Signing Off

Fresh pears in late fall from the kitchen orchard

Arugula from the garden

Roasting vegetables -- one of my favorite preparations

I won't address this last blog posting to Steve and Winnie since my thoughts of them and internal dialogue with them will never really end.  When I started writing the blog last year, I said to myself, "Do this for one year or 52 times -- whichever comes first."  Well, here is the 52nd posting.  

When I started with the posts, I was looking for a way to express the many thoughts AND questions I had about the satisfactions of eating fresh organic food, trying to live simply, cooking at home, growing a garden, etc.  These reflections increasingly contributed to a growing lifestyle model that brought a richness of experience, a sense of self reliance and an opportunity for learning.  And perhaps most importantly as it has turned out over the year -- a way of living that strives to keep things simple and real when I can hardly understand the subprime mortgage crisis and why our greatest national satisfaction turned into shopping and buying things that most likely we cannot afford.  Anyway, it all seemed related and connected to me, and I had the desire to understand what brought the greatest satisfaction.

I don't really have new thoughts to add.  Not even sure who has read this beyond a few friends.  I never could figure out the "Comments" logistics, but would be happy to hear from anyone with a comment at dmricheson@mac.com.  

As far as food and health goes, no one puts it better or more simply than Michael Pollan on the cover of In Defense of Food.

Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.

If you think of the garden as a metaphor for life, no one puts it better than Alan Chadwick.

The garden makes the gardener.  (Not the other way around)

If you think of an overall philosophy about a deeply satisfying life, it is hard to beat William Coperthwaite in A Handmade Life.  He passes on this wonderful advice:

To require little is better capital than to earn much.  The need to earn much enslaves us,     while the ability to do with little makes us free.

Well, that about sums it up from the point of view of one person -- looking to discover.

Take care.  Donna

How Puny Is That?

The last remnants of the kale this winter

Tomato-based kale, garbanzo, carrot stew

Gigande bean comfort dish

sauteed onions and fennel

cooked Gigande beans

tomato paste or pasta sauce

add kale and cook a few minutes

olive oil drizzle, salt and pepper

Hi Winnie and Steve,

I thought you would get a kick out of the photo today.  Yes, I do have seeds beginning to germinate right now, and I have much more thoughtful plans laid out for the garden this year compared to last year.  But, I wanted you to also see the reality of how I get through winter and not run to the store all the time.  I told you that I almost always think about "what greens" I am going to toss into the meal.  My spindly little kale patch might actually see me through the winter season as I now have some new kale, spinach and chard germinating.  I cut off these poor things every day, and right now they look like little Dr. Seuss trees.  Yet they sure add a wonderful element to a soup or stew or sautee.

Your fellow Mainer (if that is a word?), Bill Coperthwaite, continues to inspire me with his thoughts about lifestyle and meaning and self-reliance and education.  I turn to his book, A Handmade Life, so many times.  I think especially now with the problems we are facing as a nation and globally, I like the challenge and excitement about learning new ways to design a model of life.  In fact, Coperthwaite makes an interesting comment about design.  He says, "Nothing is too small or insignificant to be well designed...And good design need not stop with tools, dishes, and houses -- it can also include our selection of food, of friends, and of those who teach our children.  We need to consider good design in relation to family, community, and school."  I think this a provocative part of what is happening right now in our nation with the economy and governance -- a chance to re-examine how we might design a realistic model to live by.

We'll enjoy chewing on that thought won't we.  Wish I could talk to you in person.  Love, Donna

The Winter Months

The beautiful color of canned vegetables

Golden turnips

Asian greens

Hi Winnie and Steve,

Winter is always a bit challenging for a gardener and cook because you are down to a much smaller selection of vegetables during this season, and this is doubly true if you are relying on your own garden produce.  I did head to a lovely farmer's market with a friend last weekend, and I thought how beautiful some of vegetables looked.  One stall even had lovely colors due to taking the vegetables of summer and canning them -- I know how much work that takes!

Also thinking about the more limited choices of winter leads me to sharing a very small part of a letter a friend wrote about the importance of eating local and seasonal and organic.  We are so used to having "unlimited" choice without thinking much about how those choices impact our environment and world.

 

This letter is a bit longer than what I usually write,  but I really wanted to include a part of my friend R.'s comments from her farm in France.  She is a passionate activist for the importance of eating locally and organically and sustainably.  This is just a small part of her letter.

"I thought about all the people, many I know, who would never do what I am doing.  They would not want to be bothered with getting up early on Saturday morning ....nor would they want to stand in line in the freezing cold weather...when they could go into a warm store and buy anything they desire.  Not to mention the vegetables I get are not the washed and polished sort you find in the supermarkets, but are all covered with soil and need a good washing thus adding more time to the preparation.  But as I stood there, now looking at Gerard, the man who grows these gorgeous vegetables which I load each week into my granny trolly, his warm and gentle smile when he sees that I have come again, the small talk we have come to make as good and trusted friends, his hard worked hands that tenderly handle the growing, the harvesting, the selling, the understanding we have about how important and wonderful this food is, I know that in that moment I have want for nothing to be different."

Yes, I appreciate the limited vegetables in my garden right now, and those that show up in winter at the farmer's market and what they represent as R. says.

Thinking of you.  Donna

Roasting roots

Shitake mushrooms at farmer's market

Celery root, red onion, carrot

Roasted root vegetables

   roasted celery root, carrot, red onion and mushroom

   fresh parsley and cooked brown rice mixed in after 

   olive oil, salt, pepper

Hi Winnie and Steve,

I'm still in the midst of having the EcoFarm conference sink in I think.  I remember once coming home from watching a master baker bake bread all day -- start to finish.  A friend asked what I had learned, and my immediate response was, "I'm not sure I learned anything new."  G. said, "You might see it differently in a few days."  And you know what -- that was true.  It took several days for the observations and nuances of the experience to penetrate -- almost like steeping tea -- not much color there in the first minute or so.

One of the plenary sessions at the conference was farmers sharing stories about their successful farms.  Often, these successes happened over many years, not right away.  One of the women farmers talked about the stress or tension associated with the many jobs she felt she HAD TO DO in order to get her work done.  This weighed heavily on her.  Then one day a teacher friend told her that the way she inspired enthusiasm in the students was to tell them what they GET TO DO that day.  Have you ever noticed how seldom we say that to ourselves -- I get to weed today; I get to lay the irrigation pipes today;  I get to thin carrots today.  I've been mulling this over and have concluded that thinking in this way would represent a real paradigm shift.  It implies opportunity and appreciation for the health and physical well-being to "get to" do something and add one's usefulness.

Anyway, I knew you would appreciate that story since we often have talked over these kinds of thoughts -- they are like the tiny yet very beautiful stitches that give a quilt, and a life, texture.

Thinking of you, Donna

Mushrooms Revealed

Shitake mushrooms grown at Far West Fungi

Oyster mushrooms grown at Far West Fungi

Kale sautee

   dinosaur kale

   Shitake mushrooms

   onions

   sauteed in olive oil with salt and pepper

Hi Winnie and Steve,

I was remembering an experience we had together once when you visited us, and we toured together our neighbor's flower growing operation.  We were all so taken with the enormous effort and complexity of growing flowers successfully.  I was remembering this tour we did together years ago because last week I had the chance to tour a mushroom farm -- Far West Fungi.  This company grows organic mushrooms on the edge of Monterey Bay near Moss Landing.  The owners were very generous with their time to describe their operation.

I guess mushrooms are mysterious to most of us since we don't grow them.  Yet, I love mushrooms and use them whenever I can buy them at farmer's market.  I'm especially fond of the Shitake mushroom.  One thing that surprised me on the tour is that it takes 3 months to grow a Shitake!  The Shitake must grow on hard wood sawdust -- they use hard red oak.  The damp saw dust is inoculated with the spores.  One great thing about the Shitake is that even as it ages a bit and dries (keep it in a paper bag), it is still wonderful.

I'm filled with inspiration having just returned from the EcoFarm Conference.  Can you imagine, 1,500 farmers and growers all together listening to presentations, eating meals together, sharing experiences and stories?  While I never knew him since he died long ago, Alan Chadwick is one of the colorful and charismatic figures that brought organic farming and gardening to so many in our area.  He started the gardens at UC Santa Cruz, and students would often go to help Alan in the garden instead of going to their classes.  It's obvious that people were inspired by his teachings.  I think you guys would be interested in one of his quotes which is thought provoking and probably resonates with the Zen philosophy you bring to your life.

"The garden makes the gardener."

Thinking of you.  Donna

Bakers and Brunches

The fresh bread, butter and jam of Companion Bakers

Jessie Phillips, Erin Justus and Christy Parker of Companion Bakers

A communal table enjoying brunch

Hi Winnie and Steve,

Hard to believe it is 2009 now.  2009 started with a very nice brunch.  But, I should give some context by saying the more I cook and bake, the more I also appreciate eating food that is prepared for me.  I have friends who are good cooks, and I always look forward to their food.  I see the gift in this food more than ever.  We went to a great brunch last weekend in the charming roadside barn at Pie Ranch.  The entire brunch was prepared and served by Companion Bakers -- a small independent bakery headed by Erin Justus.  She takes her fresh baked goods to farmer's markets, and some find her bread in their weekly CSA box.  Erin and her team decided to start the year with this lovely communal meal.

Now, I am just starting to have a bit of confidence in my bread making. So, when I get to be the guest and taste lovely bread, butter,  jam, scones, gallettes and fritattas -- I sink into the pleasure of eating  this freshly prepared food.  I guess Erin inspired me because I came home and roasted a big winter squash and made a pumpkin pie -- with a Sonora wheat crust of course.  Remember, we have 28,000 lbs. of Sonora wheat in our barn!  The day with Companion Bakers was filled with generosity and good spirit.  I continue to be inspired by these young farmers -- Erin came out of the Farming Program at UCSC -- and their lifestyle.  They demonstrate a belief that richness in life can be achieved without having to be rich.  I know you would be touched by this thought and believe it yourselves.

As always, thinking of you.  Love, Donna

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

Greens

Brussel sprouts

Brussel sprout sautee

sauteed onions, brussel sprouts, carrots

cooked Gigande beans

cooked wild rice mixture

olive oil, salt, pepper

Hi Winnie and Steve,

Well, we're getting that rain we needed which is great for the plants. Rainy weather is challenging, to say the least, since we have three dogs -- three nice muddy dogs.  We still do the hike each day so their bellies have a mixture of mud and grit.  I'm trying to remember how you dealt with winter with your dog?  I have a vague recollection that you tied a long line to his collar so he could roam off the front steps -- I'm now wondering if that was an effort to keep him somewhat clean in the winter.  Right now, I could understand that 100%.

When I think back to my original thought about grains, beans and greens, I realize how important a variety of greens is to me.  Right now things are getting to be "slim pickin's " out in the garden.  Yet with almost any meal that is being prepared, I think to myself "What greens will I add?"  So fortunately, there is still some Curly Blue Kale and Bright Lights Chard and King Noble Spinach.  A local farmer grows brussel sprouts, and I found some in town the other day -- uncommon to see them on the stalk.

The new garden is now entirely fenced, and I am eager for the time to get into it with the shaping of new beds and the planting of new seeds.  I wonder, "Is it way too big?  Will it be too much food for the two of us?"  But this quote from Gardening at the Dragon's Gate reassures me.

"Give with gift-bestowing hands to the lonely and the stranger,

to wandering gardeners and to old friends.  For the benefit of

all beings, give the harvest away."

Thinking of you.  Donna

Winter Work

Our friend Ken working with irrigation

John and Mike of Fifth Crow Farm planting strawberries

Paul discing his field for cover crop planting

Dear Winnie and Steve,

A storm is due to come in tomorrow or the next day, and frankly we are looking forward to being home bound for a few days.  As winter work on the farm goes on, I am realizing that winter is not a complete down time as I would have expected.  So many things need to be done months ahead of the hoped for results.  For example, the beautiful strawberries that will come next spring and summer need to be planted right now.  The same is true for garlic.  Cover crops get planted now to direct nitrogen into the soil so that the ground can be disced and planted with vegetables in the spring.  The winter Sonora wheat has been planted.  Everything needs watering if the rains are not steady which means irrigation projects.   For those involved in the long days of labor it can be physically tiring.  And yet I definitely feel the sense of camaraderie from shared work and accomplishment.

It seems all of us here at this time are involved in some endeavors where we are trying to do something  we may not have done before.  That's where collaboration can be helpful.  As I look toward the larger garden and growing more of our food I sometimes think, "How will I know how to plan out and grow all this stuff?"  Mostly I just trust that I will find a way.  Bill Coperthwaite in A Handmade Life says, 

"Expert knowledge is certainly needed in every area, but

too little concern has been given to the value of stumbling.

If enough people are searching -- stumbling as they may,

we will make many discoveries, and the stumbling 

diminishes as our searching skills get honed with 

practice."

Thinking of you.  Donna

Pantries

The Pantry -- corn for polenta

Polenta with vegetables

  sauteed onions and carrots

   brussel sprouts

   tomato paste

  paprika, oregano, salt and pepper

  olive oil

Hi Winnie and Steve,

We've been fortunate enough to have many nice sunny days, but the mornings are quite cold with frost.  I feel a little guilty saying "quite cold" when I know how Maine can be in the winter!  It is cold enough that I know planting seeds is out of the question, and yet I am in the middle of getting the new garden space laid out.  I spent an evening looking over seed offerings online -- the possible things we enjoy eating for the months ahead.  The greens and vegetables I have are getting more sparse -- the kale hangs in there and of course chard and romaine plus a few others.  So, I turn to the pantry quite a bit, and I am remembering the corn more and grinding some for polenta -- always a great winter dish.

While a good many projects are going on right now at the ranch, I am also aware that a momentum can build with the desire to get more done -- such a fine balance to maintain.  I saw a quote that was lovely in terms of allowing the mind and body to sink into slowness or repose.

I have done without electricity and tend the fireplace and

stove myself.  Evenings I light the old lamps.  There is no

running water and I pump water from the well.  I chop the

wood and cook the food.  These simple acts make man simple;

and how difficult it is to be simple.

Carl Jung