Tag: winter
On a Winter Day
The past few weekends have made me feel so cramped and crazy, mostly because the puppies are growing, and needing a lot of attention. Sometimes it makes me wonder if I was nuts to get two, but when they are all cute and cuddly, the answer is always a loud “Yes!” Luckily, the other half is superlative at caring for them, but he abandoned me for the Super Bowl. As the puppies are crate trained, I made good my escape for a couple of hours to the local botanical garden.
Where I live, endless blue skies are endlessly blue and cloudless. We are in the middle of a drought. The state does not plan to release reservoirs, and I don’t blame them. Weather is weird, extremes showing up which seem abnormal. Global warming? I think so, but this is not a political / ecological foray, so we will leave it at that. Back to the skies: we had rain clouds! And some light rain! I went out to shoot landscapes with a long lens, 70-300mm, but could not produce any I liked – I expect my view-point was wrong.
Instead, tripod in hand, I also focused on flowers. Always, flowers. Leaves, rocks, trees, branches. I love the shapes of nature, and ultimately these seem to be the ones I love the most. Long lenses are great for blurring the background, and with flowers it is no exception. On this trip, I took my time, crawled around, and looked through the camera to frame my shot. At times, I used live view because I was down so low (luckily, no mud), and my battery was draining faster than normal.
Small patches of bright color are always welcome on a dreary day. The smell of sage and earth and decaying leaves are wonderful. I took my time to enjoy the garden, and even though it started to rain – and my camera gear was sadly unprotected – it was such a pleasure to be outdoors (sans puppies pulling on a leash) to enjoy the beauties of nature.
Winter’s Field
During my years painting, I always seemed to focus on small parts of things, not the entire thing – the hidden essence. In photography, I find myself still drawn to the plain or minimal. My last walk was into a field, shortly after a rain. The clouds were breaking up, sunshine coming and going, the wind was brisk, and the smell of damp earth filled the air. Yesterday’s lone bird, and today’s winter’s field try to catch this in each solitary moment.
Winter Along Malibu Creek
Soup of the Evening
I have had a squash or two lying around for a few days. I’ve roasted one, so tonight I decided to make soup out of the other. It is an acorn squash, which is not an easy one to peel and dice because of its ridges, but peel and dice it I did. I think next time, I will probably cook it before I turn it into soup!
Anyway, I took half a yellow onion, diced it fine, and sauteed it in olive oil and butter. Then, I took the diced, peeled acorn squash – seeds removed – and added it to the mix. I let it both onion and squash caramelize a bit. Then I added about 1 cup of sliced apple – I had one with a bruise, so I cut out the bruise – and added it to the onions and acorn squash, stirred it a bit, then added two cups of chicken broth (unsalted) and another two cups of water. Seasoning was a teaspoon of dried thyme. Then, left on its own to simmer about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, I got the blender out, as the plan is puree it all, and return it to the pot. From there . . . it may be enough with a bit of salt and pepper for the final seasoning, or I may give it a bit of a bit by adding some ginger or aleppo pepper. In the end, though, I just pureed it in the blender, added a bit of salt and pepper, a bit of extra water to thin it out, and a dollop of sour cream. Suggestion: do this in small batches – my kitchen had soup all over the place because I just put the whole mess in the blender, forgetting that blenders are enthusiastic!
The result is a soft, creamy soup, with a delicate sweetness from the apple, and more suited to an appetizer than a “hearty” meal. With a nice salad, and a tasty roll, the result is also perfect for a light meal.
Acorn Squash Veloute
- 2 T. each live oil and sweet butter
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1 acorn squash
- 1 sweet apple
- 2 c. chicken broth, unsalted
- 2 c. water
- Dried thyme, salt, pepper
- Sour cream
In a 3 to 4 quart sauce pan, place diced onion and saute in heated olive oil and butter. Peel and seed squash; chop into chunks. Add to onion when onion is pale yellow, and continue to saute, allowing onion and squash to caramelize a bit. Dice apple, add to onions and squash. Add 2 c. unsalted chicken broth. Bring to simmer. Add 1-2 tsp. dried thyme. Simmer covered until all ingredients are tender. Puree in blender in small amounts, then return to sauce pan. Thin with water if necessary, and balance seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Warm but do not boil.
Serve in bowls with a small dollop of sour cream on top, or a drizzle of thin cream.
Comment
Next time I make this, though, I will roast the squash in the oven and scoop out the seeds and flesh. Peeling it was not hard, just annoying! The flavor may be more pronounced as a result.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 