Summer of Sowing Seeds

If you've ever thought about gardening and then thought it was too much work, think again.  Granted gardening takes time and care, but what you get at the end is definitely worth the little effort!

New Brunswick, with quite a bit of help from Elijah's Promise (and Paul) and several others, set up a community garden.  You can purchase a box for $15 for a year.

Swiss chard has really been quite the productive little plant in the box.  It just keeps growing!  You cut it, it grows more.  Wonderful.  I would share photos of them in the box, but those photos are on my phone still...will upload later.  For now, I'll share the finished product:

This leafy vegetable (I'm afraid to call it lettuce) makes no ordinary salad (or whatever you're making).  It's definitely flavorful, albeit a bit bitter.  It is also has a relatively thick, chewy, yet crispy texture--quite filling. Here it is simply tossed w/ some olive oil, a teeny pinch of sea salt, diced tomatoes (from a friend's garden), and a thick grating of Parmesan.  A little reading tells me it also tastes good sautéed, especially if you are not willing to take on the bitterness.  Varieties of it produces some really bright, vibrant stalks--from the sunshine yellow you see here to a bloody orange grapefruit pink.

The vodka sauce rotini served as a good supporting dish ;)