just enough
In a time of fiscal crises, I find myself more enamored with the concept of "just enough". I feel like our country has pushed so long for going as big as possible-- the most money, the biggest cars/houses/mortgages (sigh), the largest profits on paper that don'tt add up in human terms.
I have been puttering in the garden, and the satisfaction I feel far outweighs any financial gain or job-related success. (I know a lot of people feel fulfilled from their job...but but my day job serves to pay expenses, and that's about it. I like it, but it doesn't feed my non-$ needs)
And while I love a full pantry, what I really love is having three jars of tomato sauce left on the shelf, with a loaded tomato plant ready to blush at any moment. A few sad frozen peppers as the first fruit fill out on the plant. Abundance is certainly welcome around here, as is having enough to share, but growing just enough is the real prize.
So I don't have 30 tomato plants, I have 15. That's enough for us. And that means means I have room to try new things, to grow my first artichoke and discover the wonder of cutting open my first radicchio...
Look at that pretty radicchio! Wow, not a slug in it either (unlike, well, mine). And I do hope you try it on a pizza in the cob oven, with a bit of stinky blue cheese...mmm...
ReplyDeleteI have been in such the put-away mode, food-wise, that it was kind of embarrassing: all that time invested in food not readily eaten...let's just say I am glad for the CSA. I can share the stuff now. And I know that 6 other families get to eat the good stuff too. That way, I will only need, what, as much canned goods as we'll actually eat here.
(That said, I think I will still put away 2 years' worth of tomato things. You never know!)
Thanks! No slugs this year (too dry) but we do have earwigs. Several more heads to use up, so we'll have to give it a try on pizza.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the 2 year plan for toms is not at all bad, especially with blight threats around. And you have the room, ha, I have to be a bit more stingy with my space :) The CSA sounds like the perfect solution for you though!