A passion: Cultivating One’s Own Garden
A hobby, a pastime, a tradition, a transmission, a necessity, a question of health, the pleasure of eating good products, the satisfaction of seeing fruit and vegetables growing and of sharing them with loved ones… It is not just one of these aspects but all of them put together that led my grandparents to grow their own garden, even whilst they were living in an apartment downtown.
One evening, while peeling potatoes from my grandparents’ garden, I saw this cute little heart-shaped potato. I thought that the gardener had put all his heart into it and that his garden was reciprocating well…
And I’m paying tribute to this love of the land, even though I do not have green fingers, because this love, related to knowledge and experience, works wonders.
Is it conceivable to enjoy tomatoes from the supermarket without spicing them up with flavored olive oil, basil, olives, cheese, etc.? My grandmother’s tomato salad does not need any of these condiments to be appetizing. Ripe and juicy tomatoes, simply dressed with oil, vinegar, salt and a touch of freshly picked parsley, are simply delicious and it makes my mouth water just to think about it!
What of jams and jellies? My favorite is by far quince jam or jelly. Quince is a somewhat forgotten fruit. Even if that large pear-shaped fruit is tough to cook because of its hard pulp, it is still worthwhile for quince jelly is delicate and sweet.
