In Season & Fresh from the Garden, the Fields, the Orchards & the Woods
The chicken have moved to their winter quarters. We’ve taken the wire fence from the summer garden down; moved the electric net fence to enclose the new chicken area; relocated the coop inside the old summer garden, and built a little dome shelter – complete …
I love fresh oysters. When we lived in the city, we used to go to the wharf for Christmas and New Year, get fresh oysters in their shell, mud from the Chesapeake bay still clinging to them. Later that day, Keith would scrub them clean, …
Last evening I saw the man in the moon. In the incredible Hunter’s Moon that hanged, powerful and enormous, for a short while. As I was driving home, the sun sinking behind the mountains at my back , the majestic Moon was rising in the Eastern sky, capturing and reflecting the dying light from the sun. I was moon-struck. You don’t get to see such moons very often.
It’s the moon that give the hunters light to finish their task, even as the sun sinks down. It can also be used by the harvesters to finish gathering the crops (although they got their own harvest moon, 28 days ago).
In between those moons, we’ve been harvesting.
The English call them marrows, and – at least according to Agatha Christie (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, if I remember correctly) – take great pride in growing the zucchinis to very large vegetables. They call young zucchinis “courgettes” (the French word for zucchinis) and …
Isn’t that what you are asking yourself? You are not? sigh… you know, quince is not a very popular fruit nowadays. And really it is a shame, because nothing else has it piquant aromatic floral taste… pineapple, jasmine, guava and sweet vanilla, with a hint …
Shall we talk about ground cherries?
mmm… say you politely, really? Ground cherries?
You are not the only one to wonder… the year I gave ground cherry jam to friends for Christmas, I got some puzzled looks: this is cherry? you grind them? why? that’s an unusual color… and what about all the seeds?…
Yes, it needed a better name, and it actually goes by other names. But “ground cherry” is the name under which I initially encountered the fruit in English.
Curiously enough, it was in Quebec.
Many stores were selling ground cherry jam. I tried it. Clearly not cherries (you know, Prunus cerasus). It did not take too long to find out this was the tiny fruit of my childhood, tomate poc-poc, Physalis peruviana. It’s also goes by the name of Cape Gooseberry. But it is no more a gooseberry than it is a cherry. A close cousin of tomatillo Physalis ixocarpa), it belongs it the nightshade family, along with tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplants. Continue reading On Ground Cherries
I’ve got to say, I am tired but I am wired. Our first Rappahannock County Farm Tour is coming up this week-end – all volunteers organized and we are getting good pre-event coverage: check it out here on Fox News (Fox News!!!) – be sure …
A guest post from the resident hunter, Keith. Hunting season starts October 3 this year. Sylvie. This (past) weekend we hosted an English Shakespearean acting troupe which inspired me to write on hunting. These were young city-folk who were hosted by families in The County. …
One of my favorite farms, The Farm at Sunnyside near Washington, VA, was at the new farmers’ market that opened today next to the White House. The First Lady delivered the opening speech… right in front of Sunnyside’s truck and its colorful logo.
Sunnyside is a beautiful farm in a beautiful location and they produce truly beautiful fruit & vegetable (they taste good too). And you can tour the farm and attend some interesting programs during the upcoming Rappahannock County Farm Tour the last week-end of September.
What’s that, you say?
Yes! Rappahannock County (65 miles west of Washington DC, population 7,200, county seat Washington, VA) is having its first farm tour the last week-end of September, Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27. Continue reading Time for the Farm Tour!
