Aunt Linda here this December morning. We had some COLD weather here this week in the Old Pueblo. Our first pipe burst. That was a surprise. While hastening to shut off the water, I could not help but delight in the rainbow colors of the droplets in the bright dawn light.

The ground in front of my hives was a little frosty as well.  So the tiny corpses of honey bee drones that had been kicked out of the hive in November had little white blankets covering their black bodies. This holds it’s own beauty, but one you have to widen your inner gaze to see. Honey Bee colonies cull what it is not necessary, in order to increase their chances of survival, over winter.  With fewer sources for nectar and pollen available in the winter,  brood production is scaled way back, food foraging reduced, — and since drones eat, but do not contribute to the food stores,  they are escorted (forcefully) out of the hive. This practical strategy means the death of the drones, but increases the chances that the colony as a whole survives. Basically, the hive slows down most functions for the winter.

The hen’s, older than a year or so, have slowed down there laying as well. The pituitary gland needs a certain amount of light for consistent laying of eggs. I am asked from egg customers and new chicken keepers “why” there are so few eggs this time of year; or “what is wrong”.  A hens pituitary glands requires a certain amount of light in order for a her to lay consistently, and in the winter that light is reduced.  Most of us have become used to a “food on demand “system of shopping and eating – and commercial egg companies keep light on their hens year round in order to push egg laying, even in the winter months. This allows the population to have as many eggs as it desires,  at any time of the year. But this can be rough on the birds.  I personally like to let The Girls stay with the cycles they evolved with, so I learn to live with fewer eggs. And I  have learned to keep hens of all ages so that I can count on at least a few eggs.

We humans do not seem to slow down in the winter.  Whether or not that is an intelligent adaptive strategy I’ll leave that for you to decode for yourself.  Even if we do not need to slow it down for the raw reasons that other creatures do, we may find benefits in doing so, nonetheless.

Hot Tequila Toddy: Todays recipe is a  “Tequila-Take” on the Classic Hot Toddy, which is usually made from amber colored Rum. Whisky, or Brandy.

It is simple. It is relaxing.

It may inspire an artful practice of slowing down – your mind/body, even if it cannot calm your external life. I will include photos of both the traditional as well as the tequila versions, so you can create what you’d like.

INGREDIENTS and How To:1) Fresh squeezed juice from one lemon or lime (depending on your preference). Squees right into your cup.

(It is citrus season and whether lime, lemon, orange, the fruit all started months ago “at the flower”. Bees, whether honey bee or orchard bees, visited the fragrant flowers, and carried out the ancient dance of completing the sexual transfer of pollen from flower to flower.  See photo below for an example of a bee at a citrus flower; and notice the pollen grains on the bees hind legs.

The worker bee returns to the hive, where citrus honey is made from the nectar.

Here you can see a full grown orange – smiling! – as well as two new blossoms.

2) The best local honey you can find. 1-2 Tablespoons. Adjust to your taste. I learned this week that honey can actually help us sleep at night. I mention this because it relates to our theme of slowing down and relaxing. Apparently, the natural sugars in honey allows tryptophan to work it’s magic on us, just like the sleepy feeling we get after a eating a turkey dinner.

3) 1-2 ounces of Amber colored tequila, rum, whisky, or brandy of your choice. Many people choose to use a cheap quality/priced alcohol when mixing drinks.  In this particular case, where there are really just three ingredients, besides hot water, I used the best tequila I had on hand. It blended beautifully with the best honey and the freshest citrus; after all, this is part physical medicine. And the “medicinal quality” comes as much from the quality tastes as it does from the quality properties of the ingredients.

A Soldier from Mexico  (a Federale) once shared me that a little tequila can help kill a cold that is beginning in your throat. I tried it the first winter cold that tickled, and sure enough, just a “shot” of Tequila,( held for a minute in the back of my throat before swallowing), seemed to “burn” the germs right out. Note that I am not a health care professional. Note that I am not pushing drinking alcohol. Note that I am sharing with you what worked for me.

4) Hot Water – about a cup.  but not boiling water. You want the warmth of hot water, but to keep the medicinal qualities of the honey, which some feel boiling water can negate.

The steam is so beautiful you can almost feel the magic of slowing down, even before you take a sip. Enjoy!

After selling Mano Y Metate moles on this cool, drizzly day with my mom Tedie and sister Laura, we made some soups with what I had on hand.

We browned a chopped onion in olive oil with a bay leaf, then added a couple cloves of garlic and a tablespoon of Mole Dulce powder. We cooked it until fragrant, then added a quart of homemade turkey broth. A handful of Minnesota wild rice from a friend’s a summer trip simmered in the broth, as well half a butternut squash from the Tucson CSA. Salt and pepper to taste. When tender, we garnished with parsley.

Starting with the same base of onion, bay leaf, garlic and Mole Dulce, we added cooked, pureed hubard squash and more turkey broth. It didn’t seem like enough spice, so we added more Mole Dulce powder and some ground ginger and turmeric. A tiny touch of honey brought it together, salt and pepper to taste. What really made this soup was Laura’s garnish inspiration. Fresh pomegranate arils and hulled pumpkin seeds added texture. The pomegranate’s cool, juicy tartness contrasted with the hot, sweet, creamy squash.

The final touch was Mole Dulce oil. Two tablespoons olive oil with one tablespoon Mole Dulce powder cooked until infused. We drizzled on the top of each bowl to taste.

Join us for Saturday, October 31 for Tohono Chul’s Chile and Chocolate Festival in Tucson. Tia Marta of Flor de Mayo will also be there!

Next weekend Mano Y Metate will be in Phoenix at the Desert Botanical Garden’s Chile and Chocolate Festival November 6, 7 and 8. Enjoy the weather!

Aunt Linda here: In the Old Pueblo a half moon hangs overhead. Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury are rising in the eastern sky. This pre-dawn, 2nd of October sky is just one week past the autumnal equinox; today’s simple, treasure of a recipe may come in handy in the colder months around the corner.

A few weeks ago, in casual conversation, I asked our 90 year old Aunt Alice (born and raised in the Tirol) what fats her mother used to cook with. Without a pause in her response, she replied: “Lard and olive oil” Of course we had our own pigs, so we made our own lard. OH!!! My mom used to make the BEST potato recipe ….”  So I spent a lovely afternoon last week learning how to make this favorite meal of hers.

Like a needle and thread connecting bits of fabric, this recipe comes to you, from the Tirol, via aunt Alice.  It comes via Mother Stella, to her daughter Alice (now 90years old), to me, and now to you. What a magic needle, to pierce through the generations and find it’s way through the internet, (Stella lived a full life and died never having had one inkling of “The Internet”) all the way to your eyes.  And hopefully, to your hands and kitchen. Their Tirol home, by the way, built of stone, had no heat,  Alice says she would wake up to water frozen solid, inside the house,  after a cold night. No wonder they needed something this nourishing, including the home rendered animal fat,  to get them started.

It turns out that potatoes are more nourishing than I had known. I’ll admit they never held much interest for me.  Michael Pollan in The Botany of Desire uncovers many mysteries of the potato, and opened my mind a bit.  His research surprised me. In addition to their carbs, potatoes supply “considerable amounts of protein and vitamins B and C”. Combined with the vitamin A in milk, they make for a “nutritionally complete” diet.  According to Pollan, “the spud would eventually put an end to scurvy in Europe.  If I wax on and on about the potato, you won’t have time to make the recipe, so let me tantalize you into reading The Botany of Desire!  It may change your whole experience of slicing into a potato: the ancestors of the Incas, and of course their descendants, grew potatoes in microclimates from their wild potato ancestors … they grew  red potatoes,  pink. blue, yellow, orange, … They grew bitter potatoes, buttery and starchy ones.  So here we find that needle’s thread anchored back in time and place …. how they got to the Tirol and to Tucson …. that is another story.

It turns our that lard may have, dare I say it, some health benefits. The re-freshed thinking about lard is that it contains 54% less saturated fat than butter and some other plant derived fats).  It is also downright flavorful.   There is so much new research on fats. I encourage you to explore it.

Before we get started, if you are not open to lard, try this with butter or olive oil …coconut or avocado oils … the photo below shows the home rendered lard (see Savor the Southwest July 3rd post).   Note how pure white it is.   Remember that we infused one batch of lard with chiltepin. I learned this week, that at least in the Tirol of Alice’s youth, the fat was also smoked along with other meats, to impart a smokey flavor to the lard once it was ready to render. (Smokey lard – stay tuned … we may explore that in the future)

The hands that you see in action are Aunt Alice’s, passing the needle and thread,  to you.

Remember to Render!
Not all lards are equal. Home rendered lard is easy and can be made in small batches.

The Ingredients: 

2 Tablespoons home rendered lard

2 medium sized potatoes of your choice

2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (or sage)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 fresh eggs (to cook as eggs and eat atop the rosemary potatoes)

ice for the potato slices

How To: 

First, Peel the potatoes ….

Slice potatoes thinly, however you prefer. We used an old  “madonlina” from Italy.

Soak the slices in ice water – this takes out some of the starches, and helps them cook without disintegrating in the pan.

Add two tablespoons of lard to the pan, and start heat on medium heat. Remember the oils you choose to eat are yours to decide. If you are anti-lard by all means use another oil. Choose what is best for your health and preferences.

Place the potatoes in a thin-ish layer, and place rosemary spring in the pan. Start on medium heat, then lower heat.

Cook slowly, on low, giving the potatoes time to soften.

Eat with a fresh fried or poached egg (or two) atop the potato medley … great for breakfast. Great for anytime.