"The harvest heals. It gives a sense of that wealth that only a stack of garlic or a pile of firewood or manure can represent..." --Stanley Crawford, from "A Garlic Testament".

Rancho La Paz Harvest Party

As summer wanes into fall, tomatoes hang ripe on the vine; we awaken to crisp morning air, and submerge ourselves in the last flavors of the summer gardens. We gathered recently with our co-workers, friends and neighbors to walk the fields and share the experiences and lessons gained in this year's research farm trials. Afterwards we celebrated the peak of summer's bounty with our annual fall harvest party. The passing of the season reminds us of the ephemeral nature of the garden and the importance of pausing to take in the gifts it has to offer.

With over a thousand varieties in the field there is much to see in the peak of the garden. Inviting our office co-workers out to the farm provides an opportunity for them to see our varieties in the field, become familiar with the research we are conducting, and catch a glimpse of potential future variety introductions. We wandered through the paths of multi-colored basil, fresh greens from around the world, and glorious stands of blooming flowers, stopping along the way to taste, smell, and admire. Of particular curiosity was purple, soft-leafed basil from Vietnam that Howard Shapiro, our Vice-President of Agriculture, brought back from his travels. It has an unusual scent and flavor that we debated on and eventually described as cumin-like. Visitors also enjoyed wandering through the thick stands of sunflowers and admiring the vast diversity of shapes and colors that this prolific genepool can produce.

Sharing food is one of the oldest forms of communion, bringing people together and fulfilling our most basic needs. This year's harvest feast featured many members of the Solanum family. Platters of heirloom tomatoes were dressed with basil, olive oil, and vinegar. Salted eggplant was grilled until sweet and tender, then dressed with a sauce of Tahini, ginger, and Purple Italian Easy Peel Garlic. Peppers of every intensity color and flavor were roasted and savored. Oven roasted Rose Finn Fingerling, All Blue, and Red Sangre garden potatoes were raved over and mostly devoured as finger food straight out of the bowl. Eggplant Parmesan from scratch was the main course. And no fall barbecue would be complete without fresh sweet corn roasted on the grill.

Many of us consider salads a staple of the diet, so for the occasion we elaborated on the basic salad by topping chicory and lettuce with fresh farm pears and honey roasted almonds. We served Garden Chicory and Frisee wilted with garlic and pinenuts. Desert featured fresh Small Sugar Pumpkin pie and farm picked apple pie. Over relaxed conversation we feasted into the night and found there is a time and place for over indulgence.

May you revel in your fall gardens,
The Staff of the Seeds of Change Research Farm