There’s nothing better than enjoying the food you grew yourself. Our lettuces have done extremely well this year. 
What a joy it’s been to pick these beautiful leaves for our dinner. 
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Month: May 2012
Happy Memorial Day!
This photo was taken when our son Jack was about 7 years old and we thought it’d be perfect for this week’s weekly photo challenge subject — Summer.
What’s cuter than a small boy in a baseball shirt happily lying in the tall grass? Absolutely nothing!
Most of the houses in our neighborhood were built in the era when front porches were essential outdoor rooms. Our porch gets full shade all afternoon and evening.
On our porch we added comfortable seating, tables for cool drinks and put some candles inside a couple of old railroad lanterns for soft lighting. We think we’ve got the best gathering spot ever on a warm summer evening. Pull up a chair and join us sometime.
Remember the basil seedlings? They were transplanted to the Earth Boxes this week where they will grow up tall and strong to become pesto later in the summer.
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Friday Dog photo
It’s Friday so it’s time for another dog photo. This time it’s our Australian Shepherd named Piper. Here he is, looking happy (which is all of the time) and waiting for a frisbee toss or maybe a cookie.
We’re lucky to live in a city with fantastic farmer’s markets and a “foodie” culture. Fresh, beautiful ingredients are easy to find — the challenge is always deciding what to do with the find of the week? This week there were radishes.
If you do a quick online search for “radish recipes” you’ll soon find several ways to prepare pickled radishes. The recipes are quick because no cooking is required. These “fresh” pickled items are kept in the refrigerator.
All you need is a 1-quart jar, kosher salt, sugar, peppercorns, garlic and vinegar.
We decided to slice the radishes, but you could quarter them or cut them into matchsticks if you prefer.
You pack everything into the jar, then pour the vinegar over everything.
Recipe (from Epicurious)
10 Radishes
10 Garlic Cloves
2 C White Vinegar
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
Combine ingredients in a clean glass jar. Shake to dissolve. Keep in refrigerator.
It took us about 45 minutes to make these but you could do it in 20 minutes if you didn’t stop to take so many pictures along the way.
In our part of the world the transition from spring to summer happens at the end of May with Memorial Day. Nevermind that summer “officially” begins at the Summer Solstice around June 21st, for us the summer frame of mind begins in June and doesn’t end until September, when we’re allowed to start talking about fall. Midsummer is when the tomatoes are ripe and plentiful and that won’t be until July (but a girl can dream can’t she)?
Our tomato plants seem to be thriving so far this year but we don’t have blossoms yet. Meanwhile we wait, and dream.
We think the visiting bees have decided to stay around a bit longer. They are still quite mild-mannered and not so numerous as they were a month ago. They only feed from the Earth Boxes where we’ve planted greens and herbs, and nowhere else in the garden.
But if they don’t leave soon, I think we’ll have to start naming them. Does that one on the right look like a Harold to you?
I’ve decided to participate in WordPress’s weekly photo challenge. This week’s challenge is “hands” so I chose this photo of our children, Jack and Hannah.
This photo was taken about five years ago, before they were both all grown up and moved out of the house on their own.
I love how they’re goofing around here in an otherwise VERY SERIOUS photo shoot that they did as a Christmas gift that year.
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What’s blooming this week
So much in bloom this week!
- Gaillardia
- Orange and Red asiatic lily
Lydia Street 