quarry flora

photograph by rinne allen

sweet peas!

i always have a hard time naming my favorite flower, when asked.

but, every year around this time, a batch of wild sweet peas grows on an embankment near my house. and, if i were asked to name my favorite flower on the day that i noticed the sweet peas had flowered, i would most certainly proclaim sweet peas as my favorite.

words & photographs by rinne allen

mountain wildflowers

photo by kristen bach

fermented pickles

over the past couple of weeks we have been getting lots of veggies from our garden and our csa box.  so....we have been fermenting lots of them.  one of our favorites has been making fermented pickles.  these are so simple to make and can be enjoyed for months.

ingredients

1 quart mason jar

2 1/2 Tbsp Sea salt

filtered water

2-3 cucumbers

2 cloves of garlic

a few sprigs of fresh herbs: dill, garlic scapes, parsley, fennel, ect.  

1 Tbsp peppercorns

cabbage or grape leaf to hold down pickles into the brine

directions

-put 1 cup of filtered water and salt in the bottom of jar and swish around until dissolved.

-slice cucumbers into coin shaped slices.

-add cucumbers to jar leaving 1 1/2 inch at the top.

-add herbs, garlic, and peppercorns to jar and top with filtered water until all cucumbers are submerged in water.

-put a top on the jar and gently agitate to combine all ingredients.

-open jar and put your cabbage or grape leaf on top to help keep your cucumbers submerged.

-set your jar on your counter for a couple of days (just depends how you like them).  the jar will start to look cloudy, and that is good.  you can taste the pickles each day to release the gasses and also see how they taste.  when your pickles taste good, put them in the fridge and this will stop the fermentation.  you can leave in the fridge for up to 6 months. 

photos and recipe by kristen bach

late afternoon sun

photograph by rinne allen

farmer's market inspiration

'tis the time of year for farmer's markets!

there is so much inspiration at markets...from getting inspiration to cook to color, shape, and texture...take a moment and really look at what is on offer and get inspired!

words & photographs by rinne allen

iron gate

photograph by rinne allen

summer road trips!

we are working on a little collaboration with our friend pamela from sweet peach that will debut later this summer. it got us to thinking about some of our favorite road trips around the south...here are a few links to a few that are good for a weekend away, if you are in need of exploring this summer...

- rural studio, alabama
- billy reid's shindig (in august), alabama
- edisto island, SC
- foxfire, north georgia
- campbell folk school

and remember,
we now have our online GUIDE that lists all of our road trip posts from the last 7 years! enjoy!

smokehouse with kitty

photograph by rinne allen

brickhouse beauty, part two

last week, i shared images from spring studio day at the brickhouse...this week i wanted to share a few more photographs from inside and outside the brickhouse...since we love it so!

words & photographs by rinne allen

thistle

photograph by rinne allen

seasonal photoshoot ingredients

the other day i had a photoshoot and needed some seasonal ingredients...they did not have to be actual flowers, but i wanted my photographs to have a botanical feeling, but also one that did not feel store-bought. i walked through the yard and cut a few specimens, and also went and gathered some of my pressed specimens from my studio. each cutting brought a pop of color to my shoot, plus i got to enjoy them in my studio afterwards...the gardenias, in particular, were so fragrant!

words & photographs by rinne allen

quarry lines

photo by kristen bach

mint chutney

our mint plants are exploding right now with beautiful green leaves.  the other night i was trying to think of ways to use our mint before the heat of the summer got it.  i decided to make a mint chutney to put on top of a moroccan pie that i made.  it is a condiment that goes well on just about anything!

ingredients

2 cups of fresh mint

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2 limes, juiced

2 cloves garlic

1 serrano chile or jalapeno pepper

1 1/2 inches of fresh ginger

salt to taste

directions

-put all ingredients in blender or food processor

-store in a covered container in the fridge for about a week

photo and recipe by kristen bach

brickhouse beauty

photograph by rinne allen

spring studio day

a few weeks ago, two friends and i spent the morning at the brickhouse, in the company of a handful of other creative women. it was the first in what will hopefully be a regular series of creative workshops. called Studio Day, the intent of these workshops is to step inside a creative space and have unhindered creative time. beginning with a morning coffee and light breakfast and ending with a homemade, healthful lunch, this particular morning was spent wandering the grounds of the brickhouse collecting beauty, making light drawings, and thinking about composition. we shared the things that inspire us and focused in on creating and learning, without distraction. it was very rejuvenating, and inspiring!

words and photographs by rinne allen

cornflower

photograph by rinne allen

almost lost

this one sat by a crossroads in the middle of nowhere. i spied the old chimney and pulled over. as usual, the house was filled with hay, so i couldn't get a good look inside. right next to the house was a brick chimney of a no longer present house .

this time of year it gets harder to explore old shack, what with the bugs, overgrowth and possibility of snakes. usually blackberries or other prickly vines are growing around the house,too. dangers of shack exploring, but always fun!

photographs and words by rebecca wood

granite + lichen

photo  by kristen bach

collecting flowers in a meadow

the other day we passed a field covered in wild flowers.  we stopped and my daughter picked me a bouquet.  a good reminder to stop and see the beauty!

photos and words by kristen bach