A Foggy Winter Morning

The forest is so quiet and still this time of year. Almost lifeless except for the occasional squirrel or small birds that haven't migrated south for the winter.

But mostly, there's a sense of calmness. In the morning when I wake up, I look out the windows of the cabin into the forest. Often there's fog or frost before the sun rises from behind the mountain. It's a magical time of atmospheric depth.

An Amazing Fall in West Virginia

Wild dogwood tree on the nature trail

Maple tree backlit by sun

Road leading to the cabin

West Virginia Wild Persimmon Trees

My favorite trees on the property are the wild persimmons. They're american persimmons, diospyros virginiana. 

There's a cluster of them in an open section of the forest where there aren't any pine trees to crowd them out. The persimmons stand out with their unique bark and edible fruit. 

Persimmon fuit

The fruit grows high up in the trees during the summer, and as fall approaches, they begin to drop to the ground. At first, the persimmons taste astringent and bitter. Spit them out and wait. As the temperatures turn colder, the fruits ripen and sweeten. They taste similar to apricots with a jelly-like texture. 

Persimmon fruit still high in the trees as winter approaches

The unique bark of the wild persimmon trees stand out in the forest

As winter approaches, all the persimmons fall to the ground. Many animals gorge on the fruit. The animals leave their droppings around the trees. That gives me a hint of which animals have been near, including black bears. I see the seeds of the persimmons in the animal's droppings, so they're helping to start the next tree. 

The most interesting thing about the persimmon trees, however, is hugging them. When I hug them, I feel their energy. They radiate soothing calmness. And I feel loved. 

Hugging the persimmon tree

Wild Blackberry Cosmopolitans . . . Better than the Original!

With wild blackberries plentiful in July, I'm thinking . . . why not try a twist on the cosmopolitan cocktail? Instead of using the traditional cranberry juice, I'll use the blackberries, muddled in a shaker until they release their juice. Wow! Better than the original!

Here is my recipe to make one cocktail:

• 1-1/2 oz. vodka

• 1 oz. Cointreau

• 1-1/2 oz. wild blackberry juice

• 1/2 lime, squeezed (1 tablespoon or 1/2 oz.)

• Ice

Rinse martini glass, leave wet, and put into freezer. Put blackberries in a shaker, and muddle (mash) until they release their juice. Add remaining ingredients with about a cup of ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into martini glass.

Baba Ghanoush from the Campfire

I make my baba ghanoush by roasting the eggplants on a campfire. This adds a wonderful, smoky flavor to the dip.

Here's my recipe:

6 large eggplants
Aluminum foil to wrap eggplants
3 tablespoons tahini
Juice from 1-1/2 lemons
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for garnish
4 cloves garlic, minced finely
Kosher salt to taste (about 2 teaspoons)
Pepper to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley

• 
  
Build a campfire and allow time for embers to form and create a hot base. Lie sticks across to form a "grill."

Wrap eggplants in foil. Place on top of sticks. Cook, turning once, until they are collapsed and very soft, about 20-25 minutes depending on the temperature of the fire. A knife inserted will slide into the eggplants easily. They may even be oozing liquid. Leaving the eggplants on the fire longer than you think is fine. The foil may rip or come off to expose eggplants which is not a problem.

Remove eggplants from the fire and put into a large bowl. Let sit long enough until they are cool to handle. The eggplants release water as they cool; discard the liquid.

Unwrap foil. Slice the eggplants down the middle and scoop out insides and transfer to a bowl. Discard the charred peel. Put eggplant into a colander and let drain over a sink for a few minutes, stirring and mashing occasionally to get as much liquid out as possible.

Return eggplant to the large bowl and add tahini garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper. With a potato masher, mash and mix all ingredients until smooth. Transfer baba ghanoush to storage bowls and refrigerate.

To serve, spread baba ghanoush attractively onto a serving bowl. Create ridges with the backside of a spoon. Drizzle with olive oil, Italian parsley, pinenuts, and kosher salt.

Serves 6 with pita bread.

A Colorful Fall

  

Coral Berries

Drink of the Summer

This summer, we got the party going with margarita cocktails. They're a perfect combination with guacamole as we enjoyed our friends on warm afternoons on the deck.

For a pitcher of tasty (but potent—careful!) margaritas, here's my recipe:

1 cup Tequilla

1/2 cup Cointreau

1 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup agave

Ice

Salt (optional)

Add all ingredients to a pitcher with some ice, and stir well. If you like, salt the rim of your glasses. Fill glasses with ice and serve. Makes 6 servings.

A Dizzying View from Above the Trees

Last weekend, I had Brothers Tree Works remove a couple dying trees from around the cabin. They asked if I wanted to go up for a ride in their cherry picker. I quickly agreed--but I might not have if I knew how high it would go. The hydraulic crane quickly unfolded and I was hundreds of feet above the forest floor. What a frightening, but amazing view. This is probably how high hawks fly.

Here are a few pics I snapped while at the top. As always, click on the photos for a larger view.

Looking northwest above the trees.

This looks west. On the mountaintop is "The Maharishi Purusha Capital of the Western World," a meditation center. (http://www.purushacapital.org)

Looking down at the front yard.

Looking down at the cabin.

Looking straight down at the truck.

Shane from Brothers Tree Works.

One Inch at a Time

This inchworm just happened to stroll by on the railing of the deck as I'm relaxing today. So cool!

Ant Headquarters

I was out with Bill and we found the largest mount yet of Allegheny Mound Ants. The ants are dormant now, but soon they'll emerge to swarm in the warm spring air!

Sasquatch Sighting in Front Yard

Sledding with the Kids