My empire of dirt

There are many great delights in life. To pick but one, or even a few, out and say they are the greatest of great delights is just wrong. So many things share a place in our hearts as triggers to smiles and warm feelings.

I reflected on the above this weekend as several great moments washed over me and I realised how one's spirits can be raised in but the simplest of ways: a warm breeze passing through the car as one drives from A to B on a lazy dog-dangling kind of Sunday; taking in the paper for the first time that week over fried eggs at Mario's; a little Johnny Cash touching your soul; reading the first chapter of a new book and knowing it's going to be a wonderful journey to the very last page.

And then there's being a couple of metres above the ground trimming back your cumquat tree and in doing so yielding a huge bowl full of sweet and sour treats.

I love cumquats. I eat them whole, off the tree. I've been doing this ever since I've had access to them, but this is the first year I've decided to actually harvest. Sure, the primary goal was to trim back what has become an unwieldy tree that blocks the sun from my herbs, but nevertheless I was always going to find my way to a couple of kilograms of bright orange fruit.

Enter Stephanie Alexander and her recipe for cumquat marmalade. And tonight after an hour of quartering and de-seeding the hard-earned fruit sits in a big steel bowl infusing liquid that will tomorrow night become syrup and later a delicious fresh, tartish, wholly organic spread.

I may well let a million opportunities pass me by any given month, but something about the garden and its offerings springs me into action every time. I thought this tonight as, when packing up my pruning tools, I snipped a handful of rocket from my pot to stop it getting out of control.

Sure, there are weeds down the other side of the house, the floor needs a sweep and a light globe needs changing, but I had a delicious salad tonight and my toast will not be plain for some time to come.