Dispensary, Garden & Kitchen Delights

Today I strained and decanted my homemade vanilla extract that I started in April. I have a solid 24 ounces to see me through several months of various culinary preparations. I readied two packages of herbal medicinals for the Post and returned to the dispensary to blend a couple herbal-ish concoctions that will serve as gifts for a special birthday coming up in October.

I headed to the garden to pull up and trim back many sunflowers before harvesting beans and cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and basil, lettuce, braising greens and to work up a very fine sweat. I made some plain basil pesto for the freezer. While in the kitchen I paused to add the sugar to my black currant cordial so now it can sit quietly to mellow for several more months (or as long as I can stand it).

I even made time to journal.

That's what I made today.

Peace.

Tomatoey Goodness

Seventy pounds of tomatoes from a local farm offered me puree to enjoy at least one tomatoey meal every week for half a year. Even though I still have more from this batch to process, I would love to score another seventy pounds of these beautiful, organic fruits to cover a full fifty-two-plus weeks. We shall see …

That's what I made today. Peace.

My Way Home

I was here … and other places too … until I made my way back home.

Peace.

The First of the Autumn Harvests

Today I made the first harvest of winter squash, three large fruits from a vine I did not plant. I suspect this is from composted seeds from last year's kabocha, though it's more orange than I remember. In any event, it will get roasted just as soon as the seasons cool to that place where roasting indoors is pleasurable.

I also harvested a large bundle of kale, enough for enjoying this evening along with several quart packages for the freezer.

That's what I made today. Peace.

A First Ferment

A gallon jar. A few handfulls of cucumbers. A couple grape leaves. Garlic. Pure sea salt and water (3 tablespoons to each quart of water - 'cause someone's gonna ask). A little weight. Time.

Before long I'll have the first batch of summertime half sours!

That's what I made today. Peace.

Liquid Love

I spent a good portion of my afternoon straining, filtering and/or decanting several aspects of liquid love. Not the least being one of the most literal of botanical loves - the rose. I strained and started a second two-month infusion of my rose petal liqueur, or elixir if you prefer. I also strained, filtered and bottled a quart of delightful rose petal vinegar. I had 12 ounces that wouldn't fit into my bottle, and those twelve ounces sang to me!

They sang of shrub, a vinegar-n-sugar syrup that is mixed with water, sparkling or not, to make cold drink. To my knowledge it is considered an old time farmers' drink that is traditionally made with a fruit-n-vinegar infusions. But this, this rose vinegar sang to me. I listened and I responded.

I measured out one and a three-quarters cups of sugar (equal measure, by volume, to the vinegar), mixed it with the infused vinegar in a heavy pot and placed it over moderate high flame on the stove top. I stirred it as it came to a boil and the sugar fully dissolved. It cooled and I poured it into a bottle for safe keeping.

I tasted some, of course, a small amount mixed with water over ice. And I fell in love.

That's what I made today. Peace.

A Harvest of Sunshine

Today I harvested more calendula flowers - enough for another two quarts of infused oil. This year I'm infusing many of my herbals in organic coconut oil. I love coconut oil and find it a great addition as well as standalone for many of my herbal skincare projects. Last year I made a calendula soap that I fell in love with and I plan to make more, so the six or so quarts of calendula oil I have going now will position me for many a bar. Many for me! Some for gifts! And, perhaps, some to sell. We shall see.

I love the sticky, resinous feel and fresh, green scent that harvesting calendula leaves on my fingers. I love how summer's sunshine can be coaxed into bottles and jars, balms and salves, soaps and creams, skin sprays and tinctures. Not to mention meads and ales.

Since I was harvesting the verve and light of summer I figured a simple spray of sunflowers deserved a spot of honor on my dining table. As it is, so shall it be.

That's what I made today. All under the watch of August's Dark Moon. Peace.

A Simple Harvest

Enough said.

Peace.

A Stand

I realize today that my recent struggles with feeling/being mute and invisible are inviting me - yet again - to Be The Witness. Standing witness can be a significant challenge for me, yet as I discovered several years ago, a very worthy challenge. I also learned - or rather, recalled - that it was once a special talent of mine, a childhood ability mostly forsaken and forgotten.

This realization comes at an interesting time, for I feel as if I want to shout from the hilltops … scream, really. Just scream, then walk way. Far away.

Instead, I will stay "where I am" and hold the scream closely with as much love as I can muster, and we will nurture relationship, intimacy and will get to know one another well - right here "where we are" before making any move.

I don't look forward to it. And yet, I do. And I am grateful that the first few days of this path will meander in a tame wilderness, in Nature, amid forest and meadow, water and stone, shadow and reflection, solitude and friendship. In Challenge and Love.

Ciao!

Peace.

My First ArtFire Collection

This morning I made time to curate my first ArtFire Collection of divine indie talents. I invite you to click over to take a closer peek, leave some feedback and celebrate our collective divinity! Peace.

One Fell Swoop

Turnip harvests. Steamed turnip. Turnip mashed with russets. Braised turnip greens.

Organic peach harvests. Time and space shared in fine, fine company.

Peach preserves, enhanced with a stick of organic cinnamon.

Peach and rose petal cordial. This will need time (damn it) to become what it is meant to be.

Bean harvests. Simmered al dente and macerated in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and sea salt.

Sacred space and time to … Be.

An honor to the season, as the sun picks up his rod and dagger for westward travels.

Calendula and rose cream. Plus salves and balms too.

Having missed more than a few blog posts over the past several days, I thought I'd make one fell swoop to catch you up from this mind-boggling week. Mind-boggling, yet productive and healing nonetheless.

Peace.