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The heat of the summer was slow in coming this year, and with ongoing bouts of cooler weather, produce has been ripening more slowly. Our donations this year are behind what we experienced last year by this time - even after a record turnout for our plant handout this year. Thanks you for those who have been donating produce. For those who haven't yet donated, we're asking for your renewed commitment to donating 20% of harvested produce.
Harvesting our summer bounty is always a nice reward for our efforts. And equally rewarding is the ability to share our nutritious harvest with those in need. Most of our donations are small - between two and five pounds. It all adds up to make a big impact and provide nutritious options. Following are donation tips and drop-off locations.
What to Donate: Consider harvesting and donating fruits and vegetables that store and transport well, even without continuous refrigeration. The Tualatin Food Pantry has limited refrigeration. So leafy greens/herbs and really ripe fruit may not be picked up before it wilts/spoils.
Where to Donate: You can donate directly to the Tualatin Food Pantry, your local food pantry, or a family in need. Knowing that the Tualatin Food Pantry is not open on weekends, we also have locations in both North and South Tualatin for weekend produce donations that can be dropped off at your convenience. Produce donated over the weekend will be transported to the Tualatin Food Pantry on Mondays for distribution.
- South Tualatin Donation Point: 9412 SW Arikara Drive, Tualatin, OR
- North Tualatin Donation Point: 17660 SW Shawnee Trail, Tualatin, OR
- Tualatin Food Pantry: 3550 SW Borland Rd, Tualatin, OR
(at Rolling Hills Community Church, east side of the building)
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When to Donate:
For donations at the North or South Tualatin Donation Points, please leave produce on the porch (North) or in the driveway basket (South) marked with a Neighbors Nourishing Communities sign. Donations may be dropped off at any time over the weekend, however these are residences with limited refrigeration space, so if possible, please leave your donation Sunday afternoon / evening, or Monday morning before noon.
The Tualatin Food Pantry hours are shown below, and produce that is donated directly to the Pantry may be donated any time that they are open. Please do not leave produce at the Pantry when they are not open.
Monday: 3:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Thursday: 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
How to Donate:
We need to know how much you have donated. So whether you donate to a family you know that needs help, to a local pantry, or Tualatin Food Pantry, we need an estimate of how many pounds were donated. This ensures that our grantors continue to support our program so we can provide free plants and seeds. We would not exist if we were not showing progress.
- For donations at the North or South Tualatin Donation Points: please leave your produce in a bag marked with your name, and approximate weight of the produce donation. Note that we will weigh the produce if you do not have the ability, but don't forget to label with your name so that wee know who to credit for the donation.
- For direct donations: to families, the Tualatin Food Pantry, or other local pantries, please note the weight of your donation and e-mail NNC with your name, the amount of produce donated (weight), and the donation recipient.
Our e-mail address: neighborsnc@gmail.com
Keeping track of our donations as an organization is important to charting our growth and measuring our impact.
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Cherry tomatoes are always the first to ripen, and when they do, they are plentiful! What to do with all of those amazingly sweet and flavorful cherry tomatoes? Here's a recipe that uses cherry tomatoes, fresh garden basil, and either fresh or frozen peas. It looks and tastes amazing, and is a great option for summer entertaining!
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6-8 oz. fresh or frozen peas (thawed if frozen)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1/2 - 2/3 cup olive oil
baguette slices (day old works great)
cherry tomatoes
Slice baguette into 1/4 inch slices and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake in preheated 300 degree oven until crispy and slightly browned, about 20 minutes.
In a food processor, mix the peas, basil, garlic parmesan, salt and pepper. With the food processor running, slowly stream in about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of olive oil until desired consistency. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
At this point the pesto may be refrigerated for later use, and will save for up to five days.
To assemble, spread pesto onto cooled crostini and top with one or two cherry tomato halves.
Recipe contributed by Peggy Fisher,
and adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
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Blossom End Rot -
Causes and How to Combat It
Blossom end rot is the dark, leathery spot that can develop on the bottom of tomatoes. I'm battling blossom end rot on my tomatoes this year, so I did some research on causes and what to do about it that I thought I'd share for those who may be experiencing the same.
The cause of blossom end rot is a deficiency in calcium, and even if you have enough calcium in your soil, the uptake of calcium can be affected by inconsistent watering, cool or excessively hot weather, or too much nitrogen in the soil.
There are remedies that can still be effective on this season's crop such as immediately applying a calcium fertilizer product specifically designed for blossom end rot. You can find these at your local garden store. Consistent watering is also important in prevention. Pick the affected tomatoes so that the plant's energy can be directed at healthier fruit.
Additional information can be found by following these links:
Tomato Dirt
Farmer’s Almanac
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We'd like to hear from you!
Have garden tips you'd like to share in this newsletter? Interested in a topic you'd like to hear more about? Please send us a message at neighborsnc@gmail.com.
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Neighbors Nourishing Communities (NNC) is an organization of neighbors gardening to raise fresh produce for local families in need of food support. We provide plants, seeds, instruction and site consultations in exchange for 20% of the produce raised.
Questions? Visit our website at www.Neighborsnc.org or contact us at neighborsnc@gmail.com.
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