her able hands

Yesterday’s potential rain and thunderstorms turned into about ten minutes worth of fat, ice cold rain drops. I stayed out in it, potting the Petunias and the herbs. Lila was playing on the swingset with Fatou when the rain started, so they went inside at Fa’s to play dress-up for a little while. The air was sludgy, furry, like breathing through a wet wool blanket. One moves slowly in that kind of humidty, but I got it done.

I couldn’t resist planting the Sage with poor, peeling, cracking Buddha. Sage for the sage. I tucked a wee lavender plant in there by the big rock in front, too. Hopefully she’ll drape herself across the warm rock as she grows. The stones at the base of the statue are ones I’ve collected from beaches and rivers over the last fifteen years. There are several dozen more at the old house, but the earth is taking them back. They fell off the deck railing and the grass is growing over them too thickly to work them loose.

Dinner was a huge hit. I think I’ll never make pizza in the oven again, grilled pizza is that good. I didn’t have a whole lot to work with (today’s grocery shopping day) but even still, it was scrumptious. I had some leftover red sauce with ground organic chicken, from spaghetti earlier in the week. I made three small whole wheat crusts, brushed one side of each with olive oil and placed it on the grill (medium heat). You have to turn them a few times to make sure they don’t burn, then once the bottom is cooked and has nice grill marks, flip them over, brush with olive oil, top with sauce, cheese (I used a random mix of five nubs of cheese I had in the fridge—romano, aged cheddar, colby, mozzarella and jarlsburg—kind of weird, but yummy) and some artichoke hearts and black olives. I should have picked some herbs to chop, but things got going and then happened too quickly for me to manage that part. But next time? Fresh mozzarella and herbs, for sure. And, oh, once tomatoes are coming in? I can’t wait.

Anyway, again, you have to rotate the pizza on the grill a couple of times to keep the cooking even. I closed the lid to get the cheese to melt before the crust burnt. I forgot to take a picture of it actually on the grill, and the lighting was crap in the kitchen, but you get the idea.

This along with asparagus and an ice cold Corona with lime made for the best supper after a sweltering, dirty day.

The asparagus? Wow. I’m so excited about the beds I planted. Those spears were the most incredible thing I’ve eaten this year. A thousand times more asparagus-y than the bunches I bought at the grocery store (from California, I know, I know, I’m sorry). Barbara Kingsolver talks about asparagus season in her new book. How it’s the harbinger of the fresh food to come and that it must be eaten daily with great passion while it’s available, and then taken off the menu until its season rolls around again. She’s right, and I’m stopping at the farm stand again while I’m out today to buy a few more bunches.

I’m heading out in a few minutes to grocery shop. Hate to leave my sweet place today, especially when the porch swing beckons and the book does too, but the fridge is empty.

Today started with a slow rolling thunderstorm, a continuous light rain and a foggy green fragrance. Still muggy as all get out, but almost 20 degrees cooler.

A slow day ahead.

Technorati Tags: asparagus, grilled pizza, herbs, planting herbs, eat local, garden, Sunday

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