes 
Total: 35 minutes 
Makes 2 dozen cookies


Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 6 tablesppons trans-fat free soft tub margarine spread, chilled
• 1/2 cup banana puree
• 1/2 cup zucchini puree
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 cup raisins, optional but best if soaked for 1 hour in a cup of orange juice
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray, or line with cooking parchment.

2. In a bowl or zipper-lock bag, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and shake or stir to mix.

3. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and margarine with a wooden spoon until just combined; do not overmix. Add the banana and zucchini purees, and the egg white, and stir just to blend. Add the flour mixture, raisins, and walnuts, if using, and stir to combine.

4. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonful onto the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch in between. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on baking sheets for 4 to 5 minutes, just until they are firm enough to handle, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Save the Basil

Basil is busting out all over the garden, so Mark V. is passing along tips for drying and freezing Basil.

DRYING BASIL

• Pick on a sunny morning
• Wash and pat dry or spin carefully in a salad bowl
• Pull leaves off stems
• Place a single layer of leaves onto a paper plate or paper towel
• Microwave on high for about 2 minutes-stopping to check about every 30 seconds so the leaves don't  catch on fire.
• Store in air tight glass jar

FREEZING BASIL

• Wash and dry herbs
• Place bunch in freezer bag and seal tightly, no air in bag
• Place in freezer
• When you want to use it-simply take out of freezer, break off the amount you need and put remaining herbs back in freezer
• You don't need to thaw basil first-just add desired amount to any of your favorite recipes while it is still frozen.

Zucchini Turkey Burgers with Grilled Zucchini

Zucchini is ready for picking! Just twist the zucchini off the vine -- don't pull & help yourself.  Here's a meal plan for you and your family, to help tastily use what's in harvest. Serve this dinner with some fresh melon. Your body will thank you for being so kind.





Zucchini Turkey Burgers
Adapted From Deceptively Delicious, Jessica Seinfeld
If you cannot find whole-grain hamburger buns, make your own by using a glass to cut out rounds from whole-wheat bread slices or use halved whole wheat pita bread. Use a mini or regular sized food processor to make quick work of chopping the mushrooms and zucchini.


Makes 16 little burgers or 8 medium sized burgers
Prep: 15 minutes 
Total: 35 minutes 


Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground turkey or sirloin
• 1/2 pound white button mushrooms or (stemmed) shitake mushrooms, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1 cup of whole-wheat or Italian (seasoned) breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped or grated zucchini
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 16 whole-grain hamburger buns or pita breads, for serving
• 1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney, pureed, optional
• Head of Romaine lettuce, rinsed & patted dry, optional

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the meat, mushrooms, breadcrumbs, zucchini, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper until well combined. The mixture will be moist. Form into 16 patties and place them on a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil.
3. Coat a large nonstick ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Add the burgers and brown on one side for 4-5 minutes. Turn the burgers, then slide the skillet into the oven. Bake for 4-5 minutes longer, or until the burgers are no longer  pink in the center. Serve each burger on a bun with the pureed chutney drizzled on top and some romaine lettuce. 


Grilled Zucchini
Cut small squash into halves, brush them with olive oil, and grill them on both sides so they acquire some delicious charring and tender interior. They really don't need anything else except a little salt and pepper.

One Meal At A Time: Food Bank Donations

Every Saturday at Trinity Episcopal Church, which is across from Harding's Market, five local churches alternate in preparing meals for the hungry. 


Listed below are other options that accept food donations. 


Please choose your charity and share your harvest.


If you are donating an unusual food, try to take a recipe or two along.

Thanks for your time in the gardens. 


You are helping to make the world a better place one meal at at time.














Food Banks

Trinity Episcopal Church*

9 South 4th St.

683.6060

There's a small parking lot off 4th St.. Drop donations off inside at the kitchen. 

If you take food donations to Trinity on Saturday, please try to be there about 11:15 or earlier, as they start serving at 11:30.  

Hope Community Church*   

2390 Lake Street     

684.8280

Call ahead. 

HAS A FOOD BANK

First Presbyterian Church*   

13 S. 4th Street      

683.7600

Call ahead.

HASA FOOD BANK

Salvation Army                  

424 N. 15th Street    

684.2260 

The Salvation Army prepares meals for anyone on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12.00


Bethel Baptist Church (Just East of the Garden on Main St.)       

1605 Silverbrook      

683.6347 

The food may be dropped off at the parsonage which is across the street from the church on Inner Circle Drive, the last house before the corner.

Mount Calvary Baptist        

601 Ferry Street      

683.0243

HAVE FOOD BANK THAT IS OPEN FOR DONATIONS ON THE 2nd & 4th SATURDAY.

Niles Philadelphia SDA      

1327 Broadway       

684.5180 

Christian Service Center    

322 Clay St.

683.0627

Food may be left on the picnic table near the door if they are closed.  Someone there will take it in soon. 

*These churches participate in the Saturday meals program.  

Big Power In Little People

On Saturday, we had another work day at the garden. It was great and much was accomplished thanks to the work of many hands. There was a slew of kids there which just made the garden feel perfect.

It's just right that there be children in a garden, learning from the ground up all sorts of things about weed control, teamwork, and, most especially, how to grow good food that tastes even better.

A big high five goes out to Lily, Tanner, Madison, Harrison, Elaine & Natalie and to the parents and aunties who brought them along. Well done everyone.

Flower Power

I think God is amazing. Throughout this gardening process, I have seen such an amazing connection between and behind Whoever started into motion this universe and the process of life. I refer to this power as God. God created seeds that grow into plants. Seriously, teeny tiny seeds put into a good soil, sprinkled with some good water and given good sun produce healing food for our very bodies that themselves began as seeds. I began as an egg that was fertilized with a seed. So did you. You are the miracle whose heart started strongly beating before you were the size of your thumb. And, it's still beating. You are a living miracle.

And, so are each of these plants that continue to grow in this new garden. Yesterday, I saw beautiful, bold yellow flowers on the zucchini plants: one is the female flower and one is the male. "How do you tell the difference," I asked. You guessed it: the female flower is the one producing the fruit. Amazing. And, here's the real catcher for me: the more you pick the fruit of the plant, the more it produces. That's amazing. The more you pick, the more you get. That's a God with a great economy.

And, one more thing, two people have stopped and told me that the best plants they've seen growing in their own gardens are actually plants growing out of their compost pile. Literally, the seeds from squash and tomatoes they ate last year were thrown into the compost pile last year are now growing more beautiful fruit. Big Macs don't do that. Plants and people are designed to grow and grow well. Plants and people are designed to give and keep giving, with the idea that the more you give, the more you get. Plants and people are designed to produce fruit. What kind of fruit are you producing? What's growing where you're planted? Keep growing.

Bananas & Chapels

What an awesome WORK PARTY we had in the garden yesterday. We even had three guest gardeners from Westside Gardens join us to help with all there is to do! A special thank you goes out to "Farmer" Mark V., Elaine M., & Steve. A big thanks also goes out to Mike, Frank & Jamie, Jan J., Lily, & Audrey, who helped plant holly hocks in the Asparagus patch, harvest many radishes, weed the melons and tomatoes, and finish up the tomato cages! And, to top things off, we got our first Banana Pepper today. Remember, the more you pick, the more you get. Today we also built a Pole Bean Chapel & a Bird House Gourd chapel, and we planted two Sunflower Houses. These Chapels & Houses will be particularly exciting later in the summer when Fall begins to knock at the garden's door. We shall welcome her with open arms.

Radishes

Here they are -- our first miraculous harvest, and I mean miraculous. I just cannot get over that when you plant these tiny little seeds a 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, cover them with a little bit of dirt and water that in about 28 days, you have food. Real food. Food that actually helps heal our bodies. Seriously, how crazy is that in less than three weeks, we have radishes that have grown from tiny black seeds? And, how crazy is that radishes are actually good for us? The popular red globe radish is low in calories with an abundance of flavor and crunch. A 1/2 cup serving (about 12 medium) of sliced radishes provides a goodly amount of potassium, vitamin C, folate and fiber. Can you believe it?

Garden Givers

Thank you Jay Clark for helping to keep our Companion Garden looking good. The other day, after Jay got of school, he went over to the garden to mow the grass and flatten out the compost piles. Another mysterious Garden Giver tilled up the front perimeter of our garden in preparation for the Zinnia border, and yet another Garden Giver finished making and placing the Tomato Cages that Jan P. & Mark T. had started. The Garden is looking great. Thanks for all your continued efforts.

Keep growing.

"Corns Up" From Mark

Dear Fellow Gardeners,

Corns up!  Along with all the other seeds that we planted – what an inspiring time of year!  It’s one of those WOW! Moments –  to watch this miraculous transformation from little dried seeds into a living green plant that has the potential to feed us – what a wonder.

Take a moment to observe and wonder, but don’t let any dust settle on your tools or your boots.  This is probably the most critical time of year for gardeners.  There are many things that must be done NOW to insure success.  Our success this first year will not only give us an abundant harvest but will, in many ways, determine the future of the Niles Community Garden project.  The community is watching us.  People who might want to get involved next year are watching.  People who might donate land for future sights are watching.  People who might donate money or tools for our needs in the future are watching.  Please don’t let this stress you out.  If we ALL work together, our gardens will not only be productive, but a thing of beauty.  We then can be proud of what we have done and will invite our community to watch and grow with us.


Feel free to call me at any time with gardening questions or to set up a time to critique your plot.  God bless you as you make your small corner of this earth a more beautiful place.

Sincerely,

Mark VanTil

Niles Community Gardens Coordinator

(269) 815-5034

"More Wood Chips, Zoe," Pleads Lily

I am not sure what the conversation was between these two, but, from the look on Zoe's face, Zoe wasn't having much of it. Poor Lily. She was trying so hard to get Zoe to shovel wood chips into the wheelbarrow, and she just didn't understand that Zoe is her own woman, whose schedule and pace is largely all her own. Lily and Zoe did have fun working and playing together, dividing their time between helping to make paths, jamming to music in the truck (safe from the rain!), and drawing rainbows on the sidewalk using chalk. Thanks to Jan J.'s prayer and Audrey's "Amen," it rained and rained on our freshly and finally planted Corn, Asparagus, & Strawberries.

Asparagus & Radishes

Last night, Jan P., Jan J., Lily, Nancy, Audrey & I met at the garden and it was a delicious 70 degrees and breezy. Mark V. met us to help show us how to plant Asparagus & Strawberries, which are evidently very finicky about their placement. The Roma Tomatoes got a good weeding and every Tomato Plant got a mulching of chemical free grass clippings. Jan P. continues to work on weeding the radishes and planting another circle around the Eggplants for some successive plantings. Nancy is still treating the Eggplants for a few remaining Flea Beetles and she is checking out what may be a little bit of fungus on the lower leaves our Tomatoes. Everything else looks good: our Basil, Lima Beans, and Peppers are all up and showing promise of producing! Watch this space!

The Three Sisters Minus the Beans

We had a good workday on Saturday. Jan P. was there helping to thin out the radishes, which have beautifully and wonderfully appeared encircling our eggplants, which I think are doing much better minus most of the flea beetles. Cindy stopped in and helped plant lots of Yellow Onions, Nantes Carrots, and Detroit Red Beets and then companion planted them with yummy Garlic Chives. George came by and got started planting the Summer & Winter Squash Patch, after he helped us make sense of how to plant Onions and strongly encouraged us not to plant Pumpkins, which would be growing into 15th Street by harvest time! Lori was there planting Melons and more melons in these tidy little mounds. I started the Corn, finally, and got through one, short row before tuckering out completely. I met Becky & Carla who are so excited to be a part of our Companion Garden. Becky had some great ideas for a Sunflower Teepee that she learned from her Uncle. We also had a friendly visit from a neighbor who gave us a few of his heirloom tomato seedlings and said that he was so excited to hear that Niles was starting Community Gardens. He may join us next year.

Onions, Potatoes & Beans, Oh My!

Between Nancy, Lily, Jan P. & Jan J., the Onion & Lettuce Beds are prepared and the Spanish Red Onions are snuggled two inches in the soil!

Meanwhile, over in the Potato & Bean Bed, Lori put in two rows of Lima Beans, a row of Bush Beans, and finished the companion flower & herb planting around the patch!

It was a beautiful evening and many hands do indeed make light work.


A big thanks to Mark T. for continuing his work on the paths and for hauling away another bucket of trash that was hiding underneath the surface!

Keep digging. You never know what you'll find.

Our First Visitor: The Jumping Flea Beetle

Nancy Clough, our Companion Garden's Master Gardener, created a little elixir for our First Bug, who would eat little holes in all of our Eggplants and possibly Tomatoes unless he had a little bit of a real strong drink. Using Jerry Baker's Yard & Garden Mix Solution recipe as a base, here's the solution that is made into a spray for the "flea beetles" or any leaf-eating bug.

leaf eating elixir

here's what you'll need:

2 separate containers larger than 1 quart

large sieve

coffee filter

1 hand-held sprayer bottle

6 cloves of garlic

1 small onion

1 tsp ground hot pepper or cayenne pepper

1 quart of warm water

3 drops of baby shampoo




here's what you'll do:

1. Machine chop garlic and one small onion
2. Scrape the chopped onion and garlic into one container
3. Add ground hot pepper or ground cayenne into the remaining container
4. Add warm water to the pepper & stir

Let both of these mixtures set separately overnight. The next day, strain (use a coffee filter inside a large sieve) the garlic and onion mixture to separate the solids from the liquid.  Pour the liquid into the pepper and water mixture. Add 3 drops of baby shampoo to the liquid. Pour this liquid into a hand-held spray, shake, and go get those little fleas.

some more thoughts: 

Use this spray early in the morning before the sun hit the plants or later in the evening so as not to burn the plants leaves. Wait a few days to see if any flea beetles are left before applying the mixture again.

Flea beetles do not like a wet or damp environment. You can overhead water or use row covers to discourage them, but you will have to repeat the overhead watering as soon as it drys out again. 

You can use this recipe for all kinds of leaf-eating bugs! After the bottle sprayer is empty, rinse 3 times before using it for other solutions.