Quail Creek resident Vicki Sullivan at Mata Ortiz pottery booth
Josephina Lizarraga and Jesus Garcia serving pomegranates
Vicki and Ron Sullivan
“Open your hand and then your mouth,” commanded Josephina Lizarraga with her infectious smile. She was serving pomegranate seeds in their naturally savory juices freshly prepared by Mission Gardens volunteer Jesus Garcia. Jesus and Josephina are San Augustin Mission Garden volunteers and both are bearers of traditions at Tucson Meet Yourself, a folk life festival.
The seeds of the pomegranate fruit are sweet, juicy and bursting with flavor. Jesus served them in open bowls. “How should I eat them?” asked a curious Quail Creek guest. Jesus and Josephina simply smiled. The well trained group standing next to the pomegranate table responded, “Open your hand and then your mouth.”
Along with Josephina and Jesus, Quail Creek residents Vicki and Ron Sullivan recently celebrated Tucson’s 240th birthday celebration with volunteers and guests at the historic Sosa-Carrillo Fremont House on South Granada Street in downtown Tucson in the shadows of the Tucson Convention Center.
Guests were treated to a breakfast extravaganza of huevos con nopalitos, papas en chile, frijoles calabacitas and other delicious traditional regional breakfast delicacies. Coffee, tea, horchata and limonada were beverage choices.
For viewing and for buying were Mission Garden heritage fruit trees, plants, seeds and books. Also for sale were pieces by Oaxacan artesanias, hand-carved santos by Miguel Salazar of Taos and Mata Ortiz pottery from Chihuahua.
For more information about the San Augustin Mission Garden visit www.tucsonsbirthplace.org.