Living Under a Douglas Fir Tree

We live in the shade of a large Douglas Fir tree,  Pseudotsuga menziesii, that houses squirrels, crows, insects, and a family of four raccoons.  I love this tree.  I enjoy listening to it’s branches blowing in the breeze and the shelter that it provides.  Our tree showers down fresh crunchy fir cones and needles to adorn the garden like sprinkles on a cupcake.  It's nearly impossible to take a picture in our yard without a part of the tree in it.

Acanthus leaf with fir needles

hardy banana leaf, Musa basjoo, with fir needles

Splat!

The Douglas Fir needles even clog up my copper rain chain.

And I found tiny mushrooms growing in the bark of the Douglas Fir tree.  Aren't they pretty?

Garden Details and My New Camera

My Pirate gave me a new Canon Rebel camera last week.  And I’ve been out taking pictures, whenever the rainstorms pause, with a huge grin plastered across my face like a five year old at Disneyland.  

My new camera is able to capture details like this stink bug, Banasa dimiata. It patiently posed on a castor bean blossom until I captured just the right shot. 

Banasa dimiata on a castor bean blossom

My November garden is a counterpoint of beautiful foliage and dead leaves.  The Spike Winter Hazel, Corylopsis spicata, is putting on a beautiful show.

Corylopsis Spicata

The dead hosta leaves are interesting to look at.

A cascara tree leaf, Rhamnus purshiana.     

                                                            

This snowberry, Symphoricarpos albust, is going to take a trip to the compost heap next spring.

I came across this leaf composition resting on top of an Acanthus leaf.

The kousa dogwood is one of my favorite trees with it's three seasons of interest.  

Right now, my young tall stewartia tree, Stewartia monadelpha, is my favorite tree, even though the sun burned it's leaves this August. I might need to move it to a shadier spot.

The rugosa roses reached over seven feet tall this year and now the foliage is turning gold.

This summer I added Japanese forest grass, Hakonechloa macro 'Aureola', seed heads to many of my bouquets.  

And ostrich fern fronds that died in the drought.

And Japanese anemone seed heads.

And even branches of the twenty four year old japanese maple that is a foundation planting in our neighborhood.

Only two more days until December and the hardy banana is still pushing out a new leaf.

The chocolate cosmos are still blooming up a storm.

And so are the hardy fuschias. 

Frost, where are you?

My Favorite Autumn Garden Moment

My favorite autumn moment has arrived in our garden.  The tips of the Pagoda Dogwood,

Cornus alternifolia

, are adorned with pairs of golden leaves that look like tiny butterflies fluttering in the breeze.  

Misery Loves Company and Turkey Barley Soup

Sometimes, when you share germs with the person you love, the only thing to do is to slump onto the couch in your pj’s, blow your nose, watch movies, and slurp homemade turkey barley soup together.  This weekend we collapsed under the weight of our snot production and I made a simple soup with our leftover turkey and a few odds and ends.  It was the perfect meal at the perfect moment for both of us, which is a rare and beautiful thing.  And we still have some left for tomorrow.     

Turkey Broth

Leftover roasted turkey carcass cut in half

1 head of garlic, chopped in half horizontally

6 whole peppercorns

parsley, several sprigs

kosher salt

water

Place all of the ingredients together in a stock pot and fill it up with water about an inch from the top edge.  Place it on a burner and turn it on high.  Bring to a boil and drop back down to a simmer on medium—medium low heat.  Spoon the scum off the top of the water for a few minutes, then let it simmer for approximately four hours.  Add water to the pot as needed.  Taste and strain.

Turkey Barley Soup

1 onion, diced

2 stalks of celery, sliced

1 tablespoon of butter

1 tablespoon of olive oil

3 carrots, sliced

3 cups green cabbage, chopped

¾ cup barley

pot of turkey stock—I used one gallon

3 cups large diced left over turkey meat

5 drops of lemon juice

salt and pepper

Sweat the onion and celery in butter and oil for ten minutes.  Add sliced carrots, barley, and cabbage.  Then add the turkey stock.  Bring to a boil and drop to a simmer.  Simmer for fifty minutes.  Add the turkey meat.  Cook for ten more minutes.  Add five drops of lemon juice.  Taste.  Season.  Serve. 

Even The Assistant approved!

Giving Thanks and Sweet Potato Jalapeño Soup

As much as I love to cook for people, I choose to keep Thanksgiving an intimate gathering.  I spend the day with my two favorite people and dogs.  And I whip up a Thanksgiving feast, off the cuff.  No traditional family recipes and no practice runs.  My Pirate receives a free turkey from work and I prepare it differently every year.  So, Thanksgiving in our home is a culinary adventure filled with laughter and suspense.  

Sweet Potato Jalapeño Soup

On Tuesday, I was thrilled to discover Applewood Restaurant and Bar's Sweet Potato Jalapeño Soup recipe on Facebook.  I copied it before they came to their senses and I made it for our first course today. It’s a sweet and spicy soup that celebrates the sweet potato in a fun new way without those awful marshmallows. In fact, we filled up on soup instead of dessert, so we’re all going to have Teddy’s Apple Cake for breakfast!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Sweet Potato and Jalapeno Soup

from Applewood Restaurant and Bar

3 lbs. sweet potatoes (or yams) peeled and coarsely diced

1 medium onion, coarsely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped--I grilled mine first to add a smokey dimension

6 cups vegetable or chicken broth--I used homemade chicken stock

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbls. butter

Fresh cilantro, chopped

In your soup pot, sweat the onions, garlic, and jalapenos in the butter, until they are translucent.  Add the sweet potatoes and broth and bring to a boil over high heat.  Then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.  Turn off the heat.  Puree the soup.  Then stir in the brown sugar, half and half, and salt and pepper.  Taste it.  Then serve it garnished with cilantro. 

Serves: 6