LEWISTON – A new cookbook created by a group of community gardeners in Lewiston offers soulful recipes. The Hilltop Community Gardeners, who are part of the Sisters of Charity Lots to Gardens program, started cooking their harvests together, swapping family recipes and the stories behind them.

From curried pumpkin and apple soup to roasted tomatillo salsa to gardener’s lasagna – the international cuisine seemed to break down cultural barriers and create a bond that traveled from the kitchen to the community.

The group also wanted to create the Sharing the Harvest Cookbook to showcase recipes that are nutritious and affordable ways to use fresh vegetables and fruits. It also provided a fun way to focus on literacy.

Gardeners spent countless hours gathering recipes and organizing them on a computer program. For some, this was their first introduction to computers. Children in the community did their part by providing artwork for the project.

The Sharing the Harvest Cookbook serves as a small fund-raiser to sustain the Lots to Gardens anti-hunger, nutrition and garden programs.

The Lewiston Adult Education’s Multicultural Grant is a key supporter of the project.

For more information, or to order a cookbook, contact Lots to Gardens at 753-6944 or lotstogardens@yahoo.com.