The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

The small family farmers of our region are making way into Indian summer, preparing themselves for a good hefty second crop of corn, lettuces, early kale, pumpkins, beets and carrots. I was standing in the middle of Wild Bill's Patit Street Organic Farm today, admiring the rows of different leaf textures, deep burgundy lettuces, subtle green hues of sage, basil and floppy squash leafs.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a noisy blue jay landed on an adjacent fence post. I said to him, "hello, little dinosaur," and when I turned around to walk to the front of the garden, this bird flew up and dive-bombed my head with his beak. I stopped in my tracks and asked aloud, "Why'd you go and do that?" The bird landed back on the fence post and yelled at me again in the most anxious and annoying way.

I held my head high and began walking up a row of Napa cabbages, only to be bombarded again by the insane bird. He was all worked up as only a blue jay can be, making all kinds of grunts and squawks, flapping his wings wildly. I stopped and gave him a piece of my mind and once again began walking my way back to the front of the garden when I looked down and noticed a big fat snake slither over the toe of my boot and I stopped in my tracks for fear the snake would rear-up and take a bite of me.

The Blue Jay danced back and forth nervously scowling at the snake and suddenly made a giant swoosh and down he went, right between my overall legs, grabbed the slithering gardener and up he went, snake dangling mid-air curing madly as the jay flew over the pines and disappeared. Nature is truly a never ending discovery, laden with excitement. What is required to see all of her beauty is simple repose. After all, when were you last told by a blue jay to "back up, don't move, a snake is under your feet." It's the kind of story to tell the grandchildren and only happens once in your life time, right?

Homemade Butter

2-cups heavy cream

1-teaspoon salt

1-teaspoon orange zest

Method:

In a food processor, whirl until stiff, pot and serve

with warm corn bread and homemade chili beans.

Hear Judith's food and wine web cast commentary at www.chefjudithhenderson.com