Quiet Day: Tidying, Twigfest, and Cooking
The extra sleep is kicking in and we’re having quiet day puttering about the house and yard putting slowly things back in order.
All the bits and pieces flung about my work room are put away. Dust removal has been completed. There are clean dishes. There will be clean clothes.
Douglas has had a twigfest snipping up tree trimmings onto to the back corner of the yard. It used to be a wasteland dominated by ashes and clinkers. For the last five years or so he’s been adding yard clippings and gradually he’s creating a mini-forest floor. This last year or so ferns from our neighbours’ yard are creeping in and we’re diverting much of our yard waste into our own backyard. It’s still pretty much an eyesore, but we’re gradually creating humus.
While he was out there, he harvested the last of the basil and now the house smells wonderful. The basil’s waiting to be made into pesto for the dire days of February. Sitting beside the basil is the pumpkin that I’m about to turn into pie. I’ve always used tinned pumpkin but the veggie man included in Friday’s delivery so it’s a pumpkin experiment day.
The veggie man is a luxury for us: weekly deliveries of locally grown organic veg. Part of the pleasure is the randomness: I’d never buy tomatillos and rarely shallots. Now I have a clutch of both. The unpredictability is expanding my cooking range–biggest hit so far: pattypan squash sauteed with very fresh garlic.
And now, some tea.
Heather
Pie excellent.
Well–over-spiced I’d say. But cream instead of condensed milk is an improvement. Perhaps we need a fall experiment in which we try out different pie crusts and different ways of prepping pumpkin.
Did you roast the pumpkin as part of your pie manufactury? That was a fine trick for my pumpkin porters of past years.
Nope–steamed the quarters for about 20 minutes while I was making the pesto. But roasting would be good, especially on cold days.
It caramelizes the sugars, too, which would oomph the pie that little extra bit.