winter cooking

• Smoothies: bananas, spinach, kale, fruit, chard, almond milk, flaxseed, ice
• Savory zucchini bread with Moroccan spices
• Cabbage-fennel soup with roasted garlic chips
• Zucchini frittata with chilis
• Pumpkin-cauliflower soup
• White wine curry squash soup
• Raw kale salad with sesame dressing
• Mozzarella chard salad
• Red wine vinegar black bean dip

autumn glory: cider party

My man's been busy busy working 90, 100 hour weeks for crush this autumn.  Malbec, syrah, albariño, cabernet sauvignon, bolsa negra.   

So it was extra generous when he set me up in his Ranger (we traded cars for the weekend), carboys and growlers strapped down in the back, and sent me north to his village at the foot of the Cascades, even though he couldn't come.  What a delicious treat to help his family pick apples and join in pressing 50 gallons of cider! 

And to discuss the true story of Johnny Appleseed, the tearing out of cider orchards during prohibition, and the subsequent advent of wheat production and beer in our country, with a certain beloved hobby orchardist and father.  

Bringing back 20 gallons for the Winemaker to convert into hard cider felt small but purposeful, the way it feels to help pick or de-stem grapes.  I always knew I'd be with a farmer.  And I am so lucky.

Welcome Autumn

bring your abandoned orchard plum-picking evenings, 

your canyon runs southeast to Harris Park

show us the late and lingering blackberries before they crumple and wilt,

shriveled raisins on the vines

i love the hood of his ranger, his arms around me, our eyes on the glow to the west

as i love each stranger's invitation to pick Asian pears, 

or sitting beside him in the truck, windows down, back road wind & silence

welcome autumn, bring your long runs again,

your deep shadows on the Blues in the afternoons

Peter Bradley Adams & the rain, the rains returning

pressing coffee each morning before i bike to work

helping destem grapes at crush, for merlot, syrah, malbec

take your coming slowly, stay awhile

winter cooking

*Thai chard soup

*Roasted vegetables

*Roasted beet soup

*Sweet potato fries with garlic aioli

*Spicy hummus (my own soaked garbanzo beans!)

*Tilapia (chile/lime/cilantro) with asparagus

*Black beans from scratch, granola weekly, my own grown sprouts

*Purple cabbage/kale/chard/ginger scramble

Up next: Apricot-Almond-Dark Chocolate Biscotti!

ginger cabbage scramble

Taking some inspiration from this sister's beauty, I thought I'd share a recipe. Sort of makes me wish I could re-design this whole bloggin' space. Ah, if only I knew how to do things like that!

Well, here is the first; I threw it together last week, not knowing what to do with the rest of the purple cabbage in my fridge from making beet soup.

Use a little bit of olive oil in a pan and let it heat up. (I always use a paper towel so that the oil is minimal).

Cut two or three cloves of garlic, and onion if you have it.

Throw them in the pan.

Add purple cabbage. You could also add zucchini and or squash at this point.

Let cook for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, cut up chard and kale. Throw that in.

Now for salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ginger (root is better, but ground also works).

Stir scramble so everything is seasoned.

Optional: add an egg or egg white for protein. The yellow and green mix to form a brilliant shade of blue around the edges of cabbage.

Serve sprayed with Bragg's Liquid Aminos.

For breakfast or dinner, soooooooo good!