I cook because I love to eat. I garden because I love to cook.
In the early 1990s, when my wife and I first moved in together, we rented the second floor of a big, old Victorian house painted white with brown trim, with creaky steps and uneven floors. Our landlord, Carmine, lived next door and our kitchen window …
I was cooking dinner for my family the other day and just before serving it, I knew the dish needed something. I ran to the garden to snip a handful of perfectly fresh herbs to sprinkle on top and complete the meal. One of my …
In early June, when the asparagus in the garden thin to the width of a pencil, their season has come to an end. As they fade until next year, new fruits and vegetables arise. The strawberries appear, bright red, juicy and delicious, ready to be …
I used to think of cilantro as a hot weather crop. That’s because it is ubiquitous in food from the Tropics; sprinkled over Thai dishes; an essential component of Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches; the base of some Indian chutneys; and I wouldn’t make Mexican guacamole …
As the days get longer, the air warmer, and the early morning birds louder, I start to think of my garden. I think of seeds germinating and the first leaves emerging from the soil in the early spring sun. I think of the time I …
As the first real snow of the season falls outside, my thoughts turn to warmer times and I’m thinking about my garden. January is the month to begin planning for the growing season ahead. It is time to order seeds, check supplies, and make sure …
When I was a little kid, before the era of ready-to-eat “baby” carrots, my parents would peel three carrots and place them on a plate for my brothers and me to eat before dinner while we set the table (and fought). They tricked us into …
There are lots of famous pairs: Ella and Louis, Abbott and Costello, Fred and Ginger, Simon and Garfunkel. There are also famous pairs in the garden and kitchen, which I find often grow well together and mature or ripen at the same time. Think tomato …
Tomatillos (sometimes called Mexican green tomatoes) are a funny fruit. Not particularly well-known or used in the US, they are a distant relative of tomatoes. They come encased in a papery husk that must be removed before they can be used. As a kid, we …
One problem with a big garden is that when one type of vegetable is ripe, you are swamped with it. I know, I know, if all our problems were only this big and serious. Cue the violins. When I experience this garden overflow, I share …
