common periwinkles

Sunset on the old year, sunrise on the new one

2011-01-01T12:02:00.003-05:00

This year, I hope to live meaningfully and mindfully and to be generous with my heart. I want to try new things, like meditating, and to do more of the things I love, like sewing, knitting, reading, yoga, taking photos, cooking, and writing. I plan to save, to get rid of old "stuff," and to acquire any "new stuff" (handmade, local, secondhand!) carefully. And most of all, I resolve to be happy, whatever that turns out to mean.

A poem for fall

2010-09-05T14:31:00.003-04:00

When I first saw it,
a yellow bird, small and still on the bricks,
I thought it was a milkweed pod—
that its body might crack open
and scatter feathered seeds
into the September air.

Happy August!

2010-08-10T08:48:00.000-04:00

More sweet peas

2010-07-17T19:33:00.001-04:00

Because they're one of my favorite summer things.

Summer Sundays

2010-07-11T15:55:00.000-04:00

I'm loving the lists of "things of summer" that are going around; mine's on the right. Should I be surprised that mine centers around food and drink? Probably not! The farmers' market is amazing right now—the season feels accelerated and impossibly bountiful, lettuce next to strawberries, blueberries next to zucchini and summer squash, sweet peas next to sunflowers. Onions and shallots and tomatoes and corn must be right around the corner.

Happy Summer!

2010-06-21T08:40:00.001-04:00

Summer projects

2010-06-05T13:12:00.002-04:00

Why is it that we feel like there's more time to do things in the summer? Is it the additional daylight? Or a holdover feeling from those long months of summer vacation as a kid (even though I now work a year-round full-time job)? Whatever the reason, summer feels full of possibility, and after five months of, I admit it, being a little afraid of the vintage Singer I got for Christmas, I finally took it out last weekend and figured out how to thread it, how to wind the bobbin, and even sewed my first successful line (on a piece of scrap paper). That's one of my summer projects—learning to sew, and tackling a few simple things, like pillowcase grocery totes and some summer skirts.

Other projects slated for the warm months include the Aestlight shawl I'm knitting, the roof deck garden of herbs and veggies I'm growing, and the very large pile of books (and the virtual pile of audiobooks on my iPod) I'm reading. Not to mention the ongoing goal of cleaning out my old things stored in the basement. Here's hoping summer really is as long as it feels like it is.

Happy Sunday!

2010-05-16T15:01:00.000-04:00

2010 planting record

2010-05-12T20:40:00.005-04:00

For my own record-keeping, what's happening on my roof deck garden so far:

Seeds:
organic greens mix: planted April 22 (Fedco)
organic lettuce mix: planted April 22 (Fedco)
organic chives: planted April 24 (Fedco)
parmex carrots: planted April 24 (Phyllis)
radish mix: planted April 24 (Phyllis)
sunflowers: planted April 24 (Phyllis)
sugar snap peas: planted May 12 (Mom)
organic chard: planted May 12 (Mom)
organic green beans: planted May 30 (Mom)

Plants:
borage: planted May 16
apple mint: planted May 16
red shiso: planted May 16
brown berry cherry tomato: planted May 16
chiquita grape tomato: planted May 22
purple basil: planted June 5
green basil: planted June 5
english thyme: planted June 5
parsley: planted June 5

radish seedlings, day 11

Growing

2010-05-01T21:01:00.003-04:00

My new container garden is mostly a dirt garden at the moment, but I spotted my first seedlings poking their heads up today . . .

My new haven

2010-04-05T16:13:00.001-04:00

Buckwheat plum shortbread cookies

2010-03-29T19:17:00.002-04:00

I made a version of these Figgy Buckwheat Scones for book group, and oh, they were very tasty. The modifications I made were:

-cut the recipe in half, and made my roll and slices considerably thinner/smaller, so that they were cookie-sized instead of scone-sized
-used light buckwheat flour instead of dark (not on purpose—I opened the bag and my flour was very light)
-used my homemade plum butter instead of fig butter
-baked the smaller cookies for only 28-30 minutes

I also love that so many of the ingredients were local: Maine buckwheat flour, plum butter from Maine plums, Maine butter, Maine cream, Maine sea salt.

Food inspiration

2010-03-27T11:01:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a food inspiration day—one which was sorely needed, because I've been feeling stuck in limbo between being tired of everything I ate all winter and waiting, waiting, waiting for the summer market and the new crop of fresh, local produce. So I spent yesterday getting a dose of inspiration from Jamie Oliver—I made his pizza dough recipe, paged through his Jamie at Home cookbook (SO adorable—I definitely need my own copy), and watched his TED Prize speech as well as his new Food Revolution show. This morning, I headed down to the winter farmers' market and got fresh goats' milk mozzarella and eggs, pea shoots and basil, beets and carrots, and tonight, I'll make a version of the amazing pizza we had at Flatbread for Kirsten's birthday, with beets, basil, goat cheese, and balsamic vinegar. Yum!

Paper blooms

2010-03-21T14:33:00.002-04:00

Happy spring!!

In need of some springy goodness, I snipped and rolled a bunch of paper flowers (thanks to maya*made's fabulous tutorial) over the past week or so and attached them with twist-ties to some downed branches I collected. A little messy and freeform, but definitely cheery—though if we have a few more sunny and warm days like yesterday, all the trees and flowers will be blooming early anyway!

Winter market!

2010-02-20T11:21:00.005-05:00

This morning was the launch of Portland's new winter farmers' market, and it was so much more exciting than I'd hoped it would be! (And I was already pretty excited.) A proper market! With lots of vendors and all sorts of offerings, including winter veggies and cheese and eggs and spices and olive oil and maple syrup. I tried to make a good circuit to see everything that was on offer, but it was packed (also a good thing, I suppose). But I got good things, and I'll go back again happily next week (and the week after, and the week after, until April 24, which is, I guess, when the regular outdoor market opens again?). So, very happy to be able to say,

From the winter market:
-parsnips
-celeriac
-spinach
-eggs
-bay leaves
-"Olde Shiretowne" cheese

So today I'm going to make roasted winter vegetable soup, some focaccia al'olio, and (if my olive oil supply holds out), a batch of olive oil granola. And do a little laundry, and read a little more Julia Child, and enjoy the sunshine.

♥

2010-02-14T15:09:00.000-05:00

Brrr

2010-01-30T12:41:00.004-05:00

The dog and I just got back from a very chilly jaunt down the hill to the park, where I picked up a 5-pound bag of local yellow onions as part of our winter farmers' market. I confess that I didn't want to go and was regretting ordering them in the first place, when I would have to pick them up in the middle of one of our coldest snaps so far this winter. But it's a beautiful day, if cold, and now that I'm back, I feel a certain sense of accomplishment that's a nice way to start a Saturday. And I have enough onions to make whatever I can dream up.

Sunday

2010-01-24T12:08:00.011-05:00

Mmmmm, I'm all bendy from morning yoga, I have an enormous cup of tea, the sun is shining, and the rest of Sunday is stretching out in front of me, full of possibilities.

Oh, and this guy's going to come live in my apartment very soon. :D

Large golden mushroom

Ways to Help

2010-01-15T12:32:00.003-05:00

Craft Hope for Haiti

Help Haiti: A Fandom Auction to Help Haiti Recover

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières

Architecture for Humanity

We're feelin' a lot better!

2010-01-11T20:35:00.003-05:00

After the worst of the current round of work stress lifted this afternoon, I breathed a big, happy sigh of relief and headed home to my clean apartment, where there was veggie chili to be had, local soy candles to burn, and some crafty Christmas presents settled cozily into their new spot. :D

A new year

2010-01-08T22:08:00.004-05:00

It's been a tough week.

The beginning of a new year, challenges and a looming deadline at work, coming to terms with a decade at my job. There hasn't been much time for creativity, for slowing down and taking care of myself, for seeing the beauty in everyday things. It's cold and dark and snowy; my apartment is a mess.

But I'm hoping this weekend will be a chance to build up some defenses against the tendency toward stress and exhaustion and negativity. I have a pantry and fridge full of newly-procured groceries, and I'm planning on making enough granola and lasagna al forno and vegetarian chili to last me for many good meals. I have new sheets just waiting to be washed and put on my fresh-made bed. I saw a beautiful sunrise this morning. I have dinner plans with a friend tomorrow. I start a winter session of yoga Sunday morning.

Here's to good weekends, rest, and rejuvenation!

A snowy walk with the dog

2010-01-03T16:43:00.002-05:00

It's been snowing and snowing and snowing this weekend . . .

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T19:49:00.002-05:00

I hope 2010 will be a year of creativity and connections, good friends and good food, inspiration and adventures big and small.

Happy Winter!

2009-12-24T14:32:00.003-05:00

And happy, happy Christmas to those who celebrate—I hope your days will be merry and bright!

Foxes Are the New Owls

2009-12-12T17:24:00.003-05:00

Thanks to some local art/craft fair perusing this last week, I've come to the above conclusion. How could I not, with these adorable foxes by Betsy Thompson and Field? I want them all to come den up in my house!

After crafts today, there were polar bear gingerbread cookies and a big chai and a brisk, bracing dog walk just as the sun was setting.

Winner! And winter.

2009-12-07T09:07:00.005-05:00

Gosh, last week was so much fun—thank you all so much for your comments! I loved reading them, and I wish I could send every one of you a jar of plum butter! Alas, I can only send one, and so the winner is . . .

Tina at squirrel acorns! Congratulations, Tina! I'll send out your package this week. :)

In other news, suddenly it's instant winter here—there's snow on the ground and a chill in the air. I've dug out knitted things to bundle in when I walk the dog, and my house is decked out in greenery and winterberries and my bird tree. Here's to a good start to the week!

Giveaway!

2009-12-01T22:01:00.001-05:00

As part of Sew, Mama, Sew!'s awesome Giveaway Day, I'm giving away a jar of homemade Maine plum butter (along with some other goodies pictured here—one of my photos, and some gift tags stamped with my hand-carved pinecone stamps).

To enter, just leave a comment (about anything!) in this entry by December 6. The winner will be randomly selected after that, and I'll send off a happy package (I'll ship internationally, too). I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T15:06:00.005-05:00

I'm headed over to my friend Phyllis's house for Thanksgiving dinner this evening, and I didn't have to cook a thing . . . but it seemed odd not to have something going in the kitchen today, so I baked a big dish of fancy macaroni and cheese (from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites) that will see me through the weekend as I work on my holiday exchange story, read Sue Hubbell's A Book of Bees, finish (finally!) my mossy green fingerless mitts, maybe make a pompom or two, and try to wrap up (ha!) my Christmas shopping.

Speaking of, any and all prints in my shop have free shipping now through the holiday season!

And I very much want to participate in the Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day next week! I just have to figure out what to give away—I am not sure if a print of a photo counts as handmade enough? Well, there are always jars of plum butter and cranberry jam. Watch this space!

Last Saturday Market

2009-11-21T10:12:00.002-05:00

From the market today:
-yellow onions
-fingerling potatoes
-leeks
-macoun apples
-tiny romanesco
-goat feta
-maple syrup

Frost

2009-11-19T10:46:00.002-05:00

The past few days, it's been quite chilly overnight, but mild during the days, which has made for frosty early mornings!

Market Day

2009-11-18T12:23:00.002-05:00

The market's almost done! One more Saturday and one more Wednesday after today. I'm not ready!

From the market today:
-yellow onions
-jonagold apples
-spinach
-fingerling potatoes
-sweet potatoes

Pinecones!

2009-11-14T16:06:00.002-05:00

Our sprinkly Saturday turned into a full-blown deluge—which is okay by me, since we got to go to the market this morning, and I had plenty of things to occupy me inside. Once I realized that the cranberries for jam needed to sit overnight, though, jam-making got moved to tomorrow . . . and I finally sat down to attempt stamp carving. The results were better than I could have possibly expected!

(click for bigger photos)

Jess and Kate brought me back these tiny pinecones from when they climbed Mount Katahdin this summer.

And this guy I had seen right outside my house the other day—after the first pinecones came out well, I ran outside in the rain to find him again to use for a reference for the second one.

I think I'll try to collect a few more pinecone varieties around my neighborhood and make more—and then it'll be pinecone wrapping paper and cards this Christmas for sure!

Saturday Market

2009-11-14T10:41:00.004-05:00

I think today was the penultimate farmers' market down in the park for the year—we got spritzed on as we walked down there, but I'm glad I went!

From the Saturday market:
-jonagold apples
-butternut squash
-shallots
-yellow carrots
-cranberries
-goat's milk mozzarella

The rest of today is for laundry and popovers and cranberry jam.

Market Day

2009-11-11T15:02:00.003-05:00

There was the most beautiful line of geese flying waaay up high in the sky when I was out walking the dog this morning.

The market's getting smaller and smaller—there are only a few stands left, but they still have more things than you could possibly find ways to cook. Recent favorites: sweet potatoes, cut into fat wedges and roasted with olive oil and sea salt until they were nearly charred on the bottom, and the most WONDERFUL goat feta that I hope to find more of on Saturday.

From the market today:
-yellow onions
-jonagold and mutsu apples
-sweet potatoes
-eggs

Photo for a Sunday

2009-11-08T16:21:00.003-05:00

Such an unusually warm day today! We had a good afternoon dog walk, and there were all sorts of people out and about who might not normally have been if it had been more of a seasonably Novemberish day.

I did a wee shop update this morning, with a few wintery/holiday things! I kind of love the gift tags—if they don't sell, I'll probably just use them on my own packages this Christmas. ;)

And now, to spritz and slash and slide my very first-ever baguettes into the oven . . .

Saturday Market

2009-11-07T09:25:00.002-05:00

From the Saturday Market:
-fingerling potatoes
-yellow onions
-jonagold and mutsu (also known as crispin) apples
-leeks
-goat feta (DELICIOUS)

Last night, Anna and Robert and I went to see Le Vent du Nord down at 1 Longfellow Square, and they were SO much fun. Québécois music played very enthusiastically on hurdy-gurdy, fiddle, guitar, keyboard, accordion, and sung all in French . . . and the musicians all had adorable French Canadian accents when they spoke between songs. (I feel certain there's a joke somewhere in there about men who speak French and have mastery over their instruments . . . )

And now I'm cooking up a batch of manoomin so that I can have approximately anodyne oatmeal for breakfast, and having a big cup of tea while I wait.

Market Day

2009-11-04T12:02:00.004-05:00

A nice browse through the farmers' market in the sunshine this morning restored my spirits, and made me determined, in spite of my disappointment with how the vote in Maine turned out, to help with whatever the next step is, and, in the meantime, to put as much love and hope out into the world as I can.

From the market:
-mutsu and jonagold apples
-maple syrup
-carrots
-kale
-parsley
-garlic

And a poem for November:

A Pair of Barn Owls, Hunting

Now slowly, smoothly flying over the field
Beside the orchard into the after-light
Of the cold evening, the ash gold owls come sailing
Close to the branches, gliding across the arbor
Where the bare grapevines ripen only shadows
In the dead of winter, and at the end of a garden
Suddenly flare their wings, hover,
And swerve, claws first, down to the grass together.

—David Wagoner

:(

2009-11-04T08:33:00.000-05:00

Oh Maine! I'm so disappointed.

Saturday Market

2009-10-31T12:19:00.003-04:00

It's a warm, gray, damp, windy day—we walked down to the park for the farmers' market, where all the trees were coppery.

From the Saturday market:
-leeks
-yellow onions
-shallots
-garlic
-mini pumpkins for decoration
-jonagold, northern spy, and a big green heirloom winter apple that I can't remember the name of

Ooooo, the sun's trying to peek out!

Happy Halloween!

Market Day

2009-10-28T11:52:00.002-04:00

From the market today:
-yellow onions
-jona gold apples
-fingerling potatoes

It's a gray day today, chilly and threatening rain. And I think a secret signal must have gone out through the tree network, because all the bright leaves seem to be falling today. After skipping last week (feeling oogy and under the weather), I am looking forward to yoga again tonight after work . . . and then maybe, if I'm lucky, there will be a shiny treat from etsy waiting from me when I get home.

Sunny Sunday

2009-10-25T12:55:00.003-04:00

After a gray, rainy, foggy day yesterday (too wet to walk down to the farmers' market, even), today the sun came out again.

Market Day

2009-10-21T15:10:00.003-04:00

From the market today:
-fingerling potatoes
-organic, free-range eggs
-spinach
-garlic
-wee posy of dried flowers

Fallish

2009-10-19T20:39:00.000-04:00

A little fallish inspiration and decoration around my house (and neighborhood):

some adorable fuzzy felted acorns from lil fish studios,

a skein of sock yarn in beautiful "lemon curd" from Oxford Kitchen Yarns,

and some bright leaves on sunny Saturday morning.

Market Day

2009-10-17T09:28:00.002-04:00

From the Saturday market:
-yogurt
-gala apples
-yellow onion
-organic cranberries
-leeks
-sweet potatoes
-bouquet of flowers

Cloudy Twilight

2009-10-16T21:04:00.006-04:00

It was a cold, cloudy twilight walk home through Portland tonight—a nice transition from the workweek to the weekend.

How do you fit time for creative things into a busy routine filled with day-to-day things that have to get done? How do you carve out some mental and spiritual creative space and give yourself a chance to find inspiration and follow through on it? These are the questions I've been asking myself this week . . .

In the meantime, tiny shop update with a couple of new prints tonight, including Late Afternoon.

Good Listening

2009-10-15T12:18:00.006-04:00

For anyone who has young children, or who, like me, just appreciates children's literature, I highly recommend the new Winnie-the-Pooh book, Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, in which Christopher Robin spends his summer vacation having all new adventures with Pooh and everyone else. It feels very true to the original stories, and it's utterly charming, especially the audio version narrated by Jim Dale. Your kids will want to have their own spelling bee, or throw a harvest fête, or maybe just bounce around and eat a lot of honey.

Towhee

2009-10-15T08:04:00.006-04:00

When I was looking up my long pie pumpkin yesterday, I discovered it's also known as a Nantucket pumpkin. I also discovered that it's apparently not ready to eat until it's completely orange, which means that the squash soup I'd planned to make with it will be delayed. (My newest tweak to the squash soup, besides learning that it's just as good with acorn squash as with butternut, hence wanting to try it with pumpkin, is to top it with a dollop of my new favorite Silvery Moon Creamery yogurt and some toasted, sea-salted pumpkin seeds. YUM.)

I saw an eastern towhee (which I still think of as a rufus-sided towhee, thank you Roger Tory Peterson) while I was walking the dog this morning. It was in a crowd of white-crowned sparrows and juncos, and we followed them all the way down the Prom.

Market Day

2009-10-14T11:30:00.004-04:00

Gosh, the cold has roared in! It's beautiful and crisp and chilly (the chilly makes it hard to get out of bed, which is outfitted with two duvets plus hot water bottle, but the beautiful (mostly) makes up for it)—there were leaves that were glowing an impossible red in the sun this morning when the dog and I were out. And the farmers' market was overflowing with squashes and apples, carrots and potatoes, cider and cranberries, and the last few vestiges of summer things, corn and tomatoes and blueberries. I came back with a haul:

-long pie pumpkin
-yellow onions
-jonagold apples
-spinach
-garlic
-green cauliflower

I'm hoping to update the shop at the end of this week with a bunch of fallish prints, so stay tuned!

Plummy

2009-10-12T12:03:00.007-04:00

Plum butter yesterday was a big success! I have five wee jars of it, and while I am feeling very possessive of all of them at the moment, I'm sure I'll end up giving some away. (The cranberries appeared at the farmers' market on Saturday, which means that soon I'll buy up a bunch and make more delicious cranberry jam.) There's something really magical about glass canning jars, isn't there? Something about all their history, I think.

Meanwhile, I have veggie stock bubbling on the stove so that I can make potato leek soup for dinner, and Scary Bugger (the garden spider who has taken up residence outside one of my front windows this fall) is doing lots of very impressive spider acrobatics while she (he?) rebuilds her web.

New Beginnings!

2009-10-11T19:30:00.006-04:00

It's been a beautiful fall weekend here, and between breezy dog walks and holing up in the kitchen (five wee jars of plum butter! wonderful apple cake!), I opened a shop on etsy to sell prints of some of my photos! Deep breath! I'm scared and excited all at the same time. To new things!

http://littorina.etsy.com

Squash Hat

2009-10-10T11:53:00.004-04:00

A hat that looks like a squash, or maybe a hat FOR a squash . . . squash hat!

Market Day

2009-10-10T09:05:00.003-04:00

From the Saturday market:
-fresh cheddar curd
-yogurt
-northern spy apples
-leeks
-potatoes
-shallots
-carrots
-blueberries
-raspberries
-yellow onions
-bunch of flowers

Market Day

2009-10-07T10:47:00.004-04:00

From the market today:
-shallots
-blueberries
-jonagold apples
-onions
-spinach
-corn
-RAIN

Sadly, the plums are all gone! But I saw them at K Horton's on Monday, and so I just called and asked them to put aside several cartons for me. I won't be thwarted in my canning attempts! I plan to do something with those this weekend (either raw-pack canning or plum butter!), and also to make a batch of applesauce with the bag of organic macs mom treated me to last weekend.

Lanterns

2009-10-01T09:39:00.005-04:00

Happy October!

Market Day

2009-09-30T11:57:00.005-04:00

I saw a heron flying overhead when I was walking the dog up on the Prom this morning—I love their huge wingspans and their long legs trailing behind when they fly. Seeing one feels like an auspicious way to start the day.

From the market today:
-blueberries
-prune plums (to be made into plum butter, or mini galettes?)
-ginger gold apples
-scallions (because last week after yoga, what I really craved was miso soup)
-two wee pumpkins (for decoration)
-japanese lantern flowers (to go with the pumpkins)

Wild Geese

2009-09-28T16:55:00.001-04:00

Poem for a Monday:

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

—Mary Oliver

Market Day

2009-09-26T09:11:00.002-04:00

From the Saturday market:
-tomatoes for slow roasting
-yogurt
-onions
-cucumber
-blueberries
-jonagold and ginger gold apples
-sweet peas

Nesting

2009-09-25T20:29:00.005-04:00

I've had potato leek soup and a whoopie pie from Big Sky and some cinnamon cardamom tea; it's chilly out, the dog's curled on the couch and I have a quilt on my lap, and I'm settled in for the night and looking forward to my warm bed and a brisk farmers' market jaunt in the morning. Happy fall! Happy Friday!

Yoga Beginnings

2009-09-25T08:42:00.003-04:00

I had my first yoga class this week, Wednesday evening after work. It was very calm and deliberate and hard work at the same time (and sweaty—I hope mostly because it was a warm, humid day, and we were up on the third floor). A couple of days later, I can still feel muscles I don't usually think about; when I left, I was a little shaky going down the stairs (exertion? dehydration?); when I walked home in the near-dark, I was a little loopy. My favorite part was the relaxation at the end—lying in corpse pose, our instructor walking around the room and turning off lights one by one, speaking low and soft as she encouraged us to let everything go loose and fall away; she came over and gently fitted a baffle and a folded wool blanket under my legs, and it was not unlike being tucked into bed by mom. A singularly soothing experience.

Market Day

2009-09-23T11:25:00.003-04:00

From the market today:
-blueberries
-jonagold apples
-raspberries
-cauliflower
-shallots
-Overland honey
-bouquet of flowers

Market Day

2009-09-19T09:08:00.003-04:00

From the Saturday market:
-fresh mozzarella
-carrots
-french fingerling potatoes
-gala & ginger gold apples
-leeks
-garlic
-corn
-shallots
-sweet peas

What a glorious day!

End of Summer

2009-09-18T22:14:00.002-04:00

sunset
Originally uploaded by dogeared.

The late-summer light this afternoon was so beautiful . . . and the sky was too golden not to take the dog for an extra-long walk and soak it in.

Stamps

2009-09-18T13:04:00.006-04:00

Thanks to inspiration from maya*made and Geninne, I stopped by the art store this morning and picked up some supplies to try making my own stamps! I still need to find some stamp pads in good colors, but in the meantime, my goal is to carve out a happy wee periwinkle snail, and we'll just see where it goes from there. :D

It's a lovely on-the-brink-of-fall day here today—happy Friday, and L'shanah tovah!

Best Small Foodie Town

2009-09-16T11:38:00.007-04:00

YAY PORTLAND \o/

Bon Appetit

And these aren't the run-of-the-mill bakeries you find throughout America, either--instead they're boutique businesses run by dedicated craftsmen who use the best possible ingredients to create artisanal products.

The New York Times

The city is ringed by farms, fishing grounds, dairies, apiaries, mushroom beds and smokehouses, making local lamb, potatoes, scallops, bacon, buttermilk, berries and honey easy to get.

Market Day

2009-09-16T11:30:00.002-04:00

From the market today:
-flowers
-kale
-sungold cherry tomatoes
-blueberries
-onions
-ginger gold apples
-zucchini & summer squash
-eggs
-basil
-cauliflower
-raspberries

2009-09-15T15:24:00.003-04:00

I had such a lovely little respite at lunchtime today—I popped over to Standard to get a wee pizza for my lunch, and I also got a beautiful loaf of seeded whole wheat bread to take home, and it was SO beautiful outside that I just couldn't turn around and go back to the office right away. Instead, I sat at one of their little tables outside and watched the blue blue sky and the people walking by and the wee brown sparrows (and one pigeon) hopping around looking for crumbs. There was an older couple sitting at the table next to me, enjoying their bakery lunch, and a guy came out with his newspaper and his baked goods and sat on the wall to have his lunch too, tossing crumbs every so often to the birds, much to their squabbling delight. It was so quiet and peaceful (and smelled delicious, as bakery smells wafted out the window)—a true experience of just slowing down and shaking off routine and being in the moment.

Maybe it's the approach of fall, but I'm feeling nesting urges. I want to make food and have people over to eat it; I want to make things and put them around my house—repurposed things, useful things.

2009-09-09T15:52:00.002-04:00

Recipes to try:

Fresh Shell Bean Spread

Kale Chips

2009-09-09T11:26:00.003-04:00

From the market today:
-red onions
-lacinato kale
-sungold cherry tomatoes
-corn
-shell beans
-blueberries
-jona gold and ginger gold apples
-cider
-leeks
-kennebec potatoes
-garlic
-basil
-cauliflower
-"hot tamale" dahlias

2009-09-05T09:38:00.002-04:00

sweet peas and honey jar
Originally uploaded by dogeared.

From the Saturday market:
-cucumber
-leeks
-potatoes
-basil
-yellow cherry tomatoes
-ginger gold apples
-fresh mozzarella
-sweet peas
-corn

2009-09-02T13:10:00.002-04:00

From the market today:

-onions
-cherry tomatoes
-blueberries
-garlic
-Overland honey
-teddy bear sunflowers
-fingerling potatoes

2009-08-29T16:23:00.005-04:00

From the Saturday market:
-basil
-blueberries
-sungolds
-corn
-shallots
-fingerling potatoes
-apples

And from elsewhere, beads and yarn for my fall beaded beanie, and half and half to make summer corn chowder. It's the perfect night for it!

2009-08-26T13:18:00.002-04:00

I had the strange and kind of wonderful experience this morning of, out of the blue, realizing that I could feel a fist-sized knot of happiness and strength in my chest—the sensation of this solid, tangible thing inside me that I could hold on to. I don't know if it was my spirit or my soul I could feel, but it felt magical and real at the same time, and also felt like finding something that had been lost or hiding for a long time.

2009-08-26T11:14:00.002-04:00

From the market today:
-blueberries
-raspberries
-cherry tomatoes
-basil
-corn
-purple & orange dahlias

2009-08-20T09:12:00.005-04:00

Things I want to make this weekend:

Pan-roasted Corn and Tomato Salad

Note: my version of this now is to sauté a couple of shallots with olive oil, salt, and the corn from two ears for a couple of minutes, then toss with halved cherry tomatoes, cubed fresh mozzarella, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Hubert's White Gazpacho

Note: tastes like a soup version of our old family summer recipe of cucumbers with onion and miracle whip--goes great with tofu-onion-pea-rice curry dish.

Raspberry Yogurt Popsicles

Note: I tried making these with just blended raspberries, plain yogurt, honey, and some lime juice--they're a little sour, so maybe next time no lime juice, and a bit more honey.

2009-08-19T12:21:00.002-04:00

From the market today:
-gladioli
-wee orange cherry tomatoes
-deep red/purple cherry tomatoes
-cucumber
-basil
-blueberries
-raspberries

2009-08-15T09:25:00.002-04:00

shallots
Originally uploaded by dogeared.

From the Saturday market:
-tiny orange cherry tomatoes
-raspberries
-blueberries
-corn
-fingerling potatoes
-shallots
-basil
-fresh mozzarella
-bunch of asters

2009-08-12T10:57:00.001-04:00

From the market today:
-bunch of flowers
-onions
-blueberries
-zucchini
-basil
-garlic
-sungold cherry tomatoes

2009-08-07T08:52:00.001-04:00

cracked plaster
Originally uploaded by dogeared.

Happy Friday!

2009-08-05T13:14:00.000-04:00

From the market today:
-blueberries
-basil
-shelling peas
-bunch of flowers

2009-08-01T21:06:00.005-04:00

From the Saturday market:
-green beans
-shell peas
-carrots
-new potatoes
-fingerling potatoes
-blueberries
-cherry tomatoes
-tomatoes
-pattypan squash
-corn
-fresh garlic
-onions
-basil
-Overland honey
-eggs

And from Pinelands:
-raspberries
-feta
-sourdough bread

2009-07-29T11:29:00.003-04:00

From the market today:
-heirloom tomatoes
-blueberries
-raspberries
-baby carrots

2009-07-24T08:39:00.003-04:00

Recipes I want to keep track of:

Pea Pesto

101 Simple Salads for the Season

Olive Oil Granola

Deborah Madison's summer stew (as described by Res, "with green beans, corn, tomatoes, and squash, very lightly cooked and served with a big lump of herb butter slowly melting into the bowl"):

You have to boil the green beans separately for a few minutes first, because the whole thing doesn't cook for long enough for them to get tender.

Cut the squash thinly; cut the kernels off the corn; peel the tomatoes (you can cut an X in the flower end and drop them in the same water you use for the beans for ten seconds) and seed them into a sieve so you don't lose the juice and dice them. Mix softened butter (a tablespoon per serving) with a fine mince of whatever fresh herbs you have (I used basil and parsley) plus the zest of one lemon.

Then you sautee some finely minced onion and garlic in olive oil, add a little water (really a little! like half a cup!) and put a cover on the skillet for five minutes. Then add all the vegetables, plus the juice that came out of the tomato seeds, and cover again and cook for five more minutes. Plop the butter in each serving and wish winter would never come.

2009-07-22T11:44:00.000-04:00

From the market today:
-carrots
-cherry tomatoes
-blueberries
-basil
-sunflowers

2009-07-15T11:08:00.001-04:00

From the market today:
-dahlias
-tiny orange cherry tomatoes
-strawberries
-basil
-red potatoes

2009-07-15T08:49:00.001-04:00

Three osprey coasting and calling over the Western Prom this morning! Awwww wee osprey family. Chirp chirp!

2009-07-11T15:34:00.001-04:00

From the Saturday market:
-shelling peas
-spring onions
-green garlic
-basil
-fresh mozzarella

2009-07-08T11:41:00.002-04:00

From the market today:
-swiss chard
-broccoli
-carrots
-yellow cherry tomatoes and wee tiny orange ones
-strawberries
-garlic scapes
-shelling peas
-eggs
-new red potatoes
-basil
-pinky-peachy dahlias

There were zucchini there today too, which—they feel like a height of summer thing to me, and it does NOT feel like the height of summer!

2009-07-04T11:26:00.001-04:00

strawberries
Originally uploaded by dogeared.

Happy 4th!!

2009-07-01T11:02:00.001-04:00

From the market today, IN THE FOG AND DRIZZLE, MY GOD, WILL IT EVER STOP:
-broccoli
-swiss chard
-strawberries
-wee carrots
-scallions
-cherry tomatoes
-fiery red dahlias

(This is July? Really? REALLY?)

2009-06-24T17:13:00.001-04:00

From the market today, in the rain:
-spinach
-strawberries
-chard
-garlic scapes
-peonies

2009-06-17T11:01:00.002-04:00

From the market today:
-spinach
-swiss chard (the sugariest in the land!)
-STRAWBERRIES \o/
-microgreens
-sugar snap peas

2009-06-15T21:46:00.003-04:00

Happy things!

This morning, I stopped by the library for my new weekly ritual book pick-up and left feeling like I'd won a prize. Mmmmmm BOOKS.

And then tonight we had such a lovely book group at Sarah's, with snacks and strawberry buttermilk cake and wine and tea and books and talk and talk and talk.

2009-06-13T20:40:00.002-04:00

From the Saturday market:
-scallions
-eggs
-fresh mozzarella
-thyme
-sugar snap peas

2009-06-12T22:16:00.001-04:00

anemones
Originally uploaded by dogeared.

My indulgence—flowers from the farmers' market. Full of cheer!

2009-06-10T10:52:00.003-04:00

From the market today:
-spinach
-beet greens
-cherry tomatoes
-basil
-cheeriest red anemones

NOT from the market today: STRAWBERRIES. Oh I cannot wait for those. :D

2009-06-03T10:52:00.002-04:00

From the market today:
-spinach
-baby beet greens
-rhubarb
-basil
-cherry tomatoes
-bunch of lupine

I finally cooked up my baby kale and baby beet greens from last week (just sauteed them with a tiny bit of water and some sea salt), and they were SO delicious (with pasta and pesto). The beet greens tasted faintly beety, and gave off lots of pink juice, and I felt very virtuous eating them.

2009-05-27T11:13:00.001-04:00

From the market today:
-baby beet greens
-baby kale
-radishes
-basil
-cherry tomatoes
-rhubarb

2009-05-23T12:23:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was cleaning day—I took up and put away the rug in the bedroom, vacuumed and mopped, washed all the bedding and installed a new bedskirt. And then I spent the rest of the day trying to be cool.

And now that our heat's broken and things are cool and cloudy again, today is baking day. I've made a batch of granola, I have focaccia dough rising, and later (or possibly tomorrow) I'll make a rustic rhubarb galette.

2009-05-20T10:38:00.000-04:00

From the market today:
-mesclun mix
-basil
-pea shoots
-cherry tomatoes

2009-05-17T13:07:00.001-04:00

lily of the valley
Originally uploaded by dogeared.

It was still raining this morning when it was time for dog walks, though it had mostly stopped, and while I had considered cheating and just going around the block, I felt like I needed to get out and move a little more than that, to shake off sleeps. So we did our regular walk, and it started raining again lightly while we were out there, but that was okay, because it still felt good, and I picked a whole big handful of lily of the valley from the patch that's on the wooded side of the Prom, so now I have some in my bedroom, and some in my living room. Between those and the strawberry shortcake cake in the oven, the house is smelling pretty delicious. Nice Sunday.