start to finish

Did you save your seeds? They're delicious, you know...
After carving a couple of jack-o-lanterns, we fished out the seeds, rinsed them in a colander and laid them out to dry a bit overnight.
Then I, crazy woman that I must be, stood over the sink, shelling the little seeds. Which isn't strictly necessary, but oddly meditative - much like shelling peas or snapping beans. And, really, those tough hulls are for the birds (literally), I think. All nutritive aspects aside - they are t-o-u-g-h and I prefer my pepitas without.
After drying out they can be stored in a jar in the cabinet for quite a while. Of course one could toast them and top a salad, yogurt, cereal, etc. or even grind them into a sauce (an enchilada sauce would be perfect) or simply pop a few here and there for a nice little nibble...

october

Some fantastic mornings around here lately.
October's putting on quite the show.
Those gorgeous trees - leaves raining down in yellows, reds and rusty browns, watercolor morning skies, and that bewitching hunter's moon last week. It really gets one motivated.
Finally, scraping, sanding and painting this old wrap-around porch - yep, seriously motivational weather 'round here...

settling in

Can it really have been an entire month since the last post here? I suppose it must have been, as I'm sitting here, back from our short, little honeymoon, looking over photos of an autumn already in full swing:
A drive into the mountains with a view for days; all the leaves turning gold and scarlet, blue mountains stretching on and on...
One fiery tree stood out against that perfect blue sky,
over-top a rushing waterfall.
A stop in at the local brewpub - each offering had to be sampled (the miner's daughter oatmeal stout was the first to go),
while gazing out the window as the sun set behind those beloved mountains.
And then off again to a nearby patch for pumpkin picking - it's definitely October, no doubts now.
And finally, home, to find ourselves and our daily lives again - to settle in and feel the chill of autumn also settling in. And - of course - to make soup and settle into a bowl as warm and comforting as a home and your honey.
(A spinach and chickpea soup with soba noodles - adapted just a tad, from an older edition of An Honest Kitchen, and looking good for lunch all this week)
It's so nice to be back!

okra, jam and brussels sprouts

So... Here's a picture of those crazy okra pods I mentioned last time...Aren't they wild? With a quick visual measure, I'd say the longest are about 8 inches! They look positively tribal in the garden, still attached to their stalks.

However, what I really wanted to share is a glimpse into all the jam-making that's been happening 'round here this summer.

Nearly 200 jars (!!!) are currently stacked, awaiting our wonderful guests in a few weeks.

It's been a busy summer!

p.s. Love, love, love the brussels sprouts in this book! Do you have it? It's incredible.

time and tofu

Time is flying.

August was a dream.

September's underway, every one's musing about fall. It will be here in a blink, you know. I know. I crunched a few acorns underfoot today, dropped and scattered on the old brick sidewalks near the office. And despite all the hub-bub around here, I managed to tear away at some of the weeds choking what little remains in the garden this past weekend. I even planted 3 small rows: wild rocket, turnips, and rapini - we'll see what happens. The insects have not been kind this year (and neither has the weather - dry as a bone for weeks now). I snapped a few sneaky okra pods that grew so large, they split their seams and dried into the most unusual rattles. Of course, no pictures...

The only thing I did manage to photograph, and really it's not the most photogenic (although delicious) of subjects, was this tofu I somehow found the time to assemble.

Perched atop a paddle-ful of leftover brown rice it made for a nice lunch in between frenzied weed-pulling and the myriad of other tasks that go with planning a wedding...