A Swift picnic

Weekends are a respite from the routine centered around BigC's school. This wknd we had more school to see with the fall festival. With the sun blazing down, it was not what one would expect but welcome. Evening temperatures are definitely Fall but, the days have been sunny and dry. Having signed up for the bake sale, i tried my hand at madeleines but in vain. After 3 batches of not chilling, over-baking and over-filling, it was decided to be mastered another time. Instead baked a peach-ginger tart and cherry-upside down cake which vanished in a hurry.
Took a picnic to see the Vaux swifts roost at Chapman elementary chimney. It was late in the season and despite not as many swifts, it was a spectacle of sorts with a few thousand showing up on their way south (all the way to central America!). Even witnessed a predator of some kind that was chased away by the swarm - a classic example of what a thousand drops could do. Towards the end, when only a few were circling around, the hawk did make a show and made away with a meal. As for our meal, packed a picnic of mushroom pinwheels, sprouted moong salad with oranges and apples and croissant caponata sandwich. Tweaked this a little with sauteing half the red-onions in the start with celery for some sweetness, added some chilli, cumin and garam-masala and only a tbsp of red-wine vinegar. Finished off with whole-wheat brownies that the friend made. The b'day celebration that the picnic was supposed to be getting a rain-check given the disastrous baking period.



in the garden - banana and asters in autumn evening light