If I had a garden

When you have a small urban garden in Texas in late July… not everything can be ‘garden-to-table’ but it’s still brings so much joy to walk out the back door to get fresh herbs.

If I had a garden… I’d baste some Sunday eve pork chops in fresh thyme and rosemary.

Dry off thick pork chops and dry brine them in some salt, overnight or for a few hours. Preheat oven to 350. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium high-high. Add some beef tallow/ duck fat and then add the pork chops. Turn them every 90secs until they have a nice brown crust on them. Baste with fat and fresh rosemary and thyme; Insert a temperature probe and place entire skillet in the oven until 138-140f. Pull it out and set pork chops on a cutting board to rest. Serve with sides.

Tip! Pour that great fat through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth and put it back in your fat jar that you keep in the fridge. So much more flavor!

If I had a garden with stunningly pretty, heat loving Malabar Spinach…

I’d pick the tender tips before they flower and toss them in a salad. Gorgeous and so nutritious. Puts any medicine or supplement to shame.

SO MUCH more food than what you see in the grocery store.

If I had a garden in the Texas July heat with some tomatoes and cucumbers…

I’d make a sweet tomato, cucumber and onion salad with apple c***r vinegar, water and sugar.

If I had a garden with some tomatoes, a cucumber and fresh oregano..

we’d make some Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki

If i had a garden with Rosemary & aloe…

and a little bit of glycerin, I’d make some Rosemary Aloe shampoo. Aloe is super hydrating and healing; rosemary is fantastic for hair and scalp. Stronger, darker, faster growing hair and less hair loss.

Soaked my aloe leaves for two days to soak out the aloin. The rest took no more than 30min. Simmered fresh Rosemary, added the rosemary water to the aloe and the added a touch of creamed organic glycerin and blended.

If I had a garden with some freshly picked May jalapenos…

+Tomatoes
Onion
Cilantro and lime

I’d throw together some fresh Pico de Gallo.

+ cilantro
Pepitas
Garlic
Shredded pecorino
Lime juice and
Avocado oil

I’d make up my own Cilantro pesto

In a couple of weeks the tomatoes will have come from the garden as well. ❣️

Earlier this year, our co-founder, Finn Harries took to the TedX stage to explore a powerful idea: Why Regeneration Is Our Next Revolution. In this inspiring talk, Finn reflects on the journey that brought him to his work at Juntos and delves into the concept of regenerative culture. He sheds light on how our global food system is a leading cause of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions - but also offers a path forward through a practice gaining global momentum: regenerative agriculture. This approach, which lies at the heart of what we do at Juntos, shows us that when food is grown the right way, it can nourish not only people but entire ecosystems, both above and below the soil. We’re incredibly fortunate to have Finn’s expertise in design for regenerative systems guiding our mission. Head to the link in our bio to watch the full talk. — A principios de este año, nuestro cofundador Finn Harries subió al escenario de TedX para compartir una idea poderosa: Por qué la Regeneración es nuestra próxima revolución. En esta charla inspiradora, Finn reflexiona sobre el camino que le llevó a su trabajo en Juntos y profundiza en el concepto de cultura regenerativa. Expone cómo el sistema alimentario global es una de las principales causas de la deforestación, la pérdida de biodiversidad y las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero —pero también cómo puede convertirse en una solución a través de una práctica que está ganando fuerza en todo el mundo: la agricultura regenerativa. Este enfoque, que está en el corazón de lo que hacemos en Juntos, nos demuestra que, cuando los alimentos se cultivan de la forma adecuada, pueden nutrir no solo a las personas, sino también a ecosistemas enteros, tanto sobre como bajo la tierra. Nos sentimos muy afortunados de contar con la experiencia de Finn en diseño de sistemas regenerativos para guiar nuestra misión. Entra en el enlace de nuestra bio para ver la charla completa.

It’s been me against the squash bugs for the last couple of weeks; today I saw my first Squash Vine Borer Moth for the season. Dang those guys are quick and they fly… and the vines are getting too large for thorough egg/adult inspection; time to move to the next phase.
Phase one for squash bugs: inspecting vines and leaves daily and smooshing eggs and adult squash bugs - started with one or two of each a day. Today was 4-5 of each 😳

This included lifting and rolling the vines so that I can inspect the undersides (where the eggs and bugs usually are) BUT now that I’ve spotted a Squash Vine Borer, it’s important to move to phase two.

Phase two: Squash Vine Borers will lay an egg at the base of a vine and the larvae bores into the stem and can take out an entire plant. As a natural defense, squash plants will put down roots along the vine. That way if part of the main stem dies, the vine past the new roots can survive. By lifting and rolling the vines for inspection, I’m preventing these little roots from reaching the soil. So it’s time to stop. Phase two will include -

• making sure to have the healthiest plants possible. These are crown in clean, no-till soil and just got a big chop n drop of comfrey.

• looking for these little roots and trying to bury them with some good soil

• continue daily inspections for eggs and bugs without lifting the vines (make sure I have my special smooshing gloves since I’m a sissy and can’t do adults with my bare hands 🤢)

• water regularly and watch for adults to climb to tops of vines to get away from the water and directly spray them with a quick stream of Dr Bronners Peppermint Castile soap diluted with some water (they will die in less than 10 seconds if you make sure they are saturated)

• nymphs are harder since there are so many it’s harder to make sure you get them all and you get them saturated, so your best defense is still just diligent daily egg inspections.

You’ll miss some and you will have nymphs and you will have vines die because of Squash Vine Borers — just remember this is their home, their habitat and their food. They don’t have a grocery store to run too… so acknowledge that some pest damage and crop loss in a healthy ‘living’ garden is natural and to be expected, sometimes even welcomed. Do what you can but don’t stress. ❣️

Best advice I ever received from a seasoned gardener, when asked what if I lose some of my crops to pests? she said, ‘plant extra’