What would you grow?

It’s that time of year. Garden stores are bringing out their patio sets and gardeners are plotting their patches for seed planting. Below are some of my favorite container and garden plants to plot for the upcoming season.

HERBS

Most varieties of herbs are practically foolproof and can even be grown in pots. From mint leaves in a thirst-quenching Mint Julep, sage on grilled chicken, to dill on salmon; herbs change the flavor of dishes and drinks.

Sage

BEETS

Of all the root vegetables, beets are my favorite. They are easy-to-grow, sturdy plants and can be stored all winter long in a root cellar or closet. Preparing them is easy as well, they can be pickled or roasted with salt and pepper; the temporary finger stains are worth it.

WILD RASPBERRIES

Picking them brings back childhood memories, and the sweet and tart flavor on a hot summer day is refreshing. Finding them is like discovering a treasure.

PEAS

I love to pick them out of the garden and eat them raw.

Light fare for summer evenings

Lets keep it simple to start with. Chives are flourishing in my container garden and since I'm in the midst of moving, I want to eat out of my fridge and freezer, as much as possible. Eureka! I found a bag of shrimp.

Combined with linguine, said chives, slices of lemon, and there is a quick yet delicious summer meal in the middle of chaos.

Handful of linguine
1 Lemon
1 Pound of shrimp
Fist-full of chives
Dash of Old Bay seasoning

Boil water and cook linguine for about 11 minutes (I like it al dente).
Meanwhile, saute shrimp in a frying pan with a little olive oil (Nudo is great - - and you can adopt the olive tree in Italy, from where you want your shipments of olive oil to come from). I also like to sprinkle a little Old Bay seasoning while the shrimp are cooking.

One the linguine is done, drain and combine with the shrimp in the pan.
Let simmer on low heat for a few minutes, and dish onto place.
Garnish with chives and lemon slices.
Season with ground black pepper to taste.

Eat well, live happy!