Best Shared With Family and Friends

Genuine appreciation for the fruits of the gardener's labor warms the heart.  Days and hours spent on tending the garden and finally gathering grown vegetables is something worth awaiting.  Even more, a visit from friends gives an opportune time to gather vegetables, herbs and join in the fun of preparation for a "feast."  Instead of eating inside the house, we brought out the table, while Russel, our Canadian guest prepared the dressing for the lettuce.  Russel made do with honey (wild), a bit of red wine, onions, cider vinegar of the bignay fruit.  I checked the kitchen cupboard-well it yielded no olive oil.  I then did the washing of the lettuce and pechay leaves, leave it for a while to dry.  Our main course was relyenong bangus (stuffed milk fish) which my cousin John prepared earlier.  Earlier, Russel was excited to see parsley in the greenhouse. He took a few leaves and off it went straight into his mouth. Russel claimed it was the best parsley he ever tasted.  It had a mild flavor.

Clifford and Russel sit for an outdoor meal we all enjoyed.

Even the kids enjoyed the greens.  They are finicky eaters and I was still happy even if the young man only took a leaf from the green salad.

David and Clifford who set up the composting shed learned a thing or two about adding some color to a table setting- banana leaves complement our lunch. Hmmm, can't wait to start lunch.  We joked about opening the garden to the public and start accepting visitors.  We joked about Russel being our first "test"guest.

Russel introduced papaya to the lettuce salad.  Now that's another thing new that I have learned.

Indeed, later in the afternoon, the gardener welcomes Joy and friends-dropping by for a visit.  No sweat, Clifford and David served Lemon Grass Tea, I did the lettuce salad which the guests picked from the plots and quickly did a repeat of Russel's brand of dressing.  Now instead of going up to Maligcong, we went up the mountain to have a view of Bontoc- only a few meters up from the garden.

And so here is the view that completes a visit to our garden.