My dad was always a wonderful gardener, producing vegetables for the family all year round and mum rarely sat us down to a meal that did not include at least five different vegetables...so I and my four siblings grew up enjoying all that delicious fresh produce quite unconscious of the effort dad put in to the task of getting them into the pantry. It wasn't until I married and was responsible for my own garden that I came to a sudden appreciation the work involved in ensuring the family had a continuing supply of vegetable.
My sister and I were far more proficient with the chores associated with turning the various vegetables into delicious food for the table when I was young, than growing it and I still appreciate many of the methods and recipes mum used, as she was quite an adventurous cook for her time. .we didn't have food fads back then either, nor did any of my four children while they were young, being just to eager to enjoy the meal than fret about the colour, shape or texture of the various items on the plate...
I have always enjoyed vegetable gardening and have over several gardens grown as much as possible. Time constrains during the busy work/study years and now I am older the limits of reducing mobility and arthritic joints are make an impact and now I mainly enjoy visiting the various markets and selecting fresh produce for our meals, except for a good selection of herbs, which are still dotted about the present garden in profusion.
For the inchie today I used a lovely image of a cabbage, complete with a pearl moth and caterpillar by one of the talented Dietzsch family of artists from Nuremberg during the early eighteenth century. This illustration of a cabbage is attributed to both Barbara Regina Dietzsch and one of her four brothers, Johann Jacob. I am sure the caterpillar was getting it's fill of the plant by the time the painting was finished.
The family all learned their artistic craft in their father's workshop, and all were talented artists working from home...I kept this image, from an old Folio Society diary as it is so detailed. Today I simply photographed the image and with the help of Photoshop, reduced and brightened the image to produce the inchie.
Better trot, lentil patties, a fabulously easy and delicious meal is planned for tonight, appropriately enough, and I had better start the process if we are to eat at a reasonable time...
Bye now,
Di.