Welcome to... The Spice Garden

When my children were small, I read them a book by Frances Hodgson Burnett called The Secret Garden. In the story, young Mary Lennox asks her caretaker for ' a bit of earth'. In this small plot, she hopes to create a garden that will be a beautiful refuge from a cold and lonely world. To make a long story short, she succeeds famously. Her garden becomes a source of joy and wonder to her and those who befriend her... and that's what I hope The Spice Garden does for you, dear reader.

The Spice Garden is all about finding the fruits, vegetables, spices, and food items that spring at us from season to season. It's about celebrating them in the things we eat, the songs we sing, the literature we read, and the recipes we share. Expect to encounter recipes, essays about food, travel stories, commentary on current issues in agriculture and nutrition, and yes, the occasion 'rant' that may leave you shaking your head or posting your own comment. That being said, I invite you, dear reader to get your feet wet and your hands dirty in this spice garden of ours. I certainly hope the posts you read inspire you to try the recipes, experiment with new food items that you've not encountered before, read up on issues surrounding our national food supply and the current state of our agricultural practices, find new items to try growing in your gardens, discover new cookbooks that excite you, or find a special place in your neighborhood that is providing exceptional foods or cooking products to your community.

The Spice Garden ... our bit of cyberspace for nurturing each other as gardeners, cooks, conscientious consumers, and thoughtful readers and writers.