Eating my yard

Despite growing very little myself this year, it's a lovely thing to be able to wander from one end of the yard to the other and nibble my way through it.

From Shiv's peas at one end to our raspberries at the other, there's an entire salad of edible goodness. Lettuce left over from a previous garden mate, communally planted strawberries, it's a giant snack tray that's healthier than anything I could find in my kitchen.

I'm a bit shamed, though, by the gardens I saw this weekend on Lasqueti Island, where self-sufficiency is a necessary part of living. There's a part of me that would love to be so capable and grow so much, but another part sees the constant attention and work that such a bounty demands and recognizes the near impossibility given my lifestyle and penchant for fair-weather gardening.

Still, having treats from the yard a few months of the year is something to be savored and appreciated. Just as pine and cedar scents can't be bottled, flavors from fresh peas and berries straight from the vine can't be found anywhere else.

Food tip: Greek Gods honey yogurt with fresh berries on top, or strawberries drizzled with a bit of good Balsamic vinegar. Two of my very berry favorites.

Berry goodness, new reading, and happy cats

The berries are so amazingly juicy and awesome I couldn't NOT post a picture. But the weather has been dismal here, so fair-weathered gardener that I am, I've spent very little time doing anything useful.


Shiv's garden, on the other hand, is impressive. His pea vines are five-feet tall (that's them, to Photon's left)... and all the other gardeners have pretty good crops coming up. I, however, do not.

I did finally dig up all the weeds and who knows what was growing out there - and happily left the beets I discovered, along with some volunteer tomatoes. Nice to at least have it look like I've planted something - even if that's not really quite the case.




I also pulled copious weeds from around the strawberries (even with earlier help from gardeners, still more must be done) and attempted to pull the grass from in between the raspberries, but this will require much more time and energy than I have right now. The berry flavor, however, is not compromised by weeds and grass, and every berry popped between the lips is a delightful burst of sweetness.



Reading/Recipes:

On my radar - two newly published books by local authors: Amy Pennington's Urban Pantry and Molly Wizenberg's (of Orangette fame and now, in the 'hood, Delancey's Pizzaria) A Homemade Life. Found Wizenberg's book thanks to our friend Cayla, who made an awesome meal for us on a recent Sunday. I'm not a fan of potato salad, but in my opinion, this might be the best potato salad ever. I think Cayla made one change, using Vegannaise in place of mayo. It's worth picking up the book just for that. I hear Molly's also a great storyteller, and that the rest of the book is as delightful as the salad.

Hoping summer arrives - as is typical in Seattle - sometime soon after the 4th of July. I honestly don't feel like I can wait much longer for some sun - it'll be tanning booth, here I come, and that's not really a good idea. But 5000 iu's of Vitamin D3 just isn't doing it this year...

Cheers for a great 4th (and to my Canadian friends, a great 1st!). More pics to come soon.