Garden!

It is a by-product of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle that my enthusiasm for my vegetable and herb garden has grown by leaps and bounds. I have a small raised bed garden that is only about 68 sq feet. But I have so much packed into a small space. Peas, onions, 3 kinds of basil, 10 types of hot peppers, 9 tomato plants, tomatillos, 3 types of eggplant, leeks, cilantro, parsley, lemongrass, spinach, arugula, lettuce, dill, tarragon, rosemary, as well as a proliferation of oregano, mint, sage, and thyme.

This morning, I pulled out my green onions (mainly because I had to make room for other things). They smelled so fresh and lovely. I also harvested enough arugula to make my first batch of arugula walnut pesto which I froze for a rainy day when I will pull it out and drizzle it all over some warm cheesy polenta. My mouth is watering to think about it.

My daughter has been studying organic food choices in her school book club. We are planning some local and organic meals, and this summer we will take field trips to fruit stands. (We are not purists by any stretch, but we are exploring our world of food.) We plan on asking if all the produce comes from the farm or if it is shipped in. We are also going to ask if the produce are organic. I went to Landis Valley Herb Fair yesterday and bought some pepper and eggplant plants from a place called Happy Cat Organics. Besides plants, they also sell produce. I can't wait to take Maren on a field trip to visit them.

If that wasn't enough, I am taking a workshop on cheese making. I did get some cheesemaking supplies for my birthday, so I am all set. I can see it now--herbed goat cheese and some sort of hot pepper cheese. My husband Mark's birthday is this month and he has asked for a kit to make sourdough bread.

Bread, cheese, vegetables, fruits, herbs. Can life get any better?