I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that in 2020, we all broke a little. Fear and uncertainty were prevalent, and it was impossible to safely pursue many of the activities that we used to enjoy. We couldn’t have predicted how we would react to that kind of stress, and I think what happened was really interesting. There was a sharp rise in mental health crises. People were overwhelmed and not getting the care they needed. Relationships were strained. A lot of things felt bad.
At the same time, we collectively journeyed through some distinct seasons. The run on toilet paper and hand sanitizer. The delusion that led us to believe we were all skilled bread makers. Tomatoes and a feta brick – did anyone else go there? That was a peak. (By the way, I searched my photos for an actual image from my tomatoes and feta era and discovered that I have 80 pictures featuring tomatoes on my iPhone. I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder.)
My plant lady phase overlapped with my tomatoes and feta phase. Many, many plants did not survive life with me, but those that did are the kind that you can trim and propagate new plants, and now they’re taking over a room in our house because I just admire and respect them so much for making it.
This phase bridged the indoors and the outdoors, and we started and expanded an outdoor garden to grow the five best things that summer has to offer: tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, basil, and mint. It was a summer of salads and mojitos and when I put it this way, it becomes clear why I have romanticized this time in our life despite the general trauma it contained.
The outdoor garden was great until multiple insect species took over, and I was too lazy to figure out how to eradicate them without making our food inedible (I know. Every farmer in the history of farming has conquered this problem, but it was late in the season and I lacked the will.)
We eventually got busy with other things, then moved, and I thought my gardening era was over. Luckily, my sister-in-law, queen of appealing hobbies, drew my name for our Secret Santa gift exchange this past winter and check out what I received:
The Aerogarden Harvest Slim with pods to grow mint, thyme, Thai basil, Genovese basil, curley parsley, and dill. All you have to do is plug it in, turn it on, fill with water, and add some liquid plant food whenever the little light tells you to. Within a couple of weeks, the dill was out of control and basil was in a close second place. We’ve had so much salmon with dill, so much pesto, and there are zero bugs involved. I get to feel like a gardener while I live like a lady with way too many other things going on, and we have fresh herbs. I’m not receiving anything to talk about this garden – I just love it that much and I figured if I’m already thinking about ways to upsize, maybe you all need to know about this magic.
For those who have stuck it out this far, here’s a simple recipe that uses a ton of fresh dill:
Dill Salmon or Chicken (seriously, good either way)
Ingredients:
Protein (Salmon or chicken)
A shit ton of fresh dill
Real maple syrup (I live with a Canadian. There is no other way.)
Dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper
Instructions:
If you’re working with chicken, preheat the oven to 375 and lay the chicken in a casserole dish. You’ll just top it with the sauce (see below) and bake for 20-30 minutes depending on thickness.
If you’re working with salmon, you’re going to want to drizzle a nonstick pan with olive oil and cook it on medium-high heat, skin side down for 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook for maybe 2-3 more minutes, depending on the thickness.
The sauce is so easy I’m kind of embarrassed to share it. It’s equal parts dijon mustard and maple syrup (so make as much as you like. I like a saucy dish.) Chop up a ton of fresh dill – the more the better, but if you’re a numbers person, then let’s say 2-3 tablespoons. Add most of the dill to the sauce and save some for the top of the dish.
With the chicken, again, it just cooks in the sauce. With the salmon, turn down the heat and add the sauce to the pan for the last minute of cooking, making sure it doesn’t boil or the sugars will caramelize. I made that mistake once and we were literally eating salmon topped with candy laced with dill. It was weird and hard on the teeth.
Voila! I actually don’t have a photo of this but I promise I’ll add one the next time I make it.
Onward with the gardening and all the fresh herbs and veggies!