Free Range Friday or The Day The World Stood Still

Ok, obviously, the world did not stand still or you wouldn't be reading this, Gravity, it's the law. It just felt like it stood still, in a strobe like capture of moments sort of way. I know you've had a day like it, where you actually have a plan or maybe three plans and you get half way to the finish line of each when poof, it is just not going to happen. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

The first thing was on the way to Genesis to get baby chick food. There was that mama hen, the one that wouldn't take them yesterday. Surrounded by chicks. I turned around and went back to the coop, scooped up the chicks and took them over to her, dropped them (gently, I swear) near her and walked away.

Ten minutes later, they had gone back to the coop, the unfinished part, and brought a pal with them. So I took the five of them over to where the mama was. This time she raised a big fuss, probably because I had her wayward child along with the refugees. This time, it worked. No more sad babies with a surrogate towel for a mother. Foster plan interruptus and everybody wins (except, while writing this, two came back. And got returned. I need to run away from home).

Next was testing out a piece of equipment for my mixer that might allow me to get back to baking bread. Out comes the 452 pound mixer. In goes the paddle, it seemed so...small. The air turned blue when I realized I'd ordered the wrong one, it was too small. End of experiment and down to the PO to return it. Which went just fine.

Plan the third: I'd finish the coop extension, the door still needed making. No wire fence at this end of the road, it was over to Ferreteria Joe's where I found just what I was looking for. I made the door thing (it's not a door yet, it's still a thing) and realized I didn't have a clue what I was doing next. Or how I was going to do it. After a lot of walking around and looking at it, waiting for it to create itself, I gave up. Too many choices. Okay, two choices but which one? I have no idea. Tomorrow is another day, usually.

I forgot to take my camera on the way into town, but what I saw that I would have wanted to share here, I wouldn't have gotten anyway. So you have to imagine. At the end of the runway was a flock of egrets, pecking away. A plane came down the runway on take-off and they all rose, transformed into better-than-ballerinas from Swan Lake, soaring in unison, a big sweeping circling soar, perfectly timed to the plane getting out of their peace zone. They completed the circle and landed right where they'd been, turning back into egrets pecking away. It was beautiful.

I did get this flock this morning. They hang around the little mangrove island in the bay.

Do you have problems growing rosemary because roaming horses run through your garden? Doesn't everybody?

Can you hear the snapping of tiny branches?

But if that isn't a problem for you, or you have a great source of good rosemary (like some people I know who actually have said, oh, I have too much of it growing), this is a great recipe to use up some of it.

Rosemary Garlic Citrus Rub (adapted from CM on cooks.com)

1 lemon rind, zested 

(what's zested mean? if you don't have a zester or a microplane, you can use the tiniest side of your grater)

1 orange rind, zested

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled
5 tablespoons fresh Rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Wash and dry the herbs, making sure they are completely dry. Peel the garlic and put it in a blender, with the olive oil and salt and puree until smooth. Add the herbs until you have a paste like consistency. 

 

Yes, this is much like a pesto, but very different. You can use it as a marinade - chicken, pork and lamb come to mind - or as a rub if you have time constraints, or eat it by the spoonful. Probably you won't do the latter, but you might think about it. You can increase this and store it in the fridge, but fresh is always best. 

 

 

 

You say you don't have the herbs? Or they are too expensive in the store? Grow your own!! Unless you live in a windowless cell, you have no excuses. A few dollars invested can bring a lot of pleasure with no price on it.

Have a feel free to feed finely Friday! Do something festive.

p.s. Don't forget!!! It's going to be a fun night on Culebra!