Update on the Greenhouse & a Visiting "Foreign Fruit"

Hi everyone! My name is Irmelin [Ear-Malin], I am from Denmark and currently living in Norway where I’m doing a PhD at the University of Oslo. Some of you might remember me from five years ago where I visited a couple of times. Back then, I was doing research as part of my master’s degree up in Fairbanks, talking to some of the young people about living in Igiugig and what the community was doing to support them. Now I’m back! Both helping out with the greenhouse while Jeff is out fishing and hoping to get a feel for what changes have been happening the past five years.

My PhD is about communities working towards becoming more self-reliant and taking charge of their own development. I think Igiugig has a lot to teach other communities, not only in Alaska but other places too. While I’m here, I hope to talk to some of you about these things. I also plan on coming back in the fall to do some more interviewing.

But enough about me! This was meant to be an update on the greenhouse. If you haven’t been by the greenhouse lately, I strongly recommend you swinging by there. It is like a lush jungle in there! Jeff has done such a good job setting everything up nicely, and Tanya and Christi are working hard to keep everyone hydrated and content.

Last week was the first time with the salad boxes. For a mere 15 bucks, the lucky salad customers got different kinds of lettuce, kale, radishes and a gorgeous cucumber. On Friday, we also sold green beans, zucchinis, basil, oregano and mint. Both beans, zucchinis and cucumbers are growing like crazy at the moment, so be sure to stop by the greenhouse stand at the hangar on Friday to get your share of green deliciousness!

Other veggies are growing nicely too, but will need some more time before they are ready for harvesting. Stay tuned for potatoes, tomatoes, jalapeños, rutabagas, and much more!

Wondering how to cook your newly purchased zucchini? They can be eaten fresh in salad, put in a stir-fry or baked in the oven. Here’s one suggestion!

Recipe: Roasted zucchini with garlic (from simplyrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 lb zucchini, each cut in half across the middle, then each half quartered lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano or other herb, like Herbs de Provence or thyme (fresh or dried)

1. Toss zucchini and garlic with olive oil, spread out onto lined roasting pan: Preheat oven to 450°F. Make sure there is a rack on the top rack spot in the oven. Place the zucchini and garlic in a bowl and toss with olive oil.
2. Spread the zucchini out onto a foil or silicone-lined roasting pan, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt (1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon).
3. Roast zucchini until it starts to brown, toss with herbs, salt, pepper: Roast the zucchini for 8-15 minutes, or until it begins to brown. (Start checking at about 7 minutes and keep checking every few minutes.)
4. Once the zucchini has started to brown at the edges, remove it from the oven and place the zucchini in a bowl. Gently mix in the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Enjoy!