It truly is a joy, to have a patch of good soil to tend, be it acres or a few square feet in a planter. To start the day inspecting your herbs and vegetables, thinking “what can I cook tonight that will highlight these flavors?” is the surest way I know to drain away the stress of modern life. There are wonderful cooks who have never dirtied their hands in the garden, and probably a lesser number of gardeners who can’t cook. But to my mind, the herbs and veggies I harvest are a lovely resource just waiting for a creative touch, and cooking your own produce is the best of both worlds.

I consider both cooking and gardening as play rather than work. That allows the freedom to try something experimental without worrying too much about the risk. Certainly my goal is a dish that my family and I will enjoy eating. Some results are mildly disappointing, and I’ve have a few creations that were uneatable, but with experience the winners seem to outweigh the losers. You already know what you like, and develop a feel for your family and friend’s tastes over time. Smell your herbs, admire the bounty of nature, and let the images of food enjoyed in the past drift by.

Pinching the flower heads off some cilantro this morning leads to pungent fingertips that I usually associate with Mexican food. I think I’ve got some corn tortillas left over in the fridge and certainly chicken breasts in the freezer. So what would be fun to layer in a casserole? I’ve got onions and peppers, and shredded cheese. Need tomatoes ideally, and mine haven’t started producing yet, but I have no problem with canned tomatoes. Using ingredients that you haven’t grown yourself is a given, unless you’re a lot more hard-core than I am. I’ll want some additional herbs to back up the cilantro, maybe chives and oregano mixed into the tomato layer, a little sage with the chicken, we’ll see what strikes the fancy when it’s time to assemble the dish.