It’s been a few years since my last post because I got complacent. I thought there was nothing much new to say as I resigned myself to the path of least resistance – i.e. plant what I knew wouldn’t get aphids, killing tomato hornworms left and right before they got big (and regretting but not crying these days – just accumulating “devine/karmic” guilt), and using occasional compost instead of fertilizer… But then I started reading “The Hidden Life of TREES” and realized how much more there was to know and explore!
It has also made me wonder if keeping a plant in a pot is a type of torture. Botanists and ecologists, is it? Anyone else with knowledge want to weigh in?
Separately, as a person enthralled with the flora and fauna of the world, I was interested – and greatly saddened – by the NYT article about elephants and American zoos, particularly because zoos had positioned themselves in modern times as centers of research. 😦
Biodiversity rules!
Here are the pictures from this spring and summer to date:
Chinese Lilac (Syringa x Chinensis) in April, 2019
Angry blue jay fighting with a red-tailed hawk directly in front of my window (apparently, the construction across the street is part and parcel of the decades’-long bias in New York for the chain/rich over the independent businesses/working class – in this case, a multitude of independent businesses was displaced in favor of 1-2 national corporates who will occupy the new space)
Ziggy Stardust (cat) cannot get enough of the fennel (Insta: @ziggystardusthecat)
Cranberry bean harvest – 3 1/2 harvest of the season after sugar snap peas, shelling peas, and here-and-there strawberries
The full view today
I have indeed been cooking with my vegetables over the years – buttressed by stuff from the farmers’ market or store – which has made me reach beyond the usual kale or tomato to zucchino rampicante, stinging nettles, white currant tomatoes (so sweet, they were like candy), and more, to try many things. Top favorites:
Ramp aioli
Vegetarian fondue (i.e. no animal rennet) w/ sliced raw zucchino rampicante, green apples, broccoli, and toasted baguette
French breakfast radish sandwiches
Roasted carrots & radishes with turmeric
Puff pastry w/ tomatoes & cheese
All of this, along with, of course, fresh figs, strawberries, tomatoes of any kind, sliced cucumber with salt and chili powder, zucchini with kale pesto, raw bell peppers of any color, lots of recipes with super hot chilis (this year, I’m growing Ghost Pepper/Bhut Jolokia and another hot – but more directly edible – chili seedling I bought from the farmers’ market, the name of which I forgot. Speaking of Bhut Jolokia, this article made me laugh long ago – though, yes, I hope the contestants all survived without too much issue. “Very no” has proven very apt in so many situations for me.
PS: On a separate note, after working on an unsuccessful startup for more than half a year, I’m broke. If anyone knows of jobs – specifically, in early stage investing, strategic finance, business development, or strategy in a mission-driven startup business anywhere in the world, please let me know! Or if you’ve got other suggestions on how I can make money, please send them over! Thanks!
Verterrace 