Column: Life with Logan

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Imagine biting into a fresh, hot pepper. 

The vegetable immediately attacks your tongue with shocking amounts of heat and begins activating your tear ducts. The unavoidable sensation causes slight regret, and the aftertaste looms in your mouth for several minutes before slowly releasing its zesty grip.

Last summer, I grew jalapeños in my backyard, and it was one of the greatest gardening experiences ever.

Growing food runs in my family. My grandpa maintained numerous blueberry bushes, corn fields and turnip green plants, and my dad takes pride in his domestic summer-ripe tomatoes (which are delicious). So, although I cannot compete with my family’s agricultural skill, I do feel competent to grow small amounts of produce when the warm
weather approaches.

At 9-years-old, I tilled my first garden. I fashioned a 6-by-6-foot garden bed using a small purple shovel I received for Christmas. After softening the brown dirt into a tender, grainy soil, I shaped three narrow rows extending the full length of the bed. 

Results quickly followed after planting. The beginning stages revealed itself as tiny emerald leaves innocently sprouting from the tender earth. Several months later, I experienced the full benefit of my labor: juicy corn-on-the-cob.

Fast forward 12 years, and I’m repeating that process, this time with a much spicier crop: jalapeño peppers.

I developed a love for jalapeños a few years ago, when I added the ingredient to my Five Guys bacon cheeseburger. As I developed a stronger tolerance for the pepper, I decided to explore more avenues to utilize its worth. I eventually used jalapeños as a sandwich ingredient, and pizza and salad topping, which all offered unique textures to basic lunches. 

I love eating fresh vegetables, but the experience is even better when the vegetables are the “fruits” of your personal labor (pun intended). Eating grocery produce is one thing, but harvesting the benefits of your personal garden is a completely different story.

I appreciate each season as it passes, but there’s something extraordinary about summertime. Not only does warm weather put me in a great mood, but the bright sun shoots rich nutrients to the plants, brightening each plant to their rich, lush color.

And I cannot wait until next summer, when another planting season begins. Given the success of my pepper garden last summer, my dad suggested we dedicate an entire garden bed precisely for jalapeños. That way, we can share more of what we produce. For us, gardening is a family pastime.

My grandpa, who passed away in 2006, frequently shared vegetables from his gardens. I remember him as a strong provider who loved the outdoors, particularly his many gardens. My dad always tells me that gardening makes him feel closer to his dad. In turn, I also feel closer when I participate.

I always feel closer to my ancestors while gardening, maybe because gardening is the only American pastime that has stayed constant for centuries. After so long, we still rely on the soil, and farmers, for vegetation. And I think that’s important to remember.

Growing jalapeños has provided more than just a hobby. It has incentivize an overall healthier lifestyle. I use jalapeños as a salad topping more than anything else, mainly because it offers an entirely new dimension to the typical romaine lettuce and ranch dressing mix. Having access to home-grown jalapeños breeds demand for a healthy salad. 

I’m always trying to discover new ways to utilize jalapeños in my daily consumption. Maybe I’ll try mixing it with coffee or hot chocolate. … Okay, we won’t go that far.