The Call

I've been locked in a spell of introspection and my mind just refuses to shut up the last couple of weeks so I went online and looked up books and then went to the library.  Nothing resets the overheated brain like a good book and I got several books including Yannick Murphy's "The Call" from our library's new book shelf and filled my mind with the thoughts of someone else.  I couldn't put it down.  It's has an unusual format all inside the mind of David Appleton, husband, father of three, neighbor, and veterinarian in a small rural area.  It's a mental journal sculpted around "the calls" he gets as a vet.  "Call: horse down." And on to "What I saw coming home:"  "Things I've said to my wife."  Seemed simplistic at first but it's anything but; Murphy's writing reminded me of Cormac McCathy's lean prose.  The calls expand, someone who calls and hangs up.  Then their 12 year old son is injured in a freak hunting accident and lies in a coma. 

It's a small book but gripping and I couldn't put it down.  I read until 2am and then got up at 7am and finished it.  Time spent totally inside someone else's head.  Yannick Murphy is quite a writer and I'm looking forward to reading more of her creations.  It certainly derailed my circular thoughts of what I shoulda done or should notta done.  Yea, Yannick.

Washington Post 09/08/2011

The Dwindling Light

After the dust storm passed conditions are strolling into pre-fall.  Nice afternoons, and cooler evenings and nights.  As my youngest son's family has five of six girls playing soccer (each with about two games and two practices a week). I've shuttling some my grandgirls to soccer games out of town.  Yesterday we got the girls all lined up on the field and they did their warm-ups, and ran around the field, and around repeatedly when no referee appeared.  As thoughts of leaving appeared so did the referee. 

The game started enough that it was nearly dark by the time we finished and those of us inert in our folding chairs in the shadow of the hill were getting goosebumps.  Autumn comes in a process I know, but it seems to have just snuck up on us all at once.  The flock of chickens on the girls' farm have become reluctant to lay eggs in the dwindling light and chilly evenings.  They will put lights on in their hen house to fool them into a few more eggs before bedtime.  I took a nap this afternoon instead of cleaning the furnace filters, and vacuuming as I promised myself.  Maybe I need a light to make my day longer too.

It's been hot and dusty here.  We are still getting smoke from Oregon fires, the fire up by Goldendale, WA, and clouds of dust from the wheat/hay harvests.  Our sunsets are blood red, and then last night during my grandgirls soccer game it backed off a little.  This morning was clear, cool, and lightly breezy.  The advertised thunder storm was a light sprinkle so I opened all the windows and doors and aired the musty house out.  Refreshing.  About 1pm the wind picked up and the results are pictured above.  I ran around and closed all the windows and doors again.  It still smells better in here and went out to pick up books at the library, duh, I coughed for an hour after just jumping in and out of the car.  The dust storm is gone now, but I know better, still when I get an email from the library saying all the books I put on hold are in, I can't help myself. 

I got the next of Dana Stabenow's Alaskan Kate Shugak series, "Blood Will Tell", and the third of Louise Penny's Quebecois Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series "The Cruelest Month."  So far neither of these women authors have failed me.  Thanks to my friend Merry and friend Nancy for telling me about these books.  Also thank you to Cowtown Pattie's blog for her review of Heather Lende's (another Alaskan) Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs.  Our little rural library didn't have it so I bought it, and it's a wonderful autobiographical tale.  I'm about half way through it.  I got a second hand hardcover so I think I'll give it to our library when I'm done reading it and passing it around.  Thanks Pattie.

A Messy End

Even my little strip of a blooming garden has produced enough to brighten up my meals.  Although from the picture you can see the biggest crop seems to be Hollyhocks. Today I pulled up my basil.  I will cook it fresh in a tomato, basil, cheese pie.  The rest I will save to dry and use all winter.  The basil is done, the green peppers are creeping along, none of them likely to turn red.  There are very few cherry tomatoes left.

I like to make omelets and frittatas loaded up with my own chives, green peppers, and chopped Walla Walla Sweets, bought not grown.  I cook the veggies first, this morning I included some carrots sliced into tiny, thin strips.  I'm planning on having steamed broccoli with dinner and will cook enough to save for breakfast eggs.  Sometimes I sear and cook down the little cherry tomatoes, add basil, both fresh from the garden, put in some garlic and cheese with the eggs and wrap it in a tortilla. It's a great way to use up those little bits of fresh and cooked veggies, for any meal.  I'm making myself hungry.

Here's my favorite Tomato Tart recipe.

I am a packaged pie crust fan, faster, easier.
Prep: 20 minutes.  Bake 25 minutes, test with a toothpick.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450° F.

1 prepared pie crust
1 1/2 cups shredded queso fresco cheese (6 oz.)
4 roma tomatoes
1/4 - 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
4 cloves peeled garlic
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup cotija or Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
Fresh basil leave for topping (optional)

Press the pastry into your pan or dish and flute the edges but don't prick. Partially bake the pie crust for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is dry.  Remove crust from the oven.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of queso fresco cheese evenly in the crust.  Cool the pan on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° F.

Meanwhile cut the tomatoes into wedges, drain the wedges on paper towels.  Arrange the wedges over the melted cheese in the baked crust.

In a food processor, combine the 3/4 cup basil and garlic. cover and process with off-on turns until coarsely chopped.  Or, snip the basil and mince the garlic. (that's what I do, smells wonderful)

In a medium bowl, combine the basil/garlic mixture, the remaining queso fresco cheese, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, and pepper. Spread mixture evenly over the tomato wedges.

Bake in the 375° F oven about 25 minutes or until cheese is golden.  Let it stand 5-10 minutes before cutting into wedges.  Serve warm, if desired, garnish with additional basil leaves. 

Makes 8 appetizer or 4 main-dish servings, yummy with a salad.

July 07 2011 Whales entertaining a fisherman near Sentinel Island lighthouse north of Juneau.

It looks like it's going to be in the mid 90's this week so I rousted myself out early to make the rounds with the sprinklers before the heat set it.  Very lovely out this morning, around 65. A slight breeze is shaking the leaves in the huge sycamore trees across the block and making them glitter in the morning sun.  Good day to be alive.  Happy Labor day to you all.

A Day at the Fair

My granddaughter and her 4-H heifer

Went to the fair to see the sights, mostly to see my grandgirls who are showing heifers this year, five of them anyway.  We saw the art, ate a Gyro, saw the flower show, ate an elephant ear and spent a lot of time in the barn with the girls.  Other than to say those kids sure work hard for space in the show, I am short of commentary on anything today, just feeling peaceful and laid back, waiting for the big judging tomorrow morning.  Last year this girl got a heifer to show that "flopped," just laid down, every time she tried to lead it anywhere.  That's how I'm feeling today.  Hope your day is as pleasant.