The Gardener is Back in Business

Acknowledged – it has been a while since the Harvest Manager has had anything much to say.  The main reason is that The Gardener has been on extended leave.  2015 dished up some unexpected challenges for gardening in our neck of the woods.

The five year drought in California is not the main reason.  Water is always an issue for The Gardener.  Drip irrigation, sprinklers on timers, and strategic watering schedules are part of the program even without a drought.  The main thing last year that impeded non-stop gardening was a string of medical issues including shingles, knee surgery, and clostridium difficile (read up – c.diff. actually kills people).

Cellos

Here’s the latest evidence that The Gardener is feeling better and back at it.  While the official Harvest Manager was away on a business trip, this happened. Four varieties of citrus liqueur are now aging in the pantry.  Flavors include navel orange, lime, tangerine, and lemon.  Astute readers will know that lemon liqueur is commonly referred to as limoncello.

I haven’t asked The Gardener his recipe, but I know it includes citrus peel, vodka, and a month on the shelf.  The recipe from America’s Test Kitchen seems pretty close to the debriefing I got upon my return from travel.  This batch hit the shelves on April 9, so we are still a couple of weeks away from taste testing. 

In the meantime, we can amuse ourselves by practicing rodent control using our new slings.  That was another project The Gardener took on in the Harvest Manager’s absence.