Sunshine Community Gardens

13 January, 2022

www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org

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In this Issue:

• Workday: Saturday, January 15
• Recipe: Broccoli or Cauliflower Gremolata
• Garden Tasks for Service Hours

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Workday: Saturday, January 15

The first workday of the spring season will be on Saturday, January 15 from 9:00am-Noon. This is a chance to get an early start on your Spring 2022 service hours for 2022.

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Roasted Broccoli or Cauliflower Gremolata

By Maria Beach

A couple of years ago a friend and fellow Sunshine gardener gave me an utterly gorgeous romanesco cauliflower. This unexpected bounty inspired me to create a recipe that would do justice to the magnificent vegetable. I wanted something that would be simple enough to allow this splendid, just-picked crucifer to shine, but fancy enough to honor the effort that went into growing this lovely specimen. I have since made the recipe with regular broccoli when I did not have romanesco cauliflower and it was also very nice.

Gremolata is a classic Italian condiment with many variations, but its essence is parsley, lemon peel or zest, and garlic. Most recipes call for flat Italian parsley, but since I already had curly parsley on hand I used that. Roasting the broccoli or cauliflower caramelizes the vegetable while the gremolata adds a fresh brightness to the dish. The gremolata also settles nicely into the textured surface of the vegetable. My spouse, who usually professes that cauliflower is only edible when drowned in cheese sauce and who likes to quote the poet Ogden Nash's observation that "Parsley/Is gharsley", was surprised that a dish primarily comprised of two plants he generally dislikes could be so scrumptious.

Ingredients:

• 1 head romanesco cauliflower, broccoli, or regular cauliflower
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• Generous pinch of salt
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 2 lemons
• 2 cloves garlic
• Additional salt and/or pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Wash the cauliflower or broccoli, lemons, and parsley, and dry the parsley on paper towels or give it a ride on a salad spinner.

Cut the broccoli or cauliflower into florets, and cut larger florets in half. Spread the florets on a sheet pan. (If desired, line the pan with foil or parchment paper to make clean up a breeze.) Drizzle olive oil over the florets, stirring to cover the florets. Arrange the florets are in a single layer and place the halved ones cut side down. Sprinkle salt over the florets and roast, about 15-25 minutes until they have browned. (Note: Broccoli may take less time than cauliflower). Let cool slightly after taking out of the oven.

While the cauliflower or broccoli is in the oven, make the gremolata. Finely chop the parsley and place in a bowl. Zest or finely grate the peels of the lemons, avoiding the white pith. (Save the lemon juice for another use.) Mince the garlic and add it and the lemon zest to the bowl.

Sprinkle gremolata over the roasted romanesco florets and taste. Add additional salt or pepper if desired, and serve.

Thank you to Ila Falvey for the exquisite romanesco cauliflower that inspired this recipe!

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Garden Tasks

A hearty THANK YOU to those who have participated in our last 6 work days, The next workday will be Saturday, January 15 from 09:00-12:00. We've accomplished quite a bit but there is always more.

I've heard several stories of ants in the compost pile. Please be aware when you are getting compost. If you find them, just move to a different spot. We are not dousing the compost pile.

Priority (Tasks specifically needed):

1. Maintaining common paths and common areas. If you have plants extending into common paths, trim them. The common paths are designed to allow the biggest wheelbarrows that we own to traverse them unimpeded.
2. Mowing and maintaining perimeter fence line inside and out.
3. Sunshine Community Garden was fined a few weeks ago for the dumpster being over filled. Please help us to avoid this by following a few simple guidelines.
   1. Fill the dumpster from the back (under the hinges) to the front. If you put stuff in the front, it tends to stay there.
   2. If you think the dumpster is full, contact me (Steve Camp, I'm there a lot) or Randy Thompson. We can usually compact stuff to make more space.
   3. Follow the rules regarding what goes into the dumpster and what does not, there's signage close by.
   4. If the dumpster actually does get full before pick up day, I'm working on finding a spot where we can store a reasonable overage, to be loaded after the dumpster is emptied.
   5. If you're done with your project, please close the lids.

TSVBI:

1. Weeding paths in TSBVI garden and wood chip areas on west side. (This is normally needed. Try to get out roots. Be sure to smooth out paths after weeding to facilitate TSBVI students moving around garden).
2. Picking up trash in compost area and along fence lines.
3. Cleaning street curb gutters of dirt and debris build up. (At places in the curb gutter along Sunshine Dr. and 49th St., soil and debris has built up and grass beginning to grow. Scrape off with shovel and put in wheelbarrow. If debris is gravel can be put in low places in parking lot. Otherwise, put in dumpster.)

Regular:

1. Mowing (Please check area around trailer and greenhouses.
2. Maintaining common paths. (Gardeners are required to maintain a 2' strip of common paths adjacent to their plot.)
3. Mowing and cleaning up overgrown/messy places in common areas.

Note: TSBVI hour tasks can also count as regular hours.

Slow Down..You're on Garden Time! Enjoy!

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Weeder Content

Please submit weekly weeder articles, photos, and recipes by Wednesday to both Co-Editors:
Holly Gilman at hollyjgilman@gmail.com and
Maria Beach at dr.maria.beach@gmail.com

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