Morning in My Garden

And Knowing When Plenty is Enough

Last year, after a full and exhausting harvest season, I decided to dial back our vegetable garden to a quarter of its normal size.

I made the decision with equal excitement and trepidation. For as many years as I can remember, my summer days have been spent folded over in the garden, weeding and harvesting — the smell of dill and oregano lingering in the kitchen, after flavoring quarts of homemade pickles and tomato sauce.

Over the many years that we’ve grown our vegetables, I’ve learned to delight in the baskets of cucumbers, eggplants, zucchini, basil, and tomatoes that find their way onto my kitchen counter and the way they shape the meal that follows.

But, at the end of the season last year, I had a huge harvest and massive fatigue to match. We made the decision to temporarily down-size months ago, and now that we’re entering in the summer months, I can rest assured it was the right decision for us this year.

Today, I want to show you around my little market garden and make a bit of breakfast together. Let’s go spend the morning in the vegetable garden together… here’s how my garden grows!

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In this week’s video, I made creamy polenta with poached eggs for breakfast - one of our family’s favorites! Here’s my recipe:

Perfect Polenta

The baking soda and a large amount of water are what make this polenta perfectly creamy and light. Best served warm in a bowl.

Ingredients:

• 7 1/2 cups water

• 1 tbsp sea salt

• Pinch of baking soda

• 1 1/2 cups coarse-ground polenta

• 4 tbsp butter

• 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded

Ingredients:

1. In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add in the sea salt and baking soda.

2. Using a wooden spoon to swish the water side to side, slowly pour in the polenta, stirring the entire time. Reduce the heat to as low as possible, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.

3. Take the lid off, use a whisk to stir the polenta (breaking up any large pieces that are stuck together), and put the lid back on. Let the polenta continue cooking for another 20 minutes. The heat under them should be very low — if it won’t go that low, pull the saucepan halfway off the burner (rotating halfway through the cooking time).

4. Turn the heat off, remove the lid, and add the butter and Parmesan cheese to the polenta. Stir to combine. Let rest for 5 minutes.

5. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and extra Parmesan for serving, if desired.

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Now Booking: A restful retreat in the Italian countryside.

Che vita! What a life!

You’re invited to join us for our Che Vita Getaway featuring long, delicious days of refreshment and delight at a hilltop villa in Umbria, Italy.

Together, we’ll eat incredible food, see pieces of rural Italy, taste local goods of all kinds, rest, and enjoy being away from the hustle. You can learn more about our exclusive, intimate getaways right here.

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Love,