In the Garden with Common Ground

I am a big Sohla El-Waylly fan. I actually first got to know her as a judge on the reality show The Big Brunch alongside Dan Levy and Will Guidara, which was super fun! I'm still hoping they make another season. I have since continued to follow Sohla through the New York Times Cooking YouTube channel. I just love how genuine and relatable she is while also being super smart. I dare say Sohla also comes across as a little ornery...and I like it! Needless to say, I was excited to see she was releasing a cookbook. Here's a bit Sohla shares in the introduction of Start Here, opens a new window: 

I look like someone who would have done well in school. I don't know if it's the glasses, sharp bob haircut, model minority myth, or some combo of all the above, but people assume I was that girl in the front row with my hand always up. The truth is, I almost didn't graduate high school...

Sohla goes on to explain that working in kitchens, she realized understanding the "why" of things was a crucial part of the learning process for her. I know a lot of super smart, self-proclaimed nerds for whom this is also true, and they're some of my favorite people. So, that's Sohla and she's great.

Flipping through her book, I noticed a recipe for "Bravas Potato Salad" inspired by the Spanish dish Papas Bravas. I too have eaten Papas Bravas in Spain and loved its smokiness. I grew potatoes this year and still had a few leftover from my harvest (it doesn't take me long to go through a pile of potatoes). Plus, the only ingredients I needed to buy for this recipe were a few extra potatoes, potato chips, and the essential smoked paprika. I had plans to make this recipe two times before I actually went through with it. Sometimes I need external pressure to follow a recipe (know thyself). When I realized I also needed to prepare a dish to take to my "In the Kitchen" event, I finally got motivated.

"In the Kitchen" is a quarterly cooking program that features local guest chefs and cooking enthusiasts. For for this summer's session, I teamed up with Umut Bayramoglu, who is Common Ground, opens a new window's delightful Program Manager. Umut is a lovely, genuine person and also a fantastic community partner who shows up for so many events, braving extreme winds on the lawn and tolerating being indoors on a crisp fall day to talk to people about composting, community gardens, goats, and more. We decided to have the event at John Taylor Park, which is one of Common Ground's community gardens open to the public. We were also joined by Park Manager Ando McFin. Our plan was to meet up and share some food featuring produce you can find in the community garden, and then walk around the garden and learn more about what's growing. 

I finally made the Bravas Potato Salad! It calls for potato chips on top! I grew some of the potatoes I used, and I also grew the parsley. I was hesitant about how much honey was going into the recipe, but it's well balanced by equal amounts of mustard and vinegar. Umut grew up in Istanbul, Turkey and made a dish typical to eat there in the summer, made with Greek yogurt, cucumber, and lots of fresh herbs. It was cooling and delicious. Ando made an intriguing and tasty tahini dipping sauce to serve alongside cucumbers and purple long beans harvested from the garden. He also made brown rice served with steamed collard greens and lamb's quarter. The food was delicious and the company was delightful. One of my favorite things about "In the Kitchen" has been seeing connections and friendships formed. 

After eating together and sharing recipes and stories, we took a tour of the community garden and learned more about everything growing there. John Taylor Park has plots anyone can rent and grow on, but it also has space dedicated for public use. Anyone is welcome to harvest plants grown on this side. The gardens are absolutely lovely right now and I encourage everyone to go by and walk around. It is especially beautiful close to sunset.     

Umut is generous with her time and always happy to answer questions about Common Ground's community gardens, so let her know if you have questions! And be on the lookout for more "In the Kitchen" events going forward. 

-Terese Winters is an Information Services Librarian at Lawrence Public Library.