Window Box Garden Salad

I do not have a green thumb. I do not even have a brown thumb. I think it's more a greyish shade of blue. Hey, at least I have a thumb.

My Aunt and Uncle are brilliant gardeners, and have always fed themselves from their efforts with the land. I have a very pleasant childhood memory of going up to Camp Naivelt with them one weekend and spending the entire time working in the garden. It was a great feeling. My mother grew carrots, tomatoes, rhubarb, peas etc in our backyard when we were growing up. They all can grow orchids, violets, ficus plants, figs, etc, without problem. So, coming from such obvious green thumb stock, it begs the question of just where I went wrong. 

Well, I'm working on it, and am proud to say I've actually managed to turn the corner of my rather murky gardening past. I've discovered that sunny windows are the key to plants enjoying a decent life. I know, I know. Obvious, right? I just didn't always have sunny windows. In fact, in one memorable basement apartment, although there were windows, they were in deep window wells and encrusted with enough grime that they looked like they had a full opal on at all times.

Things are different now. I now live in the light, and am beyond grateful for this.

I have kept one snake plant going for about a decade, through 4 different dwellings, despite both over watering and under watering it. I also have a christmas cactus that has been with me for nearly 8 years, and has bloomed twice this winter, apparently enjoying its window ledge.

I've kept a golden cypress alive for the past year, and have recently discovered the joys of plant vitamins Yes, I now give my plants vitamins, and it seems to make them very happy.

I started six big terra cotta window planters with various seeds -- spinach, swiss chard, and parsley. The cool thing about seeds is they actually grow, and in after just over a week, I have many small plants growing in harmony and cheer. I also have a more mature swiss chard and parsley that I started in the spring, and have been enjoying since then in salads, mostly. I also harvest from the parsley planter whenever making something that will be livened by a bit of green, such as hummus.

Tonight I decided to use a box of organic grape tomatoes along with the baby swiss chard and plenty of parsley to make a side salad to go with our samosas. Yes, it was Tuesday Night Samosas. From frozen -- and raw -- they baked up in 30 minutes at 345 degrees.


ingredients:

1 box of organic grape tomatoes, quartered
1 handful baby swiss chard or other baby greens, slivered
1 handful parsley, chopped

sea salt
black pepper


directions:

1. combine the tomatoes with the parsley and swiss chard
2. toss with a little sea salt and black pepper to taste
3. enjoy as a salad, or as a very fresh tasting topper for thinly sliced and toasted bread

yum ...