My Garden is Magic

So, little did I know when I first got my plot that I was getting a magic garden. I slunk over to my garden last night after work, with my head hanging low, just knowing that everything in it would be wilted, brown, shriveled and dying from our heat wave last weekend. When I failed my maternal instinct test and instead of lovingly watering and caring for my baby plants, I went to the beach instead.

I put off the moment of reckoning a little bit longer by stopping by the local Crossroads before heading up to the garden, and found 4 super-cute shirts for only $36. I heart Crossroads. But, finally, it was time to face the music. But, when I crossed the garden to my little plot, instead of deep, dark foreboding music - it was frisky, lively, happy healthy music - my plants looked FANTASTIC!! The lettuce was bigger and leafier than it was last time, my cilantro is growing like gangbusters and the peas were doubled in size. Apparently, I have somehow inherited a garden plot that loves neglect, and thrives on being thirsty and water-starved. IT'S THE PERFECT GARDEN FOR ME. The only downside was that the baby plants that I started a few weeks ago - carrots, parsley, broccolini, and onions, were not really so happy. I guess the magic can only do so much. Baby plants need water. period. So, I will probably re-plant those later this week. But, I brought home three more heads of beautiful red butterhead lettuce and a huge handful of cilantro. And there is more where that came from. There is something so wonderful about eating food that you (or nature, with no help from you at all) grew and nurtured from just a baby seed. Delicious.

After stalling at Crossroads for an hour before getting to the garden, and after the 45 minute bus-ride home, I didn't get home until 8:15 and by that time I was totally starving. The perfect antidote to starving? Potato-Leek soup. I know I have sung the praises of this soup before on the blog and I'm going to do it again. Wonderful, WONDERFUL soup. It tastes like a delicious baked potato with lots and lots of butter. It would probably be even more fantastic with fresh chives and some bacon sprinkled across the top. It just perfectly hit the spot - it took a while to simmer and then to cook after I stirred in the cream, but once I sat down with a bowl full and some crusty bread, it was a little slice of food heaven. I settled in and watched "The Kennedys" on American Experience. I have a weird fascination with the entire Kennedy family and all of their exploits. They were just such an interesting group of people.

And, AND - I didn't even have to share any of the soup with Neil. He was out galavanting about the town with friends, celebrating their successful installation of the Vernissage show and didn't come home until 1:00. That's fine - no soup for you.

Oh yeah - this morning, when I regaled Neil with tales of my magic garden, he brought me down in one sentence by saying, "maybe someone watered it for you." Oh... yeah. maybe.