There is a lake at Batsto Village in the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey. There one can see all sorts of natural elements, like wildflowers and a pretty butterfly.
This star-like lavender flower (spotted knapweed – thanks to EG Wow) was also growing next to the lake. There is a nature center at the village, but we didn’t get a chance to visit.
This cattail is situated in a man-made pond created by 19th century businessman Joseph Wharton.
On Sunday we headed down to the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey and visited the Batsto Historical Village. The village was built around the iron industry in the late 18th and early 19th century. When the ironworks was abandoned for more profitable iron in Pennsylvania, it became a glass blowing village for a few years. Then Joseph Wharton, a Philadelphia businessman, bought it in 1876, fixed up the main house and built it up as an agricultural area. Today it is a fun place to visit for both history and nature lovers.
The top photo, with the roof and chimney, is of the village store. I took the store photo with the sepia setting on my camera. The bottom one is of some storage building in the village.
We haven’t gone on many trips this summer, as it has been quite hot, other than to the pool. Here’s dinner at the Longstreet Farm in Holmdel, New Jersey as it may have been in the 1890’s. Looks like they are having ham, asparagus, grapes, lemons and — is that challah?— a twisted bread, served on delicate blue china. We are planning to go on a family trip today.
For more Summer Stock photos, visit Robin’s Around the Island:
It’s a wonderful time of year in New Jersey: the peaches are finally available in the farmer’s markets. These are the best tasting peaches…um, yum, de-de dum. It was even worth traipsing off during the heat wave last Friday to get yet another bag.
The peaches are beautiful to behold as well as eat. Can I have my peach and eat it, too?
Small tomatoes in my garden are finally ripe. I also have some garden grown cucumbers (my first year growing cucumbers). I saw one of my bigger tomatoes finally turning red. How long will I hold out before picking it?
For more photos with a little or a lot of red, visit Ruby Tuesday:
More stories from the prophets: Archaelogical Dig at Tel Dan in northern Israel, Where Jeroboam built a cult as an alternative to the Temple in Jerusalem
My husband told the following story:
Long ago there was a king. He was a new king. He was trying to get the people who lived far to the north to adhere to his sovereignty. So he asked his elder advisers: What shall I do? They told him to speak gently to the people, and the people will serve him. He did not take the advice of these elders. He then went to the younger advisers. The young advisers told him to say: “My father chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with scorpions.” They wanted him to show the people who is boss and increase their burden. And that he did. And he lost the kingdom.
How was this related to last week’s parsha? We learned about the law of jealousy in the ten commandments, and from there, my husband told the story of jealous Jezebel, and then there were more stories from the Prophets…
Adapted from Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World by Gil Marks
Gil Marks calls this “Moroccan Vegetable Stew for Couscous.” I used white beans and brown rice, and I left out the cabbage. I also changed the amounts and cooked it all in a crockpot. Still delicious!
Ingredients:
6 cups vegetable stock (I used water – I’m not one to make stock for a stew)
12-16 baby carrots (or 6 big carrots, cut up)
1 large onion, sauteed (the original recipe says 3 onions and doesn’t say sautee)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 stick of cinnamon (original recipe said 3)
1 Tbsp. turmeric (the original recipe said only 1/2 teaspoon)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut up into pieces (or use butternut squash)
1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
2 turnips, peeled and quartered (they look like potatoes in the finished dish)
3 zucchini, cut into chunks
2 cups cooked beans (original recipe said chickpeas – I used white Northern beans)
If you use dried beans, soak the beans overnight the night before you prepare the recipe. If you use a can of beans, add the can towards the end of the recipe. Cook the beans in your crockpot for a few hours until soft. Add carrots, sauteed onions, sweet potatoes and turnips and cook for another hour in the crockpot. Add spices, the zucchini and cooked beans (if you used canned beans – if you started with dried beans, they should already be in their cooking). Cook until zucchini is tender, about twenty minutes. Sprinkle the parsley on top at the end.
The original recipe says serve on couscous, but I served it on brown rice. Drizzle the liquid on top like it’s gravy.
Gil Marks suggests this stew as a dish to serve on Rosh Hashana (yes, the Jewish New Year is the next holiday on the Jewish calendar, unless you count Tu B’Av). I think of it as a summer stew, because you can get delightful fresh garden vegetables to include in the stew at this time of year.
This family of birds was living in the rafters at the Longstreet Farm in Holmdel, New Jersey.
My daughter had the opportunity to milk a cow at the farm. On the left is that cow’s calf, whose birth helped the cow be a plentiful nurser.
In local sad news, the mama of the guinea pigs we adopted for the summer has died. We buried her in our backyard. In the words of my veterinarian friend, she was “geriatric” (over four years old). The guinea pigs’ original owner comforted me over the phone, saying, I was afraid this might happen. I think I was more upset than my daughter. My daughter noticed that I’ve been checking on the remaining two a lot, and she said I’m glad you don’t fret over me like that.
For more Nature Notes, visit:
In memory of Bobbie (click to read Michelle’s memorable post about her dear friend):
