Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Good For What Ails You



We puttered around the garden whenever possible this weekend. It was/has been a tad stressful around our house these days - insane work weeks for Corey, Willa's child care situation being abruptly closed and the emotional moments of a two-year old.

But the garden remained steadfast and it immediately calms Willa down during small meltdowns. She watered. I weeded. We plucked some chives for a potato-cheddar-chive soup and thyme and rosemary for a roasted chicken.

We have asparagus crowns to plant and our tomato plants are ready for pick up at Innisfree! Kale and mustard greens are almost at their peak in our cold frame and I have been feasting on arugula on sandwiches and in big salads. Arugula seems especially content in the cold frame - and remained pest-free, too. Usually, I struggle with bugs and end up harvesting lacy looking arugula. But not this year within the safe haven of the cold frame.

Being that kale season is upon us - these kale chips look like a sneaky, salty way to get greens into the young 'uns (and myself!).

Also, I almost forgot about how much I love rhubarb syrup as as way to take advantage of our rhubarb crop. I have seltzer water on hand to mix with it, though I wish I could mix it with a little something colder and dirtier. Cocktails just seem to just render me useless during my peak production time (the dinner-bath-bedtime trio). Hmm. Maybe I'm a better bartender than imbiber. I guess I should just stick with the garden therapy and leave the drinking to the pros.

2 comments:

lotta said...

I see a gardener in the making! Sorry about the daycare situation, it is always the most stressful thing in life. Would love the recipe for the rhubarb syrup...

Southern Lady said...

She certainly looks like a gardener in training. She will be a big help one day. Carla