Learning Garden Harvest Party

Through a day camp my kids attended this summer, they were invited to participate in a Harvest Party (and pizza party!) at the Learning Garden.  For those of you who aren't familiar, Portland State University sponsors the Learning Garden Laboratory, which is "a 12-acre garden education site located in Southeast Portland that provides K-12, university students and community members hands-on and place-based education in sustainable gardening, healthy nutrition, and permaculture." (from PSU's Web site) The Learning Garden is a partnership between Portland State University, Portland Public Schools, Portland Parks and Recreation, and Oregon State University Extension Service.

The garden itself is beautiful, with a healthy multitude of organic vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers growing in lovely rows as far as the eye can see. When we arrived, someone explained how the harvest party was going to work.  We would help harvest some veggies, herbs or fruit, then bring it over to be weighed/recorded.  After that, everything would go on one of two large tables, so that everyone could take some of the bounty home at the end.  We were put right to work harvesting green beans and yellow wax beans from 6-foot-tall stalks.  My brother-in-law and nephews joined us, and we had a wonderful time picking the beans - the adults taking the high ones and the kids the ones closer to the ground.  We must have harvested about 7 pounds between all of us!

 After that, we took a break and enjoyed some fresh homemade mini pizzas (topped with Learning Garden veggies and basil and grilled right outdoors)!  And to think, after all the fun we'd had all morning long (not to mention the free and delicious lunch) we STILL got to take home as many fresh, organic goodies as we wanted........what a bargain!  I did find out that the Learning Garden harvests at least twice a week (including Saturdays) and welcomes volunteers to help with that process.  In return, helpers get to take some goodies home.  Yeah, we'll be back.

What we took home:

• Spaghetti squash
• Green beans
• Yellow wax beans
• Cherry tomatoes
• Red onion
• Sweet basil
• Thai basil
• Purple ruffle basil
• Garlic
• Lavender
• Dahlias

Organics to You

A lot of the cooking I do depends on what random melange of fresh organic veggies and fruits are included in my bi-weekly "bin" from Organics to You.  I heard about this local organization from my friend Megan over a year ago and decided to try it when I went back to work full-time this March. I thought the convenience (as well as the novelty) would be worth a shot.  The system is similar to a CSA, except there is a lot more flexibility in terms of the frequency with which you receive your bin (once a week, every other week, or as seldom as you choose).  Also, you have the option to specify certain "dislikes" and likes in order to help guide what is included in your delivery as well as the option to start or stop at any time.  Oh yeah.....that's the convenient part about it....Organics to You delivers your organic goodies right to your front door.

So, if you look at the Web site (just Google it) you can get a general idea of what type of volume to expect with each size bin.  Also, there are options to choose more vegetables, more fruit, or specific types of either or both.  I decided to start with a small bin on a biweekly delivery schedule.  I originally ordered the "Latin" add-on, which would/should have included items such as cilantro, bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes....you get the idea.  Well, on that very first delivery Organics to You messed up my order and sent the fruit add-on instead.  What a happy accident!  I couldn't BELIEVE how much fruit was included!  There seemed to be an endless supply of oranges, plums, pears, berries, bananas, apples and on and on and on. I was immediately hooked (as were my 3 kids) and decided keeping the fruit add-on was a MUST.

So far, I love Organics to You.  Sure, we've had our mini-misunderstandings, but they always do everything in their power to correct their mistakes, etc.  My only real gripe would be that they tout themselves as dealing with LOCAL organic growers, and a lot of the merchandise does seem to come from California or Mexico.  But, who am I to complain?  Tomorrow I'll receive the next box, so tune in for the list of contents......

Up next - creative empanada filling ideas - a request from Denise T. :o)