Sunday, July 20, 2008

Feeling a Little Buggy

This week I spotted some friendly transients in the garden. Strangely enough, both of them were hanging out around the cucumber.

1.) Stinkbug, basking in the evening sun's glow:


2.) Baby praying mantis, vigilant for a tasty morning snack:


My personal favorite snack lately has been a small bowl of sliced baby cucs along with cherry tomatoes, all sprinkled with just a little salt and black pepper.

I tried yet another recipe this weekend using some homegrown zucchini and eggplant. My yellow squash weren't quite ready yet, so I reluctantly purchased some. The recipe for Mediterranean Pressed Picnic Sandwiches out of Vegetarian Times was quite a hit: grilled eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash layered with roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella cheese, sandwiched in between olive tapenade and pesto on ciabatta.

Before:


After:


We packed those puppies up and headed out for a day at a local vineyard, Harmony Hill, located in Bethel, OH. I'm ashamed to say this was our first trip to a vineyard, as much as we love our wine. Harmony Hill is snugged into a hilly homegrown nook east of Cincinnati. Peach, apple, and pear trees dotted the grounds while a few lazy donkeys eyed the visitors from near the grape fields. The owners were extremely accommodating, beaming with pride and that good old small town Midwest hospitality. It's hard for me to not envision myself living on a farm like this. I can only hope and plan for a plot of my own some day.

It was a sweltering 90+ degrees outside - not the best conditions to be drinking a fair amount of wine. Needless to say, we walked away with several bottles of both red and white which we'll save for the future.
Quite a tasty and inspiring little day trip!

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