workday in Taos - August 30

Coffee out is always a treat, especially on this trip.  It’s something reserved for days when I must get serious about work, writing, and communicating.  I can sit for hours in a café on my computer, but we don’t always stop in towns.  This morning, the idea of coffee in downtown Taos was enough to get Andre into the bus and on the road without breakfast—a rarity for him.  I suppose the hot air balloon that crept past our bedroom window just as the sun was starting to rise helped get us going, too.  They seemed to be struggling in the canyon, not quite able to get the lift we (clearly experts) thought they needed.  The thrill and fear of a potential crash right next to us almost made coffee unnecessary… almost.

Coffee Cats is a nice little café, has wireless internet, outdoor seating, and the employee didn’t mind at all when Andre asked if he could order something savory from the deli next door and bring it over (they only sell sweets).  She also played excellent music!  I wrote while waiting to arrange a time to stop by Sally’s.  Not only did she gift us with the promised elk meat, but we were also pleasantly surprised with a package of antelope meat!  How exciting, something neither of us had tried!  We stayed much longer than expected, enjoying great conversation on her garden patio, checking out the irrigation canals and her yard, and eating apples from her trees.  On the ride back to downtown, we picked a few apples and peaches from trees along the sidewalk.

We decided to head into the mountains north of Taos, which turned out to be pretty dry. Given that we still had so many mushrooms from previous finds, we spent the evening processing acorns and dock seeds out by the campfire while enjoying a little of my elderflower liquor mixed with my latest herbal beer, which seemed a bit more like champagne than beer.  Anyway, the combination made for a delicious cocktail—very luxurious, and all homemade with foraged ingredients.

I tried my hand at acorn bread tonight, too.  Acorn firebread, which involved mixing together about a cup of moist acorn meal and a cup of whole wheat flour with a little yeast and salt, then baking it over the coals in the oven Andre built.  Given that the acorn meal was fairly bitter when Andre’s attempt to make polenta (aka “acorn mush”) the other night failed, we were both shocked when the bread came out so well.  It was nutty, dense, and absolutely delicious, especially with a bit of Sambudha’s butter and honey.  Acorns are my new favorite food.