Calyx

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If you’re familiar with gooseberries, you’ll probably recognize the papery-thin wrapper they grow in.

Tomato

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BUNNY

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I thought it was time Bunny had his portrait done.

Turnip

SOLD

Private Collection: Truro, Nova Scotia

Yesterday, the New York Times published Recipes for Health: Turnips, which sent me scrambling to the fridge. There were two small turnips sitting in the bottom drawer since October, one was growing yellow sprouts. I peeled, chopped and then tossed the one without the sprouts into a soup pot, the other became a subject of fascination: the above still life. According to NYT article, you can eat turnip leaves (who knew?) and they taste like kale. I’ve never eaten turnip leaves before, have you? I plan on trying them next spring, or whenever I see them. The leaves are full of calcium, vitamins K, A and beta carotene. Worth trying. Just hope some turn up soon. ;)

Oddly, for the first week of January, this is turning into a hopeful gardener’s week, first, harvested swiss chard, kale, rosemary and thyme (which went into a delicious omelet), then I learned that the book launch for The Year Round Vegetable Gardener is happening in a few weeks at Halifax Seed. Then Halifax Seed’s catalogue arrived in the mail and now this new information about turnips. It’s a wonderful start to a new year especially since I miss my garden so much in winter, the next best thing is just planning for the next season.

Click here for a Global Maritimes news story about winter gardening. Warms my heart. :)

Rubber Duck

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Remember Ernie and his rubber ducky from Sesame Street? Okay, sing it with me. :)

Rubber Ducky
You’re the one
You make bath time lots of fun!
Rubber Ducky, I’m awfully fond of you!

Bosc Pear

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Remember that scene in City of Angels? The one where Nicholas Cage asks Meg Ryan what a pear tastes like and she tells him it “tastes like a pear,” but he really wants to know what a pear tastes “to you.”

Sigh. So romantic.

That movie was released in the spring of 1998, I’m not sure that I knew the name of this pear until then. I think I only glanced at it on the grocery shelf as it sat there with its dull, rough skin that contains this sweet fruit but after that, I took notice.

Happy Holly Days

Just a quick life study from the garden, it might be -12C but there is plenty in the garden to hint at renewed life in the spring. We’ve passed the shortest day of the year so the daylight lasts a little longer each day. Just a few freezing months of dreaming about the things that will grow again. Glad the holly offers up its berries under the snow.

Obviously this antique bottle is on a boat. A boat listing heavily to one side, perhaps in a great storm, sailing towards calmer waters with The Old Spice Man. Yeah, that’s it.  ;)

Oil on board, (12.5 x 17.5 cm), painted from life (as usual).