Monday, Monday

Noah had taken the day off, but it was a workday for Susanna in the kitchen.

Back to Basics Kitchen is Susanna's business. It's a 'take-out' restaurant, perfectly suited for these COVID-19 times. She prepares seasonal, made from "scratch" main dishes, sides, and desserts using high quality local and organic ingredients, and caters to those with special dietary needs. I sure do wish we lived closer. I'd be eating her food all the time!

Due to one thing and another, Susanna had recently been short on help. I offered assistance, eager to see Susanna in action while getting a feel for what it takes to work in a commercial kitchen. I made only a few faux pas ... throwing the eggs in the compost and the shells in the bowl, for example, and lasted only four hours before exhaustion set in. I guess that's to be expected while cracking 100+ eggs, juicing three quarts of lemon juice, and measuring out seven pounds of honey! But it was worth it, because I was able to take home the evening's dinner of potato pinto green chili (made with roasted tomatillos and poblano peppers) and look forward to some of that luscious lemon curd once chilled.

In the meantime, Noah and Rouse went mountain biking on the trails at Marshall Mesa. Judging by the new scabs Rouse was sporting, they had a good time of it! Adequately refueled and refreshed after lunch out, they returned home to accomplish more tree trimming.

Susanna in action - sheet pans full of roasted tomatillos and sweet potatoes

washing new jars to hold lemon curd

There's a whole lot of prepping going on here! Melissa cleaning roasted poblano peppers,.Susanna prepping onions. And my work space, where I was getting to work on juicing lemons after cracking 100+ eggs.

so many potato chunks and a big pot of pinto beans