Sandwiches for Dinner

At the risk of destroying whatever whisper of sophistication I may have managed to cultivate in my lifetime, I am here to tell you that my favorite food is probably the sandwich. I know! So pedestrian! But hear me out. (If it helps, crème brûlée comes in at a close second, so...points for words in French?) Sandwiches can be hot, cold, hearty, meaty, veggie, tiny and elegant (finger sandwiches!), "sloppy", or artfully arranged. They are appropriate in all seasons. You can make a sandwich to suit any appetite, and I am a firm believer that a couple slices of good bread make almost anything better. Whether you like to punctuate a sunny stroll through the park with the classic pear, Brie, and jambon on a crusty baguette, or pull up a stool at your favorite country pub for a pint and a ploughman's, sandwiches are a great way to combine seemingly disparate ingredients into a tasty meal. (Read: they LIVE to use up whatever odds and ends are leftover in your fridge.) And maybe the best part? They're portable.

Yesterday I had a Labor Day picnic. We cozied up to Lake Michigan with chairs and blankets and sweaters (we're starting to get those chilly evenings that I love around here at this time of year), and a little classical music.We watched the sun go down behind the chicago skyline and the lights start to glow in the windows of buildings and on the tops of the lamp posts dotted along the shore. I wrapped my sweater around my shoulders, poured a glass of wine, and took a bite of my sandwich.

Caprese BLT

Ok, not technically a BLT, as we'll be using basil in place of the lettuce. So..BBT? And then there's the mozzarella which would make it a...BBMT? Whatever you decide to call it, it's something I love to make in late summer. I always grow tomatoes and basil in my garden and look forward to the day I will eat this sandwich from the minute I put the plants in the ground in spring. No kidding.

Bread (ciabatta is a nice sturdy choice for soaking up tomato and olive oil)
Bacon, 3-4 slices, cooked
Tomato, sliced (Must be from the garden! If you don't grow them find a farmers market, or make nice with the neighbors. Trust me.)
Fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds
Basil, 3-4 large leaves
Mayo
Olive oil, to drizzle
Sea Salt

Fry bacon till just crisp. Halve ciabatta bread. Spread one half with a bit of mayo, then layer bacon, mozarella, basil leaves, and couple of nice, fat slices of tomato. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Top with other half of ciabatta. Bon appetit!*

Makes one sandwich.

*Or wrap with parchment and twine, tuck into your cooler or picnic basket with a bottle of something cold, and you're off!

Backyard Bouquets

Want to know a secret, Internet? I am a terrible housekeeper. (Which I suppose is really not so secret if you've ever visited me at home.) There is little I loathe more than cleaning. It comes in near the very bottom of any to-do list I make, usually right below browsing the plumbing or electrical aisles at the hardware store and just above having dental work done. It really takes an actual party, holiday or the imminent arrival of weekend guests to compel me to pick up a vacuum or feather duster. I get no sense of satisfaction from the process of scrubbing at refrigerators till they gleam and you will never find me taking out the frustrations of the day on a roomful of smudged windows or the sinks and faucets in the bathroom. (And frankly, I'm pretty sure the people that try to sell me on cleaning along "it's therapeutic!" lines really haven't met the right cocktail yet.) However. I do love a tidy home that looks warm, inviting, and well cared for....so, bit of a problem there. Luckily, I know a few shortcuts, and one that always works is fresh flowers. I have fresh flowers in the house ALL the time. During chillier months, I make sure to grab a bunch of something pretty on trips to the grocery store, and in the summer I love to wander through the stalls at the farmers market just around the corner from the shop where I work. But nothing is quite as much fun as venturing into the backyard to forage around for whatever happens to be in season. And- bonus- backyard bouquets are free! (I mean, unless you count buying the plants or seeds and then all the toil, blood, sweat, and tears that goes into maintaining them. We'll just put a pin in that for now.) I like to bring a nice big bucket of water or a large vase with me so I can stroll around, peruse the beds, and snip whatever I like, then stick them in water right away and decide what to do with them later. I set up shop at my rickety old table outside and fiddle with the "ingredients" until I get a look I like. Easy! With fresh flowers, I usually try to adhere (loosely) to the golden rule of container planting- thrill, fill, and spill. So for this little Mason jar arrangement, I put a brightly colored bunch of full, rounded blooms in the center- an assortment of zinnias (absolutely essential for the cutting garden), black eyed susans, and purple coneflowers-  then a hydrangea to fill in some space along the side, and finally the graceful, slender yellow cosmos that add some interest and spill a bit over the edge. (There's actually a bit of foliage from a 'Bridal Veil' spiraea bush arcing over the sides too, but it seems to be camouflaged in this pic by the lilac in the background. You'll just have to trust me on that one- it looked good.) Really, anything goes- branches, hosta leaves, trimmings of this or that- almost anything in the garden can be put to use in a decorative way and enjoyed indoors. So next time you pop over for dinner or game night, try not to notice the dusty bookshelves, and don't look too closely at the baseboards. (In fact, it's probably best if you could just keep your eyes away from the floor in general.) I promise to have plenty of fresh blooms around to make it a little easier on you.

At the beginning of June, I tossed a devilish grin in fate's direction and made a checklist of fun summer activities- concerts, parades, day trips, daring feats of athleticism, you get the picture- that I planned to do this season. It was long. And illustrated. I stuck it to my fridge where it gave me a little thrill of excitement each time I made a sandwich or reached into the freezer for the ice cube tray. So much to look forward to! This was going to be The.Best.Summer. I could feel it! Not the kind followed by a September full of regret over all the things we didn't quite get around to, but swear to do next year. I mean the kind that by late August has left you exhausted, suntanned, sandy, lazy. You feel fitter and healthier, but don't really remember any grueling workouts- just hot sunny days spent swimming, walking, playing tennis (badly if you're me), boating, or bicycling. Meals are lighter and pay homage to whatever fruits and vegetables are in season- bruschetta with basil and tomatoes from the garden, honey and apricot crostini, salads with fresh mint and parsley picked from right outside the kitchen door. Walking into town for ice cream cones becomes a nightly ritual, as does strolling through the farmers market on Friday mornings to survey the fresh flowers and new produce. See what I mean? So much to do!

Of course, I promptly succumbed to a knee injury and spent the first half of the summer on the sofa, ice pack and little dog at my side, watching old movies and Dawson's Creek (yep) reruns, and looking at wallpaper on Pinterest and pictures of Kate Middleton's hair. Instead of complaining that my bathing suit and favorite beach towel are still damp from yesterday, or that I just can't seem to get all the sand out of my espadrilles, I'm bombarding anyone who will listen with commentary about Why would Joey love Dawson? And why would Dawson choose Jen over Joey? And what late night communication breakdown in the Writer's Room resulted in the creation of Andie McPhee? I've begun to relish overcast mornings (perfect for Charade and Breakfast at Tiffany's), and stormy nights- which come with the added bonus of alleviating my guilt/anxiety over not (ever) watering the garden. Ever. No, EVER. Annoyingly though, not every day can be dark and grey and rainy, and I've been forced to develop a backup plan for dealing with those stubborn perfect breezy sunshiny afternoons. Ugh.

So, without further ado, low-impact activities that will take you from June to August, minimal walking required. (Sometimes, even leaving the car is optional!)

• Movies (Not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when I'm free associating about summer either, but if you figure in air conditioning on 95 degree days and the fact that it's the season of the big budget blockbuster, I think we can work with it. Also, beggars can't be choosers.)
• Drive-in movies
• To-go-window ice cream cones
• Fireworks!
• Cooking (Or rather, assembling, as I prefer to call it in the summer- salads, cold sandwiches, guacamole, s'mores, etc.)
• Sipping iced tea under umbrellas on patios (See photo, above. Pretty, right? You almost don't even mind not walking..)
• Boat rides
• Concerts on the lawn
• Minor league baseball games (Do you think I can press against the crowds to get a hot dog at Yankee Stadium? I cannot.)
• Friday evening cocktail hour
• Tuesday afternoon cocktail hour
• Reading everything published on the internet pertaining to arthroscopic knee surgery (Admittedly, probably only appealing to me.)
• Lounging poolside
• Calling in favors
• Game night

Finding oneself unexpectedly immobile during a season when even the most willfully indolent feel compelled to slather on sunscreen and step out for some fresh air is a bit of a drag. But I think I've managed to salvage just enough of the "The List" to round Labor Day with a well earned sense of accomplishment. And if all the activity proves tiresome, the kids from the Creek are always waiting- at least until Season 6 when Dawson becomes a famous Hollywood producer and Jen dies (!!!). Even then, I should be ok until the internet runs out of pics of Kate's glossy locks. Which I predict will be never.



Honey Apricot Crostini

Baguette
Ricotta cheese
Apricots (I used plumcots today, the plum + apricot hybrid)
Honey, for drizzling

Cut baguette into small rounds, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. Let cool. Top with a healthy dollop of ricotta and one or two apricot slices. Drizzle with honey. Enjoy as hors d'oeuvres or use to accompany a salad. Or eat way too many while you prep them and just call it dinner.

Annual Review

When I was new on the gardening scene, all bright eyes and unchecked eagerness, you couldn't have paid me to grow annuals. (Well, ok, you could have. A girl's gotta eat.) Buy an uninspired flat of marigolds, work them into the ground, tend to them for months, and then they DIE? Not a chance. After all, I am a Serious Gardener. And Serious Gardeners can't be seen scurrying about with arms full of silly petunias. No! We growers with a more sophisticated palate only have room for the cosmopolitans- delphiniums, roses (obviously), really anything that needs staking, or spraying, or wrapping with burlap for the winter. Of course, bonus points for plants not readily available at your local nursery. And if it isn't hardy to your zone, even better! Salvia jurscii? I'll take two.

Admittedly, I am still drawn to plants that require some extra effort. There is something intriguing and sort of luxurious about flowers that are a bit harder to please- exotic, old-fashioned, richly fragrant. But when it comes to annuals, I have seen the error of my ways and am here to let you in on a little secret- these plants make you look like a pro. Unlike perennials, that generally have a relatively short season of bloom, many annuals will flower pretty continuously from spring right on through to autumn frost. In late summer when your perennials look limp and faded, annuals are showy crowd pleasers that are fantastic at adding pops of color to bare spots or difficult areas. Since annuals complete their life cycle in one growing season- meaning you plant a seed, it grows, flowers, and dies that same year- this is really their one shot at glory, and they mean to make the most of it. And aside from watering and a little deadheading, (both of which are negotiable- there, I said it), they are fairly low maintenance. Have I mentioned the cost yet? Because annuals are cheap. Especially if you grow them from seed. Spend a couple dollars on a seed packet and you can have swaths of blooms all summer long.

Scroll down for some of my favorites. (From top to bottom: geraniums, caladium, dahlias, and petunias.)

The climbing rose has stopped blooming, but those geraniums keep things looking pretty.

Caladiums- brightening up shady spots!

Dahlias

Petunias doing their thing.

In Like a Lion

I can't lie to you, Internet. I love winter. I love the thick nubby sweaters, the warm drinks, the cozy evenings indoors, the whole nine snowy yards. I do. Now, wait! Before you reach for your push pins and voodoo dolls, I should probably mention that while I do love this season, right now I, like most everyone else, couldn't be happier to see it go. I can't resist the transition from summer to fall, when the days start to get shorter and the air crisper, but it's warm enough to leave the windows open in the late afternoon and long evening walks are still a nightly ritual. Winter into spring, however, is a transition that really, only its mother could love. Yesterday I thrilled to the sight of the first shoots of tulips coming up right beside the front steps. Today those little red and green tips are covered in snow again. If you're in the Midwest, like me, you know that last night (and this morning) confirmed that despite our recent streak of warm(ish) days, winter is not down for the count yet. And when the snow started to fall around midnight, (yes, I stayed up to catch a glimpse- I'm not made of stone) I just couldn't muster up the usual excitement. I am weary of zipping into puffy coats and walking on tiptoes to avoid icy patches. I'm tired of boots, I'm out of salt, and my shovel looks like it moonlights as an obstacle at a monster truck show. I've been forcing branches and starting seeds, (more to come here on seed starting!), but for a home gardener, the month of March is marked by an awful lot of waiting. So! In the spirit of spring, and in a nod to Wordless Wednesday, (I know, I don't quite have the 'wordless' thing down), I thought I would share some garden shots from sunnier days, as a reminder (to both of us) that something lovely really is just up ahead.

*All of these images were taken last year at Cantigny Park.

Forcing Spring

Hello Internet! Did you miss me? No? Since it's a pretty good bet that if you're reading this, we are also related, (Hi Dad), and see each other on an almost daily basis, I won't take the silence personally. What I will do, in the fine tradition of elementary school children everywhere struggling at the start of term to summarily dignify how they spent their summer vacation in 500-word essay form, is...well, forget a lot of things. The cranberries, the tree-trimming, the gift-giving, the party dresses, the wrap and ribbons, the snowshoeing, the hot cocoas by the fire, the cozy brunches, the cable-knit sweaters, the twinkling lights...they're all starting to fade into the background. In a few more weeks it will be spring, and even as the temperature drops and a bitter wind is howling outside and stripping branches from the maple tree out front, (and I mean that literally, that is really happening right now), I'm inside planning and plotting and, of course, pinning things to do with pansies, and lilacs, and rosebushes just as soon as the weather will let me. Until that happens, forcing branches is an easy way to bring a bit of spring color indoors.

I actually tried out a number of puns and phrases involving the word "force" for the title of this post. Most (all) sounded creepy and took a blog about cooking and gardening to a weird place pretty quickly. That being said, we're going to talk about how you can make cuttings from flowering trees and shrubs bloom indoors during winter. Get it? We are forcing them to do something they wouldn't ordinarily do at this time of year- bloom.

Ornamental trees and shrubs that flower in early spring- think forsythia, flowering quince, bridal wreath spirea, honeysuckle, magnolia, etc.- set their buds before going dormant in the fall. That means that the bush outside in your yard that has looked like an oversize tumbleweed for the past four months has branches loaded with flower buds just waiting for a cue from Mother Nature. Or you.

To signal buds that it's time to flower, you will preferably choose a day that's above freezing, (to make the transition into your warm house easier), grab your secateurs, and approach the shrub. Probably, it looks unsightly, like this.

If you are someone who cares about the appearance and symmetry of your plantings come spring, you will want to prune judiciously. If you are me, you will cut the first branches you can get your hands on while standing in about three feet of snow because, let's be serious: this shrub is a hot mess. (Incidentally, it is also my neighbor's. So...hi! And thank you.)

Bring your trimmings inside and strip any twigs, buds or leaves from the lower part of branches. You can also strip bark from the base with a small paring knife and smash the bottom ends with a hammer, (I know! Mean!) to help them absorb more water, and add a floral preservative to control bacteria. Place in a vase of tepid water, and change it every few days.

Now spend the next several weeks waiting. Wake up every morning like a child on Christmas and run to your vase of twigs. Then walk away, shoulders slumped, convinced that you must have done something wrong. You (probably) didn't! And one day soon, you will be greeted by this pretty reminder that spring really is right around the corner.

Some trees and shrubs that respond well to force:

• Flowering Quince
• Vernal Witch Hazel
• Flowering Dogwood
• Flowering Almond, Cherry, and Plum
• Hawthorn
• Forsythia
• Honeysuckle
• Redbud
• Saucer Magnolia
• Star Magnolia
• European Pussy Willow
• Apple and Crabapple
• Lilac
• Spirea
• Viburnum

The closer you cut your branches to the time they would naturally bloom outdoors, the sooner they will flower.