Mourning Dove Song & Wing Whistling

Mourning dove song is so sweet, so gentle, so sublime. I went out this evening to refresh the water bowls I keep on the deck for the flora, fauna and insects. As I exited the screen door the mourning doves flew into the air with their characteristic wing whistling. I'll never tire of that noise or the mournful sound of their calls. 

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My Garden is Wild Now

My garden is wild now since I can't keep up with maintenance for various reasons. All my plants have matured into what they like to be, much like me. Most of my herbs are in containers due to poor rocky soil. When it rains the ground is too saturated to keep the herbs healthy. My dill is in bloom and the bright yellow flowers contrast nicely with the green foliate. I tried pinching off the flowers to harvest more greenery but the dill knows when it wants to bloom and it has finally won.

The bee balm has spread throughout the perennial garden and has all but pushed the others aside. In California I grew bee balm in raised beds so never knew it's habit of spreading. No matter the hummingbirds are very thankful.

The crocosmia is on the other side of the garden path so it has escaped the bee balm take over. Most of it's blooms have gone now.

In previous years I could gather a mixed bouquet, now most bouquets are one note.

Rudbeckia or brown eyed susan has an electric yellow color which contrasts nicely with the bee balm so that's a welcome sight. 

I've been in the studio almost daily and with left over clay I've been making some pinch pots. I pinch and smooth with my fingers and sometimes use the back of a wooden spoon to paddle the outer surface. I used a texture stamp just below the rim on the inside and bottom. I also used a small round dowel to press the rim making them look like a pie crust. Folks seem to like my pinch pots because I have sold all the ones I had. Above is the very first pinch pot I ever made; that was back in 2008. Time passes by so quickly. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Bonkers Likes His Vegetables, Us Too

I took okra out of the refrigerator to let it get to room temperature before baking it. Found out my cat 'Bonkers' likes rolling around in it, so I put the container in a cabinet and gave him one okra to play with. Of course now I can't find the piece of okra I gave him.

Last year I found out he liked green beans, he'd carry them around the house like a mouse. I grow catnip for him; he likes both fresh and dried. Above is Bonkers acting all innocent.

Crookneck squash never tasted so good! A local farmer at our farmers market gave us some leftover crookneck squash. At home I had an abundance of tomatoes, what to make? I decided to wing it. What about baked crookneck and tomatoes? Chop fine and sauté in a separate pan a shallot or half an onion, and a couple of cloves of garlic (added in the end for a minute or so).

Meanwhile slice your squash and tomatoes into quarter inch thick pieces. Olive oil a baking dish or cast iron frying pan on the bottom and sides and then line the bottom with the smaller pieces of squash and layer the larger squash and tomatoes slices in an alternating pattern. Top with sautéed shallot and garlic mixture. Top with shredded asiago or parmesan; sprinkle with some white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and ground rosemary. Toss in some sweet chili pepper sauce. Bake in 400 F oven for 30 to 40 minutes. I can smell the fragrant vegetables now. Neither Gary nor I like crookneck, well we didn't, but now we do. Might try it with mini tomatoes and basil next time. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Coconut-Lime Chicken Curry Soup

2 tbs olive oil|
2 cans coconut milk
2 cans chopped mild green chilis
zest and juice of two limes

3/4 cup water

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into half inch pieces

1 red onion chopped medium

4 large garlic cloves chopped fine
4 tsp curry powder

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp fine sea salt

4 tbs brown sugar

1 cup brown or red rice cooked al dente separately

Saute the onion till soft, add the garlic and spices till fragrant, then remaining ingredients. Add the rice before serving or just serve over the rice. It's called a soup but more like a stew. Best curry I've ever had; Off to the farmers market this morning. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.