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Pure Joy

April 4th, 2013

Sitting down to a meal of things that were produced here is a wonderful thing.  On Tuesday night we did just that.  I finally harvested that lettuce I started in containers a month ago.
lettuce harvest 1 (1)
We enjoyed it topped with: venison tenderloin produced by Mr Chiots (aka the fearless hunter), eggs from our very own flock, seaweed from Mt Rose Herbs, cheese from a local dairy, and an avocado purchased at the co-op (the small farm I usually order from doesn’t have any yet).  We topped it all off with a Meyer lemon vinaigrette, which was made with lemons I bought from Lemon Ladies Orchard and olive oil from Chaffin Family Orchards.
lettuce harvest 2 (1)
Boy was it delicious, once I get my avocado tree growing and a few dairy sheep I’ll be all set for this meal to be 100% home produced. Actually, I’ll probably never have those things, but I enjoy eating as much as I can from my garden!

Do you have anything you dream of growing for yourself but probably won’t?

20 Comments to “Pure Joy”
  1. kristin @ going country on April 3, 2013 at 5:45 am

    I reallyreallyreally want a Jersey cow for milk. Except what I actually want is the milk, not the cow, because milking every single day is something I don’t particularly want to add to my roster of duties. So I have to content myself with Jersey milk being an occasional treat from the far-away farm that has Jerseys.

    Maybe when my sons are older and ready for milking it themselves. By which point they’ll probably be drinking so much milk, we’ll have to get a cow just to keep from going broke.

    Reply to kristin @ going country's comment

  2. Adelina Anderson on April 4, 2013 at 6:22 am

    I have a vision of my own farm complete with bees for honey. None of it is happening though, husband is allergic to bee stings/wasp stings, we have too many bobcats, fishers, and foxes around so that means no chickens and ducks. And unless I put up a fence, my garden will become and all you can eat buffet for the deer again. So I buy my honey from local farms and just about everything else.

    Reply to Adelina Anderson's comment

  3. kathi Cook on April 4, 2013 at 6:37 am

    goats for cheese!

    Reply to kathi Cook's comment

  4. Adriana on April 4, 2013 at 7:26 am

    Sheep! I dream of wool and cheese and lamb roasts, but probably never going to happen…

    Reply to Adriana's comment

  5. Nebraska Dave on April 4, 2013 at 8:30 am

    Suzy, I’ve pretty much done it all so I’m quite content in the this season of life to just have a garden. I don’t even mind if most of it goes to the wild animals. One small portion is enough for me. I just like spending time there smelling the smells and hearing the sounds of nature. On the down hill side of life important things are quite different than during the high energy years that are full of plans and dreams. Oh, yes, I still have plans and dreams. There just not as long term as they used to be. Plans and dreams for me will never end until life itself does.

    Have a great day in the garden.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

    • Elyse on April 4, 2013 at 11:09 am

      Ooh, I love that thought – ” Plans and dreams for me will never end until life itself does.” So good!

      What I would like and will probably never have is a dairy cow – the hubs doesn’t want to get tied down by daily milkings, which I respect…. but it’s fun to dream. :)

      Reply to Elyse's comment

    • amy on April 4, 2013 at 12:26 pm

      I agree with Elyse….You have a great deal of wisdom sir…which I hope…. would come to us all on the down hill side….Have a wonderful day~Nebraska Dave:)….You are a gentle soul.

      Reply to amy's comment

  6. Kaytee on April 4, 2013 at 8:55 am

    I’m totally jealous you have lettuce already! Mine are still tiny that I started last month. They probably don’t have enough space or nutrients. I think I’ll dig out a pot and plant them in it, with some compost.

    I’m starting an avocado right now! One of them is germinating now. Supercool to watch. But my goal is to one day have a dairy cow or two. But I’ll have to get some land first.

    Reply to Kaytee's comment

  7. Melissa on April 4, 2013 at 8:57 am

    Looks delicious! I just harvested my first lettuce of 2013 too! Should be a lovely salad to share with dinner guests this evening!

    Reply to Melissa's comment

  8. Joan on April 4, 2013 at 9:42 am

    I’d love to have a fig tree. With global warming, it may be feasible soon (trying to look at the bright side here!). And I’d love to grow avocado, and citrus… Someday I’ll have bees too – this wish is more realistic!

    Reply to Joan's comment

  9. Jessica on April 4, 2013 at 11:29 am

    I really wish I had this for my lunch today. It looks so good.

    Reply to Jessica's comment

  10. Marcia on April 4, 2013 at 12:12 pm

    Oh, I wish I could have a few laying hens but Calgary bylaw won’t budge on the subject. Even if they did, my husband says farm animals belong on a farm and not in our city yard. So I pay exorbitant prices for somewhat free-range eggs and I keep dreaming.

    Reply to Marcia's comment

  11. amy on April 4, 2013 at 12:23 pm

    Susy~would you divulge where you purchase your avocados? I buy large quantities of these and would like to check out an alternative rather than my supermarket. Thanks.

    Reply to amy's comment

  12. Myra on April 4, 2013 at 2:02 pm

    A steer for our own beef would be nice indeed.

    Reply to Myra's comment

  13. Amy S on April 4, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    so if you were Santa and I could have anything I wanted…..a few cows, sheep, chickens, some piglets, some goats too. Oh and would need someone to take care of them while I work lol. My question is this….how are you guys getting avocado trees? also another question…how are you peeling your fresh eggs? Your eggs whites look intact whereas mine are always tearing chunks out when I peel them. BTW your dinner looks delish!

    Reply to Amy S's comment

  14. KimH on April 5, 2013 at 10:21 am

    Yes… I’d love to grow everything we consume… and quite honestly, most of what is stopping me is that we live in town & we probably wont be moving since M’honey is quite happy & content there.. We have great neighbor friends too. M’honey has lived there for 25 years and has no plans of going anywhere..

    I’d love to have a garden & place like I had many times in years past, including an orchard and a huge asparagus patch too.. a cow & a couple piggies a year to butcher would be great too.

    Oh yeah.. I can still dream.. ;)

    Reply to KimH's comment

    • KimH on April 5, 2013 at 10:23 am

      Oh phoey… I always forget to say one thing.. Your lettuces and dinner plate look fantastic!! Great job to the both of you… tenderloin.. yum!

      Reply to KimH's comment

  15. Michelle on April 5, 2013 at 1:33 pm

    This looks SO GOOD!! I have been craving avocado…mm mm mmmm.

    Reply to Michelle'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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