Meet the newest member of The Produce Mom team: Lindsey Wall, a Master Gardener with Purdue Extension. Lindsey champions school gardens, bringing practical gardening experience into classrooms and helping link garden activities to daily curriculum. Her work supports The Produce Mom’s long-term goals of raising awareness about small-scale agriculture and USDA programs at both community and national levels.
Lindsey made her debut on Indy Style this morning, demonstrating that anyone can be a gardener. Not enough yard space? No problem—many vegetables and herbs thrive in large containers, hanging planters, or small in-ground beds, making gardening accessible to urban and suburban gardeners alike.
Start with easy-to-grow vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, green beans, and carrots. These crops are forgiving for beginning gardeners and well-suited to USDA Zones 5 and 6, which cover Indiana and much of the Midwest. Another simple and rewarding option is edamame, the Japanese soybean, which is easy to grow and quick to prepare.
On Indy Style, Lindsey demonstrated two quick edamame preparations. The first is steamed edamame:
Steamed edamame
Step 1 – Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.
Step 2 – Add the edamame and cook for about five minutes, until tender.
Step 3 – Drain, sprinkle with salt, and pop the beans from the pods to eat.
She also showed how to make roasted edamame for a crunchy, savory snack:
Roasted edamame
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 400°F (about 200°C).
Step 2 – Boil the edamame briefly until tender, then drain.
Step 3 – Toss the edamame with olive oil, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan to taste in a roasting pan.
Step 4 – Roast at 400°F for about 15 minutes, until slightly crisp and golden.
Lindsey also shared simple ways to enjoy fresh garden produce. Try lettuce wraps filled with rice and chilled or warm vegetables for a light meal, or place mixed vegetables in foil packets and grill them for a tasty summer side dish. Foil packets seal in flavor and make cleanup easy—perfect for backyard grilling or campfire cooking.
For a creative twist, Lindsey suggested using edamame to make hummus. In a food processor, combine cooked edamame with garlic, cilantro, tahini, lime and lemon juice, and a splash of water. Pulse until smooth, adjusting seasoning and texture as needed. Edamame hummus is delicious as a dip for fresh veggies or pita chips and makes a flavorful addition to lettuce wraps.
There’s a special satisfaction in preparing meals from produce you’ve grown yourself. Whether you’re tending a few container plants on a balcony or managing a larger backyard plot, homegrown vegetables make summer meals fresher and more rewarding. How is your garden doing this season?
I can’t wait to see my Indy Style friends next month!
xoxo Lori