Wordless Wednesday

Black Raspberries

I plunked down on a rock next to the trail and like a bear in a berry patch, started wolfing sun warmed ripe black raspberries. My sister had called last week to tell me she'd picked enough black raspberries for a pie. I couldn't even remember the last time I had them. The wild raspberries here are all red, I told her. Sissy, I lied. Apparently we do have them, though we definitely do not have blackberries, my personal favorite. I wonder why...? Anywho, I spied these while hiking. Couldn't let them go to waste. They really are better than red raspberrries. But there was not enough for a pie.

Wordless Wednesday-Anticipation

Red, White and Blue Potato Salad

Ok. It was one of those impulse buys that I am trying not to do these days. But there was a 1.5 pound bag of new potatoes in red. blue and yellow (not white). I hefted it in my hand, remembering a recipe from a Bon Appetit for Red, White and Blue Potato Salad. The little bag of tri-colored root vegetables went into the cart.

After browsing over 10 years worth of the magazine stashed in my hall closet (I really need to figure out what to do with them.) I found it. It is in the June 2003 issue, page 124 if you have it. I didn't really follow the recipe (because I rarely do). Here is my take on it.

2 cups of low fat Mayo
1 good-sized hand full of chives (fresh from the garden, flower buds attached) chopped
Caper juice from 1 jar of capers
2 T of capers
salt to taste
a few grinds of multi-colored pepper

Mix it all together. I thinned it out with a little (2T) powered buttermilk (I keep it in the freezer, not like the real stuff, but it will do in a pinch) and water.

Boil the unpeeled potatoes in salted water. I cut them in half and threw them all in the pot. The recipe says to boil them all in separate pots. (Maybe because of color bleed? That didn't happen to me. ) Drain them with they are fork-tender. Throw on a few T of white wine vinegar while the potatoes are still hot. (dry white wine works too) I spooned a few tablespoons of dressing on the warm potatoes. Don't forget to add onion. I would have used red but all I had in the house was white.

The recipe for the dressing is for 2 pounds of each color (6 pounds. yikes. I had 1.5 pounds. No, I did not read the whole recipe before I started the process.) So I have extra dressing sitting in a jar in the fridge. Darn. I guess I'll have to get more potatoes.

I made this on a lark and took it for a birding outing gourmet picnic lunch. Yum.

Wordless Wednesday

White on Red

I woke up this morning to a world transformed. Three inches of snow covered everything. Every twig on every branch on every tree wore a coat of white. The snow weighed down the trees, grasses and shrubs. It was heavy and wet. The red leaves of the maple were a startling contrast to a world made white. I don’t know if I have ever seen snow on autumn leaves.

This is the earliest it has snowed on the mountain in the 7 years I have lived here. If this is a harbinger of things to come, we are in for it!

Wordless Wednesday

"Leaflets 3, let it be."

Poison ivy turns the most beautiful color in the fall.

BYOB-Bring your Own Bag

Murmuring guest from the flatland


Last week in the flatland, we got two inches of rain in thirty-six hours.
The entire garden is doing the happy dance and the green beans have taken off.

Now, when I say green beans that is a generalization. My beans are green, purple, yellow, green with rose streaks and ivory with purple streaks. And, I am growing for the first time--yard-long beans. They seem to come in 2 colors, green and red. I am, of course, growing the most unusual kind. The red yard-long beans are not a yard long, but closer to 2 feet. I was disappointed in the beginning. I kept waiting for them to grow longer, and instead ended up with thick fat lumpy beans.

What was I thinking? What am I to do with them? It looks like one bean can feed a family of four. Kidding…but not by much. It is way too hot in the house to can them.

Coming in from the garden last night I noticed some of my neighbors sitting out on their porch, so over I went with bag-o-beans in hand. I was thoughtful enough to supply empty grocery bag for them to each fill with as many as they wanted. They only took a few.

I broke down and brought another plastic grocery bag stuffed full of beans to work. I shunned the zucchini traitors and just set the bag in the break room. Everyone could fend for them selves. They all know just by looking who brought the beans.

This is a bushel of beans. When they are cooked they keep their color. How fun is this. Want some? I got plenty.

Walk in the Woods

I spent some time in the woods this weekend in 2 different state parks. I saw some great birds, came home loaded with ticks, took some nice photos, chatted with several out-of-state visitors, gave directions twice, saw some sort of water snake, petted a few dogs, and generally had a great time. This is one of the photos I took. This wild columbine was growing out of a crevice of a rock. Pretty cool, huh?

Pigeon Blood

This color of depression glass was/is called pigeon blood. The color is truly amazing when the piece is held up to the light.