by Rev. Melinda McLain

From the Kitchen

When our gardens are wild with tomatoes, we’re always on the hunt for new recipes. This recipe for an Italian Tomato Pie was inspired by the seasonal menu for "all things tomatoes" that Pastor Melinda used to enjoy at Kerbey Lane, a restaurant in Austin, Texas.

INGREDIENTS
9” pie crust, store-bought or made with your favorite recipe
4 medium heirloom tomatoes
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp Italian herb mix (oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc.)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup chopped Swiss chard
1/2 cup cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or Gruyere would all be good)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the over to 450 degrees.

2. Peel and slice about 4 medium heirloom tomatoes and place in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup tapioca flour (to thicken juice), Italian herbs, salt, and pepper and mix gently.

3. Press pie crust into pan (use pre-made, or your own recipe). Layer chard first on the bottom (note: this is important to avoid a soggy bottom), then tomato mixture, then some grated cheese, then chard, then tomatoes until pie crust is nearly full.

4. Top with bread crumbs mixed with fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese. Put in 450 degree oven for 10 minutes, reduce temp to 375 and bake for 45 minutes or until crust is brown and filling is bubbly. Cool and serve. Even better cold the next day! Enjoy!

In Our Community

Rev. Melinda and Colleen Rodger wrote blessings on the beams before they were placed.

The Beams are in the Building!

Please join us this Saturday, August 28 between 12 and 3p for our monthly Community Work + Fun Day at 5166 Sobrante Avenue. Construction is in full swing, but we still have gardening and cleanup projects aplenty for willing volunteers. Please wear sturdy shoes, clothing, and a mask for added community safety. If you have work gloves and favorite gardening tools, bring those too. Or feel free to stop by to see just what’s happening, even if you don’t have time to help.

Colleen and Teja on the beams

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Is Your Yard Ready for Wildfire Season?

Here is some really helpful and timely information about how to prepare your landscape for wildfire from the 94803 Preparedness Alliance.

Marilyn Saarni, a great local Master Gardener, provides us with a quick guide about what plants are most dangerous in terms of fire safety:

"Within the combined Defensible Zones 0 and 1—0-30 feet of structures—remove all highly flammable plants—juniper, thuja, pine trees, arborvitae, Italian cypress, incense cedar—conifers in general, rosemary, bamboo, broom, brambles (especially blackberry), large bunch grasses (Miscanthus), pampas grass, palm trees, aromatic herbs gone woody, chamise, acacias, eucalyptus, Algerian ivy with undergrowth (in wildfire country you have to cut to the ground 1-2 times a year to reduce woody content and remove flammable debris hiding under leaves—or get rid of it). Better yet, remove all of these from your garden! But if you have questions, ask your local UC Master Gardener Help Desk: ccmg@ucanr.edu

CalFire Defensible Space

"Along any driveways or potential evacuation paths, make sure you would have clear passage—best to have low, non-flammable plants along these paths, and nothing overhead that could be a risk in the embers that blow mile(s) in front of a wildfire. If you need to clear large shrubs in these areas, firefighters recommend 10 feet of low flammability plantings and clear sight lines (for them as well as for you if you have to evacuate suddenly).

"In these same two zones (Zone 0 and 1) be sure to trim off dead debris, any branches within 10 feet of roofline, and then rake and sweep all dead plant debris and remove. Inspect vines, and remove dead buildup if any. Cut back perennials that have dead blooms (for a lot of these you may get another bloom or two before rains come). And don’t forget to clean your gutters—before you do your sweeping! Peak wildfire season is now.”

Here are some great resources for planting fire-resistant plants in your garden:
Fire-Resistant Landscaping
Oakland Fire Safe Council on Landscaping During the Drought

In Our Community

Exciting news if you haven’t already heard: Construction is moving ahead on the site!

Plumbing in progress at the site

But sadly, our estimated costs for the renovation are much higher than our 2019 estimates. As many of you have experienced for yourselves, materials costs have skyrocketed due to the pandemic - in many cases by 100% or more – raising our estimated total cost for renovation from $1.5 million to at least $1.9 million.

With anticipated financing support from the Cornerstone Fund of the United Church of Christ and the unbelievable support of many skilled volunteers working on the site to reduce costs, we feel confident that we can stay on schedule for opening in early 2022, but we will need some immediate help to close our funding gap.

Introducing our 100% Campaign

Because of supply chain issues during the global pandemic, our costs are 100% more.

But we 100% want to make this pay-as-you-can community cafe, organic plant nursery, and gathering space open in 2022.

So we’re asking if you’ll commit to making a tax-deductible $100 donation per month for 5 months, until we open. Will you join us?

And, if you work for a company that matches charitable donations, we hope you’ll apply for a matching donation. We have now earned 501(c) 3 tax-exempt status for The Good Table LLC; all donations are tax-deductible.

Checking out the new roof!

Our plans for creating a pay-what-you-can and pay-it-forward community cafe, gathering space, and organic tree and plant nursery on the Adachi site will have a long-lasting, positive impact on El Sobrante and surrounding communities. So whether you are longing for a beautiful place to have a delicious cappuccino, take a yoga class, attend a workshop, buy organic fruit trees, or listen to or make live music, The Good Table Cafe and Planting Justice Nursery will provide a local venue where we can create a more resilient and vibrant community.

by Kelly Knight, Marketing Manager for The Good Table

Homemade dill pickles (yellow because they’re a Boothby’s Blonde cucumber)

From the Kitchen / In the Garden

One of my favorite summer hacks, if you will, is to grow vegetables I can enjoy later. This year, I have pickling cucumbers, but they grow sporadically, with not enough yield to do a big canning project. I was a little grumpy about it, but then I found this phenomenal recipe from Smitten Kitchen, and now I’m back to pickle bliss.

The best thing about this recipe is how ridiculously simple it is: slice cucumbers, put them in a jar with some vinegar, sugar, and pickling stuff, put in the fridge and wait for the magic to happen. My family inhales these. If your family likes pickles, they will too.

Easiest Fridge Dill Pickles
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
8 larger or to 10 smaller firm, fresh Kirby (pickling) cucumbers
3 teaspoons kosher, coarse or pickling salt (if using a featherweight brand such as Diamond, use a little more)
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup white vinegar

DIRECTIONS
Slice your cucumbers very thin — I used 1/8-inch slices here but usually go even thinner on a mandoline. Place them in a 1-liter or equivalent lidded jar. Add 3 teaspoons salt and dill, then pour in white vinegar. Close the jar and give it a few shakes to begin distributing the ingredients.

You’re going to find the liquid level in the jar worrisomely low as it is well below the pickle pile line, but don’t fret. Within an hour or two, the salt will draw the moisture from the cucumbers and wilt them, while the liquid becomes a perfectly balanced pickle brine.

Place jar in the refrigerator near the front, which should remind you to shake it once or twice more over the new few hours. (Or whenever you’re back at the fridge.) You can eat them as little as 1 to 2 hours later, but they become ideal at 6 to 8 hours. They’ll keep in the fridge, submerged in their brine, for 3 weeks, though never around here.

by Kelly Knight, Marketing Manager for The Good Table

In Our Community

Image: StateOfIsrael

It’s the worst drought we’ve seen for years here in California and in the west overall, and I’ve been thinking about how to reduce my personal water usage. Granted, the individual can only do so much, but together, we can make a collective difference.

Surprisingly, some of the methods to reduce water use are a little counter-intuitive, but let’s start with the ones that are obvious:

• Shorter showers. Turn off the water when shaving, time yourself (I like to play music, and when I know two medium songs are done, so is my shower), use 2-in-1 products to cut down shampooing time.

• Reduce landscaping water. Use drip irrigation instead of sprinklers, plant drought-resistant plants, reduce or get rid of your lawn.

• More efficient laundry. Only doing laundry with a full load, and using high-efficiency washing machines if you can.

• Better dishwashing. Most dishwashers these days are high-efficiency, and even if they’re not, they use water MUCH more efficiently than handwashing dishes. Reduce or eliminate hand-washing.

Now for things you might not expect:

• Lower your electricity usage, and switch to renewable energy - electricity production in California requires a lot of water, and water requires a lot of energy.

• Eat less meat, particularly red meat. Do you know what food has the largest global water footprint? Beef. It takes approximately 1,847 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef — that's enough water to fill 39 bathtubs all the way to the top.

• Move away from high water use crops. The biggest water use crop in California is alfalfa, which is used to feed livestock, but after that, it’s almonds and pistachios, and then rice.

• Advocate for high water use crops to be grown in other parts of the country where there is no drought. The Midwest is full of commodity grain, but could grow many other things. Get involved with The Farm Bill and advocate for diversification of crops across the country and supporting farmers.

Together we can make change and help turn things around, making California and the west a more sustainable place to live. The only way we’ll get through the upcoming crises is together.

by Kelly Knight, Marketing Manager for The Good Table

In the Kitchen

While the Bay Area has actually been a little chilly lately, we know it will get hot again sometime. And when it does, the best thing, in my not-humble opinion, is to drink something that cuts the heat and gives you back some much needed energy.

Here are two summer refresher recipes to keep cool and stay hydrated!

Peach Nectar Iced Tea

Peach Nectar Iced Tea
by Heidi Swanson, of 101 Cookbooks

INGREDIENTS
4 cups cold water
4 bags black tea
4 cups peach nectar (Note: You can buy this at the grocery store in the juice section. It’s sweeter than straight peach juice. Looza is my favorite brand.)
Plenty of ice cubes
2 peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced into eighths
Mint sprigs for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, add the teabags, cover, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and let the tea cool to room temperature on the counter. Stir in the peach nectar and feel free to add more if you want it even peachier. Serve in ice filled glasses garnished with a couple peach slices and the mint if desired.

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Shiso Limeade

Shiso Limeade
from Laura McLively and The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook

What’s really fun about this is that the acidity of the lime juice turns the shiso tea into a shocking pink color. I really enjoy it. You can find fresh shiso at Asian markets and finer grocery stores.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup packed Chinese shiso leaves, plus a few for garnish
2 liters boiling water
2 tablespoons agave nectar (or more to taste)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Lime slices for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Place the shiso leaves in a large, heat-resistant jug or jar and pour the boiling water over the leaves. Let the tea steep for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your desired strength. It’s a subtle flavor — a bit like lemon mint, so you may want to go longer. Stir in the agave nectar and lime juice and watch as the tea magically takes on its bright pink color. Chill before serving. Serve over ice with a lime slice and a shiso leaf.

by Kelly Knight, Marketing Manager for The Good Table

Flowers I planted in my garden for the pollinators

From the Garden

Climate change is consistently on my mind, and often makes me feel a little powerless. We’re in a big drought and approaching a heat dome heatwave and it’s all just a lot right now.

Since I cannot control the weather or climate change, I’ve decided to focus my attention on things I can do right here and now. As I’ve touched on a couple times, my garden is a source of joy, spirituality, and peace for me. A garden can also be a force for good in local populations, specifically very small populations — pollinators.

Pollinators are animals who move pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This allows the plant to reproduce, and creates, among other things, the edible fruits and vegetables we all enjoy. Nearly everyone knows about bees at this point, but pollinators can also be butterflies, hummingbirds, moths and bats.

Sunflowers, zinnias, and amaranth

Pollinators are also in trouble: insecticides; invasive species; parasites and diseases; and climate change all have put a dent in pollinator populations.

“A lot of these pollinators have evolved to emerge exactly when their plants are flowering,” says Deborah Landau, a conservation scientist for The Nature Conservancy in Maryland. But climate change messes up the timeline. “If a flower blooms too early or an insect hatches from its egg too early, they could completely miss each other.”

So what can we do to help pollinators? There are a couple things:
1. Plant native species in our gardens. When pollinators emerge, the plants that they rely on will be there, ready for them. Visit the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center at wildflower.org and choose the “Native Plants” tab to find flowers that will work for your area.

2. Support controlled burns on forestry land. Fire is a natural part of the ecosystem and when a landscape is burned, you often see a resurgence of native plants. This also helps with wildfire season, making sure the fires aren’t as devastating.

3. Plant a wide variety of flowering plants. Choose plants with various flowering seasons so that pollinators will have access to nectar and pollen the length of the flowering season.

4. Place flowering perennials and annual in drifts, groups of at least three plants, rather than dotting them individually around the garden. This makes it easier for pollinators to locate plants and they don’t have to work so hard to get what they need.

Drifts of pincushion flower, strawflower, daisies, and milkweed

5. Put a water source in your garden. Especially on hot days, having access to water will help sustain pollinators as they do their hard work. Put rocks in the bottom of a shallow fountain or water dish to allow insects to perch and drink without falling in.

6. Minimize your use of pesticides, even organic ones. These chemicals can hurt pollinators. Learn about different kinds of plants and companion planting to cut back on damage to your vegetables and showcase flowers.

Thank you for considering what to do to help our local pollinator populations. Our tiniest friends are grateful for your work.

Bee on a borage flower

by Rev. Dr. Melinda V. McLain

Spiritual Touchstone

“We plan, God laughs. ”

— Yiddish proverb (Psalm 33:10)


Maybe it is my Presbyterian upbringing, but I really like having a plan and a detailed schedule. I know some folks might be surprised by this given that I have been known in many circles for my improvisational skills and my delight for spontaneity, but it is true: even when improvising, I like to have a plan. And I always like to do unpleasant things first, so I can have more time to enjoy good things. As a teenager, I always did my homework first, so I would have the rest of the evening to spend freely. Not a bad habit to have developed and it has served me well in a number of ways!

This love of being organized has been with me as long as I can remember. When I was in my 20s, some friends found it so annoying that one of my classmates in college took my watch away from me and wouldn't let me wear it for two days. I thought I might die during those 48 hours. Now, with all my integrated gadgets, it would take WAY MORE than stealing my watch for me to let go of time and trying to stay on my plan: I have SIRI to defend me!

On the other hand, I have learned that having a plan and being prepared only helps with the small things in life like paying bills, doing projects, and meeting work deadlines. Truly, there is no way to actually prepare and plan for much of what really matters in life such as the grief of losing a beloved, a serious illness, wildfire season, or a global pandemic. Sure, we can make “go bags” and disaster kits, and  prepare financially with insurance and thoughtful estate planning, but that only handles the "business" of life, not the living of it.

Grief, in particular, even when you see it on the horizon through a diagnosis or the simple progression of aging, cannot be "done" in advance and you cannot plan for its effects. It sneaks up on you and takes hold of your heart and soul until you pay attention and confront the reality of the loss. Unfortunately for those of us who like plans, grief is a real plan wrecker. And whether or not COVID directly took the life of someone you love, we are all grieving in one way or another.

While a worldwide pandemic was certainly a possibility that public health professionals knew might happen, most, if not all of us were completely unprepared and had no plan for what unfolded in March 2020. I had thought about the possibility of “virtual church” while studying from my D.Min., but then suddenly we had to do it - next Sunday! And, of course, we did create a Zoom version of our service of music, prayer, and preaching that was different from our in-person gathering and yet, provided a genuine and life-giving connection to spiritual community during a time when we all felt more worried and isolated than usual. And our community has been blessed by participants from as far away as British Columbia and Texas - something that didn’t happen before that I do not want to lose when we go back to gathering in person on July 4th!

Our virtual sanctuary at home

It’s also humbling to begin construction on our new project and watch all of our planning shift and adjust to new realities such as skyrocketing materials prices while also becoming excited that someday, we might be able to actually open our cafe, nursery, and gathering space. And yet, we still don’t know when the renovation will be complete, but at least we’re moving forward after being stalled for many months.

Finally, as vaccination rates continue to rise and COVID cases fall, we are now beginning to meet again in person and resume activities in community that were unavailable during the pandemic. But I admit, I don’t have much of a plan yet for this new phase of living. I do know that it isn’t possible to just go back to the way things were. Too much has changed. And I want to find ways to integrate the lessons of the last fifteen months to make my life and our communities better. And because I’m a planner type, I want to be intentional about those changes, but I also recognize - another gift of the pandemic - that all of our plans need to be flexible because the only thing you can be certain about is that everything will change.

Do you like to plan? What do you do when your plans fall apart? What spiritual practices are helpful when things don't go the way you expected?

In the Community

The arts have always been important part of any community. Today, we’d like to spotlight two artists in our community that are doing amazing things.

Photo Credit: Susan Wilson

Carolyn North
A remarkable person, Carolyn has given birth to three children, been a midwife in India, sung in a Gospel choir, started a farm, taught her technique of dance healing as a dance therapist for many years, started a hunger organization, Daily Bread, built a strawbale house, written 11 books on matter and spirit and, stayed married to the same man for 58 years until his death in 2015, started the CommonSpace Community Land Trust in Sonoma County, and became a member of the Wild and Radish Community of Northern California (of which our partner org Planting Justice’s Gavin Raders and Haleh Zandi are members) where she is helping design a program for elders aging and dying in community.

As if that weren’t enough, Carolyn “recently donated her Berkeley home valued at approximately $1.3 million — residential property she and her husband purchased in 1966 for $28,500 — to the East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative. The Oakland-based organization permanently removes residential properties from the mass market through cooperatives and land trusts and creates affordable housing opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and other underserved minority groups. North’s former family home now offers affordable housing, primarily for artists who are people of color.”

Carolyn says:
”I feel I am here to help make the transition from a materialistic culture to a culture that recognizes that we are all connected with each other, with the earth and with the cosmos.

You can read my bi-monthly articles on Musings On The Passing Scene and can follow links to information about my books at About Carolyn’s Books. The latest books are From the Notebooks of Carolyn North: Musings on the Passing Scene (Vol. 1) and its sequel The Living Edge of Dying: Musings in an Era of Breakdown (Vol. 2). They both address the realities of our time with deep seriousness, humor, personal stories and suggestions of how to keep on keeping on.”

Read Carolyn’s interview in SF Classical Voice: Carolyn North

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Steve Zwetsch

Making musical instruments out of unexpected items is Steve Zwetsch’s particular genius. Five years ago, Zwetsch came across a YouTube video of a guitar made from cigar boxes and wondered if he could craft something similar.

Being a self-taught handyman, Zwetsch gave it a shot and created the instrument in his basement. Before the pandemic, he would make five cigar box guitars a year but after his bakery business was impacted by COVID-19, he created 14 guitars in six months.

“It’s fun to make these things and I’m making them more for the art value than anything else. Then, the fact that it created more art with the music that you can play with it, is just phenomenal.”

— Steve Zwetsch, in profile by ABC News

Read his profile by ABC News here: The Art of Imperfection

by Kelly Knight, Marketing Manager for The Good Table

In the Kitchen

For the first time in a very long time, I was able to have fully vaccinated friends over for brunch on my deck this weekend. Since we hadn’t hosted anyone in awhile, I was a little stumped on what to make but then I thought of quiche. Quiche feeds a crowd (we only had two other adults, but it felt like a crowd!) and combined with an easy fruit salad, muffins, and some mimosas, it was a really lovely spread.

My partner can’t have gluten or dairy, so I bought some gluten-free pie crust and then made this paleo quiche recipe from Paleo Running Momma. Most quiche recipes include cheese, which is delicious, but if you can’t have dairy, this recipe is very satisfying and you won’t feel like you’re missing out.

Image courtesy Paleo Running Momma

Bacon, Caramelized Onion, and Veggie Quiche
by Paleo Running Mama
Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

1 9 ” paleo pie crust recipe pressed into 9” pie dish and baked for 5-7 minutes at 375 degrees or until just barely set
6 slices bacon
3-4 Tbsp reserved bacon fat or other cooking fat
1 x 8 oz container white mushrooms, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced thin
1 small/medium zucchini, cut in quarters and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt for sprinkling on veggies
7 large eggs
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional - but it really does help with flavor)
Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium high heat, crumble, and set aside to drain on paper towels. Reserve bacon fat to caramelize the onions and cook the veggies.

2. Next, caramelize the onions. Heat a large skillet over med-low/low heat, and add the bacon fat (or other cooking fat if preferred)

3. Add sliced onions and stir to coat, sprinkle with sea salt. Cook and periodically stir, for 20-30 minutes, lowering heat or adding a bit more fat as needed to avoid burning. The onions are done when they are a deep golden brown color and very fragrant.

4. While the onions cook, heat a separate skillet over medium heat and add 1 tbsp cooking fat. Add the zucchini and mushrooms, sprinkle with sea salt.

5. Sautee the veggies for about 2 minutes, stirring as needed, until softened. Add garlic and continue to cook another 45 seconds until softened, then remove from heat.

6. In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, salt, and nutritional yeast.

7. Drain excess fat from the onions and veggies, then place all the veggies and bacon evenly in the partially baked crust. Pour egg mixture evenly over the filling.

8. Bake in the 375 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until center is set. Cover the quiche with a foil tent for the last 10 mins if crust begins to brown too much. Allow quiche to rest st least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.  Enjoy!