April edition
- An Edible Landscape
- Five Health Benefits of Gardening
- Earth Day
- Did You Know?
- Gardens for Nutrition
- Pasta Primavera
About the Newsletter
Monthly newsletter covering: vegetable ornamentals, health benefits of gardening, using SNAP benefits; and a vegetable forward pasta dish that is flavorful and nutritious.
An Edible Landscape
By Angela O'Callaghan
Butterleaf lettuce growing in a pot from Angela's garden
We hope our gardens are full of delicious vegetables, requiring water, light, and fertility. Why not think of our delicious vegetables as decorative or “ornamentals” as well as “edibles”? You can eat them and enjoy looking at them in your garden too.
Some things we grow for flavor can be gorgeous, like herbs. For instance, basil flowers are pretty in the garden and it is easy to pick off the leaves so the plant continues to produce annually . If you have seen the “Purple Ruffles” basil variety you know it’s exactly that, purple colored, with ruffled leaves. You might not want to harvest it as it is so pretty in your garden but do use it just as you would any other type of basil.
I’m always delighted to see sage in bloom. The purple flowers are lovely and since it keeps producing all year as a perennial plant, sage can grow rampant as it keeps producing more aromatic leaves. Another perennial is fennel. Its foliage makes a lovely tea and the bulbs at the base are a tasty vegetable.
A great thing about herbs is you can grow them in pots. Mint and a variety of vegetables are also easy to grow in pots. Tomatoes, peppers, and most leafy greens thrive in these gardening containers. Some flowers are ornamental plants that can also be edibles. Nasturtium leaves and flowers can be added to salads. Other flowers are edible too, but not all, so do some research before adding them to your diet.
A small vegetable garden can be beautiful. As long as plants receive the basics when in containers, they will be productive.
Super easy one-serving soup
Ingredients:
- 1 large kale leaf
- 1 large broccoli raab leaf
- 1 medium clove of garlic
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bullion® (reduced sodium or any variety)
Steps:
1. Chop the vegetables.
2. Put bullion and vegetables in a deep soup bowl.
3. Pour 1 ½ cups of boiling water over mixture.
4. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
5. Eat and enjoy!
Angela O'Callaghan is an associate professor and social horticulture specialist at University of Nevada, Reno Extension, a unit of the University's College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources.
Five Health Benefits of Gardening
Romanesco broccoli growing in a planter pot
In addition to providing nutritious veggies and fruits for your dinner table and beautiful flowers to decorate it, gardening offers a variety of health benefits:
- Increases exposure to vitamin D
- Decreases risk of dementia
- Provides mood boosting benefits
- Offers enjoyable aerobic exercise
- Helps to combat loneliness
ADAPTED FROM AARP HEALTHY LIVING.
Earth Day
Image of Earth with the text Earth Day April 22
Join us in a Grow-Your-Own-Herb Kit activity in honor of Earth Day, April 22, 2021. Grow kits are available on a first come first serve basis, so reach out now to secure yours!
Contact Dakota Clarke at clarkea@unr.edu or call 702-948-5916.
Did You Know? SNAP and Gardening...
You can use your SNAP benefits to purchase seeds and plants used in gardens to produce food for you to eat?
This includes seeds for producing edible plants (for example: tomatoes or green pepper seeds or plants); edible food producing roots, bushes, and bulbs plants (for example: asparagus crowns or onion bulbs); and seeds and plants used to produce spices for use in cooking (for example: basil, rosemary, thyme).
TO LEARN MORE, VISIT THE SNAP WEBSITE.
Gardens for Nutrition
Butter lettuce growing in a box planter
Researchers have found that aging, as well as the medicine you take, can bring physical changes to our bodies. These changes may affect your desire to eat, sense of taste, or the ability to chew and swallow foods. Sometimes, new ways of putting food on your plate and preparing food encourage eating and an interest in food. Gardening and harvesting a variety of fruits and vegetables may be something that also creates an interest in eating and can help with the physical changes taking place in your body.
For more information, please visit the Elder-Accessible Gardening website.
Pasta Primavera
A plate of pasta primavera
A flavorful spring recipe for you and your family to savor. Use your favorite spring vegetables from your garden or local farmer’s market. Kohlrabi, sugar snap peas, carrots and asparagus are all delicious options.
Makes 3 servings.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup noodles, uncooked
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups mixed vegetables (chopped)
- 1 cup tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon margarine
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Cook noodles according to package directions.
- While noodles are cooking, heat oil in a skillet.
- Add vegetables and sauté until tender; stir constantly.
- Add tomatoes and sauté 2 more minutes.
- Toss vegetables with noodles and margarine.
- Add seasonings; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
FOR NUTRITION INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT MYPLATE KITCHEN.
An EEO/AA institution. This material was funded, in part, by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), an equal opportunity provider.
