You're Invited! (Garden Potluck, Contests & Activities)

Season Update!

Amazing what can happen when we work together! We've put in at least 700 hours and so far have grown over 800 pounds of food. We've only scratched the surface with tomatoes and have yet to harvest melons and winter squash. This past Saturday garden workers enjoyed 15 pounds of produce: potatoes, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, squash, kale, onions, cucumbers, chard, green beans, corn, parsley and basil. Many of those items made it into my annual homegrown stew (backyard hen too!).

You can show off your garden-inspired foods at our FALL FEST POTLUCK gathering on Saturday, September 21st, 6-8pm at the garden. We will have children's activities, a brief program to recognize helpers, contests, and you can check out our giant pumpkins! But most of all, just come enjoy yourselves at the height of our growing season.

Up the Wazoo!

Whatever a wazoo is, I'm pretty sure we have squash, cucumbers and weeds up it. These cute little helpers are showing off our harvest (ten shares) from July 20th. Since then, the squash and melon plants have doubled and tripled in size, and so have the weeds. Members pay $25 per year for first dibs on produce, and they pick it up after working on Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings. But guest volunteers may share in the surplus. Otherwise it goes to the Food Bank, or grows into something the size of a wazoo.

Pioneer Day Free Family Activity

 We had a nice event! Pictured are Rose Park residents planting potatoes (a tradition that gives tangibility to the Mormon pioneer experience). Also, a couple of brave helpers played an old-fashioned game called a "stick pull." Participants took home garden cucumbers, we heard from the founder, Scott Steenblik, about the history of his family in Rose Park and how the garden started, we made butter and chased a couple cute chicks.

 

 
Join Us For Our…

Pioneer Day Celebration in the Garden

 Wednesday July 24^th, 2013

6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

History of Rose Park

*

Old-Fashioned Fun, Food & Games

*

Traditional Seed Planting

*

Wholesome Family Experience

*

Meet some cute chicks too!

Chard & Feta Frittata

Chard. No offense to die-hard garden connoisseurs, but even the name sounds gross. Rainbow does help that image a little, but not much. The first chard I ever grew was around age 10. I planted it, trusting my dad's assertion that it tasted like spinach (I actually ate steamed spinach with lemon:) Wow was I disappointed. The flavor was more like mud. Years later, my husband convinced me to give it another try and I was not impressed. But last year at the Garden, a lady told me to eat it when it's young and tender. So this spring I capitalized on last year's plants that had wintered over. The taste was unbelievable-light and buttery, with only the slightest earthy flavor. Then a recipe came in the mail from my grocery store for a chard frittata. I tried it out on my in-laws (big hit) and my son's 4th grade class (it was received with modest success). Now that we're harvesting this year's chard at the Garden, I'll share the recipe (JoyBauer.com credited by Smith's).

• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch fresh Swiss chard, washed and sliced into thin strips (I use stems too)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 whole eggs
• 6 egg whites (or 7 whole eggs, though it's a little heavier)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 c. feta, crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 
2. Coat a large, oven-safe skillet (my regular frying pans work fine) with oil spray and preheat over medium-high heat on the stove. Add the bell pepper, onion, and chard, then saute until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the sauteed vegetables and cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the feta over the egg mixture. 
4. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until the eggs are set (not runny) and puffed. Remember to use an oven mitt! Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings.

Growing Food & Community Takes Muscle & Love

Two favorites:
http://growtest.org/2013/03/07/ron-finley-a-guerilla-gardener-in-south-centr
al-la/

And

2013 Paul Harvey Dodge Ram Farmer

We are planting fruit trees on Saturday morning 8-11 May 4th. Your help is needed!

Membership and Volunteer opportunities available! visit www.rpcg.us or email roseparkcommunitygarden@gmail.com

Smashing Success!

After nearly 350 people showed up for our Easter Hop (we planned on 100) we learned some lessons for next year. Thank you to those who stuck around, entered the raffles (we will get your prizes to you this week) and enjoyed our booths. In the Kid's Corner, featured below, we read garden-themed story books and then planted in our Easter bunny garden. The radishes are growing now!

Please email us at roseparkcommunitygarden@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer occasionally, bring a volunteer group or sign up for a membership. Being a member is like signing up for a team sport--your payment of $25 covers some basic fees (water, etc.) and you practice every week. Game days are harvest days and trophies are awarded in the fall. What you get out of it is what you put in. And at a community garden those benefits are both abstract--uplift, friendship, connection--and tangible--bigger muscles, healthy food, and community events.

We are still planting and could use your help! We'll see you at the NW Rec Health Fair this Saturday and the Community Festival May 18th. Our next community garden event is on Wednesday July 24th: Pioneers Day.