Farmer's Market

Ahhhh, let me tell you, the farmer's market in Port Townsend was fabulous, dozens of yellow jackets enjoying the sweets, apple cobbler, lovely little pasties, brownies and bread. Mounds of squash, beautiful acorn and delicata flashing bright colors. Many tables full of apples, varieties I've never heard of. Brenda and I bought leeks and rose finn potatoes, greens, chantrelles and mini cakes, not much bigger than a thimble with a crunchy outer glaze, sweet and moist. What a fabulous dinner we had, salmon with caramelized leeks, roasted rose finn potatoes, greens, corn on the cob, goat cheese, sauteed chantrelles and Spanish wine. Ahhh, what glutens and what fun. It's the time of year, yes? The time to indulge in the abundance of the gardens.

It all began with my trip down from Bellingham to the ferry on Whidbey Island, foggy, with sun filtering through low clouds. Fabulous and chilly and a rocky ferry ride. Brisk air and sunshine. And then Brenda and Abbe greeting me on the other side. That's what it's called around here when you cross the water: the other side.

I was thinking on the drive home that really life is pretty good in this post-divorce state of mine. Not that it won't improve, I mean the heart is still mending, but like the author of Eat, Pray, Love says, there has to be some recovery time that is just for you. You have to have some fun, and the body being feed fabulous food is one good way to do that. No complaints about what the body is putting on, just indulge to make it feel better. Later you can do those extra miles to walk it off, right now just give to yourself.

Okay, so take that sugar pumpkin and carve out the lid and then stuff it with rice and sausage and vegetables, seasoned well and bake. When you scoop out the goodies, you scoop a little pumpkin too. Very nice and satisfying for fall. Here is a good book where you can find many recipes for fall soups New England Soup Factory Cookbook

See you shortly,
Flower Power

Cats in the Garden

My cats, all five or six of them that I've had through the years, have always been drawn to my gardens. Ozzie was the best at digging up my plants. Scooter had a deformed paw, so wasn't a good digger. Thunked the moles on the head, that was all. The other cats from my past, Jude and Cloud didn't seem to be as much of a problem at digging up plants as Ozzie was. Ozzie would scratch up the tiny carrot plants, the teensy beets, and new leaves of broccoli or cabbage plants. After I replanted and replanted again, I finally got smart, coming up with my own method of protecting the plants: inserting sticks along the row, just bits of alder branches or other brush from clearing, usually ocean spray or salmon berry, wild plants of the PNW.

Now I have an indoor cat, Sid, who only digs up the bags I keep in the closet and a hat that's fallen from the shelf, he can pick at it beneath the door of the closet. He's a nut for hats and gloves and socks, anything he can pull at with his teeth; I really think he thinks he's finding a small animal to rip apart. He's a house cat who tries to climb the walls, kills small animals in the form of gloves, and chases mice (my toes) that make their way beneath the covers. Once I foiled Ozzie with the sticks stuck along the rows, I finally got my garden started. It was a good solution; I pulled out the sticks when the plants were large enough to stand up for themselves.

As far as gardening goes, this is the time of year to turn things under and plant a cover crop. I may plant a cover crop, but probably I won't. It's not that I'm lazy, it's just that I'm trying to find my way through this divorce grief. It's overwhelming to think about trying to do much other than make my way through each day. When they say "one day at a time," they really do mean it. Today, I wrote and treated a client (I do CranioSacral therapy for a real job, that and teaching writing) and I do the other things I love, making art and gardening just for the heck of it. Well, more than that really, if I wasn't for doing these things, I'd go stir-crazy, climbing the walls like my cat.

Tomorrow I will weed, the final weeding for the year, perhaps. Brenda will help me and the grandbaby too. We'll make some headway, I hope, if it isn't raining that is. It rained hard earlier today, hailed even. It was crazy. It is early for fall. Snow in the pass already.

Okay then, happy day.

Ciao, Flower

Stormy Weather

The wind blew all night and the rain pummeled the windows. Looks like some clearing this morning, a little color in the sky. A good morning to put in garlic sets. Garlic has a long growing life. You plant it now and you harvest next fall. Why so long I don't know. I grew it once, elephant garlic and a few different types. It didn't' do that well, but I was growing in Kitsap hardpan. You can barely dig in it.

There are tons of different types of garlic. Each tastes a little different. Why not experiment, try growing some in your home garden. If you have a planter garden on your deck or balcony, garlic isn't something you'll be growing, but chives are nice and a perennial. Good on baked potatoes and in salads, too. I love the little flowers, little purple puffs. Very sweet. There are also garlic chives to be had. See the book Growing Garlic for more info on varieties.

Well, have to run this morning, got a writing date with my writing buddies.
Ciao! Flower