Garden Interlude

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Here in Central California, the changing of the seasons can seem subtle. Here are some photos of my garden today. For a variety of reasons, my garden has not received the tender loving care this year that it deserves. Interesting lessons for life, that. Some things have struggled mightily and succumbed. Others have thrived. Others cry out for me to do better! Soon, the rains will come and that will ease the burdens of these plants that do just want to bring beauty and happiness to the world. Little garden, I apologize and thank you for your blessings.

I love this cotoneaster in my back yard nestled against the redwood tree. Fall and Winter, it provides orange berries and Spring and Summer, lovely little white flower clusters. And look, the first fall leaf!
This is my Mexican Marigold. When I bought the little 4 in pot, I had no idea it would grow to about 4′x4′ and smells so good. It cheers up my front yard right in front of my living room window most of the year.
See? We do have fall! The butterfly plant is going to seed, ready to spread its beauty throughout the yard and much to the neighbor’s dismay, into theirs!
I inherited this lovely white dahlia from the previous owner. I have been unable to grow any other dahlias!! There must be a mole somewhere who has eaten the others. Shhhh. Why s/he hasn’t found this one, I have no idea.

Gardens really are a microcosm of life. There is always work to be done. There is always beauty to be found. Taking time every day to look at both of those things is good.

Falling into the next season

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Happy Autumnal Equinox! It is fall time. Here in California, we share the same shortening of the days as everyone, but we are still eating tomatoes and watermelon, though they won’t last much longer. I have personal chef friends and colleagues all across the country with whom I share recipes along with many other business related ideas. Gone are the postings of tomato and salad recipes. Our in boxes are full of soups, stews, and winter squash ideas.
Eating seasonally has become as trendy as being a locavore these days. This is a good thing! Eating locally and seasonally is not a new idea. It goes all the way back to caveman/woman days. You ate what you could harvest and hunt. You relished the fresh greens out of the ground in the spring,filled your bellies with berries in the summer, dug roots in the fall,and saved what you could keep over the winter.

Use what ever vegetables you like or want to try. These work well… carrots, potatoes, beets, parsnips, celery root, turnips, rutabaga, onions. The celery root you will want to peel, but I don’t bother with the rest. Just make sure they are clean and cut out the bad spots. I like bite size chunks. Just make sure you cut everything approximately the same size. Preheat your oven to 400º. Fill a large sheet pan/baking sheet with your veggies. Coat with olive oil ( several Tablespoons), salt and pepper. Depending on your tastes you could add garlic ( whole cloves or granulated), Herbes de Provence, red pepper flakes, rosemary. Roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Check after the first 15, stir and turn over the veggies for even cooking. You want some crispy caramelization.  Enjoy. I like the leftovers with eggs for breakfast.

Quinoa Pudding

Saturday, September 19, 2009

I have been focussing much energy this week on cleaning up my diet, banning added sugar for the moment. I am also seriously reducing my starchy carbohydrate intake as well as overall amount of food. For me to be successful with this, I need to maximize nutrition and taste. I want my meals to give me the power and energy I need while satisfying my taste buds.
We need carbohydrates for energy. Quinoa is a good grain to keep IN the diet.It has no gluten, is high in protein, low on the glycemic index, and is quite versatile. I had some yesterday in a savory main dish with shrimp and vegetables. Today it is dessert, and I still have some already cooked for another creation, perhaps a cold salad. As well as being gluten free, I don’t use much dairy. Coconut milk is an extremely satisfying alternative.
Quinoa Pudding

So, we have got protein from the quinoa, good fats from the coconut milk and walnuts, sweetness from the pears, and unusual flavor from the 5 spice powder. This is tonight’s dessert as well as breakfast one morning this week.