Planting

       Ahhh the sun is shining and my hands are getting itchy to dig in some dirt- no it is not chicken pox- it is my natural inclination to get things growing for the season! Inspired by this awesome little seed starter kit from Strathcona Urban Seed Collective we decided to get a few things started this afternoon. While our lettuce, radishes, peas and carrots will have to wait a few more weeks and be sewn directly- today was a good day to start tomatoes.

       I remember as a girl going to my Grandma's house for tea- her tea parties were endless- much information and many cookies could be gathered if one was willing to be patient and quiet. While the tea was steeped in her old Pyrex tea pot- poured out into slightly cracked, well used china cups- the sunshine would stream into her dining nook- dust moats lazily floating down onto the orange Formica table top- my sister and I would sit and listen and look. The dining nook at my Gran's was the perfect spot for her seedlings to get their start in the world- seemingly endless amounts of egg cartons- sitting patiently in the drowsy March sunshine.

      It may be the memory of my Grandma and her seedlings that spurs me forward on this sunny March day- so far away from the orange Formica table and yet still very close. To show my Littles what our Grandma showed my sister and I- how to start a handful of what at first glance appears to be nothing to become something that will nourish our bodies and souls in a way that no store bought anything possibly could.

      I will admit that I am a bit of a novice at this seed stuff- I usually buy my tomato plants all set and ready to go directly into the garden mid May- so this for me is a bit of a gamble- or a science experiment. I am a bit lazy this way- my parents start everything from seed right about now in mini green houses(plastic salad boxes- so clever!) in their basement- I figure if they can do it then we should be able to do it too!

       On the advice of a much more seasoned gardener than myself we are trying out the egg shell method of starting seedlings. The general idea is- get some empty egg shells and clean them out well- punch a tiny hole in the bottom for drainage- fill with soil and plant your seeds- when the seedling starts to get too big simply crack the shell(add it in to the dirt) and plant it into a larger container- easy peasy lemon squeezy!

    These days they are getting longer, warmer and brighter- Spring is here- yes even if it is snowing- as is the case in much of our country- believe it or not Spring is here! Once our little seedlings were planted we brought them inside to our own warm window sill- to patiently wait while tea is drunk near by- a metaphor perhaps- things coming full circle- my own Littles sitting and watching and waiting for their seeds to pop up.

       Friends it is Friday again! We made it through our first Spring Break- OK it was only a week but I am looking forward to school next week! So many cool things happening in our community this weekend but we are sticking close to home with a trip to the Farmer's Market and then dinner with friends! May you have plenty of sunshine at your back laughter in your ears, and coffee in your mug- Happy Friday Friends!

Learning to Preserve

    We decided last spring we wanted to learn how to make our own pasta sauce- my parents have been doing it for years and always share what they make with us. The Mr. and I though were enthusiastic to learn and do for ourselves and so we waited and waited and waited- finally this past weekend the Roma tomatoes were ready and we went into action! Once copious amounts of coffee and tea had been consumed all hands headed to the garden.

     Our recipe called for about 20-30 pounds of Roma tomatoes and we had more than enough! Thirty pounds sounds like quite a bit but once the picking commenced with so many helpers the pounds piled up quickly!

these tomatoes were bound for the juicer- and my glass!

    Once we had enough tomatoes the slicing and dicing commenced- we needed celery, garlic, onion and bell peppers- all finely diced. The base for the sauce is really very similar to soup stalk and was much easier than I anticipated. The real work was putting all those Romas through the food mangler which was the Mr.'s job! Once everything was in the pot we just let it simmer for several hours while we chatted and enjoyed Ceasars made with fresh tomato juice out on the deck!

  The end result was this delicious business which we jarred up but not before saving enough for dinner that night! I was really surprised at how simple this entire procedure actually is, I feel what makes this sauce so special are the Roma tomatoes ripened by the Okanagan sun, the garlic that grew a mere fifty feet from where it was cooked and the basil from right out the back door. It's the fresh and really local ingredients that makes this sauce so special!

     We ended up with seven jars of sauce and two jars of tomato juice ( to be made into Ceasars most definitely)- I have a new understanding of the amount of produce it takes to make even just one jar of sauce. Now that we posses the know how me and my Mr. will most certainly be making more of this delicacy to put away for the cold winter months! With the shear volume of pasta consumed in our house not only is it a bit of a necessity but when you know better you do better!

p.s. for anyone confused about what a Ceasar is- it is very much like a Bloody Mary - tomato juice plus vodka equals vacation!