So, the garden is coming along. We planted some zinnias for color, and"installed" ( I use that term loosely) a tepee for the green beans and peas to climb. My son, Sam and I picked up 4 sticks on a walk, then stick them in the garden--very scientific and calculated. We think they look pretty good.We're going to plant more basil, as you can never have enough and it's taking its time growing. 

 There was a mystery green growing in the plot "down the street" from ours. No one knew what it was, and we figured out it was sorrel--very lemony and prolific, and great in a salad. Here is a recipe for crispy chicken cutlets topped with a salad of greens--perfect with sorrel.

 

 

Lemon Fried Chicken with Tart Salad Topping

Lighting Hanukkah menorahs reminds Jews that the tiny amount of olive oil the Maccabees used in their Temple, which was expected to last only one day, burned for eight days. To commemorate the holiday, olive oil is used to fry the chicken.

Ingredients

 1. To prepare cutlets, blend together garlic, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken, toss to coat thoroughly, and refrigerate, covered, 1 to 2 hours.
2. Beat eggs in a wide, shallow bowl. Stir together matzoh meal, remaining salt and pepper, and lemon zest. Spread on a large sheet of wax paper or plate. Dip each cutlet into egg, coating well on both sides. Let excess egg drip back into bowl. Dredge cutlets on both sides in matzoh meal mixture. Pat cutlets firmly on each side so matzoh meal adheres. Place on a rack and let stand 15 minutes for the coating to set.
3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add cutlets, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden and thoroughly cooked, about 2 minutes on each side. Add more oil if needed before cooking remaining batches.
4. Transfer cutlets to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Keep warm in a 200F oven until all cutlets are done.
5. To prepare salad, combine tomato, onion, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Add greens and toss well.
6. Serve cutlets topped with salad accompanied by lemon wedges. Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe adapted with permission from Jayne Cohen’s Jewish Holiday Cooking (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2008). Relish Winter 2008 Supplement.

 

This past Saturday, with a 3-hour respite from the rain, I finally planted our Relish garden. It’s been the rainy season in Nashville this year and I’ve been trying for weeks to get our garden in. It’s planted at the George Washington Carver Food Park that was featured in our May issue. The park is run by Sizwe Herring, who is as warm and welcoming as a big teddy bear. Sizwe started me off with an abbreviated "orientation" stressing his 3 “must do's” while at the garden—be safe, have fun, and practice good community (meaning help others and be nice to anyone who stops by the garden). This last rule is the whole idea of a community garden, so I don’t know why anyone would be there who didn't subscribe to it, but I guess he’s seen it all. After digging and weeding and hauling and adding compost, my plot was ready to plant. At the ready was Gladys Leese, another community gardener who enthusiastically helped and advised about where to plant what.  Just seconds after the last basil plant was in, the skies opened up—perfect timing. The name of our garden is the relish ratatouille garden, so we’ve started with squash, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and basil, key ingredients in the classic Provencal dish.  But in the spirit of community and world peace, we also planted Thai basil, Italian parsley and cilantro. Below are some photos from my day and some of my fellow gardeners. I took home 3 kinds of lettuce from a neighboring plot overgrown with it, and a sense of accomplishment and excitement for the growing season ahead.