This is my garden.

Just kidding, of course. This is the reproduction of Thomas Jefferson's garden at Monticello. If you're ever in the area, definitely stop by and take a look - they're spectacular. It's impossible to take in this gorgeous view and look around at the gardens, orchards and other symbols of joyous abundance without experiencing at least a shiver of regret and grief knowing that the landscape was tamed by slaves. So often personal joy and existential sadness commingle and Monticello is no exception.

My own gardens are coming along. I need to buy yet more dirt to fill the containers that will hold tomatoes and peppers. These will be grown on the second story deck (veranda? I am south of the Mason-Dixon Line, after all) to avoid the deer/squirrel/rabbit problems that plagued us last year. I've bought eight seedlings to grow plum tomatoes for canning and drying, two for slicing and two different cherries - one red and one yellow. Three kinds of bell peppers and two hot round out the mix. The little salad garden is giving me great happiness - it's time to thin the sprouts, which I hate doing but I realize that it's necessary. In a few weeks we'll have mesclun, radishes and thin little onions for fresh salads. Really looking forward to that.

I'm also looking forward to tonight's dinner. We're having a macronade made with red wine gravy left over from last night. It's become cool-ish again here so this is just the thing to keep us warm through the night when it's too cold for a fan, but too warm to turn the heater or electric blanket on. First, cook up a pound of your favorite noodle things - I like rotini or elbows for this, but it really doesn't matter - in some nicely salted water. When they're cooked and drained, put them back in the pot and mix in enough gravy to moisten and flavor them without having them swim in it. You want the noodles to be nicely coated and slippery. Adjust the seasonings if necessary and then pour them into a casserole which has been rubbed with a garlic clove. Top with grated parmesan cheese and run under the broiler just until the cheese is melted and is a nice goldeny color. Serve with wine and salad for a delicious, quick dinner.

I've used jarred commercial gravy for this and, while it's not completely sucky, it's not really what you're looking for either. Leftover liquid from stew is nice, though, and worth saving in your freezer for just such occasions. For tonight I'm using the gravy that I made from the cooking liquid used for a Swiss Steak: beef broth, red wine and diced tomatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper and thickened with a flour slurry. Yum...is it dinner yet?