Vicki Lane's Blog, page 522

A Convocation of Chairs

What in the world? I thought as I caught a glimpse of this gathering in the front yard of or rental house. Party games? An upcoming  meeting of people who don't actually want to talk to each other? Some sort of summoning of spirits?

What do you think?

A Roving Eye

Down at the lower place on Wednesday morning, we were waiting for Justin to finish milking so we could commence  yet another Great Chicken Massacree, a replay of one documented HERE.

Of course I had my camera so while I was waiting, I went looking for pictures . . .stripey tomatoes . . .
Silverbell eating a stripey tomato . . . Chicory blooming. . . A black swallowtail on a pear tree leaf. . .
Marigold . . .
Clover . . .


The obligatory basketball hoop on the barn (I think it's the law in North Carolina . . .)
Rusty old plow points from a Vulcan Number 10 hillside turning plow, reminders of when John plowed with mules . . . the perfect size for our conditions. unlike the smaller, lighter Number 8 which, according to our late neighbor Cleophas, would 'choke on a horse turd.. .'

Light at play 
. . . and then it was time to move to the business at hand.  I don't mind doing this  now and then but couldn't help thinking of the folks who work at the giant chicken processing plants, day in and day out.  As cheap as commercially grown chicken is, I shudder to think what the workers are paid and the shortcuts they probably are forced to take.

Butchering chickens isn't romantic . . .  but it's a part of farm life.

Heavenly Bodies

I was out on the deck yesterday morning, taking pictures of the sunrise, when I noticed the moon overhead . . . The waning crescent seemed to smile and blush at the sun's arrival. . .
 Up and down my camera swiveled . . . As the sun grew brighter . . . And the sky went from pale gray to blue . . . The moon began to fade,  ceding the stage to the new born day.

This Time, I Hope, With Pictures. . .

 I think this is why they're called morning glories. . .  These fragile trumpets catch the early sunlight . . .
 Trapping it in translucent petals . . 
They hold the light, transforming it . . .Then broadcast it to the day.

Captured Light

[image error] I think this is why they're called morning glories. . . [image error] These fragile trumpets catch the early sunlight . . .
[image error] Trapping it in translucent petals . . . [image error] They hold the light, transforming it . . . [image error] Then broadcast it to the day. [image error]

Take Me for a Ride

Maybe if I hide. . .I won't be seen . . .
Take me for a ride --After all, I am the Queen!

A Garden Capture

I was in the garden when I saw a puzzling something zig-zag past, closely followed by a hummingbird.  When the something landed, I saw that it was a dragonfly that had captured a butterfly . . . and was proceeding to eat it.
I have a fondness for dragonflies -- they eat mosquitoes, you know -- but I'd never, ever seen one nab a butterfly.
He (or she) stayed put as I got closer and closer . . . It was fascinating; two beautiful insects . . . The dragon fly, a sinister high-tech helicopter, the butterfly, a hapless damsel . . .
  Exquisite colors and patterns caught up in macabre dance of death.

More Fun With Milk

Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,Eating her curds and whey. . .   Here's a fun bit of kitchen chemistry that you can do to produce your own curds and whey.
Call it panir or queso blanco or vinegar cheese -- this is the quickest, simplest cheese imaginable.
Heat a gallon of milk to 190 F (just short of a boil.) Off heat; add a half cup of vinegar or lemon juice. Almost immediately the milk will separate into curds and whey.

Let the curds and whey cool a bit, then spoon the curds into a colander lined with cheesecloth ( or a white handkerchief.) The whey can be saved and used in cooking or, as I do, to moisten the dogs' kibble.

Add a teaspoon of salt to the curds, You can also add a little cream and whatever herbs or spices appeal to you. For this batch I used some herbs de Provence. Chives would be nice; Justin once made a batch using tarragon vinegar and it was wonderful!
Vinegar cheese is mild --- some might say bland. I find it delicious.  You can stir it into pasta or use it in cooking but be aware that it doesn't actually melt -- not a great pizza topping. It keeps about a week in the refrigerator. 

Light at Play.

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Salad Caprese

It's the perfect tomato salad, as far as I'm concerned.  But you need perfect tomatoes -- tomatoes with superlative taste.  I used heirloom tomatoes from our garden but more and more farmers' markets and grocery stores are carrying these luscious varieties -- almost always locally grown because these big tender tomatoes don't ship well.
Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil. olive oil (extra-virgin), and salt (sea) are the basic ingredients in this delightful salad from Capri. Purists insist on buffalo mozzarella but I say it's pretty amazingly good with plain old fresh cow mozzarella. ( And quite expensive enough. And while we're on the subject of expense, what's the difference between virgin and extra-virgin?) But I digress.
I'm still dealing with tomatoes -- something over 60 quarts are canned and in the cellar; quite a few baggies of roasted maters are in the freezer;  and I think I'll make gazpacho tomorrow.

Such wealth!