This week the temperatures have been over 90 degrees which is both good and bad for the gardens. Good, there is a lot of sunlight for the plants. Bad, we spend a day a week at 3 different sites and the soil dries out quickly so the plants need to be watered frequently. Either way both Morris Ave. and E. 111 St. are producing large quantities of produce weekly and we are working on a new site at E. 116 St. It is smaller than both gardens but when finished it will serve its purpose. We continue to plant and harvest. We have planted pumpkin, peanuts, Thai basil, French tarragon, cilantro, thyme and marjoram. We have harvested kale, collards, Swiss chard, basil, eggplant, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, cucumbers, beets, wax beans and pineapple sage. We water each day at work and on off days. Our 2 peach trees are growing peaches and our fig tree is slowly growing. One day for lunch we sauteed a 2 1/2 ft. zucchini that we harvested, onions, garlic and spices and we baked kale chips marinaded in olive oil. They tasted very good. At the E. 116 St. site we have been cutting down large tree branches to let in more sunlight. John C. delivered 10 bags of peat moss and 10 bags of compost. We may get 1 more delivery. Finally, this week John C. delivered lattice and lumber so we began making frames and the lattice for the fence. Peace.
- Rabbi Stacey Van Rossum
