I moved into a great big warehouse/apartment/production space last December that happens to have historically been a honey business. It has been an art gallery and studio space for a sculptor for the last 20 years, but there remains a small "on your honor" honey stand out front. My landlord has brokered honey from a gal down in Arlington for years, and the customers are both loyal and frequent. Because I rent and not own, I don't have regular access to the honor system honey sales. I f I wanted to, and I did back during tulip season, stand outside all day and sell honey or anything else for that matter, it would be fine. But I mostly...
Waking up this morning to the gentle pitter patter of rain is one of the most exciting and relaxing sounds I've heard in awhile. While we have had a very early, and very productive, dry summer, the lack of just a little rain has me worried about upcoming nectar flows. Fireweed won't produce much if it's a really dry year, as well as Japanese Knotweed (yes, I know, highly invasive...but makes our only dark honey of the year!). We have learned that the DNR wants to charge us a bigger fee than we'd like to pay for the use of state land in Fireweed honey production, so todays rainy morning we will try for plan #2 - ask the private...
It's Memorial Day weekend and it's also rhubarb STRAWBERRY season here in Washington State. What better way to entertain (or just bake for yourself) than with a homemade pie. Ok, for starters, we all know a handmade pie crust is best, with lard or butter for maximum flakiness and flavor. But between work and home chores, we didn't have time (but if we did, we would) so a frozen section grocery store crust will do. Remember to get two crusts, because this pie, unlike pumpkin or key lime, needs a top crust. Here's where it gets a little tricky, because we don't exactly measure everything. Play it by ear and you'll do fine! We chopped up: one pound of rhubarb...
While the snow still steadily falls on our relatives-back-East head's, we are enjoying the first signs of spring here in Western Washington. It always kind of feels like spring here, when you're from a freezing in winter/hot and humid in summer place like Northern Michigan. But today I saw crocus blooming, in both purple and white. Mini daffodils are up, and the markets are starting to fill with tulips and daffodils grown in hoophouses. Hazelnut and pussy willow are both giving off tons of pollen, and a few cherries in the right places are blooming pink. The bees have been flying for weeks, and most of the hives look steady coming out of what we call Winter. There's...