French Summer Color

French Summer, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Red-hot marigolds in a garden at a countryside home in the Dauphiné region.

The marigolds in France are amazing - they grow to be bushes 3 feet tall, the largest I've ever seen. Maybe it's the soil, maybe it's the weather, but the gardens in France grow lush and healthy. There are vegetable gardens, or potagers, in the yards of many of the old homes.

Have any of you grown marigolds that just get huge? Most of the marigolds around here are piddly little dwarves...

La pâtisserie...

Maybe just one..., originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Anybody want some?

These pastries, ranging from profiteroles, or cream-filled pastries, to tartes aux fruits, filled a glass case at a bakery in the French town of Morestel.

Profiteroles seem to be difficult to make, from what I've heard. Anyone have some stories to share?

Coquelicots - A Memory of Summer

Coquelicot at Sunset, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

These coquelicots, also known as Flanders poppies, were growing along a country roadside in the Dauphiné region of France, near Lyon. Summer sounds so good right now...

State of the Garden - December 9, 2008

Well, it's December and the garden is still going.

Fog comes in regularly, and the temperatures don't usually go above 60, but the basil still has a few green leaves. The bell pepper plant looks like it did in summer, and I just harvested a large crop of 'Thai Hot Dragon' chile peppers. The morning glories are putting out 1 or 2 flowers a week, a little bit of a change from the 50 or so they put out every day during the summer.

The lettuce is growing quite well, as are the cool-weather herbs like parsley and chervil.

To the other gardeners out there: how are your gardens doing? Under the snow, or still creeping along?

Making Coq au Vin

Making Coq au Vin, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.I finally got around to making the French coq au vin. After browning the chicken in a pan and putting it in a French oven, I poured in two full bottles of Burgundy wine. I threw in a few sprigs of rosemary from the rosemary Christmas tree we just bought, as well as some fresh thyme.

The chicken will marinate in the wine overnight, and will be cooked tomorrow!

P.S. Those rosemary Christmas trees are a great deal - you can get a 2-foot tall tree for about $10 at many home improvement stores. If you go to a professional nursery and buy a similar-sized plant, it can easily cost you $25.

It's Raining!

Northern California is officially in the midst of its first rainstorm of the season.

I just went outside and was amazed to see the rain coming down in sheets (not hard sheets, mind you, just light). Everything is wet, the water is tricking down the gutters, and when you walk on the brown grass it doesn't crunch underfoot.

Any other Northern California bloggers out there who are enjoying this rain?

Redwood Forest

Redwood Regional Park, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Another photo from today's visit to Redwood Regional Park. This park is just minutes from Oakland, and a short drive from the inland East Bay.

It was 98 degrees inland today; at Redwood, it was 83. Talk about relief from the heat!

Ready for Ignition

These 'Thai Hot Dragon' chile peppers are great. After turning from green to orange to red, they take on a heat that is 8 times more intense than a Jalapeno.

Some of the peppers are crinkly, and have almost no flavor or heat. They seem to die on the plant and dry before getting any flavor. Any suggestions as to why this is happening?

Gearing Up for Waterfall Season: '08-'09

This winter, hunts for waterfalls will include further exploring in Las Trampas and Mt. Diablo. I will also attempt to find the elusive, little-known Tehan Falls, which is supposedly 60 feet tall. If we're lucky, we'll get a lot of rain this year, as it is both necessary (to combat fires) and enjoyable (for waterfall hunters).