Before the wind had to time to blow this morning a swarm of men with chain saws and screaming yellow shirts came through the yard next door like carpenter ants. All the green that was towering trees and hedges is piled up on the sidewalk out front. They left nothing left but grass and embarrassed pots of naked impatience.
The squirrels and I are at a loss.
What about the birds, we think; who’s going to tell them?
If I could cook for them I would.

Any old how I’ll pave my walks with seed.

For the family: shredded chicken salad w/fresh thyme, lemon zest, garlic, bit of balsamic, olive oil, tiny bit of mayo w/baguette, tomato salad, salad of mustard greens and arugula, fresh corn and fig tart w/cream for dessert.

Make a shortbread crust: 1 cup of flour, 1 stick cut up cold butter, 1/4 sugar, pinch of salt. Rub together and press into pan. Bake
at 400 degrees until it begins to go golden. Quarter 6-8 ripe figs and toss with sugar. Heat up a few tablespoons of butter in a heavy saute pan. Add the figs with a bit of candied ginger, a piece of star anise and lemon zest and move around a bit until the figs have collapsed a little. Remove the zest and star anise. Spoon onto the cooked crust and return to the oven for another five or ten minutes. Serve at room temperature with mascarpone that has a little sugar and lemon zest added to it.