Hand Picked

In her cookbook, Alice B. Toklas recalls in the chapter 'The Gardens at Bilignin' that "The first gathering of the garden in May of salads, radishes and herbs made me feel like a mother about her baby - how could anything so beautiful be mine... there is nothing that is comparable to it, as satisfactory or as thrilling, as gathering the vegetables one has grown."
We've had the 'inlaws' staying with us this week and last night for dinner I nestled a Salad Nicoise on a bed of freshly picked leaves. Towards the end of the meal, a couple of slightly befuddled caterpillers made their way to the rim of Michael's father's bowl. I suppose I felt a bit like a mother about her baby - as it picks its nose.
I'm still experimenting with different varieties but I like to keep a steady supply of these two (aka. Radichetta and Winter Density) from Kokopelli. They are good and crunchy and can be harvested over a long period.