How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways…

The colder nights and milder days tip the autumnal scales and I find myself once again with the glorious dilemma of what to do with all the ripening apples on that very old delicious apple tree in the back corner of the garden. What a blessing! Charmingly, it is Ruby who is most appreciative of a simple ripe apple. Marsha, my dear friend and fellow Border Collie aficionado, rolls her eyes when she hears that I quarter each apple, peel it, and pop into Ruby’s grateful awaiting mouth. Apparently Stella and Cooper (Ruby’s brother!) will eat them off the ground.

Cooper with his red ball and Stella nosing apples

Uh. Not here. Ruby munches down, while Conner stands by trying to look interested, reluctantly nibbling on a bit, in order to feel part of the pack. (Usually I find the bits all slobbery on the floor later.)

One can only eat so many raw apples. I turn to the shed and pull out My Friend, the dehydrator. In all honesty I find the task of coring and peeling and meticulously slicing enough apples to warrant running a dehydrator for the many hours it takes to dry them rather tedious. I try to stay present and put my whole self into the work, finding that adding a backdrop of Chris Botti a reward in and of itself, smoothing out the task of making shorter work of a very large sink full of apples. Hours later I am gratified to pull a layer out from the dehydrator and I smile, knowing the appreciation that will come later, in the Eating Hours.

When at last they are all dry, I am cheered seeing them all in one big bowl!

I pack off a bunch in a gift box and mail down to Antonia. Good.

What’s next?

Conny rings and lets me know her brother has arrived from Germany. It is his first trip to America, surprisingly, and they are coming over for us to meet. Conveniently, they will arrive in time for lunch so I get to plan a menu. Now in full Apple Consciousness it occurs to me that a) Germans do like apples, or so I think and b) it’s been a very long time since I’ve made baked apples! So, baked apples are added to the menu for dessert. Yay!

Climb the ladder, pick some more.

I pull out the trusty corer. (If you do not have one invest immediately! They make the whole process so much easier!) And voila, apples ready.

Into those holes begging for something delicious I pack a mix of butter, sugar, cinnamon and golden raisins. I’m getting hungry just writing this.

I put a dab of butter on top of each stuffed apple and put in my 350 degree F. oven and bake for an hour. Perfect!

I can assure you that Conny and her brother were the happy recipients of this wonderful dessert! I think this is now my favorite thing to do with the apples. They were so delicious and easy I have since made them again (and bet it’s not the last time this season!).

I think the next task is to make applesauce. I do. I resolved that this year I would pay more attention to what was growing at hand and utilize it. I think it’s What’s Up for all of us, don’t you? I have the apples. I have the jars. I simply need to find the will and prioritize. Homemade applesauce in the dead of winter sounds very very good to me and very much in keeping with the times.

My cup runneth over.

Love and garden blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

Heartfelt footnote: My deepest thanks to all my peers on blotanical.com who honored me with their recognition of third place for Best Written Blog of ’08 and fourth place for Blog of the Year Award! Stunning!

Posted on September 27th, 2008 by Kathryn
Filed under: People at Life | 20 Comments »

You’ve all been there. One second the pumpkin is a teeny little unobtrusive juvenile and you turn your back and he’s a wild teenager scrambling up walls, under bushes, over sidewalks, into tomato cages and under the arugula. Lordie! It’s enough to give a mother a heart attack. Ha ha ha. Hee. Actually, truth be told I don’t think there’s a thing more fun to grow. As you can see in the photo at top my one and only (who needs more than one??) has made his way over into the Child’s Corner, built primarily for fairies and any other sundry critters who are so inclined to stopover. It’s always good to build these little respites for little sprites and other-worldly creatures. I’m sure you do same. Anyway, the pumpkin was drawn that way and is charmingly entwining itself twixt the chairs, the table and the chartreuse iron sculpture I incorporated last spring. (Dontchajustloveit?) From one sole pumpkin are extending five large long arms, each in a totally different direction. Thank goodness there is room for such shenanigans! Here’s another that has wound its way into the vege bed, through the chard and around a young red hollyhock. Enchanting, you must admit…

And resting comfortably under a rosemary bush, near a volunteer nasturtium, is this plump green one promising a lush harvest in October or November! Oh, I love it!

To be honest I don’t have a clue how many pumpkins this one plant has generated. I spent weeks in a state of frustration as in spite of an abundance of big yellow flowers not a single one was turning into fruit. I resorted to googling the condition and took heart when I read of someone having same problem. It was patiently explained that the male flowers [clue-straight stems] bore no actual fruit, but that often after the arms had extended out the precious female flowers would produce actual pumpkins. Who knew? In spite of having grown many kinds of pumpkins in the past I’d never actually learned that. So my hope got stoked and sure enough eventually the flower stems starting looking rounded and, well, pregnant! Whoopee! Since then that single pumpkin has gotten so complex and wild I have literally lost track of how many I might get this season, but I’m confident there will be enough for pies and jack-o-lanterns. The important stuff. Oh, yes, and pumpkin bread, for which I am known among a select circle and in a minute I am going to share my recipe with you!
Yes, I am. Meanwhile, here’s another promising charmer…

My (Native American) electrician’s wife is Hispanic. She visited my garden recently and encouraged me to eat the male flowers, which would have made that early period much more agreeable and productive, I must say. The Hispanics steam them and eat them with cheese, I do believe. If anyone has any solid recipes, please share. I need guidance. As attractive as eating flowers always sounds my aculturation dominates my actions and I hesitate on the brink of Trying Something New. Oh, boy. I’m sure they’re delicious. Help me get there.

Yummy flower–I’m sure it is.

And now for the good stuff.

Pumpkin Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″x5″ loaf pan. (I use butter.)

Whisk:

1 cup wholewheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg (use whole nutmeg!)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Combine in a cup:

1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (use the real thing)

In a large bowl, beat until creamy:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Gradually add to the butter:

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (or you can try 1/3 cup molasses)

Beat in two eggs.

Add and beat on low speed, just until blended:

1 cup pumpkin puree
[Note: ideally you’ve grown your own pumpkin which you’ve steamed and mashed.]

Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk mixture in two parts, mixing with a wooden spoon.

Fold in:

1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about one hour. It could be a teeny bit more. Allow to cool before cutting. Use a dollop of whipped cream for special holiday treat!

Embrace the beauty of Indian Summer and the ensuing harvest, my dears. As the Earth’s energies recede back into the Earth for renewal and regeneration, mysteries surface and abound.

Love and garden blessings,
Kathryn xxoox
Footnote: for exciting updates on the Scarf Initiative please scroll down!

Posted on September 12th, 2008 by Kathryn
Filed under: Plants | 28 Comments »