Chives and Bees
The wind blows as if we live near the sea -
yet we do not.
The trees with their green cardigans and brown courdoroys -
sound like sighs and hushes.
It is morning, the street sleeps-
Or atleast it seems that way from our hive.
No one here knows that I am closed eyes, arms spread -
surrendering to the beauty of morning.
No one knows I am photographing the world waking up.
No one senses that I am as busy as a bee collecting chive dust.
The excitingly warm spring weather here in the north east really coaxes my stomach toward a summer palette. Dreams of market bags filled with farm grown fruits and veggies makes my heart smile with delight. Spring and summer are obviously the best time to eat your heart out on things that grow by root. Until the near future when I will be able to tip toe through the market, tote over my shoulder, I will start to crave things like farm fresh produce and recipes like bruchetta.
A few days ago I carried an abundant armful of tomatoes, basil, garlic, and other ingredients out into the warm sunshine where I chopped, diced, and danced while doing so. Good tunes, good sun, and good company makes the world go round. Feeding what you made to the ones you love is a whole 'nother pleasure entirely!
Thankfully cutting onions outside kept them from stinging my eyes, another plus to cooking outside! I loathe cutting onions. Onions and I have only recently become friends. My whole life I have shunned them from my plate... and still only selectively allow them in dishes that I make or eat. I was a picky eater growing up and still have my moments, but allowing myself to at least try something and not turn my nose up at it has greatly opened up my culinary world. There is so much to taste and enjoy!
What are your favorite spring eats?
Local food is the best, handmade is the best, and living a homemade/handmade local food kind of life is magic! Summer here in upstate New York is one of the most glorious times to be a New Yorker, especially where I live because we are so close to the black dirt region.
This past weekend I brought a mere $10 and a couple of boys to a farm market we had not yet had the pleasure of visiting located in Pine Island New York. For my $10 I was able to bring home 4 yellow squash, 3 large sunflower blooms, a huge eggplant, a clump of fresh cilantro (roots attached), and a garlic with cloves so big they have to be split in half between recipes.
After the farm market, we did have to go to the grocery store for other non farm market essentials where I couldn't help but chuckle at the tiny eggplants in the produce section that were almost $2 a piece glistening with strangers finger prints. I'm surely going to miss my fresh and organic produce through the winter months, but will continue to live through my farm market visits until they all close for the season.
I am contemplating figuring out out to can some jam and salsa so that we can have some tastes of summer while the snow piles down and piles up. It will take some research though as I have never attempted canning in any form before.
All of the herbs I have been cutting and purchasing are being hung and dried in the window for use later on. I'm hoping I have enough to give as gifts; packaged as steak rubs.
Even if you don't buy anything from your local farm market, which I doubt you can walk away without atleast some yummy apples... it's a real feast for the eyes with all it's amazing colors and bright grape skinned hues.
All of the veggies I brought home were cut up and piled high into a homemade vegetable lasagna. It was so good there was all but 3 tiny pieces left. Of course cooking is always better when you cook for friends, so friends helped eat it and we all slopped up our ricotta and sauce with fresh soft bread.
So I'm getting a bit bored with Tutorial Thursday, are you? I'm thinking of canceling it and turning it into something else but I haven't decided what just yet.
I'm open to ideas of course so please leave me a comment! I love hearing from you :)
So for the past few days now I have been giving some attention to my love of crochet. After finishing the large heirloom painting and getting it emailed off, I now feel the need to switch mediums as I often do to keep the inspiration flowing. I love bright colors in crochet, and dare I say... ok I'll whisper it so you don't freak out... I'm thinking about starting Christmas presents. You okay? could you handle that? or does the thought of Christmas gifting make you cringe a little? well, if it does that's ok, I don't blame you... but for us handmaders thinking about Christmas gifts can't be a last minute ordeal. It takes months of prior thought and effort.
I'm having hand trouble though. Stupid misbehaving hands! Doctor thinks I have tendinitis in my right thumb (dominate hand) and so I will be getting some xrays to rule out arthritis and then a trip to the hand orthopedist will decide what it is and how we can handle it. I swear if I hear the words cortisone and shot in the same sentence I'll walk right out deeming all the doctoring a waste of my time. I'm not getting one... and I'm not going to get them for the next 60+ odd years I have left on this planet. Well... unless it gets really unbearable then my opinion is subject to change... hold me not to any of this!
In an attempt to help my hands I have ordered these ergonomic crochet hooks. There was a great article in one of my crochet magazines about ergonomic hooks and the best ones for whatever hand problem you may be dealing with, and these are the ones recommended for me. They are coming all the way from Canada and will take up to 4 weeks to arrive, I can't wait and I hope they come sooner than expected as I really need them!
There is a crochet guru I like to follow on Instagram @Anniehay, shes so good and knows just how to handle each task and problem... plus shes super fast and talented! she turned me onto Attic24 Blog and her patterns. Her work is SO colorful and really neat!
These snowflake ornaments are definitely on my to do list! I think these would be an excellent place to sneak in my dried herbs from the garden, i.e. lavender, rosemary, and mint!
And this blooming flower pillow!? Oh my GAWD yes!
Am I the only crazy person thinking about a careful Christmas in July? Ah well, if I am I am :)
From year to year I have dried and used the herbs from my garden, but this year I am harvesting throughout the summer to encourage plant growth so that I can harvest again and hopefully again.
New to my garden this year is Lavendar. I'm excited to include these fragrant blooms in with my other plants, but more so for their drying possobilities. Though starting out very small, I have already trimmed slightly and tied up to dry.
Along with the lavender, this year I am drying rosemary. I love the smell of rosemary, not so much for cooking for for bath and body. It's smell is intoxicating and stays on your hands long after picking.
Mint, the STD of the garden (that's right I said it) is harvested over and over and over again. I have already dried one big bunch and have now hung up 2 more.
This Christmas I plan on making crochet and fabric sachets as gifts. A handmade Christmas you see, is already in the works in the sweltering months of July and August. I like hanging and drying in the traditional manner. My kitchen window gets light, but very indirect light... and new to my choice of drying tools is this netted bag!
I had purchased a package of avocados that came inside of it and I had a feeling when heading for the trash that I had better keep it for something useful. Well useful indeed! this has proven a really great drying tool for small cuts that can't be wrapped. I simply place the cuts into the netted bag (it's made of plastic) and every day or so shake it to aerate! no mold :) yay!
Any herbs you are drying? what are your plans for your fragrant garden delights? I would love to hear!
