Warning: This post is filled with cute pictures of pets in gardens. Read it at your own risk. The cuteness can be overwhelming!

A few weeks ago I asked you guys to send in cute snapshots of your pets in the garden and my inbox was filled with adorable snapshots. I’ve collected all of the photos together here for you to enjoy. Thanks to everyone who shared photos of their pets and their stories!

Wink the Adorable and Frida the Glamorous

LeAnn, who writes the fabulous blog Lelo in Nopo, shared photos of Wink the Dog (see top of post) and Frida the Cat. Like so many of us she can’t imagine her garden without her pets, but it has also become a special place for Wink, who sadly just lost her eyesight. LeAnn reports that Wink is learning to cope with her new life and that the garden has been a place of healing.

Jimi on the Prowl

I just love orange boy kitties, so I was super excited when Danielle from One Green Tomato sent in this photo of her late cat, Jimi, prowling in the corn. Such a wonderful shot and a great way to remember him!

Baxter the Beet

Norma reports that they grow beets black and furry in their garden. I’d say they are pretty cute, too.

Dobby Digs

Wendy from the blog Muck About sent this photo and said, “If only he would dig them where I need them.” I hear you on that one Wendy. Domino usually decides our carrots would be an awesome place to dig a hole!

A Big Chicken

Stacy from Seattle Seedling sent in this adorable photo of her ameraucana chick, Penny, beak to nose with her golden retriever, Beans. Seriously, this is crazy cute!

On the Up and Up

Cady the Dog stands in for a yardstick in Carbzilla’s garden. Check out that cute smile and how much the corn grew from July to August!

Cat Naptime

Elayne writes that her cat, Creamsicle, loves to sleep in the makeshift cloche with the cabbage and broccoli starts.  His own private sunroom. Smart kitty.

Ozzie the Doggie

My dear friend Leigh just adopted this cute guy from the animal shelter and he loves to chill out in the container garden on her apartment’s patio. I’m his official auntie and can’t wait to meet him in person. I love all dogs, but especially ones that like to hang out in gardens.

Bunny Love

My friend Abby sent in this photo of her pet bunny, Jackson. She says that he is the only rabbit that she allows in the garden. I think I’d let him munch on the mulch too!

Sunbathing Frances

Frances is one of my favorite cats in the whole world. She has a tuxedo-like coat and adorable little feet. She’s also one lucky girl. Her family fenced in their Port Townsend, Washington garden to keep her safe from coyotes and other critters. She loves to spend her days stretched out in the sun.

Scarecrow Kitties

Kat doesn’t have a cat but she planted catnip in her garden to lure in the neighborhood felines. She hoped they might chase away the squirrels, but instead they mainly lay around after eating catnip!

Puppies in A Wheelbarrow, What’s Not to Love?

Juliana’s pic of her puppy in the wheelbarrow made me want to adopt a puppy just so I could push it around in a wheelbarrow in my garden. And I love how her kitty decided to check out the henhouse (not to worry, she left the girls alone!).

Bullies in the Garden

Tom from Tall Clover Farm has two adorable Bullies and, frankly, I think I’d like to trade places with them. I totally need to take a nap in a hammock on Vashon Island.

Domino the Garden Dog, Take Two

Caitlin’s dog is also named Domino! How funny is that? I just love this shot of him licking dew off her cabbage.

Water Dog

Jana shared this cute story about her dog, Freddie. We have a fairly large pond in our backyard that came with the house (not something I would have put in myself, but since it’s already here, it’s less work to keep it than it is to get rid of it) Our dog Freddie used to be shy of water and didn’t go in.  But a few weeks ago a rock fell in the pond, which he thought was his ball. Which drove him crazy, because he wanted to get it, and even when I pulled the rock out to show him, he was still convinced his ball was in the pond. So eventually the inevitable happened and he jumped in to get the ball and then went for a swim – pulling out the pump cords and destroying the plants in the process. He then discovered that water is great, and now we have to work to keep him out of the pond.

Roscoe the Vegetarian

Our friends Abbie and Cyrus have a lab named Roscoe, and like our Domino, he has vegetarian tendencies. A couple of summers ago Abbie caught him with a garden zucchini. Silly labs will eat anything!

I’m writing a book!

I’ve been waiting almost my whole life to say that sentence. I’ve always wanted to write a book. When I was a kid I typed stories on my mom’s super awesome word processor machine. I majored in English in college. And I’ve daydreamed for years about writing a book about vegetable gardening. A book that is beautiful, and useful, and fun to read. And now I’m doing it!

“The Book” (as it is referred to in out house) is being published by Sasquatch Books and it is tentatively titled Grow. Cook. Eat: A Food Lover’s Guide to Kitchen Gardening. The basic idea behind the book is this: as a gardener you have access to really amazing, gourmet-quality food. Think heirloom tomatoes, purple tomatillos, garlic scapes, green coriander seed, radish tops, tender baby green beans, and squash blossoms. My goal is to help readers explore the diversity of food in their gardens, discover when and what to harvest, and use that food in the kitchen. So, the book is organized into individual guides for 50 vegetables, herbs, and small fruit and it has very specific growing, harvesting, and storage advice, plus each guide has a recipe and cooking tips.

Like all good things, this book is a collaboration and I am lucky enough to be working with a wonderful editor, Susan Roxborough, and the very talented photographer, Jim Henkens. Jim and I have been hard at work photographing the book this summer and I can tell you one thing: it is going to be gorgeous. Last week we shot photos for the cover and it was so fun. My friend Rachel, who is a talented stylist and owns Finch & Thistle Event Design, came to the shoot and helped everything just look lovely. Plus, she told jokes so I smiled for the camera (you can check out her behind the scenes shots here).

The book will be published in January 2012, which seems like a long way off, but I’m sure it will be here before we know it!

Today is Bastille Day in France, but at our house it is also my 30th birthday! Everyone keeps asking me if I’m anxious about turning 30, and you know what? I’m not. When I spotted these signs on an ice cream shack a few weeks ago I had to take a picture because they sum up my personal philosophy pretty well, and that is:  Life is for gobbling up! I’m planning on continuing to enjoy every sweet, drippy, gooey bit.

Wow! I was overwhelmed with the response to last week’s DigginFood Birthday Giveaway of Diggit weeders. I have to admit I selfishly asked you to name your favorite vegetable varieties because I’m always on the hunt for new ones to try. You guys really delivered! ‘Anuenue’ lettuce, ‘German Strawberry’ tomato, ‘Metki Dark Green Serpent’ melon (love that name!!), and ‘Sparkler’ radishes are all now on my list.

I also came across several varieties that I just adore, too, including ‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes’ pumpkin, ‘Striped Roman’ sauce tomato, ‘Flashy Troutback’ lettuce, ground cherries, ‘Chioggia’ beets, and ‘Sylvetta’ arugula. It was such fun finding out what you are all growing.

I’ve decided to give Gaea (comment #5) the tools because her favorite variety came with such a good story. Gaea wrote that her family’s late neighbor, Peter, used to grow a “rich red, wrinkly, wonderfully flavorful and juicy” tomato and he would share them with his neighbors. Gaea saved seeds from this tomato and now grows them every year, even though Peter is now gone. They don’t know the true name of the tomato, so they call it ‘Peter’s Gift’.

I think leaving seeds behind is an amazing legacy and that Peter was so lucky that he gave seeds to someone who continues to save and grow them. Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway! I hope you all have fun growing your favorite varieties this summer and that you try something new, too!

Today is DigginFood’s 2nd birthday! I’m not sure if blogs are supposed to have birthdays, but because I love any excuse for a party I’m celebrating with a giveaway of two Diggit Garden Tools. These great little tools are made right here in Seattle by a family-owned business. The way they got started is the best. Janice, a mom and head gardener in her family, was using an old army tent stake as a weeder, because it popped weeds out of the soil without disturbing the roots of her other plants. The stake hurt her hand though, so her engineer son made her a tool with a narrow, tapered, serrated blade and a cushy, brightly colored handle that is easy to spot in the garden. A little while later the Diggit Duck came along—it’s perfect for digging weeds out of crevices.

To enter the giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment in this post telling me your favorite vegetable variety and why you love it. A lot of you probably already know that my favorite vegetable variety of all time is ‘Satuski Madori’ cucumber. Over the summer I’m going to be snapping shots of my other top edibles (like the ‘Sunshine Blue’ blueberry pictured up top) and sharing them, along with some sneak peeks of great gardens, lots of fun projects, and recipes.

I can’t wait to read about your can’t-live-without varieties! I’ll announce the winner of the giveaway next Thursday. Happy Earth Day and Happy Gardening!

Before I announce last week’s contest winner, I want to send out a huge thank you, a big round of applause, and a hug to everyone who generously offered up their gardening advice. Seriously, I am super excited to get outside and start gardening after reading all of your tips for forcing rhubarb, preventing slug damage, building the soil, and just appreciating the process of gardening, including all the stumbles that inevitably happen along the way.

I had a really hard time choosing just one winner, but I ended up selecting Mal’s advice (comment #17):

Share plants! You’ll keep your own garden from getting overstuffed to where you don’t even want to go out and work in it. You’ll learn how to take care of the plants from the people who have grown them successfully. You’ll grow plants you thought you wouldn’t like, you didn’t think would look good or were too expensive to try, just because someone gave them to you and you thought, “why not?” You’ll make friends, you’ll build relationships, you’ll network. Best of all, you will build a garden full of memories, your aunt’s hostas, your neighbor’s daylilies, your grandmother’s roses, your sister’s favorite tomatoes and it goes on and on.

I think that the best way to become a better gardener is to share your experience with others and learn from them, and Mal’s advice really summed this up. Hopefully she will have fun choosing five packets of seed from The Cook’s Garden and starting them indoors with her new Eco-Friendly Seed-Starting Kit from Burpee, who kindly provided this great prize. I’m just a little jealous that I don’t know Mal in person, because she will surely share some of the seedlings she starts!

The contest is now closed. Thanks everyone for entering! Check back on Thursday, February 25th to find out the winner.

The best gardening advice I ever received was this: Don’t worry so much, there is always next year. These words were uttered by Joyce, the chain-smoking, plant-loving manager of the nursery I worked at in high school. Joyce taught me how to propagate plants by seed and transplant seedlings. During my years at the nursery I started and cared for whole greenhouses of tomatoes and annual flowers with her guidance. Now, whenever something fails in my garden, I think about Joyce and her roll-with-the-blows philosophy of gardening.

I know that there is tons of gardening wisdom out there, and I think it would be fun to collect it all in one place. So, I’m holding a contest! To enter, all you need to do is post your best gardening advice in the comments selection below. The contest will close next Tuesday, February 23rd at midnight Pacific Standard Time. I’ll choose my favorite piece of advice and announce it—and the winner—on February 25th.

Burpee is kindly offering up a great prize package, including their eco-friendly seed-starting kit and five packets of seed of the winner’s choice from The Cook’s Garden seed company. The seed-starting kit is really cool, it has compostable fiber containers, a compostable water catchment tray that is made of bamboo, wooden plant markers, and organic fertilizer (you can check it out right here). The winner will surely have a hard time choosing their seeds, because The Cook’s Garden has an awesome selection of vegetable varieties, including some of my favorites like ‘Romanesco’ broccoli, ‘Parmex’ carrot, and ‘Chioggia’ beets.

Okay, start commenting! I can’t wait to see the advice come rolling in.

The Northwest Flower and Garden Show is in Seattle and I’ll be there tomorrow through Sunday, so I hope you can stop by and say hi! The show is at the Washington State Convention Center on 7th and Pike in Downtown Seattle. Be sure to bring your pocketbook, because there is always a ton of great seed for sale, as well as bareroot berries and shrubs.

Here’s my schedule:

Thursday, February 4th

Where: A Family’s Little Farm in the City Show Garden

When: 4:30 to 6:30 pm

I’ll be hanging out at Tilth’s gold medal award winning garden (!) answering vegetable gardening questions and generally chatting it up. This super cool garden showcases how to live sustainably on a small plot, including how to raise vegetables and chickens!

Friday, February 5th

Where: Seattle Tilth Booth

When: 8:30 to 11:45

Tilth is selling all sorts of great garden gear at the show, including worm bin kits and seed starting supplies. I’ll be on hand to answer any garden questions you may have.

Saturday, February 6th

Where: DIY Stage

What: DIY Seed Starting Station Demonstration

When: 2:15 pm

I’m going to demonstrate how to build a versatile seed starting station out of an IKEA bookcase. This project is quick, easy, and inexpensive to build, plus it can be used to store books—or garden supplies—once the seedlings move outdoors. I’m also going to share a bunch of ideas for using recycled materials for seed starting.

Sunday, February 7th

Where: Hood Room

What: Growing Gourmet Vegetables

When: 1:30 pm

The best reason to grow vegetables is you get to eat the results! This workshop explores the science behind flavor and how gardeners can maximize the taste, nutrition, and quality of their favorite vegetables.

I’ve gotten to know Willi and DigginFood through my older sister Betsy, whose posts you’ve read on Raspberry Clafoutis, Summer Risotto and Basil Ice Cream over the past few weeks. Between the two of us, Betsy is the more devoted chef. Although I love to cook (and eat), I very regularly find myself heading over to Betsy’s house for her Sunday night, family dinners or stopping by to grab one (several) of the latest baked goods she’s made. Although I can’t quite compete with my sister’s culinary repertoire, I made a discovery last summer that I hope the readers of DiggnFood will enjoy as much as I have — the discovery was grilling fruit.
 
I learned how to barbecue from my dad, whose barbecuing was a regular dinner ritual growing up (and is, to this day, on our visits home). The ritual typically included sitting on the steps to the back yard across from my dad, often smoking a cigar, reading the news paper and listening to sports radio. In between our “news hours” as we liked to call them, my dad would tend to his Weber and teach me the ways of the charcoal grill.
 
Although a bit more high maintenance than gas, I love grilling with charcoal. Below is a really simple way to get a charcoal grill going (with a chimney, an indispensable barbecuing tool) and some tips that my dad taught me during our many hours in the backyard.
 
In addition to the grilling, there is the fruit. Last summer I was home in San Francisco and my parents had some peaches from the market as well as some figs from my grandfather’s fig tree in Stockton, California. We were barbecuing some halibut and I mentioned to my dad it would be interesting to try the peaches and the figs on the grill, to which he agreed. Onto the grill with the fish went the peaches and figs sliced in half, which resulted in a delicious summer dinner.
 
The fruit charred and caramelized, enriching the peach and fig flavor and textures. Both worked perfectly with the fish and could also marry well with any kind of meat or chicken, not to mention a large scoop of ice cream. I’ve also often thought the figs would be incredible with a rich, salty cheese as well. It is such a simple combination, a grill and some fruit, and yet is incredibly delicious, healthy and versatile.
 
Enjoy and have fun grilling!

Barbecue How To

-Fill the top of the chimney with charcoal and stuff the bottom with 2 sheets of newspaper

-With the chimney sitting in the barbecue with the grill off, light the newspaper and tilt the chimney up against the side of the barbecue

-Check the chimney every 5 minutes to make sure it is heating up, in about 15 or 20 minutes there should be flame above the briquets and to the top of the chimney

-Using the handles on the chimney, carefully pour the briquets into the barbecue (I usually pour them in a mound in the center)

-Put the grill back on the barbecue and let it heat up for about 10 to 15 minutes

-You will know when the grill is hot enough when you put your hand over the heat and can’t hold it there

The Fruit

-I bought some peaches, apricots and cherries at the farmer’s market to grill but numerous other fruits will work well

-After washing and halving the fruit, place the halves face down on the hot grill and cover the grill (anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes depending on how hot your fire is)

-Flip the fruit and cover the grill for another 5 to 10 minutes

-Depending on how cooked you like your fruit, you can leave it on the grill for a bit more, or remove it and enjoy!

My husband Grant and I decided to try a summer CSA last year.  We would pick up weekly boxes of fresh vegetables every Sunday from the Dog Mountain Farms’ stall at the Capitol Hill Farmer’s Market.  To end the summer, we attended a farm dinner at Dog Mountain Farms in Carnation, WA.  We sat in the field amongst fruit trees and rows of vegetables and enjoyed a delicious five course meal.  The most memorable dish was the dessert, a berry panna cotta. 

The panna cotta was wonderful but what was most surprising was the basil infused whipped cream that was served with the dish.  The whipped cream had a clean sweet flavor that was so refreshing on a hot summer day.  So when we had leftover basil after making pesto this weekend, Grant decided we should make a basil ice cream.  It would be the perfect accompaniment to the apricot, cherry and blueberry galettes I was making for a dinner party Sunday night.

We were inspired by a recipe in Gourmet magazine however the recipe calls for pureeing the basil into the cream.  I didn’t think a green ice cream would look ideal with the galettes so we opted to strain the basil leaves out of the cream before putting the mixture in the ice cream machine.  The result was a crisp take on a vanilla ice cream with a surprising bite that would be perfect for any fruit or shortbread dessert. 

Basil Ice Cream

What you will need…

2 cups whole milk

1 cup basil leaves

½ cup sugar

Pinch of Salt

4 large egg yolks

½ cup well-chilled heavy cream 

Heat milk, basil and ¼ cup sugar, with a pinch of salt, in a heavy saucepan.  Bring to a boil stirring constantly.  Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, pour the mixture through a strainer to remove the basil leaves.

With a hand-held mixer, beat the yolks and remaining ¼ cup sugar in a bowl until thick and pale (about 1 minute).  Add the milk mixture in a slow stream and beat until combined.  Pour mixture into a clean saucepan and cook over moderate heat.  Be sure to stir constantly.  The mixture will begin to thicken and is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon – this will take around 6 minutes of stirring.  Do not let the mixture come to a boil. 

Remove from the heat and poor in to a small bowl.  Place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir until cold, around 12 minutes.  (I recommend making the ice bath before you cook the custard over the stove – the custard will cook quickly and, if you don’t cool it down immediately, you risk curdling the mixture).

Stir in the cream and freeze in the ice cream maker.  Once frozen, place the ice cream in an airtight container and put in the freezer to harden for at least 2 hours before serving.  Enjoy!