Don’t try to read my mind, it’s scary in there.
The first eggplant that I’ve ever grown was eaten on Friday, September 26th, 2008. It started out looking like this:
And then it became oven-roasted eggplant slices with an asian-inspired tahini sauce. (Sorry, no after photos - it didn’t last long enough!) I think it was pretty tasty, but I’m not sure that it was actually that fabulous. I was kind of caught up in the “I grew it myself” moment, so it might have just been kind of “meh”. I couldn’t even tell you. 
I popped out to the garden this morning to check on things. The butterflies and bees are going nuts over the Coreopsis and the tomato flowers. They seem to like the sage flowers as well.
There are about five tomatoes on the Purple Cherokee tomato plant (that isn’t actually Purple Cherokee, but that’s another post) and one on the Pineapple tomato plant. The Better Bush tomato plant isn’t doing so hot. I finally had to transplant it from the upside down container into the ground. I think we’ll get a few more tomatoes from it, but I don’t know if it will survive.
If I’m reading the signs right, we have 3 eggplants incubating right now. I’m over the moon about eggplant these days, so I’m very excited to grow my own. I keep buying them at the farmer’s market and grilling them, and now I will be able to grill my own!
Because apparently, all you have to do is say the phrase “social networking” with the word food, and I’m all over it.
(with thanks to meanlouise)
The basil went crazy once I transplanted it into the ground:
Maybe I should have carried this at my wedding instead. 
Chicken:
3 whole breasts of chicken marinated in:
1/4 cup Soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
generous splash of rice vinegar
rubbed sage
thyme
dry mustard (hot)
Grilled for 10 minutes/side - perfect!
Veggie #1:
Mushrooms and baby spinach sautéed with:
olive oil
squirt of Siracha sauce
Veggie #2:
1 leftover small purple eggplant from the farmer’s market a couple of weeks ago
1 rotund eggplant from today’s trip to the famer’s market - like Rosa Bianca, but completely dark purple.
Tahini sauce:
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup water
juice from 1/2 lemon
blended together
Couscous
Leftovers in the fridge for E!
This weekend being a holiday meant large quantities of food shopping. Add to that, the fact that my mom came to visit, so it was an extra-special food extravaganza.
We had a delicious dinner tonight, courtesy of E’s fantastic cooking skills, the Falls Church Farmer’s Market, and our little garden. Sweet potato bisque (Trader Joe’s), fabulous goat cheese pierogies from… [Crap! I can't remember the name of the farm.] with onions and a mushroom mix, and cucumbers with red and yellow grape tomatoes.
The dressing for our cucumbers and tomato salad was made, in part, with herbs from our garden, which is very exciting for me. I love being able to use things from our garden. I can’t wait until the tomatoes are ready to eat!
The first basil harvest from this year’s basil plants. Kind of small, but it will be tasty with this weekend’s farmer’s market finds, including some lovely grape tomatoes.
I’m currently reading The World Without Us
I found out today that Gary Paul Nabhan has another book out that I need to read. Renewing America’s Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent’s Most Endangered Foods
In between all of the books, we’ve been having some wonderful meals. My last two trips to the farmer’s market and our visit to Eastern Market last week, have morphed into several delicious meals, including an impromptu lunch of whole wheat pasta, goat cheese, and local asparagus and tomatoes. A lovely oil and vinegar dressing with a red onion (probably from Georgia) tied the whole thing together for a truly satisfying and fairly healthy meal. We finished the last of the eggs from Smith Meadows Farm this morning, so I have to make a trip to the market next week for sure.
6/2/08 ETA to add correct link to Smith Meadows Farm
