Food–Ah, Food is Heaven

Before the sun is barely up tomorrow morning, Bobo, Carin, and I will be  moving trays and flats of baby sunflowers and zinnias from Lisa’s workshop to the beds where each little soil-blocked root cube can tuck in and begin to grow.  It will be a day in which to be thankful for any recent yoga sessions that featured hamstring stretches.

In light of tomorrow’s exertion, I spent the evening concocting a tray of my own.  A tray of homemade granola bars, that is.  I named them “Grass Clippings, Ant, and Bug Granola Bars”  because of all the variously colored particles visible on the baked surface. (I thought of calling them “Compost Granola Bars” but that sounded a little off).  In addition to the usual pecans, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, dried apricots—and don’t forget the chocolate chips!—I added green and brown coconut left over from making a grandson’s birthday bunny cake.  (My tendency to dream up ways to use leftovers earns me my share of  attention on the Gardener’s Workshop team.)

Perhaps because Lisa’s beautiful garden produces 10,000 stems of gorgeous blooms per week during the season, you assume that it’s all about flowers here on the farm.  The truth is, it’s about food.

When Bobo started working here several years ago, she revolutionized the lunch schedule to the point that there actually was lunch.  So now everything—even Lisa herself–stops at noon.  The picnic table under the tall gum trees is spread with lunch boxes and whatever anybody brought to share.  I’ll take my Grass Clipping Granola bars there tomorrow.  One day Kelly brought the most scrumptious “pizza” made of crescent rolls, cream cheese, and colorful crunchy peppers and broccoli. Even Babs the dog is nudging one knee after another hoping for a taste of something good or at the very least a crushed water bottle to chew on.

As we brush the dirt off our knees and maybe put on clean dry socks for the afternoon planting, we munch sandwiches, share recipes and stories, and are refreshed.  Food– ah, food is heaven.