MARIE'S MUSES

“The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.” ~Jon Kabat-Zinn

Every day I am surrounded by ordinary miracles. Small things that bring me joy and might have gone un-noticed and un-remarked except that I have chosen to acknowledge them and give them voice. Little things that touch my heart and make me smile.

The sight of a small white feather caught in the branches of the hedgerow out front reminds me of my many feathered friends that live amongst the shrubbery and hedges that grow so abundantly around the cottage. I think of the wonderful gifts they give me every day of their beautiful songs and the delight I receive from watching their antics as they travel to and from our feeders.

Usually when I go home for lunch I am greeted by my Jess who is sitting out in the drive waiting for me. She prances about in her very “collie” like way and I am just as excited to see her as she is to see me. It is nice to be loved and to love back. When I get up in the morning, before I can do anything else, it is cuddle time and I sit on the sofa and stroke her silken ears as she makes those little “doggie” type of loving noises that lets me know that she is enjoying every minute of the attention and my heart melts.

I am always on the look out for little gems and gifts . . . the way the sunlight dances across the dry leaves that linger in the garden, the sight of a butterfly’s wings fluttering against the window panes in my kitchen window just as dusk begins to settle in (who would believe it in February?), the wispiness of the clouds in a deep blue sky as they travel slowly across my line of sight, the sound of my husbands breathing in bed going softly in and out, the silence here in the cottage of an early morning as the earth outside begins to wake up and I hear the little twitters and melodies of the birds awakening outside . . . The sun begins to rise above the horizon and bathes everything in it’s special early morning golden glow . . .

These everyday things might be taken for granted and often are, if we don’t take the time to stop and breathe them into our being. These little snippets of joy, free for the taking . . . are what makes life so beautiful and worth living. I hope I never stop seeing them, or hearing them, or feeling them . . .

My favourite vegetable, the potato was on show again yesterday. I really could eat them three meals a day, every day and never get tired of them. There’s so many things you can do with them, each one more delicious than the last, and so it is with this.

Serves 2

I love the slightly salty and smoky flavour the pancetta gives to this dish.  It goes so very well with the flavour of the greens and the potatoes.  This truly is one of my favourite ways to prepare potatoes.  Very quick and easy and oh so tasty!

500g (1 pound) of baby new potatoes, washed and unpeeled

200g of baby leaf greens, washed and shredded

2 TBS olive oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

140g of Cubetti di Pancetta (diced thick sliced pancetta)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (a small handful)

Place the potatoes into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Salt slightly. Bring to the boil and then cook them for about 20 minutes, adding the shredded baby leaf greens in the last five minutes. Drain and return to the pan.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic and pancetta and cook them for 6 or 7 minutes until they are golden brown. Keep warm until the potatoes are done.

Using a potato masher, lightly crush the potatoes and cabbage with the remaining TBS of oil. Give it a coarse texture and do not mash it up too much. Tip in the pancetta mixture and the parsley and heat through. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and serve.

For those of you that asked there I have a lovely brownie recipe posted here:  Fudge Walnut Brownies