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Monthly Archives: April 2014

Wild ramps, and ramp pesto

I have heard of ramps for many years, but not until today did I finally taste them. Ramps are members of the onion-garlic-leek family, and they grow wild all over the Appalachians. A friend gave them to me on a recent trip to Asheville. Ramps appear in April, I believe, and then they fade. I […]

Monticello

Click on images for high-res version I was on the road for the past week. The first stop was Lynchburg, Virginia. Then I went on to Charlottesville, and from there to Asheville, North Carolina. Partly I was checking out settings that I used in my novel, Fugue in Ursa Major. The book is still in […]

Coping with screwy weather

A brief warm spell about three weeks ago gave us hope that we might be able to make an early start with the garden. It was not to be. A cold spell followed, and two nights with hard frost. Only the lettuce germinated decently. Even the broccoli and cauliflower, which we started from plants, had […]

Fried biscuits?

I have one bit of advice on making high-fat, high-carb, homemade fried biscuits: Don’t. But seriously, in spite of their rusticness, there is something exotic about them, reminiscent of Indian breads.

No Fracking in Stokes: our new video

As regular readers know, I’ve been involved for the last two years with No Fracking in Stokes, a grassroots group fighting fracking in Stokes County and in North Carolina. Our group has released a new video, filmed here in Stokes County (except for the shots of actual fracking in the Marcellus shale area of Pennsylvania). […]

Abbey moonset, April 16, 6:33 a.m.

What’s blooming at the abbey

Deciduous magnolia Young cabbages Bush cherries I’m trying to identify this It’s so sad when the daffodils fade. Apple blossom Grape vine New growth on an arbor vitae tree The day lily bank won’t bloom until May. Young maple leaves Hosta Violets Rose foliage Blackberry foliage More young maple leaves Carolina jasmine Baby chickens!

Printin’ Office Eatery

Fried oysters with salad and hushpuppies One of the nicest new businesses to come on line in Stokes County lately is the Printin’ Office Eatery. It’s in Danbury, facing the main drag. Part of the brilliance of the Printin’ Office is that the menu appeals to two sets of people — the locals, whose business […]