You can call me SL, this is about living.


plum purple radish from my 2011 archive

June 7, 2011

Radish

Plot95 is thriving. I try to make time to water the garden every day, but sometimes that does not happen. I have not been since Friday, and I was a little worried. It was not extremely hot over the weekend but warm enough for concern. I expected to see a few newly planted seedlings slumped over and perhaps a few dried leaves here and there. There was no need for worry, everything was fine and happily thriving.

When I went to hill the radishes, I noticed one that had pushed itself out of the soil. It was slightly smaller than a ping-pong ball. I took the cue and harvested it. I also washed and ate it on the spot. It was very spicy, borderline fiery. Radishes typically build some extra heat in the peak of summer, not usually this early.

The purple skin on the radish contrasted beautifully with the stark white interior. I am really looking forward to harvesting a handful of them. I have this vision of them thinly sliced, sautéed in butter, and served over white fish. I hope they will keep their purple color when cooked, the color is just so gorgeous.

archives: Garden
air conditioner and wine box on casters
Downtown Manhattan, NY from my 2011 archive

June 3, 2011

Cool

Two years ago, The Swede and I sold our air conditioner when we moved into our current apartment. Our old apartment was roughly 350 sq. feet, and the air conditioner we had was not powerful enough to cool our larger new place. This would have been our third summer without one. The summers here are hot, humid, and miserable at times.

At one point this week, I had a mini breakdown. I could not take the heat and humidity anymore. It is a sign when your apartment is hotter than it is outside. The thought of facing another summer without any escape was too much. We have large south and west facing windows which heat up the place. I tried the approach I learned the summer I lived in Italy; close all the windows and blinds in the morning, and do not open them until the evening. It works on mild summer days. But true summer days in New York are not mild. After a few sweaty and sleepless nights, I begged The Swede to consider getting an air conditioner for at least our bedroom. Since he is Swedish, "air conditioner" is not really in his vocabulary. The Swedish climate does not warrant needing one.

The Swede made a few calls to see if any place had the one I found online in stock in their store. He found one in downtown Manhattan that offered him a $15 dollar discount. Sold, but how to get it home? We brainstormed a few ideas, taking a taxi and getting it delivered were out. We are the DIY types. So we opted for the methods of either (1) carrying it (2) placing it on top of our "granny cart" (3) strapping it to one of our bikes, The Swede's idea (4) or making a dolly by using a piece of wood and attaching casters to it, my idea.

As we sat brainstorming over breakfast, I volunteered the wooden wine box I recently acquired. (I collect them to use as planters in Plot95.) This was not any wine box however. I got this wine box for free from a store in Chelsea Market and carried it to The High Line, BookMarc, Magnolia Bakery, UNIQLO, Topshop, Ssäm Bar, Milk Bar, and finally home, some eight hours later.

The Swede was willing to give the wine box on casters method a try and off we went. Once we had the air conditioner out on the street and prepared for the journey home, we were very happy that we did not go with the "carry it" method. The box weighed 56 lbs. Onlookers could not help but be amused by our DIY dolly. We received looks throughout the journey home, and one man who was clearly tired of the heat as well said, "Ugh, plug that in."

We very nearly made it home without incident, but the casters we had on hand were not made for outdoor use. One caster fell off just as we exited the subway for the last leg home. Then another fell off and tore a corner off the box. Oh no! My precious box that I carried all day...but it was a small price to pay for some cool and sleepful nights.

P.S. The Swede carried the air conditioner the rest of the way home and glued my box back together like new.

archives: Miscellaneous
Nutella in two sizes
Chelsea, NY from my 2011 archive

June 1, 2011

Nutella

There are a lot of things I love, and two things that have captured my heart are Chelsea Market and anything Italian. I had a friend in town, and I took her to cruise around the famed indoor hall of stores. We stopped by the quaint Italian grocery store, BuonItalia to drool over the selection of dried pasta and to look for squid ink (more on that another time).

The store has an amazing selections of oils, vinegars, grains, flours, spices, cheeses, and the biggest jar of Nutella you will ever find. The jar holds 11 lbs. of the creamy hazelnut spread! If I had $69.99 to blow on the oversized jar, I would---trust me.

archives: Food
Urs Fischer's "Untitled, (Lamp/Bear)"
Midtown Manhattan, NY from my 2011 archive

Urs Fischer's "Untitled, (Lamp/Bear)"
Midtown Manhattan, NY from my 2011 archive

May 28, 2011

Street Art continued...

I came across this giant Teddy Bear while running late for a meeting. Late or not, I could not resist stopping to take pictures of the giant cuddly sculpture. I quickly ran across the street and carefully snapped a few shots. As I ran off, I turned around to get one last look at the bear and spotted a standing information placard at the rear of the sculpture. I sprinted back, snapped the placard, and then ran off again.

I am not sure of the building name, but I do remember many years ago there were oversized Christmas ornament balls displayed in the fountain during the holiday season. Each ornament was several feet in diameter and a shiny crimson color. I will have to remember to pass by this building from time to time to look out for future installations.

The placard notes this is one work in an edition of two plus one artist's proof. I typically think of an artist's proof as a two dimensional work, usually a print, not an oversized sculpture. Nice to learn something new. It is refreshing to see such a colorful and lighthearted piece of art located in one of Manhattan's main thoroughfares. I am, however left wondering why the lamp cuts into the Teddy Bear's head...not sure how I feel about that.

archives: Street Art
arugula and mesclun seedlings from my 2011 archive
Starling bird
from my 2011 archive
softneck garlic, oregano and thyme cuttings
from my 2011 archive
May 26, 2011

Plot95 progress

At the end of last season, The Swede and I decided that we should lift up the raised beds, turn everything under (except for some herbs, Swiss chard, and of the course the garlic we planted) and start fresh for Season 2011. At the beginning of this season, I regretted that decision. The weather has not been cooperative this spring, and it has repeatedly delayed the making of the new beds, transplanting seedlings, and sowing seeds.

I finally managed to sow some romaine, radish, carrot, pea, endive, arugula, and mesclun seeds. While most of the beds remained brown with nothing green in them, the arugula and mesclun were the first to emerge with bursts of green and touches of red.

The Swede also carved out a new area in our plot for our garden bench. He spread the displaced soil into the pathway, and the birds immediately flocked to look for earthworms and grubs. They were not shy about it, they got right up in there.

I also harvested more of the young softneck garlic; they turned out to be not-so-young anymore. They were extremely hard to dig up, so I ended up accidentally troweling into their bulbs. I had not expected the bulbs to form so quickly. It has only been about two weeks since the last harvest, and they have begun to bulge. The flavor has also changed. Still great, but not as pungent. The stalks have already started to become wooden. The color of the bulbs has intensified and is turning a beautiful red color.

I am so in love with growing garlic. Tomatoes are the obvious choice for eliciting excitement in the garden, but garlic is quickly becoming a strong contender.

archives: Garden
The Wallnuts Crew's mural, left section
Long Island City, NY from my 2011 archive

The Wallnuts Crew's mural, middle section
Long Island City, NY from my 2011 archive

The Wallnuts Crew's mural, right section
Long Island City, NY from my 2011 archive

May 19, 2011

Street Art continued...

When I was a kid, I loved the circus, naturally since I was obsessed with animals. The first occupation I had professed to do when I grew up was to be "a cat catcher," which meant veterinarian. The stars of the circus were of course the clowns, perpetually smiling and oh so funny. I even liked the clown known as Ronald McDonald (I know, I know).

All that changed when Stephen King's book, "It" became a movie. From that point, clowns became scary, evil, and something to fear. I have never really looked at them the same, even now as an adult.

While out biking, I came across this circus themed mural by "The Wallnuts Crew." I definitely think the clowns in this mural belong in the "It" category. The mural is massive in scale and executed skillfully with beautiful bold colors. It lies in an alley that is the type portrayed in movies as the one you do not enter. Likely, it is an innocent alley, but the clowns got my imagination running...I think it is time for someone to make a new film about nice clowns, ones without razor sharp teeth and who do not terrorize others.

archives: Street Art
Ai Weiwei's "Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads"
Manhattan Central Park, NY from my 2011 archive

a raccoon
Manhattan Central Park, NY from my 2011 archive
a park ranger and a raccoon
Manhattan Central Park, NY
from my 2011 archive
a toad
Manhattan Central Park, NY
from my 2011 archive
a chimp and a tiger
Manhattan Central Park, NY from my 2011 archive
graffiti cat
Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive
a nesting bird
Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive
May 17, 2011

Animals

A day of biking became a day of animal sightings, in all forms. The Swede and I were planning to ride from the Astoria section of Queens to Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan. However, the plan was to bike from our apartment to the Queensboro Plaza subway station, take the subway into Manhattan, get off near Central Park, bike over to the West Side Highway, and then up to Fort Tryon by riding along the bike path that follows the Hudson River.

On our way, we stopped at our garden plot and then had a quick lunch. During lunch, The Swede casually mentioned we had the option to bike over the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan instead of taking the subway. He has biked the bridge many times, and has repeatedly mentioned the long incline. So naturally, I was caught off guard by the suggestion. I asked, "Do you think I can do it, I mean bike it, not walk it?" I quickly processed what that meant for my thighs, calves, ego, and realized that it would be an experience. And if that was meant to be a painful one, well--okay.

I decided that I would will myself to bike it, even if that meant changing the gear to one, (which I did at times...) and that I would not care if people walked faster than I biked. The Swede, being the supportive type tried to encourage me with words and a tone that is usually reserved for women during labor. My response to him was, "Stop talking to me, I'm in a zone." I am happy to report that I made it, without walking or stopping. It felt great to reach the peak and look down 130 feet, truly an accomplishment for me. Once in Manhattan, we decided to bike around the loop in Central Park instead of going to Fort Tryon, since it was getting late in the day and the threat of rain loomed.

The theme of physical endurance continued, Central Park is quite hilly. The northern end of the park has a fairly brutal section that has steep downward curves that lead you directly into an uphill battle. I would compare it to driving through "The Grapevine." (For all you Southern Californians, you know what I mean.)

Animals kept popping up, in all forms, as I previously stated. A few that particularly stand out are (1) a curious raccoon that ventured out of a tree to look for something to eat and then a park ranger arrived to usher it back up the tree (2) a couple masked as a chimp and a tiger taking a picture of themselves on their iPhone and (3) a bird that built a nest in between the green and yellow signals of a traffic light. In total, we biked 20 miles/32 kilometers, and my body felt it. I could could barely walk and hardly sit for the rest of the night, but I cannot wait to do it again.

archives: Miscellaneous
photo credit: I.Theorin, Artist Unknown
South Slope, NY from 2011

photo credit: I.Theorin, Artist Unknown
South Slope, NY from 2011

May 13, 2011

Street Art continued...

"The Eye" strikes again. I am still not sure who the artist is behind the eyes. And I am still fine with it being a mystery. Judging from the discoloration around the farthest left eye, there must have been a fourth tire at some point. I wonder if the artist put the tires there, then painted the eyes, or vice versa. Probably the latter, it does look like a loading dock...so where is that fourth tire? Hmmm...well, does not matter. Loving that the artist is making work using found objects. Clever.

archives: Street Art
Eisenia fetida, commonly called red worms from my 2011 archive

May 12, 2011

Worms

I have been wanting to compost with worms for many years, ever since I first watched someone harvest their vermicompost. The person was a former landlord (think Christopher Walken's long lost twin) of The Swede's. I observed as the landlord mounded some of the matter prompting the worms to crawl downwards. He was then able to scoop some from the top, worm free, and held it for me to smell. It had a sweet, robust, earthy scent. I was instantly sold on the method, and have been pining to get worms ever since. Last week, I finally got my wish, nearly seven years later.

The Swede has been understandably reluctant to compost indoors using a worm bin. If it is done right, it is low maintenance and wonderful. If it is done wrong, you have a mess (and putrid smell) on your hands. He finally agreed to an outdoor trial run in Plot95. If all goes well, we will bring the worms indoors for the winter, then back out again each spring. We found a discarded fruit crate while out biking that we modified into a worm bin. We lined it with wire mesh to allow for air circulation while keeping rodents out. We also built an inverted lid that I will line with plastic and then fill with soil and either succulents or lettuce. The worms will soon have their own rooftop garden to keep them cool and to keep out the rain. What luxury.

I ordered the worms at the cost of $22 per pound, and then picked them up at The Lower East Side Ecology Center's stand at the Union Square Farmers Market. I was skeptical that there were really 1,000 worms, which the woman quoted, in the milk carton I was handed since it was half full and not very heavy. But later that evening as The Swede and I transferred the worms into their new home, more and more worms revealed themselves until there was a clumped mass of them at the bottom; I was now a believer. (They like to be as far away from the light as possible.) We had prepped the bin by filling it halfway with shredded newspaper and dampening it. The worms were then scattered on top and covered with food scraps and dried leaves. Several days in and they are happily munching away. A few days ago, I added leftover pulp from a carrot, apple, celery, ginger, and lime juice I made. I also added some washed crushed eggshells which supposedly encourages them to procreate. Soon I hope there will be worm baby stories to share.

archives: Garden
young softneck garlic from Plot95 from my 2011 archive

May 10, 2011

Hello garlic! continued...

Look at those roots, I love the lines they create. They are like veins, literally. While rearranging the beds in Plot95, I had to pull out some of the softneck and hardneck garlic to transplant to another bed. I was having a major allergy attack that day, so my energy quickly declined. I replanted most of them, but not all. I gave away some of the softneck garlic to a fellow gardener and brought home the rest with no specific plan.

I ended up chopping them, and sautéing them with olive oil, salt, pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, and beaten eggs. I served it over rice; simple and surprisingly wonderful. The flavor was sweet, less sharp than an onion, and not quite garlicky yet. I plan to do a succession planting of them sometime soon. I have a feeling many of them will never grow into bulbs--just too good to eat while young. I am hooked.

archives: Garden
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