The World Keeps Spinning 'Round the Sun

It seems to be the time where so many ideas and opportunities are presenting themselves to me and it feels both exhilarating and scary. Every week - if not every day - the people, conversations, ideas, and places I visit churn up inspiration at a (sometimes) dizzying pace.

I sleep with a pen and paper just in case an idea hits me in the middle of the night. I have folders and subfolders, lists of lists, jars in jars. I wonder a lot. I like to read, and write, and cook, and eat, and share although I don't think I do enough of any one. The opportunity to pick sour cherries presented itself today and how could I possibly say no? Change of plans, restructure the to-do list, wake up an hour or two earlier because a test batch of sour cherry chutney must be done. Tend to the ferments. Wish for daylight to snap more photos. Water the tomatoes. Start the reminder list for what I need to take with me in the morning. Get a shopping list ready for more recipe testing. Curse the rabbits for eating my beans.

I like this pace. Let's keep going because it's not time to stop yet. Summer is here.

Extra! Extra!

Local residents will recognize the weekly town newspaper, The Aylmer Express in the photo above. Included in this weeks printing is the 2013 edition of 'Backyard Vacations' - a beautiful glossy mag filled with plenty of ideas for enjoying summer right here in our neck of the woods. Included in the magazine are recommendations for places to go and visit and several mouth-watering recipes for summer cooking. I might be a little bias when stating the Strawberry Cornmeal Shortcakes (ahem...page 60-62) and Berry & Cream Ice Pops look and sound absolutely delicious, but I also can't wait to try out the recipe for fish tacos with corn salsa. Perhaps I could trade some sour cherries or sauerkraut for rainbow trout with an avid wrangler since I'm not much of a fisherwoman? Maybe?

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Firing Up the Grill For a Chance to Win a Grill

What do you eat fermented foods with? Other fermented foods.

If you're a beer drinking and/or craft beer lover the place to be this weekend is The Western Fair. The 1st (I think?) everBeer & BBQ show is taking place in the Agriplex at the Western Fair on Friday and Saturday and it looks to be a super good time for eaters and drinkers alike.

This eater and drinker herself will be attending the show on Friday night. I'm looking forward to tasting some tasty brews and chews and I'm also getting stoked about being a contestant in a grilling competition with a chance to win a gas BBQ.

I admit I didn't really know what I was doing when I submitted my photo of a grilled footlong sausage with fermented condiments (red sauerkraut, horseradish, grainy mustard, and pickled asparagus - yes, it was amazing) in an online contest with only 4 hours remaining before the entry deadline but my competitive nature took over and what do you know? I'm gonna be a contender. The grill-off takes place at 7:30 pm and it's a blackbox kind of contest. I won't know what I'm grilling until I get there and my job is to make whatever it is taste and look delicious. The winner of said grill-off goes home with a brand spankin' new BBQ. If you are thinking about coming to the show Friday night, please visit the contest and cheer me on. The moral support would be most appreciated as I won't be on home turf.

I'll be the girl wearing the "I eat local because I can" t-shirt.

Welcome, summer!

The Fermented Rainbow: Red Sauerkraut, pickled radishes, pickled rhubarb, pickled carrots, preserved lemons, pickled asparagus, pickled green strawberries