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Quote of the Day: J.W. von Goethe

June 5th, 2011

Happy it is, indeed, for me that my heart is capable of feeling the same simple and innocent pleasure as the peasant whose table is covered with food of his own rearing, and who not only enjoys his meal, but remembers with delight the happy days and sunny mornings when he planted it, the soft evenings when he watered it, and the pleasure he experienced in watching it’s daily growth.

J.W. von Goethe (the Sorrows of Werther)
found in The Kitchen Gardener’s Handbook

In spring I can’t help but be so ever thankful for having a bit of earth in which to cultivate some of the food for our table. At the moment we’re truly enjoying fresh green salads topped with whatever edible flowers are blooming and the yellow strawberries that will be bearing all summer long.


The asparagus is almost finished and will be replaced on our plates by those beautiful golden peas I planted a few months ago.

The strawberries are finally in full swing and every evening we’ll be enjoying a bowl of shortcake covered in fresh raw milk from the farm (recipe to come later this week). It’s the perfect late dinner on a hot day!

The peas and strawberries will give way to zucchini, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes as the summer days grow hotter. Then before we know it we’ll be craving warming stews filled with squash and venison and a side of crusty bread in the cold months of winter. I don’t know if I have a favorite season when it comes to eating homegrown goodness, I’m learning to appreciate the different flavors and textures they each bring to the table.

Do you have a favorite season for eating fresh from the garden? What’s your favorite item in each season?

8 Comments to “Quote of the Day: J.W. von Goethe”
  1. KimH on May 1, 2011 at 7:11 am

    Amen! What a delightful piece.. Thanks for sharing it! Happy Day to you!

    Reply to KimH's comment

  2. Jennifer Fisk on June 5, 2011 at 6:18 am

    I guess a Prudens Purple tomato is my favorite. During the season, I eat many tomato sandwiches, sometimes every meal.
    I just planted 4 strawberry plants so will look forward to your recipe.

    Reply to Jennifer Fisk's comment

  3. Melissa on June 5, 2011 at 8:11 am

    Those peas are so pretty- i tried to order some from Baker Creek for this fall and they were sold out! Hopefully they will get some more before the fall!

    Reply to Melissa's comment

  4. Andrea on June 5, 2011 at 9:07 am

    Very nice post!!

    I would say I love spring/summer because of how satisfying it is to grow some of my food. But, you make all of the seasons sound great!!

    Reply to Andrea's comment

  5. KimH on June 5, 2011 at 10:20 am

    You come up with some of the nicest poetry & prose.. Thanks for sharing it.. Im definitely going to have to look into some of them..

    I’ve always loved eating fresh out of my gardens.. I think baby straight neck squash from the garden top my list of favorites with asparagus, raw sugar snap peas, and juicy old fashioned acidic tomatoes coming in next..

    Sugar snaps dont do well for me here for some reason, but I used to plant rows & rows of them.. My 2 girls & I would go out to pick them and come back in with almost none in our bowls but many in our bellies.. Its a memory that we all share & love some 15-20 years later.

    Have a beautiful day!!

    Reply to KimH's comment

  6. Nebraska Dave on June 5, 2011 at 10:27 am

    Susy, my favorite season is Spring because of all the new life and overall freshness of the surroundings. Now as for seasonal eating, I must agree that each season brings its own anticipation with it. Of course with the world wide transportation of food, we can have strawberries year round and watermelon any time we want it. There’s nothing like the taste of the local grown seasonal food compared to the transportation bred fruits and berries. Even my grandson who loves his strawberries won’t touch the steroidal giant strawberries grown in Mexico. Is it any wonder that food prices are so high when they have to be trucked thousands of miles to our stores?

    I am now anticipating that stroll out to raised bed number five to pluck that first ripe juicy tomato that compares with nothing else on the block. That luscious tomato only has to travel about fifty feet to my table.

    Have a great seasonal eating day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  7. kristin @ going country on June 5, 2011 at 2:09 pm

    After a long winter of nothing but canned or root vegetables, those sharp spring flavors (arugula, radishes, and dandelion greens) taste SO GOOD.

    Reply to kristin @ going country's comment

  8. Robin Mullet on June 6, 2011 at 9:43 am

    South of you here we are all having strawberry problems. It probably won’t be a good year for them. But my radishes took off and carrots are coming, tomatoes, broccoli, beans and beets all coming along. My favorite is not something in my garden, but the wild black raspberries that will soon be ready to be picked!

    Reply to Robin Mullet's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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