Pumpkin Patch Near Home

Pumpkin Patch Near Home

I was out on a pumpkin hunt with my grandson, seeing how many pumpkins we could find around the neighborhood. They seemed to be everywhere this time of year, bright symbols of autumn and reminders of Halloween. We found pumpkins on porches, on the steps of the local elementary school, peeking out of windows. And then we came upon a pumpkin patch, in front of a house right in the middle of a block!

I mostly think of a pumpkin patch as being in a farm field, certainly not in a housing development. But there it was, in a space more apt to have small clumps of flowers or seasonal plantings of mums than a pumpkin crop, green vines bearing yellow flowers and orange fruit (yes, a pumpkin is a fruit). 

I asked the owners about it. It seems that they had left a pumpkin outside to feed the rabbits that happened by. The seeds that weren’t eaten planted themselves and now were happily growing. That got me thinking about how life has a way of supporting itself. The plot the pumpkins were growing in wasn’t ideal for the length of the vines but they were thriving nonetheless, a symbol of life’s determination to express itself. We live in a tough world yet the seeds of hope survive, even in the most difficult situations.

The pumpkin patch was a joyful surprise for me and added quite a few pumpkins on my grandson’s hunt. 

(The final count: 61).

This site has just about everything to know about pumpkins, from planting to harvesting to eating. Enjoy!

http://www.allaboutpumpkins.com/growing.html

What’s a fruit, what’s a vegetable?

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fruit-vegetable-difference/MY02201

Brussels Sprouts on the Stalk

Brussels Sprouts on the Stalk

Years ago, when my children were in elementary school, I used to bring in raw foods to show them how our food grows. Peas in the pod, corn in the husk, strawberries on the vine, peanuts in the shell, you get the idea. Can’t do that today, of course, but it was interesting to see their surprise at the natural state of things.

My local Trader Joe’s, in the past couple of years, has been bringing in Brussels sprouts on the stalk. I find I am just as excited to see how they grow as the kids were back then. There is something satisfying in connecting with the emerging process. Seeing the tomatoes grow in my garden is extremely pleasing.  To watch each stage of a tomato as it develops, to hold it in my hand while it is still warm from the afternoon sun, is a treat. 

Origins are intriguing. They hint at possibilities. They are Act One in an ever-changing play. Each beginning brings with it unknown potential that responds to nurturing or its lack. It expresses its uniqueness even within its group identity. Every grape in a bunch is different even if they all taste sweet.

Brussels sprouts are a good example of hidden promise. They are rather strange looking and not always the favorite choice of diners but they pack a nutritional wallop that should have us clamoring for them. Here is a profile that should have you looking at Brussels sprouts with respect: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=10

I think that seeing how our food grows is important. It helps to keep us interrelated within the chain of life. Our supermarkets are filled with artificial products that contain non-food additives, which we are learning are not in our best interest to ingest. The fewer the ingredients, the better. We should be able to pronounce the ingredients. And do we really want food that has an extended shelf life? Fruits and vegetables in the produce aisles are identifiable, fresh, and, if organic, pesticide free. I would love to see everyone have access to real food and to make choices that support healthy eating.

The US Department of Agriculture has some simple tips to help you eat well:

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips.html

Squash - a Fruit and a Vegetable?

Squash - a Fruit and a Vegetable?

I know that there are many kinds of squash – I eat lots of different varieties – when I came upon one at a farmer’s market that I hadn’t seen before. I was intrigued. It was star-shaped with lovely light green/dark green markings. I brought it home with the intention of cooking it right away but I was waylaid by its charm. So instead, I put it in a basket for a table decoration.

But now it is time to get down to business and eat it. Only what is it that I plan to eat? I found out it is a patty pan squash, a variety that comes in green, yellow, and white. I also found out that, botanically speaking, it is a fruit! Like a tomato, it has seeds, the telltale marking. Yet, in the culinary sense, the way we prepare and eat it, it is a vegetable. So it is both. And what does that mean?

This is as much a philosophical issue as a botanical one. Is it more important to identify something technically or to categorize it functionally? Can something be more than one thing and still maintain its integrity?

I actually like the diverse nature of things. It is inherent in the concept of repurposing, shifting how we use something in one way to use it in another, an important aspect of the current green movement. Food scraps turn into compost. Rainwater is caught and used to water a garden. Wind becomes electricity. In truth, we have been doing it all along, in lots of different ways, without any labels. Vinegar is used in cooking as well for cleaning. A scarf gets turned into a belt A colleague becomes a friend. It makes life creative and interesting.

As for the patty pan, it doesn’t much matter if it is a fruit – I will still prepare it as a vegetable and serve it as such for dinner. In either case, it is food, and I anticipate it being delicious!  

I never realized quite how many varieties of squash there actually are. Check out this site:

http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/vegetables/squash-glossary.asp

Fruit or vegetable? What makes it one or the other?

http://suite101.com/article/fruit-or-vegetable--a9756   

I wrote a picture book about community and repurposing called The Story Blanket :

http://picturebookdepot.com/Book_Reviews-detail/the-story-blanket/