One of the best parts of springtime is the abundance of fresh greens that start flooding in from the garden. The lettuces in their wide array of colors, the spicier arugula and milder spinach, and the wild greens like nettles, dandelion, creasy greens, all making a local diet suddenly more appealing than it had been a month ago.
It’s easy to eat tons of salads this time of year but I also try to mix things up. One of my favorite spring dishes is spinach pasta. I cannot get over how easy it is to make gorgeous green noodles. This recipe can be also used with other greens if you’ve got an abundance of something else. I’ve had success using nettles in the past.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup cooked spinach
1 tbs olive or vegetable oil
3/8 cup water
spices to taste (ex. fresh garlic or basil)
The first thing you’ll want to do is prepare your spinach. It’s best to give it a light steam or blanching then measure your half cup. You don’t want to cram your measuring cup full, squishing all the spinach but do pat it down lightly to ensure you get a good bit of spinach.
Next place your spinach, oil, and water in a blender and blend until smooth. While it’s blending place 1 cup of all purpose flour in a mixing bowl.
Stir the spinach mixture into the flour until it’s well combined and forms a ball. If it’s too dry you can add a bit more water and if it’s too wet add additional flour. Then knead it on a lightly floured surface. It should be a ball of dough that’s tacky but not sticky.
Then using a rolling pin, roll out the dough about and 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick before slicing it into noodles. Alternatively you can use a pasta crank.
To cook bring a pot of water to a boil and add your pasta. Once the pot returns to a boil cook your pasta for 2-5 minutes to taste.
Making your own gorgeous green pasta is a great way to make use of the spring abundance. It’s also a great way to show off your gardening and cooking skills if you’re having company over.
In all the history that it’s jammed into a school education very little of it involves plants. You get the big names quickly glanced over as you go through the history of the United States. The Native Americans cultivated corn, beans, and squash and shared them with the Pilgrims. There may even be a mention of the “three sisters garden.” Tobacco and cotton will also be mentioned but on a whole the role of plants in history is largely understated.
Though it may be poorly recorded there is more to American history than conquests, battles, and political upheaval. There’s all the everyday folks and the plants that sustained them and they’re important too. Knowing where crops came from can better connect us with the land, history, and culture. These are some of the plants that evolved in the Americas along side its people and will continue to grow and evolve to face the changing world if we continue to protect them.
Sunflowers
The sunflower is one of the many crops that was first cultivated by Native Americans. Evidence suggests that it may have been grown in what’s now Arizona and New Mexico as early as 3000 BC. In our edible flowers post we discuss its versatility as a food crop.
Amaranth
Golden Amaranth
Like tomatoes, amaranth is in fact an ancient Aztec grain. It was so important it is estimated that it made up about 80% of the Aztec’s diet at the time the Spanish arrived.
Potatoes
If you’re anything like me it can be tough to imagine a world without French fries but like many American crops, potatoes didn’t make their way into the European diet until the 16th century even though it is estimated that they were cultivated for over 10,000 years. Potatoes are actually indigenous to the Andes and were being grown in what’s now southern Peru and northwestern Bolivia when the Spanish were first introduced to them.
Butterfly Weed
It may not be an important food crop for humans but butterfly weed plays an important role for pollinators as the name suggests. It’s native to North America and adding some to your garden can help attract butterflies.
Tomatillos
Today in the United States tomatillos are largely overlooked except for the occasional salsa verde. However historians believe that they were probably a major part of both the Mayan and Aztec diets for at least 1000 years prior to Spanish colonization.
Sweet Potatoes
Carolina Ruby Sweet Potato
Today sweet potatoes seem to be a bit underrated in the United States. They’re mostly reserved for thanksgiving meals and we can find just a couple varieties on the supermarket shelves. However sweet potatoes have a long history. We know that they were cultivated in South America and the Caribbean by 2500 BC and that members of the Columbus expedition were the first Europeans to taste sweet potatoes in 1492. Interestingly, scientists were able to radiocarbon-date sweet potatoes to the Cook Islands (part of Polynesia) as early as 1000 AD. The working theory is that the Polynesians who have a maritime culture probably traveled to South America and brought sweet potatoes back with them.
Peppers
Peppers actually have a rather blurry history. Though we know that they were first encountered by Europeans during the Columbus expedition when they were domesticated and by whom is still unknown. On a broad scale peppers have long been cultivated in South America however it seems as though peppers were domesticated at different times by different groups.
Tomatoes
If you ask someone to guess where the tomato comes from they might guess Italy and because almost every dish you purchase in any Italian restaurant in the United States comes slathered in tomato sauce that really is a fair guess. However it’ completely incorrect. The tomato is actually native to South America and wasn’t brought to Europe until the 16th century! Though its history is relatively unknown it’s believed that it was being cultivated by the Aztecs in what’s now southern Mexico as early as 500 BC.
Avocandos
Avocado trees (Persea americana) can be found in both standard and dwarf varieties. Guatemalan, West Indian and Mexican are the three main species of standard avocado trees. While they vary in fruit size, texture and maturity rate, these types of trees all reach an average avocado tree height of between 30 and 40 feet, though they can grow up to 80 feet tall. Dwarf varieties, such as the Wurtz avocado, reach an average height of 10 feet.
Bergamot
Also called monarda or bee balm, bergamot was grown and used medicinally by many Native American tribes. It’s also a favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of American varieties. There’s the aforementioned squash, beans, and corn as well as a host of other crops like blueberries, papas, avocados, cacao, chia, and quinoa. These are just a few varieties whose history is often overlooked that can easily be incorporated into a family garden. Growing, eating, and saving seed from these plants can help keep history and culture alive.
Frequently the line between gardener and environmentalist becomes blurred. We plant pollinator gardens and build insects hotels to give smaller creatures a helping hand. We sow seeds and plan our meals to reduce our food miles and carbon footprint. We opt for organic and heirloom seed or dedicate time to learning to save our own. Each year however, I’m startled to see just how much plastic is used in the making of a modern garden. Hoses, sprinklers, drip tape, pots, flats, tools, greenhouses, you name it and it probably is at least partially made of plastic.
While many of these items drastically increase the productivity of our gardens it’s also common sense that their are non-plastic alternatives for many of them. These alternatives are what our ancestors in the not so distance past once put to use to produce the vast majority of their family’s diet. I’m certainly not saying we should forgo the use of hoses and greenhouses just that we should get a little creative in ways we can. Use old, salvaged windows for cold frames instead of plastic paneling. Opt for tools made of metal and wood where possible. Probably easiest of all, check out some of these non-plastic pot alternatives.
Terracotta Pots
Terracotta or other ceramic pots can be a beautiful and environmentally friendly way to start seeds. They’re much more expensive than other methods but if you have a small garden they may be worth it because they can be used year after year. You can also sometimes find them at yard sales and thrift stores which may allow you to slowly and cheaply build a collection.
Peat Pots
Peat pots are probably one of these easiest plastic alternatives. They can be purchased at any garden supply store and you can plant the whole thing! It’s quick, easy and doesn’t disturb your seedling. However it should be noted that some believe using peat may not be as environmentally friendly as other options as it is quite slow growing and peat pots are single use.
Gourd Shells
Not the most common choice, gourd shells actually make excellent pots. Gourd shells will break down some as your seedling grows however they should still probably be removed upon transplanting. They can of course be composted after you’re done with them.
Newspaper Pots
An easy DIY solution is to fold your own newspaper pots. It takes a little time to make them at home but just like peat pots you can plant the whole thing. You can find tutorials on Youtube for folding your own or they sell wooden newspaper pot makers, like the one pictured above, that are cheap and easy to use.
Wooden Flats
Prior to the mass production of plastic, wooden flats were the go to for many farmers and gardeners. Today you probably won’t find them at your garden supply center however there are plans available online to build your own.
Egg Shells and Egg Cartons
Starting seeds in egg shells and cartons is an excellent way to put some household waste to good use. However it should be noted that they are more suited to plants that grow slowly as plants like to tomatoes will quickly become too large and need to be potted up.
Soil Blocks
One of my favorite plastic free options is using a soil blocker. It takes a little time and practice to make soil blocks and you’ll still need a to find tray to set them in but they’re well worth the time up front. Using soil blocks eliminates the problem of root bound seedlings. This is because roots won’t just grow into open air. They stop at the edge of a soil block instead of growing around the plant like they do in a pot. Soil blocks also make planting easier. There’s no trying to pinch plants out of plastic trays. This minimal handling is faster for you and better for the plants.
**Note**
If you choose to plant in a pot that goes directly into the ground with your seedling it’s important to make sure that the edges are not above the soil. This will wick moisture away from the plants roots. If your pot is too tall just tear off the top edge before planting.
Arguably plastic pots are a relatively small portion of the world’s plastic problem. However for many of us these swaps to more sustainable alternatives are not difficult or costly. In fact they can save you money! So why not? It may seem like a waste of time but when many people make small changes there are big impacts.
