My First Garden Haul

After finally managing to complete a whole Insanity cardio circuit workout yesterday, I decided to check on my garden while my dad flipped some turkey burgers and eggplant on the grill. (The eggplant was from his garden and he made a delicious miso sauce for it; check out a photo on my Facebook page.)

Growing My Green Thumb: Italian Parsley

I almost forgot that along with my purple basil and pineapple sage–the two herbs I rely on most from my garden–I’m growing flat Italian parsley, which is “probably the most commonly used herb in the world!” (One day soon I’ll share with you a healthy and delicious pasta recipe that relies primarily on Italian parsley, roasted tomatoes, and cottage cheese.)

My Garden, One Month Later

On June 12, one month had passed since I last updated you on my garden, just after planting. I spent part of this weekend weeding and pruning and watching and watering. Then I blended some purple basil (1 cup), Italian parsley (1 cup), and thyme leaves (0.5 cup) with olive oil (1.5 cup), vinegar (0.5 cup), lemon juice squeezed from half of a lemon, and a teaspoon of sugar to make a tangy yet flavorful salad dressing. Later, I helped my dad plant some more seedlings he found in the shed; I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if they grow. For now, I offer you a mini photo tour in celebration of my garden’s one-month birthday.

Tomato-Basil Salad Dressing

Yesterday I gently picked some purple basil leaves from my garden, washed them carefully, and dropped them into some extra virgin olive oil. I mixed in a couple of other ingredients; started up my blender; and had a fresh, all-natural tomato-basil salad dressing in literally seconds.