Scrambled Eggs Primavera

Before...

After...

One of my favorite breakfasts...

I know spring is truly here when the chives and tarragon jump up from the ground.  Always first, they remind me of overzealous school children, hands in the air, anxious to be called on.  It is like they are too impatient to wait for the really good weather and I am always happy to see them.  

Happy because from now until October, I can go to the garden any morning and take a few snips for my breakfast.  This recipe is my version of Tarragon Scrambled Eggs from Gourmet's Weekends cookbook.  It seems too simple to even be called a recipe but here it is:

Scrambled Eggs Primavera:

Two eggs scrambled

One teaspoon fresh chopped chives

One teaspoon fresh chopped tarragon

pinch of salt

pinch of white pepper

Cook at low heat until desired consistency

Enjoy!

Bag Lady

Isn't it funny how we learn things without knowing it at the time?  Sometimes it is only in hindsight that we recognize wisdom.

I am dedicating this post to my Grammy who will be having a huge laugh in heaven upon reading this.  Strange how I can still hear her laugh.

Anyway, my grandmother was married during the great depression and a young mother during WWII.  Scarcity of goods, victory gardens and rationing were just a fact of life.  My grandmother learned these lessons well and turned frugality and resourcefulness into an art.  My mom would say she could pinch a penny until it screamed.  One of the many tools in her arsenal was re-using plastic zip lock bags.  

I remember when visiting her, how the need for a baggie would send me into the pantry to paw through a paper bag, which held her washed and many times re-used baggies, to find the right size.  After a few minutes I would emerge and ask, "why don't you just throw these old things out and buy some new ones?".  Her reply would always be "they're perfectly good - there's no need to waste them".  I would usually just roll my teenage eyes and carry on.

Fast forward a few years.  I am a new mom and housewife going through my eco-friendly products catalog when I spot a little wooden dryer for washing and re-using plastic baggies.  Of course I bought one and have been using it ever since.   I have to admit it is a good thing to do, it saves money and keeps baggies out of landfills.  It turns out that she was right all along and it only took me 15  years to figure it out.  How my Grammy would chuckle to see my baggies drying on their little yuppy bag holder.  Who knew - my grandmother was green before it was cool.  She also used to hang her laundry out to dry - but that is a post for another time...

To buy your own countertop bag dryer visit: http://www.gaiam.com/

Victory Gardens

Spring is here and time to think about gardening.  I say think about because lately it has been too cold here to do any actual gardening.  However once it does warm up I have big plans for this year!

My garden is primarily a culinary herb garden but over the years I have added raspberries, tomatoes, peppers and last year I planted two small blueberry bushes.  I have had varied success with the fruits and vegetables but this year I am going to try more vegetables and lettuces.  That is if I can keep the rabbits out!

  

I have always been a gardener, it's in my blood.  Even in high school it was a delight to go to the local garden center and bring home new specimens.  My parents however, were not thrilled when I planted wild mint in their garden which quickly took over; as a matter of fact the people who bought the house from them probably were not thrilled either as they are probably still trying to weed it out.  

My grandmother, who lived in the country, always had a vegetable garden.  It was there that I tried raw spinach for the first time,  I am sure I wouldn't have touched it had it been on a plate.  My grandfather who was a farmer, was known for his delicious tomatoes and sold them in front of his house.  I remember eating them hot and ripe straight from the garden.  Sure you could go to a farmer's market and buy fresh and local but there is no better produce in the world than that which has ripened in your own patch of earth. 

Having your own vegetable garden is en vogue again thanks to Michelle Obama, whose White House garden has been much publicized and a hot topic during her recent European trip.  Inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt's White House Victory Garden, her garden is a modern organic version that highlights the benefits both environmentally and financially of having a home garden.  Kitchen gardens have been an important part of  American life from the start.  My pilgrim ancestors certainly knew a thing or two about victory gardens, if they wanted to eat it they had to grow it, those gardens were victory over hunger.  It's not that I think we should grow all our own food at home but Victory Gardens are certainly a trend worth reviving. 

So ladies and gents here is your challenge: plant your own Victory Garden this spring.  Do your part for the environment, do it for your health.  Don't be intimidated just start small.  Even if you live in an apartment you can grow a few things in pots or join a local community garden.  If you have children get them involved, teach them where food comes from.  You never know they might even try something new (like spinach).  Tomatoes and peppers are great for a first time gardener: especially cherry tomatoes.  If you don't have a green thumb just plant some herbs, it is quite hard to kill chives and thyme.  Besides, most herbs are just weeds that happen to taste really good.  Just be careful where you plant your mint!    

Here are a few great sites to get you started:

http://www.sacgardens.org/

http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/

http://www.gardeners.com/

http://www.chezpanisse.com/intro.php

http://www.edibleschoolyard.org/

http://www.kidsgardening.org/

or visit your local library for inspiration