The Spicy Virgin Mary

The sun rises and falls easily, like the swing of a hammock, and I find myself living the charmed life of a student digesting after a recent work frenzy. Forgotten errands make the daily roster. The kitchen has been thoroughly cleaned and re-organized, and will soon be stocked with fresh knives and bowls.

A trip to the grocery store is no longer a quick stop in, but a four-hour endeavor. When working under a deadline I usually put on my east coast eyes, averted down and to the right, signifying that I don't have time to chat. With my eyes now open and my head held high, I find that I have many friends in the grocery stores. Friends generally are waiting to be invited in this way. They make the load light even when the arms are full.

At the coffee shop I am sometimes referred to as the "Salad Lady", or "Salad girl", or "hey 90 salads". This is due to a recently completed project entitled "90 salads in 90 days" which can be found at http://90saladsin90days.blogspot.com.

Today a complete stranger asked me for advice on baking zucchini bread.

I have decided to continue blogging. I have decided to keep writing about produce. The summer has not yet set, and the farmers markets are heavy with greens, waiting to be rinsed, bathed, marinated, simmered, crisped, roasted and wilted. They have been grown for you, they long for your palate. Their cycle of existence anxiously awaits your taste receptors to be completed. You contain the scratch to their itch, a body to enhance the meaning of their existence. Do not listen to those that would sell you on the idea that vegetables are merely health food. That sort of thinking will only rob you of your appreciation for them!

This morning, at breakfast, while sitting out on a lovely patio, I enjoyed a virgin bloody Mary with plenty of horseradish. The garnish was marinated asparagus and a tangy green bean. It reminded me of my father, who used to work at the stock exchange where they make bloody Mary's with plenty of pepper. Christina and I sat out on the patio and savored every bite of our time together, over the flavorful shake of tomato and spice.

Welcome to Leafy Reader