I have said it before, some of my tastiest and loveliest meals are those that began with the question: What to do with this? This recipe for Chickpea Crepes and Artichoke Aioli was an immediate favorite! It turned out to be a pretty classy dish and it all began with a simple bunch of artichokes from my weekly box of organic bounty.
August. How did that happen? My slower summer pace is quickly picking up, the To Do lists are accumulating, my space is overrun with school supplies. It appears I have once again entered that other dimension where I continually search for the ever elusive Time. When I sat down to write about our last Sierra trip I was surprised to realize that two weeks have come and gone since we climbed Pip Squeak Spire. I could have sworn just yesterday I was lakeside, reading a book, hunting for wildflowers and watching the sunrise. Fourteen days have slipped through my grasp since I stood on that rocky ridge gazing out at a sea of granite peaks in a state of amazement. I love those moments. In those moments, Time does not elude. In fact, in those moments Time doesn’t even exist.
My hubby and I have logged quite a bit of trail time over the years. At this point in our bag-packing lives, we are finding it more and more difficult to tolerate the typical trail food. We’ve had more than our fill of dehydrated meals and packaged energy bars! So, lately I have been trying to find fresher, tastier, homemade alternatives to fuel our backcountry adventures.
It is definitely summer in our little desert world. Unfortunately, this time of year our “high desert” isn’t nearly high enough! With a long holiday weekend and temperatures reaching 115 degrees, the hubby and I packed our bags and headed for higher ground.
I do love this season of hiking in the Sierra Nevada. Everything is a wonder to me in this wilderness playground. I am amazed by the simplest things. Traits of a Montessori teacher, I suppose. We are conditioned to see the world from a child’s point of view. Children are fascinated by everything and they notice everything. Observing nature and delighting in it…that so-called “sense of wonder” is innate. It is only natural to feel a connection to that child’s inner sense when roaming these wilderness trails and backcountry.
I love Tuesday afternoons. On Tuesday I always leave work on time. On my way home, I stop to pick up our weekly box of organic produce. I love looking forward to my little organic Tuesday surprise. I never know what I’ll get. And then there’s the extra “add-ons” that my hubby likes to surprise me with…6 bunches of random greens, 25 lb. bag of carrots, bags of raw nuts, dried herbs, raw milk, grass-fed beef…who knows what else? After some good-natured teasing from the ladies about my hubby’s gigantic add-on orders and who’s gonna be cooking it all, I rush home to unload my box. It’s feels like Christmas as I eagerly unwrap the brown paper to reveal this week’s secret prize. There’s always something a little special or unexpected, like watermelon radishes, bright green spiral-tipped cauliflower or heirloom tomatoes. Even a simple head of purple cabbage seems like a work of art.
This granite landscape boggles my mind. No matter how many times we hike, climb, sit, fall, wonder and ponder in this environment, we never get tired of this view. Out here, one can feel deeply connected to everything in the world around you and at the same time, unbelievably small and alone. It never ceases to amaze.
This is the time of year when I begin to feel the welcomed shift from my hectic springtime schedule to the much more relaxed bustle of spontaneous summertime activities. School is out and the kiddos are off to play for the summer. Year-end teaching tasks and deadlines give way to crafty pursuits and trip planning. The days are getting longer and the temperature is quickly warming up. During this time of year raw veggie meals and cold blender treats are much preferred to cooking over a hot stove! So, I spent my first official summer weekend sleeping late, keeping house and stirring up something sweet to celebrate summer’s arrival.
It’s funny how I can get comfortable living without something until I get a tiny little taste of it. Suddenly, I realize how much that thing fills my heart and body with joy and life. My hubby and I have been hiking in the Sierra together for fifteen years now and it is so much a part of who we are. We have had some pretty amazing adventures over the years as we have discovered and grown our mountain skills together. Last season’s Sierra outings were frustratingly few and far between and we have been anxiously awaiting a new season and new adventure! Well, to be honest, we don’t even need a big adventure. At this point we would settle for a nice, simple, life-giving trek on a trail.
Seek a Little Solace 