By October's first week. The Harvest Gathering is three weeks out. Hannah and I are in prep. Adam Pigeon is delivering another hog Friday before the gathering — a similar size to last year, two hundred pounds.
I made the first persimmon pudding Sunday. Hannah's mother's recipe. The same recipe for fifteen years on this property. The pudding came out the color of dark caramel. We ate it warm with whipped cream. Hannah closed her eyes. The seal of the season has been set.
Tuesday Hannah and I had a long talk about Terry on the porch. We talked about logistics. Lily and Ben might host her for the first transition phase — Lily is closer to the doctors in Tahlequah. Or Terry could come straight to us. Or she could try to stay in Turley for another six months with help. The conversations are early conversations. The decisions will be hers and ours and Lily and Ben's. They will get made.
Cohort week five. The new students are starting basic projects. Henry is working on a fire poker. The 58-year-old has started a more ambitious sculpture. Henry came up to me after class Wednesday. He said: I'm going to ask Macy to marry me. I said: when. He said: at Christmas. I said: not the cohort instructor I want to be the first to know. He said: yes you are. He said: she's your niece. He said: I want your blessing. I said: you have it. He said: thank you. He left. I stood in the bay alone for a minute. My niece getting engaged at Christmas. Caleb getting married last May. The world keeps doing what the world does.
That first pudding Sunday set the tone for everything — the color of it, deep and warm like something pulled from the earth itself, made me want a sauce that could hold its own alongside it. Hannah’s mother’s recipe doesn’t call for anything extra, but over the years I’ve started finishing the plate with a salted caramel drizzle, and now I can’t imagine the season without it. Three weeks out from the Gathering, this is the one I’ll make in quantity — it keeps well, it scales, and it belongs on that table.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 12 (about 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (or 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt the sugar. Pour the granulated sugar into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula as the sugar begins to clump and then melts into an amber liquid. Watch carefully — it moves fast once it starts.
- Add the butter. Once the sugar is fully melted and deep amber in color, add the butter all at once. The mixture will bubble vigorously — that is expected. Stir steadily until the butter is fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.
- Stream in the cream. Remove the pan from heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring. The sauce will bubble up again. Once the bubbling subsides, return to low heat and stir for 1 minute until smooth and uniform.
- Finish with salt and vanilla. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and sea salt. Taste and adjust salt if needed — it should have a distinct savory edge that cuts the sweetness.
- Cool and store. Let the sauce cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a glass jar. It will thicken as it cools. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Reheat gently in a small saucepan or in short microwave bursts before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 148 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 17g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 195mg