Getting aHEAD....

Cabbage time. Cabbage time!

You know what that means...
Yup, our kitchen, again, smells mildly of rot--err, fermentation.

We tasted some delicious kimchi soup (Korean sauerkraut) at a potluck a few weeks ago, and that taste reminded me of the potential in a head of cabbage. So, after a trip to Port Townsend to pick up my new bike, we stopped at Nash's for a some cabbage. We came home with both traditional and Chinese varieties.

First, with the crinklier and more delicate Chinese variety, I set out to make my own kimchi. Along with cabbage, carrots, radishes, jalapenos, garlic, and ginger soaked for a week in a salty brine.

I had intended, all along, to make sauerkraut with the remaining traditional cabbage. However, on a particularly fall-ish Friday evening, Justin and I were craving soup. So, I stole one of the 5 betrothed heads for some Soupe aux choux - garbure (aka Cabbage Soup a la Julia). After all, there were still 4 remaining heads for kraut (which is scenting and fermenting right now) and, boy was it worth it. Savory, warming, yum.

So, if you have a head to spare...

Main-course Cabbage Soup
adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

3.5 qts. of water
3 cups potatoes, cubed
3 slices of bacon, chopped
3 qts. of roughly sliced cabbage
a handful of parsley
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. thyme
3 leeks chopped
4 cloves of crushed garlic
4 celery stalks, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

1. Add water, potatoes, and bacon to a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add everything else and simmer for 1-2 hrs.
Serve with crusty bread with melted Swiss cheese.

Grand Pass, indeed it is!

Grand Lake.

As the light and warmth of summer begin to fade, I have a constant urge to dash into the mountains without delay. Soon, the peaks will be gorgeous and snowcapped, but a lot more challenging to climb. So, this Saturday, Justin and I took advantage of what we thought was calm sunny day to hike up to Grand Pass. The hike is especially striking because you start in the sub-alpine, which looks like mars compared to the dense lush forests of Western Washington. The trees that do grow up there are tangled and dr. suessical.

It was sunny alright, but crazy windy. It was so windy, I literally thought I was going to be lifted and flown like a kite. I realized that wasn't the case when I saw quite a few marmots standing their ground. Wind aside, it was a beautiful day for a hike. High mountain blueberry bushes were turning fiery red and the lakes we passed glowed brilliant blues. Did i mention the marmots? I love marmots! (Too bad I was too busy trying to hug them to get any photos)

The hills are alive...


The view that nearly blew me away (seriously).

Windblown.

I'm falling for you, fall.

Okay, its taken me a few weeks to get into the spirit of fall. I've been clinging to those long summer nights and those bushes of berries--wild and cultivated. But, I've begun to remember why fall is my favorite season (do I say that at the beginning of every season?):

The frequent appearance of the color orange and its other fiery relatives. The crispness in the morning air. Evening fires in our wood burning stove. Homemade chai. Apples drooping from the tree. Sunday morning steeler's games accompanied by pancakes. Wild mushrooms! The desire to bake and to add spices to said baked goods.

I have to thank Justin for truly getting me psyched on the coming season. He has made it a goal this year to make use of every apple from our two loaded trees. Whoa! He began a few weeks ago with apple sauce. I countered his sauce with an apple pie. He responded with breaking out the food dehydrator and producing a mound of apple rings. I made an apple crisp. Then, came apple-ginger juice....

But the piece de resistance has defiantly been his apple dutch baby. He threw it together on a lazy saturday morning when i was going back and forth about what to eat for breakfast. That's one thing I love about him; when I can't decide what to eat or am too lazy to make something, he often produces something special.

Justin will tell you that an apple dutch baby is simple and not deserving of an entire blog post; I totally disagree. It comes together quickly with ingredients that are almost always on hand, but the result is quite decadent.

Apple Dutch Baby
recipe adapted from justin's head

1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 TBS. butter (melted)
1 apple, sliced into rings
powdered sugar for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Whisk eggs together while melting butter on the stove top.
3. Whisk milk and flour into eggs, then melted butter.
4. Pour mixture into a cast iron skillet and drop apple rings on top.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until puffy. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (and walnuts or pecans) and enjoy.

family is...

Family is the root system that keeps me grounded, nourished, and reaching for the clouds.
Family is a giant UPS box full of individually wrapped gifts so that turning 28 feels like turning 8.
Family is going for a run together from different states.
Family is the deliciously comforting taste of a tomato and cheese sandwich.
Family is putzing around town.
Family is cocktail hour with laughter and stories from years past.
Family is stopping to pick wild blueberries.
Family is filling the kitchen with voices and good smells.
Family is accepting occasional grumpiness.

A few weeks ago, Justin's parents visited. My family has grown a lot in the past few years; we now span from the breadbasket of Illinois to the steel city of Pittsburgh (not to mention our less defined, but no less valuable washington family). Lucky, lucky, lucky.

A hike to Mink Lake with many pauses for wild blueberries.

Many hours spent around our kitchen table.

One evening, we enjoyed a crepe tower filled with tomatoes, basil, mushrooms, and love. (thanks, julia)

I finally got to make use of the tart cherries from the tree in our back yard.

One year.

One year ago, Justin and I got married in front of the people that we love. Awesome.
I love this person more today that I did one year ago and I don't see this trend changing much.

To celebrate, we spent the day in Port Townsend...eating and putzing.

We came home and made awesome shrimp tacos. We got the shrimp on the way home from PT from the Hull Family, who fish not 20 miles from here. The veggies were all from our garden. The soft goat chevre was from some Nash farm friends. And the wine was Harbinger's Dynamo Red. We are so lucky to live in such an abundant place; may we continue to nurture our love so that it grows as bountifully as this land. The only thing missing from the day were our families and loved ones that we got to celebrate with last year.

When life gives you basil....

...Make basil lemonade. Seriously. Just add some crushed basil leaves to your lemonade for a refreshing bite.

...Make a basil-banana smoothie with a handful of ice cubes. Trust me on this one. The sweet and the gentle spice of basil make for a great summer morning wake-me-up!

...Make a basil, tomato, olive oil, and balsamic salad with a hint of salt and pepper.

...Make pesto, of course. One can never have enough pesto on hand. Cold or hot pasta salad. Roasted potatoes tossed with pesto. Spread on toast with a schmear of goat cheese and a slice of tomato. Mixed into scrambled eggs. As pizza sauce. For dipping carrots and other veggies. Brushed onto veggies, fish, or other grillables. Make it!
For the taste summer in the dark of winter, freeze pesto in an oiled ice cube tray so you have single servings.

When life feels busy and a bit complicated--as it often does near the end of summer--basil is lovely in its simplicity. You get so much pomp and circumstance for so little preparation. Sometimes, that's just what we need. So, when life gives you basil....keep it simple.

PESTO!

3 c. basil
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. parm
1/4 c. walnuts
a squeeze of lemon

Puree in a food processor until creamy. Lick the spatula clean.


Scott, the poster child for keeping it simple.