19.9.05

A shout out to Shauna


Shauna, over at Gluten-Free girl, has this incredible way of reaching out from the computer with her writing, grabbing you by the hand, and taking you on an adventure through her kitchen, her cooking, and her mind. Reading her posts, you can't help but feel as though you're sitting in the kitchen with an old friend, chatting away about the intricacies of life and the interwining role that food, family, and friends play in it. You swiftly find yourself reflecting on your own life, and feel her positive attitude start to rub off on you. By the time you're finished reading, you feel like you've just been encircled by the arms of a friend and sent off with a great big hug. If you haven't checked her out yet, you should...especially her entry from Friday, Sept. 16.

Being a teacher, she gave us some homework yesterday: indulge in figs. 'Tis the season, after all. I have to admit, I don't know if I've ever been more excited for homework. Lucky for me, the classes that require that boring drudgery of after-school brainwork are long gone. Now I'm the one requiring my own students to take their work home with them (it really is necessary) and spending long hours in a lab for my own graduate school version of homework. But food homework? Now, that's something to enjoy taking home with you!

So, here's my shout-out to Shauna...this is a picture of my very first fig this year from the Brown Turkey Fig tree I bought 2 years ago. Produce has been slow-going this year; the deer eating the garden as soon as anything flowered, the squirrels eating all the hazelnuts from the tree before they were ripe enough to take (this happens every year), rain until July, and the sad realization that there will be no plums on our two plum trees this year for some unknown reason. And unfortunately, most of the figs on my tree don't seem like they're going to be ripe anytime soon...except for this one, and even if one is all I get, it's all I needed to be happy. So I plan on doing my homework and savoring every last bite...and I may even head to the store to pick up another pint. A recipe for rum-soaked figs has been calling my name. Keep your eye out for that one to come. And thank you, Shauna, for sharing a bit of you, with us.

6 comments from you:

Anonymous said...

Hi Michelle, I've been seeing your comments on Farmgirl's site lately and been meaning to stop by. I love figs, too, and yours looks great! Figs grow wild where I live, so I'm really hoping to (successfully) cultivate my own tree.

Amy

Michelle said...

Hi Amy!
I've seen your site - it's yummy! When I switched to Mozilla I lost all my bookmarks and you were one of them; so so I've just added you back...I've only recently been able to figure out how to add more links on here. Having a fig tree is really rewarding - you're essentially growing your own aphrodisiac; even if only for the joy of plucking one of those juicy fruits off a tree you've nurtured yourself! Good luck!

Jim said...

Michelle-

I'm glad you found your way to our blog because now I've found your yummy blog too!
MMmmmmm!!
I'm waiting for that rum-soaked figs recipe.

Michelle said...

Hi Jim!
The recipe is actually 'figs preserved in rum syrup' - but I'm sure they're going to be fantastic. I'll post the recipe soon as I just finished them this afternoon!

Shauna said...

Oh my goodness, imagine my delight and profound gratitude when I read this post. Thank you, thank you. I can't tell you how much this means to me.

I've been so darned busy with the first weeks of school that I've fallen behind on my blog reading. So thank you for sending this out into the world. And thank you for writing too. I love your photographs lately. And your first figs. Mwah!

(And if you come to Seattle any time, let me know. I'd love to have you in my kitchen.

Michelle said...

Hi Shauna,
Glad you could stop by! I understand how busy it gets - I'm pretty busy here and I don't even have to worry about students this quarter. I'd be honored visit your kitchen in Seattle and meet the girl behind the words - I've never been there. Some day, I'm sure. The same goes for you if you're ever out my way in Oregon.