There was a Farmer, name was Hill... : P-I-K-K-U

Monday, October 05, 2009

It's That Time Again

Mamabear came down Saturday and we went up river to my parents' acreage to see about finding ourselves some chestnuts. And yay! They're everywhere. These little buddies are not to be trifled with, though. You better be wearing some thick gloves if you want to play ball. Inside those mean-looking hulls are the loveliest, glossiest dark reddish-brown (or perhaps chestnut-colored!) nuts. Usually each hull contains three nuts -- most of the time there are one or two viable (sizeable) nuts and one that is rather shriveled, but I opened quite a few that actually had three sizeable buddies inside. We try to throw the "seeds" (the smaller/shriveled nuts) over the river bank or around the base of each tree so they'll sprout up on their own. (I've not boned-up on my chestnut vocab or knowledge yet, so please pardon my obvious novice status). A lot of the nuts had actually fallen out of their hulls right onto the ground and we gathered those as well. Looks like we may have beaten the squirrels and birds to the punch this year. Or perhaps it was such a bumper crop that there's still plenty to go around. And considering what an amazing year it's been for most every plant around, that just might be the case.

100509 (EOS) 006 Pikku Chestnuts on the Tree.jpg

This site seems to have some valuable chestnut info. They recommend slicing a small "X" in the skin of the chestnut and then roasting them at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or so (similar to what we've done for the past few years). Mamabear and Papabear have also teamed up in years past to make Smoked Chestnut Pasta. This year is no exception. Mamabear gathers the chestnuts, Papabear smokes them in his Traeger, Mamabear grinds them into Chestnut Flour and makes them into pasta (linguine and ravioli last year if I remember correctly). Yes, as a matter of fact, my parents are pretty awesome. Mamabear got the idea after reading this book.

Let us not forget the other amazing trees on my parents' property. There's the beautiful and gigantic Beech (about the same size as most of the Chestnut Trees -- which is to say at least as tall as a 10 story building) and also a rather large and friendly Hawthorn (I gathered some of its berries which are known to be good for medicinal uses). [I'd like to say I have a soft spot for the Beech Tree and in fact, I will; I've got a soft spot for the Beech Tree! The trunk and base of it just look so welcoming and happy. I also gathered a few of its nuts to see if I might start a few Beech Trees from seed.] There are also a few Filberts that I visited a month or so ago and harvested a small amount from, but had my timing wrong and didn't realize that I ought to have come back again sooner than this weekend. Next year maybe I'll get it right.

I'm rather in awe of the fact that there is food everywhere, whether we're actually cultivating it or not. Nature is so ridiculously miraculous.

100509 (EOS) 019 Beech and Chestnut Buddies.jpg

Posted By hbalm At 9:37 PM •

Let's Go for a Walk!

I love going for walks. Especially on sunny, crispy, slightly chilly new Fall days. Those walks are made even better when it just so happens I’m accompanying folks I adore. Yesterday I finally had some time to hang out with Em and Morgan and Turkey, their fabulous pooch (and Guido, their semi-new kitteh who I officially adore after meeting him for the first time yesterday) and on the schedule was a late afternoon foraging walk through their SE Portland neighborhood. I get pretty fired-up about going for walks with other folks – there’s just something exciting and wonderful and adventurous about traveling by foot. It’s slow enough that you can observe as much or as little as you like (though usually it’s the former) and you can go at whatever pace you wish. I love to observe the world around me and walking is a great way to do it. Walking in new and unfamiliar places is such an adventure! Not to mention that there was a foraging aspect to this particular Sunday walk and I am all about the free food. Especially when it’s food that might otherwise go to waste. Though, I suppose this food probably would not have gone to waste because there are innumerable squirrels and other creatures in Portland that surely dispatch with the fruit of any and every chestnut, walnut and filbert tree (and any other nut or fruit tree to be found) in the city.

100509 (EOS) 036 Fall Foraging Walk with Mo and Em.jpg

I don’t go for walks as often as I ought to. I don’t mind walking around Woodland (and I haven’t actually done it all that much, probably because I don’t have anyone to join me and walking is something I enjoy more with a friend) but there’s a little something missing. Maybe it’s the smallness of Woodland. Perhaps that’s something to ponder.

I went on a walk earlier this summer and even though things turned out different than what I’d hoped for, that walk was still pretty amazing. (Ha! So cryptic!) I also remember a walk I went on in college. It was an evening walk around the upper Queen Anne neighborhood and there was something downright magical about that particular walk on that particular night and quite honestly with that particular person. Things also did not turn out the way I had hoped in that situation, but still, the memory remains in my head. And I’m happy with that. There was a walk with Kayti last summer when we picked blackberries in the wet morning grass and came back rather soggy from the dew. And last winter, walking through Bellevue with Kayti and her Mom and watching them catch giant snowflakes in their mouths. That memory makes me smile. Often when I go for a walk, it seems to inspire conversation that might not otherwise take place. I seem to think better when I'm walking. Though the same cannot necessarily be said for trying to think and do any number of other things at the same time.

I think this fall and winter shall be a time for more walking. Who wants to come with me?

100509 (EOS) 029 Fall Foraging Walk Curious Tree.jpg

Posted By hbalm At 9:03 PM •