Quilter in St Croix

Halloween at Norma's

2009-11-02T10:31:00.005-04:00

For Halloween my husband Bob announced that he wasn't going to dress up, but his finger wanted to go as a frangipani caterpillar.

We went to Norma's (aka, the Domino Club) for the big Halloween Bash featuring the music of Kurt Schindler. The little caterpillar found his way among costumes that were:

wild

gothic

alien

historic

dramatic

mystical

and feminine.

Still Life with Mango

2009-10-26T15:50:00.005-04:00

July is peak mango season on St. Croix. Mango trees on roadsides and backyards are bright and fragrant with ripe fruit. In early July, the Botanical Garden hosts a Mango Melee, showcasing the 80 varieties of mango grown here on the island. By summer's end the harvest winds down and we all settle down to wait for next summer's crop.

Not so for my friends Brooke and Valerie. Their home, nestled on the hills overlooking St. Croix's north shore, has a lovely orchard and a mature mango tree that comes into season right when every other mango tree has called it a day. This tree is about 25 feet tall and is currently producing mangos the size of grapefruits. I don't know the name of this particular variety but these are truly the Rolls Royce of the mango kingdom. Plump and juicy, the flavor is a perfect balance of sweet and tangy. These mangos have made a mango lover of my husband, who, up to now, never gave a mango a second glance.

Yesterday Valerie told me that she was trying to rescue as many ripening mangos as she could before the birds and bats got to them. Bob and I volunteered to assist with the mango rescue. We saved a couple dozen mangos and a handful of sour oranges and mandarins that beckoned from nearby trees. Here's the bounty we just acquired:

I have visions of mango mousse, mango curry, mango salsa... but I suspect that as they ripen, Bob and I will devour these mangos fresh and unembellished.

Before and After the Rain

2009-09-25T14:00:00.004-04:00

In my last post we had been waiting for some rain from Tropical Storm Erika. She passed us by as she was disintegrating into a tropical depression and so her visit only brought us rain, about 7 inches within a couple of days. It was enough rain to replenish water cisterns across the island, and to return St. Croix to a lovely verdant color.

Here are some shots before and after the rain:

The one disadvantage to all that rain was a resurgence of mosquitoes. Our resident geckos have been feasting, and I have a developed a theory that mosquitoes are potent aphrodisiacs for our gecko friends. This was the scene around the house the other morning:

Waiting for Erika

2009-09-03T10:39:00.003-04:00

It's a balmy morning here on St. Croix. We're enjoying blue skies with puffy white clouds, sunshine, and lovely breezes that sway the palm trees. It's the classic tableau of Caribbean paradise.

Looking east towards Buck Island, the views are so lovely that it's hard to reconcile the fact that Tropical Storm Erika threatens just beyond that peaceful horizon.

She's at the moment hovering around Dominica and Guadeloupe and she's headed our way. Fortunately for us, she's very disorganized and is moving at the slow pace of about 7 miles per hour. But she has sustained winds of 40 mph, and when she comes, she's likely to dump 3 to 5 inches of rain on us.

This last part is a bit of good news. Over the past couple of months we have had insignificant rain fall over our part of the island. The land is parched and the grasses are brown (although the bougainvillea thrives in this aridness). So the rain that's coming is welcome. And we'll keep our fingers crossed that those 40 mph winds will elude us, because Erika is so disorganized that she's being demoted to a tropical depression when she gets to Puerto Rico.

Radar photo from http://www.goes.noaa.gov/HURRLOOPS/huirloop.html.

Nora's Guest Book

2009-08-31T15:47:00.003-04:00

This morning my friend and neighbor Nora called and asked me to create a quilted notebook for use as a guest book at Villa Santa Cruz, her seaside villa here in Salt River.

Fortunately, my day was already going to be spent in the studio. So, I put aside my latest incarnation of Marlena the mermaid and began work on her project.

I knew exactly what kind of cover I would make. It'd be a water scene with a poem about the sea. The poem is an excerpt that I found online. On the label I gave credit to the author. Here's how it turned out:

And this is the front of it when the book is closed:

This is my second cover in this theme. It's a fun project and I'd like to make more to sell. The quandary at the moment is how much to charge for it in the general market. It takes a good 3 hours to construct.

Summer Travels and the Muse

2009-08-19T09:28:00.005-04:00

This past July our travels took us to my native Colombia. We enjoyed a family reunion at Villa Clara, my sister's farm near Ibague.

I was captivated by the magnificent beauty of the Andes Mountains surrounding us.

In August we returned to one of our favorite playgrounds on this beautiful planet. We chartered a boat out of St. Thomas and made the rounds through the British Virgin Islands.

While some of us snorkeled the pristine waters, our crew mates Brooke and John preferred diving for deeper treasures. Here they brought up a gorgeous starfish for a quick visit to the surface.

Being on water for seven days recharged my creative batteries. I sat on the boat admiring the beauty and I got to imagining a mermaid named Marlena. I could see her amid the coral, playing hide and seek with the schools of angelfish and blue tang. She came home with me and followed me right into the studio. She's here for an extended stay.

You can click on Marlena or any of the photos for a close-up view.

Poseidon's Dream Pouch

2009-06-24T16:22:00.002-04:00

Here's my latest project. It brings out the mystic in me.

The Dream Pouch holds your dream, creating a place in the world on which to focus your creative energy to help your dream come true. The idea comes from the ancient days of Atlantis.

Here's the legend of the Dream Pouch:

Before the days of Avalon, back to Atlantean times, people of renown, artisans, crafts people, religious people even, all carried a Dream Pouch or more. It is said that the great Poseidon, protector of Atlantis, created 12 Dream Pouches for the first 12 Atlanteans. These pouches carried the 12 great virtues: love, kindness, compassion, humility, grace, devotion, joy, forgiveness, harmony, balance, responsibility and prosperity. Poseidon himself decreed that Dream Pouches hold only unconditionally loving dreams, or dreams that in some way reflect the 12 virtues.

It became tradition for the High Priestess of Atlantis to create the Dream Pouches, and in a ritual, to have them blessed by Poseidon. Through the act of acquiring a Dream Pouch, Atlanteans welcomed the blessings, protection and ancient wisdom of Poseidon in their quest to turn their dreams into reality.

In the tradition of the High Priestess of Atlantis, I create each Dream Pouch and perform a ritual asking Poseidon to fill the Dream Pouch with the energy and wisdom of Atlantis. The ritual imbues the Dream Pouch with the intent of helping its owner develop a clear mind, a strong purpose and the courage to take action to fulfill their dream.

For more about Poseidon's Dream Pouch, please visit www.theDreamPouch.com.

Three Baby Hawks

2009-06-08T16:07:00.005-04:00

We spotted these cuties in our neighbor's yard today.
Three baby hawks hanging out on the trees.
These siblings have lovely tail feathers.
They're bright-eyed curious and seriously fluffy.

Sneaking a peek was a real treat!

Reef Jam and the Invasion of Lionfish

2009-05-25T10:05:00.006-04:00

This was the scene yesterday at Rainbow Beach in Frederiksted while ReefJam '09 was in full swing.

According to www.reefjam.com, "Our mission is to improve St. Croix coral reef conservation efforts through community education, stewardship and conservation programs which promote positive behavior changes toward our marine environment."

Indeed, there were activity tents, information stations, beach games, frolicking in the water, burgers and ribs and grilled chicken, lots of beer, and fun music.

The musical lineup was great. It began with fun Cuban-Latin music from Siete Son, followed by Kurt Schindler's world funk (accompanied in this photo by Conga player extraordinaire Junie Bomba), and ending to the sway of the Reggae Bubblers.

Amid the dancing and the beach fun, we saw first-hand the great danger threating our coral reefs. Here's a photo of a Lionfish caught in February right on this beach.

These small fish that look like aquatic zebras are venomous to humans. When they invade a reef community, they can gobble up about 80% of the fish population in that reef. Their invasion in the Atlantic and Caribbean is occurring at a staggering speed. They're already spread throughout the Bahamas.

This year St. Croix fishermen and divers have spotted about 6 Lionfish around our island. There is an effort now among local authorities and conservationists to raise community awareness to minimize the impact of the Lionfish in our coral reefs. If any of us are snorkeling or diving out there and catch sight of a Lionfish, we are to immediately report the sighting to a local dive shop or contact the Division of Fish and Fish and Wildlife (340-772-1955).

Anatomy of a Sun

2009-04-27T13:10:00.004-04:00

For me, the sun is a frequent subject of contemplation. In my artistic endeavors I sometimes ponder how to portray on fabric this magnificent source of light, how to capture the energy of this titan that is indispensable and hazardous all at once; giver and taker; the rightful subject of mysticism throughout the ages.

The ancients have personified the sun as a king with a shining crown and as a deity riding a chariot across the sky. My favorite characterization of the sun comes from Hindu religious literature, in which the sun is considered a visible form of God that we can see every day.

I'm working on a small sun quilt. Here's my attempt at capturing the sun using a simple fabric collage. The quilting of it will come later.

Spring at the Lawaetz

2009-04-04T16:30:00.007-04:00

Today I visited my favorite trees on the grounds of the Lawaetz Museum on the west end of St. Croix, and I was happy to see signs of Spring everywhere.

My beautiful sister Saman trees were resplendent in pink flowers.

Here's a closeup of the pink buds:

The baby Baobob had a few seed pods.

The almond tree was almonding.

The mango tree was mangoing.

The calabash was calabashing.

The orange was oranging.

The soursop was soursoping.

And the breadfruit was breadfruiting.

The giant leaves of the breadfruit glowed in the noon sun.

And here's one luscious closeup of those perfect breadfruit orbs:

Sunset Sail on the Roseway

2009-03-24T10:37:00.004-04:00

During the winter months, we on St. Croix have become accustomed to seeing the red sails of the 137 ft. schooner Roseway along the northern shores of the island. For the past couple of years the big ship has made St. Croix its winter home, where it operates the World Ocean School, running programs for local schools in which 7th graders get to integrate lessons in math and science while having a unique sailing experience. Here's a photo of the Roseway by Pranas Robert Karalius, courtesy of www.worldoceanschool.org.

Built for fishing in 1925, this lovely ship had stints as a New England Coast Guard pilot during World War II, and a windjammer out of Camden before its refurbishing in 2002 and rebirth as a school. My brother-in-law Alex remembers sailing on the Roseway one exuberant summer in Maine when the schooner catered to high-spirited 16-year-olds. We told this to the captain who says he is amazed at the number of people he meets who have a connection to the Roseway.

We recently enjoyed one of the sunset sails the Roseway offers for the general public. As we got underway, all passengers assisted the crew in raising the big red sails.

The schooner took us north of the island for about an hour. We enjoyed the sun setting behind the Maroons on the northwest corner of St. Croix.

We returned to a lit Christiansted Harbor.

And watched the crew lower the sails for the night.

A Creative Winter

2009-02-18T12:37:00.009-04:00

It's Winter season here on St. Croix--yes, we do have "winter" in the tropics! Day time temperatures drop to the lower F80's, evenings get down to the F70's and we complain of "chills" and wear long pants and long sleeves and avoid the water when we go to the beach. In fact, the weather is perfect to be ensconced in the studio, which is what I've been doing the past couple of months.

So Winter has kept me quite busy in a wonderfully creative way. Here's a recap of my doings so far:

In early December I was a vendor at Starving Artists Day at the Whim Museum, a great place to sell and shop for Christmas gifts.

Some of my creations were totes:

Satchels
Purses
Journal Covers
Bookmarks

And now my art is permanently available at the Whim Museum Store.

I also participated in the Botanical Garden's Christmas Spoken Here festival in Mid December.

After Christmas I switched gears and began preparations for the Good Hope Fine Art Exhibit, which took place this past weekend.

Here's a close-up of the pieces that I exhibited:

Seahorse Under the Moon

Turtle Magic

Whale Rain

Poseidon's Reef

Whale Across the Water

Fantastic Fish 1

Fantastic Fish 2

The first sale and crowd favorite at Good Hope was Whale Rain, corroborating my desire to create a whole series of whale quilts. Fantastic Fish 2 was also quite popular and also sold. The other pieces will now go on sale through my website, which is about to undergo a much-needed update.

Overall, it's been a great creative season and I'm energized to continue this level of creativity throughout the year.

Calypso

2008-11-26T10:26:00.003-04:00

She was named long before she actually came into my life, when I first fell in love with the name and decided that if I ever had a cat, I'd name her Calypso. When she did arrive, she lived up to her name, graceful as the flower, beautiful as the nymph and spunky as the music. She was opinionated, letting me know in no uncertain terms how she despised human food. We bickered at times, but always made up by bedtime when she made it her job to tuck us into bed and purr us to sleep. There is no better lullaby.

A week ago we had to say good bye. My hand still reaches out to touch her silky fur or squeeze her fluffy paws, and my heart has a gaping hole. But I imagine that she's frolicking in heaven with her brother Hercules, while gently trying to remind me that in love there is no separation.

Annaly Bay Hike and Geocache

2008-11-14T11:03:00.013-04:00

Last Sunday afternoon we joined the St. Croix Hiking Association for a wonderful hike on the Trunbull Trail. The trail starts behind Carambola Beach Resort, on the Northwest corner of St. Croix.

It works its way up a ridge overlooking the north shore, and then descends to the Annaly Tide Pools.

The trail is shaded most of the way, with lots of interesting trees, such as this guy whose name I don't know, but looks like it's been in one too many bar fights.

Or this one, officially known as a Turpentine Tree, and locally called The Tourist Tree because it's red and peeling all over.

We took a quick detour to the ruins of an old sugar mill.

A nest of bees are now the official residents of this sugar mill.

The surf was high at Annaly Bay.

Some brave souls still hiked around the rocks to make it to the tide pools.

I watched from a rocky perch, and then got busy finding the geocache, located at N 17° 45.793 W 064° 50.723.

I took a mini microscope, and left behind one of my creations: a quilted bookmark.

Omar's Visit

2008-10-20T22:01:00.015-04:00

Here's what Omar looked like on the radar last Tuesday night, as it started heading our way. We look so tiny next to such a big blob of turbulence!

I went outside and captured the cloud cover as it reached us.

We spent Wednesday preparing for the storm, our first since we moved to the Caribbean. It got windy by 8 pm, and howling by 10. I fell asleep at midnight despite what sounded like a freight train rolling past my window. When I woke up at 5 am, calm prevailed.

Some water had seeped in through windows and doors, and outside, the house was plastered with leaves, some tree branches had broken and a few shrubs had fallen over. Thankfully, that was the extent of our damage.

Thursday morning, the skies were blue and the sea was relatively calm. The biggest telltale in the water was the brown muck that would otherwise be turquoise waters in serene Salt River Bay.

I walked around the property to survey the damage and found these amazing signs of nature's resiliency: A spider web still intact despite hurricane winds.

Butterflies! Many, many butterflies hovering around a field of untouched blooming exoras.

And our population of geckos going about their business, like any old day. How did they manage it?

It turns out we were lucky here in Salt River because while Omar was becoming a major hurricane, it took a right turn and headed for the east end of the island, where it allegedly overturned every utility pole in sight. The island suffered no loss of life, but the scene at the Christiansted harbor was certainly catastrophic.

It is estimated that over 30 boats sank as they slammed into each other or into the boardwalk.

Where do you begin this kind of cleanup?

For some people their boat was their home, for others it was their livelihood.

Some images were simply surreal.

In town, some businesses tried to help pick up everyone's spirits with live music and a place to meet and regroup.

By Saturday night, most of us were exhausted from all the work of cleaning up and putting things back in their places. Our friends LeeAnn and Bryan decided it was time to let off some steam and threw a Pajama-Hookah-Karaoke party.

One day over the summer, I brought out my tiny toy-like hookah at a gathering, and it was such a hit that now we have an impressive collection of hookah pipes amongst us, all the better for trying out the endless variety of tobacco flavors: apple, melon, mint, chocolate, raspberry, champagne, coffee, coconut...

Sporting our pajamas helped everyone loosen up and try their hand at karaoke.

It was just the kind of goofy fun we all needed.

Whale Wonderment

2008-09-10T10:06:00.002-04:00

I spent the summer pondering where to go next in my creative journey. I wanted the proverbial breath of fresh air, new inspiration, something to capture my imagination and lure me into the depths of artistic exploration.

It took a trip north to Skagway, Alaska, for me to find my muse in the majesty of whales frolicking in the cold waters of the Lynn Canal. What a sight it was, a pod of 15 humpbacks whooshing, calling out to each other, high-tailing it and then, in unison, soaring above the water, pink mouths wide open, feasting on fish and glee and companionship. And later, a pod of about 24 orcas jumping about in pairs, while we on the boat stood in silent wonder listening to their song.

And so I'm back in the tropics enthralled with the memory of these giants, wanting more than anything to capture their splendor on fabric in a riot of color and texture. Here's my first humble attempt:

Ode to the Sea

2008-03-16T17:15:00.003-04:00

My dearest friend John was here for a couple of weeks thawing out from winter in NJ, "the land of black and white" as he called it. Every time he visits we make a pilgrimage to Point Udall, the eastern end of St. Croix and the easternmost point of the US, and one of my favorite spots here. I'll let this photo (which shows Buck Island on the far left) explain why:

This view invokes my deep love of the ocean and it also invariably evokes a wonderful poem by Pablo Neruda:

Ode to the Sea
Here
Surrounding the island
There's sea.
But what sea?
It's always overflowing.
Says yes,
Then no,
Then no again,
And no,
Says yes
In blue
In sea spray
Raging,
Says no
And no again.
It can't be still.
It stammers
My name is sea.

It slaps the rocks
And when they aren't convinced,
Strokes them
And soaks them
And smothers them with kisses.
With seven green tongues
Of seven green dogs
Or seven green tigers
Or seven green seas,
Beating its chest,
Stammering its name,

Oh Sea,
This is your name.
Oh comrade ocean,
Don't waste time
Or water
Getting so upset
Help us instead.
We are meager fishermen,
Men from the shore
Who are hungry and cold
And you're our foe.
Don't beat so hard,
Don't shout so loud,
Open your green coffers,
Place gifts of silver in our hands.
Give us this day
our daily fish.

ps- Many thanks to John Windwalker for sharing with me this lovely photo.

Community Supported Agriculture

2008-02-25T09:59:00.003-04:00

I have joined the first season of St. Croix's first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), run by the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute. A CSA is a program in which consumers buy a share of a farmer's crop up front. In this way, we, the consumers, participate in funding the operating costs and enjoy the bounty at harvest time. For me, it means an opportunity to support local agriculture in return for fresh, delicious, organic produce. This is a big thing here; an island where the supermarkets ship most of their produce from the States, and so we often get mealy tomatoes, old cucumbers, stale apples, and all at astronomical prices. A bunch of scallions costs $1.50. A head of cauliflower: $4.00, a pint of berries: $4.00 to $6.00, a bunch of bananas: $.75/lb.

Here's a sampling of this week's basket: tomatoes, eggplant, purple bell peppers, tatsoi, mixed greens, pigeon peas, celery, green and purple basil, mint and raccao. In previous weeks I've received cucumbers, okra, carrots, dill, bananas, passion fruit, limes and oranges.

I enjoy the variety from week to week, as each ingredient can inspire an unexpected dish. I've made fried okra, sautéed tatsoi, carrot soup, dill-yogurt dressing, insalata caprese, lime-poppy seed muffins, and mint tea. This week, I might put to use that mint towards a batch of mojitos.

Public Reaction at Good Hope Exhibit

2008-02-19T19:37:00.002-04:00

The Good Hope Caribbean Fine Arts Exhibit ran this past weekend. I was happy to be an exhibiting artist, and even happier when I sold four of my six pieces on display. During the opening reception on Friday evening I had the pleasure to see the public's reaction to my work. Laboring alone in the studio, it's hard to guess what will be liked, and to my surprise, the crowd favorite was Tile Fish, a piece that was a pure play thing for me. I should know by now: play brings joy, and joy brings radiance to what we do.

My favorite part of the exhibit was the educational program on Friday morning. Over 250 public school students of all ages took guided tours. I was one of the artists in attendance, ready to answer questions and discuss our art. The kids were shown the many ways artists see and interpret the world, the many media available for expression, the many subjects that inspire art.

The high-schoolers postured with expressions of boredom and apathy. But usually a kid would hang back and ask privately one or two questions out of hearing range of the others. At the other end of the spectrum, the second graders were full of interest and fascination. One over-excited group responded with gasps and wow's worthy of a circus performance. One boy said to me, "I have three dollars. Can I buy something here?" Upon hearing this, a second kid said, "I have five dollars!" At that moment I really wished I had something tangible to gift these wonderful boys because their awe at seeing my work was simply priceless.

A Pigeon, an Exhibit, a Bonfire and Marshmallows

2008-02-11T12:59:00.000-04:00

Saturday had those unexpected bits and pieces that make for memorable days. It started with a pigeon.

This little guy hung around our front entrance for a couple of days before we noticed it had a leg band, was tame and maybe lost. We called the animal shelter and they came to the rescue. Our rescuer said it was a homing pigeon that probably belongs to somebody in Puerto Rico. They take the birds down island (like to Martinique) and race them back to PR, but some birds get tired and drop out of the race. When they land here on St. Croix, the rescuer feeds them, lets them hang out with the other pigeons, and releases them. Some go on, some stay. I can only guess why the pigeon chose our home, but I'm glad that he's in good hands now.

After dealing with the pigeon, we headed down to Cultural Creations of the Virgin Islands in Frederiksted for the opening reception of my art exhibit. It was a lovely night with a steady stream of visitors, and I was happy to finally show the product of my efforts these past few months.

The night was due to end with the exhibit, but we joined our friends down the street at Coconuts on the Beach for a beach bonfire and some great music by local band Rhythmix. The cool night breezes made the bonfire's warmth exquisite. There was a long stick and marshmallows, and so I had my first experience roasting marshmallows on an open fire (no girl scouts in my past). I had beginner's luck with the first marshmallow, but the next few... well... I'll have to attend more bonfires and keep practicing.

Two Shows and Three Fish

2008-01-24T10:29:00.001-04:00

I've been sequestered this whole month in my home studio preparing for two shows in February. The Twenty-First Annual Caribbean Fine Art Exhibit at the Good Hope School will take place February 15-18, 2008, and I'll be one of about 60 artists showing our stuff at this, the largest art show on St. Croix.

Beginning on February 9 and for the rest of the month, I'll have a solo exhibit at Cultural Creations of the Virgin Islands, a new gallery that opened in Frederiksted a few months ago.

I'm almost ready for both shows. And yesterday I completed a quilt that sat on my design wall for about a month. I created the three fish, and then waited weeks until I knew what to do with them. I'm happy with the results. Here's a preview of the full quilt:

And here's a close up of the stitch work involved:

Krewe de Barkus Dog Parade

2008-01-20T11:39:00.000-04:00

The spirit of Mardi Gras is alive and well here on St. Croix thanks to an enthusiastic crowd who yearly organize a series of "Mardi Croix" festivities. One such is the Krewe de Barkus dog parade which took place yesterday on the boardwalk in downtown Christiansted, to benefit the St. Croix Animal Shelter.

Proud owners parade their dogs in fine Mardi Gras regalia. Here are some notables:

Winner of the Funniest Costume, this little guy was a Rasta reveler, donning beads and a dreadlock hat that refused to stay on top of his head and became a dreadlock bib instead.

Winner of Best Overall were the Frenchies in flawless fashion.

Cutest and youngest, this 5-week old pup was rescued the day before, just in time to make the festivities.

Most spirited was this happy-go-lucky paraplegic dog, sporting all the flags of St. Croix around his wheelchair.

This trendy pooch had the best looking jeans in the crowd.

Our friend Michele and her son's dog in true Mardi Gras style.

And here, with a pair of two-legged canines and a stuffed doggie in his pouch, is our very own Dr. Hess, the best Vet on St. Croix, as voted by the local paper for several years running. My cat Calypso can vouch for this.

New Year, New Studio

2008-01-18T10:10:00.000-04:00

After some heart wrenching deliberation, I decided to give up my studio at La Grande Princesse in favor of a home studio, one to which I go on a dime. Bob made a floor plan of our one-bedroom apartment to see if it would be feasible to move my 4' X 8' work table into a nook in our living room.
We discovered that it was possible if we got rid of our unused futon. We did, and I moved into that nook by the window, and in the process we rearranged our furniture such that the apartment actually looks more spacious!

The table fit perfectly, my fabrics fit under the table, and a couple of book cases were employed to house my quilting paraphernalia. We put up a design wall (foam covered with felt, nailed in place under a 1" X 3" board), and voila! Instant studio!

Oh, and I get a fabulous view to boot!

Slow Down Dinner at the Farm

2007-12-24T15:36:00.000-04:00

Last night, in the silver light of the full moon, we had a lovely culinary experience at the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute. Nestled in the northwest hills of the island, the farm has 100 acres of orchards, gardens, and fields of organic produce that promote local and sustainable agriculture.

Once a month they host the general public to a 5-course dinner made with local ingredients. Last night was extra special because Chef Frank of Bacchus Restaurant fame (the best restaurant on the island), was in charge of the meal. With no set menu, giving Frank the freedom to create at will, the meal was a true gastronomic adventure.

It began with cucumber cups filled with Wahoo (local fish) ceviche, followed by tender greens in a lentil dressing. The ensuing eggplant ratatouille was the lightest I've ever tasted. The main course was a bed of risotto infused with soursop, topped with a very tender beef bourguignon, made with one of the feral cows that roam the hills of St. Croix. Yes, feral cows.

The whole affair was sweetened with a cheesecake in a gingersnap crust topped with passion fruit crème Anglaise. Throughout the meal, we sipped a German Gewürztraminer and a California Merlot, making the evening for a foodie like me, absolutely divine.

Happily, Frank very much enjoyed the experience too and is looking forward to hosting one of these Slow Down Dinners at the farm once a month in the coming year. Count me in!
ps-Thanks, Emy, for such a lovely treat!