Week 13 — Early morning …
I was driving along Nassau Park Boulevard on my way to the office. The strip of land along the road was lined with many trees all of which had blossom in full bloom. The early morning sun was shining through and despite the chill (and my severe allergies) I could not resist. I parked my car and walked back with my tripod. I took a lot of shots but my wife and I really liked this one. I processed the image in Adobe Lightroom 4, Photomatix Pro and Pixelmator.
Read MoreWeek 12 — Arugula Salad with Roasted Beets & Toasted Goat Cheese & Shrimp
I love good food. I’m not a chain restaurant diner. Often the food is engineered to cater to the least common denominator by a bunch of people wearing lab coats. That usually means bland, boring, middle of the road food that is high in calories and low in nutrition. There are exceptions of course but very few.
I prefer to eat from restaurants run by chefs who have a love for the craft and who source their ingredients locally. There are a few like that in my area.
Today I took a walk around Rocky Hill – a borough in my Township of Montgomery. I know, I know! I should not have. I have severe allergies to tree pollen and given that the pollen count was so high, I should have stayed inside.
But the tree-lined main street was seductive. After snapping a few good shots with my camera, I stopped in at the One 53 for lunch. My favorite waitress Amy working today. She seated me near the corner window and we chatted while I reviewed the food and beer menu.
I sipped on a bottle of Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Ale – Rum Cask while finishing my Arugula Salad with Roasted Beets & Toasted Goat Cheese. The salad had no protein so Amy offered to add a serving of shrimp. The salad was surprising spicy. I’m not sure that was because of the beets or something that was added to the seasoning that covered the shrimp and chick peas. I’m not a food reviewer but I think this salad was delicious. My wife would enjoy it.
Read MoreWeek 11 — Purple Haze
I love gardening. Growing up in the West Indies I was always surrounded by lust tropical vegetation. The island where I was born1 has a now dormant volcano2 but previous eruptions have left the soil dark and fertile. Almost anything will grow on this island without much help. Plant it and it will grow. I grew up with a backyard filled with coconut and avocado trees, and what natives call plum trees3.
I brought that love of grading with me when I moved to the United States but I have nowhere to plant until we bought our first home. I had to learn a lot. The soil in New Jersey is not as fertile and the sort of plants that would grow here are quite different. I had to learn about perennials and annuals and when to plant what and in what soil and with how much fertilizer. It took many years but I think I’m getting the hang of it. Last fall my niece and I planted a whole mess of bulbs. I love watching here face when she comes over to visit and she sees what we created together.
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A lot of the fruits are imported from the Pacific, some by Captain Bligh on the Bounty. ↩
