This is the second annual National Pollinator Week, initially proclaimed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and a unanimous vote of the U.S. Senate in 2007. The purpose of Pollinator Week is to teach pollinator-friendly practices and raise public awareness of the importance of the bees, beetles, butterflies, moths, flies, birds, and bats that are needed to produce 80 percent of our flowering plants and one third of our human food crops. The National Academy of Sciences has reported that there is direct evidence of the decline of some pollinator species in North America. And, recently, Colony Collapse Disorder of honey bees has alarmed the agricultural industry.

For more information about pollinator conservation, visit Cooperative Extension's Growing Small Farms website by Debbie Roos at http://www.growingsmallfarms.org and type "pollinator" into the search engine.

 

I had the pleasure of attending Debbie's working shop at CEFS last year and her website is a valuable resource for all who are interested in growing small farms.

Borage has so many uses, it is difficult to know where to begin. We originally planted this annual herb in the hoophouse this Spring as a wonderful companion to tomato plants.  Now that we have lovely organic edible blue borage blooms to share with you at Market this week.

 

Borage has the reputation of bringing courage and ancient Celtic warriors prepared for battle by drinking wine flavored with this herb. The early Roman scholar Plinary believed the herb to be an anti-depressant. The Greek Dioscorides wrote that one should take borage to "cheer the heart and lift the depressed spirits". John Gerard reported that "...those of our time do use the floures in sallads to exhilarate and make the minde glad...for the comfort of the heart, to drive away sorrow, and increase the joy of the minde." Need we say more?

 

Borage has a crisp cucumber flavor. Borage leaves are used raw, steamed or sauteed like spinach. You can eat the steams, too; peel, chose and use them like celery. Toss fresh borage flowers in salads or ganish foods with them.

 

 

1 cup de-stemmed Italian Parsley

2 tbsps. lemon juice

1/4 cups pine nuts or walnuts

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. sea salt

 

Thanks to olive oil, pesto retains its bright color when frozen. Just drop a tablespoon of pesto into each section of an ice tray and freeze. Remove the frozen cubes and transfer them to a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Or skip the ice tray, and spoon the pesto directly into a plastic bag or container to freeze. Let the pesto thaw for a few hours using it.

 

Pesto will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

 

8 slices french bread

1/2 cup basil or parsley pesto

1 (8 ounce) wedge Brie cheese

1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

 

Spread each slice of bread with some pesto and top with cheese slices, cut to fit. Place in toaster oven and toast until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly. Top each slice with some cherry tomatoes and serve.

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes