For most of human culinary history, we knew hyperlocal plants’ attributes. We knew the vegetables and herbs and fruits and nuts and fungi personally. We understood how a drought year means sweeter fruit, and a summer with hot nights means greens are more bitter. Our recipes were driven by hyperlocal plants’ attributes.

Most cooks today find the bruschetta recipe with 5 stars and grab tomatoes and basil at the grocery store. A discerning cook pays attention to recommended varieties — like Granny Smith apples for pie because they won’t give up too much juice and make the crust soggy. Or Yukon Gold for creamy mashed potatoes and Russet for fluffy mashed potatoes.

Our ancestors couldn’t research these tips online or in favorite cookbooks, but they didn’t need to. They developed favorite ways to use the apples, potatoes and greens growing in the precise climate that they called home. They knew each season’s variations because the extra rain or early heat wave impacted their daily lives.

Genesis 2:15 is one of the most scrutinized passages in scripture.

Then YHWH took the earth creature and settled it in the garden of Eden so that it might cultivate and care for the land. (Inclusive Bible Translation)

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (KJV)

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (NIV)

The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. (NRSV)

We’ve been assuming that God’s intent in Genesis 2:15 implies God’s intent for humanity in relation to all of the earth, not only the Garden of Eden. So just what does God want humans to do?

The first verb is abad and Strong’s Hebrew concordance defines it as: To work, serve, labor, worship

It’s frequently translated as serve, at times an enslaved person serving another person (e.g. Gen 14:4) or the people serving God (e.g. Ex 3:12). 

The second verb is shamar and Strong’s Hebrew concordance defines it as: To keep, guard, observe, give heed

We often read the action as keep, like God’s instruction to “keep the covenant” (e.g. Gen 17:10) or God’s promise that “I am with you and will keep you” (e.g. Gen 28:15). It’s also observe like to observe festivals and traditions (e.g. Ex 12:17) and beware or guard like a flock or city.

Not only did early translators avoid the obvious instruction to serve the earth, we’ve settled on the convenient have dominion of Genesis 1:26 to justify doing whatever we want to the earth and living creatures.

Serving the earth looks like buying less and buying local. Avoiding single-use plastics. Setting up graywater systems. Avoiding pesticides and insecticides. Going solar. You have your own list, and you know what works for you.

I resent the extravagant aspects of the foodie culture. That you’d waste time and money on fancy ingredients and be more likely to waste food, too (you bought the citrus to make fresh zest but you’re tired after preparing the fancy feast and eventually toss the lemon when you realize it dried out in your fridge).

So I hope the concept of hyperlocal or variety-specific recipes doesn’t send you out to spend more time or money than you have. I simply invite us to know the plants in our neighborhood. As we learn their timing and characteristics we are motivated to serve the ecosystems we’re part of, and our table is served with this mutual relationship, as well.

Where I live, we’ve got an abundance of green spring tastes. Three of my favorites are asparagus, cilantro and garlic mustard, but you’ll have an opportunity to substitute.

Spring Harvest Bowl

Ingredients

Polenta:

• 2 1/2 cups water or broth
• 1/2 cup dry polenta or cornmeal (coarse, not instant)
• salt (up to 1 tsp if using water, less if using broth)
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or butter

Spring Harvest:

• 2 cups asparagus with tough ends removed and cut into 1-2 inch slices
• 1 cup chopped garlic mustard, discard stems if tough
• 1-2 cups chopped lambs quarter, spinach, garlic scapes and chives (combined)
• And/or use other things that are in season or were in your freezer: any kind of peas or mushrooms, broccoli, arugula, zucchini or green beans, with a total of at least 4 cups, cut into bite-sized pieces 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot or ½ onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cooking wine or water
• salt and pepper to taste

Herb drizzle:

• 1 packed cup of rinsed cilantro, stems and leaves (if you don’t like cilantro, use parsley or basil)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 cup olive oil
• pinch of salt and pepper
• up to 2 tablespoon lemon juice and/or 1 teaspoon zest

Instructions

1. Boil water or broth. Add salt, pepper and oil/butter. When the water boils again, gradually whisk in polenta. Bring to a simmer. Then cover and reduce heat to low. Set timer for 10 minutes. 

2. This is a good time to start the herb drizzle. Combine greens, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse a few times. You’re not looking for salad dressing – visible chunks of herbs are welcome as long as the ingredients are mixed through. A blender would also work, but make sure you put the oil in first. If you don’t have either appliance, chop the herbs and garlic and put everything in a jar with the lid on tight. Shake to combine.

3.  Cut all the mushrooms, veggies and greens into bite-sized pieces. Heat oil over medium heat. If using mushrooms, give them about 5 minutes lead time. Next add the onion/shallot and other veggies, with thin items (like chives or lambsquarter) last.

4. Add salt and pepper and sauté on medium-to-low, sampling different items to see when they’re done. If you’re tempted to add salt, consider the herb drizzle to come.

5. You may want to add water or wine depending on your ingredients. Bear in mind that covering the pan will keep moisture in and steam veggies. Keeping the pan uncovered will reduce any liquid but means you need to keep stirring.

6. Serve in large bowls: thick layer of polenta, drowned in veggies, greens and mushrooms, drizzle with herb sauce.

Notes: Garlic mustard, dock and lambsquarter are generally considered weeds. Garlic mustard is considered invasive where I live, so we’re all encouraged to harvest it wherever we find it, pulling out the roots as we do.

Every time I cook polenta, I think, “Why didn’t I just make quinoa? This is so messy.” But then I taste it and remember how delicious it is. That said, you could use other grains, even rice.

Finally, if you want more protein, we love mushroom-based vegetarian “meats” like Quorn’s Chick’n Pieces. Or just add tofu.