Some meandering thoughts on gratitude.

Whenever I come across a list of the more random things that someone is thankful for, it always gives me pause to ponder things that make my own life richer, my soul more satisfied, my senses dazzled, and my heart glad.

Designing process. https://www.etsy.com/shop/SeasonsGleanings

Things beyond the usual ones that first come to mind, which sort of go without saying. 

So, as our official day of thanks-giving approaches, my thoughts wander to some of the other things that come to mind that I'm grateful for. 

Almost finished! See finished works for sale: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SeasonsGleanings

... the rain that turns mosses to so many impossible shades  green. For the cheerful presence of chickadees, and winter rosehips. For that sparkle in people's eyes when they are pleased. For hugs. For the return of the swans, and yes, the geese as well, with their raucous honking as they pass over in their comings and goings. For a baby's belly laughs of delight, and the innocent curiosity of children. For the wisdom of elders, etched so beautifully into their faces. For fire, and it's sparks, warmth and magic. For the smell of cedar, and fir. For music, and it's ability to pick us up, and transport us to another place and time. For stories. For poetry. For stars and moon. For tears and laughter. For the miracle of seeds, and how deliriously happy they make me. For arugula, and how just the smell of it makes me hungry. For good soil, honeybees and earthworms. For farmers, and farm workers. For good food, grown with intention. For my favorite wooden spoon. For soba noodles and fresh ginger, salt. For the sound of the surf, the power behind it.  For the satisfaction of a big drink of cold water, and a good, deep breath. For the quiet of early morning, the swirling apparition of steam from my mug of coffee, the first sip. For clouds and wind, and sun. For rivers flowing. For salmon! For light and shadow, form, and texture. For art. For winter walks, and winter foods. For the comfort and satisfaction of growing things, feeding folks, and gathering around the table, which brings us back around to all of those things that 'go without saying' that we feel grateful for.

Playing with food. (Then eating it of course!)

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May all be nourished from the abundance that exists.


My love affair with corn

November may seem like an odd time of year to write a post about corn, but now that the fall rains have begun in ernest, and the garden is ALMOST put to rest, there is a bit more time to prepare meals that utilize some of the stores of dry corn that have been accumulating in the pantry! And THAT got me reminiscing about my love affair with corn.

Being an Ohio girl, you'd think I'd always have chosen corn as a crop to grow in my garden. But despite being 'corn fed' for 17 years, somehow I felt intimidated by the thought of growing it myself.

My first experience growing sweet corn was decades later on a small diverse organic farm here in NW Washington state. I was enchanted by the unfurling spirals that emerged from the soil, but still avoided planting any in my own garden. I went on to work on two more farms which also grew corn, and continued to be intrigued by the magic of those tiny kernels as I sowed, watered, transplanted, hoed and hoed the rows. Just down the road though, my OWN rows still lacked any of those magical stalks; I felt that it was beyond the scope of my home garden.

But then. I began working for my friends at Uprising Seeds, met Painted Mountain Flour corn, and became helplessly, hopelessly wooed, charmed, besotted, mesmerized and smitten to distraction. 

Consumed beyond my waking hours, my new obsession found its way into my dreams, and not surprisingly integrated itself into my card designs.

See listings in my Etsy shop!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/95155455/painted-mountain-flour-corn-spiral-card  https://www.etsy.com/listing/112960268/painted-mountain-flour-corn-spiral

Through the dark and rainy days of late winter, and on into early spring, each time I packed THOSE seeds, and feasted my eyes on their stunningly rich and endlessly diverse colors, the dream of growing them myself started to germinate!

I asked questions, and as I started to learn more, I decided that the possibility existed that corn COULD indeed be included in our own garden, and it HAD to be Painted Mountain. I would be a corn virgin no more!

Once I successfully grew and dried corn, and graced our table with bowls of posole, handmade tortillas and plates of cornbread made from it, the deal was sealed.

Since that time, I've also grown Mandan Bride and Nothstine Dent corn (both from http://www.backyardbeansandgrains.com ) , Tuxana (sweet) corn, and most exciting of all, Floriani Red Flint corn, both available from  http://uprisingorganics.com

Mandan Bride

Tuxana, (which I renamed Nirvana)

Floriani Red Flint

I have yet to shuck and grind the Floriani, but I can almost smell the polenta cooking and taste the sweet rewards of the season.

As we settle into the shortening days, and the garden is at rest, I'm already anticipating the possibilities of new corn to grow next season. I'm considering these two beauties, Dakota Black Popping corn, and Mandan Red Clay flour or parching corn. (Both available from Uprising Seeds)

Luckily there's plenty of time for catching up on inside chores, reading, and cooking up lots of warming meals from the abundant harvest to enjoy with friends and family before I have to decide! 

Ritual

A favorite fall ritual of mine is to wait for a gloriously sunny October afternoon, load the cured winter squash from the greenhouse into a wheelbarrow, fill a bucket with soapy warm water, uncoil the hose one last time, and then...WASH MY SQUASH! 

Storing sunlight!

I once read that this helps eliminate bacteria from entering any nicks in the squash skin, helping it to store longer. Whether or not that's true, I do have great luck storing my winter squash far into springtime. And honestly, I enjoy handling each treasure chest of sweetly stored sunshine, feasting my senses on the weight, texture, and vivid hues as I hose off the dirt, give them a scrub, and lay them out to dry.

As a home gardener, the rituals I create as part of preserving foods are a gift I give myself, beyond providing food for our table. Whether it's setting up a chair in the yard surrounded by ingredients for pesto, piles of beans to be shelled, or washing a pile of beets for canning, my spirit is lifted, my soul nourished, and the artist in me awakens.

Beet flower

Taking out the tomatoes, on the other hand, is a chore I save for rainy days. Never high on my priority list, the vines continue to wither and mold, and seem to taunt me whenever I pop into the greenhouse for a  few more cherry tomatoes. But eventually the rains fall, the checklist dwindles down to this last task, and the shelter of the greenhouse beckons me to venture out to complete it.

Farewell tomatoes!

Load one

 

The dramatic swings in weather moods are one of the things I love best about autumn. Just when I hunker down indoors, thinking we're in for an all day deluge, the sky lightens, the clouds part, and the sun's rays stream down for another chance to head outside to continue putting the garden to rest without getting soaked. And so it happened this week, allowing me to sow cover crop seed that I was fortunate enough to procure at this late date from a kind hearted farmer friend. Thanks Krista! 

favas

This pattern was repeated again yesterday, as I tracked down some planting garlic from Inspiration Farm, which I'd always wanted to visit. It was a pleasure to finally meet Brian and to glean a bit of his extensive knowledge of garlic growing and permaculture.

I've saved and planted most of my own garlic seed for years, but my crop was infected with rust this year, so to be on the safe side, I decided to start over again.

Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get another sunny break for planting it.

Fall gleanings to feed my inner child

cereal rye

seed garlic selection

seed garlic selection

Early October checklist

Mother nature is cleaning house! Golden leaves swirl and tumble, making me pause to watch the show, as balmy gusts of wind bring down all the dried cedar leaves along with a storm of maple 'helicopters'. 

The remainder of late summer processing tasks are checked off one by one, as October marches on. The pile of dried Papa de Rola beans are shelled and stored in jars, the Floriani Red Flint corn hangs drying, awaiting the grinder for our first taste of homegrown polenta, and peppers are chopped, sliced or roasted for the freezer. I haul out the dehydrator to dry what's left of a basket of asian pears, and prepare a batch of Ratatouille with the season's last eggplant, zucchini, basil and tomatoes. 

Beautiful Floriani for this winter's polenta!

I use the recipe from Moosewood cookbook, choosing the spicy version!

If you're lucky enough to have a stash of late summer veggies lingering, THIS is the recipe for a grand finale of summer flavors. I usually serve it over creamy polenta, but alas, since we don't have a grinder yet,  I used brown basmati rice instead. 

The last of the poblanos and tomatillos are slated for Chile Verde this week.

The mini hoop greenhouse which extends the pepper season into late October is doing it's best to stay anchored in these winds, but throughout the day I've taken multiple trips to go out and check and readjust the heavy boards that hold down the edges. Luckily it's not supposed to get too cold, so if the wind wins, they'll get some rain and wind, but will survive the night without a blanket.