By Lori Brinkey
I have really enjoyed working at the tables and hearing the stories of many people who I maybe recognized from attending church from week to week but never actually talked to. It’s been great sharing tips about growing plants or how to prepare certain vegetables.
A few things I learned this summer: from one of our youth, if you grow cucumbers next to sunflowers the cucumber vines will grow up the flower stalks and the cukes will hang off the stalks, making it easy to pick them.
I heard that Gail makes awesome peach pies and will make several unbaked pies and freeze them so that she (and Pastor Dan) can enjoy them later in the year.
Kathy grew a different kind of summer squash that we still don’t know the name of. Although it looked nothing like zucchini on the outside, it looked like zucchini on the inside when she cut it open.
And lastly, but certainly not the only other thing I learned, is that several of our members actually LIKE to eat eggplant. In an effort to sneak in another vegetable, I made the mistake of trying to cut into thin slices and using it raw as a layer in lasagna. Apparently eggplant has a lot of moisture in it! I was told that if you roast it first, that will eliminate some of the moisture helping to prevent the soggy lasagna I got with my first attempt. So, if anybody has more eggplant, please bring it in so I can try again.
Gardens for Growth will return on September 17th and 24th. Check out the tables in the lobby to see what plants and produce our members have brought in to share. It’s always fun to see what we have, if there is something new to add to your garden, or to grab some produce that will help you plan some meals for the week. Any donations received will be used for debt reduction.
