Garden Happenings: Noodle Beans, Fungi, & Summer Slushies
#24: Summer Happenings @ Featherstone Garden
Welcome to Featherstone’s Summer Happenings Newsletter! Each week we will share a variety of garden updates, heirloom seasonal produce features, veg-ed(ucation) content, farm stand news, plant-centered recipes and more. As a subscriber, you will be the first to know all about our Garden Happenings. If you’re not a subscriber but would like do be, you can click the button below to signup.
The Mystery of the Wasp/Ant/Noodle Bean Party
A note on noodle beans from our grower, Annie:
I love this plant! Also known as the asparagus bean, Chinese long bean, and snake bean, the noodle bean is actually a variety of cow-pea (Vigna unguiculata) that originated in Africa. The “noodles” grow on prolific vines that must be trellised- we choose to use a cattle panel arch for the vines to climb. The long slender pods of the red noodle bean reach about 18” and can be eaten raw or lightly cooked (I recommend cutting them into 2” pieces for stir fry.)
Recently when harvesting our red noodle beans I noticed that the vines were buzzing with a variety of seemingly tame wasps, attracted to the base of the flower bud. Stinging insects are often mellow when feeding, but these buzzing little buggers were not venturing into the flowers of the self-pollinating plant to collect nectar. There were also some large black ants zipping around on the vines, but they too were primarily hanging near the base of the flower buds.
The wasps and ants didn’t seem to be interacting, and the plant looked to be very healthy - they’re producing so many beans each day that I can barely keep up with the harvest! My first instinct when I see ants on a plant is to panic, because ants often = aphids, a formidable nemesis in our organic garden. I scoured the backs of the leaves and the base of the buds for aphids (two spots they like to feed) and didn’t spot a single one. So, with garden blogs + articles from university agricultural programs serving as my Yoda, I set out to solve the mystery of the wasp/ant/noodle bean party.
In an article from the University of Florida I learned that plants in the cow-pea family have something called
“extra floral nectaries: nectar-producing glands physically apart from the flower. Two functions for the EFN have been hypothesized: as an excretory organ for the plant to rid itself of metabolic wastes or to attract beneficial insects [like wasps] for plant defense. Of the plant species with EFN that have been studied, the majority of the results, have supported the plant defense function.”
‘The Google’ then led me to one more article that seemed to confirm my growing suspicion that the noodle beans use EFN ( the little bumps just above their flower buds) to attract wasps and ants as a defense mechanism. According to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) ..
“The maruca pod borer is one of the most devastating insect pests of cow-peas... Its larva stage, the caterpillar, is the [very] destructive and attacks flowers and pods of various legumes… Wasps are natural enemies of the pod borers!”
And the ants are attracted to the EFN on the noodle beans for the same reason!
So, long story long, I’m so glad that I waited and didn’t spray the beans with an organic pesticide. I’ll continue to survey the plant for signs of aphid/ other pest damage, but in the meantime, it seems like the wasps and black ants in tandem with the EFN are working hard to keep our noodle beans healthy and productive.
Fantastic Fungi
This past week, Netflix announced the release of the documentary Fantastic Fungi— a must see, not just for mushroom enthusiasts! The film takes us on an immersive journey into the magical earth beneath our feet: an underground network with the potential to heal our planet. The film covers the beauty, intelligence, and solutions the fungi kingdom has to offer regarding medical, therapeutic, and environmental challenges.
“Nature has been experimenting with fungi for a billion years, perfecting a lot of powerful survival tools. We can use these tools in fantastic ways—to revive damaged ecosystems, to help offset global warming, and event to prevent diseases”.
–Paul Stamets
Wild Mushroom Flatbread w/ Fennel & Fresh Herbs
This week, we’re highlighting a simple & savory wild mushroom flatbread recipe by Renee. If you’re heading to Eastern Market this weekend, you can purchase some yummy locally produced mushies. You can’t go wrong with the rich umami flavor of the mushrooms paired with fennel & fresh herbs baked on a homemade buttery puff pastry. Find the full recipe on the Woodbine Street Kitchen newsletter by clicking below.
Homemade Cherry Lemon-Limeade Slushee
Beat the heat with this yummy summer slushee; another recipe from the Woodbine Street Kitchen newsletter. So good you’ll want to batch this sweet (but not overly so), tangy, and refreshing drink for your next backyard bbq with friends. Click below for the full recipe.
Black Rice with Vegan Peanut Sauce: Assembly Instructions
For Stir Fry Kit Subscribers…
Pre-assembly note:
Ratio: 1 cup black rice to 1 ¾ cups water.
No need to rinse the rice: The outer layer has antioxidants, which may help lower cholesterol.
For cooking rice: using a heavy, thick-bottomed pot prevents scorching.
Step 1
Cook the rice: bring a pot of water & rice to a boil, then simmer slowly, covered, until water is absorbed, approx. 45 minutes.
Steam to finish: Keep the rice covered, off heat, for 10 minutes after cooking.
Step 2
In a large frying pan heat 2 Tablespoons of oil. When oil is hot, add your pre-cut stir fry veggies until slightly translucent and edges begin to crisp, adjusting the heat as needed. Try to avoid overcrowding the pan to prevent veggies from steaming. Once veggies are sautéed to your liking, season with a dash of salt and pepper.
To Serve:
Serve yourself a bowl full of rice and top with fresh cooked veggies, add as much peanut sauce to your taste and garnish with toasted peanuts and fresh herbs
Enjoy!
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Stir Fry & Breads and Spreads Kit Pickup/Delivery Reminders
Kit delivery is on Tuesdays between 3-7pm.
Subscribers, Please leave your insulated grocery bag on your doorstep on Tuesday. If you have an extra ice pack, we suggest putting that in the bag too!
Kit pickup is on Wednesday from 2-6pm at Featherstone’s weekly Farm Stand at 4178 Lakepointe Street, Detroit
Lastly…
A friendly farm stand reminder:
Our weekly Farm Stand is open this Wednesday from 2-6pm at 4178 Lakepointe Street, Detroit. This week, we will have noodle beans, cherry tomatoes, heirloom hot peppers, thai eggplant, and many other fruits and veggies available for purchase.
Thanks for reading!
For more about our garden, follow us on instagram (@featherstone.garden), and check out our website. Don’t forget to share our newsletter with a friend by clicking the button below.
P.S. Bean, our farm cat shown above, is still currently up for adoption! If you or anyone you know is interested, please contact Annie via email: annie@featherstonegarden.com
Have a great week,
Annie, Aaron, Renee, Jessi, Phoebe + Chili, Pepper & Bean (our farm cats)
