Yes, It’s Been Quite A While . . .

 As you are well aware nothing about the past many months has been smooth and calm, or even normal. I too have been caught up in emotional reactions to national politics, to global concerns and simply just getting by day to day.

                Over the winter the culinary community lost one of the greats, Nathalie Dupree, a woman who supported food writers, cooks, and chefs with her ability to help us all make connections. Her friendship was very dear to me. 

However, my dear 101-year old sister in law Viola is still a woman I can pick up the phone and talk to about the past when my late husband and I farmed in South Dakota.

                In between the moments of outrage and concern there have been some very lovely things in my life since I last posted. So I am gonna share the good and, for the moment, gloss over the not so good. Except the tree falling on my barn. I will tell you about that!

                Last fall my long-time dinner assistant Liz and I were chosen to be part of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Folklife Apprenticeship Program. She is such a fine student and has many skills that are a perfect complement to my historical cooking interests. Early this month Montpelier’s “We the Kids Day” was a family friendly day of open fire cookery for us. I bet we cooked over 150 corn pone and fed them hot right off the griddle to kids and their families with generous drizzles of honey or molasses.

                Much to my delight the Indigo House dinner table was the scene of a dinner filmed to be part of the PBS film “Finding Edna Lewis” by Richmond, Virginia journalist and food historian Debra Freeman. The film was released to the public this Feb during Black History Month. To view it google Finding Edna Lewis PBS and you will get the link. I’ve been invited to two of the regional showings that were very well received. The most recent was at the Library of Virginia where a well-attended showing was followed by Deb and I talking all things Edna – our mutual favorite cook!

   

                On the home front my granddaughter Ruby and I attended a wonderful local Live Arts stage production of The Wizard of Oz as our Christmas present to ourselves. It has always been one of my favorite musicals. Many years ago I met the brilliant Yip Harburg, the man who composed all the songs; Somewhere Over The Rainbow probably being the most famous.

                While I was away from home in late February at an agriculture conference in Atlanta an ice storm brought down a large pine tree which cleaved right through the roof of our barn. Damn. We’re still working on the how’s and details of the repair. It has meant the cancelation of my usual spring crop of laying hen chicks as the whole brooder room was destroyed. Sigh.

       

                But there are always good things happening on a farm. We got a large snowfall, the second of the year, which added much needed moisture to our dry soil.

The Hellebore, the daffs and the Virginia Blue Bells, the Snow Drops and the Tulips have bloomed. Miss Magnolia Jane was magnificent for about three weeks till it got blasted by a hard frost. But I see the buds of Clematis coming along, and the stems of peony coming on strong for late spring bloom. I’ll be sowing lots of zinnia, sunflowers and marigolds when the soil warms up.

                I’ve sown beets, carrots, planted potatoes in tubs, and Granddaughter Zoe turned my entire compost pile providing me with a big pile of rich compost for feeding the garden beds. Soon, I’ll sow snap peas, broccoli raab, and chard, with tomato plants, Anaheim Pepper plants, and hopefully Japanese Eggplant to set in as soon as the soil gets warm.

                Here at Indigo House I’ve scheduled six history dinners and 6 canning classes for May through Oct. All that information is at www.indigohouse.us for registration.

                The biggest and the best news is that I have contracted with Knopf to write the book on home provisioning I’ve had in my head for so long. Sitting and writing has been a serious challenge to my self-discipline. Sitting and writing is hard work and I’m learning that lesson the hard way every day! Send me your good thoughts!  

                May this Spring bring you some joy. May we continue to protect our Constitution and our fellow citizens who are under fire.