I have always viewed my potager as a tasting garden.

Four raised beds, about 5 feet by 11 feet each. The garden with brick walkways runs the length of my house. I plant a little of this and a little of that. My kitchen garden is not large enough to grow everything. It’s not large enough to grow tons of tomatoes for canning or gallons of beans for freezing. But it is big enough to grow what I want to eat. Invariably I freeze or give away some. It’s big enough.

Today, I was out in the garden enjoying the sun and picking a few weeds. I’m still pruning perennials growing near the raised beds. I’m still sowing seeds. The arugula is coming up nicely. The improved French dandelion greens are sprouting. The peas need thinning. I planted some radish seeds—Misato Rose, an Asian winter radish, and New Crown.

How do I make the most of the garden space I do have? Here’s something I’m trying. My bamboo poles are in place and waiting for beans to be planted when the frost free date has passed. Here’s my plan: The lettuce will grow under the bean tee pees. I tossed some Asian Baby Leaf mesclun salad mix seeds, covered them with a little soil, and sprayed them with water.

The salad leaves will grow for a few weeks until I plant the beans. The beans will take a while to grow. By that time it will be the heat of summer and the lettuce will enjoy a little shade. (Lettuce languishes in the summer, it prefers cool weather.)

Pasta with Green Garlic

So what’s for dinner tonight? How about pasta with green garlic, Swiss chard, and flat leaf Italian parsley? These were all ready for harvesting today.

Green garlic is garlic that is not mature; it won’t grow plump with multiple cloves until the beginning of July. I dug a few—they really look like green onions at this point, the flavor is milder than garlic cloves. You won’t find this delicacy at the grocery store. You have to grow it yourself.

Swiss chard is not hardy in our area, however, I hid mine under cloches for the winter and it survived. Montruso chard is full and green with thick white stems. Perfect now, so I cut a few stalks. Parsley is a biennial. Sometimes I am lucky to have a few plants survive the winter. Today I am lucky. I harvest some for the pasta.

Pasta with Green Garlic

1 pound of good Italian pasta
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
3 stalks green garlic, chopped
3-4 stalks Swiss chard, chopped
Handful of fresh Italian parsley, about cup, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Coarsely grated parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Boil and cook the pasta according to package directions to the al dente stage.

Heat about 1/4 cup of good olive oil (I prefer extra virgin olive oil from Greece, made from Kalamata olives).

Sauté the walnuts until hot.

Add the green garlic, Swiss chard, and parsley.

Cook for a few minutes until garlic is translucent and chard is just limp.

Pour immediately over cooked pasta.

Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and ground pepper.