Sorrel and Strawberries
A Midsummer field note
Welcome to the Michelle Seguin MD newsletter! I’m Dr. Michelle, and I’m so glad you’re here. This week’s letter includes a field note and photo diary from Midsummer in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Hello friends,
Midsummer is here with nearly 16 hours of glorious sunshine and the first garden harvests in Upper Michigan. There were many festivities in town this weekend thanks to the region’s strong Finnish heritage. We opted for a simple celebration here on our land with a seasonal meal and a bonfire to cap off the day. I had every intention of finishing up this newsletter from the comfort of the front porch, but the mosquitos had other plans. Nonetheless, I hope you’ll enjoy this field note and photo journal of sorts.
With gratitude,
Dr. Michelle
I’ve been keeping seasonal field notes for a few years now, brief entries from a specific place and moment. Today’s note comes from midsummer (late June) on the property. If you’d like to browse my growing collection of field notes, you can find them here.
June 20th - Midsummer -Temperature: High of 67°F under mostly sunny skies. Winds light at 6 mph out of the northwest.
Midsummer light stretching long over the landscape, and the garden is finally catching up to the season. Plantain leaves broad and green in the meadow grass, harvested into my sweetgrass basket to be dried, then turned into salve (a perfect cold weather project). Garlic scapes curling their way skyward, asking to be cut before they steal energy from the bulbs below.
First sorrel season: This is the first year we’ve had green sorrel established in the garden. Friends turned us onto sorrel after sharing a spring sorrel soup with potatoes and dill, a family recipe from Poland. Tonight that lemony, tangy green became a sauce inspired by Kate Hill, paired with lake trout caught fresh that morning from Lake Superior. The fish stuffed with lemon, onion, and garden herbs: garlic scapes, chives, thyme. A meal that couldn’t have happened a month ago. (My husband said it was the best fish he’s ever had, which is high praise from a guy who travels to Isle Royale every year to fish for those beautiful lakers).
From the garden: Currants hanging green and not quite ripe, clusters tight along the branches. Collard leaves broad and glossy, the deep purple veins running through green. Wild strawberries gathered into a small jar, barely enough for a single bite each, but that first taste of true summer.
The chickens: Settling into their temporary coop for the summer, giving us breathing room before we build the permanent structure. Oliver’s class hatched these chicks in his culinary and gardening class, and he brought four home in May. We’ve since added three more. Seven chickens now, all named Junior or some variation, and our farm keeps growing whether we planned it that way or not.
Breaking ground: We also broke ground on what will become our new garden, right next to the house. I’m envisioning a kitchen potager space, somewhere I can teach from, both virtually here on Substack and in person, alongside a perennial patch planted in polyculture style with many of our favorites woven together. I love how it’s currently framed by serviceberry trees in the foreground along with our new orchard on the far side.
What’s blooming: A bearded iris opened this week, deep purple and white with that golden throat, ruffled edges catching wind. This is “Tennison Ridge” from Schreiner’s Gardens in Oregon.
From the house: Interior finishes drawing to a close. I stood in the primary bedroom today just looking out at the ridge line through new windows, hardwood floors catching that long light. Almost home…
Who I’m becoming: Someone who can finally taste what years of patience have promised. Sorrel that took a few seasons to establish, currants we planted as cuttings, a house that's been sketches and conversations for so long it stopped feeling real. Midsummer keeps reminding me that most good things take longer than you expect.
Seasonal Spotlight
I’m adding more seasonal snippets as Notes. Here are a few that you’ve enjoyed this month…
From the Archive:
Past letters from June and the start of summer…
Thank you for being here. If you're new, say hello in the comments. And if you've been here a while, I always love hearing from you! What's ripe in your garden right now, what are you celebrating this midsummer/solstice weekend, what are you drawn to as summer gets going?
With love and care,
Dr. Michelle
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Here are my most recent Substack sharings:
So beautiful — happy home and gardens and chickens (and pup) — What bounty! ✨☺️