In Season & Fresh from the Garden, the Fields, the Orchards & the Woods
The bumble bees – I have really been noticing them this year – and how hard they are working: on the tomatoes, the cucumbers, the squash, the blackberries and the raspberries – and yes on ornamental too, like this sulfurous cosmos. Thank you, my ladies!
End of season for the blossoms – they are now drying for later uses. The bees love linden too. That’s the other name for basswood aka American linden, Tilia americana. The British call linden “lime” which used to confuse me to no end. But …
A wonderful spring for salad! Tom Thumb Lettuce, Red Sail Lettuce, Red and Green Oak Leaf lettuce, Lamb’s Quarter, Johnny-jump-ups and other violas, lemon balm, monarda leaves, anise hyssop leaves, arugula flowers, mustard flowers, chive blossoms, Bachelor’s Button petals, dill, purple basil, thyme blossoms, …
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. … We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw …
Sunday’s walk – a day before the long rain. How fresh and green and vibrant was everything in the cool brilliant day.
Shades of green – a case of walking with your eyes up (no morels for me):
When foraging, it is important to always keep one eyes and nose open. It can be hard to see fruiting blackberries in July. At that point everything is green and lush and overgrown. Ripe berries can “melt” in the background as you zoom by. But …
Nothing could be simpler than growing ginger in Virginia. It’s almost true. Ginger is reasonably ornamental – a reed-like plant with clear green leaves. While it can be grown in the vegetable or herb garden, it is not out of place with ornamental …
Homemade pizza is one of the simple pleasures of life. Make dough. Let rise (as many as 4 or 5 days in the fridge if needed). Roll out dough. Spread toppings. Put in a very hot oven. Open a bottle of beer or pour a glass of wine. Patient 10 minutes. Enjoy.
PS – use a pizza stone: it will immensely increase the quality of your pizza. One word: perfect crust!
PPS – neither tomato nor pepperoni necessary (although sometimes they have their use!)
I admit to loving a good granola, generally over plain yogurt. But many I have purchased and tried are simply not to my taste, either too sweet or with too many added overpowering flavors — sometimes, both! Also they often contain too many dry fruit …
