meadow

photograph by rinne allen

carrot flower

photograph by rinne allen

by the river

i love to go to the botanical gardens here and walk the river trail. we are having a long summer here. still 80's every day, so not much signs of fall. it's also been dry, so lots of plants are just giving up the ghost. the vines and overgrowth along the river are either still green or have withered away. at any rate, overgrowth is a love of mine.

photographs and words by rebecca wood

reflection

photograph by rinne allen

surprise lily

photographs by rinne allen

surprise lily

photograph by rinne allen

kudzu chips

we have been experimenting with our bounty of kudzu that we have growing in a valley near our house.  some things have worked, and some did not.  one of our favorites has been oven baked kudzu chips.  much like kale chips they are packed with nutrients and highly addictive.   good thing we have a never ending field of kudzu......

ingredients
handfuls of kudzu, washed
1 tsp olive oil
sea salt
directions
-pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
-toss the washed kudzu in a bowl with the olive oil, coating each leaf
-on a baking sheet place kudzu leaves in a single layer, only overlapping the edges
-sprinkle with sea salt
-bake until crispy, just a couple of minutes
-store in an air tight container
 

photographs and recipe by kristen bach

shed leaves

photograph by rebecca wood

moss oaks

there's nothing like the dappled light under old live oaks bent down, grey moss swinging in the warm breeze. ancient moods and languid beauty .

photographs and words by rebecca wood

wildwood revival

this past weekend, our friend and helper, kristin karch, attended wildwood revival in arnoldsville, ga. the small music festival brings together people and artists from all over the country to celebrate country, folk, and rock n' roll all while having a sweaty good time on an 1850's farm. there was beer from terrapin, tintypes from nashville photographer giles clement, local artists booths, and incredible music by gillian welch, athens cowboy choir, susto, and more.

photographs by kristin karch

tree beauty

photograph by rebecca wood

edisto wild beauty

what i love so much about edisto is all the wild beauty that abounds there. where there's not a house or some kind of habitation, it looks as wild and primeval as if man had never set foot. these are the open marshes and sky on the half mile walk to botany bay, remnants of old plantations and unchanged for a hundred years or more. wild and free.

photographs and words by rebecca wood

edisto botanicals

photograph by rebecca wood

along the etowah river

photographs and words by kristen bach

coastal beauty

photograph by rebecca wood

riverbed

photograph by kristen bach

river clay pots

i recently went on a trip with a group of high schoolers and instructors through an awesome organization called fall line south field institute.  i was one of two art instructors and we lead nature based art lessons for a week while paddling down the etowah river.

one of my favorite things that we did the entire week was harvesting river clay and making small beads, pots, and sculptures. we  made an epic fire and nestled our pots in the fire, unveiling our creations in the morning. it was a project enjoyed by everyone!  

photographs and words by kristen bach

vines on charred wall

photograph by kristen bach

community room

next to christ church on edisto, there is a wonderful community building, equipped for cooking or meetings. i love a red roof faded by the hot hot sun.

photographs and words by rebecca wood

spiced peach cobbler

during peach season i love to experiment with different ways to use peaches in our food.  i love them grilled and in salads but at the end of the day my favorite peach dish is a cobbler. here is my favorite way to make a cobbler.... with just a little spice. 

Ingredients

8-9 fresh southern peaches
2 cups AP flour
1/3 cup cane sugar
1Tbsp baking powder
1 stick of butter frozen or very cold
1/2 cup whole milk
2 farm fresh eggs
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon

Directions 

-pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- slice all peaches and place in your baking dish. You can use a smaller baking dish for a deep cobbler.
- using a cheese grater, grate the cold butter
- combine all ingredients in a bowl minus the peaches
-sprinkle the cobbler topping over your peaches
- bake uncovered until your cobbler topping is browned, about 40 minutes

recipe and words by kristen bach