Whitehall Garden Club News: May

Buenos Dias! Guess what the WGC theme was...CINCO DE MAYO. Terry Ross and Ron Roginske were the hosts, bringing a delightful Mexican flair to the table with warm and delicious breakfast burritos, a fresh fruit salad, and a chocolate Tres Leches cake that was muy muy bien! Gracias, senors!

The FAST TEN was presented by Janet Chapman, showing how to take a piece of paper, like newspaper or any other paper, roll it around a cylinder-shaped device, crimping the bottom, making a perfect bio-degradable holder for planting a seed, fostering the seed's growth and when time, planting the entire holder into the ground. Easy and effective!

Our May program was presented by Laura Horn on "Creating a Salsa Garden" and how timely. Ole'! Laura showed us the layout for a traditional salsa garden, including onions, cilantro, tomatoes, garlic, and different chili peppers, noting that containers can also be used. Laura told us there are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes available, but it's important to choose the thick-walled, meaty varieties with less juice, such as an Abe Lincoln or Better Boy. You need to watch the number of days required to harvest the tomatoes, usually 65-75 days, along with the other vegetables you will add to make that delicious salsa. And you won't be the only ones loving the tomatoes... deers and voles can be a problem, too!

So get your tomatoes, chili, peppers (make sure you roast your chilies, then peel), onions, and spices ready, making it chunky or smooth, mild or spicy. If you make enough salsa, canning requires a water bath; freezing is another option, but nothing is better than fresh!

Salsa is nutritious and low in calories when served with vegetables or lean proteins, but not with those delicious tortilla chips. What!

A salsa garden screams SUMMER, and Laura's informative presentation is getting everyone ready for summer!