Reaping What I Sow: Summer Gardening 2009

I went to a local Farmer's Market with my family yesterday. I've been wanting to hit one up for awhile now, because the idea of fresh organic produce is one that appeals to me as someone who loves food and cooking. I have to say that I was not disappointed! Because it's still so early in the growing season, there weren't a ton of fresh veggie options yet outside of some herbs. That being the case, I decided it might be a good idea to start growing some of my own.

This in and of itself is a risky endeavor, mainly because my family has a sordid history with gardening. My grandparents on both sides of my family are/were avid gardeners and my dad even managed to start a garden growing tomatoes, peppers, and other goodies when we were in middle school. My mom, however, is the furthest thing from a horticulturist. No disrespect meant, but we ('we' being my sister and I) say that she doesn't have a green thumb, but a black thumb! Plants have been known to wither and die under her tutelage. (I know what you're thinking, but despite her luck with plants, she's actually fairly nurturing as a mother. Go figure. ;))

I seemed to inherit this gardening ability last spring when I attempted to grow some herbs in miniature pots on the back patio at my apartment last year. I started them from seed (which, in retrospect, may have been a mistake) and watched them sprout... then wither and die. I'm convinced it was because the pots they were in were too shallow, but I may be in denial as to my inheritance of my mother's gardening gift. Ultimately, it's not for me to say.

Therefore, after a dismal showing last year, I decided to attempt to redeem myself this year by growing not only herbs, but a couple of veggies as well!

Above is a picture of my garden shortly after I planted it yesterday. Notice that I'm using three big pots rather than the several small ones I had last year. Hopefully, this will encourage plant growth this summer!

Now, allow me to take you through my garden so far, plant-by-plant. Let's start with the herbs, shall we?

This is some Thai basil. Within the last couple of years, I've become a huge fan of Asian cuisine and Japanese and Thai food in particular. I love the use of spicy peppers and herbs in Thai cooking! Thai basil has a stronger flavor than sweet basil and has a subtle hint of mint/licorice to it as well. I can't wait to cook something with these!

This is called purple ruffles basil. I've never cooked with this one or, to the best of my knowledge, eaten it before... but I have to tell you I was intrigued by its wonderful aroma! I've been told these leaves have a licorice/cinnamon flavor to them, which I also find intriguing. It'll be fun to come up with things to cook with these babies! (Sorry about the blurriness of this pic!)

This is my fernleaf dill. I'm not entirely sure how (or if) this differs from the kinds of dill I've had before, but if it is anything like those other kinds, I'm in for a treat! Dill is one of my favorite herbs! I love using it in summer salads (like cucumber or potato salad) and think it makes a fantastic flavorful addition to many of my fish preparations. (I've even been known to use it to flavor spaghetti sauce!) So glad I was able to find some good dill!

At the Farmer's Market, there were two adorable little girls who were selling plants from their parents' farm... and doing a great job! Among other things, they had a great selection of heirloom tomatoes - which are some of my FAVORITE kinds of tomatoes! I picked up this one - a purple Cherokee heirloom. They are slightly purple in their look and have a smokier flavor than your average tomato! My mom got a black krim heirloom for her garden and I look forward to maybe swapping a couple of tomatoes later on this summer!

My last purchase of the day (other than some killer cookies - Oatmeal Scotchies!) was something of an impulse buy. Since the two little girls with the heirloom plants were such good salespeople, I decided to pick up something else from them - a Thai pepper plant! I found out after picking this plant up that Thai peppers (even orange ones, like these will be) are some of the spiciest peppers around! Not quite as bad as Scotch bonnets or habaneros, they still rank between 50,000 and 100,000 on the Scoville scale - a ranking that measures the heat in peppers. (Habaneros - some of the hottest - have a Scoville rating of 100,000 to 150,000, just to give you some perspective. Jalapenos have only 2500 to 8000 for some added perspective.) Not sure yet how or if I'll use these, but I think it might be fun to try to whip up something with these spicy beauties once they come in!

I'll keep you guys updated on the garden throughout the summer. I may even pick up a couple more herbs next week. We'll see how things go...

Rapid-Fire Rollercoaster

The last several weeks really have been like a blur to me. So much has been going on that has stressed me out, tired me down, and made me want to do anything but update my blog. But, update I shall, true believers! Here, in rapid-fire bullet-point style is my life the last several weeks.

• Migrainy - On the Monday of my spring break (March 30) I got a migraine. Took some Ibuprofen and thought little more about it, despite it not getting better. By Friday, April 10, it was still lingering. I had to leave school early and head to Immediate Care, the ER, and the neurologist. Eventually, I got set up with some meds that made my migraines that much more manageable.
  
• Easter - Acted in my church's Easter presentation - a reenactment of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I played Peter and got to explore the bonds of melodrama. I had a lot of fun and it was enjoyable to be onstage again! (Did miss the Good Friday service, though, due to my migraines.)
• Annika - I got a call Easter Sunday that my dear friend Annika Dace had passed away. Many of you have read my tribute to her. If you haven't, scroll down a couple of entries. It says more than I could repeat here. I will say that her service was extraordinary - I've never laughed so hard at a funeral in my life! That was Annika, though. Even in death, she was able to bring smiles to our faces as we reminisced and shared precious memories. She would have loved it!
  
• "Sorry, Wrong Number" - The day after the Easter program, I auditioned for a role in Spotlight Players' summer production of "Sorry, Wrong Number" and got a part (or, more accurately, several parts)! My friend Molly is directing and I'm thrilled to be able to work with her in a professional community theatre environment! I'm playing multiple roles, none of which will really be using my 'real' voice... and I find that a lot of fun. Can't wait 'til we open in June!
• Car woes - After totaling my baby blue Mercedes station wagon, Zarathustra, back in November, I have essentially been without a car for the last five months. Luckily, one of my coworkers lives almost right across the street, making it easy to get picked up for work. After all the waiting, I finally paid my reinstatement fee and bought a car... only to find out that my license was STILL suspended because I needed to submit some paperwork they never told me about! RAR! I called my insurance company and, inside of a week, my license was reinstated and I am now able to drive myself! Talk about things looking up!
• The School/Work Dichotomy - School has been really busy. I've had a lot on my plate, to be sure - writing quizzes & tests, grading, disciplining, dealing with parents, organizing, updating... and through it all wondering if the school will have room in the budget to bring me back next year! I'm trusting in God at this point... because I have no idea what the next year will hold!

That's been my life. While it's not been the craziest ever, at times it's been more than I'd say I'm comfortable with. God has been good, though, and brought me through this far. Summer is a scant three weeks away. I'm working on my reading list and looking forward to improving my class for next year! Here's a pic my mom took of me in my new ride...

...and speaking of which: I'm trying to think of a good name for my new car. It's a 1990 'smoke silver' (which is to say, shiny dark grey) Mercedes-Benz four-door sedan. I'm trying to come up with a name for him. Now, before you make suggestions, consider the following:

• I have a habit of naming my cars after famous fictitious characters. My first car was named Chewbacca (because he howled when the back hatch was opened). My second car was named Zarathustra (after the titular prophet of doom in Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra). So, it has to be the name of a fictitious character.
• It needs to be a German name. It is a Mercedes, after all, which is a German car. Zarathustra was a German character, written by a German author.

I'm currently thinking either Caligari (after the title character from the 1920 silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) or Orlok (the name of the vampire played by Max Shreck in 1922's Nosferatu), but I am open to suggestions. You have any?