The Simple Things

Big, beautiful golden Chanterelle mushrooms, sauteed in butter and white wine....

Juicy, bright red Early Girl tomatoes, the very last of the season...

And a big bowl of whole wheat linguini, topped with melted parmesean cheese.

It is the simple things, like a warm bowl of pasta tossed with earthy, buttery Chanterelles and fresh, juicy tomatoes that make food worth eating. And, in my humble opinion, life worth living. As we close out summer and welcome the crisp chill of fall, take a moment to reflect on the amazing bounty we are able to pull from humble soil, a few drops of water, and a dash of sunlight. Here's looking forward to what the next seasons will bring.

A Little Garden In The Sky

Against the odds, cold San Francisco fog, strong coastal winds and no actual place for things to grow, I've planted a garden.  Better than that, a rooftop garden.  It's not much right now, just two black plastic pots filled with organic potting soil and tiny little green plants.  But providing the sun can break through the fog and the wind doesn't blow too hard, these little guys might do ok.

I'm starting small, just one early girl tomato plant, and two small shallots.  You might ask why I didn't just go for it, all in, fill my rooftop with rows of plastic pots, filled with beautiful growing green things for us eat.  To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how well the plants will survive up there, and I can't be responsible for the deaths of so many plants.  My conscience just couldn't handle it.

So I'll be tending to my little rooftop garden, watering my precious little plants and moving them out of the wind and into the sun.  Hopefully, soon, I'll have some delicious early girl tomatoes and shallots that will not have passed through any other hands but mine.  Wish me luck!