Marvelous repulsion

The eyes of an alligator are truly primordial, like thousands upon thousands of years are looking back at you; somehow this being that is alive right now, is so eerily the same as its ancestor so long ago, and steadily, in its cold blooded nature can hold your gaze in the present. 

There's something incredibly repulsive, yet simultaneously fascinating about reptiles. This first became apparent to me when I lived in Louisiana three years ago and peered into alligator eyes on a fairly frequent basis. The reptile (serpent) has prominent places throughout human mythology, as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_in_mythology

I realized recently that I have similar inklings toward certain ancient plants, like thistles and ferns. I think it has to do with how "evolutionarily perfect" they are (think cockroaches, too...). So little has changed over millennia, and when I gaze upon them, I could be living at any point in history in that moment. 

While it is difficult to relate to these beings (many environmentalists observe that this is a major hurdle to a widespread earth stewardship); I believe this marvelous repulsion is worth acknowledging and exploring. 

E.g.

Above: Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus)

Ancestor to today's globe artichoke, perhaps cultivated for 30,000 years. 

According to a friend (whose garden this is) the cardoon is not officially supposed to be a perennial in Southern Illinois, yet it typically does overwinter. Cardoon is used in traditional cheese making in Portugal as a vegetarian rennet (http://joyofcheesemaking.blogspot.com/2010/10/homegrown-rennet.html), and the stalks are edible as well. (http://www.yougrowgirl.com/2010/11/26/growing-and-eating-cardoon/)

Yes! I want to make home-grown rennet!

....

In a pinch while cheese making last night (I spilled the last of my rennet), I used 1/2 teaspoon globe artichoke tincture to attempt to set 2 gallons milk. I left it sit overnight, and it worked! A curd formed, and while the curd was too soft to make it into the feta I had planned, it made a very tasty cottage cheese. First cottage cheese I tasted that had lipase powder in it; it's tangy, saucy and delicious!