The weather was too nice to do anything but be outside on Sunday. After a walk for coffee we walked to the International District (I.D.) to do our produce shopping at Rising Sun Produce. For produce, you can’t beat the I.D. Pike Place Market is far too crowded and overpriced. And fresh produce markets don’t rain on the goods with those damn hoses like in the grocery stores. Who wants soaking produce? Besides, we love walking to the I.D. We filled our backpacks with fresh ginger root ($.99/lb - Safeway $3.99/lb), cilantro ($.39/bunch), Thai basil ($.79/bunch - Safeway, not available), jalapenos, plantains, Japanese eggplants ($.79/lb - Safeway $4.99/lb), baby bok choy, Chinese black vinegar, tofu, rice noodles, mango juice, green onions, broccoli ($.79/lb), wasabi peas, and french baguette rolls for just over $15. At Rising Sun we can also get a variety of dried beans and legumes and at least a dozen kinds of rice. Please support the local produce folks and tell your grocery store to stop raining on the food.
As for our garden, there are highs and lows. Slugs still drive me to madness but there are signs of hope. Things have sprouted here and there and I spent a good part of Sunday sowing new crops and starting seeds for indoor growth. When I sow seeds, I get right down close to the dirt and purposely drop 2-3 seeds in each little depression in order to keep things aligned and reduce the time spent thinning later. It takes a little more time initially but it’s well worth the effort. I know exactly where to expect the growth and will only have to thin out a couple of extra shoots. Overall, I’m still implementing a Square Foot Gardening technique but with a slightly relaxed execution. It’s done mostly by sight instead of using a string grid.
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