Finding Serenity in Fresh Food

I'm very lucky to have a spouse with a green thumb and who enjoys the labor involved with planting fresh veggies and herbs.

Each year in early spring we choose what we want to grow in our gardens.  This year it has been English Peas, Eggplants, a variety of peppers, cucumbers (I love to make pickles), lots of tomatoes and of course - basil, rosemary and mint.

I have found that there is serenity in harvesting. I love going out into the garden digging through the plants and finding my bounty.  As I place things into my basket there is a sense of well being that flows through me knowing that we did this, we grew these vegetables and each time I unload the harvest into my kitchen I am filled with a sense of purpose on preparing the bounty for dinner or pickles or soup, etc but I am also filled with questions about what to do with leftover harvest when I get tired of eating cucumber/mint gazpacho.

At my weekly Rotary Luncheon a fellow Rotarian mentioned that summer is always an issue for feeding school children in our communities.  These children get breakfast and lunch during the school year but when school ends and summer begins and programs are cut how can we provide the necessary nutrition for these youths.

I thought about my garden and my harvest and wondered if there isn't some way to deliver extra produce to the community that needs it.  Each year I grow way too much and luckily for me I have a vacuum sealer and dehydrator, but what if I could do "good" with my excess.

I would love the opportunity to bring the serenity of gardening and harvesting the bounty to others.

I ask you to think about your gardens and how we can use our excess harvest to help out in our local communities.

ENJOY THE BOUNTY, ENJOY THE FRESH AIR, TAKE A DEEP DEEP BREATH and FIND YOUR SERENITY!

HAPPY SUMMER!