From Garden to Table 

An inspired morning in the

garden.  Much work to be done. (A huge

thank you to Jeff and the guys at

Jefferson Landscaping.)

For starters, our cool, columnar

apple trees need planting. They’ll fit beautifully beneath the

rusty, old obelisks…on our new ‘buckskin’

colored, gravel terrace.

Veggies & herbs are ready to be tucked into

containers and beds…

 We add new soil, to our simple,

 petite portable potager,

and plant colorful herbs & veggies,

tucked in an

interlocking scroll formation. It’s a very modest,

petite knot garden, if you will…but fun nonetheless,

once the plants fill out a bit.

Our raised garden bed

 needs some final

primping before planting. I harvest this

gorgeous patch of parsley for pesto (recipe below) and add

a thick layer of my nephew Steve’s, rich,

South Bay Soil, working it in.

Inside…

 the potting shed,

it’s day twenty.

I’ve transplanted my

seedlings into pots.

 The French 

bush beans, Cinderella pumpkins,

sunflowers and rainbow carrots are

thriving…. soon, I’ll harden them

off and plant them outside.

We’ve also been working on our rustic

outdoor kitchen. I’ve added a few, fun

new pieces…can’t wait to show you.

But for now, before the parsley begins to

wilt...the pesto. Wash and trim the

fragrant stems. Next,

I toast a cup or so of hazelnuts

and give them a whirl, in the food processor.

Combine the nuts, two cups parsley,

the zest and juice of one lemon, a cup

of freshly grated parm, a little nutmeg and salt

& pepper to taste. Pulse it all in the food processor a few times.

With the machine running, add a steady stream of

olive oil until it forms a spreadable paste.

From garden to table…this

humble little jar is

packed with grand, fresh flavor.

Fab in your pasta sauce or on grilled chicken. I plan to

slather it on pork chops, browned in a

heavy skillet with a little olive oil, butter & 

white wine and finish it off in the oven. Add a

simple arugula salad and

Dinner is served,

Monica