my new favorite quiche
(recipe below)
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Point is, what’s so wonderful
is that every
one of these flowers has a specific relationship
with the insect that
pollinates it.
There’s a certain orchid that looks exactly like a
certain insect,
so the insect is drawn to this flower
—its double, its
soul mate—
and wants nothing more than to make love to it.
And after the
insect flies off,
spots another soul-mate flower
and makes love to it,
thus pollinating it.
And, neither the flower nor the insect will ever
understand the significance of their lovemaking.
I mean, how could they
know
that because of their little dance
the world lives?
But it does.
By
simply doing
what they’re designed to do,
something large and
magnificent happens.
In this sense, they show us how to live
—how the
only barometer you have
is your heart.
How, when you spot your flower,
you can’t let anything get in your way.
(John Laroche, Adaptation)
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in love with these photos from the 70s
(Die Natur erzeugt Ähnlichkeiten - La Nature produit des Ressemblances)
by Barbara & Michael Leisgen
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put this simple sauce together with the
last tomatoes of the season here in Loomis
Dice fresh tomatoes (I used about 10 cups). Dice 2 large carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 yellow onion. Sprinkle chili flakes, dried oregano, rosemary & thyme in large pot and toast for 2 minutes. Add 3 Tbsp olive oil along with carrot, onion & celery. Add 3 cloves fresh garlic, smashed. Cover pot with lid and allow to cook for about 10 minutes, until vegetables sweat and become a bit soft. Add fresh tomatoes and their juices. Cover again and simmer for around 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Puree half of the sauce in blender and then add back into pot. Pour sauce into clean jars, screw lids on, and submerge jars in boiling water for about 10 minutes to create a vacuum seal.
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picnic blanket for Jesse Lynn
with metallic gold appliqué
(in honor of Jone's Ralph Lauren floral sheet)
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new canvas/leather tote bags
with metallic gold appliqué
& black nylon lining
(second bag below)
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i had still more sweet tart dough
to use for something delicious
so i made my first galette.
went into the dark rainy evening
to gather some apples from our tree
and threw a few things together
Preheat oven to 400F. Slice about 3 medium apples (or other fruit) into thin pieces. Place apples in bowl and add a few tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg, 1 tablespoon ground cardamom, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, & 1/4 c chopped walnuts. On lightly floured surface, roll out tart dough into a large, sturdy circle. Carefully transfer dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread fruit evenly in center of dough circle (apples look nice fanned out in concentric circles if you have the time), leaving a few inches of dough around the edges. Fold edges in. Brush edges of dough with some milk and sprinkle sugar over the top of the galette. Bake for 20 minutes at 400F, & another 20-30 minutes at 375F. Crust should be golden brown and fruit should be soft/tender. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream & a drizzle of maple syrup, or some homemade fig jam. Yes.
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made a batch of cornmeal-currant biscotti
last night, on a whim
turned out great, but i somehow
missed the line where i was supposed to add the currants
so i added them while i was kneading the dough instead.
i used some raisins too since i only had about 1/2 cup of currants.
but, they are still delicious!
they have a slight crunch from the cornmeal
and they're not too sweet;
the lemon zest and vanilla really come through.
Cornmeal-Currant Biscotti
from Baking with Julia, written by Dorie Greenspan
1 c yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (4 oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into 6-8 pieces
1 c plump currants (or raisins)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Put the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a rubber spatula to blend. Add the butter to the bowl and, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, rub the pieces into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Don't worry if there are a few lumps; you'll work them out as you knead the dough later. Stir in the currants. Whisk the egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, and vanilla together in a small bowl, then, with your fingers or a rubber spatula, stir them into the flour mixture. At this point, the dough won't come together in the bowl and it may seem a little dry, but if you pinch a bit between your fingers, it will hold together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly, folding the dough over onto itself a few times, until smooth. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and shape each piece into a 12-inch-long log. Press down gently on the logs with your palms to flatten them slightly and then cut the logs on the diagonal every 1 1/2 inches to make 7 or 8 diamonds from each log. Transfer the diamonds to the prepared pan. Since the ends of the logs will not form perfectly shaped diamonds, set the scraps aside, and then, after all the logs have been cut, gather them together and shape them into a mini-log. Flatten the log, angle each end by pressing it with the back of your knife, and cut into diamonds. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until they are a light golden color, firm to the touch, and just slightly puffed. Check after 5 minutes to see if the bottoms of the biscotti are browning too quickly; if so, slip a second baking sheet under the first one. Slide the cookies, parchment paper and all, off the baking sheet and onto a rack to cool. Makes 2 1/2 to 3 dozen biscotti.
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when i make a batch of Tartine's sweet tart dough
the recipe makes enough dough for 3 extra tarts
sometimes i use the dough to make
little shortbread cookies instead,
adding other ingredients to liven them up a bit
here i ground up a mixture of
fresh thyme, lavender, cardamom, and fennel seeds
using a mortar and pestle
(about 2-3 tablespoons total)
i used the rolling pin to press
the herbs & spices into the rolled-out dough
after the cookies came out of the oven
i topped them with an easy lemon glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped
(combine ingredients in bowl and stir until smooth)
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