For us, July 4 has never been about BBQs or really even hanging out with friends. In fact, I can’t remember what I’ve done on most of these holidays. I do remember one July 4, just after graduate school when I still lived in Nashville, going berry picking with my roommate and good friend to this day, Mary Gattis. Other than that, I’m blank.
Today was no different. I worked until about 2:3o and then, while my husband smoked a cigar (I know; I can’t do anything with him) and read on the deck, I spent about 4 methodical hours in our garden. We live on an acre and a half of wooded marsh-front property from which we removed only enough trees to build our house.
Because we live on the marsh, I’m sensitive to run-off issues related to lawns, so no lawn! I also didn’t want a lawn because they are such resource hogs. I opted instead for rock gardens with planting beds in our narrow back and side yard s(our property is long and narrow with a 200-foot driveway and our house situated sideways), and a dry creek bed, raised berms, and other plantings with a quasi-Asian feel in the front yard and along the street.
Soon I’ll post some photos of the improvements I made today using plants I’d purchased yesterday and according to a plan that has been a long time in coming. Also partially responsible for the new look are 25 (!) canna lilies I found on a dog walk–rhizomes still attached–stacked next to someone’s curb waiting to be discarded! The basic structure of the landscape was created with the help of a landscape designer about three years ago, but there were some things I wanted to change, yet a solution had been eluding me.
Anyway, that’s a long way of saying that I was glad that I had made fresh Beet Muhummara yesterday and created (and photographed) a beautiful plate of the beet spread and accompaniments earlier today so that it was ready as soon as I had showered. I served the spread with cucumber slices, spinach leaves, and some fresh fried sweet potato slices that I sprinkled with a mixture of 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika. Oh, and some champagne. 🙂 Forgetting that walnuts were in the spread, I sprinkled a few pistachios on top. That’s okay, though, the green nut looked really pretty against the bright fuscia spread. And I think I’ll make some brownie bites with those leftover walnuts.
The recipe is in the Starters section of The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes. Honestly, this recipe–my take on a traditonal Turkish roasted red pepper spread–is so good that it’s reason alone to purchase the book! But there are some 150+ other excellent reasons as well.
