I credit my time living in the United Kingdom for acquainting me with this rustic French dish. Before then, I had never heard of ratatouille nor considered combining summer garden vegetables together to make this hearty side. I can recall it served several different ways including with a Sunday roast dinner, a vegetarian stew in a crock or a spread on crusty bread. Through my experiences living in England, I discovered ratatouille and came back home knowing it would be something I’d make on my own.
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In my New England garden, the optimum period to pluck hydrangea blooms to dry indoors is when summer turns to fall and before it frosts. For the best vase drying results, patiently wait until they’ve already started to dry on the plants. From there, the rest of the process is simple. I turn my dining room into a drying station where I’ll collect specimens at the end of the season when I don’t mind cutting the glorious buds from my flower garden.
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As I promised, I’m sharing my first-year beginner experience growing vegetables and herbs in galvanized steel raised garden beds. Overall, I’m thrilled. I’ve learned so much. I loved the anticipation watching vegetables I planted grow. I will consider this year my starting point. Even if it was the wettest summer in recent history which compromised the growing season, I’m ready for more. I’m already planning to invest in more raised beds next year.
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The time is here to make basil pesto at my house. While later than usual due to weather conditions and a delayed start planting, I can’t get through summer without sharing my traditional basil pesto. Every summer, I make sure to plant plenty of basil to make at least one giant batch (usually two) to gift to family and friends and stow in the freezer.
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A simple pasta sauce (sometimes with shrimp!) is something I like to whip up for dinner especially when I get a surplus of cherry tomatoes in the heat of summer. Adding in raw shrimp at the end, elevates this dish from simple to sophisticated in no time! This recipe also works well with larger tomatoes cut into chunks. If you have homemade pesto on hand, simply swap it out for the garlic and fresh basil, making this main course even simpler to make.
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The first potential heat wave of the season is predicted in my area this week which reminds me that we’re in the middle of the dog days of summer. According the Old Farmers’ Almanac, this period occurs July 3 to August 11 in the Northern Hemisphere. Living in central New England, these 40 days are truly a gift from Mother Nature that I treasure. Sure, the heat and humidity can be uncomfortable during a heat wave, so I do appreciate having central air when it’s needed. But overall, I embrace the summer heat. I patiently wait all winter for warm weather, so when the hot days hit, I try not to complain knowing I’d gladly welcome them in January.
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A seaside getaway always tops my summer to-do list and Mystic, CT and nearby shoreline areas checked off all the boxes and then some. There’s so much to do, we hardly made a dent in all that Mystic and the region has to offer. The plan for a summer getaway involves a laid-back itinerary: downtime on the beach, outdoor dining with water views (with lobster!) and finding accommodation what’s walkable to the action.
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A favorite dessert featured at a local steakhouse inspired me to develop this strawberry cobbler recipe. The restaurant rotated cobbler flavors depending on what fruits were in season. The summertime strawberry one was always number one for me. Served warm in individual stoneware dishes with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, this old-fashioned dessert is something I’ve been craving for the longest time, especially since the restaurant no longer makes cobblers. I started testing out this recipe a few months ago and have mastered what I think is the perfect strawberry cobbler.
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For Father’s Day, I share a poem I wrote for my Dad for his 75th birthday, an inspired idea suggested as a unique gift from a former boss and mentor. Now, eight years later, I realize this ode to him is actually more of a gift to myself. It gives me time to pause and appreciate my Dad. I’m not sure if these words will resonate with you not knowing my dad, but let me tell you a bit about him. An introvert all his life, calling himself bashful, he is a gentle man and deep thinker, an accidental philosopher actually, who loves being connected to nature and spending time outdoors.
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I’m finally trying out raised beds, made of galvanized metal, to elevate my vegetable gardening options. Over recent years, my vegetable and herb container gardening has been growing. Literally! I started out with a few pots on the deck, then it expanded to several large containers in my driveway. Last year, I integrated veggies and herbs in my flower beds and heavily pruned out a spot in the shrubbery of my back foundation area. I’ve had some success, but it wasn’t really working for me. I just wanted some raised beds. But I wasn’t sure how to go about it until I discovered the modern-yet-vintage style of metal raised beds at my friends’ house. I immediately fell in love with them.
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In honor of all graduating students, I share a family story about my niece’s uncertain beginning into this world. This story came into being because of a job opportunity. I was required to demonstrate my writing skills by sharing an original sample. It was for a marketing and communications position for a hospital system, so it had to focus on health care and it could be personal. So, I wrote about what I knew. Like most writers do.
My younger sister, Kim, then 23, was going through a medical rough patch and we were all rallying around her in support. That was 18 years ago. The account I share here is unchanged from the original. That’s important to me because I want to ensure that the integrity of the words capture how we felt during my sister’s high-risk pregnancy carrying my niece, Emily.
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Don’t you love spring and how it entices you with anticipation, optimism and renewal? How the longer, warmer days encourage you get outdoors, connect with nature and embrace your world? This is why I find spring to be an opportune time to review your annual goals, check your lists twice (or thrice!) and re-evaluate your achievements. And once that’s done, move some of your unfulfilled 2023 priorities to the top of your goals list.
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