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10 www.DesertMessenger.com April 19, 2023 Gardening with Dennis NOTICE to Advertisers: Please check your ad(s). Errors/corrections must be submitted before deadline, to be published in the next available edition of the Desert Messenger. DEADLINES are printed - in multiple locations - in EVERY issue of the Desert Messenger! For rates and deadlines visit www.DesertMessenger.com Desert Messenger News offers FREE Classified Ads! Here's the small print: Items for sale under $500. Private Party Only. 1 per month. Yard/Garage/Craft Sales, Wanted, Give-a-ways, Free, Lost & Found, etc. (non-commercial) For more information, contact Rain at 928-916-4235 or Email: Editor@DesertMessenger.com TRAVELS WITH VEGETABLES By Alex Taft Plants have a history of how they developed and grew and for Dennis who loved history and gardening, this was an intersection between his two favorite interests. This article relies heavily on information gath- ered from the "National Geograph- ic's Edible, an Illustrated Guide to the World's Food Plants" and Veg- etables Then and Now" by Elizabeth Lemoine. Both books belonged to Dennis. Once upon a time carrots were purple and white, potatoes had a purple hue and tomatoes were yellow and bitter. The story of how those changes occurred is written in the merchants' trade routes three thousand or so years ago. There was the Silk Road linking Chi- na to Europe, the Spice Road, link- ing Asia, North Africa and Europe, the Royal Road linking Persia to the Mediterranean, the Salt Road linking the Adriatic coast to Rome and the Tea Horse Road that facilitated the trade of horses and teas and count- less other goods to and from China, Tibet, Mongolia and India. From ancient history through me- dieval times, pilgrims were often travelling to and from the Holy Land. Travel took a long time and everyone carried food with them, and ate local food along the way. This is how carrots, which originat- ed in Asia over five thousand years ago and were every color but orange with the dominant color being pur- ple became orange. One resource concludes that cultivation brought about the orange color. Another re- source concludes that when carrots made their way to what is now Af- ghanistan, the soil turned them or- ange. When you are dealing with an ancient history it is hard sometimes to know exactly what is accurate, be- cause so little was documented. Carrots were considered edible enough to cultivate and with cul- tivation came improved taste. The same is true of the yellow tomato which came from the Andean area in Peru approximately 3,000 years ago. Through one or more trade routes the tomato found its way to the Mediterranean, specifically Ita- ly and you know the rest. Tomatoes became a staple of Italian food, once it was cultivated to be the red and sweet taste it is now. Potatoes too came from the Andean mountains. The Spanish Conquistadors brought them back to Spain, and from there potatoes made it to France. There, a military pharmacist named Antoine Parmentier discovered in 1534 that potatoes had considerable nutri- tional value and began to cultivate them in an effort to improve their taste. Most of us would agree he succeeded. Okra arrived in Egypt and it was cul- tivated by the Pha- raohs. Celery and lettuce were used by ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt. Three thousand years ago soy beans origi- nated in Manchuria and Korea. Aspara- gus dates back to the time of Julius Caesar. Somehow through all the travels of merchants and pilgrims, through wars, ma- rauders and acts of nature, people hit the road with whatever they had to eat and found food along the way. In that way our current vegetables were cultivated, improved upon and spread throughout the world. Each vegetable has a history that dates back to ancient times which should enhance our experience in growing them and eating them…at least Dennis thought so. Vegetables have experienced as much change as our cultures and tastes have changed and reflect the resilience of survival that this brief glimpse into their past provides. Pil- grims and traders through the ages have contributed to our what's- for- dinner fare. Note: for those who did not know Dennis, he was a part-time employ- ee of the town parks department, a Master Gardener since 1985 and instructor for the Master Gardener Class. He passed away in 2018. Stay up to date with Town Hall Town of Quartzsite now offers text notifications on your phone through TextMyGov. iWorQ is excited to an- nounce a strategic partnership with @TextMyGov to expand citizen en- gagement with text messaging To opt in, text the word "QUARTZSITE" to 91896. What to expect: After the initial keyword is sent, you'll receive a confirmation message asking you to reply "YES" to verify opt-in. There will be 0-4 text messages per month with a notification from the Town regarding the categories you are opted-in for. Message and data rates may apply. Check with your mo- bile phone carrieer for more details. How to Opt-Out: Text "STOP" at any time to remove yourself from the notification list. Also are you looking for an- swers? Need to report an issue? Now you can Text the Town of Quartzsite directly. Introducing the new way to skip a phone call and use your mobile phone's text messaging to find answers to your questions. Text "hi" or one the words listed be- low, to 928-260-4442. "Trees, Sewer, Contact, Street, Wa- ter, Pothole, Weeds, Departments, FAQ." TextMyGov will help you to quick- ly find the answers your looking for or help you to report an issue to the Town. DEADLINE : WED. MA Y 10 TH for May 17 TH edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com

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