of food, flora, and fairies

this weekend started with saturday morning drizzle unable to keep us away from the market. the three of us, with rain jackets and pastries, made our way around visiting, chatting, and perusing.  I dropped them back at the house afterwards and made my way to the grocery store.  all.  alone.  what a rare and glorious thing it is to be at the grocery store on my own. I'm guessing this may be a universally appreciated 'event' for mothers of small children. also, I hereby intend not to (again) run so low on toilet paper (as in, none left in the house) that I stand second guessing her decision when a friendly man at the market offers her a napkin to go along with her pastry and she turns him down.  you know, I was thinking 'you just might need that before I get back from the store kiddo.....'

I began a book that has been on my list for years and years.  I think I was holding out, waiting until I got my hands on a more attractive and pleasing to hold copy, but then I decided that was a tad silly.

saturday night we went to an event hosted by the blind pig supper club of asheville.  oysters and barbecue, with a ridiculous (in terms of variety and quantity) selection of appetizers and sides.  it was pretty amazing, and while the ticket prices are way over what we normally spend for dinner out, I can see us going back to another one of their events in the future. we sat with friends, the farmers we buy our meat from and who supplied the pigs for the main course, and were adjacent to a group of food writers and their friends.  one unfortunate fellow in the group stabbed himself with an oyster knife.  Mike went to check on him and was assured by the man that he was okay, he was a dentist.  an interesting bunch, they were.  Claire was with us (we typically come as a package deal) and thanks to a brief catnap on the way there, she hung for hours and fell asleep easily on the ride home.

from the blind pig website (excuse their typos):

"The difference between a speakeasy and a blind pig was that a speakeasy was usually a higher-class establishment that offered food and entertainment. In large cities, some speakeasies even required a coat and tie for men, and evening dress for women. But a blind pig was usually a low-class dive where only beer and liquor were offered.

We’re slightly different. Our itinerant is gastronomy, we throw in adventure, art and entertainment gratuitously and we allow you to bring your own ‘gin cocktail’… We have strict food philosophies as you will find the use of local and seasonal vegetables, and local, sustainable meats, fish and seafood on our menu’s.

Our purpose is two-fold. We intend to spotlight the creative talent that is unique to our city in the Southern Appalachians with food, art and music combined in one experience. We are also proud to raise awareness and funds for local and very important charities with each dinner concept. The Blind Pig Supper Club is fully licensed for business in the state of North Carolina and trademarked with all rights reserved. We are an exclusive, not-for-profit and private organization of creative and talented individuals motivated to organize and host dinner events fusing local art and local music with the talents of local chefs. We serve one dinner per month with a different concept, chef and venue. In the spirit of adventure, our menu and dinner location is kept secret to all ticket holders until the day of the event."

this morning I decided it was high time Claire and I headed over the mountain to painters greenhouse and nursery.  a place I became dangerously addicted to last year and had been on the fence about going to this year.  well.

well I got off the fence alright.  all sorts of creeping little beauties came home with me to fill in spaces around the stone wall papa is nearly done building, and some in between the walkway stones.  there was a blueberry bush that was too glorious to pass up, some peppers and basil, and an assortment of perennials for this bed or that.  ironweed, coreopsis, white wood aster, stoke's aster, balloon flower, delphinium, bleeding heart.....

her fairy house was spruced up with an irish moss welcome mat and some hens-and-chicks.

oh maidenhair fern.  how lovely you are.  I've tried (unsuccessfully) to grow these beauties inside a couple of times.  this one I will keep alive.  alive and thriving.  alive and thriving....

those are teeny tiny baby key limes!  I bought myself a couple mother's day gifts last week. a key lime and a meyer lemon that I can keep in pots on the deck in the summer and bring inside in the winter.  I am thrilled about these.

there is a new generation of starts coming up.  more greens, okra, melons, more squash. more to come soon and others to direct seed.

there was also some furniture shifting and organizing.  the mudroom was tidied and I'm hoping it will stay that way. (ha!)  it's coming along.  there's no floor or anything, none other than cement anyway, but that will come.

here's to spring cleaning and greening!

*weekending with amanda