As August approaches, fairy folk work diligently alongside the grand children as we harvest and prepare our foods for winter storage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early each morning the fairies add an extra sprinkling of fairy dust to help ripen and mature our fruit and vegetable crops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In our farmhouse kitchen a small child prepares fresh picked basil and fairy sweetened sun ripened tomatoes for puree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This time of year there is an abundance of greens;  one salad a day; sometimes two, has becomes part of our regular diet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A simple salad has many possibilities and here at our farm, while in season we eat a different variation every night.

Here are some ideas for a few fairy simple salad recipes you might like to try.

Consider combining lush kale, various lettuces, a bit of basil and red cabbage. How you arrange these greens will add visual complexity and beauty; top it off with a splash of organic virgin olive oil or your favorite dressing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another simple salad: Try sweet halved cherry tomatoes (red and gold), a bit of chopped green onion, on a bed of baby lettuce; a smidgen of broccoli florets, a bit of grated or chopped Parmesan cheese. Add tiny bits of whirled prosciutto. Yum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those of you who prefer a more hearty dinner salad, try combining these ingredients for a multi bean and corn based combo.

For the Dressing:

2 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 of sea salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

Whisk all together in a glass 1 cup measuring cup or small bowl and set aside.

Now here’s the ingredients for the salad. I basically use more or less depending upon how many folks I am serving.

You can play around with the volume of stated quantities of ingredients as you may want to make an individual salad or family size.

Here’s the ingredients:

6 -8 sweet cherry tomatoes sliced thinly

1 can 16 oz organic garbanzo beans drained and rinsed

4 cups rinsed organic black beans

4-6 green onions chopped fine

broccoli tops chopped small (use as much as you like)

handful green beans cut 1 inch

4-6 ears fresh corn on cob , uncooked kernels shaved off the cob

organic black olives sliced

a bit of red bell pepper chopped fine

1/3 cup cilantro chop fine (optional)

chopped and diced fine jalapenos to taste (optional)

pine nuts (optional)

a couple nasturtium flowers for garnish, you may eat the petals only.

Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl with very clean hands or two wooden spoons to combine.

Drizzle your dressing over salad and gently toss to evenly coat.

Now you can toss in your jalapenos if you desire and sprinkle with pine nuts and calendula petals

If you are lucky and have a few heads of calendula flowers in your garden, pinch off just the petals,  sprinkle them upon your salad just before serving.

The Fairies encourage beauty and strive for it in all of their creations.

They suggest you take your time creating all these salads, experiment with color and texture, fragrances and tastes.

Fairies serve all their meals with gratitude for those who are present and the bounty of each days harvest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and dessert fairy style can be so enjoyable!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Especially when it’s this simple.

Try mixing a simple salad of fresh blueberries along with the last of this seasons lingering raspberries. Add some sliced purple grapes and decoratively top with a sprig of fresh mint harvested from the herb garden or market. A dollop of whipped cream would finish things off nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course there is always berries a la natural.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And don’t forget smoothies.

Fruit Smoothies Yum

Most any fruit and berries will do.

Think New England fruits such as apple, peaches and pears.

Cherries, red raspberries, black berries and blueberries.

Rinse and chop fruit into 1” pieces, pit stone fruits such as cherries and peaches

Rinse your berries.

Plop into a blender whichever mixture of berries and fruits you have chosen.

Pour in a cup or two of Orange Juice. Press go, and blend. Presto! There you have it, one fairy fine smoothie. Add more or less orange juice to get the thickness you desire. Add ice if you want your smoothie good and cold.

The Fairies say to be creative, try adding a bit of chocolate, a scoop of ice cream. Yum.

Try blending or adding an assortment of tropical fruits, kiwi, pineapple, mango. Even a bit of coconut can be a delicious addition. And don’t forget the melons… watermelon and good ole honey dew!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the process and as the fairies like to say,“Bless and be grateful for each and every day.”

 

 

 

 

July is a fairy fine month here at the farm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Home Place Fairies who have worked so hard all spring and summer tending the gardens it is a month of merriment and playfulness. Our gardens are bursting with flowers and vegetables. The fruits in the orchard and fields are ripening; heavy with peach, pear, apple, raspberries and blueberries blue!

A thick grey fog rolled into and over the back meadows and gardens this morning,

It is dusk now and that fog is still here.

After a series of seemingly endless days of November gray I find myself dreaming of summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I dream of fairy folk dancing in the meadows scattering fairy dust at work and at play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I dream of Old Horse standing sentry, watching over my gardens on a warm sunny day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think of Grand Fafa and how he watches over each and every one of us as he always did and continues to do so day after day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memories warm us from within, coloring even the grayest of days with the brilliance of all we have loved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“To see a world in a grain of sand

and Heaven in a wild flower

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

and Eternity in an hour.”

William Blake poet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Believe in the Fairies

who make Dreams come true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Believe in Wonder,

the Stars and the Moon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Believe in the Magic

from Fairies above,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They Dance on the Flowers,

and sing songs of Love.”

 

 

In late July the lovely green wide leaved annual herb Basil tastes especially fine and we traditionally make pesto to freeze for the winter months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I plant our Basil in mid to late April from seed in my greenhouse and transplant the seedlings come late May into raised beds nestled up to colorful Cosmos Flowers; dry seeding Hollyhocks and lettuce. We like harvesting basil to use in salads, tomato dishes, soups, stews and stir fries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparing to make some fresh Home Place Fairies Pixie Pesto a granddaughter removes Basil leaves from their stems and sets them aside. Then we begin gathering together our ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home Place Fairies Pixie Pesto

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups packed full of fresh Basil Leaves, rinsed if needed, and stems removed.
2. 4-5 cloves of Fresh Garlic
3. 1/4 cup Pine Nuts
4. 1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
5. 3/4 – 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
6. 1/2 cup extra virgin Olive Oil
7. Salt a wee bit to taste (and maybe Pepper)
8. Optional you could apply a small squeeze of Fresh Lemon, just a tiny nip!
9. Many folks add a tablespoon of melted butter, I generally don’t but you can

 

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a food processor or a blender. (I use a food processor) and blend on low speed, then medium, then high. Sometimes the basil leaves bunch up in which case, turn off your machine and rearrange the ingredients with a wooden spoon so blade will move more effectively. Blend until everything turns into a smooth paste. Presto! That’s it! That’s your pesto!

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many delicious ways to serve Pesto. You can simply smear your Pesto on crackers or toast and top with freshly harvested cherry tomato slices. Try topping this with sprinkles of goat cheese and pinched tiny basil leaves and florets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can serve Pixie Pesto over cooked pasta, smear on roast chicken, fish or chops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pixie Pesto can be frozen for a late winter treat. I like to freeze my basil in little heart ice cube trays, or heart shaped baking sheets, or simple ice cube trays will do. Just smear Pixie Pesto into your tray, place in freezer uncovered and wait until frozen then remove and place in freezer proof ziploc bags, return to freezer for later use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We might toss 6-8 (or more or less) frozen or thawing hearts onto a dish of hot pasta depending upon how much Pixie Pesto we are craving.

Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiny wonders everywhere!

 

 

 

 

Here is a delightful simple little recipe from the fairy folk for a summer Fairy Berry Fruit Salad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ingredients can come from your garden or the market, the fresher and grown closer to home the better.

1 small seedless watermelon cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 of a  fresh melon, cantaloupe or honeydew is fine cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup or heaping handful of fresh blueberries

1 heaping handful of red raspberries

A handful or more of large purple grapes sliced in half

A sprig of Mint, Lemon Balm or Lemon Verbena

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 tablespoon honey

Cut the watermelon and cantaloupe into small  bite size pieces.

Place about 1/2 cup of the watermelon and 1/2 cup of the cantaloupe pieces into an electric blender. Put the rest of these pieces into your large colorful bowl.

Toss into bowl your grapes which you have cut in halves, your handfuls of raspberries and blueberries. Set aside.

To the cantaloupe and watermelon chunks in electric blender add your 1 Tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds. Blend on high until well blended.

Take a sip of this mixture, add more honey if you desire a sweeter flavor. Pour this mixture over your fruit salad, toss to thoroughly blend flavors and serve immediately or chill for a nice cool refreshing summer treat!

Oh yes, add a sprig of mint (or lemon balm or…lemon verbena) for color, fragrance and whimsy!

When peaches are in season I will add 2 or 3 large ones which I have chopped into bite sized pieces….yum

Enjoy!

 

Day or night, from dawn to dusk all through the spring, summer and fall,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairies tend to my gardens, nourishing and enriching both flora and soil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quite a wonderful temptation to sit amidst the Thermopsis yellow and tall while fragrant roses bloom.

Magic happens in every garden, all one has to do … is look

 

 

 

The way to Fairyland is not always a smooth and effortless ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like most journeys worth undertaking what matters most is that your heart is in the right place.

Fairy Folk do not allow entrance to just anyone and their entrances though many are secret and hidden.

Sincerity of heart along with the soul of a dream and a compassionate open heart just might, maybe get you to an entrance .

 

 

 

Have you ever wondered about Fairyland, that magical place where all fairies reside?

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know there are several interesting and peculiar ways in which a mortal can enter into Fairyland.

A lot of it is luck and the rest is timing.

Then too one must believe in such things, for without an open mind and belief in possibility you have no chance of seeing the entrances which lay before you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long ago in Germany in June 1853 Theodore Goodheart was born.

He grew up to be an adventurous and inquisitive child and the fairies took note of this. Congregating around Theodore they tested his honesty and his faith in that which one cannot always with their eyes see.

Theodore grew up to be a tall sturdy man and he traveled the world over, from the Diamond Mines of Kimberly in Africa to every named country on the globe at that time in history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theodore Goodheart lived with many peoples; learning all of their languages. The fairy folk took note of his love for humanity and the natural world, his eagerness to learn from other peoples, nature, the animal kingdom and the universal language of trees. Theodore excluded no one; no wildling, feathered, scaled nor furred being escaped the inquisitiveness of his curious mind, nor the tenderness of his heart. Knowledge was gathered, empathy awakened in him, his heart expanded the more he spent time with those different than himself and the happier he became. In time wherever Theodore traveled there were fairies by his side.

In 1890 Theodore came to the United States and with his brother William began a carpentry business in a town called Redbank on the Jersey shore.

He built homes so beautiful that folks came from miles around, far and wide just to gaze upon his craftsmanship.

He married a mystically beautiful Native American woman called Jessie of the Early Evening Moon and they had four children.

Jessie of the Early Evening Moon was a healer, growing and gathering herbs.  Theodore Goodheart was an exemplary craftsman who built numerous fine houses along the Jersey shore. At the home he and Jessie shared with their children he spent many happy hours in his fine furniture  wood working shop constructing beautifully assembled furniture.

 

 

 

 

 

It was in this shop that the original Home Place Fairy Folk gathered after observing  Theodore’s honest faith, hard work and fine gentle craftsmanship. Unknown to Theodore at the time, the Fairies began to sprinkle every object Theodore set his working hands upon with Forever Enchanted Fairy Dust.

A honorable gift; seldom bestowed upon mortals. The first day the fairy folk arrived in his shop they whispered gentle quiet words of guidance into his sensitive and listening ears.

In no time Theodore began constructing a rickshaw like the ones he long ago rode in on the streets of Tokyo, Sindbad and Kyoto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the second day of his Rickshaw’s construction, the fairies returned; pleased with what they saw. Theodore had created in one single evening a simple, humble little rickshaw exactly as they had whispered to him. It was to the Fairy Folk the most perfect humble little rick shaw!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Fairy Fine Rick Shaw! A magical rick shaw that would be able to transport young True Believers into Fairyland!