The immortal John Keats, and 'Endymion'
Happy Saturday all! I write to you today with a four year old tucked under my arm, so I beg indulgence if odd letters pop up in this post. We're teaching him to type.
Today is the last day of May, and as I listen to the birds sing and smell the lilacs that have bloomed at the bottom of my steps (I'm horribly allergic, by the way!) I can't help but feel summer has truly arrived, even though Litha is still weeks away. No matter: the sun is shining goldenly, my seedlings are growing tall and blossoming, my stepson is graduating in a week; it's summer in this household! And so, to welcome the onset of summer, I took a small vacation...with John Keats. (Yeah, sorry all; no spectacular photos of Cape Ann or Mystic to share with you, not yet anyway.)
I finished reading Endymion last night; it was everything I had heard it to be: lush, lyrical, moving in Endymion's near despair, and then crowned with his triumph and joy. It is also lacking the elegance and finish of his other works, such as On the Grasshopper and the Cricket, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and all his sonnets to Fanny Brawne. Endymion is a journey through Greece's mythical landscape as Endymion seeks to find the maid he loved in a dream. He passes field and woods, caverns of riches and traverses Neptune's realm in his journey, seeking truth, love, and gaining knowledge of life in his travels. I'm glad I read it, but it is not a favorite, and I do not think I will read it again. (His sonnets to Fanny, and the letters of John Keats and Fanny Brawne I shall return to again and again, just like the letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrette. Such romance! Such passion!) I am beginning William Butler Yeats' The Celtic Twilight today. I have some chores to attend to, not the least of which is playing in the dirt with my four year old (he has flowers to plant in his own pot) but later today should you drop by you shall find me tucked into a shady corner of my back steps with a glass of iced tea and my book. If I don't see you, have a great Saturday!
And because we'd far rather be reading than cooking on a lovely day like today, here's a fast and easy quiche that you can't go wrong with...unless you hate goat cheese. In which case, use cheddar or Monterey jack.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until center is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on rack and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
This is probably my seventeen year old son's favorite dinner. There are rarely leftovers, and when there are, he eats them for breakfast the next day.
Today is the last day of May, and as I listen to the birds sing and smell the lilacs that have bloomed at the bottom of my steps (I'm horribly allergic, by the way!) I can't help but feel summer has truly arrived, even though Litha is still weeks away. No matter: the sun is shining goldenly, my seedlings are growing tall and blossoming, my stepson is graduating in a week; it's summer in this household! And so, to welcome the onset of summer, I took a small vacation...with John Keats. (Yeah, sorry all; no spectacular photos of Cape Ann or Mystic to share with you, not yet anyway.)
I finished reading Endymion last night; it was everything I had heard it to be: lush, lyrical, moving in Endymion's near despair, and then crowned with his triumph and joy. It is also lacking the elegance and finish of his other works, such as On the Grasshopper and the Cricket, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and all his sonnets to Fanny Brawne. Endymion is a journey through Greece's mythical landscape as Endymion seeks to find the maid he loved in a dream. He passes field and woods, caverns of riches and traverses Neptune's realm in his journey, seeking truth, love, and gaining knowledge of life in his travels. I'm glad I read it, but it is not a favorite, and I do not think I will read it again. (His sonnets to Fanny, and the letters of John Keats and Fanny Brawne I shall return to again and again, just like the letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrette. Such romance! Such passion!) I am beginning William Butler Yeats' The Celtic Twilight today. I have some chores to attend to, not the least of which is playing in the dirt with my four year old (he has flowers to plant in his own pot) but later today should you drop by you shall find me tucked into a shady corner of my back steps with a glass of iced tea and my book. If I don't see you, have a great Saturday!
And because we'd far rather be reading than cooking on a lovely day like today, here's a fast and easy quiche that you can't go wrong with...unless you hate goat cheese. In which case, use cheddar or Monterey jack.
Goat Cheese and Basil Quiche
1 unbaked pie crust
8 to 10 eggs, depending on how thick you want your quiche
2 to 3 Tbs. milk, heavy cream or half and half
16 oz. crumbled goat cheese
1/2 C. coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; place crust in pie plate (if
making your own)
2. Whisk eggs with enough milk to make creamy, add salt and
pepper.
3. Stir in goat cheese and basil, pour into pie crust.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until center is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on rack and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
This is probably my seventeen year old son's favorite dinner. There are rarely leftovers, and when there are, he eats them for breakfast the next day.
Comments
Post a Comment