Transformation: Garden

I wasn't sure what to do with myself this Monday morning, feeling in a funk, so I walked out early to water my vegetable garden.  Thinking this morning of transformation.

Plants perform an amazing feat of transformation ~ they take sunlight, water, and the nutrients in the dirt, and transform them into vegetables and fruit and nuts and flowers ~ food for our body and our soul.  Then we take the sugars and proteins and other magical chemicals in the food and turn them into our bodies, which somehow create consciousness and creativity and all the things we do each day.

The beauty of the flowers feeds the soul (we all need both "bread and roses" to survive), convincing us to replant their seeds and seducing the bees into spreading their pollen (which the bees transform into honey!)  Birds eat seeds and bugs and worms and transform them into feathers and flight.  Their beauty feeds my soul and imagination.

Today my garden held several jalapenos ready to pick, dozens of baby bell peppers not ready to pick, and a couple red tomatoes.  There are now TEN tomatoes on my windowsill, and I think it's time to make salsa.  I've never made homemade salsa before, but it seems a good way to use all these tomatoes and jalapenos!

SALSA RECIPE:
6 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapenos, minced
2 roasted jalapenos, minced
1 bell pepper, red or green, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice of one lime
salt and black pepper to taste
optional:  cilantro or parsley, scallions
optional: chili powder, oregano

Blend it all in a bowl and refrigerate for several hours.  I hope it's good... we'll see.