Beets, Beets the musical fruit . . .

Oh ya, that's beans! 

The beets are bursting from my garden and many of yours as well I suspect.

My most favorite way to eat beets - plain and simple.

Roasted. 

I simply harvest beets and after removing the tops, snipping off the root

and giving a gentle scrub, I wrap them snugly in tinfoil and bake/roast

on the barbeque.  When squeezed (with the oven mitts on)

and the package feels tender but not too tender,

I take them off, let them sit for a bit,

open the package and let them cool just enough to handle them

with a rubber glove on - then the skin just slips right off.  Nothing added, just

wonderful, naturally grown, sweet beets!  

They are great chilled and added to salad and a few beets also make their way into jars of lovely 

pickled beets.

But, today my friend linked me to this really beautiful recipe for 

BEET CAKE.  

I don't think I have ever seen a more beautiful, relaxing baking video.

  Not that I watch a whole bunch of baking video's but trust me, you'll

know what I mean.  

You can take a peak  here (be sure to shut my blog music off at the bottom first).

She also sent along a very pretty printed version but she didn't write down where 

she picked it up from so I apologize, I'm sharing without a link.  If you happen

to know who it belongs to please e-mail me or send me a comment and 

I'll be sure and get the link up right away.  

Have a really Beeeetiful day!

To market, to market

I think it continues to be one of those best kept secrets.  Did you know that Thunder Bay has a thriving farmer's market called the THUNDER BAY COUNTRY MARKET.  Home to some of Thunder Bay's best bakers, makers and producers who bring a wonderful selection of made, baked and grown goods to their market tables every Saturday from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.  Did ya know, huh, huh, huh . . .

Well if you didn't, now you do!  One of my favorite market vendors is Renata of MILE HILL FARM.  I swear she grows the best lettuce and seasonal greens mix around.  When in season, I get my fix every Saturday and knowing that what I bring home and put on our plates is grown locally, naturally in and on land that continues to be worked by Renata and her family, and by the way also tastes really incredible, is a nice feeling.  

Renata and no - not Moe!

Renata's farm is a family run farm committed to providing natural meat and naturally grown produce for people who are concerned not only about what they eat, but also about the health and well being of the world around them.  You can catch Renata in the market garden of the Country Market every Saturday and to learn more about her wonderful and by the way beautiful farm, go here.

If you visit Renata at the market these days you'll find her fantastic garlic, beautiful sweet onions which will be making their way into my salsa this week,  and 'working' right along beside her -- a little farmer in the making.  

Miera Thiboutot was offering these fabulous little morsels 
'free with a 50 cent donation'!

Affectionately called Basil Boats -- a beautiful basil leaf,
one gouda cheese curd and a yummy, sweet cherry tomato. 
Just the smile was worth 50 cents. 


Cheers to little farmers!

Fresh picked

The other day I went to the farm to pick raspberries.  Yum. 

While many immediately became a lovely snack
 as I drove home, the remainder have made their way into my freezer 

(and then back out again quickly for this photo).  

Later on when I have time, they will become jam or make

their way into muffins and scones.  

Gotta love fresh picked from the farm to your table, nothing beats a lovely
summers day drive to the farm knowing that the goodness found
there will be discovered in your freezer or pantry months down the road. 

On the other hand, as I was driving home, there was what seemed like 

a large number of dead skunks on the road here and there.  Not unusual at 

this time of year, especially on a "country" road but it seems to me
 I've come across a great deal of "road kill" this year -- deer, rabbits, porcupines
and it got me thinking . . .

not about the poor little skunk really but the larger picture . . .

how heavy our footprint has really become and how we need to be purposefully mindful

to tread more lightly when we can.

Here's to farmers -- backyard & otherwise.

Have a tread lightly lovely day.  

A little R & R

I know I haven't posted in a bit -- I've been away 

looking at 

this

and doing 

this

and well, this

but, I've been up to lots of other things as well.  Watch for my posts on the

market, the gardens, works in progress . . . 

I hope that you have had some time to chill out as well!

See you again soon.

Beautiful Bloomers!

I LOVE peonies.  I suspect if I had to choose my favorite flower it would be a tough job - I love so many but peonies are most definitely at the top of the list of beautiful bloomers. 

I grow flowers.  I'm a grower of flowers.  The majority of my gardens are classified as cutting gardens meaning they are planted primarily for the purpose of cutting the flowers that grow there.  It's a tough thing to do.  Even after all these years I am taken by the beauty of the gardens in bloom. It's always hard on cutting day.  While I know they are headed for beautiful Urban Farmchick market bunches I also know that once cut the beauty of the gardens will be changed.  The landscape altered yet again for another season.  

I do have pretty perennial gardens which are undergoing a slow but steady overhaul this year but given the amount of time and energy the cutting gardens require of me, the perennial gardens are the last to get my full and undivided attention.  A number of years ago I planted a whole bunch of peonies for the soul sole purpose of a cut flower.  It is my intention every year to take lovely bunches of peonies to market and that does happen in small number.  But, it also never fails that when the peonies are ready to be harvested, market day is too far away for them to last - even with refrigeration.  So, alas, they are harvested for a different but ultimately beautiful purpose - for drying and eventually, wound into wreaths  Moss Cottage style.

These lovely beauties along with some other interesting cuttings have been making their way onto the drying strings hanging in the living room.  Today I had to light the wood stove to get them drying more quickly to prevent browning.  Lets just say that having the wood stove burning on July 13 is a bit hard to take but as it turns out, the overnight temp tonight is forecast for 6 degrees!  

The foxglove is most certainly another on the "list" and it's in full bloom along with the Gentian Sage.  I don't think my cottage gardens would be complete without a foxglove or two, or ten.  The stunning blue of the sage is a pretty sight, don't you think.  I can hardly wait to see when all are in full bloom.

Happy Gardening - enjoy your bloomers!

Summer rains

The summer rains were a much welcome sight, at least for me.  I finally finished planting the cutting gardens which seemed to take forever this year.  I know it's just because I plant more and more each year and in fact, this season I've run out of garden room!  I'll find somewhere for all those bedding plants wanting to be planted but for now, the main gardens are done.  So, the rains came at the perfect time -- a good solid soaking and now we're ready for some warmth. 

The perennial gardens are looking awfully lovely this season, even if I do say so myself.  Especially following a good rain.  Living on a well, I don't tend to water the perennial gardens unless it's absolutely necessary and when nature takes care by giving us a good soaking, it's one less chore.  One of these days when I have time (lol!) I'm going to get some kind of gravitational water tank up in the cutting gardens with attached soaker hose - any ideas?   Until then, the occasional soaker of a summer rain is very welcome here.  Forecast is for a lovely weekend so enjoy.  I plan on attending the Thunder Bay Potter's Guild annual Spring Pottery Fair after market tomorrow.  My husband Brad is an exhibitor there for the first time - way to go Brad!  And, speaking of the market, I've got a post planned about some of my favorite vendors - coming next week.  Until then . . . enjoy.  

Not so welcome visitors

It's been like a regular animal kingdom around here this week.

Yup, I know, cute as a button.

And even cuter here . . .

The problem is, those cute as a button babies get bigger appetites and even 

better at jumping fences.  Mom was showing the little one the produce aisle of the grocery 

store today.  Uh, huh, cute. 

Then there was this fine young lady found nesting in the rafters of my 

husband's shop.  Unfortunately, as pretty as she is, she and all her

siblings and babies create incredible amounts of damage in no time flat.  So, she

had to go and we had to call a professional in to round her up.  She'll be taken in and 

tested for rabies and whatever other things they test for.  I hope she finds a new more appropriate 

wild life style home.

  Yup, the animal kingdom.  

Here's to furry little friends . . .