Last summer I created a kitchen garden, growing a handful of herbs and variety of lettuce. I consciously selected organic plants and dirt, keeping my ingredients whole. This year I decided to take it up a notch.
Three weeks ago I purchased organic seeds for a colorful variety of heirloom tomatoes, lovingly sewed them into fresh dirt and placed them in my bedroom windowsill. To my delight, they’ve prospered, peaking from the earth and growing more than two inches in one week. But now I am victim of my own success–dozens more tomato seedlings than I can fit in my planters! Apparently I got so carried away with the variety of licopene-laden options that I planted more seeds than I can manage at my yard-less home.
Lucky for me my sister is a tomato lover with empty raised planter boxes. Plus I’ve got a few other ideas up my sleeve. Do you need a few tomato plants?
After getting mostly over what I’m calling The Great Flu of 2008, hubby and enjoyed a quick romp in the snow of Yosemite. Like home, the weather was stormy there too, but resulting in beautiful, powdery delight, rather than muddy wet muck.
The timing of this little jaunt was for us to attend the last of the seasons Chefs’ Holiday Dinner, a five course meal (wine pairings and all) at The Ahwahnee Hotel. The tickets included a morning demonstration and cheese tasting from the ladies at Cowgirl Creamery (which we visited in Point Reyes Station over our anniversary), where we learned about how to test a washed-rined cheese (it includes a little cheese hammer!) and how they grow one inch thick “tennis ball-like” mold on the soft cheeses (and this is a good thing). Later that night we went back for the full-monty, including fall-apart short ribs in a red wine reduction, gnocchi, some more cheese and a few other sumptuous courses. It was exactly what we were hoping for.
By morning, the storm had cleared, revealing many inches of fluffy powder just waiting to be made into snow balls. We got some great pictures before we headed home, to yet more Santa Cruz rain. I’m ready to trade in the rain and move to Yosemite. The food and weather are better. =)