I grew up in a family that separated their garbage. We had access to recycling back in the 80’s and early 90s, and ‘environmentally friendly’ was the marketing line of choice. I’ve spent time in remote places where you have to haul all your garbage back out from where you came. And I’ve also been in environments where it all … Read More
My poor neighbors
I pretty sure I drive my neighbors crazy at times. This morning it was still dark, and I was on our back patio searing a serious amount of beef and some bacon. I live in an apartment, and the smells inevitably waft around. It’s worse when I’m smoking foods. It’s probably a love-hate thing, I’m guessing. It was, however, a … Read More
Tonight will be the first frost. This evening was nuts, digging many kilos of potatoes for a party Saturday, yellow beans, carrots, rutabaga, baby dill, herbs for my field breakfast tomorrow morning. I found a few more shaggy manes, and of course, you have to clean and cook them immediately. Had to round up my hunting gear. I’m going to … Read More
Really…just my dinner.
On the left: lake Perch ‘Meuniere’ with potatoes, carrots, and herbs from the garden. Simple but good. While cleaning the fish, I was eyeballing the milt [sperm sac] – but decided to only go down that road with extremely fresh fish. Once again, I have my dad to thank for the supply of lake fishes from the clean waters of … Read More
Sheppard Pepper and Tomato Spaghetti
I will forgive you for being shocked that I actually cooked something ‘vegetarian’. Not on purpose, mind you. I had roasted Sheppard peppers in the fridge. Sautéed some local sweet onion, garlic, some garden plum tomatoes, and took my new cheapy emersion blender for a spin. Topped with a little garden basil. It was a hit.
Green Beans
These are the best beans I’ve ever grown. I’ve grown a lot of different cultivars, and more often than not the plants hate the pummeling of heat my south-facing garden gets – and my yield and quality is hideous. But this year, for some reason, the beans decided to bloom again in late August, and are producing perfect, beautifully textured … Read More
Yesterday I was at a BBQ at my in-laws’. Shortly after arriving, while on an intense search in an abyss of a fridge for something dinner-related, my wife dug this tetra-packed wine-box out from the depths. ‘You can throw this out, dad’. We had bought a 3 pack for my father-in-law in Sinalunga, Italy. For a laugh, more than anything. … Read More
My First Blackberry
In May of 2005, I dug a young blackberry plant out of a gravelly back alley in Campbell River, BC, smuggled it home, and planted it. More than two years later, I am full of glee at the arrival of my first garden blackberry. Ah. So much joy from something so small.
I just had the most bizarre experience. I was outside, checking out my herb bed, and noticed a rabbit nibbling new greens along the sidewalk edge, about 30-40 yards away. Admittedly, I had evil thoughts that involved maybe eating him. He also reminded me of a pet rabbit I once had. So he was working his way towards me, and … Read More