I was down near the potager gathering nuts this morning. That’s the hazelnut tree on the left; the walnut tree, with the trampled weeds underneath, in the center.
The neighbors were picking grapes on one side of me. In the field on the other side a young man walked past with a shotgun in his arms, hunting for rabbits, birds, deer, fox, hares.
Hunting and gathering.
Most people I know from my former life would be at the mall on a Saturday.
So is shopping the new ‘hunting and gathering’?
Is it the age-old instinct that drives so many people to accumulate so much? To go shopping for the sport of it? To fill ever-larger houses and closets with ‘stuff’?
It’s fall here, and I have that urge to acquire, to hoard, to collect.
I like seeing my freezer fill up with courgette, squash, tomatoes (in other years) green beans and herbs.
I like seeing the shelves in the cave fill up with pickles and fruit preserves.
Soon the nuts and kiwifruit will fill still more shelves.
If I lived in a city would I convert that desire into filling up my closet with new shoes? Would I spend yet another 500 bucks for a Coach bag that will only be perfect with one outfit? Do I really need this season’s newest Hermes scarf?
I come from a long and infamous line of shop-aholics. I have a cousin whose walls are crammed so full she has no idea what color they are. I have a sibling with clothes old enough to be out of date; still with the price tags on.
Before moving to Ireland both mon mari and I had to down-size. Neither of us needed the trappings of business life. As I went through the closets, sorting into donate, consignment or pack, piles, I realized that I had over 100 white blouses. How had I ever managed to do that? Admittedly that included ivory, cream and off white; cotton, silk and rayon, long, short and sleeveless, casual, business, and dressy; but still! And yes, I had rather a lot of colors, as well. And, right again, I do rather hate to through things out. But still!
You can see why I’m better off gathering nuts…
I’m still gathering zucchini as well. For some reason both yellow and green have decided to have one last fling and produce just a few more for me.
If I have to eat it you get to read about it. Here is one last (maybe) zucchini/courgette post for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Myriam, of Once Upon A Tart! (I love that name!)
I think our founder, Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen will understand. She’s had rather a lot of zucchini herself this summer!
We’ll just all be grateful that it’s such a healthy vegetable, full of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A and C, magnesium, manganese and potassium.
For added benefit, and color, I tossed in some spinach and basil:
Sautéed Spinach, Courgette (Zucchini) and Onions
1 small zucchini (courgette) – about 1 1/2 cups
1 onion
1 clove garlic
4 – 6 oz fresh spinach
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs fresh snipped basil
1 tbs fresh snipped thyme
2 tbs chicken stock
Slice onion and mince garlic. Shred zucchini. 
Remove thick stems from spinach and cut into strips: put the spinach leaves together in one hand and snip with a scissors. Heat oil in medium, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until golden. Turn heat to medium, add courgette and garlic, continue to sauté for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and chicken stock. Sauté just until spinach wilts. Remove and serve.
Be sure to visit Myriam at Once Upon A Tart on Monday for the complete roundup of all the wonderful recipes….maybe, even more squash…
Don’t ask me about the scarves….
Yum I would love to eat that. I love seeing the variations in how zucchini grow, they’re all so beautiful!
Gathering hazlenuts??? Envy, envy! I’d rather do that than go shopping. And I love the way you sauteed your veggies–they look perfect, with the glow of freshness!
I’m very jealous of the nuts. Since you wrote about it last time, I’ve been thinking, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen nuts growing on a tree. At least not that I can remember. How is this possible?
The idea of spinach with zucchini and onions sounds wonderful! Just delicious! Yes, there is still more squash around here too.
Katie, I would trade off the city shoe shopping to come and gather nuts with ya! 😀
And how lovely your dish looks! I really like the yellow color one, since it is harder to get those in the shops.
Zucchini, onions and spinach sounds really good. And don’t I love those nuts!
I’ve never been a shopaholic, though I do manage to accumulate dozens of new cookbooks each year. But I love to accumulate foods from my garden and from the harvest — and of course I seem to accumulate quite a lot of pantry items as well!
Like the others, I’m very jealous of you having access to those nuts! Isn’t your new hunting and gathering much more rewarding than the mall kind? Perhpas your premise is right that the reason modern, city-dwellers shop so much is that ancient need to gather. Hmmm.
Lovely dish. The combination of flavors looks enticing.
I will take the nuts over the Mall of America any day. Look at all the bounty you have! Yumm!
Ashley, this is the first year I’ve grown yellow courgette and I really like the pretty color! Tastes good, too!
Sher, every morning the girls and I gather what fell the day before… I gather, they eat….
Kalyn, always more squash! This is the first year I’ve found the hazelnut tree… I knew it was there, just not which one it was… duh!
Anh, when I was little my mother took us to gather nuts in the woods every fall – sort of a tradition.
Simona, I thought the bright green would look pretty – tasted good, too!, thanks!
Lydia, I now have confined my shopping urges to books and food, too.. and cookware…and pretty dishes…
Jeni, not only more rewarding I don’t have to put on make-up to do it!
Lannae, MOA… all I can think of is the massive food courts. It is a good place to walk, though, 1 mile per level, 4 levels…
Hi Katie, your observations was really interesting. I think I rather fill up my pantry with interesting foods rather than collect clothes 🙂 How wonderful that you can go “shopping” in your backyard.
I would trade shopping in a split second to be gathering! I love doing all those sorts of things you mentioned~if you ever need an assistant, please let me know! So rewarding and worth the time!The recipe is mouthwatering~thanks! Hope to catch up on all your posts, have been away most of the summer……
Ahhhh Katie, would you adopt me and B if I promised never to complain about corgettes?! 😉
Great post and delicious looking recipe girl! I promise to get back to you with an email in the next day or two. Doctors tests running me ragged…
BZ
Oh, I am envious. While our nut trees are just planted these years, it will take another 7 years to be able to harvest them. I wonder if I will still be blogging in 7 years time hehehe… Nice to know you, Katie. I’ll be your regular visitor from now on. I just love we share a common thing here.
Great post. And great recipe send off for the zucchini. I would love to have those nut trees near my house. You are so lucky!
Basil & thyme……two of my favorite herbs! What a great recipe incorporating zucchini in it! Cheers!
Bring more zucchini in, Katie! I love them! I saw them at store here but they huge, their size is like a kid’s arm’s… not sure it is what they’re , or just having a good time this year…
Down-size is a big bonus from moving isn’t it 🙂
You are so lucky to have your wonderful garden to “shop” in 🙂 You veggies always look fabulous! And nuts…wow! I am a shop-aholic too…and that means food and books and shoes and bags…my wallet needs rehab!
Nora, it certainly is cheaper 😉 If I could only get the dogs to quit eating the nuts!
Jann, traveling is tough…you can always travel my way when you want to play in the garden.
BZ, we have an apartment out back that would be perfect for you!
Arfi, glad you’ll be visiting! We have a little walnut tree, too. This year it gave us about 12 nuts…but they are bigger than the ones from the big tree!
Maryann, I wish it was a zucchini send-off…I just found 3 more!
Gattina, down-sizing is good…but I still need to do more… Hope you’re enjoying the markets.
Culinary Chase, mine two, they go into almost everything. I’m switching to frozen and dried soon, though.
Joey, I’m on forced shopping rations… only because I no longer have closets so it’s really obvious if I buy something… I gather nuts…
Swirling Notions, thank you, that is so kind!
I love the word “potager” . . . and I so wish that I had my own to gather nuts near in the morning ;-). You’ve got a wonderful site!
Very pretty dish! I haven’t seen yellow zucchinis for ages….
Thanks, Margot. I don’t see them in the markets here, either, but I got the seeds here! They stay slimmer than the green ones I have, not as many seeds.
Those colors are fantastic together! I love having a huge bag of spinach and use it in just anything and everything except maybe not dessert.
I know my closet is crazy, I have some really old things in it and they are way to small now.
I really liked the colors, too, Tanna! I’m into pretty food. Old things in closets… I hate to part with most of it – even when it doesn’t fit…sigh…