How Does Your Garden Grow & Dinner

 My name should be Alice and I should have a white rabbit for a friend. Rather I should be the white rabbit. I am always late, no matter how I plan the mad hatters tea party always gets in my way.
   Today I am late because I dragged my feet getting started and then realized my garden pictures, well were enough to put me back to sleep. I really wanted to share how well all the gardening is going.How it is growing row by row. I had to have better pictures I just did, so at 9:45 am instead of typing away as I should have been, I was walking down the back drive in my robe and jammies and camera. It was worth the effort. I think so anyway. I got a picture I have been trying and failing to get for weeks.
   As I start for the back I see the white Azaleas and think I really want to try again. I had two pictures I was already using today but I just knew I could do better. So the white Azalea is my first stop. I take 3 shots and already know I did 100 times better. See for you self. the 1st one I took the other evening the 2nd this morning. The 3rd the other evening and the 4th today.

 So much for knowing. They all look alike, well almost when they are enlarged I see some differences.
  This pretty Rhododendron had its picture taken just after the sun went down and just before the dark set in. Such a pretty flower.

  See side tracked again. As I continue on down the back drive I look at the Locus tree all bright and yellow standing out like a star and wonder why can't I get that on film. Three steps more and I have my answer, an answer that has been looking my straight in the eye for days. It just took the morning light to see it. I have been standing in the wrong spot and using the wrong back ground. I always try to get the tree alone so I stand where the back ground is the sky. Every shot always showed a faded out tree.

 I actually needed the back drop of other trees to show the bright and shinning beauty of the Locus tree.
  The garden is growing by leaps and bounds. Each day it looks a little fuller. We have added a little more and what we already planted is doing very well. So far we will be enjoying come harvest time, Tomatoes, cucumbers, egg plant, broccoli, cabbage and  onions. 

onion Ave

Cabbage court

Broccoli Blvd.

cucumber Alley

Egg plant station

Tomato row

We aren't done yet we have more much more to add. I feel like we are running behind, really we aren't it is May 14th and the threat of over night frosts has just past. I have friends in warmer climates that are reaping benefits from their gardens and I have to remind myself " Self slow down " A few of my herbs have been happily planted out back and my sage that wintered over is more then happy.

Rosemary's basement

Thia Basil town

Cinnamon Basil corner  

 I have never had a sage plant get big enough to have bud like leaves on it before. 

Sage bud express

  The front yard pretty much takes care of it self Dziadzi did a wonderful job landscaping this years ago. I did help but it is all his vision. We have to weed in early spring and mulch the beds, and the rest takes care of itself.

 He designed it so as one plant fades another blooms and there is never a point that there isn't something spectacular to see. It looks like the hard winter took what I call a smoke bush. That is a shame because it was a real eye pleaser.

 We add a few summer flowers along the bed boarders and thats about it. Our front yard is if I may say so myself in the height of the season is the finest in the neighborhood.
     " What Was Dinner ? "  Well it is that time of the year  when there is plenty of fresh food in the markets and it all looks appealing. Especially the strawberries and zucchini. They are everywhere and have so many possibilities.

 For us strawberries mean muffins, jams & salads. There is nothing better then a fresh Spinach and Strawberry salad with bacon and fete cheese

 with my cousin Nancy's Poppy Seed Salad Dressing!
    1/4 cup sugar ( originally 1/2 cup)
     2 TBS Sesame seeds
    1 TBS poppy seeds
   1 1/2 tsp minced onion
1/4 tsp paprika
   1/4 Worcestershire sauce
  1/4 cup cider vinegar
  1/2 cup oil  Add last
 1 to 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  blend shake or whisk together everything except the oil, once well blended whisk in oil and whisk till thickened. Add sesame oil if desired.  Pour over salad just as you are ready to serve.

  
 I cut the sugar way down for Mom and it is still the tastiest dressing ever.
  Zucchini lends itself well to comfort food. It replaces pasta almost better then anything I know.

 As for cheese, well I think zucchini and cheese are secretly married and you can't have one without the other. This little recipe I put together a while back just backs up my theory.

  Zucchini Casserole

 Happy Wednesday! Thank you for stopping by.