The Day Apricot Ate Fred
a nutty garden story
It was an unfortunate set of circumstances for all parties involved, but then life isn't always pleasant and life in a garden can't always be a party.
I met Fred when my husband and I bought (and bought and bought) our herbs and vegetables for the year. Our space is very limited so planting was going to be a challenge this year, as every year before that. It wasn't until last year my husband caught the gardening bug. Now two of us compete for space. I have banished him to the side of the house and have secured the patio as off limits planting for all but myself.
I enlisted my usual crew of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, along with some new herbs like sorrel and savory. I can hardly wait to get to know them! I also have become obsessed with the idea that one can grow/regrow vegetables from the fridge. I have buried a disproportionate number of vegetables that once resided in the nether regions of my fridge, watching for sprouts and greenery. It's very exciting indeed. It feels as though we are surrounded with vegetation, just waiting to take over the world if given the chance. I have also discovered that nature, for the most part, needs no help at all in its journey. When we are done playing around, it takes back over and does what it always does.
It was then that Fred and I met; he and his cute little warts adorning his leathered grey skin, his huge eyes looking at me with horror. "Oh no! I've been discovered! By a human!" I looked at him adorably, first seeing only a perfect replica of a toad. I couldn't remember when I had purchased one and when I had set it under the concrete toadstool. That would have been last year, however, so the toad needed to be moved. I needed any vacant space I could find for our refrigerator refugees. As my hand closed in on the little guy, he jumped back with such force, I fell back too. In reality, I was startled discovering he was very much alive. He croaked. I let out a tiny scream and then laughed at myself, briefly checking to see if any onlookers caught my little episode. This cute little guy needed some pictures! I rushed and grabbed my handy camera and took the only known surviving photos of Fred.
He hopped away to await the lovely new garden I was planting , complete with plenty of big fat bugs just waiting for him to dine on. I, meanwhile, proudly showed Fred's pictures to friends, family, and a few innocent bystanders. As the sun set over the next few evenings I watched him explore his new surroundings in his very toad-like way. He would use his back legs as springs...a double wind-up each time he hopped anywhere. He was a fat little guy and I guessed he needed that extra spring to get off the ground. I slept peacefully that week, knowing that Fred was fighting a good fight with any flies and mosquitoes. It was going to be a good summer.
Mornings bring a daily guided tour of our vegetable garden. I'm shown centimeters of growth from one day to the next, the twitches and turns in the leaves and vines and how green the greenery has grown. It's all quite fascinating and he's very good at admiring his work. I, too, admire his work. This particular morning, as the tour ended, I began to head back indoors. A feather caught my eye. A black feather lay on the concrete next to another, then another until I discovered a full set of wings. There in the farthest corner of the patio, lay an almost full set of wings minus a bird part in the middle. I handed my beloved a broom and abruptly vacated the area.
A day passed, morning came, and the grass began to plan it's daily growth spurt. It had to grow fast before that loud and bladed machine came to lop all of the growth back off. The blades reached and reached but the sound of the lawn mower starting dashed the grass's hope. There would be no more growth for today. They would have wait until tomorrow to restart their journey to the sky.
"Yeeoowwwww!!!!!!!
It was the scream of a terrified animal. The scared little screams overpowered the sound of the mower. In fact, the closer my husband came to our house, more panicked and loud the cries became. I counted heads here, indoors and Einstein, Newton and trusty old Shadow were just fine. I ran out to find the panicked voice and discovered the cutest little ball of fluff just as bright orange and no bigger than an apricot. He was hidden in a dark corner of the patio, under the roots of an evergreen shrub. I looked around to find another animal. I knew there was no way that something this little could scream so loud. I was immediately proved wrong. The little Apricot, coated in the softest peachy fuzz, took one look at me with his big kitten eyes and wailed! "Oh no! I've been discovered by a human!" I looked at him adorably, as did my husband. We gently tried to bring him out to safety but he made a daring escape, hiding far from the humans and their machines, or at least as far as next door. We knew then what happened to the bird, or lack thereof. It was Apricot. (or more likely, Apricot's mom)
My thoughts then went to Fred the toad. Oh no! Apricot didn't eat Fred too! No, it couldn't be. But, alas, there was no sign of Fred. We were left with only the concrete toadstool, the few photos of our missing toad and our memories. It was with a heavy heart that I realized Fred was gone. The herbs still grow. The refrigerator refugees are surviving well and sprouting. My beloved's garden twitches and turns growing greener by the day. But there is something missing. Something that once was, a croak here and a couple of hops there, was now vacant from the garden. Fred will live in our memories, and this blog. He has moved on.
As for little Apricot? That round little fuzzball of terror is still out there. He has a hungry monster hiding within his cute little body, ready to devour any garden toads or birds that lie in his path. Future updates may be required with that little guy.
I love my nutty little life, my nutty little ways (at times) and my nutty little stories (also, at times).
So here's to Frogs, Apricots and Garden Nuts!
Until next time, please enjoy this little spinach salad, chock full of nuts ...oh and apricots. Don't worry, these apricots won't bite back.
Fresh apricots aren't around for long so enjoy them while you can!
As for frog legs...let's just save those for another day....one that's very far away.
Walnuts and apricots go so well together. They are founds hanging around all over Europe, hand in hand. Kolachkis, Tarts...Yum
Here you have the two, once again, hand in hand, but this time they pair in a more savory way. They come together in a rich, velvety spinach salad. Add a little bacon, a little crumbled blue cheese and it's a great salad for spring!
The Walnut Crusted Chicken
1 pound Chicken Breast Tenders
1 cup Plain Bread Crumbs
1 cup Walnuts, chopped or ground fine
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 cup Olive Oil
Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix the ground walnuts, breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
Dip the chicken breast tenders into the beaten egg and then coat with the breadcrumb mixture on both sides, flattening the tenders gently with the palm of your hand.
Over medium heat, add enough olive oil to a skillet to coat the bottom. When the oil begins to shimmer slightly, cook the chicken strips until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes on one side.
Flip and cook another 3-4 minutes. Do this in batches, adding a little more oil if necessary in between.
The Salad and Dressing
5-6 Strips of Thickly Sliced Bacon
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Walnut Oil (or Olive Oil)
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
2-3 tablespoons Honey
4 cups Baby Spinach
1/2 Red Onion, sliced
4 Fresh Apricots, pitted and sliced
4 tablespoons Crumbled Blue Cheese
4 teaspoons Walnuts, chopped and lightly toasted
1. Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Set bacon aside on paper towels to absorb any excess grease. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
2. Turn heat down to medium low and add the walnut oil and the minced garlic.
3. Add the balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the honey. Taste. Add more honey if you like a sweeter dressing. Add a pinch of salt, if needed too. (It depends on the saltiness of your bacon.)
6. Drizzle with warm balsamic dressing.
No comments:
Post a Comment