Friends with Gardens

I have a black thumb. I am currently killing the thyme plant just to the left of this picture. I've nearly nailed the rosemary too.

In my dreams, I have a plot of land more lush with vegetation than the Garden of Eden, but in reality I have a couple of terracotta pots with dying herbs and a lot of catnip (you really can't kill that stuff.)

So when a friend came to dinner bearing a gorgeous basket of produce from her garden, I was grateful and yet incredibly envious too.

Tomatoes. She has her own fresh, ripe lovely tomatoes, and scads of marjoram and basil. She has peppers and squash.

Even the green beans taste great and I hate green beans.

Well...well...well... I can't grow food, but I can.... I can... I can go to the farmer's market and buy fruit.

I can.

So there.

Okay, that's not too exciting when you live in San Francisco. You can go to any number of places and get good produce. The best figs were available at the market last week. Those big, luscious Brown Turkeys are so sweet right now.












It being Kelli's birthday (and she's bringing me presents!) Joe bought her a chocolate cake from DeLessio's market on Market. Great place for takeout and spectacularly chocolate-y cakes. Did only four of us eat THAT much cake??

Anyway, I haven't been posting very much of late, but this week, we've been getting ready for Opera in the Park, which means that I've been getting craft-y. The very first time I went to this event, when I first moved here, I thought it was a kind of "beach towel and sandwiches" sort of thing. Hah.

We arrived to find 20,000 people lining Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate Park. People had Persian rugs and fine china out. They were drinking out of glass stemware and serving five-course buffets as if it were an al fresco wedding. I don't think any less attention is lavished upon Carnival balls in Venice.

Our theme this year is Moroccan, (although it may feel arctic given the way the fog has been rolling through the city of late!) so I've been having some fun at the fabric and paint store.

The fabulous Heather at Sal Beressi Fabrics (1504 Bryant St., 2nd floor, San Francisco, 415-861-5004) found us an affordable, sturdy upholstery fabric for the blanket ($30). I got some stuff to make a cover for the pillows ($10) and our cheap picnic food tent($6) and then bought some acrylics and a stencil ($10) for the wooden board we'll use as a tabletop. Afternoon spent shivering in the fog with great food and company? Priceless.