meandering eats

The challah did hold up very well to paninis. Made four sandwiches with ham and whatever cheeses we had on hand. Those included fresh mozzarella, brie, and colby jack. Fresh basil from our new basil plants. I still have to transplant them out of their original pots, so I hope the trimming and the transplanting doesn't kill them.

This weekend, to use up more yeast, I'm going to make French bread again. I'm learning that the yeast works best with water at 110 degrees F.

On the gardening list:

• Transplant basil and mint plants
• Plant lettuce and arugula seeds

A gardening article in the Union-Trib said the end of August was the best time to start lettuce seed as well as other fall veggies. I don't think I'll grow my own veggies until I have my own home, but in the meantime, lettuce should be ok. Since the neighborhood has more varied plantlife than Costa Verde, the pest problem doesn't really exist. At Costa Verde, my plants were ridden with caterpillars, whiteflies, and aphids. Here in North Park, it's not bad except for the clouds of black flies that swarm the neighborhood. They don't really bother plants, though, so mine are doing ok.

What's exciting is that in September, we'll have tons of herbs to work with. The rosemary's growing the slowest, but it had to be transplanted twice, so I think it's still recovering from all of that. I like using E.B. Stone's Organic potting soil versus the Scott's potting soil. It's much easier to work with and is a finer grain. The only weird thing about it is that it seems to be molding or decomposing. A fine mocha-colored layer appears after it hasn't been watered for a while. It goes away with a watering, but appears again as the soil dries. I think it's mold, so we'll have to watch it carefully.