Seasons change. The rain comes. The last of our summer crops wither. But we are still thankful. In Northern California the fall and winter rains bring the “green season”, and the green season brings its own treats. And our favorite treat is the chanterelle mushrooms. Chanterelles are beautiful, meaty and tasty. The chanterelle emerge after early season rains, and our friend Bill has a steady crop. Bill invited us over to take photos and grab some mushrooms (and he didn’t have to ask us twice). It was a good haul and the chanterelles will be on our Thanksgiving table. Bill will be there too, so he gets to enjoy his mushrooms. Thanks Bill!

Now that we have the mushrooms and the holiday is coming, we look around the farm to see what else will reach the table. We have olives, but they will stay on the tree (probably). The pomegranates cracked with the rains, but we managed a few tastes. The Oranges need more time, but the Meyer Lemons are in full swing. We will make some kind of punch with the Meyer Lemons for Thanksgiving. The Kaffir limes are still inedible, but the leaves remain a delight, bringing southeast Asian flavors to our dishes. Our friend Anne shared some of her Hachiya Persimmons, if they ripen soon enough they will make for an excellent dessert (thanks Anne!). And the herbs are very happy with the rains…plenty of flavor left. Plenty of things to be thankful for.

A Kaffir Lime. The rind smells great but the fruit is very acidic. Continue reading →