The scene in Seattle

This photo has absolutely nothing to do with this post except I took it from my brother- and sister-in-law's deck in Seattle.

I think I became a Mostly Almost Official Seattle-ite yesterday. I say Mostly Almost Official because, for the life of me, I will never ever ever be able to sort out the difference between a grande and venti coffee. I still have to point to the cup and say "I'll have that one." Trust me, that's a major deal-breaker to becoming a Totally Official Seattle-ite.

Anyway.

I am in Seattle for a few days, helping out the Number 2 Son who had ACL surgery last Thursday. So far, it's been a blur of bags of ice, chopped fruit, Extra Strength Tylenol and schlepping bags of curry hombows for the little guy.

But I digress.

In case you're considering a trip to The Emerald City in the near future, here's a sure-fire formula for becoming an Almost Mostly Official Seattle-ite:

1. Stop by Whole Foods to pick up lettuce, heirloom tomatoes and pesto for your sister-in-law.

2. Enter said store talking to the Wonderfully Patient Spouse (or the equivalent in your life) on your cell phone about the N2S' day.

Side note here: The WPS had the first tour of duty in regards to the great ACL Surgery Adventure and was interchangeably frustrated and concerned at N2S' apparent disinterest in communication (well, and few other things) the first couple days following his procedure. We were debriefing on this issue as I entered the store.

Why do cell phone conversations seem five times louder than regular ones?

ME: No. Seriously. He's doing way better  now that he's off THE OXYCONTIN.

(You know, it's a glorious thing to be coasting through the produce section at Whole Foods in Seattle, reaching for romaine and belting out the word "Oxycontin.")

WPS asks several clarifying questions.

ME: No. Really. Each day he's off THE OXYCONTIN, you see little more of the old N2S come around. *

(Cripes. And right in front of the heirloom tomatoes, no less. Score!)


And then the defining moment presents itself.

ME (listening intently to WPS): Hey. Wait. Hold that thought about THE OXY -

-- I turn to Whole Food Produce Guy --

Do you make pesto in-house?   - CONTIN.

And, that my friends, is how you become an Almost Mostly Official Seattle-ite.

Cell phone. Whole Foods. Pesto. It's as easy as pie.

And oh, don't forget THE OXYCONTIN.

* Author's note: Please rest assured the N2S is NOT an Oxycontin fiend. He's doing quite well on Extra Strength Tylenol, thank you.

The news from When Pigs Fly Farm

Do you know what you get when you combine Farmer Jim and a trip to Walmart?

I do.

Arm-to-arm combat in the butter lettuce.

Oh, and yard art.

Yes, WPFF has its own set of action figures now. Farmer Jim maintains they are in place to create some colorful visual interest for his new product FlysightTV (aka WPFFCam). I maintain it is because he is A Boy and (speaking as the mother of two) no Boy can resist a stand of raised vegetation without peppering it with action figures for a good old-fashioned jungle fire fight. I'm STILL finding GI Joes in my perennial beds at the Nine-One-Four.

And because he is A Boy and An Engineer, Farmer Jim also attempted to create a zip line from his backyard fence to the tomato cages for the Bendy Boys, but they would have nothing to do with it.

They have been banned from the farm for Bad Attitudes.

###

My diatomaceous earth bunker is working like a charm. A new crop of mesclun and carrots are slowly emerging, heads intact, thank you very much. I harvested the last of my arugula yesterday as it was slowly going to seed. We'll see you again in the fall when it cools a little, my peppery friends (not that it's particularly warm right now).

It was an arugula kind of week at the dinner table. I served it up three or four different ways but I would have to say the high points were the WPFF White Pizza and an arugula pesto, courtesy of Rachel Ray, and adapted into a cream cheese cracker/sandwich spread by yours truly:

From farm to table: Not your everyday pesto spread

1/4 c shelled pistachios (I could only find the type that were already roasted and salted so that's what I ran with)
1 c packed arugula leaves
1/2 c packed basil leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced (I threw in a dusting of lemon zest as well)
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed (Rachel calls for just one. Wimp.)
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 to 1/3 c light cream cheese, softened
Pinch of red pepper flakes

If using raw pistachios, toast them up lightly in a skillet over high heat. Be careful not to scorch I hate it when that happens.

Throw the toasted nuts in a blender along with the arugula, basil, lemon juice and garlic. Blend thoroughly, then slowly oozle in in the olive oil while blending till you have a thick pesto.

Take about a 1/3 cup of the pesto and combine with the cream cheese and red pepper flakes, adding cream cheese as needed for a nice smooth spreading consistency. Flavor with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper if you think it needs it. And there you have it -- a tasty arugula pesto cracker/sandwich spread.

Note: I'm using the remaining pesto to coat a pork loin that we'll grill tonight. Eat your hearts out!

###

On all other fronts, despite the lackadaisical weather we're suffering through, things are looking good. I have buds on the heirloom tomatoes! and they're losing the "Poor pitiful me" flop. I'll be nudging the blossoms along with a blossom set spray (I know, I know, it's not officially organic but it's the only way you'll get tomatoes in this dang region unless you have your own hot house.) Japanese eggplant, corn, fennel -- check, check and check. I'm thinking potatoes or peppers may go in the space vacated by my arugula.


So yesterday, I awarded all this agrarian good behavior with a dressing of fish fertilizer. Fish fertilizer has my mom's plant food of choice for years. Plants totally dig it, even though it reeks to high heaven. In fact, some years ago, when we still using The Back Forty as a soccer pitch, the Wonderfully Patient Spouse and my two boys very politely asked me to cease and desist with the fish fertilizer as it made the backyard smell like a tuna cannery. Sigh. What we do in the interest of sports.

Anyway, the plants were very happy and I don't think WPFF smelled any different than it did before the fish fertilizer application. At least there weren't any outraged phone calls or e-mails from my partner in crime, Farmer Jim.

Yet.