The "Dirt" on Husband

Husband has dirt in his blood.  He said he never would when we were dating.  He said he'd never be a farmer (although the "good story" he wrote when he was 8 hinted otherwise).
It hangs on our wall now... as it did on his grandparent's wall for many years. 
 

He "gets it honest"...
His daddy, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather all turned soil. 

Farming is a tough occupation. It's unpredictable.  Physically demanding. Financially risky. The weather is finicky.  Machinery breaks down.  The hours are long.  Injury is lurking...
And yet... it fills husband's cup. 

He comes home each night dirty and greasy... lovely and spent.  The cologne of soil... and grease... and earth cling to him... and I savor it.  His days are wrapped in sunshine... rain... mud... weather forecasts... planning and shifting plans... livestock that depend on him... sowing seeds... and harvesting their offspring... divided and multiplied.   

These are the "girls" I share him with...

Activities as old as time... souped up with a little John Deere Green horsepower and modern day technology. 

Tools lined up... everything in it's place.

(This would explain why my purse makes him nauseous!)

The cycling of the seasons has deeper meaning for us than for most...
a "chance of thunderstorms" hold weight much greater than whether my picnic will be spoiled or not.

In admiration I watch those perfectly straight rows of emerald sprouts look out upon this world and I am overwhelmed by the beauty of it... the field itself...
and the way it nourishes husband. 

Winter wheat morphs the field into a giant Chia pet!

The black ground is watered with his sweat... and sometimes blood and tears. 
Roots grow deep into this ancestral land.

Alongside the wheat and corn... grow faith and trust and patience and hope. 
God whispers in the wind... and shouts from the treetops.

All that dirty blood running through his veins... and light... and air. 
Cleansing and right.
He is more... and so am I.

I'm so glad he changed his mind about this farming thing.

Outstanding in the Field

I attended a FABULOUS event this afternoon!  When wine is involved at 2:00 in the afternoon it is off to a very good start... just sayin'.

So check out http://www.outstandinginthefield.com/... beautiful table settings... local farms... fresh food... this is the "real deal" if you're a foodie.

The setting was http://www.lattedadairy.com/.

The centerpiece is... the table.

Set in a long sequential row along the available landscape...

in this case a sidewalk on a goat farm.

What? Does a goat farm not sound very inviting?  Well mix in a 5-course gourmet meal, (did I mention wine pairings), artisan cheese makers, a chef, a great friend, unknown strangers who share a love of all things delicious and delectable, the great outdoors, some really cute furry creatures (goats)... and equally impressive "guardian" dogs and you have a combination for an extremely lovely afternoon! (understatement).

This is the menu... simple, elegant and filled from tip to top with layers of rich deep flavors... and of course goat cheese!

So your only assignment is to bring a plate... any plate... this way each table setting... at each event... is unique... and lovely... and filled with stories. They stacked them up like mismatched jewels.

 

I chose this one...

I picked it out when I was only 15 years old.  At a darling little antique store in Brenham, TX that was once a drive in theater.  When I was 12 we moved from Houston to Austin and we journeyed this route maaaaany times.  With each passage I would stop in and leave a little cash in order to pay down my "layaway" plan. 

Finally... when my grandparents came for my high school graduation, they stopped in and paid the ransom left on my china set and brought it to me as a graduation gift. happy sigh.

It now lives in my china cabinet and comes out on special occasions.  It is very old fashioned... and quaint.. and not progressive... and I adore it.

My friend brought this one... Her grandmother dined upon it.

The gentleman across from us was charming... hilarious... enthusiastic!

His wife a doll.

He asked a great question!

"What is the most amazing thing you have done in your life?"

That's a biggie! Wedding and children weren't allowed as an answer... those are the obvious ones. 

Something else? What?

Not sure the answer... Something epic? 

I'll have to hover over the options.

I've got to ponder this one.  I love questions that require pondering.

We shared stories with strangers... we laughed... and almost cried... and tantalized our senses.

In addition to the layers of flavor... there was laughter and faith and friendship folded into the afternoon. 

It was good. It was very good.

   



Family Forest

I am very proud to say that I don't have a family tree... it's a forest. 

Seriously.

 

In high school I was assigned the task of drawing my family tree on a chalkboard.  Needless to say, I filled every square inch of green.  It was then that I realized that my "tree" was more like a wilderness... with quirky little poplars and towering pines.

• I am one of 8 children.
• I never lived with a sibling full-time until I was 17.
• I have no "full" siblings... they are all steps or halves.
• I am an "only", "oldest", "middle" and "youngest" depending upon which branch of the family tree you are exploring (however I have only/oldest personality traits... primarily).

I will not bore you with the mind-numbing details of marriages, divorces, who belongs to whom, etc... it's all fine print anyway.

The bottom line... the whole brood is family...

We are loud... opinionated... loyal... imperfect... elaborate... simple... often musical... definitely dramatic... down-to-earth... deep thinkers... desperate for grace... salt and light... soiled... deeply rooted... moody... and beyond. 

To deliciously complicate matters, almost 18 years ago, I was grafted into another large family when my husband and I tied the knot!  Though not nearly as complex, they are also a meandering vine!

We even get to count many of them as neighbors since we live on a family farm.

To keep it as simple as possible, I have 3 distinct sets of family... 

The Colorado Parents, the Houston Parents... and the Farm Family. 

It's been really fun recently that some of my different trees have begun to intertwine. Last Christmas we spent the holidays with my Colorado Parents... and my Houston Sisters came with us.  At one point Colorado Brother queried as to exactly how he was related to the Houston Sisters (not at all actually)... he created a new familial definition...

Non-Descript-Half-Step-Sisters... I love it!!

I did manage to fit my Farm Family's immediate leaves into the traditional structure of a tree a few years ago.  My Farm Mom specifically requested it for Christmas and then my Farm Sister had to have one too. =) 

I started the design on a piece of paper with MERRIFIELD as the "trunk" and then simply started attaching the names (crossword puzzle style) trying to keep things in the general correct "shape" of a tree... (not too lopsided... wide or tall).  

When the names were all added (be sure to double check... you would not want to accidentally omit a leaf!) I sketched in the curved branches and then worked with paint and canvas to achieve the final product.  

We've added two new leaves (Catherine and Caleb) since the original painting, so if you attempt something like this at home, be sure to leave room as the family grows. =) 

Finger Limes

I'm a complete pushover when it comes to trying some new flavor or taste that I've never experienced before... so when I saw "finger limes" advertised in the October 2011 edition of the Food Network Magazine (a must-have subscription btw)...

I didn't even wait a single day.  I logged onto www.shanleyfarms.com and placed my order. 

I anxiously awaited the arrival of 25 to 35 finger limes.  Total order cost was $25, so about a buck a lime, which is a little steep, but who could resist this pink and green experience?  

I sternly directed the coupon clipping side of my personality to settle down and clicked the "place order" button. 

I imagined a "crate" of sorts arriving with my limes (which I could then generously share with my food curious friends). 

A few days later my limes were in my hands... not in a crate so much... or even a medium sized box... but in a tiny US postal service parcel.  My "crate" turned out to be more the size of a pint of blackberries. 

I immediately went to the kitchen and sliced one open.. amazing!  Exactly like the picture (except smaller).. little glorious individual beads of pulp filled the rind.  With a little gentle nudging with the tip of the knife, my co-workers and I sampled the "citrus caviar" (some more willingingly than others). 

I knew immediately that these bead-like bubbles had a swimming date with a salt-rimmed glass, filled with Corona (it was Friday after all).

As you can see, the limes are significantly smaller than the regular sized version.

And here are those little magical beads spilling out (just as promised)...

So I know what you're all wanting to know... What did they taste like?

When you slice open the rind of the lime (some rinds are a dark purplish hue and some are green) there is a fragrance not unlike honeysuckle... very aromatic... a little bit like perfume.  I found that if you sliced the lime from tip to tip instead of into circles, that the little beads were easier to scrape out of the skin.  The beads have a tendency to stick together so they need a little encouragement to abandon their segments. 

When you bite into the pearls there is the tiniest popping explosion and burst of sour on your tongue (similar to a caviar experience without the brine).  I have to say that they were quite addictive floating in a carbonated malt!! You can sprinkle them on top of tuna fish and crackers... salmon... anywhere you want a little pop of sour goodness. 

I have to say I'm a fan.

I did share a few (only to those worthy of appreciating this culinary experience)... but mostly I have kept them for myself.  And although I was a little disappointed at first at the size of the delivery, I have gotten beyond that hiccup... since now,  more than 2 weeks later (and several happy cocktails), I still have some to spare.  (I guess I shouldn't have been so stingy). And although they're getting a little dry on the outside, the plump spheres inside seem to be holding their own. 

Would I order them again?? I'm hoping they will become more readily available in local markets so I can save on shipping, but I don't regret a penny of my citrus expenditure. 

"Thumbs Up" to finger limes... pun intended. =)