Late Summer Joy

 

These days I love being in my garden. I have herbs and veggies that are thriving with all the rain we have had. I'm enjoying the sun gold cherry tomatoes and have been eating them like candy. Even though my garden is small, it is jam packed with as much as I can grow inside a few raised beds. I check on my garden every morning and spend a few minutes weeding out any decayed leaves or half eaten cucumbers from the squirrels and chipmunks. My favorite time is to go out in the early evening and pluck whatever has ripened from the day and add it to dinner. You could say my garden is my happy place. 

My excitement for gardening came from my grandmother. I can remember warm, sunny days digging in the dirt with her as she shared her green thumb tips and tricks. I was lucky to grow up with her living next door to me in a gorgeous, historical home from 1859. The house was full of sweeping rooms with fireplaces and balconies, libraries filled with old books, a music room with an upright piano and a large 3 story barn with secret rooms. My sister and I loved sleeping over on the weekends, staying up late, and getting one on one attention from our grandmother. It felt like luxury having our own private bedrooms and an evening soak in the claw foot bathtub. She made us feel so special, sharing recipes, music, and stories while creating the sweetest memories. 

On the south side of the house, my grandmother had a beautiful flower, herb, and vegetable garden. Her rhubarb was the size of me and she always had the most fragrant marjoram, rosemary and mint. She showed me how to cut anise, kale and Swiss chard, we pulled up carrots, picked green beans, and ripe tomatoes. After loading up our basket, we would go into her old kitchen to make tea and treats. She would show me how to carefully wash herbs, lettuce leaves and veggies, then gently wrap them in a towel to dry on the counter. We would make homemade pizza and our own personal salad for dinner. As I grew older, I always wanted my own garden but it wasn't until a few years ago that it actually happened. I'm still learning and my garden is nothing like my grandmothers, but whenever I'm in the garden it feels like we are together again.

As the beauty of summer fades into the last few weeks before fall, I'm holding onto the season preserving, freezing and cooking the veggies I was able to grow this year. My basil plants are abundant and I'm making the most delicious homemade pesto and putting it on everything from pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salads, and grilled vegetables. Most pestos are filled with nuts and my son is highly allergic to them, so I make a special nut free pesto that we can enjoy as a family. Here is the recipe! Let me know if you try it.

Dream Weaver Pesto (nut-free)

Freshly picked basil leaves, washed and drained (3-4 cups)

2-3 small cloves of peeled garlic

1-2 Tablespoons of tahini (substitute for pine nuts or walnuts)

1/8 cup (or more) EVOO

salt/pepper/lemon squeeze

Combine all the ingredients and blend it up!