Community Garden Updates - September 24, 2026
By Garden Manager Emmy Ingham MS, RD
Welcome to Fall fellow gardeners…
It has been a minute since I have written down thoughts about the community garden but boy have there been many to document this season.
As Berthoud grows, so has the community presence in the garden. How wonderful is this? I have had the pleasure of meeting so many new folks over the course of this growing season. We have learned a little about each other and have shared gardening stories and ideas. And really, this is the piece that makes the community garden pretty darn special. So, for those new to the garden, thanks for coming, thanks for sharing your time and thanks for growing with us.
We have had a phenomenal season of growing. We have also experienced a whole new level of bugs. I guess we will take the wins with the losses. Such is gardening I suppose. On a high note, we have donated over 400 lbs of fresh produce to the House of Neighborly Services and we are not done yet. I think we have done a fabulous job of striving to meet our mission of “providing access to locally-produced food to improve the resilience and economy of the town”. Thank you to all our volunteers for helping in this effort!
I love the garden and I love what we do to connect people with food in a way that matters. We, Berthoud Local, continue to have a robust series of educational classes, many of which have been held in the garden. It is a pretty special place to learn and create. So join us.
Fall is here, a moment of balance between light and dark, busyness and rest. Take a moment to enjoy what you have grown and savor in the season. And for goodness sake, go make something yummy in your kitchen…
Ratatouille Recipe
Prep — 35-45 minutes
Cook Ti — 45-50 minutes
Serves — 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces)
1 medium yellow summer squash (about 8 ounces)
2 medium Chinese or Japanese eggplant (about 8 ounces)
2 medium Roma tomatoes (about 8 ounces total)
1 small yellow onion
1 small red, orange, or yellow bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/2 small bunch fresh thyme
1/2 small bunch fresh basil
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup tomato purée, such as Mutti
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375ºF.
Trim and cut the following with a mandoline or sharp knife crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick rounds: 1 medium yellow summer squash (about 2 cups), 1 medium zucchini (about 2 cups), 2 medium Chinese or Japanese eggplants (about 2 3/4 cups), and 2 medium Roma tomatoes (about 1 1/4 cups).
Dice 1 small yellow onion (about 1 cup). Trim and dice 1 small bell pepper (about 1 cup). Mince 3 garlic cloves. Pick the leaves from 1/2 small bunch fresh thyme until you have 4 teaspoons. Pick the leaves from 1/2 small bunch fresh basil and finely chop until you have 1/4 cup.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 10-inch oven-safe or cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, 2 teaspoons of the thyme, and basil, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup tomato purée and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Add 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar and stir to combine. Spread the sauce into an even layer.
Arrange the zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and Roma tomatoes on top of the sauce in a concentric circle: Start at the outer edge of the skillet and work inward, alternating the vegetables and overlapping the slices so that just a little bit of each slice is visible.
Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons thyme and remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt over the top.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil. Bake until the vegetables are softened and have released their liquid, but are not browned around the edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Uncover and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with torn basil leaves.
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