Nutrition of the Season: de España

(Photo: Krystal Perez)

I know it's not gumbo, but since Spain was victorious in the World Cup last weekend it would only be right to celebrate with a refreshing summer treat that originated there, GAZPACHO! Recipes can vary greatly in terms of composition (depending on specific geographic origin), but in general, gazpacho can be thought of as a cold tomato soup...

Here's the recipe my friend Krystal in Florida came up with:

What you'll need: 

1 hothouse cucumber, halved & seeded, but not peeled

2 red bell peppers, cored & seeded
4 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
1 avocado
1 lime
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.) Roughly chop cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, & red onions into 1-in. cubes.
2.) Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade, & pulse until roughly chopped. Do NOT over-process!
3.) After processing each vegetable, combine them all in a large bowl. Then add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
4.) Mix well & top it off with the avocado and lime.
5.) Chill thoroughly before serving. 
Makes 6-8 servings.

Thanks for sharing Krystal!

Extra Curricular Gardening at the River School on West 4th Street

I met Josie Luciano and Lynnae Fischbach of "Urban Roots Garden Classrooms" at the Nevada Indian Agriculture Summit (sponsored by UNCE) at the end of May. They are  involved with teaching children about the science and fun behind growing food. What really struck me was their commitment and passion for local living. So I decided it would be safe to sign up as a volunteer. Last night was the first time they called upon me, and after a day in the office, getting my hands dirty was going to feel pretty darn good...

5:00 p.m. River School:

We begin by walking the area to determine which space would be best for the kids to plant and pick from. Next we added compost and turned the soil where it was needed. We then selected radishes, carrots, and lettuces to be sown into the soil so that the kids have something to pick on their first day of class. There were two ideas on how this should be done...the first was "sow the seeds in a row so we know what is growing where", and the second was "broadcast the seeds randomly so that the kids can determine what is growing and begin to identify types of vegetables and weeds"...Personally I preferred the second idea because it allows for hands on learning to occur. We ended up with two spaces...one with spiral rows around flowers and stepping stones, and another randomly dispersed area...After that we moved some paving stones into place around an area where the kids will be growing once they get to class. We also added some "humus" which as I understand is a type of compost, improving soil structure and moisture retention...

All in all, I had a good time, and got to meet some new people with similar interests while simultaneously doing something good for the community, I feel accomplished... : )





for more info...
River School: http://www.riverschool.info/River_School/Home.html
Urban Roots Garden Classrooms: http://www.urgc.org/