Harvest Tales

October in Poland had been really good to me for the past few years. Sun on the face that feels warm, but never overbearing, evenings still warm enough, at least occasionally, to have a bonfire and grill goat cheese and yes, foraged mushrooms. This year was a year of walnuts. We would start every day by rushing into the garden to play a game who can fill the basket first. Never mind we needed gloves to fend off the morning frost, on some mornings…And then, there was a constant shuffle of our bounty for the last of the sun rays to dry.  The days were shorter, for sure, but there lies the magic of the moody light…

 The soul of the Carpathian Mountains casts a spell on you, oh so quickly…The nature is at arms’ reach. Every year, and this year was no different, I style a scene at my parents, which is also my childhood home, that feels like a pure joy to create. This year the theme was set,  by accident as always, by the tablecloth I intuitively picked up at H&M heading to a bus station in Krakow. I always loved mustard yellow, and this linen tablecloth is a perfection! An apple cake from Our Food Stories recipe was a delight to make,  even though it caused initially some raised eyebrows with my parents! They loved it though, and nothing screams more like family bonding than baking in my childhood kitchen.  I raised the bar though, I insisted on picking my apples on an abandoned, semi wild orchard, and they never tasted better! I also discovered miniature, but very sweet tasting pears. Narnia comes to life…