- As mentioned previously, we have a monthly journal here that is written and published by volunteers. Last month was my first subission of what will be a monthly installation to the journal. My column will be about my favorite subject: FOOD! Growing it, cooking it and eating it! Here is a copy of my first article. I may have already posted some of these thoughts on our blog, so forgive me for repeating myself. -
The garden, it is a beautiful
thing. I have always loved the idea of being able to grow your own food. But I
have never really gotten past the IDEA considering the fact that I have never
really done it on my own before. Although
I grew up in a rural area in the state of Oregon and had a mother that grew,
canned, dried and froze a good portion of our diet, I did not consider myself a
gardener or claim to know much about the subject before coming here. I just
knew that it was a great way to grow up. The year before coming to Swaziland I gave
my green thumb a try and mostly failed with a few marginal, if you could call
it that, successes. However, despite the hit to my gardening confidence I/we
knew we wanted a garden here in the Swaz. It just all seemed to fit into the idea
of ‘the simple life”. It was part of our idyllic Peace Corps experience we had
dreamed about and we planned on giving it our best shot… whether the school
children mocked our pathetic attempt or not.
Success! It has turned out to be
even more exciting (can you call gardening exciting?) than I expected. Maybe
it’s just the overwhelming boredom that sets in and takes over your whole being
that has created such desperate circumstances that I would fall in love with gardening,
but I have fallen. I wake up most mornings at 6:30am excited to go check on what the garden is up to (and its up to a lot!). It is amazing how quickly things grow when it rains AND is sunny!
This doesn’t happen in Oregon. You get one or the other. When we came we found
obsessively swept, rock hard dirt without a green spec in site. Now, just a few
short months later, it has become a lush little ecosystem that has attracted
all sorts of birds and bugs and even the occasional chameleon. The best part is
that the transformation has not gone unnoticed.
even more exciting (can you call gardening exciting?) than I expected. Maybe
it’s just the overwhelming boredom that sets in and takes over your whole being
that has created such desperate circumstances that I would fall in love with gardening,
but I have fallen. I wake up most mornings at 6:30am excited to go check on what the garden is up to (and its up to a lot!). It is amazing how quickly things grow when it rains AND is sunny!
This doesn’t happen in Oregon. You get one or the other. When we came we found
obsessively swept, rock hard dirt without a green spec in site. Now, just a few
short months later, it has become a lush little ecosystem that has attracted
all sorts of birds and bugs and even the occasional chameleon. The best part is
that the transformation has not gone unnoticed.
Without even attempting it, the
garden has turned into the perfect medium for getting to know our neighbors.
Showing up to someone’s house to introduce your self is a whole lot easier with
a bag of veggies in hand. Ok, maybe bribing people to like you with food is a
little sketchy, but hey, it works every time! And if you are lucky a few of
them will be interested enough to come see the Umlungu’s garden, just to verify
that those green peppers really did come from your sweat and toil. Don’t be
fooled by my enthusiasm, we don’t have throngs of people coming to us to show
them how to garden. This is mostly due to the fact that people KNOW how to
garden. They have been doing it for generations. But when someone does come and
something sparks in them, when they see us growing a large variety of things in
a small area, when they eat the delicious veggies they get sent home with, they
are encouraged again that it is not so hard and they can do the same. That is
exciting! We have helped two neighbors start gardens since we’ve been here. This
makes us feel a tiny bit less guilty about all the times we choose to just sit
in our hut and watch movies.
garden has turned into the perfect medium for getting to know our neighbors.
Showing up to someone’s house to introduce your self is a whole lot easier with
a bag of veggies in hand. Ok, maybe bribing people to like you with food is a
little sketchy, but hey, it works every time! And if you are lucky a few of
them will be interested enough to come see the Umlungu’s garden, just to verify
that those green peppers really did come from your sweat and toil. Don’t be
fooled by my enthusiasm, we don’t have throngs of people coming to us to show
them how to garden. This is mostly due to the fact that people KNOW how to
garden. They have been doing it for generations. But when someone does come and
something sparks in them, when they see us growing a large variety of things in
a small area, when they eat the delicious veggies they get sent home with, they
are encouraged again that it is not so hard and they can do the same. That is
exciting! We have helped two neighbors start gardens since we’ve been here. This
makes us feel a tiny bit less guilty about all the times we choose to just sit
in our hut and watch movies.
Gardening…it has become so many
things. It is a satisfying and productive way to pass the long hours. It has
given us opportunities to make meaningful relationships with the people around
us. And, most obviously, it has fed us. Even after giving away a good majority
of what we grow, we can barely keep up with the amount of veggies that need to
be eaten daily before they rot, bolt, or get out of hand. Sometimes our salads
become so HUGE that we start experiencing something we’ve coined “salad
fatigue”! This happens when you have been eating the same salad for the last twenty
minutes, your jaw hurts and you just want to get on with it! The other
unexpected blessing of having a garden is the decreased need of a refrigerator!
I thought for sure this would be the first thing I went out and bought. Good
food is a HIGH priority to me. We held off on buying one and then discovered
that it wasn’t really needed with the exception of dairy and meat, which we
have mostly stopped eating at site. Being able to walk outside and pick our
food for that day has made the fridge obsolete. Well…that is not entirely true.
I may have succumbed to the purchasing of a fridge a long time ago for a cold
Gin n Tonic if it weren’t for Kerry and her freezer that is a quick jaunt down
the road! None the less gardening has become a necessity.
things. It is a satisfying and productive way to pass the long hours. It has
given us opportunities to make meaningful relationships with the people around
us. And, most obviously, it has fed us. Even after giving away a good majority
of what we grow, we can barely keep up with the amount of veggies that need to
be eaten daily before they rot, bolt, or get out of hand. Sometimes our salads
become so HUGE that we start experiencing something we’ve coined “salad
fatigue”! This happens when you have been eating the same salad for the last twenty
minutes, your jaw hurts and you just want to get on with it! The other
unexpected blessing of having a garden is the decreased need of a refrigerator!
I thought for sure this would be the first thing I went out and bought. Good
food is a HIGH priority to me. We held off on buying one and then discovered
that it wasn’t really needed with the exception of dairy and meat, which we
have mostly stopped eating at site. Being able to walk outside and pick our
food for that day has made the fridge obsolete. Well…that is not entirely true.
I may have succumbed to the purchasing of a fridge a long time ago for a cold
Gin n Tonic if it weren’t for Kerry and her freezer that is a quick jaunt down
the road! None the less gardening has become a necessity.
Come visit. We’ll feed you!
And since I love to cook, I’ll
leave you with a recipe inspired by the garden and recent rainy days.
Harvest
Tomato Soup
2-4 Tbsp. EVOO
1 good sized onion diced
1 carrot diced
1 green pepper diced
1 small bunch or greens (swiss chard, beet greens,
spinach, kale, etc.) shredded or chopped small
4 cloves of garlic (or more if you love garlic) diced
8 tomatoes diced
Salt + Pepper
Sautee the onion and carrot in the EVOO until soft and
then add green pepper. Let this cook for 15-20 minutes on a low heat allowing
the onions to caramelize. Once the mixture is lightly browned and soft add the
garlic and allow it to cook a few minutes until you can smell it. Don’t let the
garlic burn. This happens easily with the poor excuse for a pot that we were
given – no offence Peace Corps. Add the greens and let them cook down in volume
then lastly add the diced tomatoes. Allow this to simmer for a good amount of
time in order to let the tomatoes stew and become soft enough to mostly
disintegrate. Mash if you prefer a smoother consistency. Taste and add S+P. You
can also add a little honey or sugar to help cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
The carrot will help with this, but you may need a tad more balance. If you want
a little extra flavor add fresh herbs (or dried) like rosemary and thyme or
some chili flakes for a little heat. The beauty of any soup is that you can
pretty much throw in any combination of veggies or herbs or keep it simple. The
longer it simmers the more flavors it will have. White wine would also be a
delicious addition added after you caramelize your onions. If the soup is too
thick add a little water or broth.
Garnish with basil and a little scoop of yogurt and
serve with a slice of warm buttered bread!
And since I love to cook, I’ll
leave you with a recipe inspired by the garden and recent rainy days.
Harvest
Tomato Soup
2-4 Tbsp. EVOO
1 good sized onion diced
1 carrot diced
1 green pepper diced
1 small bunch or greens (swiss chard, beet greens,
spinach, kale, etc.) shredded or chopped small
4 cloves of garlic (or more if you love garlic) diced
8 tomatoes diced
Salt + Pepper
Sautee the onion and carrot in the EVOO until soft and
then add green pepper. Let this cook for 15-20 minutes on a low heat allowing
the onions to caramelize. Once the mixture is lightly browned and soft add the
garlic and allow it to cook a few minutes until you can smell it. Don’t let the
garlic burn. This happens easily with the poor excuse for a pot that we were
given – no offence Peace Corps. Add the greens and let them cook down in volume
then lastly add the diced tomatoes. Allow this to simmer for a good amount of
time in order to let the tomatoes stew and become soft enough to mostly
disintegrate. Mash if you prefer a smoother consistency. Taste and add S+P. You
can also add a little honey or sugar to help cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
The carrot will help with this, but you may need a tad more balance. If you want
a little extra flavor add fresh herbs (or dried) like rosemary and thyme or
some chili flakes for a little heat. The beauty of any soup is that you can
pretty much throw in any combination of veggies or herbs or keep it simple. The
longer it simmers the more flavors it will have. White wine would also be a
delicious addition added after you caramelize your onions. If the soup is too
thick add a little water or broth.
Garnish with basil and a little scoop of yogurt and
serve with a slice of warm buttered bread!
4 comments:
maybe the beginning of your book?
Fun, We read your article out loud. I want to try your soup!! Love ya
Love it! You will have to teach me to garden. I had one tomato plant last year, and it actually produced more once I gave up on it ha! Miss you guys!
Hey! Loved it! I can picture you there in your garden :) I'm planning to do a garden with Emma this spring, more for learning then actually eating but maybe we 'll come out with something. Probably a boat load of zucchini :)
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