Tag: Project 52

Arugula Salad with Roasted Beets & Toasted Goat Cheese & Shrimp

I love good food. I'm not a chain restaurant diner. Often the food is engineered to cater to the least common denominator by a bunch of people wearing lab coats. That usually means bland, boring, middle of the road food that is high in calories and low in nutrition. There are exceptions of course but very few.

I prefer to eat from restaurants run by chefs who have a love for the craft and who source their ingredients locally. There are a few like that in my area.

Today I took a walk around Rocky Hill – a borough in my Township of Montgomery. I know, I know! I should not have. I have severe allergies to tree pollen and given that the pollen count was so high, I should have stayed inside.

But the tree-lined main street was seductive. After snapping a few good shots with my camera, I stopped in at the One 53 for lunch. My favourite waitress Amy working today. She seated me near the corner window and we chatted while I reviewed the food and beer menu.

I sipped on a bottle of Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Ale – Rum Cask while finishing my Arugula Salad with Roasted Beets & Toasted Goat Cheese. The salad had no protein so Amy offered to add a serving of shrimp. The salad was surprisingly spicy. I'm not sure that was because of the beets or something that was added to the seasoning that covered the shrimp and chickpeas. I'm not a food reviewer but I think this salad was delicious. My wife would enjoy it.

Purple Haze

I love gardening. Growing up in the British West Indies I was always surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. The island where I was born1 has a now dormant volcano[^2] but previous eruptions have left the soil dark and fertile. Almost anything will grow on this island without much help. Plant it and it will grow. I grew up with a backyard filled with coconut and avocado trees, and what natives call plum trees2.

I brought that love of grading with me when I moved to the United States but I have nowhere to plant until we bought our first home. I had to learn a lot. The soil in New Jersey is not as fertile and the sort of plants that would grow here are quite different. I had to learn about perennials and annuals and when to plant what and in what soil and with how much fertilizer. It took many years but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Last fall my niece and I planted a whole mess of bulbs. I love watching her face when she comes over to visit and she sees what we created together.

  1. St. Vincent and the Grenadines
    [^2]:La Soufriere ↩
  2. A lot of the fruits are imported from the Pacific, some by Captain Bligh on the Bounty. ↩

Port Mercer

A few us have been using the recent warmer weather to take our cameras out for a walk. Despite the higher allergen count I ignored my itchy eyes and irritated nostrils and decided to join my colleges. We piled into a car and drove over the bridge near Quaker Road that marks the line between West Windsor and Princeton Township.

We parked on the newly reconstructed mounds of dirt that now attempt to protect the narrow stretch or earth from falling into the river. It had been eroded during the last flooding caused by hurricane Irene. We started walking south but were stopped by the gate that was recently erected as part of the new construction. We turned around and crossed this surprisingly busy road and walked north instead.

At first, I was disappointed. I saw nothing but grey ahead of the very long path. I was wearing my dress shoes which were becoming dusty and I was beginning to accept that at most I would get a bit of exercise. I didn't see anything that I could shoot that would be impressive.

So as a photographer, your goal isn’t to shoot like everyone else, present like everyone else, and charge like everyone else. Your job as a photographer is to find your niche. Find what you love, and do it so well people start talking about you.
Source:Virtual Photography Studio

That part of photography always gets in my way. I'm so busy "thinking" about photography and getting that "special" capture, I often miss opportunities to take photos that are right there. Things that are maybe less impressive to others but are "good enough" for me.

I was pondering on this1 when suddenly I heard a bell and turned around just in time to capture this biker wearing a red shirt. Then another biker appeared from the opposite direction. Then another. This shot was the one I enjoyed the most.

  1. Yes I know. More thinking. ↩