Southern California sure feels like spring. Other than a couple of pretty cold weeks in December I’m not sure it really felt like winter this year. Yesterday Samantha and I picked the last of the oranges so that the abundant flowers could get all the nutrients the tree could provide for another banner year. (Yes, Mary Pat I got her to do the dangerous work…) Then later in the afternoon Sharon, Marcia and I trimmed deadwood out of the Meyer Lemon.

So today I’m feeling like grilling (there are chicken thighs in the refrigerator with a citrus pepper dry rub on them); I’ll cook them along side some asparagus and yellow squash.

Oh, yes and I’ll serve the beet salad on butter lettuce. It was just too warm to heat up the oven (and the house) to roast them so this is my summer stovetop method. Beets are a bit messy but well worth it in my opinion.