Huckleberries

We gathered a little over a gallon of good berries, once cleaned and sorted. I'll use these primarily for huckleberry salad dressing. Blend olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and a pinch of sugar or blue agave syrup. The sweet/tart contrast on raw late-season greens is refreshing (if you like strong flavors). Great on shredded kale salad - something I eat all winter if my garden survives the frost.

Nice on waffles and pancakes, too...

Tomato Salsa

I'm still canning salsa, and hope to finish about 6 quarts. These are packed raw and processed only 10 minutes so the salsa stays crisp. I store them in the refrigerator as a precaution.

Spring Birthdays ~ Autumn Birthdays

About a decade ago I decided to celebrate birthdays only twice a year, with spring birthdays in May and autumn birthdays in September. There are so many, I cannot remember all of them most of the time: Around 7 in the spring, and at least 3 in autumn. I never remember them, even forgetting my own...and if I forget my own I also forget my twin sister's birthday. So, family reunions to celebrate everyone's birthday at one time is the way I handle it.

Rue is pictured here with his little son Daniel. They look so much alike! Annie went through some of our old photo albums to see how Rue looked when he was Daniel's age...those babies could have been twins.

Matt and Ruhiyyih drove over (to finish wedding planning at the church), and Annie's parents came, Taraz and Rahmat, Daisy.

We had a pot-luck; I made a big kettle of vegetable soup and a tomato-red onion salad...everything from the garden: Turnips, carrots, tomatoes, red and walla walla onions, scallions, potatoes, celery, kale, chard, brussel sprout leaves, parsley, oregano, yellow zucchini and a green bean or two.

Annie made a huckleberry pie from huckleberries on her parent's property. When we talked, she said that the berries were in abundance, so George and I went berry-picking early Sunday morning to get a year's supply - about a gallon of sorted berries. They are used primarily for salad dressing (with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and garlic), and I keep them frozen until it is time to use them. They have a bitter-sweet essence which partners up wonderfully with thin-sliced kale and other autumn greens, red onions and tomatoes.

This is a beet salad that I made yesterday - beets, red onions, walnuts,sweet orange segments, with a dressing of balsamic, olive oil, and salt. I made a big container, for George's salads throughout the week. It keeps well.

I've pickled some of our green beans, to add to kidney beans and garbanzos for 3 bean salad. George likes that kind, occasionally. I also canned regular romano beans, for casseroles.

This apple pie was actually prepared for one of our Devotional Meetings one afternoon, but Taraz saw it and begged for a slice.

At first I wanted to say 'no', it is for a meeting. Then I looked at his face. I knew his mouth was set for pie...and I cut him a small slice, just some little taste-thrill. Maybe I'd still have enough for our gathering.

Well, that was one big mistake. He shoveled that pie into his mouth so fast, like he was starving. Then, he sat there, like he was dumbfounded or something and looked at me.

"Mom. Could I have just one more piece?"

I looked at what was left after I cut him a second slice, and decided I'd join him. What the heck, lets have pie! I ate a small sliver.

Darn, if that wasn't SO GOOD! All warm out of the oven, and sticky apple-syrup bubbling over onto the crust. Now I know why he asked for more! I cut myself a second slice and looked at Taraz while we ate that pie together. We were just dying in bliss and gratitude.

But now almost HALF a PIE was gone, and I had nothing to serve at our gathering that night. I figured "well, maybe only Walter will show up, and he could have pie". It is amazing how one will legitimize pigging out when sugar is involved.

Ten guests arrived. Three of them diabetic, another on dialysis, one just suffered a heart attack, another has suffered a stroke...I served only weak decaffenated green tea, without sugar, and no pie.

Of Little Angels and Unicorns

I took 5 photos of this little girl at the family reunion up in Canada. She wouldn't smile...until a unicorn came to play.

Family Reunion in British Columbia

We've returned from 5 days in British Columbia, where we attended a family reunion. George's brother Dick stayed with us for a few days before we headed up to Vancouver.

George has posted over 300 photos of the trip in our Flickr account, and about 25 videos.

I'll just list the highlights here:
Our day at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, featuring native Haida totems.
The paddle-boat cruise, with lunch, on the Frasier River.
Watching the mountain- bikers at Whistler, where the 2010 winter Olympics will be held.
A local fish hatchery, with the salmon run.
Hiking up to a waterfall, and of course, all the great food of the Pacific Northwest.

At the Museum I bought "Campfire Cuisine ` gourmet recipes for the great outdoors" by Robin Donovan...this book features many of the types of meals we prefer when we camp! It even has the same spices, oils, and...polenta! There are directions for cooking, whether over a grill or fire, and how to pack the coolers for optimum cooling.

I took along several books to read in the car, since I can't visually 'track' moving images anymore: "Breadline USA - the hidden scandal of American hunger and how to fix it" by Sasha Abramsky; and "Wild ~ stories of survival from the world's most dangerous places" by Clint Willis, editor. It features the writing of a variety of authors, including Barry Lopez, Wilfred Thesiger, Bill Bryson, Jack London, etc.

When we got home George told me that he had to cancel the repairs to his old Dodge Caravan, necessary emission repairs. It would have been about $3,000 to upgrade that old 1993 motor (once rebuilt). Just not worth it, for a car that isn't even worth $300.

My car is a 96 Pontiac, with bungee cords holding the trunk down and clear plastic packing tape holding the glove compartment door shut. George taped it closed, making an enormous mistake - he taped the airbag compartment too! I could just see the whole unit, airbag and glove compartment, flying into someone's face if it all went off. So, he found a ragged tool to cut the airbag compartment loose...and, bygolly, now my car looks just like something George would drive.

I left the van in the parking lot at Precision Automotive, with all of the motor parts in boxes in the back seat. What a horrible last image, of a van that we loved so much! It was towed away today by Paralyzed Veterans of America, Northwest Chapter. I told them, "You can't miss it - it has about 25 wildlife stickers on it." That van spent many a night under the stars in the deserts of eastern Washington.

When I cleaned out the drawer under the passenger seat I found an old espresso cup, one of Taraz's cereal bowls (he'd been looking for it), and plum pits. A most revolting reminder that 'out of sight, out of mind'...

Speaking of driving, I bumped into a car as I was pulling out of the parking lot over at the Franklin Park Community Gardens. The owner, Lily, a pediatrition here in town, had parked her old garden van perpendicular to mine. I figured if I inched around I could wiesel my car out. I closed one eye and tried to figure it out. It is moments like this where double vision is just horrible - I have no depth perception. So I drove very slow.

I heard a thud and a scrape, and darn if I didn't bump into her. Well, I was just devastated! I ran back into the garden where Lily was working and told her I'd rammed into her car. She said, "Oh don't worry about it, Bonita. That is just an old van I use for gardening."

But, I needed to show her the big 4 inch dent along a wheel rim, so we walked out to the parking lot. We walked over to her van, and I pointed to a huge dent along the wheel rim. Lily laughed and gave me a hug. "Bonita! That dent has been there for four years. YOU didn't do THAT!" She laughed, and indicated that no damage had been done.

Well, I've forfeited my driving for awhile. I've started a walking route, to the garden, the grocery store, the dentist and doctor. By combining errands, I can get my cauliflower at Fred Meyers and walk up 19th street to my garden to pick kale and onions. Not bad, about an hour's excursion, a perfect daily walk with some of it on a steep hill... just what I'd been looking for.

I'm still canning produce, about 15 more jars of spaghetti sauce, green beans and pickled beets. I'll be making a zucchini cake today and some Portuguese kale soup.

Fall Production: First Batch

I went to the garden on the weekend to pull a lot of my vegetables. Rain was predicted, so I worked on fall production - roasted tomato-garlic slices and pasta sauce.

I processed the sauce two jars at a time in a tall kettle. That way, I kept the project manageable...no heavy lifting.

This year we are going to take most of our plums to the food bank, or give them away to friends. I still have enough good syrup from last year to last another year - even with my kids snatching a jar or two. However, I'll still make one batch, just to see the color and experience the incredible taste of fresh syrup.

The Baha'is had a wonderful Arts Institute at Brighton Creek; George played music and camped for three days - in the rain. Taraz and Rahmat brought friends and had a good time.

But, I stayed home in my warm kitchen, 'putting food by' as the early settlers would say. A quiet house, being alone for the weekend, allowed me some solitude. I cooked, read survival books (more on that later), and enjoyed listening to Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" while I puttered with my projects.

Bourdain says that eating, for him, is an act of submission, not a process of 'controling' diet and paying attention to healthy food habits.

I like an attitude of experimenting and being open to new ideas, new combinations, like fusion cooking. Some of the most exquisite flavors come from the unexpected blending of cuisines. My only rule is "use olive oil"; it is good for you. And, take time to really savor the richness of what is offered, especially since you grew it yourself.

These tomatoes are completely ripe, an unusual type given to me by a Ukranian woman at Franklin Park Garden Community.

For George's lunches:

Zucchini Boats - everyone who has huge squash do these boats. These are filled with vegetables, cooked red wheat-berries, onion and garlic, and a parmesan and shredded potato topping.

Green-beans with orange/coriander sauce. Sorry, George, those beans were over-cooked.

Spanish potatoes are cooked then fried in olive oil; seasoned with deep red paprika, crushed cayenne, coarse salt and pepper.

OK. Survival books. Like "Deep Survival - Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why" by Laurence Gonzales. And, "Bear Attacks - Their Causes and Avoidance". The data on that last one proves what I've always figured: You can do everything right and still get chewed up by a bear! (This was not a great book to read right before going to bed. I was so unsettled I had to leave the light on in the den all night. )

Gonzales's book is very good - he describes various accidents and what went wrong, explaining the science behind survival, the psychological and neurological impulses that motivate our actions. All survivors go through similar psychological transformations and have the same spiritual journey, experiencing fear and hope, reason and emotion, despair and correct action. Surprising outcomes occur, beyond reason and logic.

He writes: "We think we believe what we know, but we only truly believe what we feel".

Cuban Black Bean Soup and Zucchini Bread

Cuban Black Bean Soup is wonderful for an autumn lunch ~ add a little chorizo sausage, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and a spice blend of red cayenne, deep red paprika, and some pepper blends. I added some dried plums from the back yard; they add just a touch of sweetness Home-made Naan is a nice dipping bread.

I used some home-made yogurt in these zucchini bars. Topping is pecans, cranberries and currants, and shredded zucchini.

Polenta Casserole ~ A Camping Favorite

This casserole is a family favorite, and has the distinct reputation as "the meal Mom had to throw out" when camping at Lake Wenatchee. I fried the polenta, the sausage and egg, added the stewed tomatoes and seasonings, then served it. Ruhiyyih came running back to me shouting that soap was in the breakfast! I'd fried the polenta in Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid! My olive oil and soap were in similar jars...a mistake I'll never make again!

This weekend I made Polenta Casserole, using oven-roasted tomato slices that were sprayed with olive oil and seasoned with fresh oregano and pepper blends.

I've been roasting a tray of plum tomatoes every day.

Tomato-cream cheese sandwich. Oven-roasted tomatoes from the garden, and home-made farmer's cheese.

Coffee Break: Cappucchino

To understand the true addictive nature of caffeine all one has to do is observe me: While learning how to make a perfect froth for a cappuccino I'm reading "The Caffeine Book ~ A User's and Abuser's Guide" by Frances Sheridan Goulart, and "Caffeine ~ The Most Popular Stimulant" by Richard J. Gilbert, Ph.D.

Lemon Tea Cake from "Simply Whidbey"

I enjoy reading cookbooks. While browsing second-hand books I found "Simply Whidbey" by Laura Moore and Deborah Skinner. It is an interesting cookbook that includes recipes gathered from local innkeepers, cooks, and island residents of Whidbey Isand, Washington.

Whidbey Island is beautiful ~ rolling farmlands in the north and heavily timbered forests in the south, dotted with communities like Oak Harbor, Penn Cove and Coupeville.

The ladies collected recipes featuring salmon pate, smoked salmon, salmon antipasto and entrees for the Lazy Day Picnic at Concerts on the Cove in Coupeville. "Red Beans and Rice" was featured at a Dixieland Jazz Festival.There is Dungeness Crab with Butters and Lemon Mayonnaise Sauce, Stuffed Olympic Oysters...and Tutmas Armenian Yogurt Soup (now, that one sounds like Mediterranean fare, my favorite! I know just the bread that would go well with it.)

However, I stopped browsing when I found Beach House Lemon Tea Bread. It looked so refreshing and light. I had to try it.

Simple Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter or oil

1 cup sugar

3 Tbs lemon extract

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 sts salt

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 Tbs grated lemon rind

(1/2 cup chopped pecans optional)

I placed the batter in a small bundt pan, sprayed with olive oil.Then baked the cake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. I made a lemon glaze, and drizzled it over the top.

Toppings and accompaniments can vary ~ can be used as a shortcake, with strawberries, and other fruits. I always like a spoonful of fresh plain yogurt and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Dried Zucchini and Sun-dried Tomatoes