Kitchen Composting

I have the fortune of being the sister to a gifted mosaic artist and expert potter. All of the lucky members of my family have beautiful objects of art and handy pottery gracing our homes, cabinets, and gardens, all from this generous and artistic woman. For my birthday Teresa gave me a gift that I am reminded of and happy about each and every day. It’s one of those kinds of gifts from which you never tire. A ‘Counter Culture Pot’, she calls it.

I save what my mother, the original recycler and organic gardener, used to call live garbage; eggshells, coffee grounds, and apple peels. They all get thrown into an old coffee tin or bucket of some kind and then hidden under the sink alongside the regular trash. The lovely rotting matter eventually makes it out to some unfrequented spot on the grounds and begins to ‘cook’ into wonderful, worm-filled, black moist earth. Great for the garden, not that appealing in the kitchen… until now.

I love this little pot. It sits proudly on the counter as an object of beauty as well as a receptacle for my live garbage. And being out in the kitchen, it also serves as a reminder to empty frequently out to the compost pile. The buckets tucked away under the kitchen sink often get quite ‘interesting’ and friends come to visit if ignored too long – ick.

This pot keeps the garbage hidden, the smells contained and my kitchen a fun place to be.