Bad Aphids!

The Aphids tried to invade my garden already.

Aphids tried to get a beach head on my Kale seed pods.

I'm letting this one go all the way to seed since I liked it so much -
more of the same please

I barely have anything growing yet, but that was no reason for them not to stake a claim I guess.
The advantage of a tiny garden is you can go hand remove the pests quick.

I've been doing that with slugs too.

This works fine on a small plot, or if you have many hands available, but I don't begrudge people growing much more with less help other means to remove these pests.  After all this is a particularly amazing year for slugs.  I think they got in 2 breeding seasons this year or something!

1st CSA Bag of 2011!

The first bag arrived... and it is time for salad!

Sweet, spicy, bitter with crunchy & creamy.  A little sour and salty from the dressing.

From the bag I had access to:

Arugula - 1 large handful washed and chopped

Lettuce - 3 leaves washed and shopped

Radishes - 4 small mild ones (I would have used fewer spicy ones)

Walla Walla sweets (1/2 of a tiny, young one)

Apples (1/2 of a Fuji sliced into sticks Half the height of the apple)

Tossed some bread cubes with a little oil - toasted them to crispy crunchy

Some mild super soft rinded cheese (in this case Fromager d'Affinois)

The dressing was white wine vinegar, a bit of chopped parsley, a smashed garlic clove and a small spoon of mustard. Then I whisked in walnut oil (olive would have been fine, but this was sitting in my fridge, begging to be used!)  Added salt to taste.  Skipped the pepper.

It was divine as I munched on the salad while nibbling on the cheese smeared on my fresh croutons, and sipping a nice white wine.

But dessert was there too!

Summer strawberries in Cointreau Marscapone

As many strawberries as you think you can eat in 1 sitting (Half in my case - the other half were for breakfast).

The right size dollop of marscapone cheese (sour cream, creme fraiche, greek yogurt all work fine.  Just needs to be thick and creamy to start -  I was just feeling particularly hedonistic in the face of my first strawberries of the summer.)

Stir in dribbles of Cointreau (or Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur) and sprinkles of brown sugar until it tastes decadent and a tiny bit sour.  (You may need a dash of salt if using yogurt)

Place a dollop over your strawberries, and then realize it looks skimpy, and pour it all on.  You only have your first of the season strawberries once a year.

Enjoy in greedy, satisfied bliss.