Sacagawea Park Gets a New Playground
I have to admit, when I saw the construction begin at Sacagawea Park, I had a moment of angst…my first thought was that they were installing a splash deck like the others around town and, while all of the splash decks are very cool (in every sense of the word), I feared it meant the end of the turtle pond. It’s one of two in Missoula, and it is as much a part of the neighborhood as Sacagawea Park itself. The splash decks are flashy and fun, and kids love them, but the turtle pond is a lazier, more relaxed part of summer. Moms sit and chat and the littlest kids get wet and splash around at a slower pace. And sometimes a guy comes along and washes his bike.
The turtle pond is a great place to wash your bike and cool off
Oh! But I digress! Sacagawea Park is one of the four parks in Missoula to benefit from $380,000 in stimulus funds awarded by the state. So, not only do we keep my beloved turtle pond, we are getting a brand new playground, installed by local contractors AND…there’s a foursquare court. See you there.
Exciting find at Orange Street Food Farm: A 2 lb. bag of miniature sweet peppers, orange, yellow, and red. If you are going to a potluck any time soon, this is the perfect thing to take because it is best at room (or air) temperature.
Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and roast them until charred. Put them in a paper bag to cool (put the bag in a bowl…they’ll leak). When cool, slip the skins off. Slit each one on one side and stuff them with this:
A sprinkling of sea salt
A mixture of:
2 C bread crumbs, 1/2 C capers, rinsed & drained, 1/2 C golden raisins, plumped in warm red wine, 4 oz. crushed garlic (just use your best judgement…you can’t use too much), 4 oz. coarsely chopped Greek olives, 1 C freshly grated pecorino cheese, 2 T olive oil. Knead into a paste and stuff the peppers.
Place the stuffed peppers in a shallow dish, and cover them with 1 C red wine and 2 T balsamic vinegar. Braise at 375 for 1/2 hour, basting with their own juices. Allow to cool to room temperature, then serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
Handpainted by neighborhood kids
