Down & Dirty

Summer hit me today. The weather here in Chicago has been so hit or miss, I haven't really been sure what season it is; but today was summer. It was warm, people were out riding bikes, women were wearing fluttery summer skirts and guys started sporting boaters. While going for a little (and I do mean little!) jog before work I could smell the lilacs that are blooming down the street.

When I got home I pulled out the potting soil and did some planting. The little deck attached to my apartment is starting to look like quite the happening place! I'm not a natural gardener. I know some folks who just seem to walk by plants and they grow; I'm more the plant & pray type myself. And while I may not win any prizes, there is something so reassuring about planting things and watching them grow. I don't like to wear gloves, I appreciate getting some dirt under my fingernails. I like the softness of the dirt, the spidery roots of the seedlings. I love to see how something that is pretty on it's own becomes even more beautiful when it's put next to something else. I have some white begonias that are so lovely, but when they are added to a box with some pink petunias the white becomes even brighter, the subtle purple tone of their leaves becomes more noticeable and the petunias suddenly seem so lacy and delicate next to the sturdy begonias. They bring out the best in each other.

There is a reason that gardening is such a common metaphor for living in community. It's messy, it takes time for things to grow, sometimes you don't see progress at all. You have to know who needs what and how to best make each plant flourish without squelching the others around it. Things that look dead might be getting ready to bloom while things that look healthy might be laden with disease. You choose whether you want a perfectly manicured Versailles, or a wildly beautiful English garden. You can be the type of gardener who starts from scratch each season or you can be the type who shelters the bulbs in the winter and prunes the same rose bush your grandmother first planted. The stability and resilience of your garden are directly related to your investment of time.

After the enlightening time spent gardening it was time for dinner. I decided that to kick off my official recognition of summer, it was time to grill. I threw on some asparagus and sweet potatoes. I heated up some black beans with a few cloves of freshly crushed garlic. Strawberries for dessert, it was the perfect end to an imperfect but beautiful day.

Grilled Asparagus
1 lb asparagus, end snapped off
grapeseed oil (could use canola or olive oil, but they heat at lower temperatures)
salt
black pepper
red pepper flakes

After washing and snapping the asparagus, toss with enough oil to evenly coat all the stalks. Sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper and pepper flakes to taste. Grill over indirect heat until cooked through and with light grill marks. Mmm.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into rounds 1 inch thick
grapeseed oil
limes
cilantro
salt & pepper

Brush the sweet potato rounds with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on grill for about 5 minutes per side. After removing the rounds from the grill, cut away and discard the skin (it should peel away easily) and cut the potatoes into large matchsticks. Place the potatoes in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of oil, the juice of one lime and chopped cilantro. Serve warm.