Part of what makes this feel like home is having my dear neighbors show up at my door with a fresh harvest of arugula – rucola in Italian – and radishes. I did have sweet people in Italy (over)feeding me, but the friendships and interconnections here in my Burien neighborhood, south of Seattle, make me feel more deeply rooted and appreciated.

Added to my neighbors are crab feeds, bike rides and brunches with family, and it makes it easy to say “There’s no place like home”.

For my lunch today I took the whole harvest of rucola, shaved the radishes, added some raspberries from my berry patch and some parmesan and fresh mozzarella bocconcini. I drizzled it all with a homemade roasted red pepper vinaigrette, Sicilian olive oil and crema balsamica.