Is it October yet?

This phrase became a running joke during the most brutal days of summer last year at the River Ranch. "Is it October yet?"  During the time when most of our time--nearly every day--was spent harvesting endless rows of tomatoes, the weeks stretched on interminably, and it seemed there was no end in sight.  "Is it October yet?" was code for, I need a friggin' break.  October, we were told, was when things finally slow down.  Days are shorter, so the workday starts later, the weather is pleasant, and the bulk of the harvesting is in the past.

That phrase definitely came up a few times this summer between Eric and I.  The weeks before the Fall Equinox Fundraiser at the Hurley Farm, on September 22, were frenetic, with extra hands on the farm helping to mow, weed-wack, weed, and beautify the place for the big party.  It felt great to see the place all spiffed up, and so gratifying to have so many people come that evening, and to join them in eating great food, drinking free microbrews and celebrating a great season.

Michele and Hurley, all dressed up for the Fall Equinox.

And then, it was October.  After the fundraiser, I really started to feel like the season was ending. Most of our plants had been pulled, our tomatoes were slowing down, and we're due to finish now in less than two weeks!  We've spent the past couple of weeks slowing down, treating our sore bodies to yoga classes again for the first time since spring, waking up a little later, and enjoying the lack of stress and the absence of that feeling of too-much-to-do.

I thought taking the tomatoes down last week would be bittersweet, but it turns out, it wasn't so hard to see them go.  Eric and I were finally sick of tomatoes--even the giant, tangy heirlooms--and have rediscovered our love for winter squash, kale, and arugula.   Eating seasonally is great in this way, because each seasonal change brings newness and excitement at the return of the vegetables six months ago you never wanted to eat again.  It's kind of like the first day of school, except instead of homework, you get to cook delicious food :).

Some of the winter squash, pre-harvest.

Fall out here is nothing like fall in the Northeast.  It was 87 degrees today.  It still hasn't rained since May, and the only fall colors we have are the golds and rusts of dried out grasses and shrubs.  Fall is more like spring in the way that, despite the lack of rain, new growth comes from cool nights and dew lingering longer in the morning.  Spring crops come back--our rhubarb plant has exploded with the cooler weather, and the strawberries have picked up again (for real!).  There are still apples and pears and pumpkins.  I kind of like the Central Valley autumn, even without the leaf peeping and sweaters.

Tomatoes are down, and pigs are enjoying their "last meal."
(You can see their cute ears peeking from behind the white tent, on the right.)

In a couple of weeks, the field and garden at the Hurley Farm will be tucked in for the winter under a blanket of cover crop, Boda the pig will be "harvested" and in the freezer, and Eric and I will be closing the door on this little adventure in hand-scale farming.  At some point this winter, we'll move back to the River Ranch, into "the duplex," over there, into one of the two staff apartments (the cozier side), and I'll be moving into a couple of new roles at Soil Born.   I'm excited about winter at the Ranch.  It's lambing time, and three little babies have been born this week.  There will be two calves, in February and March, which means fresh raw milk again!  The farm is beautiful and quiet in the winter, with everything green and damp, the animals fattening up on lush winter pasture.  It will be such a gift to have the river and the parkway next door, and a bit more of a buffer from the concrete jungle of "parking lot-landia," that is outer Sacramento.  I couldn't be happier that it's October, and that finally, the dog days are over.

 Here are some of the ways I've taken advantage of "October":

Eric and I played hooky and went to the beach in Half Moon Bay

Ian and Anila came for the weekend and we visited the Ranch....

....and then we visited Meg in San Francisco

I went on a gorgeous solo overnight hike in Desolation Wilderness, near Tahoe.

This is how happy it made me.

Rainy day soup times

It's cold and rainy here, and I am home alone for the weekend. Though there are higher priorities on my to-do list, I've been itching to make butternut squash soup for a while. With New Haven Restaurant Week looming next week, which means I'll be working double shifts every day from Sunday to Thursday at L'Orcio, and then the half-marathon in Richmond next Saturday, the weather just seemed to confirm that today is the day for soup.

This is not a food blog, and I am not nearly consistent or accomplished enough as a cook to highlight the dishes that I lovingly, if clumsily attempt. BUT, this particular recipe turned out to be pretty delicious, and makes for a pretty picture, too, so I thought I'd share.

More importantly, it gives me a chance to talk a little bit about CitySeed, the New Haven organization I have been volunteering with for the past several weeks. CitySeed's mission is "to engage the community in growing an equitable, local food system that promotes economic development, community development and sustainable agriculture." They run five weekly farmers' markets around the city and run programs to increase access of New Haven residents to fresh, local food. I've been helping them sell artisanal bread at their Wednesday downtown farmers' market and to implement a food access survey.

This Butternut Squash-Peanut Soup, (which I modified slightly, because I can't seem to stick to a recipe without putting in my own two cents), came from the bilingual cookbook that CitySeed created, called New Haven Cooks/Cocina New Haven, which features recipes submitted by New Haven residents, and which is being distributed for free to low-income residents in exchange for completion of the food access survey, and will also be sold to raise funds for CitySeed's programs.

It has been a great experience to get to know the CitySeed staff and volunteers and some local farmers and to begin to get involved in the vibrant and growing food movement in Connecticut. I love being around people who are so passionate about supporting small farmers and helping to improve access to fresh food. It helps me a lot as I try to figure out how I can best contribute to this movement. And unexpectedly, though perhaps not surprisingly, I have begun to get to know my own home state for the first time; I feel far more connected to Connecticut (ha!) than ever.

Okay, without further ado:

Peanut and Butternut Squash Soup*

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cumin, ground
3/4 tsp. coriander, ground
3/4 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 can cannelini, garbanzo, or other beans, drained
3/4 cup natural peanut butter, chunky or creamy
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup squash seeds


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place two halves of squash facedown on a baking sheet in about 1/2 inch of water. Place on a middle rack and roast for about 35 minutes, until tender but not too soft.

2. Remove squash from oven and cut into 1-inch cubes.

3. Heat vegetable oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, curry powder, and cinammon. Cook for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent, stirring to coat with spices and to prevent garlic from burning.

4. Add broth, water, beans, peanut butter, tomato paste, and pepper flakes; stir well. Cover the pot and bring soup to a boil. Reduce and simmer.

5. Scoop out about half of the soup, equal parts vegetables and liquid, and transfer to a blender. Puree and then pour back into the pot.

6. Simmer for five more minutes, uncovered. Meanwhile, heat a small cast iron frying pan over medium heat. Add rinsed butternut squash seeds. Allow water to evaporate; sprinkle with salt and curry powder and toast, stirring frequently, until dry, crunchy, and browned.

7. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with chopped fresh cilantro and toasted squash seeds. Dip some fresh bread into it, if you have some. I've been eating it with slices of Asiago boule, which is one of the loaves we sell at the CitySeed stand.

*This recipe is a modified version of "Peanut and Butternut Squash Soup" found in New Haven Cooks/Cocina New Haven, A Project of CitySeed, Developed by Tagan Engel

Fall Resolutions

Pumpkins at Drazen Orchards in Cheshire, CT

What to do with a blog when it's original purpose has expired? That's what I've been puzzling over for the past month and a half since I last wrote. I've signed in a couple of times, written a couple of half-finished posts (will this be another one?) and fiddled with the design, but haven't gotten up the guts or gusto to click "Publish Post" and thus declare that Girl Awakes lives on in New Haven.

Part of my hesitation is direction: what do I write about now that I'm not skipping around South America anymore? How do I keep this from being random, or boring, or filled with my own banal musings and realizations? Then there's the obvious decline in the appeal of my new locale: New Haven, while it has it's merits, isn't exactly Patagonia. I'm sure that many (most?) of the people who clicked on the link from my mass emails did so in large part to read up on the amazing places I was lucky enough to visit. Who wants to read about my life in Connecticut?

But the truth is, as my friend and biggest blog cheerleader, Meg, told me, "You're still awake, Girl!" and she's right. I am awake, or still awakening, and I still want to record the things I'm thinking and doing and discovering. And, I've decided, I like writing a blog, even if no one reads it. I recently found out that a friend of mine has a secret blog that she hasn't told anyone about--it's not for them, it's for her. As much as I enjoy hearing from friends and family that they read my posts and enjoy them, and as exciting as it is when someone writes a comment, what I like best about writing a blog is writing a blog. Writing for an audience--even if it's only an audience of two--makes me focus and organize my thoughts in a way that I don't do when I write in my journal. This post isn't a good example, but I like thinking about the people who may read a post while I'm writing it; it makes me write to amuse or interest or possibly even inspire them. Now that I'm no longer hiking through three-dimensional Ansel Adams photographs, I'll just have to work extra hard to achieve that.

Reunited (and it feels so good!)

This is what happens when you're not good at updating your blog: stuff happens in between. In my case, I came home. I still need to write about Ecuador and Colombia, but for now, I'm home! I arrived in New York Monday afternoon, and have been reuniting with Brooklyn and my friends here for a couple of days before heading home to New Haven and Mom and Dad this afternoon.

People keep asking me how it feels to be back, and then are surprised at how enthusiastically positive my response is. The truth is, going abroad this year was the best decision I've ever made. It was such a blessing to be able to travel so extensively, to visit such beautiful places, to have the ability to relax, to learn, to follow my own interests and fancies without compromise or obstacle. But from the beginning, it was very much a finite experience. I set off with the idea of being gone for about a year, so psychologically, I've been prepared for my homecoming for a while. I did a pretty good job of being present for the experience until the end, but I can't travel forever, and as amazing as it was to be in South America, there's nothing like home.

I spent Sunday, my last day in South America, walking around the city by myself, and reflecting a bit on the year. I thought a lot about how the year went, things I'm happy about and what I hope to hold onto now that I'm back, but I'll save all that for a later post. For now, I'm psyched to be in the States, ready to see my parents again, and SO happy for Blue Sky Bakery muffins and iced coffee!