Autumnal Weeks on the Farm

Before I leave New Zealand for exciting travels overseas (I'll be away for six weeks!), its about time I got around to describing what the farm has been like lately. While my sister was around we spent a lot of time swimming and exploring; besides the few days in Kaihoka, we spent Easter Weekend at our friend Debbie's bach at Tata Beach in Golden Bay. It was a picture perfect weekend - golden sand, clear water, portions of native bush, a visit to Takaka with a browse around its market and art offerings. Since Golden Bay is also exttremely shallow, at low tide we shellfish from the flats, digging in the sand for pipis and cockles and pulling mussels off the rocks. Pipis, in case you don't know - we didn't - are a small shellfish that look sort of like a cross between mussels and cockles, but smaller than either. Our family had never tried them before, although Debbie assured us that they are a Kiwi classic, especially in sandwiches with white bread and butter. Never a family to miss a culinary experience, we drove to the nearby dairy to buy properly white bread to experience this - and it was worth it. The taste is sort of like a creamier, gentler mussel, and are actually quite divine. If sunny, crisp weather and fresh sea food wasn't enough, our stay at Tata beach also aligned with the full moon, which rose and set at just about the opposite time as the sun - one evening I watched the moon rise just as the sunset was fading, and two mornings later the moon was setting as the sun just started to peep above the hills. Stunning. Not to brag, but did I mention that we drank wine on the beach?

Unfortunately, Kim had to depart back to the United States, leaving us alone on the hilltop. Luckily, she didn't take the beautiful autumn weather with her! We've had light breezes, crisp nights and clear days to spend outside. There's something distinct about autumn in the country, as if it brings out the visual poetry in the scenery. The trees that adorn fence lines stand out more sharply, while some blaze out their show of leaves. Fruit is ripe, apples falling on the sides of the roads and hawthorne berries create clusters of red. There's mist, too, which certainly adds to the effect - this morning it was so thick that we couldn't see the valley floor, but some days its just a few wisps. At sunrise the light is apricot colored, and sunset its like golden quince syrup (the bountiful fruit is obviously influencing my prose!). Maybe its just because the days are shorter so everything feels somewhat condensed and thus precious, but in short its been stunningly gorgeous. I love autumn!

Of course, autumn also means lots of work in the garden and kitchen. Everything comes ripe just before it all decays, so harvesting and preserving is key. We've been picking apples, quinces, peaches, rosehips, walnuts, and all sorts of vegetables and herbs. We've made rhubarb jam, peach jam, quince paste, tomato sauce, assorted other condiments. In the garden its time to start preping the garden to be put to bed for the winter which has involved shovelling lots of shells into paths and sheep shit onto beds (ah, living in the country - so many free resources, as long as you're willing to pick them up!). Fabulous autumn meals are, of course, part of it as well. What a beautiful time of year!

Now I'm off the to Japan by way of Australia, with a last stop in Shanghai. Its going to be very different, and hopefully very exciting. Posts might be far apart, but they'll be much more interesting. For now, wish me luck and sayonara for now!