Seattle: Danny Woo International District Community Garden

How's the weather where you are? Here in Seattle it's been pretty grey and chilly the last few weeks, as the stereotype of the city likes to suggest. To be fair, this late fall season of 2019 has actually been pretty mild compared to recent decades, with low-snowfall occurring in the mountainous areas up north and a light drizzle rather than a downpour. Mild, of course, is not to suggest that it's been particularly sunny or warm- simply that it's not as chilly as it should be. Could that be global warming at work? You betcha! I'm not going to lecture you about the climate situation right here and now, but it's certainly a topic we should all be mindful of, if not deeply invested in. #Reduce, #Reuse, #Recycle . I'll step off of my tiny soap box now...

If you so happen to find yourself in the city of Seattle and able to partake of this especially "mild" late-fall season, you could pop over to the Danny Woo International District Community Garden for a quick stroll between bites, since it's mere steps away from one of the main drags of the International district, with access to a wide array of delicious restaurants within either short walking or driving distance. There are many public gardens dotting the cityscape of Seattle and they're all as unique as the areas they thrive in, so I think it's worth taking some time to visit them when you spot them. On the day we visited this garden there was a consistent drizzle plopping down upon us, so the garden grounds were well-saturated and a bit soggy, to say the least. It's probably better to visit when it's less likely to be so over-hydrated, but this is Seattle we're talking about, so your mileage may vary. While the ground may have squelched a bit below our feet, and we may have slipped a smidgeon once or twice, we quite enjoyed our visit and were happy to have found this little green gem tucked in among the sloped streets of the International district. Besides, it's good for your health to take a walk in nature, so not only are you upping your step count but getting to take in some hidden nature!

Vegas: Early summer garden

One of the things I was most excited about when we moved into our micro-apartment near downtown Las Vegas was the garden growing out back! While the intense heat doesn't exactly make the area an ideal climate for growing, especially when combined with the often sandy or exceptionally rocky soil, it is possible to grow things.  There's rarely a shortage of sunlight due to the sparse cloud cover and even rarer rainfall, so you'll need to supplement with lots of water and make use of a raised bed (such as this one), a climate controlled green house, or some other method of sheltering the plants from some of the intense sunlight. Believe it or not, plants can sunburn, too! As "too much of a good thing" is true-ism for humans, it's also true for many plants. That first summer upon moving in, the raised beds were doing quite well. There were squash, who's happy blossom is shown above, along with eggplants, green beans and peppers! We planted some green onions and pumpkins, but the pumpkins got dug up by our roommates to prevent them from taking over the garden...after that, we stopped trying to do anything with the garden and left it be. They had their system, and we figured it's best we stay out of their way!

Overall, the garden was pretty productive throughout the summer and a portion of the fall, though it grew a bit wild and the fruits were growing more sparse or over-ripe. There was enough bounty that we were all able to enjoy some of it, though I barely touched it since it was their garden. It was fascinating watching as it flourished and then began to recoil for the cooler months, productivity and vitality waning. There was a patch of wildflowers who's lifecycles similarly evolved as the months passed.  It's important to have these natural cues around us, to be exposed to a world beyond screens. Not only is it good for your health to eat your fruits and vegetables, but you get health benefits simply by being around them, too! So go on, get out there and check out your nearest public garden if you don't have your own! You might be surprised at what can grow in your area.

Vegas: Springs Preserve Botanical Gardens May 2018

No visit to the Springs Preserve would be complete without taking some time to explore their gardens! Now, I know what you may be thinking; but isn't it all pretty much gardens? Well...yes...technically speaking, that would be correct, however there's a separate botanical gardens area near the butterfly exhibit full of edible plants and cultivated raised beds where they offer lessons and classes! You can even send the kiddies off to a gardening summer camp to learn about the fun of growing your own. While I've never caught any of the lessons, Antho and I have explored the area and tried to make note of the various new fruits and veggies coming in with the changing seasons. On one visit we might find an abundance of chili peppers scattered among the many bushes near the Sustainability gallery (there's a lot of garden, after all) or mint and basil flourishing. Sometimes there's a bunch of little green tomatoes like on this visit, other times the bell peppers or squash steal the show. It's always quite exciting to me how many different plants and animals can thrive in this seemingly inhospitable climate. Our land is often more compacted sand and pebbles than deep brown loam, but the evidence is right here in the Preserve that in spite of our scorching summers, gardening is absolutely possible. It may pose more of a challenge than other regions, but with enough tenacity and know-how it's possible! Luckily for us, the volunteers at the Preserve, along with the various farmer's markets we have here in Vegas, make it easy to speak to knowledgeable people with experience on how to find your gardening groove with this land. If you're not keen on trying the DIY approach, you can simply stroll the gardens here and admire all the beautiful results of their work over the seasons, or check out the butterfly exhibit, the OriGen Museum, the Nevada State Museum, the Zoo or Waterworks and Boomtown, or come out for one of their holiday events!There's a lot to see here! It's no secret that the Springs Preserve makes the short-list of my favorite things to do in Vegas. 

As I've mentioned before, the gardens are always changing as a result of the seasonal shift in temperatures. This never ceases to entertain and fascinate me, as I think being born and raised primarily in the city lends a lot of us to dissociate from the seasonal nature of things. I really appreciated the awareness of it I found in Japan, and the use of seasonal produce is obsessively followed and planned for in the cuisine. There's a prime season for each and every fruit and vegetable, and being in tune with that makes it easier to get the best flavors and results in your cooking. It's a secret a lot of chefs know and utilise, which is why it should surprise no one that a lot of the culinary geniuses occupying this city can be found at the farmers markets or any of the specialty markets scouring out the best of the best of that season's offerings. Going into summer, I'm excited for all the tomatoes that will be available! A good tomato sandwich is a gloriously simple and delicious thing. Antho is especially fond of fried green tomatoes, which prelude the big beefy red ripe ones of later days. 

 

More photos below!

Japan: Urayasu Fresh Market 11-23

My favorite neighborhood fresh market was a brief 10 minute bike ride from my apartment, so I frequented it fairly often. There was always a bounty of beautiful fresh foods! 

Hopping atop my trusty mamachari or "mama's bike", the equivalent of a minivan on two wheels, I'd take advantage of the handy basket and stock up on reasonably priced produce while there.

There was also a small fish market with fresh sushi and prepared fish inside, along with a butcher wrapping packages of meats in cellophane. All your necessary staples were there (as long as you're comfortable with cooking and/or Japanese food), but sometimes unexpected items like grasshoppers or seasonal sweet cakes would appear on the shelves.

Their flowers were among some of the most reasonably priced I encountered; usually around ¥300-700 whereas the somewhat closer Yaoko supermarket's flowers were often twice the price! 

One option that makes shopping in Japan more affordable is to visit stores late in the day or evening, closer to closing time. Fresh things, like sushi, precut vegetables, cut flowers, etc. will get marked down and the later it is, the greater the discount. I've had many a satisfying sushi or sashimi centered dinner for under $10! Of course, the people at the fresh market were so pleasant and friendly, and the prices so reasonable to begin with, that I'd make a point to shop there on my days off as their hours didn't pan out on days I had work. 

Oakland's Chinatown

After taking off from the Tenderloin and checking in at our AirBnB lodging, we headed over to Oakland's own little Chinatown! Our host Jackie recommended the area to us and we're happy to have taken her up on the suggestion. While fairly small it comprises a fairly well-rounded community center, with banks, restaurants, medical facilities and shops all nestled tightly together.

San Francisco: Mission Street Farmer's Market

Our first day in San Francisco and fresh off the BART we found ourselves on Mission Street early on a Wednesday morning…evidently the same time that Mission Street converts into an open air farmer's market! Sweet providence! This is the largest farmer's market I've encountered stateside, so it was quite an exciting place for me. It was only natural I had to snap a gratuitous amount of photos between happily sampling the various slices of fruit being handed out.

Photo heavy post ahead!