On the Menu

Michael and Oliver are off to the co-op on their bikes and Molly is sitting under the trees eating apples with her friends. On the menu tonight, we have cornmeal crust pizzas topped with our tomatoes, eggplant, basil and a neighbors zucchini. Summer is sublime. We're going to work on getting one of the community garden spots to expand our selection in the coming year. Between our garden and Denise's we already have quite a lot but it would be great to not have to shop as much. Denise is an avid gardener and we would work it together. I've always wanted to go to Italy, especially after reading Frances Mayes, and I believe this is very close to what I imagined there. There's something growing for each season so buying fruit is not always a must. I think there are 3 vineyards in this 75 acre development and every kind of fruit and nut you could grow in this climate. Once an orchard is ripe, the ladders come out and children are sitting amongst the leaves covered in juice. In my yard alone, there are 2 cherries and grapes. Fruits to be found are: cherries, plums, apricots, apples, oranges, kumquats, lowquats, figs of every variety, pomegranates, peaches, nectarines, grapes, tangerines, both types of persimmon, mulberries, and of course whatever your neighbors grow and share. Walking down the windy bike paths, under the shady trees, I take a moment to smell the flowers.