January

Understory

By Mark Nepo

I’ve been watching stars

rely on the darkness they

resist. And fish struggle with

and against the current. And

hawks glide faster when their

wings don’t move.

Still I keep retelling what

happens till it comes out

the way I want.

We try so hard to be the

main character when it is

our point of view that

keeps us from the truth.

The sun has its story

that no curtain can stop.

It’s true. The only way beyond

the self is through it. The only

way to listen to what can never

be said is to quiet our need

to steer the plot.

When jarred by life, we might

unravel the story we tell ourselves

and discover the story we are in,

the one that keeps telling us.

Scenes from the farm: walks in the woods, the sky over fields, and cleaning up the compost

The Share:

1 bunch kale

1 bag salad mix

1 head lettuce

1 cabbage

1 jar kimchi

1 garlic

5 pounds roots: beets, potatoes, celery root, watermelon radish, daikon, purple top turnip

Quick Pickled Daikon

Ingredients

1 cup rice vinegar

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 pound daikon radish

1/4 cup kosher salt

Directions

In a small saucepan over medium heat add the vinegar, water, sugar, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, peel the daikon radish and slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds. (If your daikon is very large, slice the rounds into semicircles.) Place in a colander with salt and mix well. Place the colander over a bowl and let drain for 1 hour. Rinse the salt off with a couple of changes of water and dry the daikon well. Put into a sterilized glass jar. Pour the cooled brine through a coffee filter (or a cheesecloth lined strainer) into the jar to cover the radish slices. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Will keep for about 2 weeks.