At Green Bridge Growers, we not only love to grow food – we love cooking what we grow! We involve our trainees and participants from Hannah and Friends in all aspects of producing food - including seeding, caring for our vegetables, harvesting, and preparing delicious recipes.
 
Everyone has their favorite crops – Matt loves to grow mint, Donna likes green beans, Rachel is open to trying everything, Adam enjoys summer squash, and Chris likes to grow things on the sweet side – like corn, peas, and watermelon!
 
Taking what we grow from our greenhouse and farm to the table showcases the entire process of farming. For all our burgeoning farmers, planting seeds that they can follow through their life cycle and finally eat is a terrific feeling of accomplishment.
 
“I like being able to grow my own food, and to eat food I grow myself,” said Chris. “And I also like to eat local food, because I know where that food comes from and that it’s fresh.”  And Rachel said, “It’s fun to make recipes. I’m proud of what we grow and I like turning it into good food.”
 
Our stellar volunteer, Melissa Tomas, has a knack for cooking and finding recipes that everyone enjoys.  Some marvelous creations have developed out of the Hannah and Friends kitchen! Just the other day, Matt called Melissa “our number one recipe developer!” Now that’s a terrific compliment.
 
The crop that’s abundant for us right now is kale of the curly “Winterbor” variety. Melissa paired that with the chives which are also going strong for us, and found a terrific recipe for a delicious kale-chive salad.  All hands were on deck for the process of bringing these delicious vegetables from farm to table!
 
For those of you who’d enjoy a simple, yummy, healthy new recipe, here it is:
 
Buttered Kale with Lemon and Chives
 
-1 bunch of kale (curly or flat-leaved), washed, stripped off middle stalk, and torn or chopped into pieces
-Handful of chives
-Zest of one lemon
-1 large knob of salted butter
-Salt and pepper
 
Instructions:
-Steam kale using a steaming basket until tender but still bright green (about 5-8 minutes)
-While kale steaming, zest the lemon and chop chives into small pieces, put in a small bowl, and set aside
-Transfer the steamed kale into a bowl and pour off the water in the pot
-Return the pot to the stove and heat over a low flame
-Melt the butter and then add the zest and chives. Give everything a good stir
-Add the kale back into the pot and stir well so everything is coated. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir well and serve. You can finish it off with some sea salt and more cracked black pepper
 
What vegetables and recipes have you been enjoying this summer? We wish you a season full of good eating!

In our community of South Bend, Indiana, one of the champions of the sustainability movement, Professor Mike Keen, is transitioning from an amazing career of teaching and directing the Center for a Sustainable Future at Indiana University South Bend to hands-on work developing cutting-edge community projects.
 
In his tenure at Indiana University, Mike has inspired community leaders to launch a local food co-op, create green roofs, transform city convention space into an edible herb garden, turn unused city buildings into art galleries, and initiate local TED talks. Talk about impact! For us at GBG, Mike has been a terrific collaborator, mentor, and friend. 
 
As he moves to new challenges, Mike's raising scholarship funds for under-resourced sustainability students studying for their bachelor's at IU. Between his own fundraising and a contribution from the University, he's already raised $50,000. 
 
But he doesn't want to stop there. Mike’s leaving a "lasting impression" by getting himself tattooed to raise even more funds to provide scholarships for deserving students. 
 
He's challenging the local community and folks everywhere to take part in his Tattooing for Sustainability campaign. It’s crowdfunding with a twist. For a donation of $10-$25, people can vote for which body part Mike should tattoo, and whether the logo tattooed is for Indiana University or the City of South Bend.
 
And the new scholarship fund Mike and IU are creating has tremendous potential  to be transformative. “In order for us to solve the problems of the future we need to get everyone involved,"  said Mike.  “Statistically, minorities are more likely to live in polluted environments, and face chronic health issues at disproportionate rates. However, many people don’t make the connections between civil rights, environmental sustainability, and urban design. We are looking to change that perception and engage underrepresented students in IU South Bend’s Sustainability Studies program.”
 
Mike's celebrating his "Second Life" on June 23 here in South Bend and along with so many other community partners we are delighted to share his legacy of service and his generous, unique approach to raising funds to benefit the entire community. 
 
More on Mike's campaign can be found here: 
 
https://e.gesture.com/events/4Tq/
 
https://www.facebook.com/events/136770240071187/
 
We’re working hard to spread the word of the impact one person can have on their community...and Mike's unique way to invite others to help. Please join us!