“The crickets sang in the grasses. They sang the song of summer’s ending, a sad monotonous song. A little maple tree heard the cricket song and turned bright red with anxiety”.

Last night the temperature dropped and a cool wind picked up, whipping the window blinds.  We rushed to close them and for the first time this Summer slept without the fan.  The wind howled most of the night and in the morning we heard of homes lost to the wild fires that have been raging here in British Columbia.  My heart is heavy for everyone who has lost their homes.  Tonight the setting sun is a deep orange as the last days of August approach.  

I went to the shops today and already pumpkins and harvest decor line shelves.  I love Autumn, I do, but Summer’s here are so short so I’m holding on a little longer before I get into Sweater Weather mode. Each year retailers are pushing the seasons much sooner in the name of profit.  I feel that living in the moment is important so that time doesn’t just fly by without us stopping to notice it. 

Tonight I met with family and friends at the park to watch my husbands baseball game.  It was nice to catch up, hear of everyone’s Summer adventures and be outside (regardless of the wildfire smoke hovering over the tops of the trees like fog). The end of Baseball season means soon it will be comfy dinners of chilli con carne or loaded nachos while the Football game plays in the living room.
The sourdough starter rising on the kitchen counter will be baked into a rustic loaf for this weeks bread. I’ll use the discard to make tomato, cheese and bacon scones. 

Tomato, Cheese & Bacon Scones

You Will Need:

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• ½ cup sourdough discard starter
• 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes chopped small
• 4 strips cooked bacon chopped
• 2 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)
• ¾ cup cold milk

Topping:

• 2 tablespoons milk
• Grated cheese

Instructions:

1. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir. Chop the cold butter into cubes and add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into pea-sized crumbs, ensuring the pieces stay cold and don’t melt into the flour. Alternatively, use a cheese grater to grate the cold butter.
2. Stir in the grated cheese, tomatoes, bacon and chopped chives (if using).
3. Add in the sourdough discard starter and half the milk. Fold it together and add in only as much milk as is needed to create a shaggy dough that just holds together when pressed.
4. Tip this dough out onto a lightly floured surface and push it into a shaggy rectangle of about 7×10 inches.
5. Lift up the bottom third of the dough and fold it into the middle. Bring down the top third of the dough and fold this over, like you’re folding a pamphlet.
6. Turn the dough 90° so it’s lengthwise in front of you, then push or use a rolling pin to gently push it into another 7×10 inches rectangle. Repeat the folding process once more.
7. Turn the dough 90° so it’s lengthwise in front of you, then push or use a rolling pin to gently push it into another 7×10 inches rectangle.
8. Cut it into 8 pieces for large scones or 12 pieces for small scones.
9. Place the cut scones onto a tray and cool in the fridge  for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.
10. Preheat the oven to 425°F .
11. Brush the scones with milk and top with extra grated cheese.
12. Bake for approximately 14-20 minutes until golden brown. If you made 12 smaller scones they will need less time than 8 bigger scones.
13. Serve the scones hot with butter.

Note: With only 2 of us at home, I made 8 scones with 1/2 the dough and wrapped the other half in parchment paper and put it in a freezer bag. You can store the dough in the freezer for another day. Just pull them out and bake.

Chilly mornings give way to sunny afternoons.  The seasons move forward as should we.  Regardless of the highs and lows we may face, there’s always something new around the corner, an opportunity for growth or a time for rest.  

I hope you are enjoying the late days of August.

Love,

Jennifer