Grow Your Own Beauty with Table Grapes

29 July 2010 by Jean Johnson

You know, for me the measure free hippie kitchen and garden thing is mostly about beauty.  I love the poetry of it all, as I all but testify to in Beyond Measure and Hippie Kitchen–chuckle. The artistry of layering fat slices of tomatoes and fresh mozzarella together for a caprese. The glory of seeing grape vines turn my world green and cool and collected.

Here’s my driveway in the spring before the arbor I’ve been nursing along kicks in.

Then in early summer.

Finally in full on summer.

And then in all its glory before the end of the season comes.

And then, as Jackson Browne sang, When the spring ‘light comes streaming in, I’ll get up and do it again’ next year…

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  1. 9 Responses to “Grow Your Own Beauty with Table Grapes”

  2. I love this! Thanks for sharing–so inspiring and welcoming. Big news from our garden–6 ripe tomatoes so far! Just out of curiosity, Jean, about how often do you have dinner guests? I have this visual of people lining up at your door!

    By Pam Glaze on Jul 29, 2010

  3. This is just beautiful, Jean!
    I’m sending you a couple of photos of my own grapes, just for fun.

    By Carola on Aug 1, 2010

  4. Chuckle, Pam. Funny you should ask because I just started a b&b of sorts. First guest this weekend! I’m not sure that she knows about my sustainable food work, but I imagine that there will be some overlap–as people on my FB page have already said they want to book this year.

    I envision a dinner/hands on cooking session with me for an extra fee for those who are interested.

    Anyhow, it’s listed on airbnb.com if you want to check it out. Just type in Portland, Oregon and then the Rustic Charmer with the Hippie Cook

    By Jean Johnson on Aug 2, 2010

  5. Cool, Carola. I’ll look for those.

    By Jean Johnson on Aug 2, 2010

  6. It appears that you also have an apple tree hanging out with the grapes. It is trained to the arbor too?

    By Amy Babinchak on Sep 2, 2010

  7. Yes, Amy. I espaliered the trees by trimming the branches to run along the wires. Kind of fun and so intuitive no books needed.

    By Jean Johnson on Sep 9, 2010

  8. DEAR MS. JOHNSON

    I LIVE IN CANBY AND BOUGHT YOUR MEASURE FREE
    BOOK LAST CHRISTMAS FOR MY 2 CHIRPRACTIC DR IN
    WILSONVILLE, THEY PROMOTE WELLNESS COOKING CLASSES ETC AND FARM TO TABLE AND ALL OF THAT.
    I WOEK WITH AREA CHAMBERS AND TOURISM AND THERE
    IS A NEW “LIVING ROOM CAFE” IN CANBY. THEY HAVE
    SO MANHY ACTIVITES, COOKING AND BOOK SIGNINGS ETC AND IT IS FAST BECOMING A DESTNITION PLACE
    IN FACT THAT IS WHAT IT IS CALLED “THE PLACE TO
    BE CAFE IN CANBY. WONDERFUL MANAGEMENT AND PHILOSOPHY AND YOU WOULD BE A DELUIGHT TO HAVE
    THERE. IF YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT ON FACEBOOK OR
    BETTER YET SLIP DOWN OUR WAY-PLEASE PHONE ME I
    WOULD TO SHARE IT WITH YOU AND PERHAPS
    PARTNER YOU NW WELLNESS CENTER FOR SOME
    “DUAL” ENGAGEMENTS. OUR MINDS ARE RACING
    AS ENJOY ALL THAT YOU ARE ABOUT.
    ALSO COULD YOU LET ME KNOW ABOUT YOUR BED AND
    BREAKFAST.
    THANK YOU – YOU ARE A REAL TREASURE AND DELIGHT.
    MAXINE ELLE
    CANBY AND AURORA CHAMBERS
    503 984-0392

    By maxine elle on Jun 27, 2011

  9. DEAR JEAN

    HOPE YOU CAN MAKE SENSE OF MY PREVIOUS
    RAMBLING. I HAVE ARTHRITUS ETC AND
    FORGET TO CHECK SP/CHK ETC.

    LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU

    By maxine elle on Jun 27, 2011

  10. Maxine, How nice to hear from you. I’d love to come to Canby—and delighted to hear of your interest in my books. I’ll call you, Jean

    To check out my b&b go to airbnb.com, search for Portland, Oregon and then either The Marble Top or Kirsten’s Sweet–we have both rooms here at the hacienda.

    By Jean Johnson on Jul 20, 2011

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