Garden Envy and Upside Down Tomatoes

Above are pictures of my friend Brodie's garden. Quite impressive. Besides Jorge in the corner, I am particularly fascinated by the method Brodie is utilizing to grow tomatoes. Essentially, he has taken old plastic pots, cut fist-size holes in them, threaded the tomato plants through each opening, and is growing the plants upside down. Genius--saves garden space, reduces insect problems, and diminishes the need for a cage or supporting trellace. And it just looks way cool. More information about the upside down method here.

Birds Eye View

Here's a pic of my garden that I snapped from our rooftop porch. Despite recent torrential downpours, everything is coming along quite nicely. I did have to replant the basil and cilantro over the weekend since the seeds never sprouted, and will likely need to replant the lettuce as well, but everything else is growing well. I feel like a very proud parent.

I continue to have daily battles with my pesky chipmunk friends. I've tried everything--filling their holes, scattering dog hair around the perimeter of my garden, and sprinkling cayenne pepper at the base of each plant. Nothing seems to deter them. And I can't yet come to terms with methods that might involve a loss of life. But I'm getting close. Any more tips before I move onto less humane tactics?

The bugs are becoming a whole new problem, as they seem to be eating little holes through some of the leaves, particularly the beans, peppers, and pumpkin. My friend Brodie recommended that I purchase a pesticide called Sevin, which although I struggle with the idea, seems to be a necessity if I actually want vegetables.

And so, I've learned, the life of a gardener is not all that easy...

Free Morning Coffee at Starbucks on State

The Starbucks on State Street in Madison is closed this week (until Sunday 6/22) for a major remodel. In what seems like an effort to appease regular customers and provide regularly scheduled morning java, Starbucks is providing complimentary coffee each morning this week at a small table on the sidewalk directly in front of the store. Not sure how long they’re out there each morning, but I’ve scored free coffee the last two days. Now there’s a good way to hold onto your customer base while your store is closed for renovations!

Horrible and Hilly

Kristin before the race

Caution!

Karen pumping up a hill in aero

Post-race Viking Goulash

Saturday’s Horribly Hilly bike ride was just that—horrible and hilly. It was also very windy and warm. At one point, Karen’s bike computer was showing a reading of 95 degrees. On one hand I was thankful for the wind, but it did make for a nasty headwind.

After taking a two year hiatus from the HHH ride, it was tough to get back out on those hills. It’s hard to remain optimistic when you have a pretty good sense of what lies ahead. And those hills definitely gave me a beating. It’s never good when you approach a hill and see half the riders off their bikes walking them up, and the other half weaving back and forth, desperately holding onto forward momentum. Karen is a very strong person and athlete, but only thirty miles into the race, even she was seriously doubting her ability to finish the 200k.

So Karen and I now agree that perhaps it was a blessing that we took a wrong turn at some point during the second stage (~ the 50 mile point). I’ve always found the course markings extremely confusing for this ride, and somehow we got off the 200k loop, and onto the 100k course. By the time we realized, we were quite a ways off course and needed to decide between going back and adding at least 50k to our 200k ride, or being satisfied with a missed stage and a day’s total of 150k (about 80 miles).

Along with another set of gentlemen who were facing the same predicament, we chose the latter, which made for a more enjoyable experience. Afterwards I was even more pleased with our decision, since it started hailing and storming just as I sat down to enjoy my post-race viking goulash. Needless to say, I was very glad at that point to be off my bike. Sometimes things do happen for a reason.

Meet Food Gawker

Meet Food Gawker--one fan's homage to TasteSpotting. This should help fill the temporary void in my life.

Garage Sale Finds

I love a great garage sale. There’s something about uncovering fantastic bargains and unique treasures and buying things you don’t really need. I unexpectantly came upon a great garage sale on Friday evening just around the corner from my house. I drove up, and it was as if I had hit heaven. I jumped out of the car and my mind was racing. What fabulous items! What amazing prices! After taking a quick lap and deciding that I definitely needed to purchase several items, but was alas, without cash, I asked the older gentleman sitting on the stoop how much longer they would be open. He replied at least an hour, and I when I explained to him that I needed to hit up an ATM, he told me he’d be more than willing to set aside a few items for me.

When it was all said and done, I had purchased the beautiful candle stick holder with crystals (my favorite, which the woman told me she had purchased at a garage sale for $75 and I scored for $30), a couple tea cups and saucers (for a craft project I’m working on), an interesting metal box, a large pot, a set of eight mini flowered trays, and a thimble from Germany for my mom. All for $58!

Pasta with Zucchini and Goat Cheese

I found the following recipe in June's Real Simple magazine. I love zucchini and goat cheese, and have plenty of both lying around. I also bought fresh linguine from RP Pasta at the farmer's market. It was a great weekday meal--relatively easy to prepare and great springtime flavor. Might add a little less cheese next time, since it was a little too rich for my taste. But other than that, this one's a keeper.

Pasta with Zucchini and Goat Cheese

12 oz. linguine
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 pound zucchini, sliced into thin half-moons
Kosher salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
5 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until the zucchini is tender and any liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese to the pasta. Add the reserved pasta water, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir until creamy.

Serve the pasta topped with zucchini, lemon zest, and the remaining cheese.