Harvest Recipe: Mushroom and Red Wine Risotto

For the end of our harvest day 

every family went home to clean up 

and prepare a dish to bring for the harvest dinner

I decided to contribute my Mushroom and Red Wine Risotto

and I offer it here to you

for your own harvest day.

carpe diem!

the pantry:

sliced white and baby bella mushrooms

3 small shallots, sliced thin

good red wine, about 1/4 a cup

olive oil

sea salt

coarse ground black pepper

fresh sprigs of thyme and rosemary, about 1/4 cup each

polenta

goat cheese

** a cast iron pan makes this the best! **

the stove:

slice ingredients (the size/shape of the polenta and mushrooms is up to you)

in a cast iron pan, heat up a couple of tablespoons of olive oil

glaze the shallots

add in and saute mushrooms 

as they start to soften, add wine and half of the thyme

season with salt and pepper

cool until wine cooks down into a nice sauce

Next, remove the mushroom and red wine mix

add more olive oil to the pan 

and saute the sliced polenta until it gets darker and firmer

Place warm polenta on plates

cover with mushroom and red wine mix

crumble goat cheese on top and 

add the rest of the thyme leaves and the chopped rosemary

EAT!

Grape Harvest At Eden Hill Vineyard

Pardon my silence for a bit. 

We've been busy at the farm

preparing for harvest.

We began by picking the Temperanillo yesterday

and tried to stay true to Carpe Diem - 

which actually means "pluck the day."

:: Images by wendy dooldeniya, more here ::

Soaring Above: Anna Wili Highfield

ahhh. Her paper sculptures soar into my heart.

Thailand Vista

I can imagine being in a boat on this lovely lake.

After a lazy ride, I would stop at a local food stall

devour some Tom Kha

and say "Bliss."

:: Image by buttonmoOon ::

of sand and rain

summer + rain + sand 

=   engineering feats 

=   squeals of joy 

=   "no I don't wanna go home!"

Plato's Whimsey and a good ride

Sometimes I come up with fun titles for books I'll never author.

Some of my favs:

Plato's Whimsey

The Shadow Light of the Dawn

A Flash in the Glass

An Act of Civil Disobedience (to eat healthily)

And today, a merger happened between my 

right and left brain:

Republic Bike and the Plato Model of my dreams

I cannot decide.

Which would you choose?

OR

or would you make something different?

PJ & Magnetism

Photojojo provides my child-like self a place to dream and play.

Like a portable toy store.

And I can squeal with joy in the privacy of my own house.

The new "do not pull" lever is soooo addictive. I dare you try NOT to try it!

And these animal magnets? Coming toys, animals and photos all in one swell item?

Brilliant!