Duendesday

{life with a curious and crazy 10 yr old}

If you were to ask her what our little gal misses right now, she’d probably say ‘Pear’ and the beach (the former being her friend, and the second her Summer heart’s desire). We try and distract her with goings-on but there isn’t much to interest a 10 yr old these days except work, and she wants no part of that. We’ve never been parents to bribe or threaten our child but we’ve come to a place where incentivization is a priority we are trying to navigate. She has a small interest in an allowance (mostly because she thinks it all goes to a new puppy, so the faster she can accumulate, she thinks the faster we will get a puppy, though we are planning for 2022) but that wanes pretty quickly. ‘Helping’ to her comes and goes, sometimes she’s a real peach and loves to be a part of the job and other times she runs and hides. Ha!

Yesterday was a special treat – a knowledgeable and gracious mycophagist (mushroom forager) and his very adorable daughter-assistant came to show us the ropes. We learned a lot! And are more comfortable taking the next steps of further identification and hunting. The girls filled a basket from the woods, as well, for a particularly exciting faerie house they built after our trek. We found lots of stuff not to eat and a few surprises (some baby chanterelles and Lobsters)! So much fun – thank you so much for adding to our growing foraging practice!

And we’re making some plans to try and make a Bread & Puppet Circus this year – it seems so important to us in this political climate to make the travel to the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont to see this brilliant troupe (and brilliance of the Schumann’s), and since they are a big part of my dissertation, it seems like a lovely journey. But a quick one – there and back plus the event/museum in one day – whew!! I hope we find a chicken/dog sitter. I really want Duende to be able to experience it, even if the subject matter only touches her peripherally. We have a rolling list of places we want her to experience, and of course, now is not the time but hopefully we can figure it out, hopefully there will be a new world (I’m fantasizing about kind and caring TSA, environmentally-friendly flying and sensible travel options – I know, my fantasies are large!!) – D.C., Athens (Gr), snorkeling in crystal waters, Machu Picchu, to see the Northern Lights, Angkor Wat, Stonehenge – places like that.

Until then, we wander our woods, eat our weeds, make the bread, and live our lives together – the best we know how. We wish you the best, too.

 

Tuesday Happenings

Anyone who thinks this is the ‘simple life’ is seriously misunderstanding the logistics – it both a continuous journey of discovery and learning and a battle to get the things done that need to get done to make it all worthwhile. The tasks are never-ending, and sometimes priorities are built on nothing more than what is closest at hand or most pressing; sometimes the weather decides, sometimes the season, sometimes fortuitous opportunity, and sometimes from just sheer procrastination.

Not to downplay the pleasure that we get from this life – not everyone is so lucky (not that everything we do is pleasurable, but that we find pleasure in its purpose and experience for us), though luck is an interesting term when we’ve made specific choices (many that most people would not be interested in making) to get us here – it has been a long and hard journey for us, too – we may look lucky now but we’ve paid plenty of dues and if the airplane hasn’t fallen on our house yet, that doesn’t mean it won’t {we’re still waiting for our divine Mercedes Benz}.

That said, this is the kind of place where time pauses – though the list never shortens, and the seasons seem to come faster than we are ready for, we are not beholden to much, including time. We spend this timeless time trying to improve our systems like the chicken tractor – and finding a Winter use for it: turning it into a greenhouse?, thinking about the realities of rabbits and bees for next year, building bookshelves, kitchen garden beds, renovating the old porch to a working greenroom, fixing the mower – always fixing the mower, making pickles and putting up veggies/fruits – picking berries, setting up bread and other goodies for deliveries and thinking of new goods that we (and you) might like, and my recent meditative escape – foraging/drying/making teas. In addition to normal things like homeschooling and my PhD dissertation writing and Josh’s reading/writing, we also have interests like making art/making fire systems/cooking delicious foods and longer-term goals and plans of a magazine publication and on-site workshops and residencies (cabin planning is in the works). And our current dream project of the Rock Bottom Homestead Hearth – a community bread clay oven for both classes, future gatherings, and bread building relations.

Happenings, man – there’s always happenings around here…

Monday’s Musings

Ladies of light and ladies of darkness and ladies of never you mind,
This is a prayer for a blueberry girl.
First, may you ladies be kind.
Keep her from spindles and sleeps at sixteen,
Nightmares at three or bad husbands at thirty,
These will not trouble her eyes.

Dull days at forty, false friends at fifteen–
Let her have brave days and truth,
Let her go places that we’ve never been, trust and delight in her youth.
Ladies of grace and ladies of favor and ladies of merciful night,
This is a prayer for a blueberry girl.
Grant her your clearness of sight.
Words can be worrisome, people complex, motives and manners unclear,

Grant her the wisdom to choose her path right, free from unkindness and fear.

Let her tell stories and dance in the rain, somersault, tumble & run,
Her joys must be high as her sorrows are deep.
Let her grow like a weed in the sun.
Ladies of paradox, ladies of measure, ladies of shadow that fall,
This is a prayer for a blueberry girl.
Words written clear on a wall.
Help her to help herself, help her to stand, help her to lose and to find,

Teach her we’re only as big as our dreams.

Show her that fortune is blind.
Truth is a thing she must find for herself, precious and rare as a pearl.
Give her all these and a little bit more:
Gifts for a blueberry girl.
~ Neil Gaiman

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Duendesday!

{a day to check in with a 10 yr old’s doings}

Tuesday went by within the blink of an eye – we prepared some fresh foods (made pickles – with radish pods, set up kimchi, made some vegan pesto, roasted tomatoes for winter sauce, cut up and froze rhubarb, etc) and went to the Farmer’s Market where we talked to a man about a whole pig. Duende likes when I go to the market so she can ride her scooter on the river path.

This morning, the wee one (who is obviously, not so wee anymore) woke up early to work on her new comic book – ‘FeeFee Goodwill’, so far, it’s a story about a little witch with 2 brothers (Roof and Billie) and something about a car. Coming off a stretch of collage work revolving around women’s bodies/underwear fashion, gems, and kittens now that the studio is a workable space – the writing is underway. She’s at her desk now, playing music, perched next to her art cart, typewriter, jewelry making supplies, etc writing on a clipboard by hand (so she can add illustrations when needed).

We had a talk this morning about raising rabbits for food on the homestead to see if this was something she could handle (she seems good for it – maybe, though there was some confusion about sweaters – I thought she wanted to make sweaters out of the bunnies, but she really just wanted to make sweaters for the bunnies – my bad).

Meanwhile, another tooth is on the loose, we’re still searching for a swimming hole, and it’s good to be 10.

Happy Duendesday!

Duende Painted Poles for Nana

Monday’s Muse

All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace

I like to think (and
the sooner the better!)
of a cybernetic meadow
where mammals and computers
live together in mutually
programming harmony
like pure water
touching clear sky.

I like to think
(right now, please!)
of a cybernetic forest
filled with pines and electronics
where deer stroll peacefully
past computers
as if they were flowers
with spinning blossoms.

I like to think
(it has to be!)
of a cybernetic ecology
where we are free of our labors
and joined back to nature,
returned to our mammal
brothers and sisters,
and all watched over
by machines of loving grace.

~ Richard Brautigan
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Recipe Thursday: Roasted Veg Farro Salad

Many a moon ago I checked out of the library this lovely Roasting cookbook by Barbara Kafka and learned the secret of ‘high roasting’ and apply it often. There is a time and a place for slow-low-roasting (any big pork roast prefers it, our Roast Chicken recipe starts on high but then goes pretty low, and Summer Tomatoes to freeze ‘instant sauce’ – slice thickly and lay onto parchment papered tray/toss whole garlic cloves/S&P/whole herbs like savory-sage-rosemary and roast 275 degrees for 4 or so hours, until they carmelize – let cool, then scrape all the goodies into a freezer container and use for a rainy day on fat pasta like tagliatelle or even ravioli, or even the secret to Kale Chips: remove ribs and rip into big but bite-size pieces, toss with enough olive oil to coat lightly, and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt, roast 350 degrees for 25 min, stirring once or twice until crisp) – I like recipes within recipes within recipes…

But today high heat reigns with veg that are just coming into season here – peppers, maybe some small eggplants, zucchini/summer squash/pattypan, fresh herbs – as with many of our recipes here at Rock Bottom, we like ingredients that are easily substitutable – makes for your own signature and seasonal eating. You can use farro, barley, bulghur wheat or wheatberry, or even jump off the map and go to orzo or Sardinian (Israeli/Fagioli) couscous but I love the squeaky satisfaction of farro or wheatberry. This is family adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe and works great as a light meal (top buttercrunch or butterhead lettuce with this salad in a deep bowl, top with kalamata and feta) or as a Summer side to something grilled – nice piece of fish/chicken/lamb chops – something not as meaty as beef or pork as the farro is pretty ‘meaty’ in itself, or take to a Summer Party (with a small gathering, a little distance and eco-friendly disposable plates/utensils, outsideness can still happen together!).

Roasted Veg Farro Salad

Serves 8

14oz Farro, Wheatberry, etc (see above for other ideas)
3-5 small Summer Squash (Zucchini/Yellow/Pattypan – a mix is great), or Cucumber (early Americans only ever cooked their cukes – really!, they are a cucurbit, after all)
2 fresh Onions – one red, one yellow, or Scallions, Fennel bulbs (or a mix)
2 Colored Bell Peppers (ripe are sweetest but could mix in a green too!)
2 medium Eggplants (I find Spanish Galina or Italian Rosita or long sweeter and more suitable than the classic Italian purple eggplant, but a variety of white/pink/lavender would be delicious and fun)
4 cloves Garlic or a handful of Garlic Scapes (this is a good recipe for that batch you bought at the Farmer’s Market and didn’t know what you were going to do with them – tip: they freeze great, just toss in freezer container, use for pizza night, chopped into soups/pasta sauce, etc)
“a good bunch of fresh herbs” – flat leaf parsley, basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, savory, sage, even fennel tops, dill, mint, lemon balm, or rosemary could work – just use a bit less of ‘stronger herbs’
Olive Oil/ S&P/ squeeze of Lemon Juice/ Herb, Red, or White Wine Vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Soak the Farro/Wheatberry in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain. While roasting veg below, cook Farro/Wheatberry/Pasta, etc per directions (Farro/Wheat: in large saucepan, cover with cool water, bring to a boil/simmer 20 min or until tender, drain well) then toss with a little Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, S&P.

Chop all veg (not herbs yet) into about 1-2″ pieces (you don’t have to be exact, we’re going to chop again after cooking) and drizzle with a light coating of olive oil, S&P, spreading veg out onto oven tray (try and keep to single layer – use 2 pans if you have to).

Roast 30-40 minutes, shaking veg around occasionally, until crisp around the edges and starting to carmelize. Sprinkle a little vinegar (about 2-3 tsp) over top of the veg as they come out of the oven and set aside to cool. When cool, turn out onto a cutting board, add fresh herbs and chop coarsely.

Add to dressed Farro/Wheatberry/Pasta, season with more Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, S&P to taste and serve! Super delicious!

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Summer Duendesday

{a day to check in with a 10 yr old’s doings}

Our gal is a fish. Not only is she a water sign (Cancer) but absolutely loves water – bath, pool, lake, ocean, river, puddle, bucket – water. She swam the English Channel in a past life, or was a pearl diver, or is related to Jacques Cousteau. Maybe she was a sea dragon in the Great Barrier Reef or a Coho Salmon returning to its Alaskan home.

When she was 2-3 we lived in a single level apartment complex that had a saltwater pool. I made a friend (hey, it can happen) who had a child about the same age and we would take them to swim every day. Every day. They loved it, we could sit around and chat or be in the water like relative adults and they were entertained in their little life jackets. I hated that complex but man, we loved that pool.

Every year we go to the beach – I spent my teenage years on the Jersey beach so I have a love of the ocean – it was quite exciting for Josh and I to go to the Moroccan beach in Mohammedia; to be on the other side of the Atlantic (beach to beach). For a couple of years with Duende we used to hop down to Old Orchard Beach, sneak in the back way (to avoid the boardwalk/traffic) and had a friend with kids who stayed in the same summer place every year on the beach. Duende and I would also just go to East End beach when we lived ‘on the hill’ and I could actually read a magazine while she played in the sand or surf. Other friends of ours had a family place out on Long Island (Casco Bay) with lovely beaches. And then last year we hauled our cookies to Popham Beach and had a nice time.

Our favorite camping spot – the Grafton Notch Campground has a nice river bend the kid plays in when we go but it’s also right around the corner from a lovely covered bridge (and pebble low spot to play in the water, like when Josh and I lived by the Rio Grande) and the Screw Auger Falls with lots of little pool spots and creek walks. We were going to go earlier this year but with the craziness we put it off, and now we have chickens (anyone want to chicken-sit?!).

She loves any water though – the neighbors have a pool she gets to be in occasionally, and a friend has a camp up in the Belgrade lakes where she loves to go (I actually have a problem swimming in lake/pond waters – I’m blaming reading too much Stephen King as a teenager) and Josh is a southern VT king of swimming holes but we’ve yet to find uncrowded ones here (and you would think in my area we could find this…) so lately our gal is left with the kiddie pool I managed to order online for her. Between the chicks and the pool, she’s mostly entertained these days – but it’s going to be a long season if we can’t find her a real body of water! Ha!

May your summer give you your favorite activities!

What’s Happening – Tuesday

With the drought to drown weather lately, Rock Bottom is looking a little wild. It’s very romantic looking with its woolly lawn, it’s deep green nooks and crannies, wildflowers swaying in the breeze topped with fat bumbles and butterflies. Volunteer medicinals popping up everywhere (the earth really wants to take care of us, if we would just let it). And it’s funny, I look around and love it – but then, there is something very special about the homestead when it is trimmed/mowed, and intentionally cared for (back) as well, a sweetness gets to emerge. That’s how it is around here, either sweet or wild.

Some business-oriented and news bits:

  • This is the last week for seedlings; it’s likely we don’t have enough time to put babies in to grow any more this season, but maybe you have season extenders – let me know if you need some summer/winter squash, lemon cukes, heirloom tomatoes, melons, bell peppers, basil/borage/johnny jump ups…
  • All store orders (bread and the like) need to be in by Tuesdays at the latest – most of your goods have to begin days ahead (to make sourdough essentially gluten free, the shaping/proofing is a 2 day process).
  • Another small batch of foraged Kimchi is going in for next week: lily buds, red clover, yarrow leaves, plantain, lambsquarters, purslane, garlic scapes, and maybe some other lovely findings. And some pesto! Delicious variants – sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, pistachio, and the classic pine nut…try it with our (soon for sale) gnocchi/gnudi/and egg pasta!
  • It’s going to be a good small fruit year – we have opposite years between apples and blackberries and it is not a big apple season this year. We will do fine for cidering (likely collecting errant world apples, as well) but it won’t be a big year. But the blackberries! They are green berries now and exceeding plentiful even with our reshaping and reducing the bays (for better airflow/access). The grapes are also graping up nicely. And with a little bit of care, we’ve increased and brought back a few scraggly (and hidden) raspberries, black raspberries, and blueberries. The garden strawberries are doing pretty well and though we nibbled through wild strawberry season, we didn’t collect much. We’ve even seen some action on the new plums and pears (the former have already dropped but the latter we may see a couple!).
  • The new chicken coop is almost up, needs a few bits like doors, windows, nesting boxes – the chicks are ready! And then the meat chicks can get a chicken tractor – we used to let them freely mix with the layers but have found that is more problematic for chicken politics and too much temptation for passing random dogs. Our regular girls will still have to navigate all that but we got a few breeds that are good at hiding and taking care of each other. It’s a shame that our biggest predators are uncontained domestic pets.
  • And please – pass on our Hearth hopes – our stability and adaptability as a homestead depends on its success! Thank you for all your help and community care!

Happy Tuesday!