Open View Gardens

I was in shock. I stepped in off the cold, misty street and was greeted by the aroma of onions caramelizing, squash sautéing and crust browning in the oven. It was the first dinner hosted by Emilio’s university friends that I had attended since moving to Venice. I had expected the usual — a few […]

This past weekend cooking for my best friend Julia, who was visiting for a few days from England, I was reminded of how much I enjoy cooking for the people I love. I find pleasure in every aspect — the planning, shopping, preparing and eating of a meal I know will bring joy to the […]

Our fourth guest writer, Barbara (Bee) Dieu, takes us to Brazil where she is an educator working at the intersections of language learning, multi-literacies and professional development in online contexts.  Over the years I have learned many things from her about teaching and learning online, about working across and between cultures and about being fearless […]

If you’re in Vermont this summer, join us for one of  scheduled class sessions in our lovely home kitchen–tour the gardens while you’re here!–or arrange a private class or give a cooking class as a gift. Download our flyer or our brochure, call or email (openviewgardens@gmail.com) with questions or to sign up.  See our class […]

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day today, my first article of the new  season for the Addison Independent, has, naturally, an Irish theme: Irish Roots Here, But No Cabbage If I stayed true to my roots, today I’d be in the basement planting cabbage seeds under the grow lights, then shoveling snow off a raised […]

Earlier in the summer,  I wrote about learning from family, students and friends.  Actually, since I started blogging in 2001, I’ve often remarked on being far more student than teacher even when I taught in formal schools. Every day since then I’ve learned essential and moving lessons from the non-human inhabitants of the gardens, but […]

BG’s Note:  What a thrill it is to have daughters who share my passion for cooking and culture. How fabulous it is that one of them lives in New York and calls me whenever she happens upon a food shop she’s sure I will love and must visit next time I’m in the city.  How […]

Note: Every other Thursday I contribute to a shared column, PATCH work, Three Gardens, Many Kitchens, in our local newspaper, The Addison Independent.  This week I’m thinking artichokes–here’s how it reads with its images (the online newspaper version does not include the visuals). As a child I wanted swordfish and artichokes for my birthday dinner. […]

It’s snowing. Hard.  On April 28 in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.  Two days ago I spent seven hours in a t-shirt hauling dirt around new garden beds (we’re doubling the size of the already large garden), planting potatoes, weeding, cheering on the rattling bumblebees and softly whirring honeybees at their work among the blossoming […]