19 October 03
Soup Season Jumpstarted
I was scheduled to lead a beginners’ bird walk for Yolo Audubon this morning. I’m walking better than I was a month ago but I have to confess I was hoping nobody would show up at the meeting place at 8:00 am so I could return to my tea and mellow morning.
But no: a couple rolled up in a BMW. When it became clear they’d be the only customers, I asked them what they’d like to do. Oh, she said, I’d like you to tell me what all the birds are I see and hear in my yard. I’ll make you a cup of tea.
Well, this is what we did, and saw a number of birds and Karen’s spectacular garden. She learned a lot of birds, and I got a huge bag full of apples, peppers, tomatoes, basil, and sage. Such a deal! I made pesto and we had the tomatoes for lunch. I have since made a large pot of soup, which is what we live on in winter—it has cooled down enough for long simmering.
Since this was the first soup, there was no stock for it, giving it a “shallow” taste. But all the veggies—cuttings, leavings, ends—have ended up in the freezer for next week’s stock.
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And I loved the “name blunders”, Numenius. Herbaria are interesting if for no other reason. I had students keep a plant collection when I was teaching. Wish I’d recorded the ‘locations’ where those came from…”behind Aunt Guthrie’s privvy” was one I remember.