Still Eating from the Garden

I got a wonderful surprise in my e-mail inbox earlier this week. A local woman wrote to let me know how much she enjoys reading my column in INK magazine and to ask me a few questions. It always makes my day to hear from readers--especially when they're being so complimentary!--so I was very happy to receive that...

But it gets better.

Her questions were about upcoming cooking classes I might be offering, what to do with all the mustard greens in her garden, and... would I like some of them? Would I ever? I love dark leafy greens and was so thankful to be able to accept an abundance of them from her. I made a soup with the mustard greens and some local wild mushrooms and kohlrabi that was a delicious autumn treat. And then I used the arugula, kale, and bok choy for salads, smoothies, and sautees. Such treats for November in New England!

The greens pictured are from her garden... and they taste even better than they look. I feel so lucky to have the kind of life that includes offers of local organic produce from people I've never met! What sorts of random abundance have come your way?

Outdoor Rooms

As fall enjoys a last hurrah before fading into winter, I'm savoring the little bit of warmth in these overcast days.

How do you like to make the most of this time of year?

In addition to favorite activities--going for walks, hula hooping, and raking leaves--I am savoring the outdoors in my favorite cozy spot: the tent.

Some people have gazebos, studios, barns, sheds, or other special buildings behind their houses. My outdoor room is a sweet little four person tent a friend of mine gave me this year for my birthday. Offering the privacy of being indoors combined with the joys of being outside, this silver and orange haven is perfect for afternoon naps, reading and tea, or late night star-gazing and wine drinking with a close friend.

I know I'll have to pack it up for the season soon, but every time I look out the window and see my tent out under the magnolia tree it makes me smile. So it stays another week. And with the unseasonably pleasant weather of the last few days I've been glad to have it still there.

What do you not want to let go of for the season quite yet? Do you have a seasonal space that lets you enjoy the outside with a little more protection from the elements and privacy from the neighbors?

Playing Outside

It is a gorgeous late October day. Warm and sunny, with birds chirping in the backyard, it is especially fulfilling after the preceding rainy, cool days. I chase a woodpecker away from attacking the side of my house. I pick up sticks that will soon be kindling in the fireplace. I look for chipmunks as I head back to the compost bin. And I savor it. It feels good deep in my bones.

But the best part is raking up leaves. The way they crackle and crunch, releasing their delicious scent, full of the promise of the rich soil they will become... the way they unleash memories of scooping them up, filling bushel baskets, jumping into their heaped up piles... the way they skitter across pavement to startle us, making us think we're not alone.

I used to play with leaves for hours. I remember making soups from them in my sand pail as I played in the stream that ran through the neighborhood. I added stones and stirred with a stick and really thought that that was how "stone soup" was made.

In both spring and fall I would chain the maple leaves together to adorn myself with bracelets and necklaces and crowns. As I played, sometimes rustling noises from deep inside a pile of leaves would worry me enough to make me burst into a run.

Today I am using my tiny wheelbarrow that is starting to rust through and squeaks very loudly as we go up and down the yard. I am playing with leaves. I am savoring the beauty of the day. And I am feeling so thankful to be able to play outside.