Farm Produce

After the mildest summer weather I have ever experienced the farm has started to produce something other than greens (which surprisingly get old after four months, weird). And it is a cause for celebration! This is our most recent haul. Currants, logan berries, beets, zucchini, lettuce and young scapes (the curly heads of unflowered garlic).






And then a couple days after this photo I got some more (gigantic) beets and the carrots were ready to pull up. They are called Dragon Carrots which have a beautiful dark purple outside and an orange center. And totally delicious.




With all the currants Joel made currant jelly and Cumberland sauce (which uses currant jelly).







Joel also made some delicious berry corn muffins, yum!




Recently we had pea soup made with farmers market hamhocks, farm garlic and carrots and grocery store peas. Mostly local and completely delicious.

Last week I pulled up some of our potatoes in the backyard and they were All Blues.



And with the All Blues I made this wonderful dinner: all blue mashed potatoes with farm dill, tuna with a mushroom and dill cream sauce, and baked asparagus.



A couple days ago I made quinoa pasta with farm vegetables and herbs and a lemon-butter sauce. Unfortunately that didn't get photographed, oh well. That same night we went over to my friend Carli's for pie and cards on the front porch -- summer is here! The pie was made with farm logan berries, blueberries and marionberries. I will definitely miss the berries of Oregon when we do eventually move away. They are not only prolific but also succulent and delicious. I am very happy that they grow so well here.

And I'll wrap up with a couple animals. We'll start with the less fuzzy: slugs! This is a leopard slug that was about six inches long. Accompanied by some slug that I have idea what it is. But there are a lot of them in Oregon.







And end with the more fuzzy: Orson!

Seattle & Birthday

The last month has gone by quickly and I haven't blogged a thing in as much time. I am once again going to post very little in text and a lot in photos.

At the end of June Joel's parents visited us. We met them in Seattle and stayed with our friends Rachel and Basil before meeting up with them. We decided to take a different route (other than I-5) and what a beautiful drive it was! Unfortunately we met up with this about thirty miles (2 hours) into our drive north. That's right: snow!









There were a lot of blooming native flowers that I haven't seen in person. My ethnobotany professor would be so proud!














Also, I found a mushroom the size of my head. I have no idea what kind of mushroom it was but I have never seen a larger specimen.





We got to Rachel & Basil's in spit of little "detour." The following morning we got up and had a delicious picnic breakfast in the front yard.








When we met up with Joel's parents we did a lot of sight seeing of Seattle. We went up in the Smith Tower to see the city. The Smith Tower's observation deck is the same floor (thirty-fifth?) as the Chinese room which was lovely. So much beautiful old work!







This is what you see.
















While in Seattle we happened upon a knit-graffitied park. I love the warm clean colours they used for the "tree sweaters."










We also saw a couple totem poles that had been brought/stolen down from Alaska during the Alaskan goldrush.




Joel's dad was interested in seeing the Bremerton Navy Museum so we took a ferry out there and wandered around.












Last time we were in Seattle Rachel, Basil, Joel and I rode through downtown on our bikes at night and Joel tried to point out the Central Library but I didn't know what I was looking for so I didn't see it. This time we took a personal walking tour through the library. It is an amazing piece of architecture and now I can hardly believe I didn't see this thing, nighttime or not.













After Seattle we drove down to Portland and spent a few more days with Joel's parents before they left town. It was so wonderful to see them!

Then in early July I celebrated my 24th birthday in style. I had a cheese and wine party and asked everyone to dress fancy and bring fancy things (like champagne!). Never was there a better way to celebrate 24 years of life.