Edible Plants and Memories of Minna Lee, part five*

Words and photos by Deb Lee, Michele Maniscalco; photo from Lee family album

*last of five parts, so far, with responses from friends and family to my request for photos and text related to edible plants in the life or remembrance of Minna Lee (1917-2005) prompted by her birthday on August 23.

Deb Lee: My childhood memories include summer visits to a peach orchard owned by family friends. My sister Bec and I helped their boys pick peaches, from which our mother made peach cobbler for all. No luck finding old photos of that experience, but I can share photos from eight years ago when we picked blueberries at a farm near Bec and then enjoyed delicious pancakes.

Michele Maniscalco: I bet Grandmother Minna would have gotten a kick out of these pictures! 

The two carrot pictures indoors were taken in our kitchen at 29 E. Concord Street. I call the one of the anatomically correct carrot, “It’s a Boy”.

I especially love the one of the praying mantis staring at the camera: that was such an amazing moment for me! I’ll never forget that night. Of course, the carrots and tomatoes were grown at our plot in Northampton Community Garden.