Yet Another Birthday

Five Years Old

Full of Beans

Yup, here we are in October, just full of beans. Totally full of beans. So full of beans our eyes were beginning to turn green. (Nah, somehow that doesn't have the same impact as the one about brown eyes...)

These beans are Fortex pole beans, and they were truly sweet and delicious, even when they grew really long. As in, ten to twelve inches long. And we estimated around sixty to seventy pounds of long beans, over a season of three months.

(Yes, that's correct. You can see in the photo that the beans were planted right along the front sidewalk. They caused a small sensation as they grew from seeds to over eight feet tall.)

Last year we got a lot of beans, but nothing quite like this. I'm not saying that the neighbors ran away when they saw me, but everyone did keep their car doors locked.

I will be growing more Fortex beans next year, but I plan on planting a much shorter row. That way I'll have room for a zucchini or two. It's good to keep your neighbors on their toes.

Breakfast of Champions?

We went to Spain last month. And most people agree that Spanish food is amazing. And it was, without a doubt. But for me, one of the most unexpected food items I encountered on that trip was at breakfast at El Jardín del Convento in Hervás.

El Jardin del Convento

On the table was this little dish of orange-gold nuggets. I did not recognize it as a food item, so I asked in my broken Spanish, and was answered in slightly less fractured English, "bee pullen."

OK, I gotta try this. Because of it's appearance - almost like fenugreek seeds - I was expecting something substantial. But, literally, it melted in my mouth. I just let it rest on my tongue and it was gone. With a somewhat sweet and floral flavor, but not at all overpowering.

There are many, many, many claims about the health and nutritional benefits of bee pollen. As yet, none has been scientifically verified. But for me, it really doesn't matter. Just that delicate flavor and texture are enough of an excuse to keep on sampling.