Today, bracing ourselves for tomorrows presidential election we maintained a low center of gravity in the cellar as continuous cloudbursts pissed down a steady stream of cats and dogs, hogs and heffers, baby dolls and merinos, conservacrats and feralchists. You name it torrential downpours strong and steady rang down in Anderson Valley as the crew scurried about filling barrels with finishing Chardonnay. Ulysses, whom maintains a perennial smile painted across his face, laughed lightly telling us that it always rains when the crowd pleasing white varietal goes to barrel. "Isn't that right parejita?," he asked his crankier counterpart Alfredo who's blank stare expressed his sentiments in the matter. Or maybe his unhappy state stemmed from being stuck once again with the FNG. Either way he wasn't the only one with a pair of wet panties in a bunch.
All and all the rain is good. The valley faced a drought this summer forcing growers to use much of their underground well stocks for irrigation. The fall showers are a welcome sight for producers worried about stunting next years crop without sufficient fall irrigation. While the valley floor has begun to green over providing a verdant pasture for the ruminants, the hills still boast a straw yellow hue that might take months before the grass is once again alive and well. In the vineyards cover crops are beginning to shoot through the soil lining the rows with prime grazing grounds and replacing depleted nitrogen. Harvest might have finished just weeks ago but painstaking preparations are already in order to ensure a healthy crop next year. "It's the circle of laiiiiffffee." Sing it Elton.
Most importantly dreary, bone chilling fall weather means it is time for hearty meals, root vegetables and squash! Bouef Bourguignon, Mediterranean Lentil soup and Chicken Vasquez are a few choice meals that are welcome sight, steaming on my table any time during the late fall and on throughout the winter. In Buffalo you might need to add a side quart of corn whiskey, but hey that's why food is regional. Tonight we enjoyed a delicious Minestrone with chicken alongside a few bottles of Methode A L'ancienne Pinot that happened to be kicking around the kitchen. Life is tough.
The recipe was easy and Doritos did the dirty work but you'll need:
3 Red Potatoes
1 Large Red Onion
2 Sweet Potatoes
3-4 cubes bouillon
4 Stalks of Celery
2 Carrots
5 Fresh Tomatoes or
1 Can diced Tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Boneless Breasts Chicken
Large Elbow Noodles 1/2 lb.
3 bulbs Garlic (minced)
2 tsp. Parsley
1/4 tsp. Cayenne (optional)
To do's: Chop veggies the way ya like 'em-mostly cubed. Saute the diced chix breasts in a pan and set aside. In soup pan saute onions and celery and continuously add water cooking it down for five or so minutes. Add roughly one gallon water to taste along with bouillon and remaining veggies, taters, spices and noodles. Let simmer for roughly half an hour. After add chicken and simmer while tasting that everything is cooked evenly. Gather some grubs (your parasitical housemates, not the trunk dwellers), serve, slurp and most importantly aprovecha!
Tomorrow is the day to cast your ballot. Do it! Voting, however futile, still gives you extra leverage when you bitch about the sad state of the country afterwards. Hell, if GOP tops out again I am hauling ass to Euroasia. Could be "See ya suckas!" Or would everyone become Mavericks by default? First Ronnie and now this elephant shit. How many years can I live in los Unite under the rich white man's fist?
Check out www.storyofstuff.com for an uppity, yet comical primer on contemporary consumption. Reminds me of my more idealist days of yesteryear.
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