Wow! on Monday we spent the day picking blueberries, and canning all things figs and blueberries! 8a.m. and ended at 7 p.m. The royal “we” was Lindsey, my friend who felts my soap with alpaca fiber and myself. The kitchen was so beautifully messy. There were fruits and veggies everywhere – I felt like the farmer that I dream of being.
I took a few photos of the bounty. The colors were vibrant, fresh and inspiring. We made up lots of recipes like Blueberry Chutney with Chinese Five Spice, Fig Chutney with Ginger, Dried Figs with lemon juice – and, oh, by the way, if you’ve never tried this you gotta do it.
Pick fresh figs and cut in half about 3 cups, drizzle the juice of one fresh lemon over the figs, add fresh chopped peppermint and gently toss. Let sit for 30 minutes. We used fresh organic cream and whipped it up stiff. Then we layered the fig mixture alternately with the whipped cream and topped with a whole mint leaf.
Lindsey and I allowed ourselves a moment in the “parlor” to sit and enjoy this fabulous treat. Here’s the funniest thing; I’ve never liked figs until this year. This concoction that we developed is the BEST dessert I’ve ever had – and if you know anything about me you know that chocolate is numero uno in my book – so considered yourself informed.
Today was back to soap making, honestly to soothe my spirit after last night’s loss regarding building a soap barn. I kept telling everyone that I wasn’t invested in the outcome of the political machine’s decision, but apparently I had more of the dream thing goin’ on than I realized. I’m a little sad today – no, really a lot sad.
My land is beautiful. It has creeks that run through it and huge beautiful trees. It’s mostly wooded with about 2 acres in open pasture; just perfect for a few goats, bees, and a great garden. My good friend Nancy tells me that I will prevail –
What we don't see 