The herbs in my backyard have grown so fast, I can’t keep up with them.

So I invited my next door neighbor Joelle to bring a bowl over and I’d fill it with the herbs of her choice. She selected spearmint, basil, and rosemary.

To thank me she brought over some fresh mozzarella cheese.

So I’ve been adding it to my salads, like this recent one with tomatoes from the garden, plus a pear, mushrooms, bell pepper, with an olive oil, basil, and lime dressing. And I added smoked salmon to turn it into a meal.

One of the great things about the gas range I bought last year is that it’s much more efficient than the old one, so I can use the oven more during the summer months as it keeps the heat in the oven. So I baked a pecan pie for desert.

I’ve also started to make tea with the spearmint. It tastes pretty good, hot or iced, with just a half teaspoon of honey.

The herbs are still growing like mad, so the next time I see Tugboat and Ted I’ll make them the same offer, as well as some of the other neighbors.

Given how well everything is growing back there, I wonder if next year I might try growing some weed and see if I can make a buck by selling it. Uh, you didn’t read that here.