Twilight Zone

I savor those mornings when I'm able to work in our garden before the sun rises, and love watching the light slowly brighten and reveal the rows of plants and their new growth or fruit. There is a heavy, cool layer of dew giving everything a fresh, wet paint appearance. The morning is quiet save for a pesky mosquito buzzing in my ear and the morning birds singing their song. The loose dirt in my hands is still warm from the day before in contrast to the cool morning air. The minutes seem to pass more slowly before the sun finally breaks the horizon, but once it does, the temperature rapidly rises, reminding me of another reason for rising so early. With the sun shining, the bees busy themselves pollinating our garden.

The Evins Mill garden is having a productive year thus far. The salad greens are still coming in, and as long as the heat is not too intense, should continue do do so through the end of June. Our tomato plants appear healthy and are beginning to feature small yellow blooms. Just this week new comers are poking through the soil. Cucumbers, green beans, yellow squash, zucchini, Indian corn and water melons all germinated within a week of their planting and appear happy so far. I still have gourd, pumpkin and butternut squash seed to plant in another week - and hopefully seeds for a few pepper plants as well. The garden will keep me more than busy when I am not cooking! As there are so many delicious things to grow, I find it hard to know when enough is enough. Maybe when my wife and children stop helping - they are making a "chef scarecrow" even as I type.

I love creating and cooking healthy and good tasting food for our guests...and rising before the sun does so I can grow the produce that makes that homegrown cuisine available in the first place. We hope you will join us soon to enjoy our fresh produce inspired meals!