THE VILLAGE VOICE

"A simple enough pleasure, surely, to have breakfast alone with one's husband, but how seldom married people in the midst of life achieve it." ~  Anne Morrow Lindbergh CHIVE BLOSSOM  OMELET ~ A seasonal treat captured when chive blossoms first bloom __________ 4 fresh organic eggs 4 Tbsp. sour cream pinch of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tsp. fresh chopped parsley 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped chives 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 12 rinsed & patted dry chive blossoms Lightly beat eggs, sour cream, salt, pepper, parsley and chives. Preheat  omelet  pan and melt butter. Pour in egg mixture and leave undisturbed until  omelet  begins to set. Lower heat and, tipping pan slightly, lift edges to let uncooked egg run underneath. When  omelet  is firm, sprinkle with chive blossoms and fold in half. ORANGE SCONES with BERRIES & CREAM ~ Delicious orange  zested  rolled up scones from d...

"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful."   ~ Abram L. Urban "Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are." ~ Alfred Austin

"Between two worlds life hovers like a star, twist night and morn, upon the horizon's verge." ~  Lord Byron  MAY GARDENS OF OVERHILL (Bloomfield Village) From morning to night, ever-changing perennial gardens (Bearded Iris, Wildflowers, Hosta, Rhododendron, Azalea, Ferns) _______________________ RICE NOODLES with SHRIMP AND CILANTRO This yummy colorful Pad Thai variation skips bean sprouts, eggs, and peanuts in favor of fresh red pepper and cilantro ... a favorite 'simple supper' at both home & cottage  (slightly adapted from  Fine Cooking )  8  oz.  1/4 in. wide dried rice noodles (pad thai) 2-3  limes (1 juiced and 1 sliced in wedges) 2  Tbsp. light brown sugar 2  tsp. soy sauce 1  tsp. fish sauce 1  lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp 3  generous Tbsp. peanut oil 1  tsp. ground coriander f...

"The bee emerging from deep within the peony departs reluctantly."   ~   Basho, Matsuo Tree Peonies  are woody perennial shrubs. They bloom at the beginning of May before the herbaceous peony bloom. Their woody structure allows them to produce gigantic dinner-plate-sized flowers on plants that grow from 3 to 7 feet tall. After the bloom, tree peonies provide structure to the garden with deep green leaves in summer and bronze and purple foliage in fall. Native to China and cultivated for millennia, these deer-resistant plants thrive in horticultural zones 4-9. Tree peonies grow slowly, producing 1 to 6 inches of new growth each year. Given well-drained soil and dappled sunlight, they will live for centuries.  Stately, rare, huge flowers, nice leaf coverage, simply fabulous.

"Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment." ~ Ellis Peters "Now every field is clothed with grass, and every tree with leaves; now the woods put forth their blossoms, and the year assumes its gay attire." ~ Virgil