Wow, I can't believe I've not posted for more than two months! August was pretty much a blur. September arrived and with it, the beginning of term. Bottom line - not much time for cooking or growing (other than girth-wise!)
I did attend a couple of cooking classes at Cilantro, a neat little cooking store in Lunenburg. They gave me the courage to buy and use a jalapeno pepper for the first time - I know that's embarrassing to admit. But it IS growth. It also made me want a large saute pan. The key, I'm told, to cooking fish, mushrooms, whatever, properly is to leave enough room in the pan - thus, my desire for a large pan. Fortunately, my husband was listening and sourced most of my birthday presents at Cilantro - including a large covered saute pan. Now I just have to find time to USE it and the space to store it!
My garden is looking better this year than ever before in the Fall. All the flowers that hated the hot summer weather have decided this is the time to bloom. One of my gardens actually looks better now than it did in July. Go figure.
Our very first vegetable garden was, as intended, a learning experience. We did harvest lots of tomatoes, but didn't enjoy them. Note to self for next year - don't buy Tiny 100's or even Scotia. Go for the heirloom variety AND those delicious orange cherry ones. Also, mound the leeks - I didn't and they're all green, with almost no bulb. Think I'll skip the beans next year - ours were so tough, we composted them - about 2 pounds worth. Finally, I learned not to grow things that I don't really like (e.g. eggplant)
My challenge now will be to find some time to get out there and record all my new perennials in my garden journal ...otherwise they'll be in danger of being pulled as weeds in the Spring! I love how gardening is "rooted" in the assumption of continuity. I don't love how it involves delayed gratification.
