Meanwhile more mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms emerging

Oh, boy! The third flush of mushrooms is on its way.

First snowdrop to say, Hi!

First snowdrop of the year

Even in midwinter, especially in midwinter, the snowdrops are popping up.

No snow today

Trail of cat prints in brief snow

We had snow before, and there will be more, but we have no snow today.

It fell in the night, silent and white, and then it melted away.

While it lay on the ground, the cat made his rounds,  leaving a steady trail.

Then he came inside, licked himself dry, and covered his nose with his tail.

 

About those Mushrooms

It all started at the  farmers market in Charles Square last fall with 100 grams of exquisite oyster mushrooms from Shady Oaks Organics. I talked to the guys, and they told me a little about how they grow the mushrooms on straw. The mushrooms were so beautiful and so delicious, I got it into my head that I wanted to try growing some myself.

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What goes well with duck? I know, mushrooms!

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Tonight my Michael made a roast, and not just any roast, but a roast duck. He even glazed it using some raspberries he preserved from this summer’s harvest. Thus the amazing color of the skin. I can’t give you the recipe for the duck, but I can for the vegetables I made.

Shurpa weather

Shurpa stew with lots of veggies

It doesn’t have to be snowing to be blowing wet and nasty weather out there. Today was a good day to pull together the root vegetables from the farmers markets and make one of my favorite stews, Shurpa Lagman. It’s kind of hard to go wrong when you start out with a little beef, and add onion, turnips, rutabaga, parsnips and carrots.  Something special happens with the flavors of tomato, cumin, chili flakes, and coriander meld. What I love best about this dish are the nutty globes of chickpeas generously dotting the bowl.  So good, and so good for you.

In which I go to a farmers market and remember I have a camera in my pocket

Shoppers at first day of Cambridge Winter Market

During the sunnier months, I enjoy going to the farmers markets for the usual reasons: local produce, supporting small farms, and all that. Up until last year, they shut down during the winter. Then  Somerville started a winter market last year, but somehow we never made it to the first season. This year, there’s two winter markets, and last Saturday, we actually went to the opening session of the Cambridge Winter Market.

I do believe the Alewife hawks are back

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Today, as I was loading fresh-purchased whole foods into the car, some motion made me look up. Then a barrel-chested, broad-winged bird swooped over the Petsmart. And another, which lit on some lights. Hawks! The red-tail hawks are back at Alewife!

As you can see from the terrible quality of the attached images, it was late in the day, and the camera in my iTouch wasn’t quite up to the task of capturing the hawk. I promise you, if you squint hard enough, there’s a hawk sitting in that light fixture.

And then, after a stop at across the street, I saw a row of tasty pigeons sitting on the CVS sign that the hawks liked to roost on last year. Looks like the hawks will be well fed.

A green and happy new year

My herb garden on New Year's Day

My herb garden wishes you a Happy New Year. Scallions are standing up and waving from the back. On the left quadrant, thyme is lounging. And on the right, bright green parsley clusters around the solar lamp. In the mild winter we’re having, a few mornings of frost doesn’t even dent these hardy souls.

In which I bid good riddance to 2011

When I look back at how my writing went in 2011, I see I’m going to add my voice to the chorus that says this year really stunk up the joint.  Just about the only thing I got better at was gathering rejections, which is actually a good thing, because it led to making my second sale.