No. 024 | March 2025

DRAX ISSUE 24

MARCH 2025

SECOND ANNIVERSARY EDITION

MOTHER EARTH //

ASPARAGUS QUICHE

DRAX CONTENTS

ISSUE 24

MARCH 2025

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FROM THE EDITOR

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MOTHER EARTH

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STORIES

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Drax Fine Art

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Burr Hall Farm

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Wellness+ Studio

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Bread Story

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William J. von Liebig Foundation

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ASPARAGUS QUICHE

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FROM THE EDITOR As I kneaded the thoughts on what to do, what we can believe and trust, if a ‘truth’ exists, and what is even real between my hands, an answer gently tapped my temples: art and connection. Now, those are two things we can depend on being pure and true. I don’t mean art in the sense of buying and selling, but the art we create without monetary intentions. Poems, plays, music, and stories. Things that come from a deep place within us, spark emotion, restore faith, connect us to our souls, and act as catalysts for our joy as creators and artists, for that is what we all are, whether we are aware of that fact or not.

So this second-anniversary issue is devoted to stories and art, whether culinary, literary, or visual.

Each medium is a mode of transconnection (if there is anything I’ve inherited from my father, it is the tendency to make up words), a way to connect with other people across various backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and ages.

I devote a lot of my free time to attending events around New York City. Filling my evenings after work with ambient chatter made all the more worthwhile when supplemented with delicious bites. Most of these are climate-focused; however, lately, I’ve been sprinkling in other kinds of events to diversify my mix. It was at one of these new additions, a co-working session with a group of incredible, talented women in the consulting, marketing, and advertising industry, that a discussion took place, the conclusion of which was explicit: you cannot believe everything you read on the internet, especially when it comes to what you see in advertisements. One woman shared her experience as an intern where she was instructed to tell blatant lies in her advertising campaigns: ‘Pyrex doesn’t break!’, ‘Plastic is safe!’, etcetera, etcetera.

Already prone to feeling the boulder of guilt and pressure strategically placed on consumers to bear the burden of the state of our world, I turned to the refuge of my journal’s pages to coax myself back from the brink of an existential crisis. the

In these times of uncertainty, fear, overwhelm, and overstimulation, it is all the more necessary to return to the basics of our humanity. Lean on a friend or family member, share a meal, a song, a story, or this digest. Pick up a book. Or a flower. Connect with yourself. Connect with others. With nature. Despair can be dissipated through the depth of connection.

I hope you enjoy this issue celebrating two years of digests. Thank you for being here. Until next month!

With love, light, and gratitude,

Eleonora Fogg EDITOR-IN-CHIEF eleonora@svvl.net

Publisher

Editor-In-Chief

Michael Ennis

Eleonora Fogg

Drax Digest is published monthly by Drax Publishing, LLC. Don’t hesitate to contact us with your ideas for future issues at eleonora@svvl.net!

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MOTHER EARTH A Poem by Drax Digest Editor, Eleonora Fogg

It was once by a riverbank I saw a woman, both young and old Illversed to the ways of man The plagues of our time Poisons of our world War Tragedy Famine — Manmade systems Designed to feed greed Fuel ignorance and Prosper hate.

Oh darling, do you know This is a woman who loves you so Though your person is unknown to her Her heartbeat of ocean waves and drifting clouds Skips with love for you and yours.

Skirts that form mountain folds engulf her limbs of branches Eyes holding stars, dolphins, and hummingbird wings Gaze thoughtfully at thee Enveloping you in a gentle wave of safety.

Spider webs gracefully lacing her lashes Iridescent scarabs adorn her ears Hair, isles of corn, smelling of pineapples and snow Lichen decorating her collarbone, Plum marmalade dripping from her lips.

Butterflies escaped, Her voice, the gentle flutter of their wings Mixed with lightning and honey.

A wild thing An ugly thing A beautiful — thing

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DRAX PUBLISHING

Gunfire Pierced the air

It was there on that riverbank, lay a woman young and old A mother ten times over Who learned the ways of man The plagues of our time Poisons of our world War Tragedy Famine — Manmade systems Designed to feed greed Fuel ignorance and Prosper hate.

All at once, her steps faltered Her peace shattered Plastic fractals littering the ground The last falcons escaped their nests in her hair Mares and stallions followed suit Her breath, once a source of life, seized Erupting in fits of soot, ash, smoke, and flame The rusting dust of death

Despite these cruelties Used to abuse her being That which brings the gifts of life Her earthly nature found a way to nurse her ills And restore the vibrance she once knew By taking hold of hardships with hands of ivy, She silenced violence with the lush greenery of spring, She calmed Heat’s rages with soothing breaths Interlaced with soft ice.

“Oh, my poor darling What have you done to me?” she wept Tears of gold, silver, and crimson diamonds Suffocating every orifice of song Toads escaped her throat Wasps and spiders fled her ears Hurricanes whipped between her ribs Tsunamis tore at her temples Her mouth agape in agony Deep red grape wine trickled from her sides.

She doesn’t hold your inflicted hurt against you For her power lies in gentle reclamation Lightness and adoration.

Her skin cracked.

Thick obsidian oozed.

Pitch humans were so desperate to claim Too stubborn to lose.

Though her healing heart does ache At the thought of your darling eyes Glossing over with the fog of ignorance Corrupted clouds of greed, And heavy shadow of hate.

Bombs exploded between her breasts.

Quakes brought her to her knees.

She lay, bleeding, on the river bank.

Each drop, a gift of poppies.

Man’s assault finally ceased.

The nearby quarry inquired about her health.

Though her breathing labored, Her lungs began to creep with moss.

Doves returned to coo in her voicebox As crickets and frogs reclaimed their place in the crook of her arm.

Her tears of release tasted of sweet persimmons.

Foxes licked her wounds As mangroves rebuilt her bones.

Eagles flew back into her eyes.

Butter cups and primroses intertwined in the cracks.

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It was on a riverbank There stood a woman, young and old The golden sphere arose Its beams basking her in light Where she taught new ways of people The beauties of our time Wonders of our world Peace Joy Abundance Human systems Designed to feed those in need, Cultivate harmony, Nurture bliss, Craft circularity, And grow love To make a world We didn’t have to wait to create.

STORIES

Drax Fine Art Bisa Butler is an American fiber artist celebrated for her striking quilted portraits that bring Black history to life. Using fabric as her medium, she transforms historical photographs and personal images into stunning, colorful tapestries that honor the stories and identities of Black individuals.

Born in 1973, Butler was initially trained as a painter but shifted to quilting to merge fine art with textile traditions. Her work reimagines famous and overlooked figures through intricate layers of vibrant fabrics, each carefully chosen to reflect their personalities, emotions, and cultural roots.

Butler’s quilts have gained widespread recognition and have been showcased in major institutions like the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Her art challenges traditional narratives, celebrating Black life, resilience, and beauty in a medium historically associated with craft rather than fine art.

Through her innovative approach, Bisa Butler stitches together not just fabric but a powerful, redefined vision of history.

Drax Productions Send us your votes for your favorite pet films and TV shows for our next issue! Just send your submissions at eleonora@svvl.net.

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Burr Hall Farm The farm’s most successful endeavor is our honey, which we harvest from our 45 hives, which house over 3 million bees. These millions of tiny, incredible forces of nature collectively yield about 1,000 pounds of honey per harvest! The autumnal honey is particularly special. Due to its potency and high content of knotweed, the thick, deeply dark amber liquid is revered as “chef’s honey” since the flavor profile is significantly more robust, making it an excellent addition to a chef’s cooking tool belt.

Last year, Chef Yann of Bread Story used our chef’s honey for Bread Story’s honey cakes in a fantastic collaboration between two of The Drax Group’s businesses. Do you have a chef in your life? Well, keep an eye out, for our honey will soon be available to purchase online and would make a perfect gift to any culinary wizards you know!

Wellness+ Studio Fitness at Wellness+ Studio is going strong! The studio and its incredible founder, Eva Peña, have been gaining more and more publicity. With an interview with influencer and founder of PURIST magazine, Christina Cuomo, and several recent features in Verywell Fit, Wellness+ Studio’s community, reach, reputation, and press portfolio are rapidly expanding. We love to see our businesses thrive and help people along the way.

Left Page Top: Broom Jumpers, (2019) by Bisa Butler Bottom: Photo of Bread Story’s honey cake with Burr Hall Farm’s honey Right Page Photo of Wellness+ Studio interior upon entry

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BREAD STORY

Le Chausson Aux Pommes If you end up lost in Saint-Calais, located southwest of Paris, you might be lucky to attend "Le Festival du Chausson aux Pommes." Pommes means apples, and Chausson means slippers: think cozy as we put the apples in the dough like putting on a sock! It is a fine puff pastry garnished with apples sautéed in butter. Saint-Calais claims to make the best ones; here is why.

Let's visit Saint-Calais in 1580. A plague epidemic overtook the city. People were scared as they were facing death with little hope for life. Food was hard to find, and everyone was locked inside for weeks. In the abbey, the monks had locked themselves in, too, praying for the end of the tragedy. They promised to celebrate a Mass every year if the Lord would put an end to it.

The plague ended up decimating two-thirds of the population. But their prayers seemed to work, as one day, the epidemic miraculously ended. As promised, the following year, the monks hosted a Mass in honor of the miracle. For the occasion, the chatelaine, Madame de Vendôme, made an early version of the apple turnover and distributed it to the population.

Since then, the pastry has become a symbolic product of Saint-Calais. Every first Sunday of September bakeries would sell apple turnovers to commemorate the end of the epidemic and celebrate the first distribution made by the chatelaine.

Every era has its epidemics, hopes, and celebrations. Though its remnants not entirely gone, we find little ways of celebrating the end of the 21st-century pandemic, like enjoying the fine dough full of applesauce baked to perfection that we call le chausson aux pommes.

~ A Brief Story of le Chausson Aux Pommes | A Bread Story [Edited]

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WJVL FOUNDATION How a Runaway Dog Became the Hero of New Orleans February 17th, 2025

‘Scrim, as someone along the way named him, is a living, panting embodiment of the spirit of New Orleans’ Emily Kask for the New York Times The New York Times recently published a heartwarming article about Scrim, a little runaway with coarse, creamy West Highland white terrier fur who escaped euthanasia in New Orleans. Dodging trains and bullets (very literally) and surviving on food intended for stray cats, Scrim is a repeat offender escape artist.

“He is about 3 years old, weighs 17 pounds and has coarse, cloudy fur. And for several months, he had much of New Orleans looking for him. With each foiled capture or implausible escape, his fame grew and so did his reputation. He became an almost mythical figure, too savvy and swift to contain.

His saga has inspired tattoos, murals and Mardi Gras floats.

Some have held him up as a renegade, choosing freedom over the comforts of domestic life. Scrim, as so

over the comforts of domestic life. Scrim, as someone along the way named him, is also a living, panting embodiment of the spirit of New Orleans: He, like the city, kept on going despite it all.” (Rick Rojas, 2025).

Scrim is now safely in the hands of Michelle Cheramie, founder of Zeus’s Place a non-profit animal rescue in New Orleans, but not without a long string of adventures and additional escapes along the way. Now, Michelle zealously ensures that all doors and windows are intact to prevent any of Scrim’s future Houdini-inspired impulses.

Who knows if he has truly settled down or if he’s plotting his next little adventure in New Orleans.

Read the entire story here!

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Drax Productions

Empowering Artists and Inspiring Audiences

Recipe by Christopher Varroux-Renaud Makes 4 Servings

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Asparagus Quiche

Ingrédients: 1 box puff pastry 1 bunch green asparagus 4 eggs 3/4 cup whole milk 3/4 cup heavy cream 2 cups grated gruyere cheese Whole grain mustard Chives, finely minced Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the asparagus and cut the bottoms off. Boil them for 10 to 15 minutes, then submerge them in an ice bath— strain, dry, and set aside.

2. Add eggs, milk, and heavy cream mix in a mixing bowl until fully combined. Add the cheese and mix again. Line a tart pan with parchment paper.

3. With a soup spoon spread generously the whole grain mustard all over the bottom of the pastry dough. Save a few whole asparagus and cut the rest of them into bite size pieces. Add the chopped asparagus to the cheese mixture and then pour it all over the dough. Finally, add the chives and place the whole asparagus nicely on top. Your quiche is ready to go in the oven.

4. Bake until nice and golden. The quiche is cooked when you insert the tip of a knife in it and it comes out clean which should be about 30 minutes. Let it rest and cool off for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

5. Enjoy :)

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