I’ve just harvested another batch of produce from my new vegetable garden and it tasted awesome, even with my limited cooking skills. Actually, this wondrous bounty was only a few leaves trimmed from some bok choy plants and much of the credit for preparing and putting things in the ground must go to my housemate but I am very happy.
I had various mini apartment gardens in Japan, growing mostly herbs and greens, but I had been looking forward to doing something slightly bigger outdoors after returning to New Zealand. While we do have plenty of grass areas we could dig up, it seemed better to do things gradually. So my housemate has kindly opened up chunks of her ample flower gardens for us to use instead.
In the first small trial area, we planted bok choy, spinach and tomatoes, with snow peas and capsicums in containers. Once they started to grow with great enthusiasm, we became inspired and successively added broccoli, zucchini and another capsicum plus a few old potatoes that started sprouting before we could eat them. The total space is probably only a little over a square meter, with everything nestled between flowers or in containers.
Veggie mindfulness
We are planning to add a few more plants but in case it’s not clear, we don’t expect to produce any major crops. This is just about enjoying the process of putting the plants in the soil, taking care of them as they grow and then appreciating the flavors of meals that include our very own home-raised organic vegetables. It’s a pretty awesome process. Though I do feel a little sad to gather them when they are ready. Yes, soft as sponge cake, I am.
I have got into the habit of doing a 10 minute tour of the garden before I make breakfast. It’s a peaceful, relaxing interlude before I get on with my day and I find it endlessly fascinating to see how the plants are growing. And they do change quite significantly even day to day. If anything looks right for eating, I can also include it in whatever is for breakfast.
This morning, I fried some wild caught salmon with a free range egg and put the bok choy leaves in at the end to wilt them. This all went on whole grain bread with some butter, tomato and capsicum sauce and a little sea salt. Very simple, fairly healthy and darn tasty. I try to eat with mindfulness and gratitude and have found it really focuses my thoughts knowing a meal contains at least a little something I grew myself.
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