June 23, 2014: In the Backyard Garden

Looking out the kitchen window, I was witness to a full force magpie attack on the nest of Mr. & Mrs. a few moments ago…ran out to grab the hose, but the predator shot out as soon as I appeared on scene.  Mr. & Mrs. were strategically squawking from the eaves trough across from the nest.  I sat on the front step and watched the entire drama until Mr. tentatively entered to check on the little guys.  It seems all is well because the babes began to shout for snacks shortly after.  I can just imagine the horror of a magpie’s beak pressing in from the outside world.  As I sat, I noticed the magpie’s babe, bopping along on a neighbour’s lawn; the cat from across the street, belly low to the ground, stalking it.  Great patterned fans opened up and the mama, with loud assault-call, swooped down and then up into the safety of a tree branch, dive-bombing the cat over and over again.  Hmmm…tough life out there for the world of birds.

In the garden today…the first Oriental Poppy blooms.  I spot asparagus, finally, sprouting from seed.  The carrots appear and lots of radishes.  The lettuce is looking healthy.  A beautiful afternoon for a little gardening.

Asparagus

Asparagus

Radish

Radish

More Radish Seed Tape...Like it!

More Radish Seed Tape…Like it!

Carrots

Carrots

Yummers!  Lettuce

Yummers! Lettuce

Peonies in full bloom now.

Peonies in full bloom now.

Columbine

Columbine

Poppies begin.

Poppies begin.

The Pleasures of Beautiful Food: Thank You, Morley and Barb

I didn’t just skulk around in cemeteries this past summer, researching family history.  I didn’t just explore old buildings and try to unlock the stories they revealed.  My father and I enjoyed some wonderful foods!  There is nothing like produce purchased at the markets of the Quinte region…things coming into season and sold at a fantastic price.  You have to love summer!  My father prepared all of my dinners for me, usually accompanied by his house red, and he is a marvelous chef!  It was a joy to share meal times with my Dad.

One evening, though, Morley and Barb had us over for a lamb barbecue.  Not only were our hosts very gracious, but they served up for me, one of the most aesthetically beautiful meals of the summer.  Dad and I were having a tough time with our grief and once Morley’s home made white came out and dinner was served, we were feeling the pleasures of support and friendship.  Isn’t it true?  Friendship makes all food taste better!

P1110547 P1110548 P1110549 P1110550I know…it’s the strangest thing that people these days are so preoccupied with taking photographs of their food.  When my Mom prepared so many beautiful feasts, we didn’t collect photographs of her culinary delights.  Not many photographs of meals have survived from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s.  I know that once cookbooks began to include glossy photographs, people went nuts over cooking.  There is no record of what our mother’s/grandmother’s good food looked like as it was served.  Does anyone have a photo of a meal from previous decades that they would like to share? I wonder what future generations will think of our vast portfolio of dinner plates.  This meal simply cried out to be archived.

Dad sent me this recipe via electronic mail if my readers wish to try the lamb.

(This is what I got from Barb.  She does quantities like you lol)

slit cloves of garlic
rosemary          
Thyme            
pickled garlic – use lots
Lime juice

(Barb rubbed everything on the lamb and then put it, along with the lime juice in a bag and marinaded the whole thing for a few hours or over night in fridge.)

Then Dad got this recipe off the internet.
1/4 cup olive oil                     1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
1 tbs fresh basil chopped    2 tsp. fresh rosemary
2 cloves of garlic minced (not nearly enough)
zest of 1 lemon
1 stp. salt            1/4 TSP BLACK PEPPER ( NOT ENOUGH FOR DAD)

Notice the ingredients are nearly the same
PS: this is from the recipe

Combine oil,thyme,basil,rosemary and garlic,lemon zest-salt & pepper in a bowl.Dip the lamb chops into mixture and coat evenly (I know Barb rubs it in the meat) cover the chops and refrigerate for at a minimum 30 minutes preheat the grill (oven). Grill about 5 minutes per side.Chops should be browned on both sides.

There now maybe I can finish making my cauliflower soup YUMMY

Sharing a Garden Walk With Mom and Dad

My parents have everything to do with my love for gardening. While I’ve only ever had a very small back yard, I make an effort to create beauty there every summer, in part because of the passion that my Mom and Dad inspired.  They are so far away that it is impossible to share the changing colour and new blooms, the fruits of my labour.   In fact it was via skype that my father informed me that I need to transplant those little strawberry trailers back into the garden.  I’ll do that today!  I love you, Mom and Dad.  Enjoy the walk with me this morning through my little garden.

Backyard Garden: Asparagus

This Asparagus Just Makes Me Smile!

Ok, soooo, this Asparagus is enjoying it’s third season!  Yes!  That’s right!  And I had to expand upon the picture so that my readers can really see the wee stuff!  I enjoy asparagus!  I know that it takes years and years for it to establish enough to harvest it, but so be it!  I will wait.  I’ve left this small plot for things to ‘get going’ and every year, even after harsh winters, it has come back and larger, so growth is happening!  I am left smiling, whenever I go to check on it and I know that more is going on beneath the soil than can be witnessed above!  Hmmm…something else I really enjoy is fiddle heads, but the season is so dang short!