Why people have gardens

They (me) have gardens so that they (me) can have a reason to walk into the backyard during a slight drizzle. Then people (me) can look over all the luscious wet green leaves of cantaloupe vines and zucchini and radish and turnip tops. All the vibrant red tomatoes and the soft yellow banana peppers. They (me) have gardens so they (me) can experience that lovely euphoria, while gazing at the drops of dew still visible, that lasts maybe a minute, and washes away all the soul dust. And then they (me) spy another tangerine colored pumpkin flower and they (me) get another wave of garden bliss. People (me) have gardens so they (me) can pull a fat turnip out of the ground, run it under the hose in the drizzly evening and cut it into pieces. They (me) might hold a piece up to their (my) nose and smell that fresh pungent turnip smell before dropping it into the soup with the carrots and celery and chicken and tiny strange pastas shaped like itty pinwheels. People (me) have gardens so they can eat turnips that were nothing once. Well, maybe just a small brown seed the size of a speck. A seed that grew there in the dark ground and became the reason some people (me) might have a garden.

"One turnip from the garden" Chicken Soup
8 cups chicken broth (low sodium if store bought)
2 handfulls chopped up raw carrots
1 handful chopped up celery
1/2 handful finely diced onion
10 whole garlic cloves, cut in half
1 turnip from the garden, sliced
4 handfuls chicken, cooked and shredded (omit if vegetarian)
Add all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for about half an hour until veggies are tender.
Then add a scant handful of tiny pasta in the oddest shapes you might find. Let simmer for another 10 minutes or until pasta is no longer crunchy. Have with a nice brown bread.
Wine suggestion; Wild Horse Pinot Noir