Buttercup Farms Garden - my first wwoofing experience.
I've been here since mid April, which means I've witnessed the crisp green of the rolling hills melt into endless fields of gold. Now I understand why California is the 'Golden State'.
So far as work goes on the farm, I've helped clear away last season's crops and weeds, discovered different edible parts of plants, tended green house plants, sowed and planted new beds, watered, weeded, murdered some bugs, trimmed, harvested, dried, and cooked.
Ah, cooking - obviously the most satisfying of all. With the season in full swing, the garden is any food lover's dream. Lush greens, tender squash, succulent fruit, sweet, sweet root vegetables. Working (or simply stuffing your face) with freshly harvested produce - especially from plants you've tended since their babyhood - is amazing. There is simply no comparison. This weekend I gave myself a kitchen day to experiment with some vegan lasagna and chocolate cupcakes.
vegan chocolate beet cupcakes & fresh lavendar
That's right. I said BEET.
It had all the richness of chocolate and the sweetness of beets without even a trace of beet flavor.
I'm not a vegan myself but a fellow wwoofer is so I decided to try something new. These cupcakes had a surprisingly fine texture even though the recipe did not call for any egg substitutes.
Here's a link to the recipe if you're interested - http://minimalistbaker.com/fudgy-vegan-beet-cupcakes/
I got so greedy with ideas for the lasagna that it... proliferated...
and... one became four.
I'm proud to say these monsters were all thegreatchubby originals :)
But of course, none of this would be any fun without lovely people to share it with. The people at Buttercup have not only opened their home to me but also shared with me their experiences and love for life. I was welcomed into the family without hesitation and it has been immensely enriching.
Cheers to great people and new discoveries!
