A Changing of Seasons

I have not done a goo job posting updates on the growth of the garden, and now it seems that the bounty has been harvested and the garden quickly turned from over-run jungle to yellowing leaves to damp dark fertile earth. Most everything has been harvested, the green beans, with several pounds blanched in the freezer, the carrots, all thoroughly enjoyed, the broccoli, the beets, the sunflowers, and we just harvested almost all of our winter squash, but there are still a few more hidden in there.

Ahhh, winter squash. Pumpkin. My absolute all time favorite. Remember my goal last year was to grow one pumpkin but that dream was pitched when a little boy took a hoe to my little plants? Well, my dream has come true and we have an abundance of winter squash, so much so we joke we could have our own pumpkin patch! We have been curing them in the sunshine and then placing them in the closet in the studio and oh the amazing smells as you walk in there. With the basil, oregano, and sage drying there as well, it reminds both Michael and I of our grandmothers basement, where she dried all the flowers for her business. I love having that piece of our past, right in this place we, for this season, call home. It amazes me how a smell can do that. Like this afternoon, I cut into a pumpkin so I could roast it and make my first purée, and the moment I dug into the flesh, I was right in my childhood kitchen, carving pumpkins with my Dad and my brother. Dad was always the bet carver.

And now as I lay on the red blanket in the cool shade with the breeze blowing perfectly, I can smell the pumpkin cooking and how it delights me so! Pumpkin waffles, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pasta... I am so thankful it is here! The season of pumpkin. Do you enjoy it as much as I do? Have you cooked with pumpkin before? Let me give you the easiest recipe for you to enjoy, a side dish for any meat and great with rice or couscous (a new favorite of Daniels, who has NOT been a pumpkin fan in the past)...

Simply sautéed pumpkin
Remove top of our pumpkin, remove seeds and save for later, and remove all stringies. Peel the pumpkin.

Cut into 1 inch cubes.

Meanwhile, sauté a small onion in butter until translucent and then add the chopped pumpkin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and chopped fresh sage and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.

Let me know if this does not make you love pumpkin!!

In the changing of the seasons, there does seem to be quite a few goodbyes, as we harvest the bounty and say goodbye to the pigs. We made an executive decision last week about the goats: they simply are not for us. They took a little too much liberty eating our garden and Lillybelle's milk dried up, leaving us with the choice of either breeding her, or finding them a new home. We decided a new home would be the best option for everyone. They weren't getting quite enough love here, to be honest, and they seemed quite lonely after the piggies left. So we found them a home just down the road, a new home with 5 other goats and lots of space to roam. And we feel good about the decision. This season was just a time to experiment and see if we do enjoy the lifestyle of a "homestead". And so we have found we love the garden, we love the pigs, (well, the product for sure!! I can't say I LOVED taking care of them or loved their smell...), and we love the chickens. Goats, maybe not so much and perhaps a little too high maintenance. And isn't God just full of grace to find a new home for them? And so, just as the seasons are changing, our little farm seems to be changing as well, with a simple fall garden and 9 chickens happily scavenging around. But it seems just right for now.