There are so many roots to the tree of anger that sometimes the branches shatter before they bear.
Sitting in Nedicks the women rally before they march discussing the problematic girls they hire to make them free. An almost white counterman passes a waiting brother to serve them first and the ladies neither notice nor reject the slighter pleasures of their slavery. But I who am bound by my mirror as well as my bed see causes in colour as well as sex
and sit here wondering which me will survive all these liberations.
She’s a kook – this little duende of ours, a real mischevous little sprite. Our local trash transfer station has the Swap Shack (I’m sure I’ve mentioned it – ha!) and lately Ms. D. has been finding large toy horses that she is in love with (she has 4 now!). This last one apparently begged to be lavished with Unicorn goodness, so she repainted her/chalked her hair pink, and made her a horn (with flecks of sparkly mica on it). She was so pleased with herself, I had to share.
So, we got this new app together for our phones – I know, I know, you wouldn’t expect us to let our almost 12 yr old have a cellphone but it doesn’t call anyone or connect to the interwebs, it just allows her to have a couple of game apps, her own music (thank goodness), a family chore app and our new app – Seek, by iNaturalist (and supported by Nat Geo). Super fun. You aim your phone at random nature bits and it compares to your area and comes up with an identification. You can connect with a larger group or just your family. It gives badges for different categories (plants, birds, insects, amphibians, etc) and different levels of those badges (bronze, silver, etc). We’re all nerding out on it and learning new stuff everyday, snails, frogs, ‘weeds’, mushrooms. It was especially nice to take it to Nana’s garden and see lovely flowers, too.
As we get closer to ‘somebodys’ birthday, we are cleaning up the gardens and seeing new plants and creatures everyday!
Seems so fitting these days to have these two paired liked sensible comrades. Bread, as literally a staff of life (though in more of a ‘civilized’ sense, which I could take or leave that part, I like to be a little uncivilized…) and roses, thorny but beautiful – medicinal and soothing (Helen Todd and Rose Schneiderman would be proud).
When we first moved into this charming little house (circa 1850) on a spit of land, there were two sort of imposing/sort of sad little Douglas fir evergreens in no sort of sense in front of the house along the road. They had been topped, so any character they had was gone and they were together but off center – really looking silly. So we removed them and considered a fence along the road frontage. But fences are finicky and expensive and with our free roaming chickens (seen this year in their tractor house), we needed something less penetrable than the open cedar farm fencing we preferred. So we started putting in all the wild rose that we dug up from other portions of the property. It grows crazy here.
There were some other bushes and tall roses that lived here and there, so we moved those to the front line, too. Now I have a glorious rose/raspberry/random bush fence across the front that the bees and birds love. I love it, too. I get lots of tiny rosehips to use for bath and body care, I get privacy from the busy road, and it put to good use all this crazy rose everywhere! I feel a bit like Sleeping Beauty or Maleficent (which is funny because we almost considered Aurora for our daughter’s name but then with our last name, that seemed ridiculous! Perhaps she can be the former, and I’ll be the latter).
But the aesthetic of both bread and roses seems fitting for us – sustenance and beauty. Wishing you both, as well.
Strawberries There were never strawberries like the ones we had that sultry afternoon sitting on the step of the open french window facing each other your knees held in mine the blue plates in our laps the strawberries glistening in the hot sunlight we dipped them in sugar looking at each other not hurrying the feast for one to come the empty plates laid on the stone together with the two forks crossed and I bent towards you sweet in that air in my arms abandoned like a child from your eager mouth the taste of strawberries in my memory lean back again let me love you
let the sun beat on our forgetfulness one hour of all the heat intense and summer lightning on the Kilpatrick hills
Whatever you want to call snack on toasts, I find it amazing that here in America, we don’t value this simple and delectable treat as much as they do in Southern Europe and Scandinavia. Of course we eat toast – mainly with butter and jam, for breakfast, or with eggs, etc, or a little cold cut of meat or cheese. And then there is the recent trend of truffle toast or avocado toast (why are these ‘trends’ when they should be no-brainers?!) but unless you are at a fancy party – there really are not crostini with yummy bits on them in our lives very often.
When I was a child, sometimes lunch (or brunch) was chipped creamed beef on toast (essentially a cured sliced beef in milk gravy – nicknamed S.O.S. ‘s*@t on a shingle’) or an even cheaper version with cream of mushroom soup (sometimes with green beans) on toast. Both I liked very much.
But we are about to begin the Summer feasting! Which entails so many fresh offerings, it seems a shame to neglect our toasts as a perfect vehicle to get all that Summer into us. As soon as Heirloom Tomato season hits, I highly recommend firing up the outside pit/grill/campfire. Then chop those fresh tomatoes right up into a coarse but juicy mess, rip bits of basil into them, sprinkle with a nice amount of Maldon salt and a little coarse ground fresh pepper, and a healthy glug of really good olive oil (the Fiore lady is always at our Farmer’s Market; I’m so spoiled) and let sit while you half a couple of big garlic cloves, and toast some nice slices of delicious bread over the open fire with a pair of tongs – you don’t want them blackened or on fire (this isn’t your guilty-pleasure marshmallow trick! though you could lay them on the grill – grill marks are sexy too), just toasted to your desire on both sides. Then, while warm, rub a cut side of a garlic half on one side of your toast, then top with the bruschetta tomato mixture, and eat. Then do it again. Share with a friend (or don’t).
I’m a big tapenade fan, too, though we don’t grow much of the ingredients here I still make my own by coarsely grinding up cured olives, artichokes, capers, maybe a little red pepper (or roasted red pepper) – with olive oil and fresh oregano. To really take it to the next level, use fresh rosemary instead of the oregano, and add coarsely pulverized dried figs. Separately (but nearby, they go together nicely) whip a little local goat cheese with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of Maldon salt/fresh ground pepper. Then after you toast the bread and rub with garlic, spread a little whipped goat cheese on, then top with a little of the fig tapenade – AMAZING! I kid you not.
But I can’t think of any reason why these little toasts wouldn’t be good with a coarse ground Jardiniere (which we make and sell! I also make it into a Muffuletta mix…more on that another day), or even oily cured fish (Wild Planet makes some yummy options like Yellowtail and Mackerel along with the classics of Anchovy and Sardine…) or fresh ricotta (someday we can sell it again, until then – make your own or come visit!). But I am adventurous enough to just eat shredded carrot sauteed in bits of bacon on toast or grilled peaches with goat cheese and fresh thyme, endless toast options.
I find these toasts work great for older or slightly stale bread – they can be toasted in the oven, too, or even prebrushed with olive oil and roasted a bit, or fresh out of the toaster and snacked upon. And now I’m thinking, well – what if I just spread a little Nutella on my toast with that guilty-pleasure toasted marshmallow?! What are your favorite toast options?
It is a jungle out there right now. There is just enough rain that mowing keeps getting missed and the timothy is as high as Duende’s nose! But the daisies, red clover, and cinquefoil are tall and lovely. Tiny and ethereally delicious wild strawberries cover the paths in the backfield and the blackberries are blooming like crazy. Most of the garden has been seeded and planted, though there is still some parts that need tending like the chamomile bed, a new pole bean trellis, the ground cherries to be put in, and maybe some wonderberry (J likes them a bunch). The flower beds are also seeded and some little bits waiting in the wings for empty garden pockets.
I’d like to still build little companion plant annexes at the end of the vegetable beds; I do interplant some friends but I like extras. They are little gardens in themselves – borage, nasturtium, marigold, dill, oregano, chives, calendula, sunflowers, basil and other aromatics like lavender, chamomile, sage, thyme, etc. Some just bring in the pollinators, some bring in parasitic wasps, some confuse predators, and some emit magickal properties that enhance growth and flavor of their relations. I’m a nerd for companion planting. Red onions separate the rows of chard, basil of all colors are in between the tomatoes along with some sunflowers down the center row and marigolds on the corners, the cucumbers trail with nasturtiums, and calendula and radish grow in front of the peas, there is a bed of fennel (all by itself because it doesn’t like direct friends) that brings in good things, and the nitrogen from the beans will replenish the heavy feeding of the corn.
I make little beds throughout the orchard, too. Boneset, blue false indigo, comfrey, native bee balm and many of the mature trees are surrounded by various narcissus and alliums. The dear late Michael Phillips has taught us well and we will continue to use his brilliance for many years to come. I don’t know where we would be without such great ecological and environmentally sensitive practitioners – I’m amazed every day at the neighbors in New England who know so much more than I (and not just New England, but it is here that the terroir that we share is a specific knowledge). It is an honor to learn from and with them. Always learning. May we all be so lucky.
Alright, I hate to admit it (it’s not good to pick favorites!) but the Seedy Sourdough Round Bread Josh makes is the best (if you haven’t – check out the Stone Broke Bread Bakery and become a member!). I love all the seed goodness, unexpected texture and protein (and getting all my seed nutrition like Omega 3s, lignans, manganese, copper, selenium, healthy fats and fiber, plus so many other benefits – amino acid absorption, hormone control, healthy microbiome, etc).
It doesn’t last long around here. It’s really nice when it’s warm with creamy soups like White Bean & Kale or Mushroom Cream Soup or even a luscious Butternut Squash Soup. Warm Seedy Bread with butter to sop up soup, yes please. But sometimes I also like when the rare leftover half’a’loaf happens and I can make it into croutons to have on the soup or a salad, too. Chunked up into squares of your choice (I like big ones – 2×2 Cubes), tossed with Olive Oil, a healthy pinch of dried Rosemary, Sage, or Thyme, Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper then baked at 350 degrees on a sheet pan for about 15 minutes, shaking every now and again to loosen and get all the sides nice and baked – these croutons are addictive! So, I also decided I liked them dipped as a snack into a yummy hummus.
Somehow this Beet Hummus speaks to me in a way hummus never has before – with a hint of sweetness and spiciness, it pairs with the crispy Seedy Bread Cubes perfectly (though it is also delicious spread on the bread or sandwiches – like a Roast Beef sandwich!, or as any other hummus suits your fancy). Serve with drinks with friends, at a picnic or outdoor gathering, or just as an afternoon snack! Though I use Red Beets here, I don’t see why Golden Beets (or any other color) wouldn’t work though I find the Horseradish better suited to the Red (and it’s so pretty!).
Beet Hummus Makes about 2 cups
3 Medium Red Beets (about tennis ball size, maybe a little smaller)
30 oz of cooked Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans, though White Beans work nice, too)
2 cloves of peeled Garlic
1/4 cup Lemon Juice (or juice of 1 Lemon)
1/4 cup Tahini (though I have made it w/o and it’s good, it’s a little better with…)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Fresh Cracked White Pepper
2 tsp Prepared Horseradish
1 tsp Ground Cardamom (though Coriander is nice, too, if you want to garnish with Cilantro – use Coriander here)
2 tsp fresh Thyme leaves
Garnish recommendations: toasted Flax and/or Sesame Seeds, or a few sprigs of Cilantro, thin Lemon slices, a drizzle of Olive Oil and a sprinkling of Maldon Salt
Serve with Seedy Cubes (see above description) or any kind of yummy Bread Cubes or Sticks, Cucumber Spears, Medium-Boiled Eggs – halved, Fresh Bush Beans (like Green Beans or Yellow Wax Beans), Carrot Sticks
Prepare the Red Beets by either roasting or boiling: wash and trim any woody spots then prick in a few places with a fork. If roasting, Preheat oven to 425 degrees and cover Beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking rack (if you forget and decide to fork them after you have wrapped them, put a sheet pan below them in the oven!), and roast for about 40-45 minutes. You can test them by sliding a knife into them (you want them fully cooked with no resistance), let them cool for a few minutes (or rinse in cold water) and slip skins off. For boiling, I find it easier to peel them beforehand with a potato peeler or paring knife, then fork them, and bring to a boil with enough water to cover the Beets until tender (about 35 minutes). Further alternatively – you could steam them or buy them cooked. Quarter the Beets and set aside.
Prepare the cooked beans by draining and rinsing them (if using Garbanzo beans, put them in a colander in a bowl and fill with water, rub gently to dislodge their skins – they will float, gather them out and discard, then pull colander from bowl with water and rinse).
In a food processor, add Beets, Garlic, and Beans with a Tbsp water – pulse until your texture preference (I like mine smooth but not soupy, add more water as needed but remember, you have Lemon Juice and Oil to still add). Add rest of ingredients (not the garnish) and pulse until texture is satisfactory. Taste and add more Lemon, Sea Salt, Pepper, or Horseradish if needed. Garnish as desired, serve with Seedy Cubes and Cucumber Spears – Snack away!
Child-time is moving too fast for me. I enjoy every stage of the growing but somedays I just wish each stage would last a little longer. I remember thinking when she was a wee babe that each time we had to bounce her to sleep felt like a mini eternity, but now it all feels so fast. Almost 12. At one end, a great age – such a fun age to be with her, but simultaneously – 12! – that’s almost 13! and then small childhood is over and a new era begins (literally with her 3rd cycle, but we’re not quite there yet – whew!).
Duende is amazing. And crazy. And sometimes frustrating. But amazing. And hilarious. And beautiful. And clever. She’s a slob and will always choose the path of least resistance or work, or sweet thing, or the thing you’d rather not…but that’s part of kid-dom. She’s tall! At least, to me, because she was small and now she’s tall. My mind keeps her small even though I know in real life, she’s a being of her own volition.
AND, she’s officially a 7th grader! I know, it’s crazy. She passed her homeschool assessment nicely (I know some of you have doubts that not only can ‘we’ homeschool her effectively, but some of you also just strongly believed children need to be ‘schooled’, I assure you – she is…) and will continue working through the Summer (as a lifelong everyday learner, there are no sessions or breaks). It works nicely that a year of her life is a year of school ‘grade’ since her birthday is at the end of June.
Today she is planning a celebratory break from her ‘sugar’ fast. The Tooth Fairy requested she try a week without sweets and she was very successful (but plans on loading up today) which means she can rent any movie of her choice and we can get in our matching Solstice pajamas, make seaweed and nutritional yeast popcorn, and snuggle in the big bed. I think she is making some sort of dinner, too – with Rainbow Chard, some local ground Pork, Potatoes…not sure what magick will come about with all of that (and something about peppers, which is amazing since she doesn’t like cooked peppers). But I’m sure it will be delicious and fun and Duende-ish.
It was a very busy morning for the baker today! Because of the long weekend, he was up early at 4am to make the (generally Monday) morning bagels for the ReVision Energy folks and then instead of sneaking back into bed for a couple more hours of sleep, he had to jump on the regular Tuesday baking and delivering schedule – whew! I bet he’s going to bed early tonite! But the breads are beautiful (and delicious – I cannot resist a freshly baked bagel or slice of yummy bread with butter!) and he is off in the world with the peach delivering his goods.
There is a fat Robin in the garden today, but he’s not eating my Purple or Black Barley or Sunflower or Glass Gem Corn seeds. I’m a bit of a bird-nerd (I would not go so far to say that I am serious about it, but I do get a little giddy when there is some bird drama) and last Tuesday at the Augusta farmer’s market (which is on the Kennebec River, in a meandering little park where D and her friend like to rollerskate on the paths) we got to see a bevy of feathered friends: 4 Great Blue Herons hanging out together, a pair of Common Mergansers, Baltimore Orioles, Eastern Peewees, juvenile Osprey practicing their fishing techniques, and another pair of Bald Eagles. There was some issue with the Peewee, the Orioles, and a noisy Crow but eventually they all chased the latter away. Back home we frequently hear our resident Pileated Woodpecker, Catbirds in the front bush along with a pair of Cardinals, and the Phoebe in their sweet nest on the back of the garage. Early in the Spring (late Winter) I saw a couple of Bluebirds but they don’t stick around for us. Though last week, outside the studio window I got to see an Indigo Bunting in my Witch Hazel! I won’t regale you with my Life List or anything but seeing a Hoopoe in the Agora in Athens, Greece was certainly a highlight!
And speaking of marvelous highlights – a wonderful dear human gave me a sprig of a mint plant last year that he got from his other lovely friend, the artist David Driskell, who received it from another friend that found it on the ground where he was as a soldier when he found out the war (WWII) was over and brought it back with him (there are details there that are certainly lacking, as the story was told to me and another like-minded colleague who also received some mint: we try and reconstruct the story to each other but we know we fail; it is more like the telephone game, a chain letter through time…). I got to see Dr. Driskell speak a couple of times, in intimate small group settings – his stories are so good. Stories about visiting Zora Neale Hurston for lemonade with Langston Hughes, stories about his realization of where and how to function as an African American male artist and how he could help others with his perspective, stories about his craft and subject matter…just a lovely human being.
Well, suffice to say, the mint lingered for a bit before I found it a home and when I planted it, it looked like a sad little stick but seemed to survive. But alas, this Spring, it just looked like a dead stick and I was deflated. No Driskell love letter mint for me, but I kept checking on it. I composted around it, watered my dead stick, weeded the bed, etc. Just for fun I thought I would check on it the other day, just to lament the stick again, and 3 inches away from the offending dry twig was a foot high new mint shoot!! The Driskell Mint lives, in Maine, where so much of his heart lived too. I am so grateful to have this gift (Thank you lovely George and Amy! It grows for you, too!).
So, as the sea of Daisies waft in the humid breeze, and the Dragonflies appear to swoop and scarf the mosquitos (those jerks don’t get capitalized), and the Honeysuckle calls to me to make Country Wine, I get to hear and see the birds enjoy this verdant Spring, and watch the tiny marvelous plants with all their stories (and my stories, and stories of stories) grow. Let your stories grow!
