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Hello and welcome to the:
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Getting to know summer issue!
Here comes the sun... Well, this Sunday, June 21, 2015, will be the longest day of the year. And then, throughout the summer, daylight hours will decrease but there will still be plenty of time to explore in light and in darkness.
What are you doing this summer and how does it relate to nature?
Fortunately, there is much that can be manifested through our connection with the natural world. One thing is lessons for a better life.
We learn about our limits and pushing past them by, say, swimming in a cool pond on a summer's morning. We can lay on the grass and watch a bird build a nest, one small branch at a time, and learn perseverance. We might see the way water in a river flows over rocks and wonder at the enormity of time and space imagining what will be carved out in the years to come.
It teaches us about ourselves.
In this month's newsletter, you can discover the basics of pollination and how to know if your fruit and vegetables have been properly pollinated. Alicia Ghio's recipe is awesome and will hopefully inspire you to try less traditional ingredients in your summer salads. Also, check out the video link to see her recent TV appearance on CT Style.
Spend some time imagining what you might manifest this summer. Try things you never have before.
Thank you for reading our June 2015 new moon newsletter. I am so happy that you want to return to simple!
All the best,
Laura Modlin
Founder and Publisher
A Return to Simple
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Pollination 101
Story and Photos by Marina Marchese
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Pollination is the first step in plant fertilization.
The process begins when tiny grains of pollen produced by the anther (male reproductive part of the flower) are moved to the stigma (female part). Inside the plant's ovary, the pollen unites with the female eggs to start the development of the seeds necessary to the continuation of the species.
Nature provides many different ways for pollination to take place.
Some plants can self-pollinate, but many require pollinators, such as birds, bats, butterflies, bees, and even the wind, to move pollen between plants.
Both the pollinators and the plants being pollinated benefit: Flowering plants are able to reproduce seeds, and pollinators receive nectar and pollen that help them meet their energy requirements so that they can produce offspring as well.
Honeybees as pollinators
Honeybees are said to be nature's finest pollinators for several reasons.
One is that their hairy bodies naturally collect pollen while they move from flower to flower in search of nectar for honey making.
Another is that they exhibit a unique behavior known as "flower constancy," where a foraging female worker bee leaving her hive in the morning will visit several thousand flowers, but she will choose a specific plant for that day's visit.
Her sisters from the same colony may choose to visit a different flower, but each will revisit their chosen flower repeatedly. If the female worker prefers clover she will be loyal, moving pollen from clover to clover.
Lastly, honeybees are social creatures that communicate among themselves and work together for the benefit of the hive.
They can be moved as a colony to specific farms, orchards, or fields as certain crops come into bloom, insuring the pollination of these crops.
The essential job of honeybees has been the unsung part of food production. By assisting the life cycle of a plant, they support sustainability and promote the continuation of a rich variety of flora and fauna in any given geographic region.
Is your food pollinated well?
Effective pollination is important to the health of crops. Poorly pollinated crops will spoil quickly and often cause digestive troubles. Fruits that are not fully pollinated will be lopsided and often curl or twist into unusual shapes.
Fully pollinated cucumbers are straight and well-rounded, melons and squash are firm, heavy and juicy, while each node of a raspberry is plump.
 Apples that are properly pollinated are round and stand up without falling over. If only two seeds are pollinated, the apple will fall from the tree early. If three or four seeds are pollinated, it will become a full apple, but it needs seven to ten pollinated seeds to be sweet and fully edible.
The seeds of a watermelon tell us a lot about pollination. The black seeds are pollinated but the white seeds were not. The more black seeds, the sweeter the watermelon will be.
It takes pollinated seeds to produce the hormones that cause fruits and vegetables to ripen and impart good flavor.
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Marina Marchese is the designer and beekeeper behind the beloved brand, Red Bee Honey, and the author of The Honey Connoisseur: Selecting, Tasting, and Pairing Honey; and Honeybee Lessons of an Accidental Beekeeper. She is a leading expert on single - origin honey and the founder of The American Honey Tasting Society. For more information visit
redbee.com
and
americanhoneytastingsociety.com.
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Summer is
for salad
by Alicia Ghio
I don't know why, but every year I am simply amazed as the plants in my vegetable garden begin to grow and yield ridiculous amounts of produce. Truly, it's not due to my great gardening skills. In fact, my garden's success happens pretty much in spite of my somewhat lackadaisical gardening techniques. While it's still a bit early in Connecticut's growing season, I once again have high hopes for copious amounts of zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and more. Of course, I'll bemoan being overrun by zucchini in no time at all, but for now, I look forward to that day. In hot summer weather, if I can grill or just go raw that's what I do. With summer's bounty coming out of my garden and a desire to keep cool, I turn to salads for lunch and dinner. Lots of people think of salads as based around lettuce or some type of greens, however, they don't have to be. Use whatever you have on hand. The combinations are endless. That's the thought behind this Crunchy Chopped Salad recipe featuring a lemon tahini dressing. It's chock full of summer ingredients and while it fills you up you don't feel weighed down. It makes a wonderful main course or can feed twice as many people as a side salad. Either way it's a win for summer. Crunchy Chopped Salad Serves 4-6 as a main course Salad Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini, diced (equals about 2 cups)
- 2 large carrots, diced (equals about 1 cup)
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels
- 2 cups cooked chick peas
- 1 cup broccoli sprouts
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 tablespoons roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons raw pepitas
- 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Dressing Ingredients
- Juice of 2 fresh lemons
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
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 In a small jar add all the dressing ingredients. Screw on the lid and shake until fully combined. Alternately you can whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Toss all the salad ingredients into a large bowl.
- Pour on the dressing. Toss to combine. Serve.
(Photos by Renato Ghio)
Check out Alicia's TV appearance on CT Style In the Kitchen. She discusses Mason Jar Salads - great for all seasons. Click here
Alicia Ghio is a passionate home cook on a mission to inspire people to know where their food comes from, to know what's in it and to savor the flavors of fresh ingredients. She is founder and editor of the multimedia blog, Local Food Rocks (
localfoodrocks.com), and has appeared on network television as an expert on local food.
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Now that summer's here...
What's in your refrigerator?
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