Cold. Foggy. Apples. Farm.

I took little man to a farm out towards the mountains last week. It was crisp and we wore matching flannel. We packed a lunch of cheese quesadillas, apples, and lots of water. The drive was about an hour. An hour of my windshield wipers beating fog away in time to the lilting sounds of Jack Johnson. An hour of road beneath tires, and a tiny voice asking earthy questions. Ahh, moving.

We arrived just as the tractor full of suburban farmers come to visit was pulling away. Armed with cloth totes we jumped aboard the slow moving wagon of hay and set out to the fields. 

The farm was huge! Mountains looming over us and expansive fields stretching as far as we could see. 

Little man and I don't mind dirt at all. We roll up our sleeves and dug for those potatoes!

The carrots were our favorite by far. Grabbing them by their leafy hair and heaving against the soil's grip. A crumbling, shifting quake and... Viola! Carrot resurrections everywhere. We yank them up, like a backwards baptism. 

Our entire haul included both green and purple kale, cabbage, carrots, sweet and brown potatoes, peppers, pumpkins, Indian corn, onions, celery, and one magnanimous rutabaga. 

It was a lovely, dirty, wholesome day. We drove home, took baths, at a whole carrot each and then little man went to bed. 

While he slept... I made apple butter. :) 

• Apple Butter
• 2 lbs Granny Smith or honey crisp apples
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinager
• Water to cover
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tbs cinnamon
• 1 tbs cloves 
• 1 tbs ground ginger
• 1 tbs allspice 
• The rind and juice of one lemon

Rough chop the apples and put them in a large pot with the vinager. Cover with water and brig to a boil. Simmer them until soft. Purée with an blender and return to the pit with the sugar, spices and lemon. Cook on low heat until the cot is amber and the consistency thick and smooth. 

Your house will smell amazing at this point. 

Let the apple butter cool completely before canning it.