New things this year. As we take this brief sojourn from normal life in the city, it’s been quite the experience. This Spring I got to help plant the garden and add some of my favorite things. Usually, an apartment gal, I settle for a few potted herbs indoors or out on a 4’X8′ balcony. The past few years I’ve branched out into tomatoes with just a bit of luck. Perhaps a tomato or two a day for several weeks.
I’m normally a Northerner as well, so there’s a very brief growing season, starting mid-May. In Texas some things were started, like potatoes, in January. Mid-March for many more but we had a highly unusual deep freeze in late March that killed a lot of stuff so we re-planted some.
That said the first to be ready to eat was asparagus. Then snap peas which are all but done. Green and yellow beans are mid-way done. Lettuces, beets and kale are abundant, and I even added my favorite Tuscan kale (cavolo nero, dinosaur kale) which is coming up nicely. Chard and peppers. New potatoes, one and only crop is up and nearly gone.
Cherry tomatoes are ripening, larger tomatoes and tomatillos to come. Onions are being picked daily and dried in the shade. Later crops like cantaloupe and watermelon will take a while yet.
It’s such a pleasure to cook with fresh herbs and greens. I can roll out of bed in the morning, walk the dog(s) and start picking lettuce and peas, and enough basil to make a quick pesto. Tried making gnocchi yesterday for the first time and it was somewhat successful and very tasty. Thinking about what’s for lunch and having it picked, created and ready in a half hour is terrific.
I resurrected Mom’s recipe for Boursin (2 pkg. cream cheese, 3T softened butter, seasoning) and the other day felt like singing Simon and Garfunkel so grabbed a handful of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme and threw together Boursin.
I’ve made chimichurri sauce with cilantro (instead of parsley), which is trying to bolt now so I’m using it for marinades and salads. Snap peas cut on the diagonal, steamed and served crisp-tender with a spicy sesame vinaigrette.
Yesterday I blanched some chard and kale leaves. I’ll make a filling with ground beef, onion, garlic and tomato and cook it in a homemade tomato sauce for dinner tomorrow.
It’s a joy to see nature’s bounty, all from teeny tiny seeds. There’s no such thing as being in a cooking rut with all these good things around.
Plus, the little rescue dog is improving daily. It’s been nearly five months since her mauling and I’m letting her out of her full leg brace for at least part of the day to be out and about with just a sock and vet wrap to protect her right hind paw because when she’s tired she “knuckles” and scrapes the top of her paw raw. The past couple of days she’s started jumping a bit on her hind legs, and to see this 1.5 year-old pup be able to do “zoomies” again is heart-warming.
Aside from politically (anyone care to define habeas corpus?) and the state of the tech economy, all is fine. Cheers! Volunteer this summer, with your kids if possible! Dee
Cooking with Dee 