Fresh dill heads from Turhune Orchards in Princeton, NJ. I spent most of the day stressing about some final book edits, so I wasn’t able to go any further than my dining room for photographic inspiration.

Sunflower on Blue Moon Acres in central New Jersey. A co-worker and I went on a farm tour and saw three glorious, though very different, farms.

At the farmers’ market today, I bought 25 pounds of seconds apricots (it was pre-arranged with Beechwood Orchards) and two bundles of chinese long beans that I pickled tonight.

Create a Cook, the space in Newton, MA where I taught a canning class. It’s an amazing place, two full equipped cooking classrooms, a big open area where people can gather and lots of reliable staff. We have nothing like it in Philly.

On the road to Boston to teach a canning class. It was a gorgeous day for driving.

A pot from Ikea that will serve as new home for a Christmas cactus. Now I just have to get some potting soil. One step at a time.

A quick weekday lunch. I had a couple small slices of toast on the side. Three and a half years later, the fact that I work close enough to home that I can make lunch in my own kitchen most days still hasn’t gotten old.

Today was one of my work from home days and after a brief hour at the office for a staff meeting, I spent the rest of the day catching up on all those life-maintenance tasks that have been piling up. Though not everything on the list is crossed off, I assure you, those things were done by the time the day came to an end. I adore being on top of things.

A jar of water in the moments before I head to bed.

Today, Tenaya (aka Madame Fromage) and I drove to Washington, D.C. to spend a day wandering the floor of the Fancy Food Show. Here she is (on the right) with cheese innovator Mary Keehn of Cypress Grove cheese.