1. In the morning, before the sun climbs high, I go out to the garden. This urban square of land is full of life. Birds sing their matins in harmony from tree to hedge. Bees flit from flower to flower. Blueberries grow fat and roll easily into my fingers, and fall with a satisfying plop into my container.
2. I move to the raspberry patch. Gossamer spider webs crisscross the canes. The berries glow translucent red, each one a jewel. Gentle tugs and soon my second container is full, ready for tumbling onto granola, yogurt or ice cream. This ability to go out and pick my own food is such luxury.
3. Elsewhere in the garden beds, red-veined beet leaves beg for thinning. Bitter arugula is added to my basket for tonight's salad. I pick the first cucumber, dark skinned, with tiny prickles. Tomatoes, small and green, hold promises for another day.
4. Dinner on the patio with fluttery visitors. The Butterfly Bush is aptly named for they do love it.
5. The temperature rises. We're in for a very hot weekend. I was inspired by a dish served at my daughter's house last weekend.
Red onion, cut into thick slices, and pineapple, also sliced, tossed with olive oil and grilled until tender crisp and sweet, cut up and added to a variety of greens. I grilled some cherry tomatoes and added them to the mix with a teriyaki grilled chicken breast alongside. A squeeze of lime juice over all and no dressing needed.
A bit of couscous or bread adds more to the meal, if needed.
What do you serve when it's hot and you don't feel like cooking?
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Delicious recipe. I love the idea of adding grilled pineapple.
ReplyDeleteI often serve a smoked mackerel salad, using the first of our Sugar snap peas, lightly steamed and added to a bowl of garden lettuce, with a little asparagus thrown in.
It may be early morning, but that meal still looks so yummy right now. Fresh veggies, we have too many wildlife roaming to get anything, and the sun is covered by tree canopy, so I am doomed~
ReplyDeleteDear Lorrie, Beautiful photographs and lovely words to accompany them.
ReplyDeleteMy garden is not quite as far along as your but this growing year looks very promising.
So much beauty here, Lorrie! And I am jealous of all of the fruit that you have. Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteEverything looks delicious. :-) I have blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers on but not ripe 'yet.' If I don't feel like cooking, I need to want salad because I have enough lettuce for several families. :-)
ReplyDeleteVery envious of your garden bounty. Nothing beats a salad in the hot weather.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, Lorrie! And the food has my mouth watering! Happy weekend, dear one. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteIt's moments captured in your lens of a summer days floating on the breeze...gorgeous job Lorrie.
ReplyDeleteJen
It's moments captured in your lens of a summer days floating on the breeze...gorgeous job Lorrie.
ReplyDeleteJen
Oh my...I could fall face first into the plate and your description makes me want to try it. Sounds like perfect food for hot weather.
ReplyDeleteOh berries and butterflies - just lovely. We grill a lot when it is hot, isn't this weather something?
ReplyDeleteThe salad looks and sounds delicious! To hear about and see your garden you would never know it's in the city!
ReplyDeleteYour garden pictures are lovely! Your words made me feel as if I was there watching you harvesting your early summer berries and vegetables.
ReplyDeleteI'm not very good anymore at cooking at night anyway so our best bet is for me to start supper in the morning or to grill out. Far too often we're so tired at night now that we open up Progresso soup.
don't you wonder what women did before air conditioning? How did they do so much cooking and canning in the summer without AC?
You take such beautiful photos! The way you work with light is gorgeous. And I love to see your garden -- never too many of those photos.
ReplyDeleteOh, I could admire these images for a very long time. After the blueberries and raspberries I thought it couldn't get any better... but the last photo is gorgeous! :)
ReplyDeleteThe light and colours in the raspberry photo make me think of autumn (also because here the fruit is produced in early autumn), but in a good way. There is a very peaceful and soothing atmosphere in this post.
Have a lovely weekend!
Five wonderful things, especially the dinner at your daughters!! xx
ReplyDeleteIt's all beautiful and looks delicious! AND, I would still call that cooking. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL I visited at the wrong time. I am suddenly starving ! :) Everything looks delicious : )
ReplyDeleteDelightful images from your potager! Love the butterfly on the bush, what an amazing capture. I'm harvesting mesclun salad leaves, roquette (arugala) and herbs for light lunches with feta cheese and cherry tomatoes. The golden raspberries don't even make into the house they just seem to disappear between the cane and my lips!
ReplyDeleteThis post highlights the best of summertime... in such a beautiful way.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to step into the yard and find so many wonderful things just waiting to be enjoyed.
Our summer eating consists of having plenty of fresh produce on hand and then preparing it in the simplest ways. Often marinated and grilled chicken with grilled veggies. Also love the ease of preparing corn on the cob in the microwave.
Oops, I meant to add how pretty your new header is.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post. I enjoyed the wonderful photos (you have a great garden) and the descriptions of everything just brought it all to life beautifully. That end dish looked so yummy. Here we like making chef salads on hot summer days.
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