I went out for dinner with friends last night and it was a fantastic carb fest (review posted in SF/Bay Area and California regional board if anyone’s interested - piggy-backed onto someone else’s review from last year), AND the BF and I had our usual “brunch” of fries/aioli/and something to drink, so i went a little lighter for dinner tonight. Hence, steak salad - rib eye marinated in lime juice, minced cilantro stems, chilis, garlic, s&p for about 3 hours, pan fried in the CI. Salad was romaine, zucchini, steamed fresh corn and green beans, micro greens, onions, jalapenos and thai red chilis, cilantro, black beans, and cotija, with a vinaigrette of RWV, EVOO, a little pomegranate syrup, lime juice, Penzey’s dehydrated shallots, fresh thyme & s&p.
I used the handle end of a teaspoon. No getting away from the fiddliness of the prep
garden looks fantastic
The oak leaf hydrangea still looks great
My flowers are slowly changing colors and now pinkish
They spread fast. When they mature, you will find their trunks exfoliate in large flakes to reveal a beautiful cinnamon brown smooth interior.
I purchased the nana variety and had them in 3 locations, there is one location wherein there are so many babies sprouting up. I had offered it to friends as I cannot dig, they were to come last fall but never showed up. So, I went in 2 weeks ago and started eradicating them bec I want to see the beautiful exfoliating bark. Left a few if they should come but if not, I will have to eradicate them as well. Given the right environment, they will spread. 3 days ago, I had to kill 3 small ones as they were adjacent to the stone terrace steps and makes it difficult if they become larger.
They re one of my favorite bushes.
Since I feel like I’m always bringing/shaming folks out of hibernation, I’ll do it here too (funny how we all watch out for each other…I love it).
Paging Dr. @Ttrockwood, paging Dr. @Ttrockwood
Edited to add: @ChristinaM you may have left off the additional “T” in her handle?
Mrs P may like this
It is small, dwarf conifer, I have 3 of them, one died last year. This one was 20 years old when we first got it from Susanna Farms. it is now 3 foot diameter.
This picture was taken during spring when the cones turned purple
It is from Susanna Farms and Nursery in Montgomery County, where I got a lot of my JM and dwarf
She may also like this chocolate cherry allamanda , it is 2 pictures top and bottom. It is not a mandevilla , much more spectacular!
The allamanda is beautiful. I wonder if they sell them in NJ. They would be a good alternative to the mandevilla which takes a while to start growing and needs a lot of hot weather. The small dwarf conifer is also very nice, but I’m not sure if Mrs. P has any more room on the front lawn for any more bushes.
Thank you @ccj!
So funny! I was looking for a recent post from TR last night! Hopefully she’s lying on a gorgeous beach somewhere having the time of her life.
Pork fillet , white wine sauce, potatoes Nicoise, cavolo nero. Strawberries & cream for “afters”.
We loved Bloom so much that we returned a week later with some friends. Below is a link to the details and pictures.
We were gifted the first CCAlamanda. The second one, we bought from a place in Florida. That was a long time ago.
Turmeric has an earthy quality. I buy it when I see it fresh. Definitely need to glove up though. If not I look like a 5 pack a day smoker
Last week was stupid hot (like 105 plus everyday). It zapped all energy and cooking desire. Finally, last night we decided to deal with the sweat and braved the heat to turn on the grill. Did a small tri-tip, zucchini, and baguette doused with evoo and then rubbed with garlic. Some TJ’s mac was also heated up. I’m over summer and ready for fall please. There was some old vine zin to drink.
Somehow that reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer hosts a bunch of smokers in his apartment and his face and ends looking like an old baseball mitt.
Last week, the UK recorded its highest ever temperature (38.7). The last couple of days, it’s rained so hard that my garden became a lake. Tonight, it’s back to being just pleasant - so we had dinner on the patio. Tomorrow, the rain’s back.
That’s 101.6 for us yanks. I always end up looking it up, but I know anything much above 37 is a “fever”.
Could you share your method for crustless quiche? Thank you. I’m wondering whether it is more similar to a frittata or a savory clafouti, or none of the above!
So far so good - I’m sticking with my weekly meal planning. Of course it’s only Monday! We are doing grilled coho salmon ssam liberally dabbed with kochujang and spicy pickled cucumbers. Brown rice and farro. I did a test run just now and it’s pretty good. Here’s a weird helicopter shot.
dinner was a slice of left over tomato pie using puff pastry shell when new neighbor came to visit. Not knowing them, they refused wine as well as dessert. So, I had these 3 ripe yellow plantan that I planned to use. Cooked it tonight with EVOO, then when browned, added 2 tablespoon each of demerera sugar, butter and a splash of desanorro liquor. In the olden days, husband would flame it with cognac but I do not light match. Neither do Idrive lawn mower. Plantan taste good. Not too sweet as my diet dictate so.
Whoahza!!! 
those are crazy impressive! You totally win Best Mom Ever award for those, i bet your daughter was beside herself…
(Hmmmn… you know my mom actually is clever with bread making…and I’ll be there in a few weeks where it’s cool enough to use the oven…)
