Gleanings Soup and a Intensive Program of Growth

My friend Nancy brought about 20 of these over on Sunday - individually wrapped squares of baklava, a heavenly treat for our IPG gathering.

We hosted another IPG weekend in our home, with about 25 Baha'is attending.

Some of our little friends slept...like Mindy here. Shadie is on the left, and Krissie. She and I spent part of Sunday afternoon visiting families on M Street.

The others, like Lillian here, were busy receiving assignments from Jeff, so they could street-teach. It was a perfect afternoon, sunny and warm, and families were out in their yards or on the front porch. Chris and I did a home visit with a new mother of twins, her sister Pi (a Baha'i), and Kim, the grandmother. It was so enjoyable visiting at their kitchen table. Pi and Kim will be attending our Ruhi Study Circle on Friday.

Both days were filled with the intensity and joy of teaching the Faith, meeting wonderful new people in the neighborhood, and working together to accomplish important goals. Although I went out both days with the friends, I spent most of my time in the kitchen. I figure we provided about 90 servings for the four meals, with my friend Claire bringing the main courses for dinner. She made a heafty beef stew for Saturday night and two trays of enchiladas for Sunday. I could not have pulled off the meals over the weekend without her! We worked as a team to get everything done.

Some of the friends brought desserts and treats, fruit and nuts. Pictured here: cornbread, coconut-coffee cake; zucchini bread.

I provided soup and salads, much of it using produce from my garden - tomatoes, squash, zucchini, leeks, celery and onions, potatoes, carrots, kale, broccolini, arugula and fresh herbs. On Saturday I made a 'Carrot-Squash Soup'with fresh ground ginger, a dash of curry and tumeric, coconut milk, and all kinds of chopped veggies. I counted 10 different vegetables in this soup, much of it pulled at the end of the growing season, so I called it my 'Gleanings Soup'. I served Brushetta toasts with it. These are slices of bread that are brushed with olive oil and fresh garlic, broiled, then a layer of brushetta and cheese is added. Broil again.

This salad had a wild huckleberry dressing. I mixed balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar and olive oil together with pepper and garlic, then added a little huckleberry juice. It was so wonderfully light, with just a hint of sweetness. Finely chopped oregano seed-heads and flowers added additional flavor to the salad.

I experimented with a 'Kale-Leek Soup' for Sunday lunch. (no photo available, but this photo is similar; a rustic potato soup by Fishlamp).Hearty with a bit of sliced pork, flavored with collard greens, carrots and onions, yellow zucchini, white beans and lentils. Rather than add milk or cream to thicken it I blenderized some boiled potatoes.

Tomatoes in red wine vinegar, olive oil, and huckleberry juice.

Leeks and other veggies in a Tuscan Italian dressing.

My finely shredded arugula, which was the base for all the vegetable toppings. Arugula is an 'acquired taste', strong, almost bitter. It is so nutritious!

And, least I forget, this was the pizza I served at Taraz's party Friday night. Shredded phyllo dough on top, then sprayed with olive oil and baked. Only a little cheese topping is necessary with this phyllo topping. And, my huckleberry pie.

In my comments on the last post Jen wanted to know how to start up a zest for cooking, and I really had to admit that I just 'play', then take a photo! Of course there is a lot of work involved, and taking time to study a few cookbooks. But to attain a level of consecration that is necessary in serious undertakings I recommended that she rent the movie "Babette's Feast", a favorite of mine.

When my weekend was over and the friends were gone, I looked around my kitchen. It had been such a hub of activity, savory smells, and so much fun. Now it was dark and quiet, and I had only a few potatoes left that didn't get used. I lit this little candle, grateful that everything went well, that people were nourished and enriched in so many ways.

Huckleberry Pickin' at Joemma Beach

My son Taraz has his birthday today. Rahmat and I did some berry pickin' so I could bake him a pie.

I saw the berrries when George and I hiked the trails at Joemma Beach a week ago. We didn't stay to pick, but I sure hoped I could return, as this was a goal of mine to freeze huckleberries for the winter.

We collected three gallons of huckleberries in about an hour.

Then when we got home I made Rahmat a stack of buttermilk pancakes. Sliced bananas, plum syrup, and the berries.

I've pulled all the tomatoes from my vines and brought them home to ripen. Rahmat mentioned the sweet pickle relish I used to make when the kids were young and asked if I'd make some more. Well, I sure had a lot of green tomatoes, so I made three pints using onion, yellow, red, and orange peppers, garlic and pickling spices.

These little eggplants were hiding under big leaves in the garden. They're too little to cook, but I enjoy looking at them in a dish on my stove.

I've got two dehydrators going. The small one on the right is mine, and the other one belongs to my friend Sandy. I'm making prunes from my plums and drying mint and oregano. They are good little gadgets. I'm hoping to dry tomatoes next.

My three sons are going up to Mt Rainier today for a hike, and invited me to join them. But I have too much yet to finish up in my garden. I told them I'd have a meal ready for them when they finish their hike - and we'll slice that huckleberry pie for dessert.

Fall Harvest: Let The Good Times Roll

I pulled the last of my sweet peas on Friday and hope to chop up the vines today. Then I'll turn the organic material into the soil, digging it deeply so it can decompose throughout the winter.

Most of the garden plots over at Franklin Park are being stripped of produce - pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, late corn. Everything has to be leveled by October 1st, and all stakes, boards, trellises etc have to be removed.

So, I've been shredding plants as I pull the vegetables, then leveling the berm. I still have much to do, and will probably pull my remaining tomato vines at the end of this week. I hope to dry them for recipes that call for 'sun-dried tomatoes'.

I'm drying some of these plums in a dehydrator, for prunes, but will give the bulk of them to the food bank.

I pulled all of my basil, and made pesto sauce using fresh grated parmesan, sesame and olive oil, ground almonds, pecans, walnuts, and peanuts, and a minute amount of sugar to bring out the sweetness of the basil. The color of this fresh basil is preserved by using Fruit Fresh. I do not can pesto as the parmesan cheese would become compromised; I've read that it can be frozen in ice cube trays for individual uses.

Hot peppers from my garden.

Hot Pepper Polenta Chipolte Soup using many of my garden vegetables. The base is chicken broth and corn chipolte, with fried chipolte sausage and drippings on the top. I also fried the polenta chucks in the drippings.

I'm finding huge surprise zucchinis in my garden. I just groan when I see them as they explain why some of the 'little fellas' on the vine just failed to get big. But, I use everything. Zucchini Bread with a caramelized pineapple/cranberry, pecan topping.

We hosted another 'Intensive Phase of Growth' in our home over the weekend, so as I was working production in my kitchen the Baha'is were doing a little planting-harvesting of their own, visiting many of our neighbors in Hilltop, building friendships. About 25 of the Baha'is went out, but some remained here praying together and offering all kinds of assistance or support. I'll always remember the spirit in my house those two days - people coming and going, food being brought in for meals, children out in the backyard playing, giggles and laughter coming from all the rooms.

While I chopped vegetables or diced fruit for syrup, people gathered around to chat. Everyone (especially the youth) were interested in the procedures, such as this sieve that I use for making my plum syrup.

This is pasta sauce, made from tomatoes, finely chopped celery, carrot, kale, golden beets, sauteed onion and garlic, leeks, fresh basil, oregano and parsley. A drop of Thai beef paste for salt, Mandarin oranges for sugar, and a little Merlot to enhance all the flavors, then it is simmered for three hours with frequent stirring.

We've got a gorgeous sunny day today, so I'm going to put plums in the dehydrator and get out for my jog...this is something I've not been able to fit in for several weeks now and I can tell the difference when I put this off. I count my blessings for my good harvest, for the wonderful friends who shared stories in my home over the weekend, and for these last few days of sunshine in the Pacific Northwest.

Production: Oriental Plum Sauce

Yesterday I made my own Oriental Plum Sauce using the basics of this recipe, plus a few additions of my own. This type of sauce is a specialty at the market, and so costly that I've hesitated buying it.

I mixed the cooked, chopped plums with cider, brown sugar, sesame oil, onion and garlic. Then I added shredded fresh ginger, ground mustard, salt, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, chile sauce, and lemon juice. A portion of the sauce was put in the blender to create a thick sauce perfect for basting as well as marinading. I figure I've got at least a year's worth here...ready for barbecued ribs and chicken.

I had to laugh when our friends arrived for dinner last night. When they entered the house they smelled this marinade and thought they were getting barbecue. Walter gasped with anticipation, saying the house smelled so good. But, I had to apologize, saying I'd just finished capping the last of my plum sauce. Then I pulled out my kettle of mixed-bean soup and some warm Como bread. What a let-down, I'm sure!

Walter gave me this painting, saying that a conversation he and I had out in the backyard inspired him to paint it. He said we talked about my home and garden, my grand-daughter Daisy, and the beauty of central Washington. He captured all of that in the painting. But, I saw all the careful stones and flowers along the walkway leading out to the prairie, and I thought, 'yup. That lady likes all her ducks in a row'.

First Batch: Bruschetta Sauce

Making bruschetta for garlic toast is going very well - this batch yesterday, and another 9 jars today, bringing the total so far to 18 jars. I've figured we'll use at least a jar a week, so I plan to prepare several more batches. I'm just waiting for the fruit to mature out in the garden.

While I was raising my kids I prepared my own spaghetti sauce, some years I was able to produce over 50 quarts. But we hardly ever eat pasta anymore, so I now serve bruschetta on garlic bread, topped with feta cheese.

It is time consuming to clean and prepare all the tomatoes, cutting out the odd parts. (Tomatoes from the garden have more irregularity and imperfections.) Once all of it is chopped and put in a non-reactive kettle (ceramic), I add balsamic vinegar, a lot of olive oil, sauteed onion and garlic, parsley, basil, oregano and hot peppers from my garden, and a little beef bullion granules in place of salt. All of this is simmered together; then I add pepper, tumeric, cumin, garam masala and frozen Mandarin orange concentrate. The garam masala, a spicy blend of spices in east-Indian cuisine, provides a thickening agent that soaks up some of the tomato juice. The orange juice provides sweetening if that is needed.

Every batch that I make has different uses. The batch I made today will be used in Tagine and east-Indian stews as a flavorful base for other ingredients. I blenderized 1/3 of the batch to make it thicker. Now, it is a matter of carefully labeling each batch, so I will know the bruschetta from the Tagine Sauce.

While the next batch of tomatoes ripen, I'm hoping to process some of our plums, to make a Plum Sauce for barbecuing. It will have Worcestershire sauce, fresh ginger, prepared mustard, soy sauce, chili sauce, lemon concentrate, chopped garlic and onions, and olive oil. This sauce will work well with barbecued spareribs or chicken.

Low Tide at Joemma Beach

We portaged the canoe down this public beach, and enjoyed a 2 1/2 hour paddle on Sunday. It was gorgeous out, a warm 80 degrees with cool breezes on the water.

This net of embedded pots contains geoducks, the worlds largest burrowing clam. They are found here in Puget Sound buried two to three feet deep in mud, sand, or gravel, and can live over a hundred and fifty years. Some goeducks have attained seven pounds in weight, and most reach their maximum weight in about 15 years.

I packed a picnic lunch, and we enjoyed that on the beach. When we got back to the campground at Joemma Beach we hiked some of the trails. I was astounded to find abundant huckleberries in profusion! We didn't have any plastic bags, so ate them as we walked along the trail. Now, in the years ahead, I'll know to drive to this little park to collect berries. It is about 30 minutes from home.

I'm swamped right now, picking plums and making plum sauce for the tagine and the barbecue, then canning it. Last year I made syrup and fruit leather for hiking, and gave two boxes of plums to the food bank.

I've harvested about half of my tomatoes, and will be making brushetta sauce for garlic toast over the next few days. That too I'lI process so I have plenty for winter. This is such a labor-intensive process, with making the sauces and cleaning jars, sterilizing, etc. I'm always relieved when it is over, and all the jars line a shelf in my pantry.

I harvested half of my golden beets, mixed them with some of George's red beets, and built this salad. It is sure interesting when beets are mixed with onions, with the colors bleeding into one another. I used a simple red-wine vinegar and olive oil for the dressing.

Our Baha'i Family - Feast of 'Izzat

Had I taken my camera to Feast the other night I would have gotten this shot of our Baha'i community. But Marc (second from the right in the lower half of this photo) snapped it, just as all of us were preparing to leave after our gathering.

It was a wonderful feast, with music and prayers, fellowship and food. Our hostess, Therese (pictured on the left side of me) adds special touches to enhance the evening, like the fragrance of roses, and a beautiful song called "Lord of the Mountain" which I really enjoyed. It resonated with a lot of images in nature which I appreciate.

Yes, George played some of his own music, too. And, we had a chance to catch up with friend Marc, from China, and his new wife Farnoosh (pictured lower right hand corner). They were passing through Tacoma on their honeymoon, visiting his brother Peter, a physician here. Farnoosh and I started discussing healthy recipes, and I was so pleased that the three of them came over to dinner yesterday.

Our friend Walter came for dinner also (pictured on my right) and old friend Jamie. At Feast we'd told the friends that Jamie's house just burned down this week, and Farnoosh immediately asked if they could contact him, to help him in some way. She was ready to roll up her sleeves and start shoveling ashes and debris. Her interest in him was so genuine, that when we all settled down to dinner, she pressed for something she could do to help him. Jamie and his family are handling all of this quite well, although it is a very difficult time.

Jamie is a photographer, so part of the evening we went through some of his Flickr photos, a slide show. Had he not put them here on Flickr, many of his photos would have been lost in the fire. Family photos, artistic work, and early Tacoma and Seattle photos were saved due to storage at Flickr.

I spent the early morning yesterday preparing our dinner. Green beans with roasted vegetables from my garden, chipotle soup with brushetta on garlic toast, and cherry cheesecake pie. All of these were great recipes that could be prepared in advance, which is what I needed as I had an afternoon Study Circle right before dinner. That meant that the bulk of my cooking had to be done ahead of time. At the last minute I spread on the brushetta and feta on the garlic bread, cooked the green-beans, and applied the cherry/raspberry/blueberry topping to the pie right before serving.

George has grown abundant green beans this summer, so I roasted them with large chunks of carrots, onions, zucchini and potatoes from my garden. Then, I briefly stir-fried tiny minced onion, carrot, yellow pepper, red onion, and green and yellow zucchini to crumble over the beans at the last minute, as a garnish. I made my own breadcrumbs, toasting them with olive oil and Italian spices, then rolling the roasted vegetables in them. While roasting the vegetables, I spray them with olive oil. This gives them a wonderful sheen and helps to get them crispier.

The chipotle soup was foremostly a corn chowder, with garlic, onion, leeks, carrot, potato and herbs from my garden. At the end I chopped a couple of hot peppers to add the punch, then removed them, as my soup was going to simmer on the stove for several hours until the meal was served. I didn't want the punch to overwhelm the flavors of the soup.

This cherry cheesecake pie is one of my favorites, with a moderately sweet filling and fresh raspberries and blueberries added to the cherry pie filling. It is so easy to make.

I had to laugh, though. I was so swamped all day yesterday that I forgot to take my visor off from my early morning jog, and I wore it all evening until I discovered that I still had it on!

Exploring the Winchester Wasteway

We spent the weekend canoeing the Winchester Wasteway in central Washington.

This is a series of water courses, potholes and irrigation channels created by Coolee Dam. The Coolee Corridor Scenic Byway is a shrub-stepped sagebrush plain with talus slopes, sand dunes, and basalt cliffs. Much of the semi-arid desert is now irrigated also by water from the Columbia River. Banks Lake (where our three sons were camped on the weekend) and the Columbia Wildlife Refuge are part of this area.

We loaded up our van Friday night so we could get away early on Saturday morning, leaving plenty of time to explore the remote areas along the wasteway. Since this is primarily hunting and fishing country, most of the roads offer camping spots along the various water-courses. Natural seepage lakes in the pothole area also offer canoeing and camping, although portaging and primitive conditions can make it more difficult.

We enjoyed hiking through sagebrush hills, out onto the prairie, following coyote trails.

We scouted a number of sites before we found this cheerful little glade. This time of year the campsites have seen a season's worth of vacationers and recreationists, some of which have no regard for how they leave the area so we had to clean up our camp before we pitched our tent. Before we left, I took a big garbage bag and picked up all the litter in all three campsites at our location, and cleaned out the restroom. This may seem an extreme measure, but I learned to do it watching my son Rue, who 'prepares' a site with these measures if it is dirty. First thing, he'll clean the outhouse, if there is one.

George enjoyed reading while I set up my cook-station.

My 'country kitchen' was under a tree, near the wonderful sound of water. I sliced up cantalope and strawberries, made hummus, fried some pita bread in olive oil and coarse ground pepper, and tossed the avocado salad with red wine vinegar and olive oil.

I served zucchini bread with yogurt and honey...a pleasant lunch before we headed out on the water.

We enjoyed canoeing the Wasteway, getting out from time to time to walk along the water, up onto sand dunes where we could see the sprawl of open country. Some parts of the Winchester Wasteway were burned-out, so not a shred of vitality remained. The shrubs, the Russian olive trees, the sagebrush - all of it blackened and ragged. Whether from lightning or from human carelessness, it sure looked uninviting. We avoided staying in those areas.

I pulled several dark seeds out of this Milkweed pod, and they burst outward like an emergency parachute then drifted away.

It got chilly almost as soon as the sun went down, so we built a little fire in the grill, using small pieces of wood. I couldn't see well enough to cook, so we warmed up some left-over baby back ribs, finished the salad, and made hot cocoa. That little fire, where I could warm my hands, was one of the things I enjoyed most about this trip! We pulled the flaps back over the top of the tent, so that we could gaze at the Milky Way at night, and crawled into bed. Coyotes barked and howled, calling to one another. The creek trickled nearby. Absolute comfort and peace!

We grilled fish and corn the next day, and I made pancakes for breakfast...but, we were so hungry I forgot to take photos. Also, early morning, it is just so cold that you don't bother with extras - you eat the food quickly before it cools down. We secured our camp and went for a long late-morning hike through the sand hills. It was gorgeous out!

Before we broke camp the next day, I picked this little bouquet of miniature sweet-peas and seed pods. Using a band-aid, I wrapped the strands together, then secured it to the branches of a tree. It was my parting gesture to a sweet little spot...which I hope will be clean should we ever return again.

An Upgrade: REI Backpacks

When I was hiking over in Montana a few weeks ago I wore an old backpack that I've been using for 20 years. Took it to work for 10 years, rode my bike wearing it, canoed with it stashed in a bin, stashed my camera in it.... had I used it earlier, it could have been a diaper bag! It was just so versatile, so com- fortable and durable. However, it is small, and I found on my hikes that it couldn't carry a lunch, a camera, water, and extra essential clothing. I had to carry some of that, or put it in someone else's pack. I also carried a fanny pack, so I could rest the backpack on it, putting most of the weight on my hips rather than on my shoulders.

On those trips I learned I had to keep my hands free, to either use poles or to get better grips as I was side-stepping along rocky walls. It was obvious that I'd gotten 'my money's worth' on my little pack and that it was now time for something more substantial. So, I checked out the day packs at REI and was fitted with this pack, a Jet ultra-light, with hip straps to hold the weight, and chest straps to secure the pack on my back. It's got a bungee system to hold extras, straps to hold poles, polyurethane coating for weather resistance, and two toggles inside to hold a portable water reservoir.

It took about three different styles to get a type of pack that gave the kind of weight distribution that I wanted - even, and light. The clerk at REI initially fitted me with a heavier type, and when he put the weights inside - about 10 pounds - I toppled backward, hardly able to sustain the weight! That was one-tenth of my weight. He laughed at me, and knew he had a puny little gal here who could never be a rugged out-door back-country enthusiast. Someone who could carry a tent, portable cookware, sleeping bag, poles and food... Just room for a few meals and a change of clothing, a thermos of coffee and a bottle of water is about all I can carry.

I wore it on our hike on Pinnacle Ridge, and found it to work just great. However, I still wore my fanny pack below it. I've just gotten so used to all the essentials being in that little pack. I always take it, even when I just go jogging. And, this new pack with all its ties and straps just can't be instantly opened like a little fanny pack. The water resistant top hood keeps everything covered and dry...and unavailable until you really need something.

George saw the pack and wanted one too. So, I'm hoping to get him something on sale at REI, like this High Sierra Explorer, a $160 pack for $79.93. It is a little roomier than mine, has a removable media pocket on a shoulder strap that allows easy access to his gadgets. This pack can carry more of the emergency items that are necessary - first aid kit, hand and foot warmers, thermal tinfoil blanket, trail lights (a flashlight that has a red beam on one end and a flashlight on the other), plastic bags that can be used as shelter, and more food or clothing, if necessary.

When I was hiking with my sister and her husband, they told stories about mishaps while hiking, simple miss-steps or miss-judgments that caused accidents. When hiking with others one must submit to the person in charge of the climb, not go off alone or disregard the determined trail. Frank told the story of one of his climbing partners who led a climb that resulted in tragedy. An experienced climber veered off course, saying he wanted to check out a different route. As he maneuvered along a particularly narrow trail thousands of feet high an insect stung him, distracting him. He lost his balance and plummeted to his death.

While I may plan for any emergency that could possibly happen, carrying all the essentials, packing all the right food, getting back to camp before dark, I'm aware that even with all of my precautions I inevitably forget something. A rain poncho when you thought you'd have sunshine. A bandana or buff to keep your hair from blowing around. Gloves for climbing over rocks - some for you and some for that other person who forgot his.

Speaking of emergencies....do remember to tightly shut the doors to the van at night so that in the morning you do not have to recharge the battery. Yup. He had to take my car to work yesterday.

Fava Bean Stew With Eggplant and Moong Beans

I noticed chocolate spots on some of my fava bean pods which indicate several types of fungus are setting in - Botrytis cinerea and Botrytis fabae are two culprits that team up together this time of year if the weather has been cool. So, I picked the pods and removed the plants from the garden.

Fava beans are so pretty - huge beautiful pale green beans, with a black stripe down the back. (This is the bean in the folklore tale "Jack and the Bean-stock".) There is a thin grey membrane that has to be removed in addition to the outer pod, so shelling them can be time-consuming. I suggest doing this job sitting down, rather than at the sink (which is what I did, at the end of the day, which made me feel utterly exhausted!)

The fava bean originated in Africa and Asia, and became part of eastern Mediterranean cooking around 6,000 B.C. They are so easy to grow and are often used as a cover-crop in winter because the root nodules add nitrogen to the soil. Any clover plant will do the same, however, and they are much easier to turn-over in the spring.

It is very hard to find fresh favas at the market, or even frozen ones for that matter, so it is always a pleasure to cook with them. Most times, I must settle for butter beans or garbanzos. I used a Spanish recipe (Potaje de Chorizo y Garbanzos) to provide inspiration for the main ingredients for the Fava Bean Stew. Then I checked out a Moroccan sauce for a simmering broth. (I use Mandarin oranges and golden raisins for sweetener, rather than the honey.)

Since I had an eggplant, I coated that in breadcrumbs and baked it, and added a mound of Moong Beans on the side. The flavors of this meal were a heady mix of Moroccan harissa, corriander, cilantro, garlic and onion. Using fresh garden vegetables makes it very memorable! Recipes follow:

Fava Bean Stew
Heat olive oil in a large skillet and fry, in order: Onion, garlic, finely chopped yellow pepper, finely chopped red and green chiles.
Add two cups of liquid chicken broth, and a few granules of powdered beef bullion (for the salt).
Add garden vegetables: Finely chopped celery, carrots, green beans, and a little finely sliced kale.
Add the fava beans - about 1 1/2 cups. Don't overwhelm this stew with too many.
Add chorizo, finely crumbled, or Moroccan harissa, or Thai curry paste - all will give that wonderful punch to the broth.
Add coriander, tumeric, cinnamon, paprika, and fresh-ground pepper blend.
As this simmers add golden raisens or currants, finely chopped parsley, and fresh-sliced tomatoes (remove all seeds).
Just moments before serving add Mandarin orange juice, for zest and sweetening. (I buy these by the box-load when they are on sale, puree them up skins and all, then freeze them.)

Eggplant Parmesan
Dip sliced eggplant in beaten egg, then into a mixture of cornmeal, breadcrumbs and Mrs. Dash.
Place them on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil, and bake for 15-20 minutes on one side. Turn over, sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese, and bake for another 15 minutes on the other side.

Moong Beans
Cook the beans in chicken broth, adding finely chopped carrot, celery, green zucchini, onion and parsley. Simmer gently for about a half hour until all the moisture is gone, adding finely chopped red onion and cilantro at the end. I sprinkle a little 'Bragg Liguid Aminos' to flavor the moong; from soybeans and vegetable protein, it is like soy sauce or tamari, salty.

When I served this meal, George asked, "Why did you use Moong beans? They are so unusual." Well, they were easier to find in my pantry. Right there, middle shelf, in a big bag. I'd inadvertently placed the couscous (which goes with this meal) on my top shelf, where I just didn't notice it. The meal turned out to have a surprise element, definitely noticed and appreciated. I had to laugh, as he served up a second helping.

Today's projects: Straighten the pantry, dig up my hot pepper plants and bring them inside to ripen, and organize the camping gear. We're headin' over to eastern Washington for one final camping trip - 80 degree temps and full sun.