No music today. OK I'm listening to Dwight Yoakum but no music for you. I'm not trying to be the music Nazi just running out the door to the cabin this morning. Before leaving I wanted to tap out a little something in case I get back too late in the weekend to put things together. Or perhaps this is a little need to wrap things up should the US and No.Korea start lobbing things at each other. I remain hopeful that won't be the case but we live a half block from what I think is the largest federal facility in the Western US. Thus I've always assumed that our neighborhood is on at least a couple of target lists. My neighbor has wisely commented that we are lucky in that we won't survive two seconds after a nuclear attack. So let's go with hope.
For those of you who considered the sunflower buds I mentioned as edible in the last blog I apologize the cooking instructions were off. The correct instructions should be; Take young flower buds blanch for 3 minutes. Peel and trim any excess stem and green petals. Fry over low heat with butter and a bit of salt. Add garlic, onions, red bell pepper and a burger to frying pan. Carefully scrape sunflower bud into the compost bin and enjoy everything else. They were gruesome!
The thistle stalks I mentioned a few blogs back as perhaps having a taste similar to cucumber are just a little better than the sunflower buds. Kelly had commented that he had tried them and thought they were more like celery. I would never argue with the Godfather of the Potato - onion, a Master Gardener, and a fellow Libertarian. OK, well I would argue with a fellow Libertarian actually I think it's required in the Party's bylaws. That said I tried the thistle and it reminded me of neither cucumbers nor celery. Best description I can offer is kinda like raw sugar cane. If you've ever had a piece of sugar cane it's not as sweet as you'd expect but sweet is in there just wrapped in bamboo. That was the thistle. I could see chewing (and chewing!) on a piece at the cabin as a novelty. If it's going to make the menu at a restaurant it's going to have to be served with a spittoon! I did wonder if it could be pressed like sugar cane and perhaps distilled like rum. Seems like a lot of work and as I don't drink I'll leave that experiment to others. I would like to find out how to extract the smell from the flower it's an intoxicant I could enjoy. Seriously if anyone knows pass it along.
That's it for now. No doubt a long drive will bubble a few thoughts to the surface which I'll share when I'm back from the cabin. I'll bring music - I promise.
Well back from the cabin and it's a beautiful Colorado morning and I really want to get out into the garden. But first a bit of music and a few words to share.
The music is Grateful Dead https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Shakedown+street . Oddly not the Dead I need to hear. Don't get me wrong Shakedown Street is a classic and happy to find a clean copy for a buck from the friends sale. The song I need to hear is Sugar Magnolia. It started yesterday with the line from the song " she don't come and I don't follow" rattling in my head. A four hour drive with no radio left me borderline insane with that line looping through my head.
The cabin is progressing with the little work I was able to do hardly noticeable. Which is a good thing. It's a good thing because the work by Deb's step-son really bumped it a notch from project to place to be. That is a nice notch to actually feel.
While I was down there by myself I continued our habit of a morning and evening walk. It's a good way to wake up a body before working and a sure way to put an old one to sleep for the night. There is one spot on our route that is a mature aspen grove. It's a protected ravine that is always moist with cool dappled shade. The aspens are huge and beyond beautiful. Massive white poles with a background and canopy of green. It's a natural cathedral. As I entered it was like I was wearing those shoes kids have with wheels on them. I was almost gliding and just had to say thank you God for a beautiful life. From the little things to the big things I've been given more than I could ask for. So Thanks God!
At the risk of not being in the moment, I took a little time at the cabin and composed some thoughts on what I'd do with the garden upon getting home. Man plans the gods laugh! I was home before dark and the wood chips in the front yard were noticeably odd. I asked Deb about 'em and she said "well we had hail the last two days." I went to the back garden and I don't think my first words were "Oh crap" but we'll leave it PG and pretend that's what I said.
The corn was shredded along with the tomatoes and the poor Butternut squash that was doing so well. We all like when the world is turning our way. Not so much when reality slaps us back to even. I really do consider myself lucky my garden is a hobby. Imagine the poor guy who's farm is literally his life. I will say, whatever life lesson I'm s'posed to learn from this hail thing - I've got it. Or at least as much as I'm gonna get God. Come on man you made me. Seems a waste of your time to rain hail down on a metaphysical idiot.
I'm sure I could find some allegory in all this to talk about two chest bumping idiots thankfully only (currently) lobbing words not missiles. Or perhaps there is something in there about less government is good government and only innocent squash pay the price. But I gotta tell you I don't have it today - still a little too close. If any of you have a good thought on it please do share. Me I'm out to the garden before the cool wears off the morning to assess the damage and maybe plant some peas and spinach. Doug A.
For those of you who considered the sunflower buds I mentioned as edible in the last blog I apologize the cooking instructions were off. The correct instructions should be; Take young flower buds blanch for 3 minutes. Peel and trim any excess stem and green petals. Fry over low heat with butter and a bit of salt. Add garlic, onions, red bell pepper and a burger to frying pan. Carefully scrape sunflower bud into the compost bin and enjoy everything else. They were gruesome!
The thistle stalks I mentioned a few blogs back as perhaps having a taste similar to cucumber are just a little better than the sunflower buds. Kelly had commented that he had tried them and thought they were more like celery. I would never argue with the Godfather of the Potato - onion, a Master Gardener, and a fellow Libertarian. OK, well I would argue with a fellow Libertarian actually I think it's required in the Party's bylaws. That said I tried the thistle and it reminded me of neither cucumbers nor celery. Best description I can offer is kinda like raw sugar cane. If you've ever had a piece of sugar cane it's not as sweet as you'd expect but sweet is in there just wrapped in bamboo. That was the thistle. I could see chewing (and chewing!) on a piece at the cabin as a novelty. If it's going to make the menu at a restaurant it's going to have to be served with a spittoon! I did wonder if it could be pressed like sugar cane and perhaps distilled like rum. Seems like a lot of work and as I don't drink I'll leave that experiment to others. I would like to find out how to extract the smell from the flower it's an intoxicant I could enjoy. Seriously if anyone knows pass it along.
That's it for now. No doubt a long drive will bubble a few thoughts to the surface which I'll share when I'm back from the cabin. I'll bring music - I promise.
Well back from the cabin and it's a beautiful Colorado morning and I really want to get out into the garden. But first a bit of music and a few words to share.
The music is Grateful Dead https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Shakedown+street . Oddly not the Dead I need to hear. Don't get me wrong Shakedown Street is a classic and happy to find a clean copy for a buck from the friends sale. The song I need to hear is Sugar Magnolia. It started yesterday with the line from the song " she don't come and I don't follow" rattling in my head. A four hour drive with no radio left me borderline insane with that line looping through my head.
The cabin is progressing with the little work I was able to do hardly noticeable. Which is a good thing. It's a good thing because the work by Deb's step-son really bumped it a notch from project to place to be. That is a nice notch to actually feel.
While I was down there by myself I continued our habit of a morning and evening walk. It's a good way to wake up a body before working and a sure way to put an old one to sleep for the night. There is one spot on our route that is a mature aspen grove. It's a protected ravine that is always moist with cool dappled shade. The aspens are huge and beyond beautiful. Massive white poles with a background and canopy of green. It's a natural cathedral. As I entered it was like I was wearing those shoes kids have with wheels on them. I was almost gliding and just had to say thank you God for a beautiful life. From the little things to the big things I've been given more than I could ask for. So Thanks God!
At the risk of not being in the moment, I took a little time at the cabin and composed some thoughts on what I'd do with the garden upon getting home. Man plans the gods laugh! I was home before dark and the wood chips in the front yard were noticeably odd. I asked Deb about 'em and she said "well we had hail the last two days." I went to the back garden and I don't think my first words were "Oh crap" but we'll leave it PG and pretend that's what I said.
The corn was shredded along with the tomatoes and the poor Butternut squash that was doing so well. We all like when the world is turning our way. Not so much when reality slaps us back to even. I really do consider myself lucky my garden is a hobby. Imagine the poor guy who's farm is literally his life. I will say, whatever life lesson I'm s'posed to learn from this hail thing - I've got it. Or at least as much as I'm gonna get God. Come on man you made me. Seems a waste of your time to rain hail down on a metaphysical idiot.
I'm sure I could find some allegory in all this to talk about two chest bumping idiots thankfully only (currently) lobbing words not missiles. Or perhaps there is something in there about less government is good government and only innocent squash pay the price. But I gotta tell you I don't have it today - still a little too close. If any of you have a good thought on it please do share. Me I'm out to the garden before the cool wears off the morning to assess the damage and maybe plant some peas and spinach. Doug A.
I enjoyed reading about myself and the thistle. I haven't eaten thistle for many years now, but celery is really how I remember it. Anyway, it could really amount to varietal differences and stages of maturity, etc. But most of all, I remember many years ago that I learned a valuable lesson from God (or His spirit, or whatever - I don't take credit of myself) in weather anomalies or crop failures or even human vandalism and my food in my garden.
ReplyDeleteI was getting somewhat proud as I thought of all the food I could raise myself to make my life more self-reliant and sustainable. I could save seeds, sprout them myself under growlights, preserve my harvest, etc. One year, I had started some onion seeds way early in the year, like the end of January, under growlights. But, the family had planned for us to travel away to Southern Utah for the Easter holiday. My plan was to transplant my onion seedlings into my garden right before we left town for a few days. Upon returning home after Easter, I found that someone had walked all over my freshly planted onion seedlings. Killed some of them, too. I stood there in horror looking at all my labor of saving the seeds, sprouting them, nurturing them under the lights, and preparing the soil to transplant out, just to see them trodden the foot of man.
I could have been furious. But as I stood there looking at the smashed seedlings, the calmest feeling came over me as God gave me the words of a lesson I'll never forget:
He said: "You think you're so proud and powerful that you can raise your own food - food that I've provided for mankind to eat of - what would happen if a flood came, or a drought, or a fire? What would happen if some hungry soul came to your garden of plenty to get your food to eat? Would you fight him off? Or would you share of the bounty I've given to you to share with your fellowman?"
So, last week, a raccoon found three of my almost ripe cobs of corn and ate them. Luckily, the coon did not keep returning to get more and more cobs. I could be mad, but instead I'm thankful I get the rest and he only got three cobs. At least it's not a hailstorm like you had, Doug. I'm counting my blessings still.
Kelly
Kelly as always thanks for the wisdom. I usually joke that I just garden to keep out of a gang but there is an element of wisdom that gardens do teach us solid life lessons. Occasionally, I'm able to learn one.
DeleteYou by the way have my great respect for the way you've chosen to share potato onions withe world. https://sites.google.com/site/kellysgarden/