Bursting

 
This is how some of my garden looks right now. There are lots of buds just ready to burst. The peony and larkspur, even the daisies are getting buds already. It keeps me in this stage of excited anticipation. Every day I want to walk out there and see if the flowers have opened up yet. What a delightful time of year

 
 
Then there are other parts of my garden that are riotous (is that a word). The catmint is overflowing (which I love) and just covered in purple flowers. I love having this staggering of blooming. As soon as one thing is finished something else is just beginning.

 
And here is my silly boy after rooting through the kitchen cabinets. He gets into things faster than you would believe, and he loves to make messes. So different from my girl.

I thought I would put a couple recipes on here for those of you who are foodies (both of these recipes are from Cooking Light). The first is my mom's rhubarb chutney. It is AMAZING! It is very good on grilled meat (particularly pork tenderloin) and transforms a turkey sandwich into a culinary delight. It is very easy. It freezes well, too.

Rhubarb Chutney

½ cup sugar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 3” cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups coarsely chopped rhubarb (about ½ pound)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped green onion
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add rhubarb, cranberries, green onion, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Spoon into a bowl and chill at least 2 hours. Discard cinnamon stick and serve.

This next recipe is for the CSA members out there who have radishes coming out of their ears. I am not particularly fond of radishes because of their peppery flavor, but we love this salad. It is very good, very easy, and does not taste radishy. This is one of our favorite ways to use radishes. Enjoy!

Japanese-Style Cucumber and Radish Salad

1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
8 sliced radishes (about 4 ounces)
1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced (about 10 ounces)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Combine onion, radishes, and English cucumber in a medium bowl.
Combine vinegar and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl; stir until blended. Drizzle vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture, tossing to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.