The other day our downstairs neighbor brought over 2 pounds of center-cut pork loin. Apparently our next-door-neighbor had ordered several pork chops and had gotten loin instead, so she handed it off to anyone who happened to be around. My downstairs neighbor gave it to me to cook! Don't you love it when free food happens?

I browned it and then plunked it into the crock pot with a carrot, garlic, plums, and lots of herbs for the day. Later while it rested and I shredded I reduced the stock and strained the whole mess to serve with the pork and carrots. The next day it made a great sandwich, and later this weekend I think we'll have tacos.

Also this week I made this beet salad. I never know what to do with beets--they're so aggressive in flavor and I'm sick of that goat cheese and beet salad. I grated some raw beets with carrots and then minced some garlic scrapes and tossed with vinaigrette. Sweet and crunchy! Is my salad hurting your eyes?

This weekend we're picking up a picnic tote from Marlow & Daughters at the New Amsterdam Market and then celebrating City of Water Day. Or maybe since it will be almost 100 degrees and humid as hell I may pick up the picnic tote alone and we'll eat it while cowering indoors. Also, we may venture out to Bark Hot Dogs where they're celebrating National Hot Dog Day with their weekend special: come in and say "happy holiday" to the staff and buy 2 hot dogs, get a classic hot dog for free. Or as we call it, dinner for three.

This week I posted about Purple Kale Kitchenworks on the Park Slope Parents blog--I'm dying to take one of these workshops! And this week on The Stir I posted about probiotic straws, Walmart's food justice-washing, the Child Nutrition bill (so close!), and vegan ice creams that aren't gross. (Oh yes I did.)

I leave you with my royal burgandy beans, which have resisted climbing but are producing again anyway. Yay! Happy weekend.

Sigh. Can I tell you what kind of summer I'm having? Is it kind of like yours? Did you hate the 100-degree weather last week? Did your spouse also work late nights and weekends all last week? Have aphids destroyed your beautiful nasturtiums? Have you lost all empathy for all other human beings? Who's with me here? My people.

So when I'm not remorselessly slamming little girls' feed in my door (accidentally of course, duh, long story, another time) I'm setting a very simple table on our roof deck, which appears to be the only thing I can stand to write about on my personal blog these days.

Sheri has put together a splended series on summer table settings and featured an image from my own table. Alas, it occurred to me as I surveyed the other featured tables that we have become increasingly uncivilized. When was the last time I used a tablecloth? I don't remember. Why plain white boring diner china? Because it never, ever breaks and because I hate the visual disharmony of food clashing with patterns on a plate. Jam jar glasses? Apparently everyone else does that, too.

I have to say, though, the navy blue napkins are genius. Here's something important I learned from Hip Girls: don't buy light-colored napkins because they'll just get stained. So now look, I've provided you with a little service here today. True, not originally my idea, but still, I've been useful. I can sleep peacefully now.

It was hard enough to keep this blog updated when I started working for the Brooklyn Food Coalition. But I recently started contributing to The Stir and to the Park Slope Parents Blog, so now it's all I can do to just post garden photos from time to time.

Speaking of new projects, with the carrots harvested and the recent arrival of some big planters from a friend moving out of the country I've started new seeds.

arugulaRainbow chard I'll have to separate at some pointMeanwhile, I'm watching the rest of the garden develop, like this rescue hyssop that bloomed this week.

My bachelor buttons are going strong--they're so hardy in this heat! In the background you'll see my sage blossoms. Supposedly letting your herbs and greens flower will make them bitter, but I rarely use my sage and it was so persistent in blooming that I just gave in. That's my lazy-ass version of permaculture.

There's no lack of sun on the roof, which is why I'm a little baffled by my nasturtium's behavior. Why the crazy leaning to the side? I was picturing trailing vines but maybe I need to build a trellis.

It's been in the 90s here in NYC. This is how Madeline keeps cool on the roof. Until I build a wire mesh screen for Jasper's new beta fish she has to stay upstairs. I've caught her with paws in the fishbowl several times. Don't worry, she's getting lots of water and wet food.

We pulled our first carrots and cut our first peas this weekend. The carrots are brilliantly sweet and flavorful so we ate them raw. We shared the handful of peas lightly boiled with butter and salt.

I have some funky purple beans coming in. I'm not sure how long I should let them grow so I'm giving them another week before I start cutting them.

I'm so pleased with my peas.

The garden is outgrowing its pots but I just inherited some large planters from a friend. Next week: transferring and starting new seeds. I also need to get some ladybugs and marigolds; the aphids have found my nasturtium and brussels sprouts.

This is where I'll be tomorrow morning, presenting on food trends at TechMunch! Tickets still available.