A thin film of anxiety starts to settle on me every time I notice the first smell of Fall. I didn’t get to go camping very much. Shit, that’s right, the pool closed on Labor Day. I must be outside every second of every day from now on….et cetera, et cetera…

Seattle does that to you. You know the darkness is coming and regret proceeds it. You chastise yourself for being too much ant and not enough grasshopper.

It hit hard today at the farmer’s market. Apples and winter squash begin to take over, nectarines have peaked and tomatoes reign. The carrots I’ve been getting just don’t taste as sweet but still make a wicked juice. Did I ever tell you about my idea to open a juice bar? A JUICE. BAR. It’s like a health food store, for alcoholics! I still think it’s a good idea. You can steal it if you want. But I get free Stoli Carrots for life.

Anyway, I’m psyched about the German Butterball potatoes I snagged–tastes like you already hit ‘em with copious amounts of butter, nutty, very smooth texture. And I also found those sexy, peppery scallions you see in the picture. How hot will those look in Miso soup?

But my new favorite thing is the Pluot (as shown fig. A, above left). The voodoo child of a plum and an apricot–a pluot has a fraction of the bitterness of most plums and a more concentrated flavor, nearer to apricot. The skin is more palatable (like a nectarine). This I like because, personally, apricot skins creep me out. They remind me of lab mice. But that’s another story.

Working Title: Carrot Bloodied

All drink recipes are derivative. I recommend screwing with this according to how you like your Bloody Marys.

… in a shaker…
1 1/2 oz Pepper vodka (I make my own, 3 times Brita-distilled, natch)
2 dashes+ Celery salt
2 dashes+ Ground coriander
1/2 tsp+ Ponzu
Fresh ground pepper
3 dashes+ Marie Sharp’s Fiery Habanero Sauce
    *this sauce rocks, is carrot-based, milder, and from Belize
6 oz+ Fresh carrot juice (or high quality bottled–clue: there’s an expiration date)

Shake & pour into a pint glass.
You can get silly with the garnish, I guess, but I just use a lime.

• Don’t pre-make this. The spices overpower the carrot juice in a bad way.
• Order Marie Sharp’s hot sauces HERE. (also good w/ their orange pulp-based sauce)
• Best juice-in-a-bottle on the market: Boathouse Farms