Garden Lovers Come In All Shapes and Sizes.
I have not been diligent about checking on my garden this year. It is true. Between the rain and the vacations, my garden has been thriving with not much management. Cucumbers apparently love the rain, but tomatoes not so much. I am just now getting more cherry tomatoes than I know what to do with and it’s September. I have never had to worry about insects, rodents or nosey neighbors checking out what delightful produce I was growing. That was until two weeks ago.
Back from vacations, and seeing the sun making an appearance, I checked on my garden a little more religiously than I had all summer. Who would have thought that in my quest to grow the ultimate garden on the face of the planet, that I would have to contend with a few furry creatures. I have read to my children about these guys- you may remember the story. The cute little guy eats through an apple, a slice of cake, a salami, an orange, and several other items and then gets a major case of indigestion that no amount of Tums can fix. Easy to do if you eat that much and your stomach must be the size of grain of sand. If your eyes are bigger than your stomach you are going to be sorry. A few munches of grass, the furry cutie pie is back to normal and later becomes a beautiful butterfly. Great story, if you are a caterpillar or a 6 year old.
Well, let me tell you a different furry guy story. Apparently they have a strong love of Kale as I recently discovered. I myself have become a strong lover of anything Kale. What is there not to love? Kale chips, Kale stir fry; you name it I will probably put Kale in it. It is very good for you and apparently there is a shortage of Kale across the US since it is now so popular. My new visitors must be in the know, because they managed to consume, not one leaf, not two leaves, but several entire plants of Kale in a short time frame. I could not believe my eyes. I was picking Kale from my garden, rain or shine and putting it in everything until this one visit. I looked in disbelief! These guys had managed to consume several leaves yet managed to leave frail kale skeletons, a bizarre aftermath of all their hard work and destruction. The Kale skeleton’s hovered among all my other amazing produce like a bad dream. They did not touch my lettuce, basil, tomatoes, zucchini, beans, nor my eggplant. Only my beloved kale.
Getting rid these guys was easy, I just picked them off what remained of my bountiful kale harvest and put them in the compost bin. A few days later I found two very, very large caterpillars nearby that apparently had not only eaten any remaining Kale they could find, but several of their friends as well. Spinning a huge cocoon must be easy work with all that Kale in your belly. Just think of all the phytonutrients! Apparently caterpillars know a good thing when they find it and also know which produce is in style. Kale and brussel sprout stir fry would sure be hit with them as well. Enjoy!
Chop up the leaves from a large bunch of Kale into thin slices yet discard the stem and skeleton parts. Chop up 8-10 brussel sprouts into thin slices. Mix all with virgin olive oil and a dash of sea salt. Stir fry over medium high heat, while adding a teaspoon of sesame oil, 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce or more and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Saute until slightly wilted and serve warm. Enjoy!
Hugs and health,
Susan Cannizzaro
Susan is a busy mom of two small children, an avid tennis player, a lover of all kinds of produce and inspires others to eat healthy by consuming more fruits and vegetables and growing amazing aeroponic produce. To find out more about how to Own Your Health and Your Life, check out mrscjuiceplus.com.
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