Orange Blossom Special

Orange Blossom Special

by | Apr 5, 2017 | Garden, Recipe, Vegetarian

The life in my backyard is so breathtakingly alive right now. I am especially drawn to my two 60-year-old orange trees who greet me everyday with bursts of intensely perfumed orange blossoms that permeate my backyard. So heady is this fragrance, I find myself making...
Romancing Romanesco

Romancing Romanesco

by | Mar 8, 2017 | Garden, Recipe, Vegetarian

Romanesco. It sounds sexy, alluring, Italian. Like a tall, dark and handsome Roman God. But, in reality, it is nothing like the vision the name conjures up. Our eyes met in the produce department of a specialty food store last year. Its tall and pointy bright green...
Garden Reformation

Garden Reformation

by | May 14, 2014 | Family, Garden, Italy

The Ops Twins (see April 2013 “The Beet Goes On”story), goddesses of agriculture, united again to trim, weed and dismember parts of my garden in need of refreshing. This year my niece Maya joined in to help celebrate Mother’s Day and to lend a hand. I...
Garden Rx

Garden Rx

by | Mar 5, 2014 | Garden

Last evening I returned home from a stormy (for San Diego standards) day to discover my precious fava beans completely toppled over from the heavy winds. My first reaction was “is there a trauma doctor in the house?!” I have been babying these beans, planting them...
Autumn Earth

Autumn Earth

by | Oct 20, 2013 | Garden, Thoughts

Fall is a season of contrasts. Besides the obvious color change of leaves, there is a distinct softness in the air, a kind of fuzzy morning haze, with warm afternoons, cool evenings and if you’re lucky and the skies are clear, a chance of a green flash over the...