The grass is greener.

When we were looking at houses, initially we were looking closer to Boston. We still have friends there, my sister lives there, and I work pretty deep in the city. Of course, right around the time we saw what it was like to have a yard and multiple parking spots, reality set in (and I remembered how much I hated moving), so we decided to look for the long term. This meant moving to the suburbs. We are very lucky in that we still live close enough to be accessible to the main subway instead of being fully reliant on driving/commuter rail, but we are far out enough to enjoy having space to have a yard to mow. There's even a section which would make a perfect garden plot...if I didn't kill most plants I've ever tried to grow:

• Exhibit A: The African violet I tried to keep alive in my dorm room in college. (I anxiously brought it to the florist hoping they could give me tips to resuscitate it. He took one look at it, tossed the pot in the trash and gave me a new one, free of charge.)
• Exhibit B: The tomato plant I tried to grow on my balcony in D.C. (You know, the garden item people say grows like a weed and you'll just be giving them away? I got maybe six golf ball-sized tomatoes off the vine before it shriveled and died.)
• Exhibit C: The potted gardenia my mother-in-law got me as a Christmas gift one year. (It didn't last until Valentine's Day; in fairness, my cat ate it.)
• Exhibit D: The air plant my colleague kindly got me as a parting gift. ("You literally can't kill it - just spritz it once in a while," she said. It died a spiny death when I forgot to spritz it.)

I wouldn't be so bold to claim that Suburban Bev is some bizarro green thumb, and I don't want to jinx anything, but five months later, my herbs are thriving on the deck:

(basil: for pesto and anything with tomatoes)

 (rosemary: for lamb and the like)

(mint: for mojitos and such)

(thyme: for everything)

For all the herbs I buy at the grocery store in packs which wilt faster than I can use them up, it's delightful to be able to harvest nature's fragrant offerings in only the amount needed at the moment. In fact, my basil is growing so well that I actually get enough leaves at a time such that I can harvest the amount needed for pesto...and more leaves grow back in their place!! Experienced gardeners will point out that that's what's supposed to happen with live plants, but there's a first time for everything. Drunk with power, I made plans to buy a lemon tree and peonies and perhaps even tomatoes again, which my sweet husband encouraged.

Maybe we'll just get through this growing season first.

*

(served above with whole wheat spaghetti, oven-roasted asparagus and a poached egg)

Basic Pesto
Makes enough for 4-6 servings of pasta depending on how saucy you like things.

3-4 c basil leaves, washed
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c pine nuts
zest and juice of one lemon
1 c olive oil
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Combine basil, garlic, pine nuts and lemon zest/juice in a food processor - whir until chopped and blended. Drizzle in olive oil while the food processor is running until everything comes together. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper; taste and adjust seasonings.

To store: the basil will oxidize pretty quickly, so in whatever container you store leftovers, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top. Pesto freezes nicely (especially in ice cube trays which are easy to pop out for individual servings later).

Note: You can substitute spicy greens such as arugula for the basil, and other soft, oily nuts such as pistachios and cashews for the pine nuts. If you're going nut-free (technically a close cousin, pistou), you can do something like this.