Brush Valley Brewer

We have most of our seeds planted, but we grow much of our garden from live plants, so today I took the day off of work and Gretchen and I went over to Peachy’s Greenhouse and got some plants.

Gretchen and I looked for the varieties that we had already picked out. We ended up getting 14 Better Boy tomato plants, 6 Big Boy tomato plants, 14 Gypsy green pepper plants, 6 Jalapeño pepper plants, and two Rosemary plants.

Here they are in the trunk for the ride home. We’ll plant them in a week or so, after we are sure there will be no more frost. In the mean time we’ll keep them in the shade and well watered.

• 10.423 Gallons
• $1.919/Gallon
• $20.00
• 252.2 Miles
• 24.2 Miles/Gallon
• 8¢/Mile
• 10 Days

Breakfast was a cup of coffee, a glass of orange juice, and a bowl of fresh pineapple and banana slices. I weighed 158 pounds.

Lunch was a bowl of multi-bean and ham soup, a hand full of peanuts, a banana, and a Saranac Pale Ale.

During the afternoon we had another Saranac Pale Ale.

For dinner, Gretchen made a ham, swiss, and asparagus quiche that we split and had with another Saranac Pale Ale. I had some peanuts for dessert.

Mother and son are resting quietly. Both are doing well.

Grandma gets in a hug.

That is the song of the Cardinal.

Breakfast was two cups of coffee, a glass of orange juice, and a bowl of cold cereal. I weighed 158 pounds.

At the office I had another cup of coffee.

Over lunch I walked downtown to get my hair cut and stopped at the HUB on the way back and had Panda Express Sushi — salmon, tuna, shrimp, and four California rolls — Inari — rice filled soybean pockets — and a green tea boba — a mixture of green tea, milk, and tapioca pearls that some people call “bubble tea.” I think it is the best sushi on campus, but the reviewer for the student newspaper does not think much of it.

Gretchen and I split a bottle of Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut, to celebrate the new foal.

Dinner was whole wheat spaghetti with roasted tomato sauce, a slice of raisin bread, and a salad.

Some of you may be thinking to your self. “It seems like every time they turn around Mark and Gretchen are planting another batch of trees. Where do they all come from?” Well, the answer is the Centre County Conservation District. They have an annual tree seedling sale where local residents can buy seedlings from a variety of species of evergreen, hardwood, and fruit trees for very reasonable prices. For instance, you can get 100 Colorado Blue Spruce seedlings for $56.00. Proceeds of the sale are used to sponsor environmental education programs within the county. Gretchen and I simply stick the seedlings into the flower beds around our house until they are big enough to survive where we intend to plant them. They are very small and there is always some infant mortality, but we always get more than we need and only transplant the healthiest specimens into the yard.

I just upgraded to Backup 2.02. Now it does this every time I start it.

Tried deleting the preferences, but it did not help. Any suggestions?

Gretchen and I discovered Celery Root through the CSA this Winter. When I saw this recipe, I thought we might want to give it a try.

Total time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 3 Sage Leaves
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 tablespoon Grape Seed Oil
• ¾ cup sliced Onion
• 2 pounds Celery Root, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 quart Vegetable Stock
• 1¼ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoon White Pepper
• 1 cup Whipping Cream
• high-quality fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Place the rosemary, sage and bay leaf in a square of cheesecloth and tie it securely to make an herb sachet. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot, add the onion and cook over low heat until translucent but not browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the herb sachet, celery root, vegetable stock and salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until the celery root is tender when tested with a knife, about 25 minutes. Remove 2 cups of stock and reserve.
3. Add the cream, bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 4 minutes, then remove from heat and discard the herb sachet. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor and strain. Add reserved stock back into the purée until the soup reaches desired thickness. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot, drizzled with the olive oil.

Each serving: 351 calories; 5 grams protein; 26 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 27 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 82 mg. cholesterol; 1,250 mg. sodium. [Hansen]

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Hansen, Barbara. “A soup to root for.” The Los Angeles Times. 12 May 2004. <www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-sos12may12,0,7902225.story?coll=la-headlines-food> (11 May 2004).