Pima Canyon

"Hundred foot trees produced by Heaven
get sawed into giant planks
unfortunate building timber..." – Cold Mountain











Could you live inside the Palo Verdes
near the ocotillo and the mesquites
there is a lush desolation among the riparian
our thirst and our riches live side by side
long blue pools stretch along backyards
dry gardens twist to hold water fountains
here when the sun rises and holds sway
we must part with the king and find shade

Pima Canyon

"Zither and books are up to you
but wealth and power are useless
send back the carriage and heed the wise wife.." – Cold Mountain











The wide eyed traveler follows
the day's long flow of sunshine
as if it were his private crate of gold
back home the rivers crest
and the great herons stand in thin snow
as they pluck at spring fish
sun or rain by April there you are
only ghosts patrol by dreams

Your Edible French Garden

"I had never heard of eating carrot tops until I met Tom McCombie. I was actually a little skeptical, so before I asked Tom for the recipe, I checked to make sure carrot tops were edible." – Creasy, from Edible French Garden










The little French garden is truly the centerpiece for French cooking. By quick comparison, we think about that fine salad that we order from any given number of fine restaurants here where we live, and it still seems to often be that little random mix of greens on hand – hopefully not iceberg, but one never really knows.

Creasy offers up a series of possibilities for using the harvest right outside the kitchen door – a roasted garlic spread, a green aioli, and the reference from above, Cream of Carrot Top Soup, which turned out, for Creasy's sampling, an absolute delight. For this recipe, it call initially for the creation of a stock mixed by sauteed onion, garlic, butter and thyme for seasoning. Add to this 2 medium potatoes peeled and chopped and let simmer for half an hour, then puree to desired consistency, adding cream if desired.

Finally comes the carrots themselves. She calls for us to "pick over the carrot tops, removing any stems or yellow leaves" then plunging them into a pot of boiling water. After only a touch of the boiling heat, the greens also then get pureed. One can just about imagine the smell of the two separate purees at this point – carrots have one of the more distinct, earthy, bright smells of all vegetables. Serve the soup by filling the bowls first with two thirds of the carrot, then ladling the green puree in the middle, creating layers that no doubt resemble the layers of carrots themselves.

As I write this, it seems like an almost overly simple description, but it seems to reflect a bit like the very process of making real soups from the potager garden – simplicity is the very essence of it all, and trying to highlight the distinct flavors of the fresh ingredients themselves. A little touch of thyme over the top; maybe the potatoes come from a little portion of the garden? Fresh as possible cream? It takes just little steps of extra time to do the nimble work of the kitchen garden.

Pima Canyon

"Give me a hidden eddy
a residence free from dust and noise.." – Cold Mountain












I would take all day long
the perch from above the desert houses
where the canyon ridgeline
is its own long and narrow home
I could follow the open steps
of bighorn sheep trails that branch down
through the nighttime saguaro
holding lamps of moonlight for me

Pima Canyon

"the unobstructed spirit is clear
the empty cave is a mystery
a finger showed me the moon
the moon is the hub of the mind." – Cold Mountain










I stood alone near the courtyard gate
it looked out over an unused tennis court
net sagging from sun and neglect
tumble weeds rolling across the broken lines
for a moment you can place yourself
into another generation as Pima Canyon
in the distance would not have changed
saguaros watching so young and green

Pima Canyon

"I longed to visit the eastern cliff
countless years until today..." – Cold Mountain, 9













Some day we will walk beyond
the false horizons of Pima Canyon
you must let go of everything
to disappear into the Seguaros and Prickly Pear
Bighorn trails will branch to hidden arroyos
miners caves and snake dens silent
we'll look down from the sandy turrets
and find the city is a feast of clouds  

French Garden Encyclopedia

"Asparagus are a passion in France." – from Edible French Garden









Asparagus seems to be one of those garden staples that has yet to be effected by the hands of monoculture tampering. That is to say, a good stalk of asparagus, if ripe, if hopefully local, still holds onto what must have been an ages old taste of the raw woods combined with the sort of silkiness and creaminess when cooked that only it can produce. With wonderful names like the Argenteuil and the Jersey Knight and UC 157, what's not to love except for the fact that we don't see enough of them being bred into the world. My favorite image of asparagus is a wild patch that I had once seen on some old and unused land from a family farm. The area had only a few solo stalks spriting randomly

up out of the ground. By themselves, and when not expecting to see them, asparagus are quite a sight, long, barblike, dark green, one can only be left to wonder why the wildlife had not plucked this up just yet. Cut those down at the base, and we know the rest. French chef's it is said go ahead and peel the stalks before cooking, then boil those until tender and cover with mere salt and pepper or hollaindaise. Maybe use leftovers for the omelete the next morning. No matter how you look at it, asparagus is quite a gem and would have to claim a sizeable portion of my own potager garden.