Dinner for 1 (or 2?)

T had a cocktail-based event that started at 5. I'm not sure when or in what state he'll be home, but in any case, I felt like a delicious dinner. Made enough for us both but will otherwise enjoy this solo. Presently, I'm enjoying these quick-seared pea tendrils with lemon, EVOO, salt and red pepper and a cold glass of Rosé as an app. Actually, there won't be any of the tendrils left as I'm devouring, but...the early bird catches the worm. Anyway, how fab does this half pollo rosso look?! It's really hot and humid tonight, and in thinking about what to do with this gorgeous find from the farmers market, I thought: BBQ! So, I rubbed the bird with some Bone Suckin' sauce (seriously, my fave BBQ sauce when I'm not in the mood to make my own) and grilled/smoked him at about 350 for a while. Gorgeous!

I'm also making an endive/zucchini/peach/goat cheese salad and am pretty psyched about it too.

I also meandered around the yard and got some gorgeous shots. Doesn't everything look healthy and verdant? And, BTW, that spinosad worked wonders on the kale-chomping worms. None to be seen and no holes in my greens' leaves either.

FM!

Finally. It is a glorious, sunny day and you can feel the blooming warmth swirling in the air around you. Bliss. The boys and I went to the farmers market, per the usual. They ate empanadas, pea tendrils, a raspberry palmier and some other tasters. Solid palates! The pea tendrils are fabulous, and just look at these squash blossoms and eggplants!I treated myself to a ethereal chocolate eclair -hey, I hadn't had breakfast yet!- and we also bought a gorgeous loaf of country bread which made a great sandwich just now. My tomatoes are happily basking in the sun outside, and I'm off for a quick trip to the nursery for a few filler plants. It feels like it might be a day of renewal, a fresh start. Here, here!

Greens, slaw, steaks

I did thin the greens, and just look at this gorgeous haul. I also spied the culprit behind the new holes in the leaves- some awful, green, spawn of a moth worm inching up the lacinato stalks. To the toilet with the three villains that ended up in my salad spinner! Then T diagnosed what they were and how to deal with them organically. Spinosad: a biproduct of distillation and fermentation discovered near a rum plant in 1982. Cool, huh?! Anyway, we happened to have some (I think because of the tomato horn worms in my past; awful, revolting pests), so while I cooked, T sprayed my greens. I'm hoping this does the trick! In any case, the creamed greens were delish! I made the steaks and served a green tomato chutney with those (lovely, but I did not make it; go Virginia Chutney Co), and for our final side made a carrot-radish-turnip slaw with a lazy-girl's chimichurri (read: a huge, indiscriminate bunch of herbs from my garden + garlic + EVOO + red wine vinegar + coriander + red pepper flakes). Nice and fresh.

Per the rather crappy week I'm having, I now have a cold and am stopped up like it's my job. At least the applications are finished- a major to do off the list. I love to-do lists, especially crossing items off of them. Delightful. Admission: sometimes when I've done something that wasn't on the list, I write it on and then cross it off, just to have the experience of doing so. Don't you do that too?