What's G(r)owing On

My family continues to enjoy an abundance of riches on the fresh, local, good food front.

This week's CSA box: 1 head Romaine lettuce; 1 elephant garlic; 1 lb broccoli; 1 head cauliflower; 1 lb yellow crookneck squash; 1.5 lbs Red Lasuta potatoes; 1 bunch rosemary; 1 pint strawberries; 1 lb pixie tangerines; 2 lbs Red Ruby grapefruit; and rosemary focaccia.  The potatoes didn't last long: they were roasted the first night with olive oil, rosemary, and garlic.  They provided a side dish for dinner, accompanied Natalie's omelet the next morning, and also ended up in her lunch box.  (Apparently, she really liked them!).

The CSA box was supplemented by a visit to a local farmstand that culled a variety pack of locally-grown berries, cucumbers, and oranges.  Additional bonus: what's growing in our own backyard...blood oranges, lemons, some tasty herbs. 

What we're having difficulty growing this year is lettuce, usually a reliable crop for us.  We know the reason.  We recently added a new family member: a wonderful little dog found at a local rescue organization.  (Like our food, we like our dogs locally grown).  Winnie loves to lay in the lettuce bed.  It's already raised up off the ground several feet, but she easily jumps into it.   We're considering our options, but they appear somewhat limited, unless we resort to rooftop gardening.  (Now that's an IDEA!).

Our Mother's Day outing was to the local nursery, and a fine gift it was.  As a result, this week we planted cucumbers and some basil (indoors and out); the tomatoes will go in this weekend. 

I fully recognize that Ventura is quite different from many other places.  It enjoys some of the best weather in the world.  (This is not an exaggeration). But my wish for you this week is to plant something.  If you don't have an adequate space for gardening, find a good container and create a great container garden.  If you have children, this will provide a great and memorable family activity.

"A Garden for Everyone.  Everyone in a Garden."