Small Bites

Good morning and happy Monday. A little chilly for June, don’t you think?

I spent all weekend in the garden — again. I think it’s almost getting to the point where I can leave it alone, for a couple of days, anyway.

The vegetables:

I guess you can see they’re in the front yard. I remember when we first dug up the grass in 2002, Ned Kelly, who was then the maitre d’ at the Freelance Cafe, tsked at me: “You know, it takes a lot of guts to grow vegetables in your front yard.” Yeah, I know… especially in suburbia. Some people walk by and I know they’re thinking my curb appeal is close to nil. But others walk by and admire what we’ve got going on! At the time we first planted people weren’t really ready for it, I think. Now, what with Michelle Obama’s garden and all, we’re one of the cool kids.

We don’t do it to be cool. We do it because we love to eat!

And this is the way to have the best-tasting food. These lettuces are so tender and delicate. And we wait until seconds before supper to harvest them.

Even our foundation plantings are edible. See the blueberry bushes sticking out of the shadow of the left of the photo of the garden beds? This is what we have to look forward to:

The first fruit of the season is already ripe, though:

I harvested these about 15 mintues ago:

These tomatoes have a little while to go yet:

They’re from Israel and Noah Schwartz over at Matterhorn Nursery told me they’re supposed to be abolutely amazing if you dry them in the oven. But first, they have to grow — and up to 9 feet tall, he says!

All right, I know… sorry. This isn’t a garden blog. My colleague Bill Cary does a very good job with that over at In the Garden.

Back to the kitchen. How about a cocktail? Last night we sipped these before supper:

Watermelon mint juleps.

4 cups watermelon, 1 cup bourbon, 1/2 cup mint, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon sugar. Put them all in a bowl and crush with a potato masher. Strain into a pitcher. Pour into a cup filled with crushed ice. Top with a splash of soda and garnish with a mint sprig.

They were a prelude to the hickory-smoked chicken:

I served that with a watermelon-mango salad. I’m so mad I forgot to photograph it because it was delicious. I cubed watermelon and mangoes the same size as in the pitcher above, about 1-inch. Tossed them with a bunch of mint. Then just before serving I tossed the salad with salt and ancho chili powder. It was a little sweet but with a hint of heat that lingered in the back of your throat. Delishy.

Sorry, I’m going to leave you with one more garden photo. Not everything I grow is edible. Look at these gorgeous peonies!

There is nothing like the smell of a peony. Wow.

And with that, here’s what people have been talking about while I was in the garden this weekend:

Frank Bruni on the Obamas’ visit to Blue Hill. A little too well-planned? (DJ/NYT)
Alice adores The Cookery in Dobbs Ferry. (who doesn’t?) NYT.
Julia on our local chefs in the Next Food Network Star. (WE). (Shameless self-promotion here: Don’t miss our feature and a video coming up on Wednesday; and check back each Monday morning during the show because the chefs — Brett August of Doral Arrowwood and Michael Prioetti of the Radisson and City Chow House in New Rochelle — will be guest blogging on Small Bites!)
Best Red Velvet Cake in the Hudson Valley? (CH)
The Westchester Farmers Markets begin! (CH)
A new wood-fired oven pizza place called Tonino’s in Millwood. (CH)
A few developments in the food scen in Fleetwood. (CH)
A visit to the Farmhouse at Bedford Post. (CH)
Madeline’s Petit Paris in Northvale offers a cheaper menu. (SH)

Photo Caption: lj0601local008