Pick and Eat

So it's been two years since I was really able to plan menus around what we were growing.  Last year we'd barely moved in here and had no time to put in a garden, so we ate out of the grocery store and farmer's market most of the summer.  

But this year....ahh, this year is the culmination of a year's worth of planning, building, digging and seeding.  And it feels so good to me, this routine of heading out into the garden with a big basket to pick ripe zukes, eggplant, onions, scallions, cukes and squash, then heading inside to make something fabulous out of it all. It feels healthy and it feels self-sufficient.  Add to that the 15 or so eggs we're getting a week and we're in the food business, at least for ourselves.

I'm a little sad that in another three weeks or so, we'll be demolishing the kitchen, at which point my kitchen meals will become camping meals, as I try and suffice with no counters, no sink, and no stove or microwave.  But I'm taking it as a challenge, because obviously, the ripe produce in the garden cannot wait until the cabinet and counter installers are done here.  Things will still need to be picked and eaten.

But for now, I'm loving the routine of pick and eat, pick and eat.  It feels so simple and so natural, deep down inside.  It's this kind of food that's good for your soul (not to mention your pocketbook).