Zoe, Doug & I recently rented a plot in a community garden just down the street from our house. In a perfect world, we would have an immense garden in our backyard, but unfortunately our lil' piece of swamp land here in the city makes our newly rented plot entirely necessary! There is something to be said about growing your own food; a special satisfaction that I cannot compare to anything else. I have been lucky to work in many kitchens that have relied on what grows in the garden; Les Fougeres, Peter Island and Inn At Bay Fortune. So, when it came to planting my garden, here are a few of the essentials that I could not live without. The herbs that I need on a regular basis were the first things that we planted; basil, flat leaf parsley, cilantro, tarragon, thyme, marjoram and lemon balm. Next came a few tomato varieties, such as roma and teardrop. Doug planted green peppers, even though I think they're evil. Lettuces, arugula, radishes and tons of lavender rounded out our little plot. So, we shall wait and see what comes about in our little corner of the community garden. I'll keep you posted on how green my thumbs get!