A Spot Like Eden.

Our generous garden.

Often I forget or rather I take it for granted that our garden provides some fruit and vegetables yet, it is far from normal. Well normal when taking on board the full experience of living in rural bliss. But one still has to acclimatize to it. After years of buying everything at supermarkets it takes a change of mind to cultivate a vegetable garden and to use it.

Bob's chayote are taking over most of the garden ( literally even growing so far as invading the bushes adjacent to it ) and that makes me forget some of the treasures silently waiting in its shade. Eggplants, tomatoes, chilies, spinach, zucchini and my new favourite, basil.

Basil, how sweet it is. The type we planted is different in taste and texture to the ones sold everywhere, but it is the better for it. Prolific too, thankfully.

When I came home for lunch I had already mentally planned my meal in the smallest details and got stuck in our garden, picking a bunch of basil and one lone orange chili. A quick rinse and into the blender along with garlic and salt. Oh, if I could only describe the aromas wafting in our kitchen. Too delicious. Does anyone else dream of cooking food and eating all day long?

A pot for some wholewheat pasta and before long I mixed my pesto mix into the freshly cooked pasta. Heaven on a plate. Tangy, salty, spicy and minty all in one bite. So incredibly tasty that it might border on a new food addiction. Even now I am contemplating whipping up another batch of basil. Who knew that growing one's own herbs could be so much fun...

The sweet basil being overrun by Bob's chayote plant...

... and to think that this whole chayote bush started off in May with only one little fruit planted in the soil! Its runners have even reached our summer kitchen building and are starting to creep up it...

Biggi