What's Growin' On: 4/14/06

Realization Of The Day:
I've had plenty of crazy thoughts over the years, but believing I'd actually killed the mint has got to be near the top of the list.

From Garden To Table:
Last night's micro mesclun salad was by no means miniscule. I carefully plucked a whopping 22 ounces of itty bitty lettuce leaves out of the raised bed plot yesterday, and you can hardly even tell. I suppose this is a good thing. (If you've never weighed baby lettuce before, I urge you to go set some on a scale right now. Twenty-two ounces is a lot of little leaves.) My dainty dinner salad was enormous. Actually, it was dinner. And so easy to prepare (well, after all the picking was done). The greens were so delicate I cleaned them by placing them in a large bowl of cold water and gently swishing them around. Drain, repeat, then dry in salad spinner. (These things are fantastic. I bought mine from Pinetree Garden Seeds several years ago for under ten dollars, and I love it).

My tender bounty (to which I added a handful of baby arugula from the greenhouse) required nothing more than a splash of the simplest olive oil/white balsamic vinaigrette and a generous sprinkling of coarsely grated pecorino romano. It was divine. And there is plenty left for a second serving tonight.

Take A Look At. . .
Kitchen Gardeners International. I recently received an email with the subject "Hi From Maine." It was from Roger at Kitchen Gardeners International, and he said:

"You might be interested in Kitchen Gardeners International, a fledgling international movement for dirt-y minded food lovers. Our goal is to get people growing and cooking some of their own food again. I’d love to have your support in whatever form that might take."

Okay, I'll admit that I was hooked before I even made it over to their site (I love the thought that I am a 'dirt-y minded food lover,') but once I read a few of the articles, I quickly signed up for their free newsletter. Here's a little bit about KGI in their own words:

MISSION:
Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI) is a new non-profit network whose mission is to celebrate home-grown, home-made foods in their many global forms and to promote their role in building a healthier, tastier, more sustainable and secure food system. In doing so, KGI seeks to connect, serve, and expand the global community of people who grow some of their own food.

BACKGROUND:
The idea for Kitchen Gardeners International was planted by a diverse group of kitchen gardeners who believe that food is central to human well-being and one of the best ways of uniting people of different countries and cultures around a common, positive agenda. It is registered as a 501(c)(3) public charity and governed by a volunteer board of directors with representatives from the United States and Europe. Our network of friends and supporters now includes over 2200 kitchen gardeners from 45 countries with new ones signing up each week.

GOALS:
--To provide a structure, virtual and real, for kitchen gardeners worldwide to: meet up with each other; share their passion for food, cooking, and organic gardening; and further their skills and knowledge in these areas;
--To introduce new generations to the joys and benefits of actively participating in one's food production and preparation;
--To inform KGI's supporters and the general public about the many ways of participating in and contributing to a sustainable food system and planet;
--To help individuals and communities, especially disadvantaged populations, to achieve higher levels of food self-reliance;
--To promote cultural exchange and international understanding via a shared love of kitchen gardening.

See what I mean? How can that not make you hungry for more? So go take a look--and be sure to tell Roger I said 'hi.'