Monday, August 16, 2010

From the Garden to Your Plate: August

From the Garden to Your Plate was a success yet again! On August 10th, eight Cultivating Community volunteers gathered at the Ginsberg garden for a cooking demonstration and tasting with fresh ingredients from the garden. 

First, we made fried-green tomatoes, served with fresh mozzarella, basil, and a balsamic vinegar dressing. 

Many volunteers had never even tasted fried-green tomatoes before, let alone prepared them. Frying them on a camp stove was a great learning experience, and it was also a delicious way to utilized what the garden was offering. 

Next, we prepared an eggplant and couscous stir-fry, abundant with fresh zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, and of course, eggplant. 

In addition to garden fresh veggies, this stir-fry featured couscous, an alternative to rice or pasta with a ton more protein. We also threw in some cashews, which added a crunchy and salty twist, and raisins for a final sweet touch. 

We finished the meal and demonstration with peach shortcake cookies. Though I prepared the cookies ahead of time, we made delicious homemade whipped cream to adorn them. 

These cookies are proof that it's easy and cost-effective to incorporate seasonal ingredients into every dish. So strawberries aren't in season any more but shortcake is as tempting as ever. It's okay! In many desserts, ingredients can be adjusted to suit your seasonal needs! 

Here's a link to the Cultivating Community's August Newsletter:  https://ctools.umich.edu/access/content/group/1102366804842-3971381/Monthly%20Newsletters/August%20Newsletter.pdf  Read! And enjoy!