Savor Sister Linda with two question for you this first weekend of  November 2017.

The first is, how is it November already?  The second is, have you ever had the experience of coming across something unexpected and  beautiful that gives you a kind of Reset? Maybe even a reset that you didn’t even know you needed?

I was in the garden at the ranch last week, admiring the pumpkins/squash,  when I came across two grasshoppers. My eye almost missed them. But when I spotted them, their color, their form, their activity … made me smile. A wide open smile.

Can you find the two grasshoppers in this photo     Hint: follow the pumpkin vine up to a smaller vine ….

Male grasshoppers court females, by flying about and snapping their wings. Males are smaller. They have two testes, each of which is connected to a sperm duct. After mating, the female uses  four protrusions “ovipositors” with which she digs holes to deposit her eggs, and through which she deposits them. She lays them in winter, which is why we are seeing so much grasshopper “love” this time of year.

Sometimes our food come with “pests” – and this can be a good sign.  The worm we  find in our lettuce or apple from the garden or farmers market means that it is appealing, likely nontoxic, and it offers nutrition.

While out of check they can and do destroy fields of crops, causing much damage, in balance they are wonderful. The puppies and cats at the ranch practice their hunting skills as hunting them.  And they enjoy eating them. Many types of birds including flycatchers, blue birds, chickens, even hawks (so I’ve read) eat them.  (And most of you Foodies know that their has been a growing movement to accept and incorporate grasshoppers and other insects more broadly into human diets.  It has been a traditional practice in certain cultures, but has not been part of the mainstream here).

I am enraptured by little things… and in insects and their exoskeletons. Grasshoppers molt when they undergo Simple Metamorphosis (which I am sure is never simple – but is  more simple than Complete Metamorphosis).  Are you curious about how long this life form had been on the planet? Hint:  way before dinosaurs. (There are a lot of scholarly and farm related articles on grasshoppers that you can find; here is one that may not be as scientific, but it has some fascinating facts about them: click here. )

Surprisingly Simple Grasshopper – Revisioned. 

(Grasshopper Love Adult Beverage; for two)

With a color palate that includes the browns, greens, and yellows of the two love-hoppers above,  and ingredients that allow us to experience the “properties”  of heat of the chiltepin,  and cooling of the mint, that directly impact our tongue and mouth.  I took a few liberties with revisioning this “In Lieu of Dessert” Drink.

Revisioned:  I vetoed that roll your eyes into the back of your head green colored creme de menthe, in favor of a clear version. Then skipped the white creme de cocoa in favor of the darker chocolate color. (And this recipe totally skips the ice cream you see in so many Grasshopper drink recipes).  I included two ingredients – chiltepin and mint and just as nature created them. I did this so that they could speak to you with your first sip of this drink.

HOW TO: 

I love how the cool of the mint and the HEAT of the chiltepin play off each other.  I really love it.

In a cocktail shaker:

1.5 oz of Creme de Menthe clear not green. Remember there are no Grasshopper police so you can go with green if you want to.

1.5 oz Creme fe Cocoa (dark – like the grasshopper in the photo. I wanted her as my springboard color palate.

1.5 oz cream of your choice!  If you are a delighter in dairy, by all means us heavy cream.

If you prefer something non dairy, use what ever milk you like most. I found a toasted coconut-almond blend at the health food store that I had never even noticed it before. It  just happened to be creamy, sensual, and exactly right for me.

1 Chiltepin per glass – crushed. (it was interesting, that the milk I used had fat/oil and the chiltepin seeds moved the oil to the sides of the glass right on front of my eyes. Chemistry in a glass.

1 sprig of fresh mint or spearmint.

The last two ingredients embody the energies of Nature itself.

Some ice.

I like to chew on things that are real. Truthfully, chewing on Nature transports me inside myself. At the same time as it reconnects me to ecosystems outside myself.  I like the feel of  this inner and outer alchemy.

I let the drink itself inspire me and enjoyed the last mint and chiltepin as I finished writing.

I found these two Grasshopper Love glasses at Bon here in Tucson AZ and want to thank Bonnie and Crystal for their bright smiles and aesthetic contribution to The Old Pueblo.

Thanks also to Alan who helped me pick out the Creme de Menthe and Creme de Cocoa – and of course to Mark, as PLAZA Liquors. There is nothing like a local liquor store where folks know you, and are willing to take the time to help you think through your creative ideas!

I love living in a town that has such rich resources as these!

Savor Sister Linda here celebrating fall.   Now that the summer rains have rejuvenated the parched land, we feel free to milk again.  With that milk we make make cheese  and enjoy fresh milk for coffee.

We’re out just before dawn every morning.  Bats, who are nocturnal pollinators, are still out and about – and sometimes fly so close you can feel the breezes their wings make  on your skin as they swoop by.   I adore the feeling of  being in a Liminal (in between) Zone.  No longer night. Not yet day. All the categorizing that can limit our experience of living falls away.  Bats abound as milking begins.  Birdsongs are in full swing as we walk back to the ranch house with fresh warm milk.

So what does all this talk of liminal zones have to do with a food blog? Waking up to our Senses, that’s what.

It is enlivening to be intimate with your own food. It awakens the senses. Until I’d begun ranching some 20 years ago, I had forgotten how sensual the whole affair is.  I’ll bet you may have, too. A cows’ udder and teats are warm. And slippery. And each teat is a little different – sometimes on the same cow. Your left hand reaches for one warm teat, and your right for another. One may be smaller. One rougher in your hand.  One smoother.

The milk comes streaming out the tip of each teat, hitting the metal pale held between your knees with it’s own music. I’ve noticed that the sound varies depending on whose doing the milking.  The more seasoned and competent milkers have a wonderful rhythm to their work. And a deeper sound. Us novice milkers … well … the sound is more erratic. Meanwhile,  the milk streams out and is warm – the body temperature of the cow. The aroma of fresh milk hits your nostrils.As the milk fills the pale, the cool metal warms between your knees. I mention the feel of the milk because most people today associate milk as being cold, which it is when buying it at the store.

My Uncle recently shared with me that when his father, born in 1906,  was a small boy in Minnesota they would milk daily. He was the son of a minister and he and his brothers  would get up early, before school, and milk the cows.  The metal containers were then loaded onto the back of the wagon.  The milk was warm enough to warm the metal and  my grandfather would huddle next to the milk containers to stay warm on the way to school.  (At least at first it was warm enough to warm a small boy. With the passage of time en route to school the milk froze. We’re talking Minnesota.)

You may or may not have access to a cow, or goat or sheep to milk. But you can enjoy food at your own fingertips. Try roasting your own nuts or seeds. Experiment with seasoning them. Nuts are  great fall fare and are great on yogurt. I love them in salads. Or use with warm pumpkin soups. Or just as a snack in and of themselves.

Preheat the oven to a low temperature – 175 degrees or so. I like to roast “low and slow’ as it keeps the oils in the nuts good and healthy, the nuts don’t burn, and the flavor is (to my tongue)  richer.  On a pan, spread out the seeds/nuts of your choice. I used pumpkin seeds (Pepita’s) here. Sprinkle a little salt and some chiltepin to taste, and roast until they smell and taste great.  Every oven is different, but this takes me about 10-20 minutes. You could also roast them on the stove top on caste iron. Make sure you tend to the roasting and move the nuts/seeds about every so often so that they roast evenly.

Sprinkle on your butternut or pumpkin soup as in the photo below!