Good Things from the Garden

by Laura Donnelly — June 4, 2007

Anyone who loves to cook should have a potager, or kitchen garden. If you've got a spot of sun and a patch of ground, you can grow a little garden with herbs, some lettuces and vegetables, perhaps a few flowers.

Potager, from the French word "potage" or soup, is traditionally a small, often geometrically arranged seasonal garden meant to provide the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers for a family. There is something both romantic and practical about the kitchen garden. Different from the utilitarian American vegetable plot, where row upon row of vegetables are arranged for maximum production, the potager often has a willy-nilly planting scheme. Creeping fragrant herbs like thyme or chamomile are planted between stones, releasing their fragrance when walked upon. A trellis in a far corner supports sweet peas, cornichons, or morning glories.

Because of the traditionally close proximity to the house, kitchen gardens are often quite decorative, with statuary, a sundial, and perhaps a comfortable bench. A small well-defined space is easier to tend, too. Beds are planted intensively, so there's not much room for weeds.

The potagers of 16th- and 17th-century royal palaces of Europe were quite elaborate. The Potager du Roy at Versailles, Villandry, Mongenan, Ivry, and our own Monticello and Mount Vernon are great examples of early kitchen gardens. Raised beds, various structures providing support for vines, pergolas, arbors, and enclosed garden "rooms" are all examples of the beauty and utility of these potagers. In France today, 23 percent of its citizens still grow much of their own vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers.

My kitchen garden is tiny and manageable, and I like it that way. Only about 15 by 15 feet with a little stone and gravel walkway around it and a sundial in the middle, it is divided into four sections. One is permanently devoted to being a patch of wild strawberries. Another section is given over to herbs that return each year, like chives, sage, thyme, and tarragon. In the midst of this I plant basil, parsley, cilantro, and dill and chervil when it is cool enough. Another corner is frequently reseeded lettuces, spinach, arugula, radishes, and mâche. The fourth corner falls victim to my culinary crushes of the season. Last year, after a trip to Asia, my corner became the Pan-Asian Pacific Rim garden filled with lemon grass, three kinds of Thai basil, Vietnamese coriander (don't grow this, it spreads and smells icky), red shiso, and garlic chives. Another year it was French with lemon verbena, lavender, and some olive bushes. Years ago I planted a cheap K-Mart black raspberry bush in back and forgot about it. Last summer I was rewarded with quite a tasty crop. I'm getting braver now and have some blueberry bushes and tomato plants. My soil is good, so I just treat the garden to some good ol' chicken manure in the spring and try to keep the weeds at bay. That's it! And I can assure you, I really don't know much about gardening!

Most nurseries and garden centers have a good selection of herbs, lettuces, and vegetable plants. Remember to keep it small, manageable, and as simple as you like. These gardens are meant for daily consumption, not massive quantities of tomatoes and zucchini to be "put up" for the winter months.

Baby Spinach with Seared Ginger Scallops

Grapefruit and scallops go beautifully together. Have some extra grapefruit and serve the segments with the spinach salad. It's also always a good idea to have a fresh chunk of ginger in the refrigerator. I use it at least twice a week.

Serves 4

1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons canola oil
Salt
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 lb. baby spinach leaves
8 sea scallops, about 1/2 lb.

1. In small non-reactive saucepan, combine shallot and grapefruit juice and let stand 10 minutes. Then add lime and lemon juice and bring to boil. Reduce slightly, down to 1/2 cup. Remove from heat and add 1 Tablespoon oil and salt to taste. Set aside.

2. In small bowl, stir together soy sauce, ginger, honey, and mustard. Set aside.

3. Just before searing scallops, toss spinach with dressing and divide among four plates

4. In frying pan large enough to hold all scallops without crowding, add oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add scallops and sear about 30 seconds on each side until golden brown. Add soy sauce glaze and reduce heat, coating scallops for about 45 seconds. Divide among plates on top of spinach and drizzle remaining glaze over all.