Today I Got Sauced

A good friend of mine of Italian extraction expressed dismay when he learned that I was using store bought sauce on my tomato pizza. Knowing that I was a gardener, he strongly encouraged me to make my own sauce. What can I say? It was an offer I could not refuse. After all, I had a plethora of ripe Roma tomatoes and sweet, red banana peppers just begging to be used. Not to mention pungent onions ready, willing and able to be part of a culinary symphony. Garlic? Oh yes there was garlic too, ready to play its part.

So how did my effort turn out? Well, I don't think Giada De Laurentiis has to worry about me taking her job anytime soon. Nor do I think The Order Sons of Italy will offer to bestow honorary membership on me in the foreseeable future. However, the taste is better than passable, if I do say so myself. And my friend was right. It tastes better and fresher than anything bottled or canned. So I guess we can label this experience delizioso!

Pungent Surprise

It seems that a squirrel decided to steal one of my immature onions before the first heavy snow of last year. The pungent booty was buried near the base of a tree in our backyard and thanks to the milder than normal winter it has survived and sprouted. I can only shake my head in disbelief. I never imagined that the tree roots would leave enough resources for an onion or any other vegetable to do well in that location.

The Lazy Gardener's Vegetable

I really enjoy growing onions from seed. It never ceases to amaze me how something that looks like a small, black grain of sand, can become something that is so savory. Usually, less than half the onion seeds I plant actually sprout, but once they get started, they're one of the easiest vegetables to cultivate. Attacks from insects are rare and even squirrels leave them alone. Give them water and a nutrient filled environment using compost or fertilizer rich in phosphorous(10-20-10) and they'll be just fine in the ground or in containers. And as far as the flavor of fresh onions is concerned, well, try growing your own and see what your tastebuds think.