On Flowers and Food.

     There is a hurricane, Hurricane Bud, off the western coast of Mexico.  For those along the coast, there are warnings of things to come, as early as today, but probably by tomorrow.  While the weather is a threat to the beaches, it is a promise to the central part of Mexico.  The rainy season---or potential thereof---begins with the hurricane season.  Farmers here in the highlands are looking forward to hurricanes driving near enough to both coasts to push clouds and rains upward and inward.  These first rains are crucial to "cool" the earth, la tierra, after the heat of April and May, and before the final furrowing and then planting can begin.  The three important food crops, corn and beans and squash, which still sustain many of the countries people will be planted when the earth is sufficiently moist.  Then the hope for continued rains, throughout the growing season, begins.  The word for hope is esperanza, from the verb esperar, to hope or to wait, or both.
     At Casita Dos Arbolitos, we also are waiting/hoping for the rains.  Much of our own gardening plans, beyond the Shelter Garden areas that are filled with greens and herbs, count on the rain, as well.  While we are waiting, we are always busy with one aspect of the Garden or the other, planting, watering, digging, making compost.  The most pleasurable part of the garden, however, is the walking through, the looking at, the touching, enjoying the sights and scents and tastes (especially when our Fig Tree is producing).  This week, one of our succulents celebrated spring by producing what we call its 'Little Shop of Horrors' flower.  Part of the pleasure of walking through the Garden is making these discoveries.  The flower opened Tuesday and gave a magnificent display.  That day, it also had a scent that I didn't find that appealing, but attracted numerous bees to immerse themselves in its pollen.  Today, it has become a fading star, mostly limp, soon-to-be-gone.  But in its one day of full glory, it was spectacular:

     Besides celebrating our Garden, we Celebrate Mexican Cuisine in our Kitchen.  We have many cookbooks about Mexican Cuisine.  Two are by the author Diana Kennedy.  She has lived in Mexico much of the time, since 1957.  Because we spent some time in Oaxaca, we are enjoying making thins from her Oaxaca al Gusto cookbook.  We bought it before our trip, when she was here in San Miguel de Allende for a book-signing.  The recipe for today is Amarillo, which is to say Mole Amarillo, an "esotfado," a stew made with chiles and spices, potatoes and chayote, masa, chicken and pork.  The amarillo part means it's supposed to be yellow, but the chiles that we have aren't exactly like those from Oaxaca, so the stew is more orange than yellow, but still delicious.  Que Rico!  How Rich!

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Buen Provecho! Good Eating!