November 2019 Journal: Nurturing Terroir

IN THIS MONTH'S JOURNAL...

• Canning Homemade Grape Juice
• Rose Hip Jam
• Fermented Winter Squash Hummus
• Garden Notes
• Workshops & Events

Introduction

It’s fall, and where has the time gone? We took a little break from the Monthly Journal for a while, because we had to leave our kitchen space, and because life gets complicated sometimes. Luckily, we have such a beautiful backlog of old recipes, that we’ve been running them over again as weeklies, just in case you missed any, while we figured out our next steps. Have we figured it all out yet? Do we know what the future holds? Has life become any less complicated?

Well, we’ll just let the answers to that unfold as they will. In the meantime, we’ll change the subject, and mention how beautiful the weather is, and wasn’t those little rains just a lovely respite from the heat waves? And aren’t the last of the tomatoes sweetly red (and orange and yellow and green and purple and streaked), and aren’t we looking forward to soup season, as the evenings grow cooler and the rainclouds gather? These rhetorical questions are easier to answer.

In the midst of changing seasons and uncertain times, we hold fast to what nourishes us. Connection and compost, peak food and good times around a table. A pantry full of preserves, a fire to gather around. An endless supply of canning jars.

The grapes in the demonstration garden made hundreds of clusters of green and purple fruits that glow like gems when the sun streams through them. We’ve made all the jams, so we made juice. Grape Juice! No sugar added, homegrown, and delicious.

Canning Homemade Grape Juice

Well, we had made MOST of the jams. We hadn’t made a rose hip jam, yet. But we fixed that omission right up, to bring you this rich, umber spoon treat. It’s tart and different and wonderful, and you are quite welcome.

Rose Hip Jam

There’s so much sweetness to be savored, even at the waning of the year, as the summer fruits are replaced by winter’s long-keeping vegetables. We like this probiotic hummus because it preserves some of the rich orange sweetness of winter squash, while the fermentation process adds a lactic-acid tanginess. A colorful, flavorful spread.

 Winter Squash Hummus

If you’ve had your eye on the demo garden lately, you know that it’s been a wild riot. We’ll harvest all the burgundy amaranth soon, for our wreath and garland classes. And get some good old kale in the ground. Just as soon as we catch our breath! 

Garden Notes

It’s been a busy few months at the store, with a spate of classes on everything from fermented hot sauce, to Garden Salves, and more. We have a few more offerings this year; like an early chance at our To Bee or Not to Bee class, and our annual wreath-making class on November 10. We’ve added a garland class this year, to follow hot on the heels of the wreath-making class. And to round out the offerings, we’re also hosting a houseplant basics class on November 16th, covering the care, selection of houseplants for your space. We’ll also be hosting a massive houseplant truck sale on the day of the class, so come learn what you can and get some great deals on fresh, fabulous houseplants to bring a touch of greenery indoors to your space. 

Workshops & Events

As the holiday season ramps up, we’re hoping to see all of your lovely, local faces across the counter from us. Online interactions are great for some things, (ahem, like this Journal,) but they will never replace the tangible satisfaction of wandering through an actual location, picking up real-life objects, and talking with friendly, knowledgable people who are also your neighbors. It isn’t news that brick and mortar stores have to work harder than ever to stay afloat these days, and we don’t want to go on and on about it here, in a place that is designed and designated for home cooks and preservers to find delight, inspiration, and information. No, we won’t go on and on about it, but we’d like to give you a friendly little nudge and ask you to consider spending the effort to support not only Mountain Feed and Farm Supply, but all of our awesome local businesses in Santa Cruz county. Local businesses provide support and services to keep our neighborhoods thriving, full of character, and well-stocked with gifts that reflect the terroir of our terrain. Also, we carry dog food.

Wishing you the best that November has to offer!

This journal and the articles in it were written by Jessica Tunis, unless otherwise noted.