Thank You Mr. McGregor !

Books have always been a big part of my life. As a child I hated the isolation and loneliness of bed time, but ironically, the time each evening just prior to that was my happiest. It was then, while helping me brush my teeth, that my father would tell me the tales of "Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby". I also have memories of him taking me in his arms and swinging me to the songs of "Daddy's Little Girl" or "Rock-a-Bye My Baby To A Dixie Melody". Afterward, he would open up "A Child's Garden of Verses" and, while my imagination would weave a pictorial image of his words triggered by the unforgettable illustrations of Eulalie (1929 edition), the repetition of those poetic lines would sooth my soul and nurture a loving bond with the man who gave me the love of reading....my dad.

Books are capable of leaving a big impression on children, sometimes not always good. Occasionally a bedtime story would worry my little soul. An example of this was the fact that in the "Tale of Peter Rabbit", Peter did not have a father because Mr. McGregor "put him in a pie". How could someone do that!!!...especially to a rabbit???...I would ask myself. When it came time to hear the story for the umpteenth time, I would do my best to block out that terrible image. To compensate for this Mr. McGregor's garden became the object of intense focus in my mind. My imagination would envision the most beautiful produce... all perfectly shaped and vibrantly colored. I could almost smell the dampened soil that ran between the rows of dark green french beans and the lighter colored cabbages. For whatever reason there was one vegetable that stood out in my mind among all the rest...the radish. The bright green leaves and bulbular roots, all dressed in crimson and white, were a thing of beauty as Peter rushed past them in a desperate attempt to get away from that nasty hoe carrying gardener. At the end of the story I would be so relieved to know that he had been successful and was back home with his family in their tiny rabbit house tucked in bed and sipping a freshly brewed cup of chamomile tea.

I hate to admit this, but in the years that have followed those night time kisses after the reading of a story or a poem, I have come to slightly identify with Mr. McGregor's situation. Raising a garden requires a lot of time and hard work. Seeing evidence of a bunny feast is something that has made me very unhappy in the past, not that I would ever consider catching one of those cute little critters and putting him in a pie mind you! For example, if even one of the lovely radishes my son and I raised last year had been marred in any way with the markings of a bunny's buck teeth, I would have been heart broken. I guess what I am saying is that over the years I have learned that there are two sides to every story. With that in mind, Mr. McGregor, after all this time I owe you an apology for not totally understanding your situation in the garden...and a very big thank you for your contribution to the love of vegetables I have today.

There are natural ways to keep bunnies from nibbling away at your garden's bounty. I use DeFence by Havahart and it has worked wonderfully to protect my garden from the Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter's that take up residence in my neighborhood every year. My garden might not be as opulent as Mr McGregor's, but with a little luck, it can produce some pretty nice salad veggies...and I love my salads!

My favorite salad not only has just the right combination of flavors and crunch, but is appealing to the eye as well. I eat it at least once a week and sometimes more. It is my favorite salad to make for guests. It has the characteristics of great crispness and the ability to meld its sweet and tart flavors beautifully. Try making it some night for dinner or a side and, although it may be too sophisticated for your little ones palate, hopefully it will put you in the mood to share one of the greatest children's classics ever written with the children in your life.















Butter Salad With Radish and Feta

10 ounces sweet butter lettuce
1-2 Belgian endive sliced (after removing the bitter core)
5-6 large radishes thinly sliced
a handful of cilantro (about the size of 1/2 a bunch sold in the grocery store) chopped with stems removed
1 avocado
a handful of dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
the juice of 1/2 fresh lemon or lime

Wash and spin the lettuce and place in your serving bowl. Wash and dry the radishes and slice paper thin - using a mandolin makes this much easier and gives you uniform slices. After washing the cilantro, shake off as much water as possible, roll it in a paper towel to absorb the remainder of the moisture, and chop finely. Add the radishes and cilantro to the bowl and toss. After washing, coring, and slicing the endive, gently toss with the rest of the salad ingredients. Peel the avocado, remove the pit, slice and then cut into 1/4 inch pieces. Drizzle with the juice of a fresh lemon or lime. Gently distribute the avocado through the salad or, because it is so delicate, divide the salad into individual dishes and add an equal portion of the avocado to each dish. The feta is also fragile so don't worry about tossing it with the other ingredients - just top the salad with it and then sprinkle with dried cranberries.
Makes 4 nice size salads



Dijon Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste
sugar to taste

In a small bowl combine the mustard and vinegar. Whisk the olive oil while drizzling it into the vinegar and mustard until the mixture is emulsified and the tartness is at an acceptable level of taste. The more oil, the less acidic the dressing will be. Season with approximately 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar (to taste). Sometimes I squeeze the remaining juice from my lemon or lime into the dressing, taste, and add a little more sugar if needed. I drizzle this dressing over my individual salad rather than tossing it in the larger bowl to control the vinegary goodness, as too much of this dressing can be overpowering. The more you make it the better you will get at blending the perfect combination of ingredients.

The smoothness of the avocado, the crispness of the endive and radishes, the saltiness of the feta, the sweetness of the cranberries, and the tartness of the dressing, all enmeshed with the flavor of the cilantro make this salad a playground for you mouth!