{"title":"Support Farmland Revitalization in Gaza","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eFor the coming week, from Thursday June 27th - Thurday July 4th, Truelove Seeds will donate 100% of sales from our Palestinian Molokhia (both standard and bulk sizes) and Palestinian Kusa Squash packets to the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.apnature.org\/en?mc_cid=63bc42ae6a\u0026amp;mc_eid=6aaa063db3\"\u003eThe Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN)'s \u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003ecurrent campaign to \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/trueloveseeds.us5.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=b3ccc91c07d513ae6c1a926aa\u0026amp;id=dc80e9f6a8\u0026amp;e=6aaa063db3\"\u003eRevitalize Gaza's Farmland.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e Read more updates on \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.apnature.org\/en\/media\/news\/apn-revives-gaza-municipality%E2%80%99s-nursery-vegetable-cultivation-counter-famine?mc_cid=63bc42ae6a\u0026amp;mc_eid=6aaa063db3\"\u003eAPN's website\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e and\/or donate directly here. Shop Molokhia and Kusa seeds below to support this campaign!\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"palestinian-kusa-squash","title":"Palestinian Kusa Squash","description":"\u003cp\u003eStuff or grill this tender summer squash with your favorite Middle Eastern and Mediterranean recipes. Also known as Grey Squash, this type is beloved in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and most Arab nations. The most common kusa dish is known as \u003cem\u003ekousa mahshi\u003c\/em\u003e (simply: \"stuffed zucchini\"), in which you remove the seeds and core of the kusa, and stuff it with rice and\/or lamb, plus herbs and spices, boil, and serve as a main or side dish. Think stuffed peppers, but with kusa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eKusa\u003c\/em\u003e means \u003cem\u003ezucchini\u003c\/em\u003e in Arabic. \u003cem\u003eZucchini\u003c\/em\u003e is plural for \u003cem\u003ezucchino,\u003c\/em\u003e the Italian word for small squash. Squash is short for \u003cem\u003easkutasquash\u003c\/em\u003e, the Narragansett word for \"eaten green or raw.\" So what is the story of this cultivar? This species, \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c\/em\u003e, originates in Mexico and Central America and now includes many types such as the New England pumpkin, acorn, scallop, straight neck, crook neck, and vegetable marrow. It is said that Christopher Columbus introduced this species to Europe and the Mediterranean region. In the mid-19th century, Italians developed the zucchini, perhaps by selecting cultivars of the vegetable marrow type for cylindrical, green fruits that were tasty in their immature stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is difficult to determine which came first, the zucchini or the modern kusa. In his fairly thorough 1794 book \"\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=OZBdV58uLRgC\u0026amp;lpg=PA92\u0026amp;ots=paLcKVcNm3\u0026amp;dq=%22natural%20history%20of%20aleppo%22%20%22kurrah%22\u0026amp;pg=PR1#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=%22natural%20history%20of%20aleppo%22%20%22kurrah%22\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003eThe Natural History of Aleppo\u003c\/a\u003e,\" Alexander Russell describes an \"orange-shaped pumpion\" (\u003cem\u003eKusa Siffer - Cucurbita\u003c\/em\u003e) and \"several varieties of gourd\" (\u003cem\u003eKurrah - Cucurbita pepo\u003c\/em\u003e). In 1901, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=d8cVAAAAYAAJ\u0026amp;lpg=PA1541\u0026amp;ots=Zq_UbqS_rr\u0026amp;dq=%22kusa%22%20marrow%20history%20squash%20palestine\u0026amp;pg=PA1531#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=%22kusa%22%20marrow%20history%20squash%20palestine\u0026amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEncyclopædia Biblica\u003c\/a\u003e mentioned \"various gourds are included [in the] \u003cem\u003eMishna\u003c\/em\u003e, among them perhaps the favourite \u003cem\u003ekusa\u003c\/em\u003e or vegetable-marrow,\" however, the Mishna was written from oral tradition around 200AD, so his conjecture is almost definitely wrong, yet illuminating. From these two sources, we can see that the much adored kusa probably emerged in the 19th century Middle East around the same time the zucchini emerged in Italy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePalestinian chef and educator Anan Zahr shared these seeds and these food photos with us. Glimpse her Palestinian kitchen and culinary journey on Instagram at @ananzahr. This is a productive bush variety of summer squash.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gs\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"ii gt adO\" id=\":1ve\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a3s aiL\" id=\":1vd\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"avWBGd-301\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003eIn solidarity with the people of Palestine, Truelove Seeds is totally against Israel's occupation of Palestine and their genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"WhmR8e\" id=\"avWBGd-302\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDays to maturity:\u003c\/strong\u003e 48 from transplant\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeeds per pack:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10-14\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGermination rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 99% on 04\/30\/2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlanting \/ harvesting notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDirect sow in warm soil after the last frost, or seed indoors 2-3 weeks beforehand and transplant. Space at least 18\" apart in the row as this variety grows in a bush habit. If concerned about vine borers, consider covering with row cover until plants are large. Avoid downy mildew by watering only at the base of the plant (not on the leaves!). Harvest fruits when 5-6\" long, young, and tender (like a zucchini). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSeed keeping notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSquash are insect pollinated and require about 1\/2 a mile of isolation from other varieties of the same species, which in this case is C. pepo. The seeds will be fully mature when the fruit gets large, the colors get darker, and the stem of the fruit has turned brown and woody. Separate the seeds from the flesh, rinse them, and dry them on a screen or paper product away from direct sunlight in a ventilated place. The plumpest and hardest seeds will be most viable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther spellings: Kousa, Koussa, Coussa, Gray Squash, Mexican Grey Squash, Calabacita.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSources:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=OZBdV58uLRgC\u0026amp;lpg=PA92\u0026amp;ots=paLcKVcNm3\u0026amp;dq=%22natural%20history%20of%20aleppo%22%20%22kurrah%22\u0026amp;pg=PR1#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=%22natural%20history%20of%20aleppo%22%20%22kurrah%22\u0026amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNatural History of Aleppo\u003c\/a\u003e. Alexander Russell. 1794\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=d8cVAAAAYAAJ\u0026amp;lpg=PA1541\u0026amp;ots=Zq_UbqS_rr\u0026amp;dq=%22kusa%22%20marrow%20history%20squash%20palestine\u0026amp;pg=PA1531#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=%22kusa%22%20marrow%20history%20squash%20palestine\u0026amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEncyclopædia Biblica\u003c\/a\u003e: A Critical Dictionary of the Literary, Political and Religious History, the Archæology, Geography, and Natural History of the Bible, Volume 2, Thomas Kelly Cheyne, John Sutherland Black Macmillan, 1901\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/251359943_Historical_records_origins_and_development_of_the_edible_cultivar_groups_of_Cucurbita_pepo_Cucurbitaceae\"\u003eHistorical records, origins, and development of the edible cultivar groups of Cucurbita pepo (Cucurbitaceae)\u003c\/a\u003e. Article by Harry Paris. Economic Botany. October 1989\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Truelove Seeds Farm","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":21332281098320,"sku":"CUC-009","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2406\/3467\/products\/Palestinian_Kusa_plant.JPG?v=1571609437"},{"product_id":"palestinian-molokhia","title":"Palestinian Molokhia","description":"\u003cp\u003eMolokhia is a beloved green is rich in vitamins and minerals and eaten like spinach in the Middle East, North Africa, and East Africa. It is usually eaten chopped up in a soup or stew, adding thickness to the broth. It is mucilaginous like its mallow-family cousin, okra. It is also known as Egyptian Spinach, Jew's Mallow, Jute, Saluyot, Lalo, Ewedu, and Okra Leaf, and is used as a fiber for making twine, rope, and rugs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis variety comes from our friend Anan Jardali Zahr. Anan has given me seeds from her homeland of Palestine, including this Molokhia (or Mlukhiyie, as she calls it). When she later came to harvest the greens at our farm with her husband George, she told me our plants are much taller than how they’d be in Palestine, perhaps because of our increased precipitation, and perhaps because we have not been steadily harvesting it for greens since we are growing it for seed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnan and I met at an event in the Culinary Literacy Center at the Free Library of Philadelphia. We were co-presenting about Sumac and Za'atar, but really I played a minor supportive role as she led a terrific cooking workshop in the teaching kitchen. She had a Mediterranean restaurant for many years and is a passionate chef focused on Palestinian cuisine as well as a dedicated community activist on local and national issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe removes the Mlukhiyie leaves and freezes them for the winter, since the leaves do not dry down as well in Pennsylvania as they would in Palestine or the Central Valley of California where she grew up working as a young farm worker in the time of Cesar Chavez. Thank you Anan and George!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlternate spellings: mlukhiyie,  mloukhia, mloukhiya, mulukhiyah, mulukhiyyah, molohiya, mulukhiyya, malukhiyah, or moroheiya.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gs\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"ii gt adO\" id=\":1ve\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a3s aiL\" id=\":1vd\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"avWBGd-301\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003eIn solidarity with the people of Palestine, Truelove Seeds is totally against Israel's occupation of Palestine and their genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"WhmR8e\" data-hash=\"0\" id=\"avWBGd-302\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDays to maturity:\u003c\/strong\u003e 70\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeeds per pack:\u003c\/strong\u003e 140\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeeds per bulk packet:\u003c\/strong\u003e approx. 1,400\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGermination rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 97% on 12\/08\/2025\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlanting \/ harvesting notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSow seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last frost. Plant outdoors in warm, fertile, well-drained soil 2-3 weeks after the last frost. This plant grows quickly and loves heat and will get much larger if irrigated, though it is not necessary. In cooler climates, molokhia grows faster and larger with the protection of high tunnels or greenhouses. This was true for Truelove Seeds in Pennsylvania (Zone 7). We can grow it outside just fine, but in the hoop house: BOOM! When the plant gets at least 2 feet tall, begin harvesting the branches (~6\" lengths) to encourage more growth for continual harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSeed keeping notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAllow the seed pods to dry out naturally on the plant. Harvest the pods and remove the angular, blue-green seeds. Allow the seeds to dry on paper away from direct sunlight. Store in paper envelopes, within a container, in a cool, dry location.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdditional search terms:\u003cem\u003e Mulukhiyah, mloukhiya, molokhia, molokhiya, mulukhiyya, malukhiyah, moroheiya, saluyot\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Truelove Seeds Farm","offers":[{"title":"Regular packet: 140 seeds","offer_id":43967870271726,"sku":"MALV-003","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"BULK PACKET: 1400 seeds","offer_id":43967870304494,"sku":"MALV-003-BULK","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2406\/3467\/products\/05AnanZahrmain-IMG_5898_DxO_sst3.jpg?v=1681757419"}],"url":"https:\/\/trueloveseeds.sbs\/collections\/farmland-revitalization-in-gaza.oembed","provider":"Truelove Seeds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}