Bread and Beans Night

The aromatic base sautee

     onions

     fennel

     raisins

     parsley

     carrots

     olive oil, salt and pepper

Bread and Beans night

     basic aromatic sautee, above

     cooked brown and black beans

     tomato paste or sauce

     additional water

     one small spoon of honey

     African curry spice

     
Hi Winnie and Steve,

It is almost a new year.  I don't recall that we ever literally spent New Years Eve together -- I wish we had.  Now, 2009 is just a few days off.  Most times, we just stay at home for a quiet evening.  Tonight we had a casual gathering in the barn for what is starting to be called "Bread and Beans Night."  We've done this several times now.  It started because of bread baking days when several people were around the ranch.  In the summer, I would bake bread and have enough to deliver a few loaves to neighbors.  But in the winter, it is already dark by the time the bread is out of the oven and a bit cooled.  I never feel like getting in the car after dark to deliver bread.  So, I thought with extra people around and extra bread around, I could make a pot of beans and fill up those of us who wanted to settle in for a casual meal.  It most often is the young organic farmers, family and friends -- some combination thereof.

I tell you, beans sure seem to be on our menu a lot these days -- I'm probably getting in a rut.  I keep delaying trips to go grocery shopping in Santa Cruz -- squeezing every last possibility out of the dried beans from Phipps Ranch.  This is so convenient as Phipps is quite close by.  As I mentioned before, my garden greens are dwindling so quickly I am going to have to start buying greens and vegetables once again at farmer's market.  I need to plant three or four times as much winter greens next August or September in order to stay afloat with the produce from my own garden through a winter.

The winter light was so beautiful today.  Six mallards are now living on the pond.  A Great Blue Heron also is coming around the pond.  The coyotes are coming in quite close.  The bobcats look fat and happy this winter.  With all the economic woes, nature seems like the most abundant and awesome gift imaginable.

Thinking of you.  Donna