Moro Blood Orange

The Moro is the most colorful of the blood oranges, with a deep red flesh and a rind that has a bright red blush. The flavor is stronger and the aroma is more intense than a normal orange. This fruit has a distinct, sweet flavor with a hint of raspberry.

Self Sufficient Living on Small Scale.

my vegetables 2016

double yolk egg

Fuerte Avocado, Blackberries, Red Baron Peach, Mexican Lime, Double Delight Nectarine, Thompson Seedless Grape

Grapevine

Easy Reach

Hummingbird

I collected some dryer lint and set it out for nest building

Black Mission and Kadota Fig Tart

Both, the Mission and Kadota fig trees are loaded with fruit. The Black Mission figs are ripe again for the second time this year. I am sharing with raccoons at night and  crows during the day. However, there are still plenty to share with neighbors and friends.
 

This is a simple and easy to make tart. After  baking the crust I mix some Creme Fraiche and sugar for the filling and lay the sliced figs on top. A glaze of thinned apricot jam (lemon and sugar) can be used to make the tart shiny. 

I have also filled the unbaked pastry shell with an almond cream and topped with the fruit and baked it at 375.  My favorite almond paste recipe is Thomas Keller's recipe.This tart as well as similar ones are great to freeze and rebake at 350. I've done both, straight from the freezer and leaving in fridge overnight. Both ways work.

baked with almond paste

before baking

The Secret Window

Spring and Summer 2013 photos

My Daily Walk

Sometimes I watch Larry, rockwhisperer, create scenes with rocks he finds on the beach. He takes photos of them and sells them as cards for $5 each. He took this photo while throwing food to the seagulls.

California Finches

New steps I build for myself  but the chickens like them even better

Lilac in same pot for 9 years

Enchiladas

Preparing chilies for enchilada sauce

Tomatoes for Salsa Fresco

Party Prep

The new Pergola with the Swing Bench that can be made into a flat bed.

The grapevine has covered the whole arbor.

My vintage Sari quilts on the swing/bed

Made the new Canopy over the deck in Sunbrella fabric. This should last a lot longer than the muslin I used to use.

Red cabbage

By mid-summer, the Shasta Daisies have taken over.

Johann Strauss still doing well in a pot, going on 3 years.

Roses from the Garden

The amazing Fig Tree

Mourning Dove's nest in the Grapevine, the baby and the Momma visiting me on the deck.

The Fig Tree is huge, it was planted bare-root in 2001

My little Royal Copenhagen boy

Chile de Arbol, a hot pepper

As always, the tomatoes are great!

A new tomato, a yellow Momotoro

The regular red Momotoro, still my favorite.

 Strawberry jam on homemade bread.
 

Blood Orange Tart

 Lawn Bowling

Sunset bowl at LB Lawn Bowling Club

Easter 2013

Orpington Chicken

Deviled eggs seem to be everyone's favorite.

Hummingbird baby.

The Wolf painted on a porcelain 10 inch tile by Brenda Morgan, a great porcelain painter. I stuck the tile into some shrubs.

In the last 3 years I have not cut back the helichrysum. It has grown to a tall hedge.