Beet Greens

It's been a while since last updating... so much, yet so little, has happened since I left you with that curious photo of a camel in my backyard. Just like I did a couple of months ago, I'm recommitting myself to more frequent updates.

• Excellent in-service training with stagemates in Marrakech.
• Hot minute trip to Fez with great people. It's a lovely city. The culture up yonder is so different than down here in the south. And the bisara (fava been soup-ish) is soo sooooo good.
• Even hotter minute trip to America for family reasons.
• Diversity training and VAC meeting in Rabatville.
• Thanksgiving retreat at province-mate's rustic and falling apart mansion house in the middle-of-nowhere. I made the most delicious stuffing I've ever eaten... mmmm mmmmm good. Despite the heavy rain, absent electricity, and absent running water, the good company kept things fabulous. 
• Watched my little village flood. Watched the water seep into the baked earth. Watched people trudge through muddy-swamp village. Watched mud turn back into baked earth. As I write, it's raining again... baked earth turning into mud... the cycle begins again. 
• SIDA event at local souk with province-mates. Beautiful weather, beautiful work. 
• Gorged on too much cauliflower and beet greens. Definitely not an unhealthy thing, but made the bathroom run an interesting experience. Nonetheless, I am grateful for the beet-man at my weekly market who gave me a heaping bunch of beet greens for free. 

And can someone please identify this unidentified vegetable thing that looks sort of like celery, but isn't. And I have no idea what to do with it. EDIT: A friend identified this beast as cardoons! So happy to have figured that out. Check this out: http://honest-food.net/2009/04/10/contemplating-cardoons/

SIDA table at Had Dra health clinic.