I'm in heaven this morning, and I want to tell you why. It started last night as I was going through the new catalog from the Seed Savers Exchange, which is in Decorah, Iowa. Even though my gardening days are limited these days, I love reading about the wonderful plants that can be grown with the heirloom seeds so carefully sheltered by Seed Savers. When I came to page 13 of the catalog, I discovered that Seed Savers is willing to sell some of its heirloom dried cooking beans by the pound–that is, pre-grown. Now that I've ordered my Dutch Brown's, Calypso's, and Christmas Limas, I'm willing to reveal this delicious source to my millions of readers: www.seedsavers.org.
But I'm unable to wait even the short time it will take Seed Savers to ship my beans, so I padded into the kitchen late last night and put up some Great Northern's and dry garbanzos to soak, knowing I would think of something in the morning. I got up well before dawn and started the beans slowly in chicken stock. After coffee and pet chores, I added much of the contents of my vegetable bin: a rutabaga, celery, pearl onions, carrots, kale, and a modest amount of my secret spices. This filled my big brown cast iron Dutch oven, and the house now smells so good I could weep.
I've always thought, for reasons I don't quite understand, that winter is Maine’s natural state. Summer feels like an aberration, when the place gets unnaturally warm and fills up with people, not a few of them a bit strange. In winter, Maine settles into itself: calm and quiet, peaceful and content. One of the best parts about winter here, since we’re not going to discuss black ice and snow shovels, is the availability of magnificent root vegetables at the food co-op. I know that for the next 4 or 5 months I'm going to be making soups and stews, or whatever they are, to provide the perfect warm accompaniment to crisp clear Maine all around me.
So here's my Sunday advice: first of all, you could have an enjoyable time looking at the Seed Savers Exchange website I cited above. Ordering now could extend some hope into the warmth of next spring, especially if you’re not a winter-loving creature. It seems odd to order 2012 seeds before Christmas, but this nonprofit, while well run and staffed, is hardly Burpee–they can run out of the things you want the most, and they fill orders as they are received.
Second, I hope you will consider the humble foods of winter. The way I view it, supported right now by my nostrils–these wintertime foods are just about the best you can eat all year, and they are easy to prepare. I hope you give it a try.
To make the day perfect, I was greeted this morning by 3 offerings from the Hibiscus plant right outside my bedroom. This blossom pictured below is bigger than my outstretched hand.
